This story switches between narratives and is told in segments. At times, it will be taken from the characters' point of view.
Thank you for reading—I hope you enjoy this story.
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THE WALKING DEADALTERNATIVE
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Chapter 2: STRANGERS!!
It's been a week since I got stuck in this mini-mart, and all I can find is black beans. If this keeps up, I might turn into a bean man—or worse, a bean walker.
Lee lets out a sigh.
Lee: "Yeah… it's time I leave this place. If I stay any longer, I might miss my chance to find Clementine—and I'm not letting that happen."
He packs his bag with food, water, and a few medical supplies, then slips out the door, determined.
As he makes his way down the street, five walkers come at him, but Lee quickly puts them down with a pistol he found earlier inside the mini-mart.
Suddenly, a herd begins to close in—and within it, something fast. Something wrong.
A new kind of walker, one with the speed of a track star, tears through the others as it barrels straight for Lee.
Lee (panicking): "What the fuck… what the fuck is that thing?!"
He opens fire on it, trying to slow it down, but nothing works. It's too fast.
The mutated walker slams Lee's head into the back of a nearby pickup truck, then hurls him into a building wall. His vision blurs, blood pouring from a gash on his head. He tries to get up—but his legs won't listen.
Lee (thinking): Is this it…? Is this the end?
Just then—gunshots.
The mutated walker drops.
Through hazy vision, Lee sees a man dressed in black walking toward him.
Stranger: "You alright?"
Lee gives a weak nod… and then everything fades to black.
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LATER THAT DAY
Lee (groggy): "Where… where am I?"
Unknown man: "You're at my safe base."
Lee: "Who are you?"
Man: "Name's Klause dé Ashmore. And you?"
Lee: "Lee Everett. Thanks for saving me."
Klause: "No problem. Noticed you're missing an arm."
Lee: "...And?"
Klause: "I think I can help with that."
Lee: "How exactly?"
Klause: "My sister Alice—she's a big nerd. Always into robotics and stuff. She might be able to build you a new one. A robotic arm."
Lee: "Robotic arm? That's a good joke, pal… But seriously, can she actually do that?"
Klause: "Maybe. I'm not sure, but it wouldn't hurt to try, would it?"
Lee: "I guess not… Hey, that walker—what the hell was it? How was it so fast?"
Klause: "That wasn't a normal walker. That was a mutated one. I call it 'Bolt'—because, well… it's fast as hell."
Lee: "Mutated walkers? That a thing now?"
Klause: "Yeah. And they're getting more common. You should eat something. We're heading out at sunrise."
Lee: "Where to?"
Klause: "My home. A place without walkers or bad people. I call it NAVINE."
Lee laughs.
Lee: "A place without walkers? Sounds like a dream…"
He thanks Klause again and lies back down. As sleep pulls him under, he whispers to himself:
Lee: "A place without walkers… that sounds wonderful."
THE NEXT DAY
The two head out on foot, making their way north. NAVINE was located on an abandoned island.
Lee: "How much longer till we get there?"
Klause: "About five more hours till we reach the Atlanta shoreline. From there, I've got a boat. I'll take you the rest of the way."
Lee: "Five hours… got it."
Along the road, Klause spots a car and takes off running.
Lee: "Don't run off like that!" he shouts. "You think it'll work?"
Klause: "Maybe."
Klause cuts two wires under the dashboard and connects them. The engine roars to life.
The two share a surprised look—and a smile.
Klause: "We might make it there in an hour with this."
Lee: "Then let's not waste time."
MEANWHILE…
Stranger: "Don't shoot! I'm unarmed—I swear, I'm harmless!"
Man 1: "What's your name?"
Stranger: "My name is Kenny."
End of Chapter 2