[ WP ] It 's been 8 months since the zombie apocalypse . You fell in with a tough as nails roughneck group . When in the city looting , you come across a scavenger . He 's your best friend from before the outbreak and your crew unanimously decides to execute him ( he is armed ) .

8 months since since everything changed. When I dream, it is not the fantasies I used to have, but memories of the time before. I dream of a time when I was n't weary, when I was n't hungry, when I still had my old family. 
 I have a new family now. There is less warmth but we look after one another. It is better in some ways; I used to be a father, that brought responsibilities, expectations, I had to lead. Not now. As part of this group life is tougher, it is hardly safe to sleep and there is never enough food. Yet now I have left the duties of parenthood, my job and my life behind, I am an equal for the first time. I am complete. 
 Within this group we are not friends, we are survivors. We do not love each other, but we need each other and we trust each other. 
 
 The city is not safe. Too many rooftops, too many blocked alley ways. But there is food here, that is why people risk coming. Ahead of us a scavenger is picking through the debris, there's a gun slung across his back so we will have to kill him, no question. It is just a shame there is only one of him, more scavengers means more food. There's a good chance he'll take one of us with him but we ca n't leave him alive, with a gun to our backs. 
 
 He is focused on unearthing whatever it is that he can see beneath the rubble. This should could go quite well for us. We creep slowly as blood races through our veins. Pupils dilated, mouth salivating, yet we tread lightly. He pauses, none of us even draws breath. He continues digging and we continue advancing towards his back. But he has heard us, he turns and the gun is in his hands. As a unit we all race towards him to pull that weapon out of his hands and tear him to pieces. Too far to reach him yet close enough that he need n't aim but he does n't fire. His hesitation will be his end, then for a instant I do too. I knew this man once, before the collapse. He was like family to me then. That does n't matter now, I have a new family and we are hungry. Our eyes meet in recognition, I will see him again in my dreams, but that does n't matter now. The gun lies on the ground, its clip is replete. Tonight I survived because my old friend had warmth in his heart enough to stay his trigger. 
 
 My family eats well tonight, but we will be hungry again soon.
