The Walking Dead: Visions of the future

[A/N: First, I'd like to thank GoldenZega606, who has supported my novel from the beginning and correctly answered one of my questions in the last chapter. This chapter is thanks to this reader, along with many others who continue to support this novel.

In this chapter, we'll see some new characters, or rather, we'll learn their names, and they'll also begin to play a greater role in the preparation process for the protagonist's apocalypse.]

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At the base.

We stared at each other for a few seconds. Noticing that I wasn't going to change my mind, she abruptly turned her head to the side, pouting at the same time. She seemed quite angry.

"You're not ready for the trip. Besides, it won't take too long; it's not that far, and now I have an idea how to make it take less time than usual", I said, trying to convince her, while also remembering the bike shop.

"I think I can make it a simple trip", she said, still angry and pouting, but with little conviction in her words.

"I don't want to put myself at risk, nor do I want to put the group I'm with at risk. And above all, I don't want to put you at risk", I said, looking her straight in the eyes in a gentle tone, trying to convince and calm her. I could see her expression changing from one of astonishment to one visibly happy and moved by my words.

"It's okay. "I just hope you take care of yourself and that nothing like what happened today happens to you", she told me with a concerned tone.

"Don't worry, I've done this route several times, and I have alternative routes in case something comes up", I told her in a calm and confident tone; to show her how convinced I was of my abilities.

"Okay, I believe you", she said without going much further into the subject.

After our conversation, we organized and cleaned everything we had used during dinner, and without any interaction, we each went to our beds.

It seemed Anna was still upset about not going with me. Or maybe she was just worried about being alone again.

I fell asleep staring at the ceiling again.

"I hope I remember all the details of this dream once I wake up", I thought as drowsiness took over.

Thursday, November 5, 2026, morning.

"Ah… I don't know why I'm so tired", I said with a yawn as soon as I woke up.

Suddenly, my eyes opened wide as I realized I should write down what I'd dreamed before I completely forgot it. I desperately hoped to remember my survival partner's name, since I could warn her in advance about everything that was going to happen and ensure she wouldn't lose any loved ones, if possible.

"Although I don't think she'd believe me if I ever found her and told her everything I dreamed. After all, not everyone would find it logical to dream about a probable future, especially if that future is specifically about the apocalypse", I thought, analyzing the situation a little more.

When I found my notebook, the first thing I wrote down was the small misunderstanding I had with my new partner. Which leads me to think that people in times of apocalypse aren't very supportive of others. If she thought I was going to throw her out on those dangerous streets, it means she's met people like that before. While I didn't remember the entire conversation, and especially his face or name, it seems everything ended well after our conversation.

The next thing I wrote down, and unfortunately for me, I remembered very clearly, was the dangerous situation I experienced when I was exposed to a group of zombies. I remembered how terrified I was just by seeing the zombies swarming outside the store where I had taken refuge.

I also remembered how useful the things I found in the tent were, and how luck seemed to be on my side. How I threw the rock to clear a path. And most importantly, how my future self was so reckless when confronted face to face with that group of zombies.

While I remembered that everything was meticulously planned, and those inconveniences that occurred were purely random, it still seemed like an extremely dangerous situation. I tried to write everything down in great detail, also analyzing the strategies I'd adopted, as well as how I dealt with the zombies and how I used their weaknesses against them.

One last important detail that relieves me is that, apparently, if I interact with more people in the future and don't remain a lone wolf, I could benefit. I remember in my dreams; a group contacted me via handheld radio seeking help.

After writing everything down and carefully storing my notebook on the nightstand next to my bed, I began my daily routine.

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[A/N: It seems that the protagonist was also worried about living alone in the apocalypse.]

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Two hours later.

"Hi, David", I greeted my coworker, extending my hand for a shake.

"Hi, Alex. Good morning", he responded naturally as he shook my hand. "A guy thing, I guess", I thought, observing how friendly and natural our greeting was, even though we'd only interacted a couple of times.

"Good morning, are you waiting for Supervisor Rick?", I asked as I sat down next to him and pulled out my phone to check for any updates on the Discord group.

"Yeah, I'm into it", he replied, seemingly uninterested in talking about work at the moment. "Wow, what a surprise. Are you in that Discord group too? It's a small world", he suddenly commented, looking at what I was doing on my phone.

"Yeah, I've been interested in the topic lately and discovered this group", I replied with a hint of embarrassment. It wasn't something I was proud of, and I wasn't trying to hide it either. I just felt a little awkward because I'd started researching it because of dreams that seemed anything but the experience of a sane, rational person. "Wait… are you in this group too?", I asked him with a hint of anticipation, my embarrassment forgotten for the moment.

"Yes, I'm in there. My username is DavidZN", he replied evenly.

"Are you? What a surprise, I was just reading one of your posts yesterday", I said with a touch of excitement. I tried to maintain my composure so as not to appear too surprised, although my tone of voice gave me away.

"I see… I didn't think you were that kind of person", he told me, keeping his tone neutral.

"Yeah… Well… Remember the dream thing I told you about earlier? That led me to look up related information", I said, feeling a little embarrassed and hoping he wouldn't think I was crazy.

"Sure… I remember. I thought you were one of those paranoid types", he replied, still in the same tone. I was surprised by his serenity when talking about the subject; although it wasn't a taboo subject, it seemed like talking about it in public was somewhat embarrassing, similar to discussing anime.

"No! I just dreamed about a world similar to TWD, and that piqued my curiosity", I said, trying to justify myself. "And you, do you think something like that could happen soon?", I asked, filled with curiosity.

"Hmm, it's hard to say if something like that is possible; I don't think it could exist scientifically." However, if it were to happen, I imagine it would be very similar to what is depicted in works of fiction on the subject: most of the deaths would be caused by the people themselves, and not so much by zombies", he commented, showing a growing interest in the topic. It was clear he was fascinated by discussing these issues.

"I understand, I share your opinion. Often, it is the people themselves who become their own worst enemy", I replied, adopting a slightly more thoughtful tone. I was lost in thought about our conversation and what it might mean if my dreams were to come true.

"I should go. Rick already sent me today's itinerary", David said as he headed toward his truck.

"Okay, take care", I replied automatically, still caught up in my own worries.

My thoughts kept turning to dreams, to how bad the situation is, and to the need to prepare in advance for what could be a real hell.

"You expect me to work for you?", a gruff voice interrupted.

"Oh! What?! You're the supervisor. Do you need anything?", I said, somewhat alarmed by the unexpectedness of the situation.

"It seems you don't want to work today", he said, his tone a little softer, but his face still showed that he was a little angry, or to be honest, quite angry.

"No, no. Of course I want to work", I said, trying to calm him down a little.

"Well, it doesn't seem like it. It's been 10 minutes since I sent you and David your schedules for today, but you're still here", he said, a little calmer, but just as serious as ever.

"I hadn't realized, I'm so sorry. I'll leave right away", I said, trying to sound enthusiastic.

"It seems you need that time off to see a doctor", he said, staring at me.

"No, I was just a little distracted, it's nothing important. I'm leaving now, bye", I said as I headed to my truck to start this new day of work. It seemed like talking to David wasn't a good idea; what we discussed would surely distract me again. Besides, what I saw in my dreams seemed to show that the situation for all the survivors didn't seem to be the best.

"I'm going to have to be very careful", I thought, remembering how close I had come to an accident due to inattention on a previous occasion.

In the afternoon.

After a rather complicated day, I managed to get home safely. I had a couple of setbacks, but they were non-dangerous situations that I managed to overcome by clearing my mind.

I made myself a hearty dinner, even whipping up a quick dessert to go with it. I longed for something sweet because of all the physical and mental exhaustion I'd been through those days. Dreams consume me at night, and worry does so during the day.

After eating, I decided to spend time like everyone else these days, watching funny or viral videos that would take my mind off those worries and just have fun again with the few and poorly produced videos produced today.

When I felt quite tired and semi-drowsy, I put my phone aside and lay down on my bed. Out of pure curiosity, I picked up the notebook that had my notes on dreams.

Reading the last entry I wrote this morning; I went back over what I remembered. Suddenly, a memory flooded my mind and made a cold sweat run down my back.

"Apparently, if my dreams are real, things could start in about two weeks", I said in a soft voice tinged with anguish and fear.

"I could warn as many people as possible", I thought, trying to figure out how I could prevent some things and warn the people I knew so they wouldn't suffer.

"But who would believe me? Not even those closest to me would blindly believe me and heed my warnings", I said in a resigned voice. I had no hope of effectively warning my family and friends.

"It seems I'd have to walk this path alone", I told myself in a voice full of conviction.

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[A/N: CHAPTER COMPLETED

In this chapter, we saw how a seemingly unimportant character seems to have a greater role in the story. David not only has knowledge of survival issues, but could also be present in the protagonist's future.

And Rick too. Who knows?

Little by little, the players in this story are beginning to appear.

What kind of character do you think is crucial for a story like this? A cheerful one, perhaps? Or a pessimistic one.

Comment, I'll read you.]