The Walking Dead: Visions of the future

[A/N: Just as I thanked the long-time readers in the previous chapter (the novel has only been out for over two weeks, hahaha), I'd also like to thank Dark_PersonJJ, who has been very active in the comments, which I greatly appreciate.

In this chapter, we'll see new characters in dreams (the future), and everything will begin to take shape. We'll see sides of the protagonist we haven't seen before, or perhaps they were just assumed.]

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At night.

"Perhaps I could change their motivation for preparing", I mused with a flash of wit. "I could tell them I've heard rumors about a new pandemic and that there could be chaos due to shortages. That way, they'd have a chance to acquire excess food to help them get through the first few days, as well as find ways to protect themselves with tools or weapons for self-defense", I told myself, feeling the idea begin to take shape in my mind with increasing plausibility.

With a new sense of calm thanks to this strategy, it wasn't long before fatigue overcame me, and I fell into a deep sleep.

In the morning.

"Today it seems the sun will begin its journey after me", I thought, looking out the window at the apocalyptic world still shrouded in darkness. This trip to urgently help an unknown group seems more pressing than I imagined, or perhaps the distance I must travel is simply vast. I wasted no time in bed after waking up; I headed straight to the kitchen and made something quick. Afterward, I went up to the second floor and opened the room where I kept my supplies and weapons. I put back on the suit I'd worn earlier, as I hadn't had time to wash it the day before.

I grabbed an extra backpack I had on hand and filled it with various supplies: food, medicine, weapons, and other items, always taking care not to exceed a reasonable weight. I was ready to go; I couldn't think of what else I may need for an excursion of this kind. Before leaving, I decided to visit Anna's room, where she was fast asleep. Not wanting to wake her, I gently closed the door behind me.

I went down to the first floor, grabbed a notebook I found in the living room, and wrote a note for Anna. "In the room next to mine, you have everything you need to survive. The radio is charged, and I'll contact you if there's any change in plans. Use it only in case of emergency", I wrote on the note. I left it in a visible place in the kitchen before leaving the house.

As I stepped outside, I noticed the last vestiges of night fading on the horizon, while a soft, comforting sunlight began to tinge this hell with color. I made one last check of the traps around the house and surrounding area, making sure there was no immediate danger before leaving calmly.

I left through the back gate of the villa again, and to my surprise, I found myself taking the same route that had scared me so much the previous time. I was walking toward that square, where the traces of a great battle lay.

"Picturing it this way makes it a fight worthy of a Spartan, where one man faces thirty", I reflected in an attempt to lift my spirits.

After a few minutes, I returned to the square. The bodies still lay there: a large group at the foot of the stairs, others scattered on benches and sculptures, each a testament to the arduousness of that confrontation.

Without wasting time on contemplation, I headed to the bike shop. I had decided not to travel this route on foot, but by bicycle; it was, without a doubt, the most sensible option in times like these.

Upon arriving at the shop, I chose the sturdiest bike I could find. I checked the tires to make sure they had the proper pressure for the journey ahead. The bike had space for a hand pump, so I found one in the shop and placed it in its designated compartment. I also inspected the chain and suspension, making sure everything was well lubricated.

"It seems my future self has accumulated a remarkable amount of knowledge", I thought, amazed at what I had learned in such a short time. I'll have to study a lot to be prepared. I just hope I remember what I learned when I woke up and can get ready properly.

Once everything was ready, I packed some patches, glue, and inner tubes that matched the rim of the chosen bike into my backpack. After finishing the preparations, I left the store and took the same route I had come.

As I passed through the village, I took a look to make sure everything was in order and continued on my new route.

I began traveling through some adjacent streets until I found a road that crossed the east side of the city. It was a main thoroughfare, wide and well-defined, with up to five lanes in each direction and several detours that distributed traffic to different parts of the city.

However, the situation was bleak; the road was devastated. I observed how every lane was filled with abandoned vehicles, some wrecked and others with obvious signs of having been set on fire. It was evident that the wreckage was the result of thousands of people trying to escape the raging inferno.

As I continued north along the highway, I decided to drive on the side, as it was the only safe option amongst so many cars. Despite this, in some sections of the road I was forced to maneuver between the abandoned vehicles.

In several areas of the road, I could see zombies trapped between vehicles. Some were trying to get out of their cars, banging on the windows in a desperate effort to free themselves. Others wandered through the crowd of cars, looking for a new victim to stalk.

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[A/N: The scenes of destruction and abandonment in movies and TV shows are incredible. I love how the cities look in The Last of Us—I mean, the TV show.]

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The worst thing I saw was how a large number of decomposed bodies littered the road. Cars with bodies inside, some lying on the ground, left to their fate. I even saw a group of zombies devouring a body that appeared to have recently died from the attack of those who were enjoying their meal today.

After about 20 minutes on my bike, I took a detour west. I rode a few blocks until I came across a kindergarten in front of me.

This was a medium-sized building with only one floor, but it was surrounded by fences made of solid material and even had steel bars in parts of its construction. These weren't installations made these days to defend against zombies; rather, they were part of the original facade. Nevertheless, it's a building built to withstand a small group of zombies without any problems.

I drove up to the side door and knocked on a metal door a couple of times without making much noise. No sounds could be heard from inside. Furthermore, there were clear traces of blood on the floor and the door. It looked like a fierce confrontation had taken place here, but it wasn't clear if it was recent or not.

Only a few seconds passed until footsteps were heard from inside the garden. "Who is it?", a deep voice asked cautiously from behind the door.

"I'm Alex", I answered sharply and without hesitation.

"You're finally here", the voice inside said with a tone of delight, as I heard some reinforcements being removed from the door.

When the door opened, I could see a man in his 40s opening it with a cheerful expression. From the outside, I could only see a narrow space behind the door, which also bore signs of zombie battles, which made me a little worried about these people.

"I came because I heard you were on the radio. What happened?", I asked in a serious tone.

"Nice to see you too. Safe and sound, Alex", he said in a mocking tone. It seemed like he wasn't going to let me in and tell me anything unless I interacted with him as if it were a normal day.

"Hello, how are you, Mr. Leon?", I asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Okay, Alex. No need for such formality. Remember to just call me Leon. We agreed on that before. And you, how are you, Alex?", he asked me in his cheerful tone again.

"I'm fine. What happened? Why did they contact me?", I asked, not waste time on small talk.

"Straight to the point as always. Everything's fine. We were just worried about you and especially wondering if you'd abandon us. Remember, you're the leader of this group", he said in the same cheerful tone, but it was laced with a hint of concern, which was also noticeable on his face.

"Is that all they contacted me for? Besides, I don't remember becoming their leader", I said in an exasperated tone. He didn't seem entirely angry, but it was noticeable that the ridiculousness of the reason for the call didn't seem to please me.

"Come on, don't be mad. We were worried about you. On the other hand, of course you're our leader. You saved a lot of us and taught us how to survive. If that doesn't make you our leader, I don't know what would", he told me, maintaining his cheerful tone.

"I'm not mad. Saving them and teaching them a few things, I did it just because I could, and I had free time. Besides, you know I won't stay in a crowded place", I told him, sounding a little sad.

"I know, you only do it because it's something unimportant to you", he said mockingly. "Speaking of a crowded place? We just welcomed more people; now there are a couple of kids who are now your fans", he said with a big smile.

"More people?", I asked him.

"Yes. A family of three, including a child, and we also found another child who was wandering alone. They're very nice people", he replied happily.

"Do you have the resources to support them?", I asked doubtfully.

"Sure, no problem. We've scoured the areas like you told us, finding plenty of resources, and we've rationed the food as you indicated. Everything's going swimmingly", he told me with a big smile.

"So, what's this about new fanatics?", I asked.

"Those kids I was telling you about were lured to the dark side of the Force by your faithful followers… Hahaha", he said, trying to contain his laughter, but it didn't seem entirely effective.

"Don't tell me it was those two who lied to those kids?", I asked, a little annoyed, hitting my forehead at the irony of the situation.

"I hope they didn't make them believe I'm Superman", I thought.

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[A/N: CHAPTER COMPLETED

Alex, a group leader? Who would have thought it? Even I was surprised.

The future is beginning to take shape, but has anyone wondered: What happened during the days the protagonist couldn't dream? I mean, on day 0?

By the way, after this chapter, we'll be back to posting every two days.

Comment, I'll read you.]