The First Encounter

   My first encounter with one of the undead wasn't what I had expected it would be. I had just escaped from the chaos of the city and made my way into the country. I was forced to abandon my truck at the bottom of the mountain due to an overturned logging truck blocking the path. Throwing my bug-out bag on my shoulder, I maneuvered around the wreckage (the driver must have escaped the crash, as there wasn't anyone in the truck) and started the long hike up to my usual hideout in the woods.
   I guess I was about halfway up the mountain when I encountered him. He was in his mid-40's I figured, and I assume he was the driver of the crashed truck at the bottom of the mountain. He was staggering about, seemingly in shock after his horrible crash. "Sir, do you need assistance?" No response, he just continued staggering forward. "Sir! Can I help you?" This time he stopped and slowly turned toward me. I didn't notice anything strange about him at first. He looked normal enough, apart from the lack of color in his face and the cold, glassy stare he was giving me. Before I could do anything he burst out in a full run, closing on me and knocking me to the ground before I could get my Glock out.
   He was a lot stronger than he looked and was determined to sink his teeth into my throat. We grappled back and forth for a while, him fighting to rip my throat out, and me fighting to keep his mouth away from me. It was about this time I began to realize how dire my situation was. This man attacking me was no longer living. I guess he charged me so fast I hadn't taken time to observe the large gash in his forehead, the shrapnel from the wrecked truck jutting from his chest. Using what I learned from defensive tactics at work, I flipped the monster onto his back, drew my Glock, and placed a round between his eyes. It's amazing what a forty caliber hollow point can do to a human skull. It doesn't look like much at first, but the exit wound is impressive. I rolled the corpse over into the ditch and continued my hike up the mountain, the severity of the situation truly sinking in. My stomach knotted as the thought entered my mind. "Zombies are real"