**Battle of the Bands had finished.  The roadies packed up the show. Wannabe rock stars milled about Networking before they had to go. Jacob Forte, and Lia Hulin (Meta Avenue, by name.) Didn’t win the big battle. But their best lyrics prize won them fame. They sat over in a corner, Plucking on guitar and singing. Occasionally another act would come over- And offer praise over their lyrics’ ringing. “This was a pretty sweet overall gig. Better than I thought it’d be.” “You’re always so worried it won’t go well. Will you ever see? People like us, Jacob.  A lot more people than we know.” “Maybe... “ Jacob said with a smile. Then he jumped up to his toes.** A loud crash had sounded, Just at the front of the stage. The bassist for one of the bands threw a fit- And an amplifier out of rage. Bass Guitarist: “You get rid of Ember, you get rid of me! Go get your little cousin to do it for free!” The drummer, a young woman, sheepishly frowned. “You didn’t have to do that for me.” The lead singer of that band came out, And yelled with the bassist for a moment. Jacob got tired of it and walked over. “Come on guys. Let’s end it.” The Lead singer rolled his eyes, And began to walk away. **“Dude, sucks you left your band.” Bassist: “They had it coming anyway. I’m Mikey. This is Ember. Your guys’ song was great. Didn’t exactly rock though.” “But the lyrics we wish they’d imitate.” Ember pointed over her shoulder, As her old band began to leave. “Well, we’ve got the lyrics if you’ve got the rock.” “Are you serious?!” “I am. My girl, Lia is over there. And we’re about to leave in our bus. You guys want to hop on our tour? Want to come to Indiana with us?” Ember smiled mischievously. Mikey yelled: “Alright!” Lia embraced them with open arms, And in an hour, They left for the night.**

**Across the state of Ohio To Indiana, they went. Every ounce of energy The four of them spent. They toured everywhere they could They played on streets and venues, Dive bars and Birthday parties- Eating from the dollar menu. In the bus, they lived. And while they went along, Lia grabbed a napkin, And wrote this very song. ** --- We landed on a stage in Ohio. We thought we’d play another show. But little did we know, When we got up to blow, The powers that be gave us more. They gave us more. They gave us more. More folks than we ever thought before. And when we lit up that stage The whole place went crazed. And the powers that be gave us more. They said our lyric prowess was awesome. But another band won the whole show. Another split up But didn’t give up. Two of them joined up and here we go. They gave us more. They gave us more. More folks than we ever thought before. And when we lit up that stage The whole place went crazed. And the powers that be gave us more. **Now Jacob Forte’s the lead bard with us. Lia’s harmonies are sublime. Mikey on bass, and without a trace- Of Irony, Ember’s back on drums. We will not forget where we come from. We will not break down. Meta Avenue, will always keep in view, The music is what we fight for. You gave us more. You gave us more. But the music is what keeps us on the floor. No matter how life changes Nothing tops those mountain ranges, And prairies as we travel across these shores. No matter how life changes Nothing tops those mountain ranges, And the music, that always brings us more.**

The laughter echoed off the walls, Of Da Bonez Bar and Grill. Meta Avenue celebrated, A show that was full of thrills. Ember threw her straw at Mikey, Who sold it like a grenade. And Lia nearly fell on the floor, Before Jacob said to behave. “Settle down, y’all. It’s time for pay. Here are your envelopes. Don’t spend it all in one place. We have a lot of traveling to go.” Following the money distribution, They all ordered what they wanted. Not a care in the world was had. They cheered and they partied. Until upon the TV screen Above the bar, Lia saw- A news report that made her sick, And the flesh of her skin crawl. She tapped Jacob on the shoulder, And pointed for him to see- What the news was breaking now, In another city. They read the captions that went by, And here is what they said: Captions: “-Nearly a hundred people infected, All of them reportedly dead.” The other two turned and saw the report, Of an outbreak in Wichita.  Jacob’s expression turned cold and pale. “What’s wrong, my big bear claw?” “That’s exactly where we’re headed.” And everybody felt cold and raw.

"Do you really think it's smart though? Going there anyway?" Mikey put a quarter into each slot So that he and Ember could play, His all time favorite fighting game, He knew that she was toast. "Jacob knows what he's doing. You're acting like it's an outbreak of ghosts." Mikey laughed at his own joke, "The outbreak is undisclosed. Dude, it could be anything. Don't act so well-disposed." "Come on! A healthy girl like you, And a healthy guy like me? We've get nothing to worry about. Heck, you should go on a date with me. We could-" Mikey then launched into- A pre-planned assault Of niceness and flattery designed To give a girl no fault- At saying yes to a guy- She barely even knew. But the second he said date- Something in Ember went askew. She doubled down on the fighting game, White-knuckled on her controller. She grit her teeth in anger. And her fighting became bolder. She finished off Mikey's character, Before he'd finished his rant. Then she turned and looked at him. "This is who I am: I do not date girls or guys. I do not do romance. If you ever so much as look at me sexually, I will break your hands! If you have a problem with that, You can take a hike. I am asexual and need only me, And I destroyed you in that fight." Ember stormed off angrily, And Mikey couldn't help but smile. "This could be a thrilling hunt, To last quite a while..."

Meta Avenue wheeled their bus, Down the lonesome highway. It seemed that they were the only car, Going that solemn way. There was no radio blasting. Nobody spoke a word. They knew it was probably safe, And they all had heard- That the South side of Wichita was contained, And the disease was not going to spread. Still the silence in that bus spoke one thing. Meta Avenue's dread. “I thought Wichita was supposed to be hopping.” “How much further to go?” “Like 15 minutes.  Just think about the show.” “I’m sure it'll be great you guys. Just wait and see!” Then they all passed An overturned military jeep. “Is that a military blockade?” “Isn't that our venue?” Jacob sighed and said “It's both.” And you could see the sinew- Tighten up in his neck as he said the following words. “I think we've got company.” Then they saw the curse. A chain link fence  Had been torn down in several places, Razor wire littered the road, And stopped them in their paces. Smoldering barrels of oil, And trash lay all about. But that was nothing compared to- What they all would talk about- If they were able to raise a voice For they were frozen before they could scream,  At a sight that could make a man's courage, Burst open at the seams. Shambling, corpse-like, rotting imps, Began to close in fast. Angrily tearing toward their bus, And they left no room to pass. Mikey finally broke the silence. “This is definitely not fun.” Then Jacob accidentally popped a tire. And all they could do was run.

The razor wire slashed their tire, When Jacob had sat to gawk. It had been pulled off a fence and strewn all about With all the chain and locks. But their venue sat just ahead, Beyond the broken blockade. Each one grabbed a single instrument, The one one most precious to him, And bolted toward the busted blockade On a prayer and a whim. Mikey led the way in fright, And Jacob brought up the rear, Doing his best to make sure- His band got away from here. Soon Mikey was at the door- To an old hanger nearby. He tried the door and it was locked. He pounded on it and cried- “Let us in! They're gonna get us!” Then the door opened up. There stood a grizzled military vet- And his barking pup. Once everyone was inside- The door was shut and barred. The monsters scraped at the old iron door, But thankfully, no one was scarred. About three dozen people We're milling around the room, Sitting and waiting like animals in a trap- Waiting for their doom. “Was that real? Or just some prank?” Military Vet: “Oh it was very real. Y'all must be the band. I was hoping y’all would steal- The money I already paid ya, And keep Wichita out of your mind. The news ain't doing us any favours though. They won't say what's going on this time.” “What IS going on?” Military Vet: “Surely y'all can tell. You just ran right into- Zombie freaking hell.”

The military vet's name was Vince. And he showed them around the place. About 3 dozen were holed up In that tiny space. They horded guns and ammo, And had enough MRE's To last another year or so Beneath the threat of the zombies. Vince: "The community has really come together Over the past week or so. Not sure what we'll do long term, But for now, we're on a roll. We have a mess hall, An armory, and a yard. Lodgings are a little tight, But it isn't that hard." Ember: "It just doesn't seem real to me. Zombies are like ghost tales." Mikey: "Well what I saw, and heard, and smelled, Seemed extremely real." Vince: "They're extremely toxic too, But it seems it's all through blood. Sometimes they're more docile, But that doesn't do us much good. As soon as they snap back to feed, They're mindless killing machines." Jacob: "You seem awfully calm about this." Vince laughed: "Things aren't as they seem. You're welcome to stay for a couple of days. The zombies will move on in that time, Meanwhile, we'll fix your bus up, Sit back and unwind." Lia grabbed her tambourine, And headed out into the yard. Jacob: "Where you going?" Jacob asked Lia: "This job is going to be hard. But hey, we got paid and we're here. We might as well jam out unplugged." Jacob and Ember smiled, And Mikey said: "Got any whiskey I can chug?" They joined together in the yard, And played the following song, And the residents listened gratefully, For something right, during times so wrong. --- You came up to me Dressed up to the nines Charming me with smiles and food And a real good time. But years later I never thought Thought you would intercede And cast out demons inside me I was bursting at the seams. More than just You were more than just fancy. More than just You were more than just fancy. Ally dreams were gone Like a stripped screw with no tip I was leaning o'er the edge I had lost my grip. But you came after me And pulled me back to you. I can't imagine life without you. Don't know what I'd do. More than just You were more than just fancy. More than just You were more than just fancy. Fancy things They sparkle bright But fade as quick as evening light But my fancy fascination proved To be more than fancy with you! More than just We're more than just fancy. More than just We're more than just fancy.

As the songs rang into the night, The people in the yard relaxed. For a moment they could rest And put down all they had- To do to keep the turning wheels Of community spinning round. They marveled at Meta Avenue's deft lyrics And intoxicating sounds. But as the night pressed on, It became clear they had other guests. The zombie smells they could sense Lingering outside their little nest. And still, they played as it began to grow dark, And slowly scratching noise Grew louder than the guitar and cajon That had been bringing them joys. In the middle of "They gave us more" A rotting fist pressed through The makeshift barrier wall that had Enclosed them from pursuit. They crawled through slowly, lumbering on But this time, the zombies were slow. Guns were brought and battle commenced, And Meta-Avenue ducked low. Bullets sailed over their heads, And Ember grabbed Jacob's arm. Ember: "We need to get out of here. We can't stay and get harmed." Jacob then leaped into action, All four followed him in a blur. He didn't know what he was doing And he definitely wasnt' sure, Where else could possibly be safe in town, But the truth was fight or run. The zombies might have been slower this time, But they were even more strong.

Into the night Meta-Avenue ran, The compound was scattered abroad. After several twists and turns They landed in a suburban backyard. It was surrounded by An 8 foot wood fence And as they caught their breath, Jacob's leadership commenced. Jacob: "I think we lost them a ways back. And no one seems to live here. That shed over there looks pretty good right now. Y'all good camping here?" The four of us them took a moment And looked around to see The wisdom in what Jacob suggested, And soon they all agreed. They all began to gather some things, To bed down until dawn. But after a while Lia wandered Out toward the front lawn. Jacob saw her raising her phone, Trying to get more bars. He had been trying that off and on, And knew it was a lost cause. He slowly approached her from behind. Jacob: "Hey babe, we gotta go in. It's not safe out here right now." Lia: "I just want to call my parents." Jacob: "You can't do it right now." Lia's lower lip began to quiver, As she slipped down to her knees. Jacob: "Remember the tower we passed that had fallen? I'm pretty sure that's the reason why. If you can't buck up and get inside, You might be the first to die." Lia bit her quivering lip, And angrily marched herself back. Jacob: "You can't be stupid now, Lia! Those monsters want us bad!"

Lia stewed on a makeshift bedroll, Made from moldy yoga mats. Ever since Jacob had scolded her, She had the urge to attack. But instead she scoured the moonlit shed, Her eyes taking inventory there. And then she spotted a couple of items, That made her wonder and stare. She saw hardhats and climbing gear, And a few tools she recognized, From when her father was a lineman, Working on phone and power lines. She saw a stack of county maps, Sitting there on a bench, And she quietly snuck over to look, And nearly tripped on a socket wrench. But she nimbly caught herself and found, The maps were fairly recent. She saw where the closest cell towers were, And she thought she had a decent Chance of getting close to one nearby, She promised to herself That she had to try... She grabbed a few simple supplies, And then moved out of the shed, The moon was bright and she could stay out of sight, So she had little dread. But as she skittered from shadow to shade She left a lingering scent, Picked up by three fleshy beasts Who weren't human at present.** They followed Lia, hunting her, Keeping silent in the brush. And Lia was none-the-wiser, Of the figures that stayed hunched.