Stake Land

Call me Martin.

I've seen things you wouldn't believe.

Things a boy shouldn't see.

But... I'm not a normal boy anymore.

And it ain't a normal world.

Get used to it.

That's what Mister tells me.

We live by his rules or we die.

Or worse.

We die and we come back.

But let's begin at the beginning.

I was like any other kid, I had a family.

I went to school,

I didn't believe in the boogey man.

But then the world woke up to a nightmare.

- ...Stay in your homes and not to travel by night.

Route 422...

Maybe we should wait.

- We'll take the back roads, you'll be safer there.

No. Martin, come back!

Hey!

Martin!

Cooper!

Cooper!

Cooper...

Cooper!

Martin, run!

Mom!

Shh! Shh!

You wanna live boy, you listen to me.

You scream, I'll break your neck.

They're dead!

There's nothing to be done about it but kill that thing.

Can you shoot?

You shoot me I'll fuckin' kill you!

- ...A 24 hour hotline for missing persons

attributed to the outbreak

has been set up on a county by county basis.

Phone lines in all areas have been flooded in.

Officials ask for patients as

recovery teams are doing all they can

to maintain order on the east coast...

...I repeat, do not venture outside after sundown.

Stay in your homes and lock the doors and windows...

Get a fuckin' hammer!

I only got two hands, boy. Do it!

Save him...

- One day you'll learn not to dream at all.

Get your shit.

Welcome to Stake Land, kid.

- Months passed in a blur of days and nights.

We traveled east and west, but always north.

Away from death.

We avoided the cities.

Mister said they were the worst,

hit the hardest in the beginning.

As people flocked together for safety,

the plague marched through their locked gates

and they became death traps.

When Washington fell, it was over for America as we knew her.

As government blew away, our great leaders ran for it.

And hope was abandoned.

We were on our own now.

Me and Mister.

Traveling through a ruined land.

Pockets of civilization survived.

Towns locked down behind fences

and guns holding the night away.

Cults spread like wildfire across the Southern states.

Waitin' for the messiah, but he never came.

Death came instead.

And it came with teeth.

Dumb fuck got himself trapped.

Burnt up in the sun.

Berserker.

It's the oldest of the vamps.

Can't stake 'em in the chest.

Got a breast bone like iron.

Gotta get 'em in the base of the skull.

Vamps...

function from the reptile brain.

It's like pullin' the plug on a computer.

We were all orphans.

Just lookin' for something to hold on to.

He's a Mister.

Maybe that's why he keeps me with him.

What's that?

Garlic oil.

Does that really work?

Don't hurt.

One strike boy.

Make it true.

Where you boys comin' from?

South.

Get outta the car.

Did you get any?

They alright boys, let 'em roll.

- Another town, another lockdown.

People just tryin' to go on.

Hopin' they'd wake up and it would all be a bad dream.

They could go back to their lives,

families and careers.

He needs more fresh food.

And some vitamins, if you can find them.

Where's his folks?

Dead.

He'd be better of here.

With people.

Other children.

What do I owe you?

I could use all of them.

Good.

Hey.

Got any liquor in this town?

Jake's.

Homemade, mostly.

He got some tap beer.

A little sour, but it wont kill ya.

Boy needs a hair cut.

- Sheriff said take whatever you need.

It's on me.

Have you been through Haggerstown?

I had family there.

- Vamped out, everything south of here.

Rea?

He really kills 'em, huh?

- You gotta get 'em in the heart.

Pierce the breast plate.

Guns hurt 'em but unless you sever the spine they keep comin'.

You got any gum?

Yes.

Cool.

Ah, just...

So who are you?

His helper.

- Where are you, uhh... - where are you guys headin'?

North.

Uh, Mister says less population, less bloodsuckers.

Wait, wait, wait...

Not New Eden right?

We had a fella, he came through here,

and he said there's nothing there, there's no food at all.

He said it's not the Vamps ya need to worry about...

it's the cannibals.

Thanks.

- Sometimes I think I could stay in a place like this.

Make friends, live in the daylight.

Just be a kid.

But the truth is I don't feel safe around people.

They can think what they want but New Eden was real.

It was the answer to all of this and we were gonna find it.

Fight our way north, make the open territories.

Like Mister says.

Live free or die tryin'.

Fuck the cannibals.

What's her name?

I didn't ask.

Why did this happen?

How can God let this happen?

How can this be his love...

Oh... oh, my God!

Oh... oh, God!

It's okay, lady.

- No! No! - Shh. Shh.

It's okay!

- No! No! - It's alright!

No!

It's okay. It's okay.

It's okay, it's okay.

Mister,

where'd all that hate come from?

I never asked.

Those men that...

They said they were Christians.

We don't do history.

Doesn't do anybody any good.

Grab them traps, boy.

Give me a finger.

Time to go fishin'.

Get the long pole.

Sister Agitha.

We thought she was dead.

She is.

What are you gonna do?

I'm gonna kill that thing.

Go with God.

Lock the door.

Newbie. Shouldn't be too hard.

Too fat, I can't break the spine.

You missed the heart ya, dumb shit.

Fuckin' vamps!

Stop it!

Mister dug a grave.

I think he felt bad for the sister.

He did pull the fangs out, but...

he waited till she went to pick the flowers.

- How many of those things have you killed?

Not enough.

And people?

Those two men?