The day had been quiet, too quiet for Kelly’s liking. After days of moving cautiously through the city, she and Sam had become used to the sound of groaning zombies, the shuffle of feet, or the occasional distant scream. But today was different. The streets were eerily still, the air heavy with something Kelly couldn’t quite place.
“We’re getting too close to the border of the safe zone,” Sam muttered, eyeing the street below from the rooftop they’d perched on. “I don’t like it.”
Kelly raised an eyebrow. “Safe zone? I didn’t think anything was safe anymore.”
Sam glanced at her, tightening her grip on the rifle slung over her shoulder. “Not for zombies. It’s people I’m worried about. There are rumors that some gangs have started taking over parts of the city. They steal supplies, kill anyone they see as a threat, and leave nothing behind.”
Kelly felt a chill run down her spine. “And we’re headed straight for them?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” Sam sighed, scanning the area. “If we want supplies, this is the only route. The city’s been mostly picked clean, but this area… they’ve kept it locked down.”
Kelly swallowed hard, her mind racing. She had thought zombies were the worst of her problems, but the idea of dealing with living, breathing people who could be just as dangerous—if not more—was terrifying.
“So what’s the plan?” Kelly asked, trying to sound braver than she felt.
Sam took a deep breath, her eyes narrowed. “We move quietly. Avoid confrontation if we can. If they see us, we fight back, but we don’t engage unless we have to.”
Kelly nodded, though her heart was pounding in her chest. She had gotten used to the chaos of the apocalypse, but this was a whole new level of danger.
They climbed down from the rooftop and carefully made their way down a narrow alley, their footsteps light and cautious. The sun was setting, casting long shadows over the abandoned streets. It wasn’t long before they heard the first sound—a sharp crack, like a gunshot, in the distance.
Sam froze, holding up a hand to signal Kelly to stop.
“What was that?” Kelly whispered, her throat dry.
Sam’s expression was grim. “That’s them. Stay close.”
They moved faster now, keeping to the shadows, but the sound of voices grew louder as they approached the edge of the district. The tension in the air was palpable, and Kelly could feel her pulse quickening with every step.
As they rounded a corner, Kelly spotted them—four men standing around a small campfire in the middle of the street. They were armed, rifles slung across their backs, and one of them was holding a gun, pointing it at a figure on the ground.
Kelly’s heart sank. It was another survivor, a man, clearly beaten and bloodied, begging for his life.
“Please… I don’t have anything left,” the man pleaded, his voice weak. “I gave you everything.”
One of the men chuckled, a cold, cruel sound. “Everything? You didn’t give us your life.”
Before Kelly could process what was happening, the leader of the group pulled the trigger. A gunshot rang out, and the man on the ground collapsed in a lifeless heap.
Kelly gasped, covering her mouth to stifle the sound. Her entire body froze in shock.
“We have to move,” Sam whispered urgently, grabbing Kelly’s arm and pulling her back into the alley. “Now.”
But it was too late. One of the men had heard Kelly’s gasp and was already turning toward them.
“Hey! Over there!” he shouted, raising his rifle.
“Shit!” Sam cursed, pushing Kelly behind a dumpster for cover as bullets whizzed past them. The gang members were closing in fast, their heavy boots pounding against the pavement.
Kelly’s mind raced. They were outnumbered and outgunned, and the adrenaline surging through her veins made it hard to think straight.
“We have to run!” Kelly shouted, her voice trembling.
“No time!” Sam growled, pulling out her gun. “We stand and fight.”
Kelly’s stomach twisted at the thought, but there was no choice. She gripped her pipe wrench tightly, her palms sweaty. This wasn’t just about surviving zombies anymore. It was kill or be killed.
The first of the attackers rounded the corner, his rifle aimed at Sam. Without hesitation, Sam fired, the crack of her pistol echoing through the alley. The man staggered back, clutching his chest before collapsing to the ground.
But there were still three more, and they weren’t slowing down.
Kelly’s pulse pounded in her ears as one of the men rushed toward her, a knife gleaming in his hand. She swung her pipe wrench with all the strength she could muster, the heavy metal connecting with his head. The man stumbled, blood streaming from his temple, but he didn’t go down. He lunged at her again, this time slashing with his knife.
Kelly barely dodged the blade, her heart racing as she swung again, this time catching him in the side. He let out a grunt of pain, but before he could retaliate, a gunshot rang out. Sam had taken him down.
“Two more!” Sam barked, reloading her gun as quickly as she could.
The remaining men opened fire, forcing Kelly and Sam to take cover behind the dumpster again. Bullets ricocheted off the metal, the sound deafening.
Kelly’s hands were shaking, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps. “We can’t hold them off like this!”
“We don’t need to,” Sam replied, her voice tense. “We just need to outlast them. They’re low on ammo.”
Sure enough, the sound of gunfire began to slow as the gang members realized they were running out of bullets. One of them shouted in frustration, slamming his fist against the wall.
“Come out and face us!” he bellowed. “Cowards!”
Sam motioned for Kelly to stay low, then peeked around the corner of the dumpster. “They’re exposed,” she whispered. “I’m going to flank them. Cover me.”
Kelly’s heart was in her throat, but she nodded. “Okay… okay, I got this.”
Sam darted out from behind the dumpster, moving quickly and quietly along the side of the alley. Kelly took a deep breath, her grip tightening on the pipe wrench. She leaned out just enough to see the two remaining men.
One of them was pacing angrily, his rifle hanging uselessly at his side. The other was still trying to reload, his hands shaking with frustration.
“Now or never,” Kelly muttered to herself. With a sudden burst of courage, she stepped out from her cover and hurled her pipe wrench at the man with the rifle. It struck him in the leg, and he crumpled to the ground with a shout of pain.
Before the other man could react, Sam was on him. She slammed her gun into his head, knocking him to the ground. He tried to get up, but Sam was faster. She aimed her pistol at his chest and fired, ending the fight in a matter of seconds.
The alley fell silent, save for the distant moans of zombies in the background.
Kelly stood frozen, her chest heaving as she stared at the bodies scattered around them. The adrenaline was still pumping through her veins, but the reality of what had just happened was beginning to sink in.
“Is… is it over?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Sam wiped the blood from her face, breathing heavily. “Yeah. It’s over.”
Kelly leaned against the wall, her legs shaking. She had never killed anyone before—not a human, at least. Zombies were one thing, but this… this was different. She felt sick.
Sam walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You did good, Kelly. You fought back.”
Kelly nodded, though her stomach churned with a mix of emotions. “I didn’t want to…”
“I know,” Sam said softly. “But sometimes you have to, if you want to survive.”
They stood there in the alley for a few moments, the weight of their actions hanging in the air. The sun had almost completely set now, casting long shadows over the city. In the distance, the sound of zombies echoed through the streets.
“We should move,” Sam said finally, her voice steady. “There might be more of them. We can’t stay here.”
Kelly nodded, pushing herself off the wall. She was exhausted, both physically and mentally, but there was no time to rest. The apocalypse didn’t wait for anyone.
As they gathered their things and prepared to move on, Kelly glanced down at the bodies one last time. She had survived another day, but at what cost?
Without a word, she followed Sam out of the alley and into the darkening streets, the weight of the world pressing down on her shoulders once again.