The first light of dawn filtered through the cracks in the boarded-up windows of the safe house. Kelly blinked her eyes open, momentarily forgetting where she was. But the distant groan of zombies and the faint, hollow gunshots in the distance quickly reminded her that she wasn’t waking up in her apartment for another day of work. 
She sat up, stretching her aching muscles. Sam was already awake, sitting by the window, peeking out through a gap in the boards.
“Morning,” Kelly said, her voice still rough from sleep.
Sam glanced over her shoulder. “Morning. Didn’t sleep much?”
Kelly shook her head. “Not really. Hard to sleep with… everything.”
Sam nodded knowingly and turned back to the window. “We’ve got to keep moving soon. Staying in one place for too long isn’t safe. These groups, like the ones we ran into yesterday, they’re getting more organized.”
Kelly sighed, rubbing her temples. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep this up. The constant running, the fear of the undead, and now, with the added threat of violent survivors… it was getting overwhelming. “Do you have any idea where we’re headed next?”
Sam leaned back from the window, her brow furrowed. “There’s a place further out of the city, a safe zone. Or at least, that’s what I’ve heard. Some old military base that was fortified before everything went down. We could try heading there.”
Kelly raised an eyebrow. “Is that just a rumor, or…?”
Sam shrugged. “Everything’s a rumor nowadays. But it’s the best shot we have. Either that, or we stay here and hope we don’t get caught.”
Kelly leaned back against the wall, staring at the ceiling. A safe zone sounded like a fantasy—a place where they didn’t have to worry about zombies or rogue survivors gunning them down for a can of beans. But if it was real…
“I guess it’s worth a shot,” Kelly said after a moment.
Sam smirked. “That’s the spirit.”
They ate a meager breakfast—canned beans and some crackers Sam had found the day before. It wasn’t much, but it kept them going. As they packed up their supplies, Kelly couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling settling in her gut.
“I have a bad feeling about today,” Kelly muttered, checking the pocketknife she kept at her side. It wasn’t much of a weapon, but it was better than nothing.
Sam glanced at her. “What, you think today’s going to be worse than the others?”
Kelly gave her a dry smile. “I don’t know. I just… have a feeling.”
Sam slung her backpack over her shoulder. “Well, let’s hope your gut’s wrong this time. We’ve got enough to worry about.”
They left the safe house carefully, keeping low as they moved through the quiet streets. The city was still, the kind of eerie stillness that felt like a trap. Every corner felt dangerous, every shadow a possible hiding spot for something—living or dead—that wanted them gone.
As they turned down an alley, Kelly heard something—footsteps, but not the slow, shuffling kind. She grabbed Sam’s arm.
“Someone’s coming,” Kelly whispered.
Sam immediately pulled them behind a pile of debris, crouching low. They both watched, their breaths held, as two figures rounded the corner.
They weren’t zombies. These were people, armed with rifles and moving cautiously but efficiently, like they were on a mission. Kelly’s heart pounded in her chest as they drew closer.
“What do we do?” Kelly mouthed, her eyes wide.
Sam shook her head, holding a finger to her lips.
The two men stopped a few feet from where they were hiding, scanning the area. One of them grunted. “We’ll check the next block. They’ve gotta be around here somewhere.”
Kelly’s blood ran cold. Were they looking for them?
The men moved off, heading down the street, their voices fading into the distance. Kelly let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
“That was too close,” Kelly whispered, her body still tense with fear.
Sam nodded, her jaw clenched. “Come on, let’s move before they double back.”
They carefully continued, sticking to the shadows. As they crossed another block, Sam suddenly halted.
“There’s a store up ahead. Might have some supplies,” she said, pointing to a small corner shop that looked surprisingly untouched.
Kelly raised an eyebrow. “Supplies or an ambush?”
Sam smirked. “Only one way to find out.”
They approached cautiously, Sam leading the way with her gun drawn. The door to the shop was slightly ajar, the windows cracked but intact. Inside, it was dark, the shelves half-empty but still stocked with some items.
“Jackpot,” Sam said, heading inside.
Kelly followed, keeping her ears tuned for any sounds of danger. They moved through the aisles, grabbing anything they could find—canned food, water bottles, batteries. It wasn’t much, but it was better than what they had.
Just as they were about to leave, a noise from the back of the store stopped them in their tracks.
“You hear that?” Kelly whispered, gripping her pocketknife tightly.
Sam nodded, motioning for Kelly to stay back. She moved slowly toward the back, her gun raised.
Kelly held her breath, every muscle in her body tense. For a moment, there was nothing but silence. And then—
“Don’t move!”
Sam’s voice rang out, and Kelly rushed forward to see what was happening.
A man stood at the back of the store, his hands raised in surrender. He looked disheveled, his clothes torn, and his face pale with fear. He wasn’t armed, at least not visibly, but he had a desperate look in his eyes.
“Please,” the man begged. “I don’t want any trouble. I was just hiding.”
Sam kept her gun trained on him, her eyes narrowed. “Who are you?”
“My name’s Liam,” the man said quickly, his voice shaking. “I’ve been on the run from those… those psychos. They killed my group, took everything we had. I’ve just been trying to survive.”
Kelly stepped forward, her heart pounding. “Psychos? You mean the gang that’s been going around?”
Liam nodded frantically. “Yeah. Them. They… they’ve been taking over parts of the city, killing anyone who gets in their way. I barely escaped.”
Sam glanced at Kelly, then back at Liam. “How do we know you’re not with them?”
Liam shook his head vigorously. “I swear, I’m not. Please, I’ve been hiding out here for days. I just want to get out of this city.”
Sam hesitated for a moment, then lowered her gun slightly. “Alright. But you stay in front of us. No sudden moves.”
Liam nodded, his body trembling with relief. “Thank you. Thank you.”
They led Liam out of the store, the tension between them still thick. Kelly wasn’t sure if they could trust him, but something about the desperation in his eyes told her he was telling the truth.
As they moved through the city, Kelly’s mind raced. The gang, the constant danger, the ever-present threat of zombies—it was all becoming too much. She had thought the world was bad enough with the undead, but now she realized that the living were just as dangerous.
“What’s the plan now?” Kelly asked, glancing at Sam.
Sam’s eyes scanned the horizon. “We keep moving. Get as far away from those psychos as possible.”
Liam nodded in agreement, though his face was pale. “I know a place. An old school on the outskirts of town. It’s been abandoned for a while, but it’s fortified. We could hole up there.”
Sam exchanged a look with Kelly. It wasn’t the worst idea.
“Alright,” Sam said finally. “Lead the way.”
As they followed Liam through the crumbling city, Kelly couldn’t shake the feeling that things were only going to get worse before they got better. The world had changed, and survival wasn’t just about avoiding the undead anymore—it was about facing the harsh reality of what people could become.