The trio trudged through the cracked streets and abandoned buildings, the city falling into even deeper ruin the farther they moved away from the central districts. Liam, still jittery from their encounter with the gang, led the way while Sam kept her gun drawn, eyes darting around for any signs of trouble. Kelly followed closely behind, her mind wandering as she replayed the events of the last few days. 
"So, this school," Kelly started, breaking the heavy silence. "Are you sure it's safe?"
Liam glanced over his shoulder. "As safe as anywhere can be these days. The place was shut down even before the outbreak. No one’s gone near it since. At least, not that I’ve seen."
Sam shot Liam a skeptical look. "And why didn't you stay there if it’s so safe?"
"I didn't want to be alone," Liam said, his voice lowering as if ashamed. "I thought... I thought I could find a group. But that gang, they—"
"We get it," Sam interrupted, her tone firm. "You tried to survive. Just make sure this school of yours isn't another trap."
Kelly could see the fear flash in Liam's eyes. She sympathized, though she knew Sam was right to be cautious. It didn’t take much for things to go horribly wrong out here. She had learned that quickly enough.
After what felt like hours of walking, they arrived at the school grounds. The building loomed in front of them—an old, concrete structure surrounded by rusted fences and overgrown vegetation. Its windows were shattered, and the front gates hung loosely off their hinges, swaying in the light breeze.
"Charming," Kelly muttered.
Liam nodded toward a side entrance. "There’s a way in through here. It's less noticeable."
Sam checked the area before motioning for Kelly and Liam to follow her. As they slipped inside, the musty smell of mildew and decay hit Kelly hard, but there was also something strangely comforting about the place. It was quiet—eerily so. The hollow silence felt safer than the constant threat of the streets.
Liam led them through the dark corridors, navigating with surprising familiarity. "This way," he whispered. "There's a gymnasium in the back, it’s mostly intact. We can barricade ourselves in for the night."
The gymnasium was surprisingly large, with high ceilings and old bleachers lining the walls. A few scattered pieces of gym equipment lay abandoned, gathering dust. There were signs of previous occupants—a few broken-down tents, discarded food wrappers, and some long-dead campfires—but no one had been here for a while.
Sam walked around, inspecting the area while Kelly sat on a nearby bench, grateful for the chance to finally rest.
"So, how long were you planning to stay here?" Kelly asked Liam as he fiddled with the straps on his backpack.
"Long enough to figure out what to do next," Liam said quietly. "Maybe find a way out of the city. The countryside's supposed to be safer, right?"
Sam snorted, returning to where they were sitting. "I wouldn’t bet on it. No matter where you go, people are going to be the biggest threat. If the zombies don’t get you, the living will."
Kelly sighed, leaning back and closing her eyes for a moment. "Well, for now, this place will do."
They set up a small camp in the corner of the gym, using what little supplies they had left. Kelly pulled out a can of beans and passed it around, the quiet moment of sharing a meal feeling almost normal. But she couldn’t forget the danger that still lurked outside, or the sounds of the city crumbling around them.
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from somewhere within the school, followed by hurried footsteps.
Sam stood up immediately, gun drawn. "We’ve got company."
Liam's face paled, and he started backing toward the door. "No, no, this can’t be happening again. We can’t—"
"Stay calm!" Sam barked, silencing him. "Get behind something, now."
Kelly’s heart pounded in her chest as she ducked behind an overturned table. She wasn’t sure what was worse—zombies or more people. In the dim light, shadows moved near the entrance of the gym, and then a voice rang out.
“Looks like someone beat us to this spot, boys.”
Kelly peeked around the edge of the table to see three men standing in the doorway. They were armed with makeshift weapons—pipes, bats, and knives—and they looked mean, like they’d been on the road for too long.
Sam stepped forward, keeping her gun pointed at them. "We don’t want trouble. Turn around and leave, and we’ll forget you were here."
The man in the center grinned, showing a row of yellowed teeth. "Oh, I don’t think so. See, we’ve been looking for a nice place to rest our heads, and it looks like we found it. So why don’t you and your friends clear out?"
Kelly’s stomach sank. This wasn’t going to end peacefully.
Sam cocked the gun, her face hard as stone. "Last chance. Leave. Now."
The tension in the room crackled, the air thick with anticipation. The leader of the group took a step forward, clearly not intimidated by Sam’s warning. 
“You think we’re scared of a gun?” He laughed, but the sound was devoid of any real humor. “You won’t pull that trigger.”
Sam’s finger twitched on the trigger, but Kelly could see the hesitation in her eyes. This was a no-win situation. If Sam fired, it would attract zombies—and if she didn’t, these guys were going to tear them apart.
Kelly’s mind raced as the standoff stretched on. There had to be a way out of this, something she could do.
Suddenly, one of the other men lunged forward, and everything exploded into chaos.
Sam fired a shot, the sound deafening in the enclosed space. The bullet hit the man square in the chest, sending him crashing to the floor. But the leader and the other guy weren’t backing down—they rushed at Sam, their weapons raised.
Kelly reacted on instinct, grabbing a metal bar from the ground and swinging it at the nearest attacker. The man grunted as the bar connected with his side, knocking him off balance, but he quickly recovered and came at her again.
“You’re dead!” he snarled, raising his bat to strike.
Kelly barely dodged the swing, adrenaline surging through her as she scrambled backward. She wasn’t a fighter, but survival instincts kicked in, and she swung the bar again, catching him on the arm. He roared in pain, stumbling back just as Sam fired another shot, dropping the last man.
Breathing heavily, Kelly stood over the groaning attacker, her makeshift weapon still clutched in her hands. Sam finished him off with a swift kick to the head, her face grim.
Liam, who had been frozen with fear, finally stepped out from behind his hiding place, his face as white as a sheet. “W-We’re alive.”
“Barely,” Sam muttered, checking her gun for ammo. “That was way too close.”
Kelly wiped sweat from her brow, her hands trembling from the rush of adrenaline. “Are we safe now?”
Sam shook her head. “Not for long. The gunshots—”
As if on cue, a distant but unmistakable sound reached their ears: the guttural moans of zombies, drawn by the noise. They were getting closer.
“We need to move,” Sam said, grabbing her bag and throwing it over her shoulder. “Now.”
Kelly didn’t need to be told twice. She quickly packed up her things, her mind racing as the reality of their situation hit her. They had survived this attack, but the worst was yet to come.
As they hurried toward the back exit of the school, Kelly glanced over her shoulder at the bodies on the ground. The world had become a nightmare, and she wasn’t sure how much longer they could keep surviving it.
But for now, they had to run. And they had to keep fighting. Because in this world, it was kill or be killed—and Kelly wasn’t ready to die just yet.
"We’ll find a place," Sam said as they burst out into the alleyway, the sound of the approaching horde growing louder. "We always do."
Kelly nodded, her heart pounding. "Yeah. We will."
But in the back of her mind, she couldn’t help but wonder: How much longer could they keep going?