The next morning, Kelly’s stomach growled as she rummaged through the kitchen. Empty cupboards, bare shelves, and nothing left in the fridge except a few half-eaten snacks from her week-long binge.
“Uh oh,” she muttered to herself, staring at the last pack of crackers. “Looks like the apocalypse snack fest is officially over.”
She grabbed her wine glass from the table, only to find it empty too. No food, no wine—her party was coming to an end.
“Guess it’s time to make a supply run,” she said, cracking her knuckles and feeling a rush of excitement rather than fear. She glanced out the window. The zombies still wandered aimlessly in the streets, but it didn’t faze her anymore. If anything, they felt like part of the scenery now, like pigeons in the park.
“Alright, apocalypse, let’s see what you’ve got,” Kelly said with a grin as she started getting ready. She threw on her sneakers, grabbed a backpack, and slipped a pipe wrench into her belt for protection. “Can’t be too careful, but who says I can’t have fun?”
Kelly swung her bag over her shoulder and headed for the balcony. She peered down at the street below, calculating her escape route.
“The pipe,” she said to herself, eyeing the sturdy drainpipe that ran down the side of her building. “That’s my way out.”
Without another thought, Kelly swung a leg over the balcony railing and grabbed hold of the pipe. Her heart raced, but not from fear—no, it was excitement. She was ready to take on the world outside.
As she shimmied down the pipe, she noticed a young couple standing on the opposite side of the street. They were staring up at her, wide-eyed and terrified, frozen in place as if they had just seen a ghost.
“Whoa, relax!” Kelly called out, laughing as she reached the ground. She waved her hands in the air, trying to calm them down. “I’m not a zombie, I promise!”
The couple blinked at her, clearly stunned by her nonchalance. The man, a scruffy-looking guy in his twenties, stammered, “Wh-what are you doing?”
“Just grabbing some supplies,” Kelly said with a grin, brushing off her jeans. “You guys need anything while I’m out? Snacks? Water? Maybe some chips?” She shrugged casually as if she were heading out for a quick run to the grocery store, not wading through a zombie-infested wasteland.
The woman, clutching the man’s arm tightly, looked at Kelly like she was crazy. “You’re… going out there? By yourself?”
“Yup! Gotta eat, right?” Kelly replied, throwing up her arms in mock exasperation. “No point in starving to death when there’s plenty of food still out there!”
The couple exchanged glances, still baffled by her attitude. Finally, the man cleared his throat and said, “I mean, if you’re really going out there… Could you get us some food? And maybe water?”
“Sure thing!” Kelly said cheerfully. “No problem at all. I’ll swing by the corner store and see what I can scavenge. You guys stay here and, uh, don’t die.”
With that, she gave them a quick salute and turned toward the street. The couple stayed rooted to the spot, watching her walk away as if she were some kind of fearless superhero.
Kelly spotted a bike lying abandoned on the sidewalk a few blocks away, propped up against a light post. Her eyes lit up. “Score!”
As she approached the bike, a few zombies staggered out from the nearby alleyway. Their groans filled the air, their lifeless eyes fixed on her. Kelly couldn’t help but chuckle. “Oh, you guys again. What, did you miss me?”
One of the zombies lurched toward her, its arms outstretched. Kelly casually swung her pipe wrench at its head, sending it tumbling to the ground. “Yeah, I don’t have time for this.”
She hopped onto the bike, pedaling furiously as the remaining zombies started to give chase. Instead of panicking, Kelly let out a loud, gleeful laugh. The wind whipped through her hair as she swerved through the streets, the zombies trailing behind her like slow-motion runners in a marathon.
“Come on, you guys!” she shouted, glancing over her shoulder at the stumbling horde. “Is that all you’ve got? You’re too slow!”
She zigzagged through the deserted streets, dodging overturned cars and debris as she made her way toward the store. The zombies, relentless but sluggish, struggled to keep up. Kelly couldn’t stop laughing. The absurdity of it all—being chased by zombies on a bike during an apocalypse—felt more like a game than anything else.
“Catch me if you can!” she taunted, her laughter echoing down the empty street. The thrill of the chase filled her with adrenaline, making her feel more alive than she had in years. 
The corner store came into view, its windows broken and shelves likely ransacked. Kelly skidded to a stop, hopping off the bike and turning to face her pursuers. The zombies were still a good distance away, their slow, awkward shuffle giving her plenty of time to catch her breath.
“Alright, you guys keep doing your thing,” she said, waving them off with a smirk. “I’ve got shopping to do.”
She pushed open the door to the store, the bell above it jingling as if it were still business as usual. The inside was a mess—broken glass, toppled shelves, and a scattering of discarded food packaging. But there was still plenty to take.
Kelly grabbed a shopping basket and started tossing in whatever she could find: cans of beans, bottled water, crackers, and even a few bags of chips that had somehow been overlooked. She hummed to herself as she shopped, completely unbothered by the apocalypse raging outside.
As she reached the back of the store, she spotted a few cases of beer hidden behind a pile of fallen boxes. “Oh, jackpot!” she said, grabbing as many as she could carry.
With her basket full and her spirits high, Kelly made her way back to the entrance. The zombies were still wandering aimlessly outside, not a threat unless she got too close. She peeked through the broken window, watching them with mild amusement.
“You guys really need to work on your cardio,” she muttered, shaking her head. “No wonder you can’t catch anyone.”
She loaded the supplies onto the bike’s handlebars, balancing the weight carefully before hopping back on. With one last glance at the zombies, she smiled to herself. “Thanks for the workout, guys!”
Pedaling away from the store, Kelly felt a surge of satisfaction. Not only had she survived the trip, but she’d managed to get everything she needed—plus a little extra. The couple would be thrilled with the haul.
As she rode back toward her apartment, the streets seemed eerily peaceful. The sun was shining, the air was crisp, and despite the occasional zombie wandering by, it almost felt like a normal day.
Almost.
When she reached the couple’s building, she hopped off the bike and called up to them, “Hey! Delivery service is here!”
The couple appeared at the window, relief washing over their faces. “You’re back!” the man said, sounding genuinely surprised.
“Of course I’m back!” Kelly replied, holding up the bags of food. “Told you I’d get you what you needed. Here’s your food and water. Enjoy!”
She handed them the supplies, the couple thanking her profusely as if she had just saved their lives. Kelly shrugged it off with a grin. “No big deal. It was kind of fun, actually.”
“Fun?” the woman asked, incredulous.
“Yup! A little bike ride, a few zombies, and some scavenging. Just another day in the apocalypse,” Kelly said with a laugh. “Anyway, you guys take care. I’ve got to get home before my snacks go bad.”
With a wave, Kelly hopped back on her bike and rode off, the weight of her supplies making the ride a little slower but no less enjoyable. As she pedaled through the quiet streets, the zombies in the distance no longer seemed like a threat. They were just part of the scenery now, a background detail in her new, carefree life.
“Who knew the end of the world could be so relaxing?” she mused, laughing to herself as she rode into the sunset.
For the first time in years, Kelly felt truly free. No work, no deadlines, no stress—just her, her bike, and the open road. The apocalypse, it turned out, wasn’t so bad after all.