The tension between them began to ease as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the alleyway. Sam led the way, her pace steady but cautious. Kelly followed closely behind, still catching her breath from the encounter. They had narrowly escaped, but the weight of their ordeal clung to them like a second skin.
"How much farther is this hideout of yours?" Kelly asked, her voice strained with exhaustion. Every step felt like it took twice the energy as before.
"Not far," Sam replied, glancing back at Kelly. "Just a couple more blocks. It's tucked away in a building nobody thinks to check. It'll be safe for tonight."
Kelly sighed with relief but couldn’t shake the nerves buzzing in her veins. She was still on high alert, her ears tuned for any sign of trouble. It was hard to imagine feeling safe anywhere, especially after what they had just gone through.
As they turned a corner, Sam pointed to a squat, unremarkable building nestled between two larger ones. The windows were boarded up, and the door looked like it hadn’t been opened in years.
"This is it?" Kelly asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sam nodded and led her to the back of the building, where a rusty metal door stood hidden behind some overgrown weeds and debris. She pulled out a key from her jacket pocket, unlocked the door, and motioned for Kelly to go in.
"It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but it’s secure," Sam explained. "No one’s ever bothered with it, which is exactly why I chose it."
Kelly stepped inside, immediately hit by a wave of cool air. The interior was sparse but functional—a few mattresses on the floor, a small stack of supplies in the corner, and a lantern flickering with weak light. It was quiet, almost peaceful compared to the chaos outside.
"Wow," Kelly said, taking it all in. "You’ve got yourself a little sanctuary here."
"Something like that," Sam said, shutting the door behind them. "I’ve been here for a few weeks now. It’s far enough from the main part of the city that most zombies don’t wander this way."
Kelly sank onto one of the mattresses with a groan, her muscles screaming in protest. She hadn’t realized just how exhausted she was until her body hit the makeshift bed.
"How did you find this place?" Kelly asked, lying back and staring at the ceiling.
Sam shrugged. "Pure luck. I was on the run, like you were today. Found this building by accident and decided to hole up here. I’ve been scavenging for supplies ever since, trying to stay off the radar."
Kelly closed her eyes for a moment, letting herself relax for the first time in what felt like forever. The constant state of fear and adrenaline was taking its toll, and she was grateful to have a safe place to rest, even if it was only temporary.
"You should rest," Sam said softly, sitting down across from her. "We’ll figure out the next steps in the morning. I have more food and water stashed here, enough to last us for a while."
Kelly nodded but didn’t say anything. For the first time since the world fell apart, she felt something akin to hope. Maybe it was the fact that she wasn’t alone anymore, or maybe it was just sheer exhaustion, but in this moment, things felt a little less impossible.
---
Hours later, Kelly awoke to the sound of footsteps shuffling nearby. She bolted upright, her heart pounding in her chest. The room was dimly lit by the lantern, which now cast eerie shadows along the walls. For a split second, she thought they were under attack again.
"Relax," Sam said, her voice low and calm. She was sitting by the door, cleaning her rifle. "It’s just me. I heard some noise outside earlier, but it was nothing."
Kelly rubbed her eyes, still groggy from sleep. "You scared me for a second. I thought we were surrounded again."
"Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you."
Kelly stood up and stretched, her muscles still stiff from their earlier ordeal. "What time is it?"
"Late," Sam said, not looking up from her rifle. "I figured you needed the rest, so I didn’t wake you."
"Thanks," Kelly mumbled, walking over to the small stash of supplies. She grabbed a bottle of water and took a long drink, savoring the cool liquid as it eased her parched throat. "You really have this place stocked up."
"I try," Sam replied. "It’s not much, but it’s enough to get by."
Kelly nodded, glancing around the room again. Despite the sparse setup, she couldn’t help but admire Sam’s resourcefulness. It was clear that Sam had been living on the edge for a while now, surviving day by day in a world that no longer made sense.
"You’re really good at this, you know," Kelly said, sitting back down. "Surviving, I mean. I don’t know how you do it."
Sam finally looked up, her expression serious. "You do what you have to do. That’s all there is to it. I wasn’t always like this."
"What do you mean?"
Sam paused, as if considering whether or not to continue. "Before all of this, I was an EMT. I spent my days saving lives, not ending them. But when the world went to hell, I had to adapt. Everyone did."
Kelly stared at her, surprised. "An EMT? I never would have guessed."
Sam chuckled bitterly. "Yeah, funny how life turns out, huh? One day I’m helping people, the next I’m fighting off hordes of zombies."
There was a moment of silence as Kelly processed Sam’s words. It was strange to think about how drastically people’s lives had changed in such a short amount of time. The world was unrecognizable now, and everyone was forced to become something new just to survive.
"Do you ever miss it?" Kelly asked quietly. "Your old life, I mean."
"Every day," Sam admitted. "But there’s no going back now. We’ve all lost something. We just have to keep moving forward."
Kelly sighed, leaning back against the wall. "Yeah. I guess you’re right."
The room fell into a comfortable silence after that, both women lost in their own thoughts. The sounds of the undead outside were distant, barely audible over the crackling of the lantern. For now, they were safe, and that was enough.
---
The next morning, Kelly woke up feeling more rested than she had in days. The world outside was still chaotic, but inside the hideout, there was a sense of calm. Sam was already up, packing her bag and getting ready for another day of scavenging.
"Morning," Kelly mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "What’s the plan?"
"Same as always," Sam replied. "We need more supplies, so I’m heading out to check a few spots. You’re welcome to come with me, if you’re up for it."
Kelly hesitated, remembering how close they’d come to disaster the day before. But then again, staying put wasn’t exactly an option either. They couldn’t survive on what little they had left.
"Yeah, I’ll come with you," Kelly said, getting up and grabbing her pipe wrench. "I need to pull my weight if I’m gonna stay here."
Sam nodded approvingly. "Good. Let’s gear up and head out."
As they prepared to leave, Kelly couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of purpose. For the first time since the apocalypse began, she wasn’t just surviving—she was part of something, part of a team. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to keep her going.
Together, they stepped out into the ruined world once more, ready to face whatever came next.