The morning sun beat down on the crumbling city as Sam and Kelly stepped out of the hideout. The streets were eerily quiet, with only the occasional groan of a distant zombie echoing through the abandoned buildings. Kelly gripped her pipe wrench tightly, her knuckles white from the tension.
“So, what’s the plan for today?” Kelly asked, her voice breaking the silence. She adjusted the straps on her backpack, trying to shake off the nervousness that clung to her.
“We need to hit a couple of spots,” Sam replied, glancing around cautiously. “There’s a pharmacy a few blocks from here. It’s risky, but we need medicine, especially antibiotics. After that, we’ll head to a grocery store nearby. If it hasn’t been completely looted, we might get lucky.”
Kelly nodded, her stomach twisting at the thought of another close encounter with zombies. She still wasn’t used to the danger, even after days of facing it. “How risky are we talking?”
Sam shrugged, her face neutral. “Hard to say. We might run into a few zombies, or we might find nothing. That’s just how it is now.”
They walked in silence for a few minutes, the weight of the world pressing down on them. Every corner they turned felt like a gamble, every shadow a potential threat. The once bustling city was now a graveyard, with cars left abandoned and buildings reduced to rubble.
“Do you ever get used to it?” Kelly asked suddenly, breaking the quiet once more.
Sam glanced at her, eyebrows raised. “Used to what?”
“This,” Kelly gestured around them. “The apocalypse. The constant threat of getting eaten by a zombie. I’m still not used to it. Every time I hear one of them, my heart feels like it’s going to explode.”
Sam sighed, her eyes scanning the streets ahead. “You never really get used to it. But you learn how to manage. The fear doesn’t go away, but you push through it because you have to.”
Kelly chewed her lip, processing Sam’s words. She admired Sam’s calm demeanor, her ability to keep it together even when everything seemed to be falling apart. Kelly wasn’t sure if she’d ever reach that level of control.
As they approached the pharmacy, Sam signaled for Kelly to stop. She crouched low, peering around the corner of a half-collapsed building. “Looks clear,” she whispered. “But stay close. If anything happens, we run.”
Kelly nodded, clutching her pipe wrench a little tighter. The two women crept toward the pharmacy, moving as quietly as they could. The door was already half-open, hanging off its hinges. Sam pushed it open gently, her gun raised, ready for anything.
Inside, the air was stale, and the shelves were in disarray. Empty pill bottles littered the floor, and much of the medicine had already been taken. But there were still a few shelves left untouched, possibly missed by previous looters.
Sam quickly moved toward the back, where the more valuable supplies were kept. “Check the front. Look for anything useful—painkillers, bandages, whatever you can find.”
Kelly nodded and headed to the front of the store, her eyes scanning the shelves. She found a few bottles of aspirin, some antiseptic cream, and a couple of rolls of bandages. It wasn’t much, but it was something.
“Got anything?” Sam called from the back.
“Just a few things,” Kelly replied, holding up the supplies. “How about you?”
Sam emerged from behind the counter, a small bag slung over her shoulder. “I found some antibiotics and a couple of first aid kits. Not bad.”
Kelly was about to respond when a loud crash echoed from outside. Both women froze, their eyes widening in alarm.
“Shit,” Sam muttered under her breath, moving quickly to the front of the store. “We need to get out of here. Now.”
Kelly followed her, heart pounding in her chest. As they stepped outside, they saw the source of the noise—a group of zombies shuffling toward the pharmacy, their eyes locked onto the two women.
“Run!” Sam shouted, grabbing Kelly’s arm and pulling her toward the alleyway.
They sprinted down the narrow street, the sound of the zombies growing louder behind them. Kelly’s legs burned with the effort, but she didn’t dare slow down. She could hear the groans of the undead getting closer, their footsteps echoing in the narrow space.
“We’re not going to make it!” Kelly gasped, glancing over her shoulder.
Sam didn’t respond, her focus solely on finding a way out. They turned a corner, only to be met with a dead-end. A high fence blocked their path, too tall to climb in time.
“Shit,” Sam cursed, her eyes darting around frantically. “We’re trapped.”
Kelly’s heart sank as the zombies closed in on them, their hungry eyes fixed on their prey. She tightened her grip on the pipe wrench, ready to fight, even though she knew it was hopeless.
Suddenly, Sam’s gaze fell on a fire escape ladder hanging just a few feet above their heads. Without hesitation, she jumped up, grabbing the bottom rung and pulling it down.
“Climb!” she yelled, motioning for Kelly to go first.
Kelly didn’t need to be told twice. She scrambled up the ladder, her hands shaking as she pulled herself higher. Sam was right behind her, climbing with a speed that surprised Kelly. Below them, the zombies reached the base of the ladder, their arms stretching up in a futile attempt to grab them.
They reached the rooftop just as the first zombie tried to climb the ladder. Sam kicked the ladder back up, sending it crashing into the wall and leaving the zombies stuck below.
Breathing heavily, Kelly collapsed onto the roof, her heart still racing. “That… was close.”
Sam nodded, also out of breath. “Too close.”
For a few moments, they just sat there, catching their breath and watching the horde of zombies shuffle around below. The sound of their groans filled the air, but up on the roof, Kelly and Sam were safe—for now.
“What do we do now?” Kelly asked, still panting.
Sam wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked around the rooftop. “We’ll have to go from rooftop to rooftop until we’re far enough away. It’s risky, but it’s the only way.”
Kelly nodded, feeling the weight of the situation settle on her shoulders. She had never imagined herself in a position like this—running from zombies, jumping across rooftops, relying on someone she barely knew for survival. But here she was, and there was no turning back.
---
After an hour of carefully navigating the rooftops, Kelly and Sam finally reached a quieter part of the city. The zombies were fewer in number, and the streets below were mostly empty.
“We should be close to my hideout now,” Sam said, peering over the edge of a building. “Once we get there, we can figure out our next move.”
Kelly nodded, grateful for the moment of peace. Her body ached from the running and climbing, and all she wanted was to sit down and rest. But she knew they couldn’t let their guard down just yet.
As they made their way down a fire escape into a side alley, Kelly glanced at Sam, a question burning in her mind.
“Why are you helping me?” Kelly asked, her voice soft.
Sam paused, turning to face her. “What do you mean?”
“I mean… you didn’t have to save me back there. You didn’t have to take me with you or share your supplies. So why are you helping me?”
Sam looked at her for a long moment, her expression unreadable. “Because… I’ve been alone for too long,” she finally said. “And maybe I’m tired of it. Maybe it’s easier to survive when you’re not the only one fighting.”
Kelly nodded, feeling a strange warmth in her chest. It was the first time in days that she didn’t feel completely alone.
“Thank you,” Kelly said quietly.
Sam gave her a small smile. “Don’t thank me yet. We’ve still got a long way to go.”
With that, they continued on, the weight of the world pressing down on them once more. But this time, Kelly didn’t feel quite as lost. She had a purpose now—a reason to keep going. And for the first time in a long time, she didn’t feel like she was fighting alone.