Elizabeth “Liz” Rogers had always known that she lived a blessed life. She was under no delusions about the privileges that were made available to her that others didn’t have access to. A pair of loving, supportive, and incredibly wealthy parents. A high-ranking private high school. Specialized tutors for every subject. Wonderful friends, and siblings that were only sometimes annoying. With all that and more, she felt a strong sense of obligation to just succeed, but excel, if only just to ensure that nothing was wasted on her.

And excel she did. Top of her class, voted valedictorian by her peers, ace of the school volleyball team and capable enough to get a scholarship to her university of choice. Liz was the pride of her family. and though her success should’ve earned the envy of her peers, her amicable personality meant she had far more friends than enemies.

While Liz had not expected such good fortunes to last forever, neither did she expect to have the rug pulled out from beneath her so suddenly. In the span of a single day, her life had irreversibly changed, and all her accomplishments meant nothing in this new world.

From sleeping soundly in the comfort of her home, surrounded by her loved ones, to being tucked away in a cold, foreign office, with danger on all sides. A lifestyle that was unimaginable a few weeks ago. Liz tried to be strong for her siblings, but no amount of bedtime stories or jokes could alleviate the hunger in their bellies. What scraps they had was given to the kids, while Liz did her best to sleep away her hunger.

Hope was in short supply, and even the ever-optimistic Liz could see the writing on the wall. No food, no heating, and no signs of rescue. There would not be a heroic army to mow down the zombies in a blaze of gunfire like the movies. Even if humanity could survive this, she and her family would be nothing more than statistics, one family among many to meet their end in this disaster. The only silver lining was the realization that they wouldn’t turn into zombies and attack others after their death, but that provided little comfort. And yet, their inevitable demise did not come.

*

Liz watched as the elevator went down the first floor of the mall, signalling the departure of Ray, who moments ago had all but saved them from a painful death by starvation. The first other survivor she had seen in almost a week. There had been others holed up here previously, but as supplies dwindled, they opted to take their chances outside. Given that none had ever returned, she had considered it extremely unlikely that anyone could get past the horde of zombies on the first floor, which was why she was so caught off guard when Ray first appeared.

Ray was certainly no knight in shining armor, that was for sure. When Liz had first woken up and seen him standing in the doorway with a crowbar, jacket stained with blood, she had thought he looked like a cartoon villain. In hindsight, she was quite embarrassed at her reaction, and the bruise on her knee is unlikely to let her forget about it any time soon.

Sure, he was a bit distant and awkward when they spoke, but that can easily be attributed to him not being used to company. In fact, she probably had it better than him in that regard, at least she had Mia and Jason to keep her company. To be completely isolated in that hellscape out there was not a nightmare she would wish even on her worst enemies.

“C’mon you two, let’s clean everything up!” Liz said enthusiastically, putting her thoughts away for later, cheering the kids up and getting them to do their parts as well. She had meant what she said to Ray when he was leaving. It was obvious he was more than competent, so the only thing she could offer him was a safe refuge in the midst of this ruined city. As such, it was only right that she should make it as clean and welcoming as possible, to await his return.

*

The post apocalyptic life was not nearly as exciting as Ray had imagined it would be now that he had become accustomed to his lifestyle. When you take away the only source of danger from the apocalypse, life becomes almost the exact same as before, except everything was just less convenient.

Ray’s daily routine has already returned to the pre-apocalypse state, which meant staying holed up in his room all day. With plenty of food stored up, and the only source of entertainment being his laptop, there was very little reason to go outside. He had already paid visits to police stations and hardware stores and have stocked up on all the tools he needed: everything from guns for self protection to a smoker to preserve meat.

With his floor in the apartment barricaded by wooden boards and the perimeter surrounded by zombies, Ray’s home base was impenetrable. No one was stupid enough to be braving a zombie horde just to ransack a shitty residential apartment building, and he’d have home field advantage even if they did.

He’d have been more than content to continue killing time in his room if not for two major problems that he’s been trying his best to ignore. The first problem was obvious: the electricity isn’t permanent. Sooner or later, everything will come to a grinding halt, and Ray will lose access to his refrigeration, heating, and even his entertainment. Considering the apartment’s quality, that day is likely to come sooner rather than later. Of course, he could always just move to a different place, or even a different city altogether. Some place with renewable energy, like solar or wind power, but that led to the second problem: Liz and her siblings are dependant on him for survival. It’s been three days since he first found them, and the food he supplied them should last a few more days, but eventually they’ll be in the same predicament.

It was theoretically possible to save them, but it would involve him personally wiping out half the zombies in the city, between their mall and the nearest safe haven at the university. Ray knew it was selfish of him to prioritize concealing his ability, but he believed it would only lead to trouble if it was ever found out. He didn’t trust Liz enough to think that she won’t blab about it to others if rescue ever came, and it would only spiral out of control from there. Plus, who knows what she would think? Regardless of how the zombies treated him, the fact that he was bitten made him potentially dangerous to those around him. Even now, he still had the occasional nightmare of the scars in his arm festering and rotting, consuming the rest of his body as he turns.

Sighing to himself in annoyance, Ray closed his laptop, sick of watching the same movies over and over. Putting on his jacket and shoes, he headed out again, hoping that the cold air would clear his mind. Almost by instinct at this point, he grabbed his backpack as well. Never know what one can find when they aren’t looking.

*

Heading out the door, Ray nods in greeting to the silent zombies standing on either side. Tied to their limbs with string are tin cans, designed to rattle loudly if they make sudden movements, alerting Ray if they sense any humans nearby. An ingenious system if he said so himself, and he did. He had grown to recognize them as useful allies, and every time he passed by, he made a point to greet them.

Wandering in no particular direction, Ray pulled his hood up over his head to protect his ears from the biting wind. All around, the living dead stood. Some unmoving, simply waiting for prey that may never arrive. Others shamble with purpose, living out a parody of their past lives as they try to continue their daily routine. All of them ignore Ray as he walks through the city. Why there’s such a huge variance in their behaviour is still a mystery, but one that’s lower on the priority list. In fact, he had no idea how he was going to examine that aspect of their biology, especially when the zombies don’t behave very normally around him.

As he walked, Ray tried his best to organize his thoughts, jumbled and messed up as they were. Could he rely on the survivors at the university to help Liz and the kids? No, not a chance. There were simply too many problems that he lacked the solution for. For one, initiating contact with them was risky in and of itself, since it could lead to that bite scar on his left arm being discovered, and he had no good excuse for it. Even if he did bypass their scrutiny, it was unlikely that a rescue effort would be launched for a mere three people, only one of whom was capable of pulling her weight. In that case, could he rely on Liz and the kids to fend for themselves? Also no. Not only did they have no weapons or food, but they were also surrounded in all directions by hungry zombies, and a single mistake would result in their demise. The two kids, Jason and Mia, were total liabilities, but he knew Liz would never abandon them.

Swearing to himself, Ray shook his head, trying to get rid of the negative thoughts that were invading. “Fuck it,” he muttered, shoving a zombie out of the way as he walked down the sidewalk. By now, the zombies were nothing to him but minor obstacles, easily ignored or dealt with. It was funny to think that just a few days ago, he had nearly pissed himself in fear at the very thought of confronting a single one. Perhaps that just goes to show how adaptable the human mind was, that even this bloody and fiery hellscape became completely normal to the young man.

Eventually, Ray’s wandering feet led him to a very familiar storefront: Betty’s Knickknacks. A tiny, locally owned bookstore that sold board games and other curios as well. He had worked here, part-time, before he secured his internship, and still visited on occasion to participate in game nights with some regulars. It was one of the few social gatherings that he still attended, outside of work, before the outbreak happened.

Pushing open the door and hearing the nostalgic ring of the bells affixed to it, Ray breathed a slight sigh of relief to see that the store was devoid of people, both living and undead. While he was far from being friends with Betty, the owner of the store, the old lady was friendly and affable, and he would’ve hated to see her go out like this. She deserved better than that. Still, was that all he came here for? To check on his former boss? His brain said no, because it was already scanning the shelves for games that kids would like. Despite the fact that he was repeatedly telling himself that he didn’t want to commit to being their protector, his hand was already reaching putting the board games into his backpack. After all, poor Liz was probably going insane trying to keep them entertained.

Just this once.

So I can tell them I won’t be coming back.

So they can be ready to fend for themselves.

*

“This was a mistake…” Ray groaned as he leaned back against the soft sofa, having just sealed his fate with an unlucky dice roll, landing his boot token onto Liz’s quadruple-housed Connecticut Avenue, effectively ending this game of Monopoly. By that point, her younger siblings have already been annihilated by her brutal capitalist expansions, but they watched excitedly on the sidelines, cheering Ray on as he did his best to mount a comeback. Alas, Liz knew the secret trick of buying all the houses without upgrading to hotels, effectively choking him out of the game. Everything else was a formality at that point.

“Wooohooo!” Liz cheered, taking the last of Ray’s meagre savings, adding it to her pile and declaring herself the winner with a fist pump. Honestly, the game probably wasn’t that exciting, but it was the first time in a long time that they could forget about their troubles, even if it was only for a single night. Despite the loss, Ray offered her a smile and a handshake for a hard-fought match, which she eagerly accepted. Her soft hand squeezed his own, and it marked the first time that he touched another human being in a long time, not just since the outbreak.

Laid out on the table in the office where the four of them sat were not only board games, but books, decks of cards, stuffed animals, and even a small laptop Ray had pilfered, containing copies of his stash of pirated movies, to help the three of them not go stir crazy while they’re trapped here. Along with these new shiny toys, he had also brought along a more food and supplies, enough to probably last them another week if they were frugal. Dinner was luxurious for them, as Ray had baked a pizza and brought along some soda as well. The fact that the pizza was lukewarm by the time he arrived didn’t seem to make a difference at all, and he was showered by hugs from the kids.

“So, I never did ask, but how old are they?” Ray asked once Mia and Jason were fast asleep on the other sofa, hugging each other tightly. Did he and his little sister Alice ever do that? It was hard to imagine. Their relationship had always been strained, and it only got worse when he left for university.

“Jason’s seven and Mia’s eight,” Liz replied quietly, pulling a thick blanket on top of them. That was another addition that Ray had brought, after realizing how cold it was up here without heating. Once she was satisfied with their seating arrangement, she joined him on his sofa, taking a seat next to him. “And I’m nineteen, in case you’re curious.”

“I was pretty curious,” Ray admitted, feeling more than a little self-conscious now that they were effectively alone. This was a situation he couldn’t handle even before the world ended, and now it only exacerbated his inner turmoil. “How are you… uh… holding up?”

God, what a stupid question. Ray wanted to stuff his foot into his mouth the moment it came out, but Liz just nodded and casted a fond look in the direction of the kids.

“Yes, thanks to you. They never say anything, but I know they were getting pent up. It’s been almost three weeks I think…” Her voice trails off as she rises, and Ray can see the glimmering of tears within the corners of her eyes. Before he can say anything in response, she’s already upon him, leaning into and wrapping her arms around him in a warm embrace. “I- I can’t- I don’t know how to express my gratitude, Ray.”

For his part, Ray just sat there, stock-still as he felt her press up against him, her head buried in his side as she sobbed gently, her frail body shuddering and heaving as she held onto him tightly. Not knowing what to say, he just did his best to comfort her by patting her head. Her brown hair was frazzled and unkept, but still soft to the touch. He made a mental note to bring her some shampoo the next time he came back.

Next time?

They stayed like that for a while, long enough for Liz’s tears to dry up and for Ray to get used to the fact that a girl was clinging onto him, a foreign feeling to be sure. When she finally recovered, the brunette slowly pulled away, wiping at her puffy red eyes, leaving Ray feeling conflicted now that he couldn’t feel her warmth.

“Sorry I’m such a mess,” Liz said with a self-deprecating tone as she reaches for some tissue, though she remained close at Ray’s side, not bothering to return to her original position on the other side of the sofa.

“If there’s anyone in the world who has a right to some tears, it would definitely be you,” Ray replied reassuringly. In that moment, she looked every bit her age. Vulnerable and well out of her comfort zone, she was doing her absolute best to hold it together for her siblings, and only when they’re asleep did she finally crumble. Still, Ray was impressed. When he was nineteen, he definitely didn’t have her sense of responsibility nor her selfless desire to protect her family.

It was easy for him to take survival for granted, since he didn’t have to fight for it, but this was an environment no teenager should ever hope to find themselves in. Just watching her try and pull herself together, Ray couldn’t bring himself to tell Liz that he wouldn’t return. What excuse did he have? It wasn’t as if he was doing anything meaningful with his spare time.

“Do you… do you want to stay the night?” Liz asked cautiously, her words shaking Ray out of his thoughts. “It’s already dark out.”

A quick look out the window showed that she was right. Dinner and games had been more enjoyable than he anticipated, and time had flown by. The sun had long since set, and the wind has no doubt picked up as well. It would be a freezing journey back home for Ray.

“Are you sure?” He asked, a little taken aback by the offer. Had he earned her trust that easily? It was certainly an enticing offer, but he hadn’t brought a sleeping bag, and he wasn’t sure if she had a different idea in mind. “I mean- I don’t mind, but-“

“There’s plenty of room,” Liz interjected while patting the sofa, as though reading his mind. Plenty might be an exaggeration, but two people could certainly sleep on it if they were close enough together. Fortunately, Liz was dressed in the same attire she had been for the whole time she was here: a pair of baggy sweat pants, a thin blouse, and a hoodie on top. A comfortable enough outfit, even while sleeping, which meant that Ray didn’t have to suffer the awkwardness of her undressing.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“I guess that’s that then,” Ray replied, letting himself be convinced. It wasn’t difficult, if he was being honest with himself. A cute girl asking to sleep with him? He’d be a fool to say no. This was the stuff he’d have dreams about back in university! “You wanna be on the inside or the outside?”

“Outside,” she answered as she got up to turn off the lights, leaving the room in absolute darkness. “I trust you not to kick me off in the middle of the night.”

Ray grinned and laid down on the sofa, squeezing against the back to give Liz as much room as possible as she joined him. As predicted, the two of them fit, but it meant her back had to be pressed tightly against his front to make it work. The two of them tumbled and twisted for a bit until they managed to get all their limbs into comfortable spots, but eventually settled and got a blanket over them. Her legs were caught in his own, while his hands were draped over her stomach. He had been worried about their positioning, but the fact that she didn’t say anything made him think she didn’t really mind.

Still, their close proximity made Ray’s heart race, so much so that he was afraid that Liz could hear or feel it against his chest. Her butt was nestled against his stomach, and his head was tucked against her shoulders, effectively spooning her.

I am not sleeping tonight…

Seconds pass. Minutes pass. And quite possibly, hours passed as well. Ray couldn’t be sure how long it’s been since the lights were off, but he knew that he didn’t feel an ounce of fatigue. How could he? His entire body was wound up with tension, terrified of accidentally doing something wrong. He couldn’t tell if his bedmate was asleep either, but the sound of steady breathing made it seem like the case.

“Do I smell that bad? Is that why you can’t sleep?” Liz suddenly whispered teasingly, showing that she was also just as awake. After a second of stunned silence, Ray clamped his hand over his mouth, stifling his giggles, and soon she joined him, the two of them shaking with laughter in their makeshift bed. The tension deflated like a popped balloon, and she snuggled deeper into his arms.

“I’ll bring you some shampoo and other stuff when I return,” Ray whispered in response, only to receive a light jab from Liz’s elbow.

“So I do smell?” She replied, feigning indignation, which then spawned another bout of laughter from the two of them. When that settled, she placed her hand on Ray’s left arm, the one that was resting on her belly. “Like I said, I trust you, really. There’s nothing to worry about.”

This time, Ray didn’t respond. He didn’t need to. The two of them had settled into each other’s space and shared in their warmth. There was no more fear of fucking up, and finally, he could feel his weary mind shutting down for some much needed rest.

*

The next morning, Ray was the last one up. Apparently, Liz had told the kids to be quiet and for them to help clean up the table from last night. When he finally woke up, breakfast had been prepared in the form of a bowl of cereal.

The three members of the Rogers family were playing card games when he woke up, and the two kids immediately wanted him to join. It was an unfamiliar sensation, to awaken before a crowd when he was so used to solitude, but Ray decided that he didn’t dislike it.

After breakfast and a couple rounds of Go Fish, he was ready to go. Oddly, there was a small sense of reluctance on his part when he needed to make his exit, but it was true that he had obligations to take care of. He needed to relocate his supplies of food in his apartment and scout the surrounding areas for possible bases of operation. As much as he wanted to bring everything here, it would definitely be suspicious for him to be moving carts full of food. No normal human should be able to do that.

The kids, as expected, were sad to part ways, but Liz was surprisingly emotional as well, almost crying again as she hugged him, though she held it together just barely.

“I know you’ve done so much for us, and I’m almost ashamed to-“ she began, fidgeting with her cheeks flushed red, but Ray cut her off before she even finished her request.

“Just say the word, and I’ll try my best,” He promised, and he was surprised to find that he meant it. There was still residual guilt from his inability to actually help them escape this place, so he was eager to provide assistance in other ways to alleviate that feeling.

Reaching into her pocket, Liz gave a key to Ray. “Our house is 4390, Kingston Avenue,” she explained. “If it hasn’t been ransacked, do you think you can help me grab a picture of our parents? I’m sure they’re out there, looking for us, but I don’t know how long it’ll take, and I don’t want the little ones to ever forget about them…”

“Absolutely, it’ll be the first place I visit.” Ray nodded without hesitation. It wasn’t impossible for them to be alive. In fact, if he had to guess, he’d say that they might actually be in the nearby university with the other survivors. If only he could check somehow…

“Thank you! But make sure you take care of yourself first and foremost, okay? I don’t want you taking risks,” Liz added, giving him one last hug, establishing herself as the most touchy-feely person that Ray knows. “We’ll be waiting!”

*

True to his word, once Ray returned home and took a quick shower, he was immediately off to the Rogers’ residence. Crowbar in hand and backpack slung over his shoulders, he followed the map he had drawn for himself. Kingston Avenue was in a pretty wealthy suburbia, and here, the destruction wasn’t as extreme. On bike, it took about thirty minutes for him to arrive.

He had been here before, though only to map out the city, and he had initially come to the conclusion that there wasn’t much of value to steal in these houses. Sure, there were fancy electronics and plenty of jewelry, but none of that actually mattered here at world’s end.

Eventually, he arrived at the house that he was looking for, and boy was it impressive. The place looked more like a mansion than a normal house, opulent and luxurious. A far cry from his shoddy apartment building. The lawn was overgrown, but still vibrant and green, no doubt thanks to the automatic sprinkler systems. The house itself seems untouched, and the front door was still locked. Unlocking and entering, Ray saw that the insides were just as fancy as the outside.

Crystal chandeliers, a massive piano in the living room that probably costs more than his life savings, and paintings on the wall that screamed sophistication. Still, as a former accounting intern, this was his first foray into the lifestyle of the wealthy, and once he got over the initial surprise, he searched the house like any other.

First order of business was finding a picture, which was incredibly easy. All he needed to do was find the master bedroom and grab a framed photograph that was sitting on the nightstand. That was technically all Liz asked for, but Ray figured that while he was here, he might as well grab some other stuff as well. Hygiene products such as toothbrushes were placed into Ziploc bags and tossed into his backpack, as were shampoo, conditioner, and bodywash. He didn’t know what half the stuff did, but figured Liz would recognize them.

Next was clothing. The three of them had been trapped up there for weeks now, with no spare clothing to change into, and he intended to change that. He raided their wardrobes, prioritizing winter clothing to help defend against the cold. He had hesitated for a moment when going through Liz’s stuff, especially when it came to her underwear, but figured that she was reasonable enough to not care about it.

In the end, a single backpack wasn’t enough, and he had to make the trip again to grab everything he wanted. By the time he was back home, he was well and truly exhausted. Biking back and forth across the city was more cardio than he ever needed or wanted.

*

Ray had given them enough food to last a week or so, and he decided to use that time to explore out of town. During the weeks since he first got bit, he centered his operations around the city and the surrounding suburbs, but he realized that he’d need to expand his search for a second home. After all, all the houses in the city had the same problem as his apartment: they were reliant on the electric grid to function. He was far from an engineer, and didn’t know the first thing about keeping things online, so the only thing he could hope for was to find a place that was already hooked up to a renewable source of energy, such as solar or wind power. He had a small, portable generator, but that wouldn’t be enough to power a large house for long.

After about four days worth of exploration, Ray had found what he was looking for. About an hour away on a bike, up a pretty steep hill, was a mountaintop resort filled with cabins and other lodgings. Everything was solar powered, and it looked to him as though everything was already functional. The employees had long since fled, but they didn’t bother shutting anything down. As such, all he needed to do was move it.

It was easier said than done and moving bits of food that distance on bike was simply impractical. The roads around Ray’s apartment were still surrounded by abandoned cars, just like most of the roads in the city, which made driving almost impossible. Plus, the other issue was that it would make visiting Liz harder as well. Owing to those factors, he tentatively put those relocation plans on hold, pending further investigation.

*

“How do I look?” Liz asked, popping out of the bathroom in her new outfit. A tight pair of jeans sat snugly on her hips, a camisole which showed a tantalizing amount of cleavage sat above it, and a pair of white running shoes to finish the look. Ever since Ray managed to reset the switchboard on the first floor, the heating on the fourth floor has started functioning again, which meant that they longer needed to be wearing winter jackets.

“You look… amazing,” Ray muttered, unable to take his eyes off her form. Her brown hair now shone with life and was tied into a ponytail. While there was no showers or baths available, she had used the towels he brought and gave herself a rigorous rub down, and he could see the effect it had on her bare skin, making her seem radiant.

Staring was poor form, but Ray simply couldn’t help himself. Now that she’s cleaned up, he was convinced Liz could rock any outfit and look incredible, but this new, form fitting attire was enough to kill a man.

“I appreciate that,” Liz replied, smiling brightly. “Good choice on the underwear too!”

If he could’ve burrowed himself underground, Ray wouldn’t have hesitated. Unfortunately, such a power was beyond him, and he had to make do by placing his face into his hands instead, all the while Liz giggled in the background.

“Listen, I just… I wasn’t really looking and-” He stammered, face flushed, but that just made Liz giggle all the harder.

“I’m sorry, that was mean of me,” she finally said after calming down. Sitting down and placing a hand on his shoulder, she looked Ray in the eye. “I really do appreciate everything you’ve done for us.”

Along with all the stuff he had looted from the Rogers residence, Ray had also brought along a pressure cooker, a small convection oven, and a bunch of food that can be prepared with those tools. He had been worried that they would inquire about how he managed to carry two heavy bags of goods up to them, but the thought didn’t seem to cross their minds.

Once the impromptu fashion show was done, Liz helped kids change as well, and piled the old clothing into the bathroom so she can wash them by hand later. Mia and Jason were both excited and have taken to calling him “big brother Ray”, a fact that he didn’t discourage. Suck on that, Alice.

When the chores were done and dealt with, Ray joined in on the games once more, this time teaming up with the kids to hand Liz her first loss in Monopoly. During all of the shenanigans, they shared stories about their life before the outbreak, the good and the bad, all laid bare for each other.

Ray talked about how he didn’t have a good relationship with his family, thanks to his lack of ambition and a poor work ethic. His little sister was the golden child, thanks to her natural intellect and charm, whereas he was considered the failed first experiment, something Liz found incredibly sad. Mia had given him a hug and promised to be his family instead, which got him a bit misty-eyed.

In return, Liz admitted that the pressure of success was getting to her, especially near the end of high school. Her parents had invested so much money and effort into her, and her siblings saw her as the perfect role model. In reality, she didn’t have a plan for the future, and didn’t know what she wanted to do, having only applied to university at her parents’ suggestion.

The conversation shifted and winded, eventually arriving at the day of the outbreak. Ray was curious to know what had happened but didn’t want to have to explain why he was unconscious for a whole week. Fortunately, he didn’t have to prod very hard for Liz to offer that information.

Apparently on that fateful night, Liz had been helping her mom bathe the kids while her dad was watching the news, as usual. That was where he first heard of the “riots” that were spreading across the town. At first, he didn’t think it was cause for concern, but things rapidly spiraled out of control as the news crew on site was attacked.

Seeing things get more hectic by the minute, Mr. Rogers decided that his family’s safety was paramount, and decided to try and flee the city before things got even worse. At the same time, the next-door neighbors, lifelong friends of the Rogers family, paid them a visit.

William Miller was a childhood friend of Liz’s, and when he and his family came over to discuss what to do, they decided that escaping was the right idea. Liz’s mother had the idea of packing everyone in a single SUV, so as not to get separated, and they attempted to flee the city. Sadly, by this point, pretty much everyone else had the same idea, and the roads were completely congested. The police had all been deployed to danger zones to quell the rioting, so no one was available to take charge and direct traffic. It took them almost an hour to get to the downtown area, and by then, progress had grinded to a halt.

Seeing no alternatives, the two families abandoned the SUV and tried to make their escape by foot, and that was when they were attacked. At the time, they didn’t know that the cause of so-called riots were actually caused by zombies, so they weren’t prepared to be attacked by what they thought was their fellow man.

William lost both his parents that night, but Mr. and Mrs. Rogers managed to rescue him, but Liz and her siblings were separated from the pack. Lost and disoriented in the dark, the only thing she could do was follow the fleeing crowd and escape from the flesh-eating monsters that had just killed her neighbors.

With Mia and Jason in tow, Liz followed a few others and fled into this mall. The manager was still around, and quickly ushered everyone onto the fourth floor, and barricaded the entrances, sealing themselves in. The SOS banner was quickly made and hung over the roof, though no one would see it and come until Ray.

In total, including Liz and her siblings, there were nine people in total. One store manager, one married couple, one bedraggled homeless man, one stern businesswoman, and one security guard.

At first, they had a decent amount of food, and spirits were high. They even had a television in the office, which everyone used to try and get the latest updates on the outbreak and rescue efforts. However, at some point, the radio waves stopped transmitting anything useful, and all they could see on TV was static.

As the situation got more and more dire, tensions rose, and arguments broke out. People were undecided on what to do, and despite Liz’s best efforts to calm people down, tempers flared. Some, such as the businesswoman, saw any food going towards the kids as waste, while others disagreed. Eventually, the manager took the elevator down to the first floor, promising that he’d look for help. He never returned.

The sobering idea of a painful death by zombie bites tentatively cooled everyone down, and the next few days were spent in silence. Still, food was getting scarce and desperation was tainting everyone’s decision-making skills. Throughout all of this, Liz had her own issues to deal with, in the form of the lanky homeless man.

She had felt his gaze on her ever since the first day but had simply ignored it at first. She wasn’t stupid, she knew was objectively attractive. Even her classmates and her friend William had treated her slightly differently once she was a senior in high school, but something about the man unnerved her.

He always spoke the least and never introduced himself, content with sitting in the corner and just observing. Liz did her best to avoid him, making sure to sleep as far away as possible. Still, as long as there were others around, she was confident he’d never do anything.

Unfortunately, five days after the manager left, Liz and the kids were abandoned. In the middle of the night, everyone else except for the homeless man had left, escaping via the elevator. To this day, Liz wonders why they didn’t take her along, and why they left her and her siblings behind with that creep.

Ray figured it was because they thought of her siblings as a liability, but he didn’t verbalize the thought. She’s suffering enough as it is.

That left the four of them on the fourth, and now her fears had become reality. Almost immediately, Liz had taken the kids into the manager’s office and locked the door, piling furniture against it to prevent someone from breaking down the door. Her resourcefulness had saved her, because on that very night, the homeless man had tried to force his way inside, and after being unsuccessful, had made his own departure, leaving the three of them alone. They would remain alone until almost a week later, Ray found them on the brink of starvation.

It was a harrowing story, and it only reinforced Ray’s thoughts about how more survivors weren’t necessarily a good thing. He was lucky to run into kind people like Liz, but there were probably more murderers and rapists in the world than good-hearted people like her, and without laws, the evil would flourish. Still, is that not an argument for him to cherish the people who did treat him with kindness?

Even just recounting the story had shaken Liz, and she had to take constant breaks to try and maintain her composure. By the time she was done, she was once again sobbing into his chest. This time, Ray was more active in comforting her, hugging her and whispering quiet encouragements. Soon, she was sleeping in his lap. Much like a cat, it left him in the uncomfortable position of not being able to move, lest he disturb her. In the end, he had no choice but to fall asleep sitting down, her head on his legs.

*

And so, the days continued, bit by bit. The frequency of Ray’s visits increased each time, until he was coming over every other day, spending the night, and then leaving again the next day. It added purpose to his travels, now that he can search for things that are needed by them.

The fourth floor has now been greatly furbished, the fridge stocked with food, and the roof occupied by a small garden now. It was like a home away from home for Ray. While he still occasionally spent days away from them when he desired solitude, Liz was entirely understanding and didn’t want to push him too hard about permanently moving in.

A radio was set up as well, to detect government broadcasts, both national and local. It’s only been about three weeks since the outbreak, and Ray refused to believe that everything could crumble so quickly. There had to be more gathering centres than just the university. Since he couldn’t monitor it 24/7, that job fell to Liz and the kids.

On the matter of the university, Ray decided that he would pay them a visit. It was something he had been unsure about for several days now, internally debating the pros and cons whenever he was alone. He definitely didn’t want to have to reveal his secret, but he also felt a sense of guilt whenever Liz or the kids mentioned their parents. If they might be at the university, it would be wrong not to at least check and tell them if they really were there. Reuniting them was a different matter, but that can come later. For now, Ray needed to figure out a way in without exposing himself to a physical check.

*

As it turns out, such thinking was entirely unnecessary. After all, when he came within a mile of the campus, he heard the screams and the smelt the scent of flames.

Something had gone horribly wrong there.

(Been a whole year since part 1, apologies about that. Rate and review, if you like. Ignore if you’d rather not. Have a great Christmas everyone.)