Ivan started his morning with his usual routine, carefully applying alcohol to his hands and donning his gloves. He then turned his attention to his dwindling supplies of cup noodles. After assessing his stock, he calculated that if he rationed them carefully, he might have enough to last for 2 days.
Great, just a couple of days left, he thought, feeling a pang of worry.
Next, he checked his water supply. He had only one bucket remaining. Given his conservative use, it would likely last as long as his food. Looks like we’re in for a tough few days, Ivan mused, his anxiety creeping in.
As he prepared his simple meal of cup noodles, a sudden noise from the balcony interrupted his thoughts. He had attached a small bottle with coins inside it to the rope. The idea was that Lucy could move the rope, causing the bottle to clink, which would signal him when to pull the bag up.
Ivan’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly moved to the balcony to investigate, trying to stay calm. The noise meant Lucy was trying to communicate, and he needed to be ready.
He reached the balcony, the faint clinking sound of the bottle growing louder as he approached. With a sense of urgency, he grabbed the rope and pulled the bag up.
The bag, as it ascended, felt heavier than usual, indicating that Lucy had included something substantial in her message. Ivan’s mind raced with possibilities—perhaps she had new information, supplies, or a crucial update.
Ivan rummaged through the bag with growing curiosity. Amid the items, he found duct tape, a flashlight with a few batteries, but the most intriguing find was a toy walkie-talkie. It was bright yellow, adorned with cartoonish images, and clearly designed for a child.
He quickly spotted the note nestled among the items and read its simple message:
“Turn it on (´⊙ω⊙`)！”
Where the hell did she even get this? Ivan wondered, eyeing the walkie-talkie with a mix of skepticism and curiosity. He turned the toy over in his hands, noting its bright, cheerful design—a stark contrast to the dire circumstances they were both facing.
The walkie-talkie seemed to be designed for a much younger audience, but the fact that Lucy had included it suggested she was holding onto hope, no matter how small.
Can it even work from this distance? Ivan thought, considering the separation between their floors. The toy seemed more suited for short-range communication, but he was willing to give it a try. Even if it only provided a brief connection, it might be worth the effort.
He fumbled with the buttons, eventually managing to turn on the walkie-talkie.
He held it near his mouth, hesitating for a moment. What should he say? This would be their first-ever conversation. The weight of it made him pause. Before he could say anything, a voice crackled through the speaker.
“Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellooooooooooooooooooo?”
Lucy’s voice rang out, sharp and impatient.
“What the hell are you taking so long for?”
Ivan was caught off guard, his thoughts interrupted.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
“Is this thing not working?” she asked herself, frustration evident in her tone.
Ivan took a deep breath, pushing the button before responding, “H-hello?”
...
...
...
“Oh, there you are!” Lucy replied, sounding more cheerful. “This thing’s just a kid’s toy, so it’s not gonna be as good as the real deal. It’ll have delays, but I can hear you. Can you hear me okay?”
“Y-Yes…” Ivan answered, still adjusting to the surreal feeling of actually talking to someone again.
...
...
...
There was a brief pause, the awkwardness of the delay stretching the silence.
“Good!” Lucy finally responded, her voice cutting through the quiet.
This delay is too much... this is awkward, Ivan thought.
After a moment of hesitation, Ivan asked, “Do you have any more food? I’m kind of running out...”
Lucy’s voice crackled back, “Oh, I don’t have much left either. I woke up too late and didn’t grab groceries when the alarm went off...”
Ivan couldn’t help but reminisce about the beginning of it all—the blaring alarm on his phone that had signaled the chaos. How heavy of a sleeper is this woman to miss that? he thought, shaking his head.
“Alright, lower the bag again,” Lucy instructed after a brief pause.
Ivan did as she said, following their usual process of exchanging supplies. When he pulled the bag up again, he peered inside, only to be met with a sight that made his stomach drop.
Dog food...
His face twisted into a mix of confusion, disbelief, and slight horror.
“Why did you send me dog food?” Ivan asked through the walkie-talkie, still staring at the can in his hand.
He heard Lucy sigh. “It’s a tough world, alright? We need to do what we gotta do. It’s not that bad…”
You’ve tasted this? he thought to himself, a mixture of disbelief and mild disgust forming in his mind.
Ivan stared at the can again, his thoughts racing. Could he really stomach this? His mind rebelled at the thought, but the hunger gnawing at his insides reminded him of how desperate things had become. Lucy had a point—survival didn't come with choices anymore. Still, dog food? This felt like hitting a new low.
No way... he thought, shaking his head in disbelief. This couldn’t be what things had come to, could it? The idea of eating dog food felt like crossing a line he wasn’t sure he could stomach.
"Where did you even get these items? Are you a child or something?" Ivan asked into the walkie-talkie, his voice laced with disbelief.
"Alright, look, dumbass," Lucy replied, sounding irritated, "It's not even mine, okay? I just found it laying out in the hallway."
"Outside? You went outside?" Ivan's voice rose with concern.
"Yep," Lucy responded nonchalantly.
"You're the one who told me not to go outside, idiot!" Ivan shot back, frustration creeping in.
"Not literally outside, stupid!" she retorted, her tone sharp. "I meant outside my front door. I didn’t go anywhere near the infected, I just grabbed it and went back inside."
Ivan paused, her words sinking in. His mind started racing. The 17th floor… a child… He remembered a kid living there when all of this began.
Suddenly, the realization hit him like a punch to the gut. That walkie-talkie... It probably belonged to that kid.
"Anyways, do you have any plans to go out? We're kinda trapped here, you know," Lucy said, her voice crackling through the walkie-talkie.
"I don’t know... going outside sounds like suicide. Have you faced an infected before?" Ivan asked, unsure if she truly grasped the danger.
"Yeah... I saw some people turned outside." Her voice softened, carrying the weight of the memories.
The two fell into an uneasy silence, the reality of their situation settling in.
"What about the balcony?" Ivan suggested after a pause. "We could tie clothes or a rope and climb down from balcony to balcony."
There was a long silence on the other end.
"Hello?" Ivan asked, wondering why she hadn’t responded.
"No..." Lucy finally muttered.
"No way!" she added, her voice now sharp.
"Too dangerous, huh?" Ivan said, already expecting her hesitation.
"What do you mean too dangerous!? Don’t even add that as an option!" she snapped.
"Why do you sound so offended?" Ivan asked, surprised at her tone.
"I'm... afraid of heights..." Lucy admitted reluctantly.
"What?"
"Are you deaf? I said I'm afraid of heights!" she shouted through the crackling static.
"Then why did you get a room on the 17th floor?" Ivan asked, genuinely baffled.
"I don’t even live here, alright?" Lucy shot back. "I just ran straight to an apartment and climbed to a high floor. I found a random room and, thank God, no one was in it..."