"What the absolute fuck is that thing?!" Oliver whispered frantically.

They watched a demon approach what looked like a floating sack of meat before some large shape dropped onto the demon and completely encased it. The shape slowly seemed to shrink, followed by the demon's cries of pain and bones crunching. It resembled a giant carnivorous plant if it came from hell. It used a part of its body resembling a chunk of meat to attract prey. Once they approach closely enough, the 'mouth' encases the prey and crushes it to death.

At this point, they are no strangers to creatures that look like they come straight from a nightmare and immediately decide to take a detour.

After several hours of traveling and occasionally fighting off enemies they couldn't avoid, they finally arrived at her parents' street. A slightly sweet smell lingered in the air.

"Are you sure this is the street?" Oliver asked. "I don't know if I can take any more stress, and what's that sweet smell?"

"Definitely," Sophia replied.

"Sophia! Amelia!" Oliver whispered. "We need to go right now!"

Sophia looked at him in confusion before following his outstretched finger. The color drained from her face as she understood Oliver's fearful outburst. A large web connected two houses with several giant cocoons and a struggling bird. A large dark mass visible behind the blue fog was slowly moving on the further roof, the house creaking under its weight.

"Let's Go!" Oliver urged, "Now!"

Sophia moved swiftly but quietly, with Amelia and Oliver following closely behind. Oliver watched the moving black mass as it climbed on the web. Like steel cables, the web barely strained under the massive weight that must be upon it. Their destination was only several houses down on the other side of the street.

Sophia opened the front door with a key she found in a fake rock, cleverly hidden in a bush next to the door. After they all made it in, she locked the door again. Oliver noticed the smell before she shut the door, and his stomach dropped.

"What the fuck was that!" she yelled in a whisper.

"We all know what that was, but isn't there something more important right now?" Oliver replied. "I think you should let me look around first."

Getting over her initial panic, Sophia furrowed her brows when she noticed the smell.

I've never seen her this pale. I can't blame her. I probably don't look so good right now, either.

"Amelia, can you stay with Sophia?"

"I will," she said, grabbing her hand.

Oliver doesn't know if Sophia is letting him look first or if she is frozen in fear. Oliver moved swiftly through the first floor, and it didn't look like anyone had been staying there. Finding nothing too strange, he took the stairs to the second floor. The rancid stench continued to grow stronger. A door was immediately at the top of the stairs on the right, and he didn't hear anything after waiting several seconds with his ear to the door. Oliver cautiously opened the door a few inches, and it felt like his heart dropped into his stomach. On the blood-covered bed were two skeletons still covered in bits of flesh. One was laid across the other as if trying to protect the other. The large window was broken, and feathers were strewn across the room. A large nest was partially built inside the room, empty of its inhabitants. It felt like several minutes instead of several seconds before Oliver managed to shut the door.

How am I going to tell Sophia? I can't let her see this.

Oliver headed back downstairs to find Sohpia and Amelia in the same place he had left them a few minutes ago. Oliver stared into her eyes before she fell to her knees and covered her sobs with her hand. Amelia followed Sophia's example and also started sobbing while hugging Sophia.

Oliver felt his presence wouldn't help and left Sophia with Amelia to continue searching the rest of the house. He grabbed anything that looked helpful so they could leave as soon as Sophia could. Supplies are challenging and will be even more so when they have to compete with other survivors. Oliver considered eating mutated animals, but no one should eat demons as they were once human.

This area should be much better for long-term survival than the city. We could find a location suitable for farming and hunting with a freshwater supply nearby, but still close enough to scavenge the city for supplies. Once we find somewhere else to rest for the night, we will all have a lot of things to discuss.

Oliver sat on the couch in the living room and removed his pants to inspect his wound. He had taken an excessive amount of painkillers for the pain, and it must be working because Oliver barely felt it anymore. At least, that was what Oliver thought before he removed the slightly bloody gauze. What used to be gashes is now scabbed over and appears to have healed considerably.

This amount of healing should take days, if not weeks, to heal. What happened? Am I slowly mutating? Am I becoming one of those mutated humans? No, that's unlikely. Those people changed instantly.

Oliver initially felt surprised before the paranoia and fear made him picture a bleaker option. Oliver knew his paranoia was unlikely and tried to discard that thought. Oliver threw the gauze and bandages away and put his jeans back on.

"We should go," Oliver heard behind him.

Oliver saw Sophia and Amelia, with red eyes full of determination or worry, holding each other's hands.

"Alright, is there anything you want to bring?" Oliver asked as he quickly looked over the few supplies he could restock.

"No, It's fine. I'm more worried about you," Sophia said. "You're hurt and shouldn't keep pushing yourself like this. How is it?"

"Well, I don't know how, but I'm almost healed."

"What? Really?!" Shock and confusion crossed her face.

"Yeah."

Olive raised his shirt, showing her where he was injured.

"That's incredible." She exclaimed. "How do you feel? Does anything else seem different?"

Amelia was quiet but wide-eyed in wonder.

"I feel like I didn't just have gashes on my side, so pretty good," Oliver replied. "I don't feel any different. We can talk about this somewhere else before an unwelcome guest arrives. We already have a lot of things we should discuss."

"Hmm, ok."

Sophia took the family photo from the living room and put it in her bag. They left the house and went down the opposite street, unanimously avoiding the previous area.

"How about this street?" Oliver asked after passing over a dozen other streets. The short journey has been uneventful for a change.

"Well, it's as good a place as any, I suppose," Sophia said.

"Let's just go to this house for now. Let's knock so we don't accidentally get shot or walk into a demon or something," Oliver said, pointing to the nearest house on the corner of the street.

They all walked up together, and Oliver knocked on the door. After waiting a minute, he tried again to ensure no one was home. After the second time, they noticed a very slight movement in the window.

"What do you want?!" a feminine voice asked from inside.

"Sorry to disturb you. We were only looking for an empty house to rest. If you need anything, we will probably be in one of the houses nearby," Oliver said loud enough for her to hear before walking away.

"Do you think she's okay?" Sophia asked.

"Physically, she should be fine," Oliver said. "She might be a little unstable or desperate if she's been alone this whole time. We also don't know how long her supplies will last."

They continued to look for a place to stay when we found the house next door empty and even had a fence around the entire property. The fence might be able to prevent some random animals from approaching, but it wouldn't provide any defense. Oliver went through each room, and after ensuring it was safe, they all settled in a separate room. They spent much of their time playing games or discussing essential or random topics in the living room. Over a couple of days, they have decided on a few things.

They decided that normal animals would still be referred to as animals if they hadn't undergone any significant changes. Animals that have undergone some mutation are creatures. The people who turned into monsters are demons. They will call them High Demons or Creatures to identify more dangerous creatures or demons. They've been interacting with an ordinary Demon or Creature, something they have a reasonable chance to kill. A High Demon would refer to the Demon with the monstrous body Oliver and Amelia saw dragging the man down the street or a being of similar capability.

They struggled the most with what they should call the day that everything started until they chose the Day of Pandemonium, at least temporarily. Having newly defined terminology makes it easier for them to understand each other and make quicker decisions when it could be dangerous. They also heavily considered their long-term survival capabilities. They discussed their options and decided to stay in a lower-populated area with access to fresh water and an area suitable for farming but close enough to locations where they could scavenge for supplies. They also discussed finding other supplies, such as a pharmacy for medicine, before it gets scavenged. However, they knew that things don't always work out the way one wants.

They heard a knock on the door four days after arriving at this house. Since the living room was close to the front door, they all heard it clearly, putting them all on alert. After pausing their board game, Sophia approached the front door. She looked through the peephole and frowned.

"It's a woman," Sophia said.

Sophia watched the woman through the peephole, and Oliver watched from a window.

"Who is it?" Sophia asked through the front door.

"I'm, I'm Isabella," the woman replied. "You, you knocked on my door a few days ago,"

"Did you need something?" Sophia asked.

"Can we talk inside?" Isabella asked. "I don't feel safe out here."

"Do you have any weapons?" Sophia asked. "Take a step back and slowly turn around."

"I have a knife for protection!" Isabella replied honestly.

Isabella held up a large kitchen knife she was holding and slowly turned around before facing the door again. Sophia looked at Oliver, and he returned a nod.

"We need you to put the knife down first," I demanded.

"It's on the ground!" she said compliantly, showing her empty hands.

After confirming her hands were empty, Sophia looked at Oliver before sharing a nod.

"You can come in now," Sophia said.

After she came in, Oliver grabbed her knife, and Sophia locked the door again. Sophia guided Isabella to the living, who nervously followed.

"Please take a seat," Sophia said.

While we were a little cautious, Isabella seemed quite nervous. They could be the only people she'd talked to in over a week.

"You said your name is Isabella?" Sophia leaned forward with interest.

"Yes," Isabella said as she slightly fidgeted, uncomfortable with the sudden attention.

Sophia gave a comforting smile. "It's nice to meet you, Isabella. I'm Sophia, and this is Amelia."

"I'm Oliver. Nice to meet you." Oliver tried to give his best comforting smile, appearing slightly stiff.

"Hello," Amelia greeted quietly but with undeniable interest.

"It's nice to meet you all," Isabella replied.

"Did you need help?" Sophia asked.

"I knew you guys were here, and I just couldn't take it anymore," Isabella said. "I think Sam is dead, and I feel like I'm going crazy."

"Who is Sam?" Sophia inquired.

"He's my husband," Isabella said. "I haven't seen him since this all started. I'm scared to think about what happened to him. I haven't seen anyone since the first day. It was a horrible nightmare."

They all knew that Isabella was right. Her husband is either a Demon or dead. A creature or a demon could have killed him, and he could have crashed his car or, like many others, just drop dead. The world has become too chaotic.

"Can you excuse us for a minute?" Oliver asked.

"Of course," she replied.

Sophia and Oliver walked to a different room and talked in low voices.

"I think she's telling the truth," Sophia said. "I feel sorry for her."

"I also feel sorry for her," Oliver said. "I just hope that you can see things objectively. We don't know this person and can't blindly trust her."

"Alright, fine," Sophia replied.

They returned to the living room, and Amelia watched Isabella curiously. Isabella's body language gave signs of apparent distress.

"I'm going to be straight with you, Isabella," Oliver said. "What are you hoping for?"

"I can't live like this anymore," Isabella said. "I'm alone, I'm scared, and I'm running out of supplies. I want to join your group."

"We would be willing, but I want to look at your house so we know you're not lying."

"My house? That should be fine."

"I'll be back soon," Oliver said, leaving them behind.

The door was left unlocked, and it opened into the living room. The living room had games and books scattered everywhere, but the house was clean. There were some bags of trash left outside, probably all the food that went bad in the fridge and other garbage. There were pictures of Isabella and a man together in the living room., including their wedding photos. Only one bedroom was being used, and the bed was messy while the hamper was overflowing with clothing. There wasn't a lot of food left, but enough not to be completely desperate. Oliver finished going through the house and returned to find Sophia and Isabella talking in the living room. Oliver once again pulled Sophia away so they could speak in private.

"I saw her wedding photos," Oliver said. "There was only one bedroom, and she didn't have many supplies."

"That's great news," Sophia said. "Even better news, I've been talking with Isabella, and she told me that she's a nurse."

"A nurse?" Oliver said. "That is great news. We already lacked manpower, and her expertise could be beneficial."

"I'm going to ask her to join us," she said.

"Isabella," Sophia said. "We would like you to join our group, or whatever we are."

"Thank you!" She stood up to hug Sophia.

"Good. Let's try to learn more about each other before we leave," Sophia said.

"We're leaving?" Isabella asked, flustered. "Now? Where?"

"We have limited food and water," Oliver said. "Blindly looking for more every couple of days would be dangerous, scary, and not a reasonably long-term solution to rely on solely scavenging. We want to find a farm in a less populated area with a freshwater source nearby. This could help us solve our food and water issues in the long term. We would scavenge for other supplies or additional food and water when needed. Creatures are everywhere and not necessarily hostile, but every demon we've seen was a highly aggressive carnivore that would attack us even if they had already killed something. So, going to a less populated area with people would have very few demons nearby."

"Going to a farm sounds like a good idea, but it also seems to require a lot of manpower, knowledge, and tools. Are creatures what you call those monsters? What are demons?" Isabella asked.

Sophia answered all her questions and continued explaining several theories, including the terminology they had recently adopted. Oliver also told her how he healed quickly after being injured by that dog creature. She was shocked to hear how quickly Oliver recovered and proposed further testing. She suggested minor cuts on everyone's arm to see how fast it healed. Oliver grabbed the medkit and a knife after cleaning it. He made a small cut on his arm, carefully hiding his strange blood from the other. He handed the knife to Sophia, who also disinfected the blade and made a cut on her arm. As Oliver cleaned up the tiny blood on his arm and applied disinfectant, Isabella finished making a small cut on her arm. They didn't use anything to cover the small incisions as they were minimal and could track the healing rate.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

"Now we wait," Isabella explained. "This is exciting."

"I know how you feel," Oliver said. "It's like having a superpower."

Or becoming a monster.

After Oliver's cut healed and there was no sign of his glittery blood, he showed the others how he healed. Isabella was excited, though less so after her cut had yet to heal. They spent the next few minutes discussing this strange phenomenon, throwing out crazy theories as a joke. The craziest theory was being superheroes that would save the world in its time of need.

They spent the next few hours talking to each other about random subjects. Having someone else to talk to was lovely, and Isabella especially appeared very excited. The time she spent isolated proved to be quite depressing. During this time, Isabella cleaned herself up as much as possible. She looked slightly older than Oliver and Sophia but had this mature beauty.

Hygiene becomes problematic when the water supply is minimal. They also couldn't collect more water from the tap as the pressure vanished during their first day. The survivors in the area were using the same water tower, and it finally ran out. They would have already run out of water if they hadn't collected as much rainwater as possible. That was the first and only day it rained since the Day of Pandemonium.

After they got bored discussing plans, they ended the night by playing games in the candlelight. They had breakfast together the following morning, and everyone prepared to leave. Last night, they decided to go to Isabella's house in the morning and retrieve a few supplies before heading to the highway.

Unfortunately, they need to head closer to town to reach the road. They don't know where to find a farm, but Isabella knows an area away from the city with a lot of open land. It has an extensive river nearby and much space to turn into a farm. Even if it can't be made into a farm, or if they can't seem to get any crops to grow, it will still be close enough to scavenge for supplies in nearby houses or stores until they find a way to be more self-sufficient.

They left with Sophia and Oliver in the lead. Isabella had one of the extra baseball bats, with Amelia following us. They quickly made their way over to her house and made it safely without any interruptions. Isabella took the few physical photos she had and put them away. At the same time, Oliver and Sophia grabbed the remaining food and water, which Isabella put into a large suitcase she had. It carried most of their supplies, freeing Sophia and Oliver from carrying heavy bags when they had to fight. The most significant detriment of the suitcase was its weight and the noise the wheels made when it moved.

They left her house following the same formation, with Isabella rolling the bag behind her. Sophia and Isabella guided the way back towards the town center, and while they didn't have to fight off any creatures or demons, there were plenty of demons just randomly roaming around. Sophia had to carefully decide their route at every corner, avoiding distant shadows or noises. They may be in a smaller town, but I have mostly seen them in small groups or isolated. They have even gotten a little too close and witnessed a small group of three of them fight aggressively over a corpse. Unfortunately, the demons noticed them and attacked them together.

Desperately using his shield, Oliver could barely hold off two demons while continuously retreating. Using his weapon alongside his shield, he could scarcely hold them off. Sophia was in a stalemate with the last demon, and neither could help the other. Isabella shrieked in fear after a poor attempt to help Sophia and was almost injured with a furious swing of claws. Sophia used the opening Isabella made and smashed the demon in the face with her weapon. The demon collapsed to the ground with a smashed eyeball and twitched on the ground. Isabella fearfully returned to Amelia as Sophia swung straight down on one of the demon's heads. It fell to the ground with a crunch, unable to cry out in pain. The last demon was distracted, and Oliver finally had an opening. He took the opportunity and smashed it in the back of the head as it turned to Sophia. It shrieked in pain and anger as it managed to stay on its feet, but Sophia immediately followed with an upward swing, hitting it underneath its chin. The demon fell on its back, and she repeatedly swung, leaving its face a bloody and broken mess. Oliver did the same to the first demon Sophia beat, still twitching on the ground with a crushed and bleeding eye. Oliver and Sophia took exhausted, trembling breaths, filled with fear and a sense of triumph.

"Are you guys okay?" Isabella asked.

"Yeah," Sophia said. "Thanks for the help, Isabella. I know it can be scary."

"I thought I was a goner," Oliver said.

If those demons had any concept of coordinating their attacks, I would be dead.

He couldn't imagine anyone surviving in a large city after barely holding out against two demons before Sophia saved him. There could be groups of dozens, if not hundreds, of them in a small area. The ordinary demons were scary but not too difficult to kill in small numbers. They can inflict more damage than an unarmed person, but they have less reach than weapons, and Oliver can hold them back with a shield.

After walking for a few hours, they fought off a couple more individual demons and another group of two before the highway was in sight. Demons appeared more aggressive than any other creature they've seen. Most creatures ignore them or run away, but every demon seems to have this intense desire to kill. It didn't matter what the demons were doing; they immediately attacked them as they noticed their presence. The roads were terrible, but the highway was on another level of gruesome. There is a much higher concentration of cars that have crashed or been abandoned. The roadway is a more bloody scene than the streets they have traveled.

The people that were stranded on the highway when their cars stopped working and demons appeared around them couldn't only hide in their cars or run to the woods and hope to survive. Hopefully, the people who ran could get away because it doesn't look like the ones who stayed in their cars did. They kept moving along the highway, and there was a lack of creatures and only a few demons, which they took care of quickly. Oliver and Sophia have quickly developed their ability to kill demons. Their experience coordination grew after every fight, along with their confidence and skill.

A few parts of the road had a large cluster of cars, and they had to climb over them or squeeze through a small opening. It seems most of the demons have left after they couldn't find any more food.

Is this much traffic regular on this highway?

While the highway connected to a small town, it was also a major highway that went through several states, and the traffic reflected so.

It was a long and only slightly eventful walk along the highway before Isabella guided them to an exit. They soon reached an area with large houses and large yards. It looked like a housing area for the wealthy. Oliver used to wish for a home like one of these, but now he wants to survive. Since they left this morning, it took several hours to get to this area, and they spent much of that time talking with each other. Oliver particularly enjoyed talking with Sophia, who was happy to share about herself.

"This is it," Isabella said.

In front of Oliver, a large metal gate displayed a mansion between its bars. A tall, solid stone wall surrounded the entire property.

"Wow," Sophia said, eyes as wide as saucers.

"You can say that again," Oliver replied.

"Wow," Sophia said.

"You didn't have to repeat it," he replied.

"But you smiled, didn't you?" Sophia said with a smile.

"Smiled? I don't see anyone smiling," he said straightly.

"You guys are so cute," Isabella said with a mischievous smirk.

"S-so, who owns this place?" he asked.

"I don't know, some company or rich guy. I only know it's here because my husband liked to go on long drives or hikes, and sometimes I would join him." Isabella said sadly. "There's a stream nearby, and the property has a meticulously kept yard. Even outside the fence, there are large clear areas nearby."

"It's beautiful!" Sophia exclaimed.

"It is. Let's go check it out. Hopefully, nothing is waiting to greet us," Oliver said.

"The gates unlocked?" Sophia said.

"It was probably a remotely operated magnetic lock that opened when power was lost," Oliver replied.

"That makes sense." She said, and Isabella nodded.

They entered the property and shut the gate behind them, not that they could lock it. They quietly took in the beautiful view of the mansion while walking up its long driveway. The front door was closed, but they found the door to the garage left unlocked, where they found several expensive cars.

"Wow, I know nothing about cars, but those look expensive. Was the owner a collector or like to show off?" Oliver said.

"The rich usually have plenty of money to spend," Isabella shrugged.

"Can't say I'm not jealous," Sophia said.

"Same here, but it will be ours now," Oliver smirked.

"They would have been expensive, but now they're just useless decorations," Isabella said.

They moved carefully as a group through the entire mansion. It was large enough to make them feel lost in its long hallways. They slowly checked every room, and it was completely free of any sign of survivors or demons. However, this mansion didn't lack rooms and entertainment facilities. Many game rooms, such as the movie theatre and arcade games, were useless. However, their unanimous favorite was the large indoor swimming pool.

"Isn't this strange?" Oliver asked.

"What is?" Isabella said.

"Even if the owner was gone, shouldn't there still be staff that maintained the property? We haven't seen any sign of damage or blood. A large place needs a gardener, a cook, probably even maids and a butler I've only seen in movies. So where did everyone go?" Oliver said.

"You're right," Isabella said with a frown.

Sophia didn't say anything but displayed a concerned frown.

"I would be less concerned if there were a demon," Oliver said. "Why isn't there a sign of anything?"

"It could be that it's a vacation home," Isabella said. "A vacation home isn't constantly lived in, and the staff would only have to come routinely."

"A vacation home?" Sophia questioned. "A mansion could be a vacation home? If that's true, just how rich is the owner?!"

"Stupidly rich, but that could explain why no one was here," Oliver said. "If this were a vacation home, it would explain all the entertainment rooms and a place without people doesn't need a cook. It would just need some cleaning and lawn care once in a while. "

"That's probably the case," Isabella said.

"Hmmm, I suppose," Sophia said.

"So, should we see what they have stocked in the kitchen?" Oliver asked, famished.

"Yes!" Isabella exclaimed, "I'm starving!"

"Let's go!" Sophia urged.

"Are you hungry, Amelia?" Oliver asked.

"A little," she confirmed.

"Well, let's get some food then," Oliver said with a smile.

They shortly found their way back to the kitchen but were devastated to see the empty cabinets.

"I guess the owners don't stock up until they arrive for vacation unless this mansion didn't even have an owner yet," Oliver said.

"What we brought can last a few days," Isabella said. We should all pick a room for ourselves and go out tomorrow for more supplies."

"Let's go find our rooms, Amelia!" Sophia said, grabbing Amelia's hand and dragging her off.

"Well, let's go then," Oliver said.

"Wait, I never got to talk to you alone before," Isabella said.

"Oh, okay, was something on your mind?" Oliver asked.

"We traveled all day together and maybe with each other for a long time." She said. "I just want to speak with everyone alone."

They shared life stories for roughly an hour before Sophia and Amelia found them in the kitchen. Isabella had a way of getting Oliver to open up, and she did the same. They both came to an understanding about each other.

"What are you two up to?" Sophia asked. "Already picked out a room?"

"We were just talking. No, not yet. I was about to go look now." Oliver replied.

"I just wanted to talk with all of you personally, so I stole him for a minute. Now it's your turn," Isabella said with a smile.

Oliver left them in the kitchen and picked a room for himself. He found the rooms Sophia and Amelia had picked up as they had left their bags there. Oliver chose the room next to Amelia and across from Sophia. It was very spacious, and the furniture was luxurious, so it felt like it came out of a magazine, and Oliver felt a little uncomfortable. Oliver tried out the bed, which he found was simply out of this world.

"Oliver! Oliver!" Sophia shouted.

"H-huh?" He shuddered, confused.

"You've been gone for hours, and we were getting worried," Sophia said by the side of the bed. "I came to find you. I hope you don't develop a habit of needing me to wake you up. Come eat with us."

"What time is it?" Oliver asked groggily. The room has gotten noticeably darker as the sun has started to set.

"Probably around 8 pm?" She replied. "I haven't worn my watch since it stopped working. Let's go. Isabella and I got some food ready, and we're all waiting for you."

"Okay," Oliver replied as he rose from the bed.

"You know, it took me a while to find you," she said. This is a huge place, and we didn't know where you were."

"I'm sorry." Oliver apologized. "I picked out one of the rooms and tried out the bed. It was so comfortable I guess I just fell asleep."

They continued walking silently and soon joined Isabella and Amelia in the kitchen. It was nothing special, but dinner was enjoyable as they ate together. They played a few games before it got dark enough to be inconvenient and went to their separate rooms to rest. He noticed that Amelia followed Sophia to her room.

Oliver woke up to the rising sun coming between the curtains.

This may be the apocalypse, but that is the best sleep I've ever had.

Each room had a complete furniture set, including a mirror on the far side. Oliver made use of the mirror to look more presentable. It's proven to be a challenge as it's been quite some time since he took a shower.

The girls seem to be doing better than I am. I should ask for some tips.

Oliver has only been able to wash his body with some clean water. They're all in the same situation, and it's been miserable for everyone.

After several minutes, Oliver gave up trying to make himself more presentable and left the room unsatisfied. Walking towards the kitchen, he noticed that the mysterious rainbow fog had become noticeably thinner recently.

Is this mist finally starting to clear up?

Oliver soon reached the kitchen and noticed he was the first to arrive. Oliver picked some food from their pitiful supplies and prepared breakfast. Opening cans didn't take long, and the food was ready after a couple of minutes. Oliver ate first and went to their rooms to wake everyone up. Isabella was already awake, but I had to knock on Sophia's door until Amelia opened it, and she woke Sophia. Oliver waited in the spacious living room as the ladies ate breakfast and relaxed on the soft couch until they arrived.

"I think there's a lot we need to do, but we should prioritize food, hygiene products, and freshwater," Oliver said. "I mean a 'lot' of water. I'm sure we are all dying to feel clean again."

"We can clean ourselves with the river behind the mansion," Isabella stated.

"Oh yeah!" Oliver exclaimed. "I forgot you said there was a stream!"

The river was almost a dozen feet across, but it ran gently through the property. It came into and out of the property through metal bars with enough space for fish and other small critters to enter. They all took turns bathing at the river's end, which felt great despite being cold. Everyone was in a great mood when they returned to the living room.

"Let's get back on topic," Oliver said.

"Amelia should stay behind," Sophia said. "It's too dangerous to bring her with us."

"You're right, but we can't leave her alone," Oliver replied.

"I'll stay behind with her," Isabella said.

"Thank you," Oliver said. "Should we go to the town for a supply run or try elsewhere?"

Everyone was quiet before Isabella replied, "There shouldn't be any stores nearby, but there are probably a few houses. You can go to the town, which is much further and dangerous, with significantly more supplies, or hope for supplies at nearby houses, which may be safer."

Let's go to the town and get what we can." Oliver suggested. "We can visit the nearby homes later."

"That sounds like a good plan," Sophia said.

They collected their equipment and water inside Oliver's backpack and gathered by the front door.

"Stay safe, you two," Isabella said, hugging them both. "We will be waiting here for you."

"Please come back," Amelia said.

"When we return, we'll bring some snacks back for you," Oliver said as he ruffled her hair.

"Be safe!" Sophia exclaimed. "We will be back before you know it!"

Isabella responded with a bright smile. They left the front door and walked down the driveway to the gate. They stopped to turn around and saw two figures watching from a window. Oliver and Sophia waved goodbye before leaving through the front entrance.

"It's quite beautiful and peaceful out here if you ignore the smell," she said.

"It really is." Oliver agreed. "We're lucky Isabella knows about this place. It has a lot of potential."

The highway was the same hellscape as before, covered with the smell of rotting meat. Various cars were scattered randomly, with corpses still inside some of them or left half-eaten on the road.

"I can ignore the sight, but the sight is unbearable," she said.

The smell of unfiltered rotting meat was detectable even at the mansion, and they would travel straight through it.

"Well, you're right about this. Oliver said. "But it even looks more disgusting now that the fog cleared up a little."

As they pass between a truck and a car, they step over a corpse infested with maggots.

Well, it looks like larvae are the same at least.

"Raaaa!"

A demon they didn't notice behind a semi-truck charged towards them and pounced onto the hood of a car. It leaped off and clawed at Oliver to be met with his shield. Oliver pushed back and broke its balance before hitting its head with his bat when it landed.

"Gaaa!"

It could only give a single pained cry before Sophia killed it by bashing its head in repeatedly with her bat. Oliver watched its hand to ensure its claws stayed away from Sophia. It soon died, and the highway fell into silence as brain matter and blood leaked onto the pavement. Oliver's makeshift shield has been through a lot of changes. The wooden seat has several deep and shallow cuts all along its surface.

"Are you alright?" Sophia asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Oliver replied. "This is pretty disgusting, though. Let's drag it off the highway."

"This is disgusting!" She remarked as she grabbed the other leg with evident disgust on her face,

"Would you rather have more rotting corpses to step over?" Oliver replied with a roll of the eyes.

"Fine," She complied.

They dragged the body over a dozen feet into the woods and continued walking down the highway.

"Hopefully, a creature or another demon comes to eat it so it doesn't just rot," Oliver said.

After a long period of walking, they finally made it to their exit and headed to the town.

"Which way to the grocery store," I asked.

"This way," She replied confidently.

They walked side by side, and Oliver couldn't help but notice her beauty when distracted. They moved as quickly but quietly as possible and talked in slight whispers. They made several detours to avoid demons and a few creatures as they traveled deeper into town. As the grocery store came into view, they increased their pace even further. The parking lot was clear of enemies, and they swiftly made it to the entrance. They avoided the smashed windows and pried open the automatic sliding doors. The smell of rotting meat was more pungent inside, warning them of what they would soon see inside.

"Grab a cart," Oliver said. "I'll lead the way."

"Alright." Sophia acknowledges.

She grabbed a cart, and they cautiously entered the store. The store was silent but still very well stocked. The only sound was the slight squeaking of our cart on the tiled floors.

"Haa!" She gasped. "How horrible!"

Sophia looked down at one of the aisles and noticed what remained of a tiny corpse.

"It's best not to look," Oliver said. "Let's just keep going."

They quickly filled their cart with supplies, including a few personal items they separated into bags. The cart became significantly heavier, causing it to be louder and more challenging to push. They were exhausted from hours of traveling, so they took a break in the employee break room. Working at a grocery store when he was young, Oliver knew he could find a break room in the back of the store. After a short but much-needed break, they grabbed the cart and headed for the exit. As they left, a small shadow suddenly rushed away, and Oliver raised his shield reflexively. As the shadow retreated, they could make out a possum with its babies hanging on.

"Whew, just a possum," Oliver said.

"At least it was just a possum," Sophia remarked.

They safely left the store and went back outside without any interruptions.

"Do you want me to take the cart?" Oliver asked. "I'll give you the shield."

"Sure," Sophia answered. "I wouldn't mind a break. Pushing this thing."

Oliver took the cart and handed her the shield. The cart became even louder on the uneven pavement, and Oliver couldn't help but grimace slightly. They followed a similar path to the highway, the only difference being the detours they took each time.

"GRAAA!"

It was the loudest screech they'd ever heard, and they immediately took cover behind a nearby truck. Listening closely, it sounded like something was fighting.

"I think we should keep moving," Oliver suggested.

She replied with a nod and continued leading the way. The sound of fighting grew louder as they continued moving forward. As Oliver passed one of the streets, he saw a massive shadow the size of a truck fighting a large group of demons. The demons stood no chance and were killed in seconds before the shadow began eating their corpses.

"It's a giant bear!" Sophia said, terrified.

Oliver didn't reply as he was also terrified of this new horror.

This isn't something we can fight! It would be instant death!

They left quickly; luckily, the bear didn't notice or care for them. They continued successfully evading enemies, as most creatures that came close enough would run away or ignore them. They saw several horned rabbits and other small strange creatures.