My heart was pounding in my chest as I sat in the driver's seat, my hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. The adrenaline was still pumping through my veins as I tried to calm my breathing. I wiped the sweat off my forehead and took a deep breath, trying to clear my head. I knew I couldn't let my guard down now, even though the immediate threat was gone. There were still more zombies out there, and I couldn't afford to get careless.

I started the car and pulled out onto the road, keeping my eyes peeled for any signs of danger. I drove slowly at first, trying to keep the noise to a minimum. But soon I realized that the engine was still making a lot of noise regardless of my speed. I knew that I had to get to the pharmacy as quickly as possible before I attracted any more unwanted attention. As I drove, the devastation caused by the outbreak was everywhere. The streets were littered with abandoned cars, broken windows, and bloodstains. I saw people who had been turned into zombies, some of them were children and the elderly. It was a surreal and horrifying experience, and I couldn't help but despair at the sight.

As I approached the pharmacy, I took a closer look at the zombies gathered near the entrance. They were groaning and snarling, their eyes fixated on something inside the pharmacy. It seemed like they were drawn to movement or sound. I knew I had to act fast if I wanted to get inside the pharmacy safely. I parked the car at a safe distance and grabbed my tire iron, checking its weight and balance. It was my trusty weapon, but taking on a dozen zombies at once was too risky. I needed to thin out their numbers.

As I looked around for something to use, my eyes fell on a few double AA batteries that were lying in the car. I picked them up and filled my hands with them, calculating the distance I needed to throw them to draw away the zombies. I opened the door slightly, ready to swing my arm and throw the batteries to a far enough and safe enough location. I had to be careful not to make too much noise, or they would be drawn back to me instead.

With a deep breath, I swung my arm and threw the batteries in a direction away from the pharmacy, but close enough for the zombies to hear. The batteries clattered on the pavement, making a sound that echoed through the quiet streets. The zombies turned towards the noise and started moving towards it, their jerky movements taking them away from the pharmacy.

I watched them go, making sure that they were completely focused on the batteries before I turned and made my way towards the pharmacy door. As I approached, I checked my tire iron again, my heart pounding with adrenaline. The door was unlocked but stuck on something. I hesitated before pushing it open, I needed to prepare for the fight inside or to run away.

I slammed against the door, forcing my way inside. I noticed a slim and slender young woman with a ponytail and bright green eyes standing behind the counter. She was around 18 years old and looked extremely attractive, but there was something else about her that made her stand out. She had a tough and kind aura about her, and I could tell she had been through a lot. Next to her were two younger children, a boy and a girl, who looked to be around 10 years old. They were both dressed in tattered clothing and had scared expressions on their faces. I could tell they were scared and unsure about what was happening around them.

She looked at me with suspicion in her eyes before speaking up, "Who are you? What do you want?" Her voice was laced with a mix of fear and anger.

"I'm just here for some medical supplies," I replied, gesturing towards the pharmacy shelves. "I'm not looking to cause any trouble."

The girl didn't seem convinced and kept her guard up. I could tell that she was trying to protect her younger siblings. I couldn't blame her; the world was a dangerous place now.

"My name is Haito Kamura. I'm just trying to survive like everyone else," I said, hoping to ease her fears. "I didn’t realize there was anyone in here, I mean no harm"

The girl finally relaxed a bit and introduced herself as Rina. She explained that they had been holed up in the pharmacy for a few days now, ever since the outbreak had started. She was only 18 years old, slim, and slender with long black hair in a ponytail, but she was tough and kind, taking care of her younger sister and brother who were both around 8 years old. They were dressed in tattered clothes but still managed to maintain a sense of innocence amidst all the chaos.

“These are Ayato and Miya” she said as she introduced her younger siblings to me. Ayato was a little boy with messy brown hair and big curious eyes, while Miya was a small girl with pigtails and a shy smile.

I felt a sense of relief knowing that they were not alone and that they had managed to survive so far. I also felt a sense of responsibility to help them in any way I could. I offered them some of the supplies I had gathered, and Rei gratefully accepted, thanking me for my kindness.

We started to talk more, and Rei told me about how they had been forced to leave their home when the outbreak began. They had managed to make it to the pharmacy and barricaded themselves inside, but their supplies were running low, and they were getting desperate. As Rei spoke, I couldn't help but notice the deep worry lines etched on her forehead. It was evident that they were in dire need of help, but could I really offer any help when I myself was struggling to survive in this world? My mind raced with conflicting thoughts and emotions as I considered the risks of helping others, but also the benefits of having people I could trust. After some contemplation, I made the decision to help them. I knew that it would not only provide them with a chance of survival, but also offer me some companionship and reduce my sense of loneliness in this world.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“Rei, Miya, Ayato. Come with me”, I said firmly. "I promise I will do everything in my power to get us out of here and to a safer place, together, together we can survive"

I looked at Rei and could see the hesitation in her eyes. I understood her skepticism, as trust was a precious commodity in this new world. But I knew that my intentions were genuine, and that I would do everything in my power to keep them safe.

"I know it's hard to trust someone in these times, but I promise you that I have no ill intentions. We'll be stronger together, and I'll make sure we all make it out of here alive," I said, trying to convey my sincerity.

Rei seemed to consider my words for a moment before nodding her head. "Okay, we'll come with you. But what's the plan?"

I was happy that they agreed although with hesitance. We came up with the plan to temporarily barricade the pharmacy and gather more supplies before making our way out of the city and back to the boat. They all listened and we barricaded the pharmacy doors and windows with the shelves. Meanwhile, I stuffed my bag with any and every type of medicine and medical equipment that may be useful in the future.

I grabbed as many medical supplies as possible. I gathered bandages, alcohol swabs, antibiotics, antiseptics, gauze, needles, and syringes. I also made sure to grab some over-the-counter medicines like painkillers, antihistamines, and cough syrup. I knew that we may not be able to find these supplies again and having them could be the difference between life and death. I also gathered some non-medical supplies, like food and water. I found some canned food, dried fruits, and bottled water to add to the massive supply I gathered from the two houses yesterday. I knew it wouldn't last us forever, but it was enough to keep us going for a while.

After gathering all the supplies we needed, we packed up and started working together to move the barricade we had set up. It was a challenging task, but we managed to get it done with everyone's help. Just as we were about to leave, I poked my head outside to check the surroundings and saw nine zombies had made their way into the area. It seemed like they had gotten bored of the batteries we had set up earlier. I knew we had to come up with a plan to deal with them while protecting Rei and the kids. As I was thinking, Rei suddenly opened the door and ran outside towards the zombies. I was shocked and worried about her safety. I tried to stop her, but she just smiled and kept going.

To my surprise, Rei had made a makeshift spear out of a broken mop and a knife from the pharmacy. She twirled the spear like a pro and thrust it with accuracy into the first zombie's cranium, swiftly removing it and then lunging at the second zombie, slicing its face off and stabbing it in the head. She spun around and performed a yop chagi-side kick to the third zombie's head before executing a 540-degree kick towards the fourth zombie, which fell instantly. Although the impact of the kicks had smashed the zombies' skulls to some degree, it wasn't enough to take them down completely. Rei, however, didn't give up and shouted for us to go to the car while she dealt with the remaining five zombies.

"GO TO THE CAR NOW! QUICK!" she shouted with a sense of urgency.

We all sprinted towards the car, Miya and Ayato in tow. I made sure they were safely locked in before turning back to find Rei. My heart was pounding with fear and adrenaline as I saw her surrounded by the zombies. She was holding her own, but I could see that even her skills were not enough to take on all nine of them at once.

The fifth zombie had her attention, while the sixth, seventh, and eighth were closing in. I knew I had to act fast. Gripping my tire iron tightly, I charged towards the group of zombies, screaming at the top of my lungs. My intention was to distract the zombies and buy Rei some time to catch her breath and regroup. I swung my tire iron with all my might, hitting the sixth zombie right in the head. It stumbled backward, giving me the opportunity to move on to the next one. As I swung my tire iron at the seventh zombie, I felt a cold hand wrap around my ankle, causing me to trip and fall, missing my intended target. The eighth zombie was now on top of me, and I could feel its fetid breath on my face as it lunged towards me. I kicked it with my foot several times, trying to push it away, while swinging my tire iron to fend off the seventh zombie. The situation was looking grim, and I was starting to feel overwhelmed.

Meanwhile, Rei was dealing with the sixth zombie, thrusting her makeshift spear into its chest. But the zombie had fallen on top of her, trapping her beneath its weight. She struggled to free herself, but it was no use. I knew I had to act fast, so I kicked the eighth zombie with all my might, managing to knock it off me, though it was still wriggling on the ground. With one hand holding my tire iron, I used the other to hit the seventh zombie's knee, causing it to collapse. I slowly backed away, shuffling on my feet, ready to fight off any new attacks.

I noticed that Ayato and Miya were banging on the car window, watching us in terror. I didn't want them to see us get bitten or worse. So, I gathered all my strength and ran towards Rei, who was still trapped under the sixth zombie. I pulled the zombie off of her and helped her to her feet, all the while keeping my eyes on the remaining zombies.The ninth zombie had now joined the fray, and they were all moving towards us, their arms outstretched, ready to attack. We knew we had to get to the car and fast. We rushed towards it, and I could hear the kids screaming as we frantically pulled open the car doors and jumped inside. We quickly shut the doors and locked them, just in time to see the zombies banging on the windows, trying to get in. We were safe for now.

With trembling hands, I turned the key in the ignition and revved the engine, causing the car to roar to life. As we pulled out of the parking lot, the car bumped over several corpses, jostling us around inside. I could hear the snarls of the undead growing louder and more numerous, and I knew we had to get out of there fast. With my heart pounding in my chest, I pressed down hard on the accelerator and sped towards the nearest street.

As we careened down the road, I saw zombies emerging from every direction, stumbling blindly towards our vehicle. Some of them were missing limbs, others were grotesquely bloated, but all of them had a look of hunger in their dead eyes. I felt a pang of fear shoot through me, but I knew we couldn't slow down or they'd catch up to us.

I swerved the car left and right, trying to dodge the zombies as they came at us, but there were simply too many of them. The car plowed straight through them, sending bodies flying in all directions, as we continued towards our destination. The sickening thuds of impact and the groans of the undead filled the air, making my stomach turn. Finally, we burst through the zombie horde and onto a clear street. I pushed the car to its limits, driving as fast as I could towards the boat I had hidden earlier. I could see the relief on Rei's face as she caught her breath, and Ayato and Miya clung to her, still shaking from the close call.

As we reached the shore, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. We had made it. We had survived. The sun was setting behind us, casting a warm glow over the water, and I knew that, for the moment at least, we were safe.