Sam had been on her own for days, wandering the streets aimlessly, her mind consumed with thoughts of her family and the life she had lost. She had nothing but the clothes on her back and the memories of her loved ones that haunted her every step.
As she walked through the deserted streets, the reality of her situation began to sink in. She was a 10-year-old girl, alone in a world overrun by zombies, with no idea of how to survive. She had no food, no shelter, and no one to turn to for help.
She remembered the stories her father had told her about camping and how to build a fire, so she searched for wood and other materials to start a fire. She found a few sticks and dry leaves and tried to start a fire, but it wouldn't catch. The sun was setting and the temperature was dropping, she knew she needed to find shelter soon.
Sam stumbled upon an abandoned house, she broke a window and climbed in. The house was dark and musty, and she could hear the shuffling of zombies in the distance. She quickly barricaded the door with whatever she could find, and curled up in a corner, wishing for her family to be with her.
Sam wandered the deserted streets alone, her heart heavy with grief and loss. She missed her family terribly, but she knew deep down that they were gone forever. The only thing that kept her going was the hope that one day she might find other survivors like herself.
For the first few weeks, she struggled to find food and shelter, but she eventually came across an abandoned convenience store. Inside, she found cans of food, bottles of water and a small stash of candy bars. She felt like she had struck gold and for the first time in a long time, she allowed herself to feel a glimmer of hope.
It was on one of her scavenging trips that she came across a small, scrappy looking dog. He was skinny and dirty, with matted fur and a wary look in his eyes. Sam felt a pang of pity for the poor creature and decided to take him in. She named him Rufus and he quickly became her constant companion.
Rufus was a survivor, just like Sam. He was small and nimble, able to dart in and out of tight spaces, and he had an uncanny ability to sense when danger was near. He quickly became Sam's companion and protector, and she was his. They were a team, and together they were able to survive in a world overrun by the undead.
As the days passed, Sam and Rufus grew to depend on one another. They slept together, ate together, and explored the ruins of the city together. Rufus was always by her side, and she knew that she couldn't have made it this far without him.
Despite the constant dangers they faced, Sam couldn't help but smile when Rufus wagged his tail or licked her face. He was her best friend and her only companion, and she loved him with all her heart. They shared a bond that was unbreakable, and nothing could tear them apart.
For the next few months, Sam and Rufus travelled together, scavenging for food and shelter, and avoiding zombies at all costs. Rufus was a loyal companion and Sam couldn't imagine her journey without him. He was her only friend in a world that had become a lonely place.
As time passed, they found themselves facing a new challenge, the food was running out, and they were both getting hungrier by the day. Sam did her best to ration what little food they had left, but it wasn't enough. Rufus started to become more and more aggressive, and one night, as Sam lay sleeping, he attacked her, driven mad by hunger. Sam woke to find Rufus biting and snarling at her, and she knew at that moment that she had to put an end to her beloved companion's suffering.
With tears streaming down her face, Sam picked up a nearby rock and smashed it against Rufus's skull, ending his life instantly. She sat there for hours, holding the lifeless body of her companion, unable to believe that she had been forced to take the life of the only friend she had left in the world. It was a heart-wrenching moment, one that would haunt her for the rest of her days. From that day forward, Sam continued on her journey alone, the memory of Rufus and the guilt of having to kill him weighing heavily on her heart.
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After that morning she wandered endlessly through the streets, starving and limping, when she heard a car coming up behind her. In her weakened state, she quickly hid in a nearby bush to wait for the car to pass. But as the car slowed to a stop in front of her hiding spot, she heard a man's voice calling out, offering her food if she was hungry.
Naive and desperate, Sam stepped out from the bush and slowly walked towards the man, her hand on her stomach and her eyes cast down to the ground. As she looked up, she saw a man with a thick black beard and a bald head, a sinister smile on his face. And before she knew what was happening, another man jumped out from behind the car and grabbed her from behind.
They threw her into the trunk of the car, and as they drove away, Sam felt her heart pounding in her chest. She knew that she was in danger, but she had no idea what was going to happen to her. She was trapped, alone, and scared.
As they drove for hours on end, Sam tried to stay calm, but her mind was racing. She thought about her family, her home, and how she had been separated from them since the outbreak. She wondered if they were still alive, and if she would ever see them again.
Eventually, the car came to a stop, and the men pulled Sam out of the trunk. They dragged her into an abandoned warehouse, and that's when the real horror began. They tied her up, gagged her, and began to take turns assaulting her. They laughed and joked as they took turns hurting her, and Sam felt like she was trapped in a nightmare that she couldn't wake up from. The only thing keeping her sane was a girl named Maya.
As the days passed by, Sam and Maya became closer. They would talk about their families, their hopes and dreams, and the world before the outbreak. Maya had been travelling alone for a few years before being captured, and she shared her stories of the different places she had been and the people she had met. Sam was fascinated by her tales, and it was the first time in a long time that she felt like she wasn't alone.
Despite their harsh circumstances, they found ways to make the best of it. They would make up games to pass the time, and they would talk about their future plans, imagining a world where they were free. They even came up with a plan to escape together, but it never came to fruition as they were always closely guarded and never had the opportunity to put it into action.
Maya was always there to comfort Sam when she had nightmares about her family, and Sam would return the favour when Maya would have nightmares about her own family. They would hold each other, and it was the closest thing to a family that either of them had at the time.
As the days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months, the bond between the two girls grew stronger. They were like sisters, and they had each other's backs no matter what. They were each other's only source of hope and happiness in that dark and terrible place.
Sam and Maya spent countless hours talking to each other while they were held captive in the warehouse. They shared stories of their families, their fears, and their hopes for the future. Despite the dire circumstances they found themselves in, they were able to find moments of levity and laughter.
Maya took on the role of an older sister for Sam, teaching her how to defend herself and how to be more resourceful. She taught Sam how to pick locks and how to use a knife for self-defence. They would often practise fighting together, using makeshift weapons made from whatever they could find in the warehouse, whenever they were let out from the bounds around their hands.
Maya also helped Sam to cope with the trauma of her captivity. She would hold Sam and let her cry, and she would tell her that everything would be okay. She would tell Sam stories of her own family and how they were still out there somewhere, waiting for her to come home.
Despite the abuse they faced, Sam and Maya were able to find moments of happiness together. They would sneak food from the guards and share it, they would make up games to play to pass the time.
But one day, everything changed. The guards were lax, and Maya saw an opportunity. She managed to grab a knife from one of the guards, and she quickly cut through her own bindings and then Sam's. They made a run for it, hand in hand. They were almost to the exit when Maya was grabbed by one of the guards. She looked back at Sam and shouted, "Run! Don't stop!"
Sam didn't want to leave Maya, but she knew that was what she wanted. She ran as fast as she could, tears streaming down her face. She could hear Maya's screams echoing behind her, but she didn't stop. She didn't stop until she was far away from that place.
After that, Sam never forgot Maya's words and the lessons she taught her, she kept travelling and never stayed in one place for too long. She would often think about Maya and the time they spent together, and she would always remember her as her older sister who helped her survive one of the darkest times of her life.