The sun hung like a blazing eye in the sky, glaring down on the cracked earth of the deserted village. Jack and Zoe trudged forward, their steps heavy, their shadows long and thin against the parched ground. The air was so dry that Zoe felt like her throat was lined with sandpaper.

“I swear, Jack,” Zoe said, her voice hoarse but still carrying a sharp edge, “it’s been two days without water. Two days. At this point, I’d rather let one of those zombies bite me than die of thirst.”

Jack didn’t respond. His face was set, his eyes fixed straight ahead. Zoe rolled her eyes and kicked at a small rock, sending it skittering ahead of them.

“Of course, the great Jack doesn’t have anything to say,” she muttered under her breath, though loud enough for him to hear.

They passed a corner, and a small group of zombies wandered aimlessly about twenty yards ahead. Their movements were slow, their heads lolling as if they were drunk. Zoe instinctively reached for the rifle slung across her back.

“I’ll take care of them,” she said, raising the rifle to her shoulder.

“Don’t,” Jack said sharply, holding up a hand.

“What do you mean, don’t?” Zoe snapped, lowering the rifle just enough to glare at him. “They’re right there! If we leave them, they’ll follow us!”

“We’re low on ammo,” Jack said without looking at her. “Save it for a real emergency.”

“This is a real emergency!” Zoe hissed, jabbing a finger toward the zombies. “What if they stalk us? What if they sneak up on us when we’re trying to sleep?”

Jack didn’t answer. He just turned left down another street, his boots crunching on the dry ground. Zoe let out a frustrated groan, but she followed.

“You’re impossible,” she muttered.

Jack stopped at an intersection and pulled out a small, dented compass from his pocket. He squinted at it for a moment, turning it this way and that before tucking it away.

“How far are we from the oasis?” Zoe asked, her voice softer now.

“Six more hours,” Jack said simply.

Zoe groaned again, louder this time, and slumped her shoulders dramatically. “Six hours? Jack, I can’t. I can’t do it. My legs are going to fall off. My throat feels like it’s on fire. Just carry me.”

Jack glanced at her, one eyebrow raised. “Carry you?”

“Yes!” Zoe said, throwing her arms out. “You’re strong. You can carry me and not feel a thing.”

Jack shook his head. “I’m not carrying you. I need to save my energy too. You’ve got to push through, Zoe. Just a few more hours, and then we can rest.”

Zoe stared at him for a long moment, then sighed. “You’re such a hardass, you know that?”

Jack smirked faintly but didn’t say anything. He started walking again, and Zoe fell into step beside him.

After a while, she broke the silence. “Thanks for putting up with me, Jack. I know I’m a pain in the ass sometimes. Especially now.”

Jack glanced at her, his expression softening just a bit. “Don’t worry about it. Just keep walking.”

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The endless stretch of cracked earth and jagged rocks finally gave way to relief. Ahead of them, rising like a mirage out of the golden desert, was a forest. Green, lush, and vibrant against the barren wasteland, it looked like a dream.

Zoe’s eyes lit up, and she practically stumbled over her own feet. “Jack, look! A forest! Please tell me I’m not hallucinating.”

Jack glanced at her, then back at the trees. “It’s real.”

“Oh my God, it’s real!” Zoe exclaimed, her voice suddenly full of energy despite her exhaustion. She quickened her pace, practically dragging herself forward. “Water! There’s got to be water in there. And fruit. I’m going to eat until I explode. And then I’ll wash off all this stink. Jack, do you even know how bad I smell? I don’t even think I can smell you anymore because I’m so disgusting.”

Jack grunted but didn’t respond, his focus locked on the forest ahead.

Zoe kept going, her words tumbling out in a rush. “Maybe I’ll find a stream and just dive in, clothes and all. Or—oh! What if there’s a waterfall? That’d be amazing. I could finally get all this dirt off me. Ugh, it’s been weeks. What about you, Jack? What’s the first thing you’re gonna do when we get there?”

Jack glanced at her, his face unreadable. “There’s a military bunker in the forest. I’ll check it out, see what I can salvage.”

Zoe slowed her steps for a moment, blinking up at him. “Wait… how do you know that?”

Jack’s expression tightened. “Don’t ask too many questions.”

Zoe frowned. “You’re always so secretive. You know, you could tell me stuff once in a while. We’re supposed to be a team.”

Jack didn’t answer. He just kept walking, his long strides eating up the distance between them and the forest.

“Fine,” Zoe muttered. “Be mysterious. See if I care.”

But her annoyance didn’t last long. The sight of the trees growing closer and closer wiped it away. Relief coursed through her, drowning out everything else.

When they finally stepped into the shade of the forest, Zoe let out a loud sigh and immediately spotted the biggest tree she could find. Without hesitation, she collapsed under it, leaning back against the rough bark and closing her eyes.

“This is heaven,” she said, her voice dreamy. “Wake me up in a year.”

Jack stood over her, scanning the area with sharp, calculating eyes. “Stay here,” he said. “I’ll scout the area and make sure it’s safe.”

Zoe waved a hand lazily in his direction. “Sure thing, boss. I’m not moving an inch.”

Jack gave her one last look before turning and disappearing into the trees.

He stepped into a clearing, the trees parting to reveal a small pond at the center. The air was cooler here, but not by much, and the faint smell of rot hung in the breeze. His eyes immediately went to the water—green, cloudy, and disturbingly warm, judging by the faint steam rising off its surface.

He crouched near the edge, frowning. Contaminated. 

The word settled heavily in his mind. The forest had seemed like salvation, but now he was questioning everything. If this pond was poisoned, what about the rest of the water sources? The streams? The rivers? They could be walking into more trouble than relief.

Jack shook his head and stood, about to leave, when something moved in the water.

His hand instinctively went to the knife strapped to his hip. He watched as a shape broke the surface—a person. 

She floated on her back, her arms spread wide, her long dark hair fanning out around her. For a moment, Jack thought she was just dead, her body carried here from who-knows-where. But then he saw her eyes.

Wide open. Unblinking. The scleras were black, like ink, and the pupils glowed a faint, unsettling red.

Jack froze, his grip tightening on the hilt of his knife. A zombie, he thought immediately. That was obvious—no living human had eyes like that. But something was… off.

Her skin wasn’t grey or decayed. It wasn’t dried up or peeling like the zombies he was used to. It looked… normal. Smooth, unblemished. She could’ve been any other human—if not for those eyes.

Jack’s thoughts raced, the puzzle gnawing at him. What the hell is this? Some kind of mutation? A new stage of infection? 

He glanced at the pond again, the murky green water lapping gently against the edges. His nose wrinkled. This water’s definitely tainted. If I go in after her… He didn’t finish the thought, his instincts screaming at him to stay away from it.

But still, his eyes kept drifting back to her. She just floated there, motionless, her red pupils staring up at the sky like she was looking for answers.