Shadows of the undead

The walk to the girls' dorm was quiet, the silence between them broken only by the crunch of debris underfoot. The streets felt emptier than before, but that only made the journey more nerve-wracking. Kate's eyes were constantly moving, scanning every shadow, every corner. She gripped her crowbar tightly, the tension in her shoulders a testament to how much she hated the open streets.

Eric, on the other hand, was lost in thought. His memories of late nights spent sneaking into the girls' dorm—laughing with Nathan, The thought of finding him, alive or worse, made his chest tighten.

As Eric and Kate walked through the crumbling remnants of the girls' dormitory, the tension was palpable. Eric's grip on his bat was tight, his knuckles white. Kate moved ahead cautiously, her crowbar held at the ready, her eyes scanning every shadow.

"This place feels worse than the last one," Kate muttered under her breath, the sound of broken glass crunching underfoot making her wince.

Eric stopped in front of a door marked "206." The faded nameplate read Megan Carter & Olivia Sanders. He glanced at Kate, swallowing hard. "This is it."

Kate nodded, motioning for him to step aside as she approached the door. With a swift motion, she tested the knob—it was unlocked. Slowly, she pushed the door open, the hinges creaking ominously.

The room was dim, the heavy curtains drawn tight. A faint smell of mildew mixed with something metallic lingered in the air. Inside, the furniture was toppled, and papers and clothes were strewn across the floor. At first glance, it looked abandoned.

Eric stepped inside hesitantly. "Megan?" he called softly, his voice echoing slightly.

From the far corner of the room, a muffled sound made both of them freeze. Kate raised her crowbar, her heart pounding as she stepped closer. "Who's there?"

"Wait, don't hurt me!" a voice squeaked, high-pitched and trembling.

From behind an overturned desk, a young woman emerged, her hands raised. She was thin, her blonde hair tangled and her clothes wrinkled as if she'd been hiding for days. Her eyes darted nervously between Kate and Eric.

"Olivia?" Eric breathed, his bat lowering slightly.

The girl nodded quickly, her wide eyes brimming with tears. "Eric? Oh my God… I thought you were dead."

Eric moved toward her, his relief palpable. "I'm fine. What about Megan? And Nathan? Were they here?"

Olivia shook her head, biting her lip. "They were here, but they left a few days ago. Megan's aunt runs an orphanage on the west side of town. She said it was safer there and convinced Nathan to go with her."

Kate crossed her arms, her expression unreadable. "Why didn't you go with them?"

Olivia hesitated, glancing at the door as if expecting danger at any moment. "I… I didn't think it was safe to move. The streets are crawling with those things. I thought I'd have a better chance staying put."

Kate exchanged a glance with Eric. "We can't take her with us," she said firmly. "Not yet. We don't know if she's ready to move, and dragging someone who's not prepared will get us all killed."

Eric frowned. "But she's Megan's roommate. We can't just leave her here."

"I'll be fine," Olivia interrupted, her voice quiet but resolute. "If you're going after them, I'll stay. Just… if you find Megan, tell her I'm alive, okay?"

Eric reluctantly nodded. "We'll come back for you. I promise."

Kate gave Olivia a long, appraising look before nodding. "Stay safe. And don't open that door for anyone you don't recognize."

Leaving Olivia behind was a somber decision, but there was no time to dwell on it. Kate and Eric moved cautiously through the desolate streets toward a convenience store they had passed earlier. The building looked relatively intact, its windows dark but unbroken. Kate's instincts told her it could be a good place to check for survivors—or trouble.

As they approached, Eric pointed toward a faint flicker of light inside. "Someone's in there."

Kate narrowed her eyes, gripping her crowbar tighter. "Stay close."

They slipped inside, the bell over the door jingling faintly, causing Kate to curse under her breath. The interior was dim, the aisles lined with half-empty shelves. The faint smell of spoiled food hung in the air, a stark reminder of how long society had been crumbling.

"Hello?" Eric called, his voice cautious but loud enough to carry.

A flurry of movement came from the back of the store. Moments later, a young woman emerged, holding a broken broomstick like a spear. Behind her, five others stepped out of the shadows, their expressions ranging from wary to relieved.

"Who are you?" the first woman asked, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes.

Kate held up a hand, her tone calm but firm. "We're not here to hurt you. Just looking for supplies… and survivors. My name's Kate, and this is Eric."

The group visibly relaxed, though the tension in the room didn't dissipate completely. The first woman lowered her makeshift weapon. "I'm Emma," she said. "These are Harper, Sophia, Izzy, Ben, and Grace."

Eric's eyes darted between the new faces, noting the exhaustion etched into each one. Emma, the apparent leader, had the confident stance of someone who had been holding this group together through sheer determination. Harper, a petite woman with dark circles under her eyes, clutched a chef's knife tightly, her knuckles white. Sophia and Izzy, both young women in their mid-twenties, looked like they had been through hell but still managed to offer tentative smiles. Ben, the only other man, stood protectively near Grace, who had a nurse's uniform peeking out from under her jacket.

"We've been holed up here for days," Emma explained, her voice steady but weary. "Ran out of food yesterday. We were about to risk heading out, but... well, you know how it is."

Kate nodded, keeping her expression neutral. "We do can we join you? We can help secure this place, maybe find some food."

Emma exchanged a glance with the others, her lips pressing into a thin line. "Fair enough. But we could use the help."

Kate motioned to Eric to lower his bat. "Let's get started."

Over the next few hours, Kate and Eric worked with the group to secure the convenience store. They boarded up the windows with planks scavenged from nearby shops and used broken shelving to reinforce the doors. Harper, who proved to have a steady hand and sharp focus, helped Kate construct a makeshift barricade for the front entrance.

"This isn't exactly how I imagined my life going," Harper muttered as she hammered a piece of wood into place.

Kate smirked faintly. "None of us did. What did you do before all this?"

"I was a barista," Harper replied, her tone light despite the weight of their circumstances. "I used to complain about getting up at five to make lattes for the early crowd. Now I'd kill for something as normal as that."

Kate chuckled dryly. "I think we all would."

Meanwhile, Eric helped Ben and Grace take inventory of the remaining supplies. Ben was methodical, his background as an elementary school teacher showing in the way he categorized and organized every can and package. Grace worked quickly but quietly, her movements efficient as she sorted through medical items.

Eric found himself drawn into conversation with Grace. "So, a nurse?" he asked, trying to keep the mood light. "That must come in handy."

Grace shrugged, her expression thoughtful. "It does, but it's also hard. You see people suffering, and there's not much you can do with the limited supplies we have." She glanced at him. "What about you?"

"Automatic college student," Eric said, his voice tinged with a hint of pride. "Before all this, I was learning to build car. Now I'm just trying to keep moving."

Grace nodded, her eyes softening. "That's all we can do."