Amanda gazed out the window as she and her daughter searched the kitchen for supplies. The sun had not risen yet, but the sky was beginning to brighten. While Julie checked the cabinets, Amanda opened the fridge and found several water bottles. "Thank goodness. There's still plenty of water," she said, placing them in a plastic bag.
Julie approached her, curious about what else was in the fridge. "Mom, do they have any food?"
Amanda checked the dates on the labels. "The power just went out, so the food should still be good. We just have to make sure we don't take anything expired."
At the front door, Dylan held his wrench tightly and watched the area outside for any Zeds that might notice them. Aiden stared at him for a moment, then turned his attention to the hallway across the living room.
"Lydia, are you guys looking for stuff too?" Aiden asked, loud enough for everyone in the house to hear.
From within Sheldon's room, Lydia peeked out into the hallway. "Be quiet. You're going to attract more Zeds."
"You're being pretty loud too, you know?"
"Just shut up, you stupid---"
"Keep it down, you two," Logan interrupted.
Lydia's cheeks turned red. She made eye contact with her father and gave a single nod, then looked back at Aiden, clearly annoyed. Aiden let out a nervous chuckle and scratched the back of his head.
While Logan searched the bedroom for supplies, Hayley entered the bathroom and immediately found a stack of toilet paper beside the toilet. "Finally, something useful," she thought, shoving the rolls into her bag. She then stopped by the sink and saw herself in the mirror. The injuries on her face reminded her of everything they had been through since all of this started. Afterward, she reached for the cabinet door and pulled it open. "Bandages and painkillers? Definitely need those." She grabbed the medical supplies and stored them in her bag where she could easily reach them.
In the kitchen, Amanda noticed the knives that were scattered on the floor near the Zed Aiden had killed. She crouched down and picked them up one by one, sliding each knife back into the holder. "We're going to need a better way to defend ourselves. Should we take the knives too?"
Julie stood nearby, uncomfortable with the dead Zed lying on the floor. She was young, but she managed to stay calm despite being afraid. She considered asking her father what to do about the knives, but Dylan, still by the front door, answered before she could.
"I think taking them would be a good idea," Dylan suggested. "Although, you should probably hold one of the knives instead of keeping them all in the bag. The Zeds might not give you a chance to reach into the bag to grab one."
Amanda listened to his advice while holding the knife holder. "If that's the case, it might be better to hand them out to the others." A few seconds later, Lydia and her parents returned to the living room. Amanda set the knife holder on the table and spoke to them. "So, did you find anything?"
Hayley nodded. "Well, we managed to gather some supplies from the restroom. Toilet paper and bandages, as well as a bottle of painkillers."
"Is that all?"
"There's not much to take. Besides, these bags aren't big enough for anything else."
Logan saw the knife holder on the table. "Are those knives? Are you planning to take them?"
"Yeah, I am," Amanda replied. "I'm sure we're going to run into more Zeds while on our way to the Golden City."
Amanda was right to worry about Zeds, but they were not the only threat. Logan approached the nearest window and looked outside. "True. Not just Zeds but hostile people as well. Situations like these could sometimes bring out the worst in people."
Aiden had heard them call the infected Zeds several times now. He became curious about the name. "Why do you guys keep calling them Zeds? Is that what they are?"
Lydia rolled her eyes. "Well, that's what the people on the radio kept calling them. We were listening to the radio while on our way to the Golden City when we heard some loser crying in here."
Aiden held back from arguing and focused on what mattered to him most right now. He had seen news about the Golden City, but he did not know its current state. "The Golden City? I heard their wall was recently finished, but are you sure it's still standing?"
"Of course we're sure," Lydia answered with a rude tone. "The radio people are from there. We wouldn't be going there if we weren't sure of that, stupid."
"Then why even bother taking all this stuff?"
"Ain't it obvious? It's in case we get stranded somewhere while on our way there. You really couldn't figure that out on your own?"
Hayley stepped in before Lydia could say anything else. She placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder and smiled. When Lydia noticed her mother's expression, she froze. Taking the hint, the young girl looked away and apologized.
"Sorry…"
Amanda then provided Aiden with a more helpful response. "In any case, according to them, they had a few cases within their wall, but they were quickly dealt with. The army is currently defending that place, so that might be our safest bet."
Aiden nodded slowly. Hearing that the military hadn't been defeated gave him hope.
Since Aiden didn't appear to have any more questions, Logan took the opportunity to speak. "Do we have enough knives for everyone?"
Amanda counted the knives that remained in the holder. "There's four left," she said, excluding the one still stuck in the neck of the Zed Aiden had killed earlier. "One for me, one for you, and I think your wife should have one as well. That leaves one extra."
"And your husband?"
"He already has his wrench."
Julie leaned against the edge of the table. She glanced at the knife holder, then at her mother. "Can I take the last one?"
Amanda shook her head. "No. It's too dangerous for a child to carry something like that."
"But what if a Zed shows up and no one's around to help?"
"Then don't go off on your own. Stay close to us, and you'll be safe."
Before Julie could argue, Dylan interrupted them. "All right, enough talk. We should get going."
Amanda gave a knife to Logan and another to Hayley. She then retrieved the third knife from the holder for herself. After that, her gaze drifted back to the Zed's lifeless body, Aiden's knife still buried in its throat. "Jesus Christ. Seriously, are we going to have to do something like that too?"
Lydia, not yet aware of what Amanda was focused on, became curious. She tried to move into a position where she could find out what Amanda was looking at. Logan realized what his daughter was doing and placed a hand over her eyes.
"Father?"
"That's not something you should see."
Logan guided Lydia out of the kitchen as Dylan asked everyone if they were ready to leave. The others nodded in response, giving him the confirmation he needed. Dylan cautiously went outside, followed by Julie and Lydia. Amanda, Logan, and Hayley exited the house shortly after them, each carrying a bag and a knife.
Aiden remained where he was. He didn't belong to their group, so he wasn't sure if he should go with them. Instead, he faced the hallway and considered staying in the house. By now, the hallway was bright enough for Aiden to see dark bloodstains on the floor. He hadn't noticed them earlier because of the darkness. Remembering how he had encountered Sheldon's father eating his son's corpse, Aiden suspected that the blood came from a struggle between them. That made him question whether being there alone was worth the risk.
"Why is this happening?" the young boy whispered to himself.
At that moment, Julie called out to him. "Hey, are you coming or not?"
Aiden's attention was drawn to the two girls standing just outside the front door. Julie and Lydia were both staring at him, silently waiting for his decision. After a brief pause, Aiden walked toward them with his head lowered. He still felt like an outsider among them. "I'm coming. Sorry for making you wait."
Julie and Lydia jogged to the white van parked in the middle of the street. Dylan was in the driver's seat, while Logan and Hayley were loading supplies into the back. As soon as Aiden stepped onto the sidewalk, he quietly observed them from there.
Senator Logan Monroe spotted more Zeds coming from down the road. He was worried about his family, but he made sure not to show it. "Get inside the van," he told them.
With each passing second, the infected got closer. Hayley and Lydia didn't argue. They hurried to the van's sliding door as Logan instructed, only to realize that he wasn't behind them.
"Father?! Why aren't you coming?!" Lydia yelled.
"Let's go!" Hayley added. "You have to come with us!"
Logan held his knife tightly as he positioned himself between the van and the Zeds. "I'll be fine. I'll handle it."
From inside the van, Dylan could hear Logan's voice along with Hayley and Lydia's, but the closed doors made their words too hard to understand.
In the front seat, Amanda glanced up at the rearview mirror and saw the advancing Zeds. "Shit! Dylan! Behind us!" she warned as she turned around to look at them directly.
Reacting to Amanda's panic, Dylan spun around in his seat as well. He noticed Logan near the rear of the van, knife raised, as if preparing to fight the approaching Zeds even though he didn't have to. Just then, Hayley slid the door open and helped Lydia and Julie get inside. Hayley climbed in last but left the door open, waiting for her husband.
Dylan leaned out the window and shouted, "Logan! Don't be stupid! Get in here at once! They can't catch up to our van!"
Logan stood still, staring at the knife in his hand. He began to question whether he could actually do it. Could he take the life of someone who had once been human? The voices behind him kept calling, but they felt distant. He knew he couldn't afford to hesitate. The world had changed. If he wanted to protect his family, then he had to change too.
The sun was rising above the horizon when Logan finally lifted his head, ready to fight the infected. But the moment the first rays of sunlight hit the Zeds, something strange happened. They slowly retreated and sought shelter from the sun inside the surrounding houses. More Zeds farther away did the same.
Logan couldn't comprehend it. He had never seen Zeds act like this before. "What? Why?" he whispered, his eyes widening as he studied their unusual behavior.
No one in the van said anything. They were just as surprised as the senator. The infected that had been coming after them had suddenly turned away. It didn't make sense.
After a few seconds of silence, Dylan spoke. "Logan… It's time to go…"
"Right…"
With one last look at the empty street, Logan lowered the knife and made his way to the open door of the van. Hayley shifted over in her seat to make room for him beside her in the middle row. He climbed in and sat down.
Julie, seated in the back row behind them, gazed out the window next to her and spotted Aiden still standing on the sidewalk in front of Sheldon's house. She leaned toward the open side of the van and called out to him.
"Aiden!"
Aiden hadn't moved a muscle. He continued to observe the Zeds that had taken shelter inside the nearby houses to avoid the sunlight. They stared back at him but made no effort to pursue him. Their behavior left him confused.
"Weird…"
"Aiden! Let's go!"
This time, Aiden turned his attention to Julie, who had called his name again. The van's sliding door was still open. All eyes were on him.
"Let's go! We're waiting for you!"
Julie's voice was louder this time, but her tone was friendly. Aiden had expected them to leave without him, but they had chosen to wait for him. Their decision made him realize that he was not alone anymore.
Tears formed in the young boy's eyes. It wasn't from sadness, but from happiness. He smiled widely and responded to Julie as he jogged toward the van.
"I'm coming!"