Morning came with a soft glow that filtered through the cracks of the abandoned building where Vell and Maya had spent the night.
They had found this place after fleeing the apartment—a small office building with thick doors and few windows. Perfect for hiding.
Vell opened his eyes first, his body still aching from the fight with the infected. He checked his wrists where the handcuff remnants had left raw marks.
At least the pain had dulled to a manageable throb.
Maya slept curled up in the corner, using their backpack as a pillow. Her face looked peaceful, a stark contrast to the chaos outside.
He hated to wake her, but they needed to move soon. Find more supplies. Find a safer place.
He stood up and stretched, his joints popping. A yellow window appeared in front of him.
[Daily Quest: Find Food and Water]
[Reward: 150 Experience Points]
"Great," he muttered. "As if I needed a reminder."
He walked to the window and peered through a gap in the boards. The street below was quiet, but that meant nothing. The infected could appear at any moment.
"Is it morning already?" Maya's sleepy voice came from behind him.
"Yeah. Sleep okay?"
She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "I dreamed we were back home eating ice cream."
"That sounds nice."
"It was, until the ice cream turned into an infected and tried to eat me instead."
He turned to look at her. "That is disturbing."
"Tell me about it." She stood up and joined him at the window. "What is the plan for today?"
"Find food, water, and a better place to stay." He pointed to the yellow window still floating in front of him. "The system agrees."
Maya's stomach growled loudly. "My stomach agrees too."
They gathered their few belongings and prepared to leave. Vell checked the hallway first, making sure it was clear before motioning for Maya to follow.
They moved quietly through the building, checking offices for anything useful. In one desk drawer, he found a chocolate bar.
He broke it and gave the larger piece to Maya.
"Breakfast of champions," she said, taking a small bite to make it last longer.
They reached the back exit of the building and Vell pushed the door open slowly. The alley behind the building was empty except for a dumpster and some scattered trash.
"Looks clear," he whispered. "There is a convenience store about two blocks from here. We should check it for supplies."
Maya nodded. "Lead the way, oh mighty level two player."
He gave her a look. "This is not a game, Maya."
"I know. But if I do not joke about it, I might start crying."
He understood that feeling all too well.
They moved through the alley, staying close to the walls and stopping frequently to listen. The city was eerily quiet except for occasional distant sounds—crashes, screams, and those horrible howls.
As they approached the end of the alley, Vell held up his hand for Maya to stop. He peered around the corner, checking the street.
"I see three of them," he whispered. "They are just standing there, not moving much."
Maya peeked around him. "They look like they are sleeping standing up. Like horses."
"Let us hope they stay that way. We need to cross to the next alley without them noticing us."
They waited, watching the infected for any signs of awareness. After a few minutes, Vell decided it was time to move.
"Stay low and quiet," he instructed. "If anything happens, run back to the building we just left."
She nodded, her face serious now.
They crept out of the alley, moving as silently as possible. The infected remained motionless, their gray forms like statues in the morning light.
They were halfway across the street when Vell felt something in his pocket vibrate. His eyes widened in horror as he realized what it was—his phone.
He had completely forgotten about it.
Before he could silence it, the phone let out a loud, cheerful ringtone.
The infected turned as one, their eyes fixing on them.
"Run!" He shouted, grabbing Maya's hand.
They sprinted toward the next alley as the infected gave chase, moving with that unnatural speed that still shocked Vell.
"Why do you still have your phone?" Maya yelled as they ran.
"I forgot about it!" he shouted back.
"How do you forget about a phone?"
"I was a little busy with the end of the world!"
They reached the alley and kept running. Behind them, the infected howled, the sound echoing off the buildings.
"Who even called you?" Maya asked, her breath coming in gasps.
He pulled out the phone as they ran, glancing at the screen. "It says 'Unknown Caller'!"
"The one time you get a call that is not a spam call, and it almost gets us killed!"
A yellow window popped up in front of Vell as they ran.
[Warning: Noise has attracted nearby infected]
"You think?" he yelled at the floating message.
They turned a corner and found themselves facing a chain-link fence. Without hesitation, Vell boosted Maya up and over, then climbed up himself. The infected reached the fence just as he dropped to the other side.
They clawed at the metal, their faces pressed against the links, teeth snapping.
Vell and Maya backed away, catching their breath.
"That was close," Maya said.
"Too close," he agreed. He pulled out his phone again and turned it off. "Sorry about that."
"Your ringtone is still the default one? That is so lame."
"That is what you are worried about right now?"
She shrugged. "Just saying, if we are going to almost die because of your phone, it could at least play something cool."
Despite everything, Vell found himself smiling. "I will keep that in mind for the next apocalypse."
They continued moving, more cautiously now. The convenience store was just ahead, its windows broken but the interior looking relatively intact.
"Stay close," he said as they approached the entrance.
They stepped through the broken door, glass crunching under their feet. The store had been looted, but not completely. There were still some cans on the shelves and bottles of water in a knocked-over display.
"Jackpot," Maya whispered.
They began filling their backpack with supplies. Vell found some bandages and antiseptic spray, which he used on his wrists where the handcuffs had cut into his skin.
Maya discovered a rack of magazines still mostly untouched. She picked one up and flipped through it.
"Celebrity gossip," she said. "Feels like a million years ago now."
Vell was checking behind the counter when he heard a noise from the back of the store. He froze, listening.
"Maya," he whispered. "Come here. Slowly."
She moved to his side, her eyes questioning.
"I heard something in the back room," he explained quietly.
Just then, the door to the storage area burst open. An infected stumbled out, its clothes torn and bloody. It spotted them immediately and let out a gurgling howl.
"Out! Now!" He shouted.
They ran for the entrance, but more infected appeared outside, drawn by the howl. They were trapped.
"The counter!" Maya pointed.
They vaulted over the counter just as the infected from the storage room lunged at them. It crashed into the counter, sending items flying.
"Now what?" Maya asked, her voice shaking.
He looked around desperately. There had to be a way out. His eyes landed on a door behind them marked "Staff Only."
"There!" he pointed.
They scrambled toward the door as more infected poured into the store. Vell yanked the door open and pushed Maya through before following her and slamming it shut. He turned the lock just as something heavy slammed against the other side.
They were in a small break room with a table, chairs, and a mini-fridge. Most importantly, there was another door on the far wall.
"Please be an exit," he muttered as they hurried toward it.
He opened the door to find a narrow hallway leading to a back exit. They could see daylight through the small window in the exit door.
The door behind them splintered as the infected broke through.
"Go!" he pushed Maya ahead of him.
They ran down the hallway and burst through the exit door into a parking lot, that was filled with many infected.
"Shit."