A rat crawled out from under the trash and scurried away on its business. In the distance, someone's scream could be heard. Olivia turned to En again.
"En… please, take me with you."
Andy held a crowbar in her hands and thought. She silently tossed the metal bar up and down while examining Olivia's appearance.
"I have some things that might come in handy for you."
Olivia began rummaging through her bag. But suddenly, the screams grew closer, followed by the sound of bones crunching and the loud crash of a broken storefront nearby. A man, about forty years old, ran into the alley, pressing himself against the trash bin in distress, then, noticing them, grabbed their legs, begging for help. Blood and torn fabric were visible on his calves.
"Girls, h-help! My wife… they attacked her… my friends," the man spoke almost incoherently.
"En, his leg…"
It was as if the man was struck by electricity.
"No, no, I'm fine, I just got a little hurt…"
Andy tightened her grip on the crowbar and stood between Olivia and the man.
"Stop right there. One more move and I'll consider you a zombie and kill you," Andy stared at the man, waiting for his next move.
"No, I'm normal, I can't die like this," he said almost crazily. The man touched Andy's leg. Suddenly realizing no one here would help him, he went berserk.
"WHY?! Why are you so cruel?!" he shouted, lunging at the girls.
As he approached, a dull thud was heard, then the crash of a falling body. Andy hit the man on the head with the crowbar. She looked at Olivia and, after a moment's thought, took her hand and started to leave the place with her.
"We're going to my shelter. One request — stay quiet all the way and don't panic."
Olivia glanced disgustedly at the man lying on the ground but said nothing. The brown-eyed girl squeezed Andy's hand, somewhat surprised.
"And why should I panic?" she whispered, but in the end kept silent. En led Olivia along a path only she knew.
Andy and Olivia entered a multi-story building. Zombies surrounded them — quite a few. The brunette breathed evenly and stayed calm. She quietly walked with Olivia. When they reached one of the abandoned office buildings, Andy climbed onto the first floor and held out her hands to Olivia. The brown-eyed girl took her hand and with effort climbed onto the windowsill. She adjusted her bag on her shoulder.
"Are you sure this place is safe? There are a lot of zombies here."
Olivia looked out the window they had just climbed through, then back at En.
"Where next?"
"Upstairs. Yes, there are really a lot of zombies, but it's better to be among them — then no one will steal your resources," Andy began to climb higher: first, fourth, sixth floor. She kept going. Olivia sadly watched the stairs stretching upward.
"Is this building as tall as Everest? When will these stairs end…"
"On the eighth floor," Andy climbed calmly, accustomed to this daily effort.
Olivia groaned disappointedly.
"How awful, is the eighth floor really so important?" Olivia grabbed the strap of her bag, squeezing it as it began to chafe her shoulder.
"It's just that eight is my favorite number, and besides, it's the cleanest floor."
Finally, they reached the eighth floor. Andy opened one of the doors and entered the room. It was cozy and clean — an office she had turned into her shelter.
At the entrance, a spacious room caught the eye with a soft couch and a couple of armchairs. Books, board games, and various little things stood on the shelves, creating a homey atmosphere. To the left of the entrance was an improvised kitchen with a refrigerator and two gas stoves. Unfortunately, the shelves were almost empty, but it did not spoil the mood.
To the right of the entrance was a bedroom that also served as a weapons storage. Andy kept her arsenal where she slept: crowbars, rebar, bats, cold weapons. Nearby the kitchen was a bathroom, completing the picture of this cozy nook where Andy could feel safe despite the surrounding chaos.
"It's cozy here. I like how you arranged the place, except you could die getting here. And in general, a multi-story building is not a very good idea," Olivia said, dropping her bag and flopping onto a chair to rest.
"Don't forget, no noise here," Andy threw her bag on the floor and went into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. After a couple of minutes, some rustling sounds followed, then the noise of heavy objects falling.
Olivia watched the bedroom in shock. What is she doing? She said no noise. God, where have I gotten myself into? Why me? Ugh... You'll have to defend yourself; if I'm lucky, I'll sneak away quietly. The girl stopped her internal monologue and noticed her bag. She pulled out a notebook from among the supplies and clutter and began writing down what had happened today while En was busy.
After a few minutes, Andy finished and came out of the room. Her hands were covered in something black, and her face was slightly smudged. She glanced at Olivia and briefly looked at her notebook.
"Are you going to eat? It's getting dark. If you want something warm, it's time to cook."
Olivia quickly closed the notebook and turned to En.
"Yes, of course. What do we have?" she said, grabbing her bag.
"I have a few cans…" Andy paused briefly, then continued, "You said you had supplies… maybe you have something?"
"I do," Olivia started pulling out cans. "You can make soup from stewed meat and beans, there's beans in tomato sauce — can be eaten as a snack. I haven't figured out what to do with peas yet. Too bad there are no vegetables; just one serving of potatoes. I guess you should know I have a flashlight, spare batteries, and a few pills," Olivia proudly listed what she had brought.
"Great. Keep everything except the food with you. You can put the food in that box — it's a fridge. I'll turn on the stove, and we'll make soup," Andy took a gas canister and inserted it into the small gas stove.
About 20 minutes later, Andy and Olivia had prepared two portions of soup and sat down in the living room to eat. Andy ate quietly, not even looking at Olivia.