The three descended the stairs and trekked their way behind the bar counter. Their backs pressed against the counter as they took a moment to catch their breath. They stopped to consider their options, examining their surroundings. Mike peeked his head out, waiting for the horde to die down. Ryan bit his finger. It didn’t help the situation, but he hoped they’d leave safe and sound. Karin didn’t seem as worried as she scanned for the exit her comrade was talking about.

  The entrance was full of them, including more showing up outside the windows. They had to use an emergency exit, which wasn’t as bad.

  “That way.”

  “Huh?” Ryan almost forgot his voice. He hadn’t spoken in a while, so it almost caught him off guard.

  Going so long without water and food really did a number on him. Thankfully, it wasn’t as bad as it was hours ago. Wait, how long had he been asleep for again? He couldn’t tell the time anymore, given that he had no watch or patience left.

  “Going out the other way is too risky, especially since there’s more of them piling in from the windows. At least with this way, they won’t see us coming, if there’s any nearby, and it won’t be as crowded.”

  “Wait… what about…”

  “Save your voice. Don’t strain it unless absolutely necessary.” Mike replied, eyes filled with determination. “We need to secure the area, to make sure it’s safe to go across.”

  Ryan looked at the glasses and considered making a Molotov to eliminate the zombies. Mike quickly rebuked the idea, seeing as it would burn the whole place down, given that it was made of wood. Surveying the area was their best and only option right now. The three hunched over and tiptoed across the hallway, hiding amongst the others as they made their way to the door leading to the emergency exit.

  They reached the exit in no time and didn't encounter any zombies nearby. Ryan sighed in relief, but Mike warned him not to let his guard down. Ryan peeked out the door to inspect the outdoors while Mike and Karin stood on guard.

  Another door creaked open as a zombie crept out, eyes glowing, breath looming near them. It fell over, heading straight for Karin. She blocked the bite off with her shovel. Her knees shook, struggling to keep it off her. Mike had to be careful where to swing without hitting her, and didn’t have time to weigh his options. He held his arms up and swung at its legs. One flew clean off and hit the floorboard, leaving one plank sticking out.

  While the damage affected lowered the zombie to ground level, it refused to let go of the shovel handle. Even though Karin had the upper hand, she’d have to either let go of her weapon or risk hurting herself trying to pry it off. Mike grabbed her from behind and helped try to pull her away from the zombie, but it refused to budge, and its bite was tougher than they anticipated.

  Ryan panicked, unsure of what to do. He quickly glanced around him for something to use to fight back. His vision was blurry, but could barely make out a broken bottle near his feet. He picked it up and slammed it on the zombie's head, shattering the bottle into more pieces. While that didn’t do as much damage as he hoped, it was enough to stun it in place.

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  This gave Karin the advantage she needed to yank the handle out of its jaw. The zombie let out a cry as it stumbled and lost its footing. Mike swung his bat and pushed it back into the restroom. The group worked together to lock the door and seal it with a plank of wood nearby.

  They gave each other an assuring nod before heading out, finally leaving the place behind once and for all.

  .-.-.-.

  Ryan, Mike, and Karin exited the building from the emergency door. Stepping out after staying cooped up inside for so long did a number on Ryan. The sunlight greeted him as it hit him upon walking out. He shielded the light from his face and looked at the blue sky. The wind breezed through his skin.

  I can’t remember the last time I—

  “Come on, we've got to get a move on!”

  Oh, right!

  Ryan didn’t have time to stop and take everything in. He had to go, now.

  Karin barricaded the door handle and locked it before heading out. To the group's surprise, there weren't many zombies in their path; most focused on the entrance out on the front. Even then, there wasn’t a lot, especially compared to the inside of the restaurant. They decided not to question it and count their lucky blessings, not stopping to ponder it any further.

  The three of them went at a brisk pace, making sure not to drop anything or alert the horde nearby. It didn't take long for them to stop at a white truck with marks, dents, and washed-out paint on its sides. It had seen better days; it even might've been a business vehicle back in the day, but now it just looked like something out of an exhibit or junkyard. The truck looked functional, at least. Ryan felt he'd seen it somewhere before, but couldn't remember where.

  Karin wasted no time opening the back of the truck and placing her backpack there. Mike walked over to the driver's window and waved. The figure lowered the window, revealing a friendly face inside.

  He had light brown hair, freckles, a light green shirt, and blue overalls. He looked surprisingly young, and his smile was welcoming and inviting.

  “Hey, welcome back. So, how’d the raid go?”

  “Well, you were right, went better than we thought,” Mike replied, pulling his backpack off. “We got a couple more supplies that’ll last us a few weeks. We even found someone.”

  “Another survivor?” A female voice chimed in from inside the vehicle. She leaned in from her seat to peek outside. Her emerald eyes sparkled, as she could barely contain her excitement. Ryan found it easy to spot her with her red hair and white dress. “No way, we’re not the only ones...”

  Ryan wanted to chuckle, but his throat was still sore, keeping him from moving around. He thought the same thing: relief washed over him like a waterfall. He didn't know why they'd been left stranded, but he didn't care at that moment. Now, he wouldn't need to overthink or worry himself to death, either.

  The driver tilted his head to get a better look at Ryan as well. “Well, how about that? That’s terrific news!”

  “Yeah, it was all thanks to me,” Karin boasted, closing the doors and walking over to the other side. “So, Taylor, any chance there’s room for one more passenger?”

  Huh? A small gasp escaped Ryan’s lips as he pointed at himself. He wanted to make sure he heard correctly.

  “Of course, I don’t see why not. Hop on in.”

  Ryan clenched his fists, trying to hold back tears and play it cool. Mike saw through it immediately and rolled his eyes. Still, everyone went in the truck as it drove off, leaving the wooden restaurant behind them forever.

  It was hard to believe. He feared roaming the streets alone, especially at nightfall with predators. He no longer had to worry about spending his last moments alone, cold, and hungry. Ryan finally got shelter, food, and company. He could worry about whether or not to trust them later. He had something to latch onto and believe in again. There were survivors besides him, and he planned on finding more people. There was hope.