The True Hardships Of The Apocalypse

"Stand back. I am opening it." Rebecca nodded her head as she readied her bat. Her cheeks were still stained from tears. 

She watched as the door opened, her heart clenching, hoping she would not see another site of children turned zombies or dead from starvation. This really tore her apart, and although she was doing her best to keep up a strong front, she wanted nothing more than to break down into sobs and hold on to the man next to her. 

But she stayed strong since she knew any kind of weakness right now could mean her own death. And she did not wish to die at any time. When the door opened, and all they could see was the tidy room with boxes stacked on the shelves, she finally let out a sigh of relief. 

Leo saw the room was empty but still squatted down and looked under the shelving just in case. All of this was heavy on the heart. But he had to stay strong for Rebecca. He had to be her support during this time because he knew she was about to break down. "Go to the dance studio. I will deal with the rest. You do not need to see this."

"Leo… I…." Rebecca felt bad she did not wish to leave everything to him, but he slowly pushed back and gave her a forced smile. 

"It's fine. Go." Leo pushed Rebecca out to the main hall. He stood there and watched her small back as she walked to the entrance of the dance studio and turned to look at him. Her eyes glistened with tears. Her gaze stayed on him for a second before she finally entered the room. 

Leo let out a sigh and closed his eyes, trying to egg himself on. It was hard. All of this was hard, but he had to do what he could for these young ones who lost their lives at such a young age.

"You are handling things well, Leo…." Nora could sense Leo's mood. She knew he was not feeling good at this time. She hated seeing him like this and wanted to cheer him up.

"I can only handle it in this way, sadly. If I was quicker, maybe I could have helped them, but at that time, I was only thinking about my own survival. If we had left just a day earlier, maybe one of them would be alive." Leo walked to the changing room door and opened it. The sight of the headless bodies hurt his heart. He knelt down and bowed his head while bringing his hands together. "I am sorry."

"Leo, it's not your fault…." Nora looked at the man in front of her, who had tears streaming down his cheeks. He blamed himself for not being here sooner. If only he could have come a day or two earlier. Maybe just maybe…. These were the thoughts that kept repeating in his mind. He hated his current state of mind, but he couldn't help it when he saw these young girls and the teacher who was cradling the young ones in her arms as if trying to give them warmth and peace of mind.

This was the true reality of any apocalypse. The sight of such things like this was the thing that broke down the human heart and made them think. It made them realize how fragile their own lives were. Even the young girls who charged at him when he first opened the door, the idea that they were dead was there, but the knowledge that he had no choice but to kill a kill still hurt even though he followed through with it.

Leo did not make a sound as he began gathering each girl up and carrying them into his arms. He ignored the smell of death and carried each one of them as if they were the most precious things in the world. He brought them to the pile he already had going outside. With the teacher, he placed them on top of the girls as if she was protecting them before starting a fire and setting the bodies ablaze.

"Leo. You do not need to do this alone…." Rebecca's voice came from behind him. He returned to see her tear-filled eyes walking up to him and putting her arms around him. "We should send them off together."

  "Alright…." Leo hugged Rebecca's waist, and the two stood there with their heads lowered, giving a moment of silence.

The flames danced crazily and were not something that would die quickly. But this was the best burial he could give them at this time. The two stood there for almost an hour before finally retreating back into the dance studio. The smell inside had faded slightly due to the door being open. But the smell of death still lingered in the air. The door had a metal bar that came down and a massive deadbolt that could be locked from the inside, making it quite secure. The one window that looked in was also barred and had a blackout current in front of it. 

Leo now understood why Rebecca suggested this place. It was very secure. "Nora… If the virus is in the air, why are living beings not affected?"

"I am not sure. I only know a little about the virus itself. Once the system levels up, I can do a more in-depth analysis. But until then, I will only know basic information." Nora replied. She felt bad for not knowing what Leo wanted to know.

"Alright." Leo nodded before going onto the dance floor. There, he saw Rebecca spreading out a sleeping bag. 

"Leo, come lie down. I know you must be tired."  Rebecca could see the bags under Leo's eyes. He had been fighting and moving nonstop all day.

"I am tired, but I want to wash my hands first." Leo took out some of the water he had on him and poured it into his hands. Only after rinsing them off did he feel slightly better. He walked over to the sleeping bag and laid down. Rebecca cuddled up next to him and hugged him tightly. It was then that all her sorrows began to rain down. Leo could only lie there and pat her back. He wanted to do the same as her, but he held it. He had to stay strong.