Chapter 4

After finally escaping from the school and making it to safety in an unknown building in the middle of the city, the sun is finally starting to rise and turn the sky a pale pinkish-gold, and everything seems peaceful now.

However, Adamo doesn't notice or acknowledge that this morning is quite unusual, as they're surrounded by the bodies of a hundred zombies, their flesh and clothes hanging off them like flayed skin, exposing bones and rotten organs that dribble fluid onto the concrete floor. Some even lie still, as their skeletons have become almost translucent, and the bright sunshine pierces their remains in a way that reminds him of something you might see in a museum.

His skin crawls despite feeling better than ever—he wants to live now, which seems impossible.

"The damn morning came early; I was wondering when the night would finally end," Connor said, sounding cheerful. "Those things aren't dead. The sun burns their flesh, which is why they only come out at night. Don't you fucking worry about the sun, boy, just use it as an excuse to survive this fucked up situation."

Adamo felt lightheaded; he began to realize that he never wanted to go to bed, but instead wake up and have everything be a bad nightmare. He knew that they wouldn't live a moment longer if the zombies came back during the day.

The survivors began to collect themselves. Ayoub led them deeper inside the structure and up some stairs. There seemed to be no one else in the entire complex. Ren tried looking for food while the four of them scouted the building to figure out where to spend the night.

Ayoub eventually found an office with a map inside that displayed an underground garage filled with supplies. "Adamo, how can we access it? It looks sealed up."

"There should be some sort of lever to access it, probably right behind these two bookshelves," Adamo answered, placing his hand on a brick wall.

Ayoub yanked and pulled and the bookshelf budged, creaking with each tug. He grinned proudly as he thought the bookshelf would be easily torn from its spot, but to his dismay, the damn thing wouldn't budge. Adam, meanwhile, simply walked behind Ayoub and tapped a hidden switch, causing the brick wall to slide aside, revealing an elevator door.

They entered the lift and pressed the buttons, the lift descended several levels. The group emerged to a space filled with food, medicine, fuel, and a few motor vehicles.

"OH WOW, LUCKY US! FOUND SOMETHING GOOD, GUYS! A LOT OF STUFF IN HERE, AND MORE ENOUGH TO LAST A YEAR!"

Adamo examined an advertisement board that depicted a nearby army base, 'OTTAWA ARMOURY,' it stated in bold black text. The advertisement noted how an old militia group would be protecting the Armoury at all costs. "Holy shit. You think the base has food and supplies? And do you think it's still protected?"

Connor shrugged in response, looking unsure.

The four of them returned to the upper levels, and Connor turned to them with a new goal. "I need a fucking shower badly," he said, giving a shit-eating grin.

"Yeah, no shit. We all do," Adamo commented, his shirt damp with sweat. "All five of us need showers; fucking idiot."

Ayoub nodded. Adamo then turned towards him. "Look, Adam, I can help you find a place, all right? Do you know where any spare bedrooms are in this place?"

"You think there would be bedrooms in this place? You're funny."

Adamo slapped him playfully in the face and scoffed, "Never doubt me again." Adamo stated, running out the door. "Anyone gonna join, or am I on my own here?"

Adamo laughed jokingly, beckoning for his king Ayoub to come along.

Adamo ran to search the adjacent hall, the group following him, and as he rounded a corner, they heard a rustling sound from around another corner. As he crept up behind it, a hand swung around from a shadow, grabbing his neck tightly.

"Look, Ad—" Ayoub cried, staring at his friends in disbelief. "Is it a—"

Another arm shot around the corner. The person then showed themselves to Adamo and Ayoub. They held a blade inches from the boy's throat, which was dripping with blood, the color stark against the dark tiles of the building, which appeared to have recently been painted with white gloss.

The person turned the corner.

She was a brunette woman, wearing a bandana tied around her forehead. She held up a flashlight and pointed it directly at Adamo's eyes, blinding him temporarily before pointing it at the rest of the survivors. She looked from the group, then at the blade held tight against Adamo's neck, her gaze finally settling upon his face.

Adamo glared at the woman, trying his hardest not to let out a noise.

The woman finally released her grip on him and pushed him away, glaring directly at the other three men. Adam, who was looking at the ground, kept avoiding eye contact, Ayoub glanced towards the hallway, and Connor smiled innocently.

"You boys think I'm a fool, huh?" The woman stepped forward, staring at Adam, then Ayoub, and finally, last, she fixed her eyes on Connor.

The woman spat, "Men."

"I thought everyone would have died after what those bastards unleashed, but apparently not," she mumbled under her breath. "You five... you seem to have luck on your side." She pointed at the men, almost in awe, before turning back to the woman, who had approached Ren as a threat.

"Who the fuck are you people?" Connor inquired, breaking the silence.

The brunette rolled her eyes, taking another step towards Connor as though she expected them all to introduce themselves.

Ren stood in between the four men and the woman who was threatening her.

Ren motioned towards the woman and said, "I'm Ren, and we don't intend on hurting you, ma'am."

"Damn right, we're not here to fight."

Ren crossed her arms, facing the woman and her gang.

"Who's the other lady? Does she also belong to your group?" Connor asked, scratching the back of his head.

"Yep. Just me and the twins are what's left of our original group," she smiled softly, answering his questions, then extended a hand, inviting them in.

They went back into the basement area, where the survivor named Ruby made the five sit down. Ruby's face was cold and distant.

"What brought you to my building?" She asked, staring directly into each one's eyes, starting with Adamo.

"What did you see? What have you seen?" Ruby's voice rose in intensity, the muscles in her jaw tightening as she clenched her teeth.

Adamo hung his head low and focused on the ground; he didn't have the strength to speak anymore.

"Was it something or somebody? A big creature, an army, or an animal? Tell. Me." Ruby spoke firmly but without malice.

Adamo sighed. "W-We saw..." he trailed off before finishing his sentence.

"See? I can't even manage to stutter that out," Ruby sneered in disgust.

"Let him speak!" Ren spoke defensively, but Ruby shot her a warning look as if daring her to challenge her dominance.

Adamo took a deep breath and finished what he started. He closed his eyes, not wanting to relive his past trauma for the rest of his life but needed answers about his previous experiences. "It was..."

He exhaled deeply, the word finally escaping his mouth: "Zombies."

Ruby laughed; she was laughing hysterically, as if she had gone insane. Maybe she already went insane from everything that she has probably seen. She composed herself again and glared at Adamo, her voice once again a steady stream of calm, her smile never faltering. "Liar. They are not dead. We have studied these things extensively, and we know more than anyone else on the planet."

"Wait...who are 'they?'" Adamo asked hesitantly.

"These so-called 'Zombies' you speak of do not exist. They are more sentient than you think."