The scream seemed to flip a switch inside of everyone. Some became frantic in filling their carts, others instantly turned tail and ran. Knowing I’d get hit if I tried to push through the crowd, I stayed back near the registers and watched them all scatter. I only moved on once I heard the screech of a zombie getting closer.

My cart rattled and shook as I drove it out of the store. The car is parked in the second row. Twelve spaces back.

A chilling moan from behind a nearby car made me freeze. Slowly, a zombie stood up from the person it’d been eating and began stumbling towards me. Other than in recent videos online, I’d never seen a zombie…’in action’. I would have run if it hadn’t been for the other zombies beginning to surround me, almost as though appearing out of thin air. I’ll admit, my heart started racing a bit there. But thankfully, a car shot through the crowd and stopped beside me.

Max peered out, his hazel eyes wild and burning. “Get in!”

I didn’t need to be told twice.

I flung the door open and hurled myself inside just as a zombie was about to snag my hoodie. “Do you have your car keys?” Max asked me, staring ahead at the horde getting in the way of our exit.

“Yeah.” I pulled them from my pocket.

“Hit the panic button so we can grab your stuff and get out of here.”

I pressed the button on my fob and heard my car’s alarm go off. Seconds later, the zombies lost interest in us and wandered over to the other vehicle. Once the last one was gone, Max and I jumped out of the car and started throwing everything from my cart into his trunk. There were already a lot of supplies—quite a few cases of bottled water, frozen and dried foods, camping equipment—but we managed to fit it all in a couple of boxes that weren’t completely filled. Then we got back in and drove off, leaving my car smeared with blood and surrounded by the undead trying to get at the shrill noise it emitted.

“You just saved my ass back there,” I panted, smiling at how alive I felt. That’d been a pretty cliché action scene. “Thanks.”

He smirked and nodded. Now wearing a gray sweater instead of his uniform, he somehow looked a thousand times more attractive. “No problem. I’m Max.”

“Charlie.”

“Nice to meet-.” I sneezed suddenly and groaned, reaching back to grab one of the cold medicine bottles. But now I could sense Max staring at me. “You’re sick?”

Rolling my eyes, I opened the bottle and took a swig of the disgusting ‘cherry’ liquid. “I have the flu. Had it for a week. It takes less than twenty-four hours to turn, and that’s only after a bite. I, thankfully, was not bitten by a zombie.” He looked vaguely unimpressed, so I pulled out a crumpled note from my doctor and showed him. It was good to be prepared. “See? I went to the doctor a week ago for the flu. That’s before any of this started.”

“Okay, okay. I trust you. I didn’t know about the twenty-four-hour thing. I just learned about the flu symptoms today. Shit. That means my roommate is already turned, then.”

Before I could comment, I felt my phone begin to buzz. I answered it and heard my mother’s shaky sigh of relief. “Damn it. You can’t just end a call like that. Listen, Charlie. Your father is already here. He says there are hordes moving in from the city. Are you able to meet us up at the cabin? I feel so bad leaving, but Abby is so scared, and your dad wants to leave now…Are you safe?”

I stared out the window at the empty streets and abandoned cars. It was incredible how fast everything changed. Just this morning, traffic was moving along smoothly. People were out and about. But now, it looked like a ghost town. “I actually lost the car, but someone picked me up.” She started freaking out about that. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’m safe. I’ll find a way to get to the cabin, okay? It just might take a while. This part of town looks pretty bad.”

“Okay…Charlie, please promise me you’ll take care of yourself. Remember to drink plenty of fluids and stay warm.”

I snorted softly. “Yes, I know. Get going already. And tell Abby I got her a whole bag of Reese’s cups, so she’d better be good.”

“I will. I love you, Charlie. Stay safe.”

“Love you too. Bye.”

I hung up and let my head drop back on the seat. “Well…you have any idea where you’re going?”