In a world where survival is the only goal, trust is the most dangerous game

Alisha huffed, shaking her head at his rough treatment. “You could at least be gentle, you know.”

Kennedy leaned back, stretching his arms with a yawn. “Tch. You’ll survive. If you’re strong enough to sass me, you’re fine.”

Rolling her eyes, Alisha turned away and muttered under her breath, “Jerk.”

He smirked but didn’t say anything. Instead, he grabbed his bag and stood up, adjusting his gear. “We need to move soon. The longer we stay in one place, the more likely we’ll get unwanted company.”

Her stomach twisted at the thought. She was starting to feel… safe here. But safety was an illusion in this world.

“Where are we going?” she asked hesitantly.

Kennedy’s gaze flickered to her, then toward the distance. “Somewhere that’s not here.”

Not the most reassuring answer.

She sighed, rubbing her arms. “And what if we don’t find anything? What if we just keep running forever?”

Kennedy hesitated for a second. Just a second. Then his usual cocky smirk returned. “Then we keep running until we can’t anymore.”

Something about that answer made her shiver. Because it meant he had no real plan. No real destination. Just survival.

And for some reason, that scared her more than the zombies.

I rolled my eyes at Kennedy’s harsh way of helping. He always had a sharp tongue, but at least he wasn’t completely heartless. My arms felt slightly numb from how tightly he wrapped the bandages, but I wasn’t going to complain—not after everything.

I rubbed my wrist, glancing at the small pile of supplies he had stacked in the corner of the tent. “Are we running low on anything?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

Kennedy ran a hand through his dark hair and exhaled. “Yeah. Water. And I don’t plan on dying of thirst, so we need to head out soon.”

I tensed. The idea of going out there—into that hellscape filled with the dead and whatever else lurked in the shadows—made my stomach churn. “Where exactly are we going to find water?”

“There’s an abandoned store a few miles from here. If we’re lucky, it hasn’t been raided yet.” He strapped a knife to his belt and looked at me. “You coming, or are you planning to sit here and cry again?”

I scowled. “You’re such an ass.”

He only smirked, slinging his bag over his shoulder before stepping outside. I sighed heavily and grabbed my own bag, following him into the unknown once again.

The air outside the tent hit me hard—stale, full of the smell of decay and smoke. I pulled my jacket tighter around me, trying not to think about how quiet it was. It felt wrong. Too quiet.

Kennedy was already a few steps ahead, not waiting for me. I had to hurry to catch up. I wasn’t sure if he even noticed me lagging behind, but I kept walking, just trying to stay close.

The ground was uneven, with broken buildings and abandoned cars scattered everywhere. We passed what used to be a neighborhood, the houses torn apart by looters or worse. It all felt unreal, like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from.

“Stay close,” Kennedy said in a low voice. His eyes were scanning everything around us, constantly watching for danger.

I nodded, but my mind was racing. What was the point of all this? Running from one place to the next? Where were we even going? I didn’t have the answers, and the questions were starting to feel heavier with every step.

We reached the edge of a strip mall. The windows were smashed, the doors barely hanging on. I stopped just before the entrance. “This is it?”

Kennedy didn’t answer right away. He just looked around, then moved toward the building. “We need to check inside. Fast.”

I followed him, my feet dragging. The place was silent, except for the occasional creak of the floorboards and the wind outside. Then I heard something else—a soft sound, like something moving slowly across the floor.

Kennedy held up a hand to signal for silence. My heart was pounding as he stepped carefully toward the door. He was so focused, like a machine. I couldn’t tell if it was confidence or something colder.

“You check the back,” he whispered. “I’ll cover the front.”

I nodded quickly, not trusting myself to speak. I felt like I was walking into a trap, my every step echoing in the dead silence. The air smelled like rot, but there was something else—something… alive.

Turning a corner, I almost tripped over a body. A man—disheveled, with bloodshot eyes and a faint pulse. He wasn’t dead. Not yet. But he was close. His eyes were full of fear, and his hand reached out toward me.

Before I could react, Kennedy’s voice made me jump.

“Find anything?” he asked from the doorway.

I swallowed hard. “There’s a man here… barely alive.”

Kennedy stepped in, looking at the man with no emotion. “How long until he’s gone? We can’t waste time on someone who won’t last.”

“He’s not a threat,” I said quickly, the words coming out before I could stop them. “He just needs help.”

Kennedy glanced at the man, then back at me. He smirked. “You’re too soft.”

I frowned. “I’m not soft. I’m just… human.”

Kennedy shrugged. “In this world, being human doesn’t get you far.”

I didn’t know how to answer that, so I just turned back to the man. He reached out with a shaky hand, and I hesitated. Should I help him? Was it worth the risk?

I looked at Kennedy. “What should we do?”

Kennedy stared at me for a moment before answering. “We leave him. We don’t have time for dead weight.”

I hated the idea, but he was right. We couldn’t afford to drag anyone along who couldn’t keep up. Still, as I looked at the man’s desperate eyes, something inside me twisted.

I sighed. “We go. Now.”

Kennedy didn’t say anything, but I could tell from his look that survival was all that mattered. And I was starting to wonder if I’d lose my humanity along the way.