Birds of a Feather (Apocalypse AU)

Chapter 4 - Quiet... (Tiyeds)

TW: blood, gore, death

Staring out through the cracked screen, the phone let out a slight vibrate as it flashed the same words: "no signal..."

Frustrated, Tiyeds shoved the phone back into her pocket, holding the power button to shut it off and save its battery. She hadn't been able to contact anyone, much less emergency services, for several days.

She shifted her tan backpack on her shoulders, the contents swinging with the movement. Although she was used to carrying heavy books around all day, the constant pressure on her shoulders was starting to chafe. Hooking her thumbs underneath the straps, she walked carefully down the middle of the street.

Despite her carefree demeanor, Tiyeds was on high-alert. She had an array of knives she kept in easy reach for immediate threats, and her crowbar peeked out of the top of her bag. She winced as she stepped on a piece of shattered glass, crushing beneath the soles of her shoes and creating a small popping noise.

The street stood still, and the wind blew a piece of paper into the gutter. Tiyeds barely breathed as she froze mid-step, listening for anyone, or anything. The taste of death lingered in the air, but Tiyeds barely noticed it anymore.

A tense two minutes passed as Tiyeds stood still in the middle of the street. Eventually, when she was sure that nothing was around, she slowly put her boot down, continuing down the street. She had checked this area two days ago, but it was a good idea to remain careful, especially in a place with so many buildings.

She glanced at the strip mall to her right, the abandoned parking lot filled with cars and shopping carts that had been thrown astrew throughout the area. As many people had rushed to grocery stores to gather supplies, they had unwittingly flooded the stores, leading to backups and congestion - a combination bound to result in pain and death when combined with zombies. She closed her eyes, silently wishing those who had fallen well. Taking a deep breath, she approached one of the abandoned clothing stores. The grocery stores were filled with a number of obstacles and dead ends, in addition to the occasional zombie visitor. Clothing stores, although not filled with food, often had drinks and snacks that were easy to carry and store.

Tiyeds slowed down as she approached the store, peering closely through the windows for any sign of movement. Wiping away at the dirt covering the door, the sign showed a cheery "We're open!" Tiyeds mumbled as she pushed her way in, "don't mind if I do..."

She kept along the walls of the store, limiting the chances that she could be surprised by a zombie or unsavory party. Quickly moving to the registers, she began looking through the snacks, grabbing a few packets of chips and jerky. Opening the drinks fridge, Tiyeds grabbed two bottles of water, hesitated, and then grabbed one of the energy drinks, shoving everything into her backpack and using the clothes around her to dampen any sounds they might make.

Creeping slowly into the remainder of the store, Tiyeds passed a figure laying on the ground. The flesh had been torn off the face in big chunks leaving gaping holes in their cheeks and forehead. The tattered remains of clothes, bloody and ragged, clung to the decimated body. There didn't seem to be a left arm from the elbow down, just a bloody jagged end where the arm was torn off. The tibia bone in their right leg had an obvious compound fracture that probably led to their death. They had clearly been beset by a horde of zombies. Ignoring the pieces of intestine and dry blood splatters strewn around the corpse, Tiyeds eyes were drawn to the figure's chest cavity, which was entirely empty, save for the broken remains of ribs at the edges of the wound forced open by the undead to gain access to the precious organs underneath.

Tiyeds stood, staring at the corpse when her head snapped up. A dead body meant that it was dangerous, and she needed to leave. Now. Tiyeds stood up and made her way to the front of the store, keeping close to the walls and watching where she stepped. Although zombies are the most prominent and lethal danger, they are not the only threat in this new world, and Tiyeds was well aware. Stepping out into the sun, Tiyeds shielded her eyes from the sun as she stared across the cars.

She turned around, giving one last glance into the store, when she caught a glimpse of movement in the glass. Realizing it was a reflection, Tiyeds turned immediately, knife in hand, to see a figure dashing around the corner of the brick building at the end of the mall.

Tiyeds hesitated, thinking about the possibility of a trap, but started chasing the figure. She knew it wasn't a zombie because zombies didn't, couldn't, move that fast, and she hadn't seen another person in several days. Someone else. A survivor.

She needed to know if she could make a friend.