Furzombie - a gay furry zombie apocalypse

A New Start? - Sam

I'd been such an idiot.

The thought struck me again as I held Josh close, my arms wrapping tightly around him like he might vanish if I let go. His soft lips met mine, and for a moment, the world melted away. When our tongues touched, it was like a fire sparked inside me, pushing back the constant cold fear that had clung to me since the outbreak. In that kiss, there were no zombies, no hunger gnawing at my belly, no guilt weighing down my chest.

It was just us.

But reality never stayed away for long. I pulled back slightly, brushing a thumb across his damp cheek where tears still clung. "What are we going to do, Josh?" I asked, my voice quieter than I expected. The yard around us felt too open, too exposed

He sniffed, wiping his eyes again as if embarrassed. "The Sanctuary had power," he said softly.

I frowned, feeling a spike of alarm. "No," I said quickly, my ears flattening. "We're not going back there."

He shook his head. "I don't mean going back," he clarified. "I mean... solar power. They had solar panels. If we find a place with panels, we could make it work. We wouldn't need them or anyone else."

Relief rushed through me. He wasn't suggesting something reckless. He was right—if we could find solar panels, we could build something sustainable, something safe.

"Make our own place," I echoed, nodding slowly. "Like the farm, but more secure. With water, food... something that doesn't rely on scavenging every few weeks."

"Exactly," Josh said, his voice gaining strength. "We can grow food, or hunt if we need to. I don't want to run into gangs—or anyone else, for that matter."

"Gangs?" I asked, ears perking up.

Josh hesitated, glancing at me with a mix of worry and doubt. "Ricky mentioned them before I left the Sanctuary. He said there are gangs out there—people who'll take whatever they want, who'll kill or worse. I don't know if it's true, but..." He trailed off, his shoulders slumping. "I don't want to risk it. It should just be us, Sam. We don't need anyone else."

His conviction lit a fire in me. He believed we could do this together, that we could survive on our own. And as scared as I was, I wanted to believe it too.

"Okay," I said, nodding. "Let's head back to the farm and grab the truck. We'll figure it out from there."

Josh's face brightened, a spark of enthusiasm lighting his eyes. "I've got an idea," he said, pulling his phone from his pocket.

"What idea?" I asked, tilting my head curiously.

He grinned, holding up the phone. "Google Maps. Satellite view. We can look for places with solar panels."

I blinked, then laughed despite myself. It was so simple, yet so clever. "That's... actually brilliant," I said, my tail wagging for the first time in days.

"And we can check for water sources nearby," Josh added. "Maybe even a forest where we can forage or hunt."

For a brief, shining moment, I felt hope. Real, tangible hope. This plan could work. We could find a place, make it safe, and finally have a chance at living instead of just surviving.

But the open yard brought me back to reality. "Wait," I said, my ears swivelling as I glanced around. "We should talk about this back at the house. We're too exposed out here."

Josh nodded, but his gaze shifted, following mine toward the house I'd grown up in. His expression softened. "What's wrong, Sam?" he asked gently.

I hesitated, my eyes drifting to the bedroom window I'd stared out of so many times as a kid. The memories stung, sharp and fresh. "My phone's still in there," I said quietly. "It's on my bedside table, plugged in. There are photos and videos on it... of them. If we get power again..." I trailed off, my throat tightening. I couldn't bring myself to finish.