HIDEOUT

9. Guards up

Sophie's heart was racing as she unlocked her phone to find multiple missed calls from her worried brother. She quickly dialed his number, her voice trembling as she assured him that she was safe and to make his way home as soon as possible.

As she hung up, she could feel the weight of the situation settle upon her. The three boys stood before her, their eyes trained on her every move. She could sense their uncertainty and fear, mirroring her own. Sophie took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, before turning to face them.

She told them that she had to check by herself if anyone of them was bitten or scratched by the zombies. They all just complied.

She carefully checked each of her ex-schoolmates for any visible bite marks or scratches from the zombies. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she knew that one mistake could be deadly. After all, this was an apocalypse, and trust was hard to come by.

Thankfully, none of them showed any signs of infection, and she breathed a small sigh of relief.

Despite having known them in school, she couldn't trust them blindly. After all, she had trust issues, and the apocalypse had turned people into ruthless killers who would do anything to survive.

She needed to keep her guard up against them, at least until her brother arrived. The thought of him coming back gave her some comfort.

She explained to the boys that they couldn't use the bedrooms and would have to sleep in the living room.

It was possible that she wanted to keep an eye on them and make sure they didn't try anything suspicious or harmful while in her house. The boys thought that her decision could be attributed to her cautious and protective nature in a dangerous situation.

She told them to sit on the couch and went upstairs with Ashton to get extra duvets and bedsheets. She couldn't help but feel a little relieved to have Ashton with her.

As they walked up the stairs, Sophie couldn't help but think about the dangers that lay outside the safety of her home. The thought of the zombies and other survivors lurking in the shadows made her shiver. She wondered if they would make it through the night or if they would become just another statistic in the apocalypse.