Till Death Do Us Part: Remastered (Beth X Male Reader)

Chapter 2 A Glimpse Of Hope

Five weeks later

The world had fallen into chaos; the once bustling streets now lay in ruin, their pavements cracked and overgrown with weeds. Buildings stood as hollow shells, their windows shattered, and their doors hanging on hinges. The remnants of a once-thriving civilization were now just reminders of a world that existed before.

Amidst the desolation, a lone figure walked, his steps measured and cautious. Clad in tattered clothes and carrying a worn backpack, a spiked baseball bat rests over his shoulder as he whistles a tune. 

Y/n navigated through the debris-strewn landscape with no destination in mind after the first day of the outbreak. He thought everything would have been handled by the military, but it got worse. 

After the first few weeks, the power and water grid shut down, leaving the world in darkness. Fresh water was harder to come by along with food since a mass panic struck the nation by a storm. Luck was on Y/n's side, as he had enough food to last at least a few weeks, along with the water he got from the sinks, before the power shut everything down.

Y/n had left King's County and made the long trek to Atlanta in hopes of finding supplies or survivors. 

The young man's mind wandered to better times where he was sitting at the table with his Uncle Rick, Aunt Lori, and Cousin Carl, talking about their mundane days like school or their jobs. He remembered that his uncle Rick was in a coma from a gunshot he received from an escaping suspect.

He stopped whistling as a sad look graced his face.

"He's dead. Their all dead." Y/n said darkly to himself.

A sudden noise put him on alert; he quickly cleared his mind of the depressing thoughts and focused on surviving. His eyes travel to every alley and blind spot that surrounds him. A low moan and the sound of broken glass crunching on the ground caught his attention. 

He whips his head around to see a lone walker aimlessly shambling around with his hollow eyes. Y/n walks forward and spins the bat in his hand before tightly holding it as he walks towards the flesh eater.

The walker quickly turns towards him and lets out a loud growl before lunging towards him. In an instant, Y/n swings his baseball bat, slamming the walker in the side of the temple. A handful of the spikes stick into it's head, causing it to fall limp as the metal impales its brain. 

He pulls his weapon free and lets the body fall to the ground in a heap. He glances down at the now-dead walker and lets out a sigh. His gaze travels upwards as he looks at the towering skyscrapers of Atlanta. The sky began to glow with an orange hue as the sun began to set.

Y/ns stomach rumbled loudly, causing him to groan in discomfort. He lightly patted it to ease the hunger pains he has.

"I need food and shelter. Fast." He whispered to himself. 

He walked deeper into the abandoned city as a sense of unease filled the air. His eyes travel around, but he sees nothing but discarded cars and a few military vehicles. Even deeper, a large barrel of something can be seen sticking out around a corner of the next block.

The world seemed to answer his prayers. A lone gas station sits on the corner of the block he's walking down. He picked up the pace to jog and made a beeline straight for the building. The door was hanging by its hindges as it swayed slightly from the breeze that blows through the empty streets.

Y/n quickly entered through the threshold and into the gas station; his eyes widen in surprise, but a large smile graces his face. 

The shelves had been knocked over and held small bags of chips and other snacks. The coolers are slightly filled with fizzy drinks such as soda, flavored water, energy drinks, and regular water.