Untold Story ║ Book 1 of The Untold series

Chapter 9 - A crisis unveiled

As Thomas and I rush through the dimly lit aisles of the grocery store, we are nervous and want to get through this as fast as possible. We split up, I grab cans, bottles of water, and other essentials, filling my arms to the brim. The atmosphere is a nightmarish symphony of chaos, with screams echoing through the store and the unnerving shuffle of uninvited guests nearby. Empty shelves bore witness to the frantic scramble for supplies as the city plunge further into madness.

In my haste to grab a last-minute addition, a sudden crash sent canned goods tumbling to the floor.

"Thomas, not fun-" I began.

My heart races as I turn, only to be met with the ghastly sight of a zombie lunging toward me. Panic surges within me, but before I could react, Thomas appears from another aisle, probably heard my scream. He swings a baseball bat with precision, the impact creating a spine-chilling noise as it connected with the zombie. Even though the hit was incredibly fatal, the zombie is still moving.

My nerves are in tatters as Thomas takes my hand, his worry evident in his eyes. "Are you okay?" he asks, his voice laced with genuine concern.

I stammer, still trembling from the adrenaline rush. "I... I think so. Thank you."

We share a quick look. Together, we choose to abandon the idea of parting ways, realizing that safety was in numbers.

"We should stick together," Thomas declares, his tone unwavering. "It's too dangerous to split up. Let's finish gathering our supplies and get out of here as fast as we can."

Navigating the aisles, every zombie scream sent chills down our spines, and we freeze, hoping to remain unnoticed. With each cautious step, we filled the cart to the brim. It wasn't until now that the weight of our supplies hit me, and I couldn't help but voice my concern.

"We need to," Thomas reply, he pauses and looks at me with a dramatic sigh. "We don't have a choice. But I have to say, this isn't how I imagined our first date would go."

A chuckle escapes my lips. "If Zane heard you right now, he would beat you up."

As we rush out of the supermarket, my heart race with a strange mix of urgency and guilt. I couldn't shake the feeling that what we are doing amounted to theft.

Emerging from the store, I push the cart, while Thomas stood alert with his baseball bat at the ready. Our surroundings are filled with infected, but they are busy with something else. It was then that I noticed, what had captured their attention - a lone person lying on the ground. A strange relief washed over me as I realized that, for now, we weren't the main focus of the zombies' attention. However, guilt still gnaws at the back of my mind.

The other infected, slower and less capable, turn their attention to us. I couldn't help but note the stark difference in their abilities as they move slowly towards us, and at their speed, they wont reach us until tomorrow.

"i hope the others are fine" i tell Thomas, who is focused on defending us from any potential threat as i load the supplies into the trunk. i am happy that we mostly took boxes and bags with us, making this faster instead of taking one product at a time.

Thomas responds

"I hope so too, Jane," Thomas replies, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger. "But right now, our priority is to stay safe and get back to them"

*****

As we leave the chaotic scene behind, silence engulfed the car like a thick fog. The tension within was palpable, our shared anxiety weighing heavily on our shoulders. Thomas kept his gaze fixed on the road ahead, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel. I sit beside him, my fingers clenched around the edge of the seat, my mind racing with the uncertain future that awaits us.