CheeKaRaBha

Chapter 11: Bittersweet Night

Under the blazing sun while they were walking, they were looking for a place to stay as nightfall was approaching.

"Do you know where we’re going?" John asked Daniel.

"The direction to my house is to the left, and to the right is our town. We’re taking a shortcut to the second neighboring town," Daniel replied.

"I haven't been through this way. What’s our plan once we reach the town?" John asked suddenly.

"In the town we’re heading to, there’s another town beyond it where you’ll find the destination you’re looking for," Daniel answered while continuing to walk, carrying his son Liam.

John immediately looked at Daniel after he said this.

"What do you mean we’ll part ways in the town we’re heading to?" John quickly asked.

"Exactly that. You can continue on your way. Liam and I need to find a place to stay first. You won't be safe if you stay with us," Daniel answered seriously.

John and Lyn stopped, shocked by what they heard.

"You can come with us, right? Why are we separating now when we’re united and stronger together?" John said in a trembling voice.

John’s mind raced. Could they really afford to split up now? He glanced at Lyn and Liam, feeling the weight of their safety on his shoulders. "Are you sure about this, Daniel?" he asked, his voice tinged with desperation.

Daniel patted John on the shoulder and continued walking.

As they walked, John couldn’t shake off the growing unease. They had been through so much together, and the idea of splitting up now felt like tearing apart the fragile hope that had kept them going.

They reached the neighboring town by afternoon but remained silent as they scouted the town before entering. They immediately entered a closed building, which Daniel carefully opened with a knife, while John stayed alert with a gun in hand. Lyn was holding Liam. As Daniel opened the door, he readied his gun to check for infected or people inside. The other three stayed at the entrance while Daniel checked each room, and John went to the second floor but found nothing. On the third floor, Daniel heard footsteps and immediately readied his gun upon entering, pointing it at John.

"I thought you were on the second floor?" Daniel asked, still shocked.

"I checked everything quickly; we really need to rest," John replied.

John covered all the windows while Daniel secured the door to prevent entry. Lyn was cooking for them while Liam slept on the sofa.

As the aroma of Lyn's cooking filled the room, they gathered around a makeshift table.

"Looks like you outdid yourself, Lyn," John said, smiling and offering a prayer before taking a bite. "This is delicious."

"Thanks, John. I wanted tonight to be special for all of us," Lyn replied.

Daniel nodded appreciatively, savoring the food. He caught a glimpse of the past, remembering his wife cooking for them, which made him emotional. "It’s been a long time since we had a meal like this. It almost feels normal again."

John glanced at Daniel, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Yeah, it's hard to believe this is our last night together."

Lyn looked at Liam, who was smiling innocently. "We’ve been through so much. It’s hard to imagine not having you both around."

Daniel smiled softly. "And I’ll miss your optimism, John. No matter how tough things got, you never lost hope."

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, each lost in their thoughts. Liam broke the silence with a giggle, drawing smiles from everyone.

"Look at him," John said, chuckling. "He’s our little ray of sunshine."

Daniel’s face softened as he looked at his son. "He is. And I want to keep it that way. That’s why this goodbye is necessary."

John nodded, though his heart felt heavy. "I understand. We have to do what’s best for our families."

Lyn reached across the table, placing her hand over John’s. "We’ll always be connected, no matter where we are."

"That’s true," Daniel agreed. "This isn’t really goodbye. It’s just… see you later."

"See you later," John repeated.

The next morning, as they left the building, Daniel gave them a map, and they got into the vehicle to leave the town. While John was driving and Lyn was holding the map of the town, they found themselves stuck in the middle of the town because all the roads were blocked by vehicles.

They were now on their own, so they quickly looked for a route while avoiding zombies. They stayed quiet because the zombies had sharp hearing and would chase them immediately. John and Lyn were walking carefully when they bumped into a man with his face hidden by a cloth. The man screamed, and they all ran as a horde of bloodied, hungry zombies started chasing them.

They ran as if there was no tomorrow, following the man they had bumped into. When Lyn twisted her ankle and couldn’t get up immediately, John quickly grabbed his two machetes to fend off the approaching zombies. Seeing this, the man quickly helped Lyn while John held onto her and they continued running. Struggling to keep moving, the three of them saw some people with their faces covered by cloths on top of a mall building making noise to distract the zombies away from them. They managed to get inside the mall, and the others quickly covered John and Lyn's faces with black cloth to keep them hidden.