Age of zombies

[27] Country roads

The smell of eggs and bacon filled the kitchen, mingling with the warmth of the gas stove as Daisy served up breakfast. The sound of sizzling food was comforting, almost making it feel like the world outside hadn't fallen apart. After days of surviving on scraps, this was easily the best breakfast we'd had since the apocalypse started. Plates full of fried eggs, bacon, and canned beans were spread out on the table, and for a brief moment, it felt like we were normal people again.

I sat across from Ethan, who was already halfway through his plate. Yabe was next to me, eating quietly but with a soft smile on her face. Daisy leaned against the counter, sipping her coffee, her sharp eyes watching all of us with that same practical, no-nonsense look.

"This is amazing," Ethan mumbled between mouthfuls. "I almost forgot what real food tasted like."

"Don't get used to it," Daisy replied, her voice dry. "It ain't gonna be this good every day."

"Still, best damn breakfast we've had in days," I said, nodding my thanks to her. "Appreciate it, Daisy."

She shrugged, but I caught the faint smirk tugging at her lips. "You boys needed a decent meal. Can't fight the apocalypse on an empty stomach."

As we finished eating, the conversation shifted, the lingering question we'd been avoiding finally coming up: what's next?

"So, what's the plan now?" Ethan asked, leaning back in his chair and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "We can't stay here forever."

I nodded, feeling the weight of the decision pressing down on me. "Yeah, we need to figure out our next move. We've been lucky so far, but this can't last."

Yabe set her fork down, her soft voice breaking the quiet. "Where do we go? There's danger everywhere... but we can't stay here."

Daisy crossed her arms, leaning against the counter. "She's right. This farm's safe for now, but it won't be forever. Supplies run out, and sooner or later, those bastards like the ones I took out are gonna find us. Or worse."

I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to piece together the options in my head. "We need somewhere that's defensible... but also where we can get more supplies. The cities are overrun, and staying rural only works until we run out of food or water."

"North," Ethan said, leaning forward. "I say we head north. Maybe into Canada. Less people, colder climate... hell, maybe the zombies don't like the cold."

Daisy raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching into a half-smile. "You seriously think zombies are scared of snow?"

Ethan shrugged, unbothered. "I mean, it's worth a shot, right? Fewer people, fewer problems. Plus, colder weather might slow them down."

I considered it, rolling the idea over in my mind. "North could work. Canada's got wide open spaces, fewer major cities. But we don't know how far the outbreak has spread. It could be just as bad up there."

"We don't know anything at this point," Ethan muttered, frowning. "It's all a fking gamble."

Yabe spoke up, her voice soft but steady. "What about west? If we can get to the coast, maybe we could find a boat... sail to Hawaii. It's isolated, and the outbreak might not have reached there."

The idea hung in the air for a moment. Hawaii—an island paradise in the middle of the Pacific, far away from the chaos of the mainland. It sounded like a dream, but I knew better than to chase dreams in a world like this.

"Hawaii's great in theory," I said, glancing at Yabe. "But getting there is the problem. First, we'd have to find a boat. And even if we did, who the hell knows how to sail? It's not like we can just hop on and hit autopilot."