Age of zombies

[75] Present time

The house was cold when I woke up. The old radiator by the window groaned weakly, barely putting out enough heat to fight off the December chill. I lay there under the covers for a few more minutes, just listening to the quiet. It was Christmas morning, and for the first time in what felt like forever, there was a sense of peace hanging in the air.

I glanced over at the small clock on the bedside table. 7:00 AM. Way too early, but I was too awake now to fall back asleep.

I stretched and climbed out of bed, pulling on my jacket as I padded down the stairs toward the living room. The others were still asleep, but the Christmas tree in the corner, scraggly and small as it was, was lit up with tiny multicolored lights. We'd scavenged the tree from the market, and Liza had insisted on decorating it. A few mismatched ornaments hung from the branches, and beneath the tree, a handful of presents were scattered—wrapped in whatever paper or fabric we could find.

I sat on the couch for a while, just staring at the tree, trying to wrap my head around the fact that it was Christmas. It didn't feel like it. The world outside was still broken, still dangerous. But inside this house, we'd created something that resembled normal. And maybe that was enough.

After a few minutes, I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Daisy appeared, her cowboy hat still tilted low over her face even though she wasn't fully dressed yet.

"Mornin'," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes as she collapsed onto the couch next to me. "You're up early."

"Couldn't sleep," I shrugged.

She glanced over at the tree and then gave me a half-smile. "Merry Christmas, I guess."

"Merry Christmas," I echoed, though it felt strange to say.

A few minutes later, Liza came stumbling down the stairs, yawning loudly. "Holy shit, it's freezing," she complained, wrapping her arms around herself as she headed for the couch. "What, no fire? You guys trying to kill me?"

I smirked. "There's a radiator. Use it."

"Radiator sucks," she muttered, flopping onto the couch and tugging a blanket around herself. "So... presents?"

"You're like a kid," Daisy said, shaking her head. "Ain't even had breakfast yet."

"Fk breakfast. I want to know what Santa brought me," Liza said, her bratty tone making me chuckle.

"Alright, alright," I said, getting up to grab the gifts from under the tree. "Let's do this before Liza has a meltdown."

One by one, I handed out the presents. Most of them were small, simple things we'd managed to find or trade for over the past few weeks. But in a world like this, even the smallest gift felt like a big deal.

Daisy unwrapped hers first. Inside was a brand-new holster for her pistol. I'd found it in one of the scavenger stalls at the market and figured she'd appreciate it.

"Well, shit," Daisy said, grinning as she strapped the holster onto her belt. "This is badass. Thanks, Jake."

I shrugged. "Figured you could use it."

She gave me a playful punch on the arm. "You know me too well."

Next up was Liza. She tore into her gift with all the enthusiasm of a kid on Christmas morning, and when she pulled out a bundle of manga I'd traded some old gear for, her eyes lit up.

"Holy shit!" she squealed, flipping through the pages. "You actually found this? How the fk did you get Attack on Titan volume 15? I've been looking for this forever!"

I grinned, watching her nerd out over the manga. "Traded some stuff. Figured you'd want it more than I would."

Liza practically tackled me with a hug, her ponytail smacking me in the face. "You're the best, Jake!"

I laughed, pushing her off. "Yeah, yeah. Merry Christmas."

Yabe was next. She unwrapped her gift carefully, her movements slow and deliberate. Inside was a soft, hand-knitted scarf in her favorite shade of green. I'd seen her eyeing scarves at the market a few times, but she'd never bought one.

Her eyes widened as she held it up, her fingers brushing over the soft fabric. "Senpai," she whispered, her voice filled with surprise. "This is... beautiful."

I shrugged, feeling a little awkward under her gaze. "Thought you might like it. You're always cold, so..."

Yabe smiled, her cheeks flushing slightly as she wrapped the scarf around her neck. "Thank you," she said softly, her voice full of warmth. "I love it."

"Well, don't get all mushy on me," I said, trying to lighten the mood. "It's just a scarf."

But Yabe leaned over and kissed me on the cheek, her face close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from her. "Merry Christmas, Senpai," she whispered, and I could feel my own face heating up.

"Uh, yeah," I mumbled, flustered. "Merry Christmas."

Daisy snorted from across the room. "Damn, Jake, looks like someone's getting special treatment this Christmas."

"Shut up, Daisy," I muttered, though I couldn't help but grin.

I grabbed the last present under the tree—one marked with my name—and sat back down on the couch. It was from all three of them, judging by the messy wrapping job.

"Open it!" Liza said, practically bouncing on the couch next to me.

I tore into the gift, and inside was a small, sleek pocketknife. The handle was polished wood, and the blade was sharp as hell—perfect for all the little jobs I'd need it for out here.

"This is awesome," I said, holding it up and flipping the blade open. "Where'd you guys find this?"

"Traded for it," Daisy said, smirking. "Figured you could use somethin' that ain't a katana for once."

I laughed, running my thumb over the edge of the blade. "Yeah, this'll definitely come in handy. Thanks, guys."

We spent the next few minutes just sitting there, admiring our gifts and talking about all the things we used to get for Christmas before the world went to hell. Liza went off on a rant about how her parents used to get her the wrong manga, and Daisy told us about the time she got a BB gun as a kid and accidentally shot out the neighbor's window.

"Best damn Christmas ever," Daisy said with a grin, leaning back on the couch. "My mama was pissed."

Yabe laughed softly, adjusting the scarf around her neck. "My parents always gave me practical gifts," she said, her voice warm. "School supplies, new shoes... things like that."

"Sounds boring," Liza commented, flipping through one of her manga volumes.

Yabe smiled. "It wasn't. It was thoughtful. They gave me things I needed. That's what mattered."

I leaned back, looking around the room at my friends, at the warm glow of the Christmas lights and the fire flickering in the fireplace. It wasn't a perfect Christmas. Far from it. But it was ours, and for the first time in a long time, I felt a strange sense of peace.

"We did good," I said, grinning as I looked at the others. "Merry fking Christmas."

"Merry fking Christmas," Daisy echoed, raising her coffee mug in a mock toast.

"Yeah, Merry Christmas, nerds," Liza added, grinning as she turned the page in her manga.

Yabe didn't swear—she never did—but she smiled at me, her eyes soft and warm. "Merry Christmas, Senpai," she said quietly, her voice full of affection.

And for the first time in a long time, I felt like maybe—just maybe—things were going to be okay.

Q: What do you plan to do this Christmas?