Zombie apocalypse:whispers from the dark

unspoken feelings

The next morning, the faint light of dawn crept through the cracks in the boarded-up windows, casting long shadows across the warehouse floor. Zach blinked awake, the rough texture of the blanket beneath him doing little to soothe his aching muscles. The events of the previous day played in his mind, but as he looked around, there was a strange sense of calm in the quiet warehouse.

Beside him, Anastasia still slept, her face peaceful, her green eyes closed, a far cry from the intensity they had shown the day before. Zach allowed himself a brief moment of peace as he watched her, feeling a tug at his chest. He could feel their connection growing stronger, but neither of them had spoken about it. There was always something more urgent, more dangerous, to deal with.

As if sensing his gaze, Anastasia stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She looked at him, a small, sleepy smile pulling at her lips. “Morning.”

“Morning,” Zach replied, keeping his voice low. “You sleep okay?”

“As well as you can in a warehouse,” she said with a quiet chuckle, pushing herself up into a sitting position. Her gaze drifted around the room, her expression softening as she took in the sight of their little group still resting. Mei was curled up against a stack of old crates, her heterochromatic eyes closed in restless sleep. Yeong Do and Aradhya had positioned themselves near one of the barricaded doors, keeping a quiet vigil throughout the night.

“We should let them rest a little longer,” Anastasia said, rubbing her eyes. “They’ll need the energy.”

Zach nodded, but he knew they couldn’t rest forever. The warehouse, while safer than the school, wasn’t a permanent solution. They needed food, water, and weapons—supplies that would run out if they didn’t start planning ahead.

“We need to talk about what comes next,” Zach said quietly, shifting closer to Anastasia. “This place is good, but we can’t survive here without a plan. We’ll need to go out soon—find more supplies, maybe scout the area for other survivors.”

Anastasia’s face grew serious as she nodded. “Agreed. But we need to be smart about it. We can’t risk splitting up, not with how dangerous it’s gotten out there.”

“I know,” Zach said, running a hand through his hair. “But the longer we wait, the harder it’ll get.”

They fell into a comfortable silence for a moment, the weight of their situation pressing down on them. Zach wanted to say more, to talk about the way his feelings for her had been growing since this nightmare had begun, but the words stayed lodged in his throat. Every time he thought about opening up, the fear of losing her—or making things more complicated—kept him from saying anything.

Instead, he settled for something safer. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Anastasia’s green eyes softened, and for a brief moment, Zach saw the girl she had been before the world fell apart. She smiled, the kind of smile that made his heart race. “I’m glad you’re here too, Zach.”

After a few more minutes, the rest of the group began to stir. Mei stretched, her eyes groggy but alert. Yeong Do and Aradhya stood up, immediately checking the barricades and assessing the situation outside. The morning routine had become second nature to them—survival left little room for anything else.

As they gathered around to discuss their next steps, Yeong Do spoke first. “We need to secure this place. The front door’s barricade will hold for a while, but if we want to stay here, we’ll need to fortify the other entrances.”

“I’ll help with that,” Zach said. “What about supplies? We’ve still got some food and water, but it won’t last long.”

“There’s a grocery store a few blocks from here,” Aradhya chimed in, her brown eyes thoughtful. “I passed by it when I was scouting before. It might still have some things, but we’ll need to be quick.”