Zombie survivor

[76] The next step

The boat sliced through the water, cutting a jagged path through the quiet lake as the sun began to set behind them. The dark water lapped against the sides of the boat, a rhythmic sound that should have been soothing—but wasn't. Not after everything they'd just been through.

Morgan's hand was wrapped in a makeshift bandage, but even from a distance, it was clear that the blood soaked through. The rest of the squad was tired, sore, and mentally shredded. They had barely spoken to each other since they'd managed to escape the horde, their faces hollow with exhaustion. They sat in silence, looking out over the water, all their thoughts still caught in the chaos they had just left behind.

Trev sat next to Morgan, his arms around her waist as he tried to keep her still. She had barely said a word since the severing of her hand, and though the bandages had slowed the bleeding, the pain was still there, a constant reminder of how quickly things could go south.

"Yo, Morgan, you good?" Jean asked, his voice softer than usual. His face was pale, his shoulder still aching from the bite, but it was nothing compared to what Morgan had endured. He didn't expect a response, but it felt necessary to check.

Morgan shifted slightly, her face a mask of stoic determination. "I'll be fine," she muttered, though her voice was hoarse. "Just get me to Kelowna, and I'll figure the rest out."

"Yeah, alright," Jean said, looking back at the others. The rest of the squad was just as worn out, most of them staring blankly ahead, their minds likely somewhere far away from the present.

Brad was hunched over at the bow, his arms crossed, watching the water. He hadn't said a word in hours. His usual cocky demeanor was nowhere to be found, and for the first time in a long time, he seemed almost... vulnerable.

Chloe sat next to him, her eyes narrowed, her arms crossed tightly. The shrieks, the blood, the constant fight—none of it was sitting well with her. She had been quiet since the chaos on the dock, only speaking when absolutely necessary. "Do you think we're gonna be okay?" she asked, her voice soft but not weak.

Brad didn't look at her. His jaw clenched, and his voice was barely audible when he replied, "We don't have a fucking choice."

Evan, sitting just behind them, stared out at the horizon. His eyes were wide, a mix of fear and hope fighting for dominance. He had been the one to hotwire the boat and, despite his shaky start, had managed to get them moving. But now, as they approached a new settlement, it didn't feel like an escape. It felt like the beginning of something worse.

"Yo, what's the plan when we get there?" Brittany asked from the other side of the boat, adjusting her neon green jacket. Her voice cut through the silence like a knife. "Like, are we just gonna roll up and ask to join their squad? Do we even know if they're friendly?"

Jean glanced back at her, his face tight with frustration. "I dunno. But what other choice do we have, Bri? We need to find somewhere safe. Somewhere... normal."

Brittany rolled her eyes, leaning back on the edge of the boat, flipping her pink hair out of her face. "Normal? You think anywhere's gonna be normal after this? The whole fucking world's turned upside down, and you wanna find a 'normal' place? Bro, you gotta be trippin'."

"Yeah, we get it, Bri, you're jaded," Tyler muttered from where he was sitting, his legs dangling off the edge of the boat. He was exhausted, barely able to keep his eyes open. "But none of us have fucking answers right now. All we can do is try."

"Exactly," Morgan said, her voice dry. "So stop bitching and let's get to Kelowna. Maybe there's a chance we can figure something out."

"Yeah, whatever," Brittany shot back, her voice laced with irritation. She leaned against the boat's side, staring out at the water with a distant, almost vacant look in her eyes. The silence that followed was heavy, thick with uncertainty.

For a while, no one spoke as the boat continued to glide through the lake, the only sounds being the occasional dip of the oar and the creaking of the wooden hull.

The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky a mixture of deep reds and oranges, casting long shadows across the water. The air had that still, eerie quality to it, the kind that made everything feel... off. The reflection of the sunset on the lake's surface looked peaceful, almost surreal. But it was a false peace, a mask hiding the chaos just beneath the surface.

As the hours ticked on, the land began to take shape in the distance. At first, it was just a blur on the horizon, but slowly, like a ghost rising from the fog, the outline of buildings, trees, and roads became clearer.

"Yo, is that Kelowna?" Jean asked, his voice filled with a cautious kind of hope.

"It's got to be," Evan said, leaning forward, squinting through the dusk. "That's the only thing that makes sense."

"Can't fucking believe it," Tyler muttered, shaking his head. "Thought we were done for."

"No shit," Brad said, his voice barely above a whisper. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

The nearer they got to the shoreline, the clearer it became that Kelowna was still standing, but it wasn't the same place they remembered. The buildings were dark, some of them in ruins, windows shattered, and abandoned cars were piled up in the streets. Smoke lingered in the air, remnants of fires long burned out. It was clear there were survivors here—but at what cost?

"You see that?" Morgan asked, her voice hoarse but still sharp. "Look at the perimeter. That doesn't look like a welcome mat."

Jean followed her gaze. Off in the distance, the faint outline of what looked like a barricade stood tall, made up of scrap metal and old furniture. Guards—if they were guards—moved slowly in the distance, weapons raised, scanning the horizon for any threats. The settlement was well-defended, at least from what they could see.

"Looks like a damn fortress," Chloe muttered, glancing nervously at the others. "I don't know if that's good or bad."

"It's good for us," Trev said quietly, looking down at Morgan in his arms. "We don't have many other options."

They all turned their attention back to the settlement. Kelowna wasn't what they'd imagined. Hell, nothing was ever what they imagined anymore. The world they had once known was gone, replaced by the harsh reality of survival. But it was a place, and for now, that was enough.

"Let's just hope we don't get shot the second we get close," Brad said, his voice flat, a trace of humor hidden under the weight of his words. "We're gonna need a good story to explain why we're showing up at their doorstep."

"Just keep it together, okay?" Jean said, his tone firm as he steered the boat toward the dock. "We get in, we don't start shit. We find a place to crash, and we figure out what to do next."

The boat glided closer, the shoreline now a few hundred yards away. The distant outline of the barricade loomed over them, an imposing reminder of the dangers that awaited. But for the first time in what felt like forever, they were moving toward something—not just running away.

The settlement of Kelowna was closer now, the chance for survival within reach.

But they had no idea what awaited them when they reached the shore.

Q: Do you know any first aid?