𝔯𝔢𝔡𝔢𝔪𝔭𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 ↠ 𝔯.𝔤𝔯𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰

02

the road in front of her seemed endless, miles long of hardened pavement breezing past as anya pressed down on the gas pedal with meaning.

the gun rested on the passenger seat next to her. anya occasionally glanced at it from her peripheral vision. it was reassuring in a way, a helpful reminder of why she'd hotwired a car in the first place.

she stuck her hand out the open window, shoulders loose as the wind traveled into the heated car. the roads were exceptionally bare besides the deserted cars stranded out onto the asphalt and the roaming undead scattered about. 

anya glanced at the map, nodding to herself as she found she was less than a few miles away from her destination. the sun was still hanging early in the sky, reassuring her that there's a possibility she wasn't too late.

as she neared the city, she slowed down, eyeing the backup of cars on the opposite side of the road. the anxious feeling returned, making her stomach churn. anya tore her gaze away and took a deep breath, fingers drumming on the steering wheel.

just as she was close enough to enter the city streets, the car spluttered and coughed, before slowing to a complete stop. anya furrowed her eyebrows before looking at the gas gauge, seeing it had landed on E.

"damn," anya muttered, killing the engine. she reached into the back seat of the car and grabbed her gear, strapping the scabbard onto her back and holstering the blades. before stepping out of the car, anya grabbed the gun and tucked it into her belt for easy access.

although early in the day, the sun was hot and relentless. "gotta get in some cardio, anyway." anya sighed, gripping the straps of her duffel bag.

she began walking down the final strip of road that would lead into the city. anya raised her hand to shield her eyes as she sized up the large, looming buildings before her.

as she neared the entrance, anya pulled both blades from the sheath, readying them just in case.

the first step past the city line and the absolute quietness made her clench her jaw tight. the city held signs of abandonment, graffiti and fire burnt cars littered the roads. anya scoured the entire area in front of her, assessing the damage and possible danger.

she tried to recall what rick had said days before, about the refuge camp that promised shelter and safe keeping. anya tried to keep that in mind as she trekked further into the city.

a stumbling crank caught sight of her and switched directions, mouth agape and snarling. anya quickly took it out, head rolling away carelessly.

anya suddenly paused, ears straining for any sound. it was eerily silent. she swallowed roughly.

around the corner of a building, three more undead shuffled towards her, hands outreached. anya skillfully swirled her blades through her fingers before taking down the first two in sync. the last one had obviously been dead for awhile, skin peeling off its face, with its entire jaw missing. anya thought of it as a bad omen, but quickly dismissed the thought, beheading the crank in the same process.

she let out a deep breath, but just before continuing down the road, loud groaning caught her attention.

anya glanced over, and her heart dropped into her stomach.

there was a hoard fumbling around a corner straight towards her, having caught her scent. it was less than ten. with refusal to give up yet, anya clacked her blades against one another, rolling her neck in preparation.