After The End

Chapter 7: Please Don't

Jaydon had been driving for hours, and night was quickly approaching.

"We're camping in the car tonight," he said. "Then we'll walk the rest of the way tomorrow."

"Huh?" I frowned.

"What do you mean, walk?"

Without saying a word, he pointed at the fuel gauge.

The needle sat firmly on E.

"We're out of gas," he said. "So you guys better get used to walking."

Neither Stacy nor I argued; there wasn't much point.

That night, Stacy and Megan snuggled in the back seat and soon fell asleep. Jaydon sat in the driver’s seat, gazing into the darkness outside the windshield.

"Get some sleep," I said. "I'll keep watch."

I looked out the window.

The sky was clear.

Thousands of stars stretched across the darkness above us.

For a moment, it was beautiful.

The world felt peaceful.

Quiet.

It was strange.

Just days ago, people were screaming. Now, the distant chirping of insects and the soft rustling of leaves were the only sounds to be heard. Even with monsters nearby, the silence felt oddly calming.

I stayed awake a bit longer before drifting off. Morning arrived fast. Jaydon was the first to wake. Soon, Stacy and I were awake too. Then, we searched through our remaining supplies.

"Tch."

Jaydon clicked his tongue.

"Looks like the soldiers took some of our food."

I rummaged through one of the bags.

"We still have something."

I began counting.

"Six snack packs. Four juice boxes. Some water. Three tins of sausage and five cups of soup."

I searched again. Nothing. That was all we had left.

"We should split it up and get moving before we run into those things," Stacy suggested.

Everyone agreed. After we divided the food and packed our bags, Jaydon moved the car further off the road. He used branches and leaves to cover it. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better than leaving it exposed.

Then we started walking. A few minutes later, we reached Bull Bay Town. A faded sign stood beside the road.

WELCOME TO BULL BAY TOWN

Someone had spray-painted a message beneath it.

HELP.

Nobody spoke as we looked out over the empty, silent streets. Abandoned cars sat idle, and not a soul was in sight. Some buildings looked abandoned, while others seemed occupied. Every now and then, I kept noticing curtains shifting in the windows. Someone was inside those buildings. Watching us..

As I watched and waited, a chill ran down my spine.

"They're scared," Stacy whispered.

"Can you blame them?" Jaydon replied.

We ventured further into town. Soon, we spotted a clothing store. Its front windows were dusty, yet the building seemed untouched. I quickly pointed it out.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'd like to change out of these work clothes."

I tugged at my pants.

"These things are trying to kill me every time I run."

Stacy laughed.

That morning, the tension eased.

"I have to agree with that."

While Jaydon kept watch outside, the three of us changed into more comfortable clothes, by the time we finished, we felt like completely different people. Gone were the work uniforms and uncomfortable outfits.

Now we finally looked the part. Smiling, we headed back outside, hoping to surprise Jaydon. Instead, we found him fighting three infected.

The creatures hissed and lunged at him. Jaydon moved calmly between them. His machete flashed. One dropped. Then another. The last one collapsed moments later.

When it was over, he simply wiped the blood from the blade and walked back toward us as if nothing had happened.

"You okay?" I asked.

Instead of answering, he handed me a baseball bat. Then he handed Stacy a machete.

"Where did you get these?" I asked.

He ignored me. Instead, he crouched down and handed Megan a knife along with a sheath. Stacy immediately snatched it away.

"Are you insane?" she snapped.

"You can't give a twelve-year-old a knife!"

Jaydon sighed.

"What do you expect me to do?"

He stepped closer.

"If you two are staying with me, then you need to learn how to survive."

Stacy took a nervous step backward. Jaydon kept walking.

"I have no obligation to protect either of you."

Another step.

"If you want to stay alive, learn how to fight."

Another.

"If you want someone else to protect you..."

Stacy's back hit a wall.

"Then go find them."

Silence.

Jaydon finally stepped away.

"You all need to learn."

His eyes moved between us.

"Got it?"

I nodded immediately.

Honestly?

I was excited, this was exactly the kind of thing I'd seen in zombie movies. "Zombie," I said out loud by mistake. The thought of fighting one myself sent a strange thrill through me.

"Zombie?" Stacy repeated.

Before I could explain, Jaydon cut me off.

"We need somewhere quiet."

A few minutes later, we spotted an abandoned police car. The driver's side door hung slightly open. We exchanged glances. Then slowly approached. Jaydon peered inside.

"Body in the driver's seat."

He took the bat from my hands and nudged the corpse. Nothing, then suddenly the infected shot forward.

Its jaws snapped shut inches from Jaydon's face. A guttural hiss escaped its throat. Luckily, the seatbelt held it in place. Jaydon calmly stepped back while the creature clawed and thrashed wildly.

Then point to the machete in Stacy's hands.

"Kill it."

Stacy froze.

"What?"

"Kill it."

Her face turned pale.

"No."

The infected continued struggling.

Growling.

Snapping.

Reaching for them.

Jaydon didn't move.

"Kill it."

Stacy began shaking.

"No."

Tears filled her eyes.

"I can't."

Her breathing became uneven.

Fast.

Shallow.

Panicked.

The machete slipped slightly in her grip.

"Please..."

She looked like she was about to break.

"Please don't make me do this."

Stacy looked completely helpless.

And Jaydon didn't look away.

Before anyone could say another word, Megan stepped forward.

"Mommy..."

Her small voice cut through the tension. Stacy immediately turned toward her daughter.

"Megan, stay back."

But Megan didn't listen.

Her eyes were fixed on the infected policeman struggling against the seatbelt. Then she pointed.

"He has a ring."

Everyone fell silent. Megan took another hesitant step forward.

"Look."

Her voice trembled.

"He's married."

I followed her gaze. A gold wedding band still sat on the infected's finger. The sight made my stomach twist. Near his feet, a phone lay on the floor of the car. The screen was cracked. But it was still lit. A picture of a smiling woman and two young children filled the lock screen.

For a moment, nobody moved.

"Please..." Megan whispered.

"He probably has a family waiting for him."

Stacy pulled her daughter into a hug. Tears filled her eyes.

"Please don't make me do this."

Her voice broke.

"He was a person."

The infected continued snarling and pulling against the seatbelt.