I Stocked Up, Scum Couple Begs for Mercy

Three months after the apocalypse hit, the world had frozen to a deadly minus eighty degrees. Darkness and ice swallowed the city whole, with no power, no water, and little food. Zombies prowled the streets, turning life into a daily nightmare. In a forgotten garage corner, Jason Smith clung to Mia Scott as they shared the scarce warmth of an old heater. They enjoyed canned beef and nursed a half-can of cola. Jason was my partner of seven years, while Mia was my closest childhood confidante. But me, Lyle Moore? I hadn't touched food or water in days. Chapped lips and a stomach ablaze with hunger left me sprawled on the freezing concrete, every pulse of pain a reminder. My abdomen screamed from a miscarriage, leaving me breathless and weak. Earlier, Mia groaned from feverish discomfort, and Jason admitted hunger had drained his strength. Ignoring my own pregnancy, I bundled up in a thin coat, venturing into the shattered remnants of a nearby supermarket, facing the zombie threat head-on. Hidden beneath a broken counter, I discovered one last piece of whole wheat bread. It was frozen solid like a rock. I didn't so much as nibble it. My only thought was to bring it back for them. Returning, I was pursued by zombies. Slipping on ice, I fell, pain slicing through my belly. A zombie attacked, biting deeply into my calf, tearing flesh, revealing bone, which froze to an eerie white. Warm blood flowed, turning to icy crystals upon touching the air. Despite agonizing abdominal pain, resulting in my miscarriage, I held firm. Tears didn't come. My singular thought was that with this half-piece of bread, the three of us might defy death. I reminisced about the days gone by. Jason was always strapped for cash, juggling two jobs. He would pass the hearty meals to me, subsisting on crackers himself, with a grin, "I'm fine. Just make sure you're full." During the frosty months, he would cocoon my neck with a scarf and tuck my icy hands into his pockets, murmuring, "My girl can't be left shivering." When I used a massive $32,000 chunk of my savings to clear his student loans, his eyes welled up as he promised to move heaven and earth, so I would never have to endure hardship. "Lyle, you're the one true love of my life. I'll never let you down." Mia had been my confidante for over a decade, the one I could trust implicitly. With a high-paying job, I would often treat her to dinners and lavish gifts like skincare and designer bags. When rent became a struggle for her, I would wire the funds without a second thought. When the apocalypse dawned, I offered her my last fever meds and the sole cozy blanket, even letting her sip the final bit of warm water. With tears, she clung to me, saying, "Lyle, you're closer than family could ever be. I would never betray you." I placed my faith in them for four solid years. I poured my heart and soul into caring for them during that time. Determined, I bit down, using half a sleeve to wrap my wound, inching painfully toward the garage. However, upon raising my eyes and taking in the sight, it was as if my blood turned to ice, and even my agony dulled. Reality slapped me with brutal force. Inside, the garage was snug and inviting. Jason lounged comfortably with Mia, nestled close to the heater. Spread before them were tins of beef, chocolate, and fancy biscuits, along with a box brimming with hidden provisions, surreptitiously amassed by them, enough to see the two of them securely through the apocalypse. Mia's cheeks were puffed out as she laughed, playfully feeding Jason chocolate. He leaned in to kiss her with eyes that were warm and tender. They were living in the lap of luxury, none of the hardships of hunger or chill, not a trace of the weariness from battling a high fever. Meanwhile, I was the one putting up a valiant fight, losing a baby in the process, my body covered in bruises. I was the foolish one who gave everything and received nothing in return. Their faces were glowing with health, their lips shiny with the richness of their feast. The sight of all that food made me swallow with reflexive envy. I looked down at myself. In a mere 18 days, I had shed 20 pounds. My hands appeared so frail that they might break with a slight breeze, my ribs stark against my skin. It hit me then. I was the one truly starving here. Jason and Mia turned and were visibly startled to see me. I locked eyes with them, refusing to look away. Their expressions held surprise and disdain, yet there was no compassion for my injuries or remorse for their betrayal. Jason didn't even deign to rise or meet my gaze directly. His eyes were filled with relief tainted with disgust, as if ridding himself of unwanted baggage at last. When he noticed the bloodstains on my lower body, annoyance flickered across his face, as if lamenting the loss of something valuable for no reason. Mia dabbed at the corner of her mouth, striding over with a condescending glare. Without warning, she snatched the hard-earned half loaf from my grasp, hurling it to the floor and grinding it to dust beneath her boot. "Back already? You're just useless. You got yourself bitten by a zombie just scavenging for food? You ended up injured, and lost the baby? You're nothing but dead weight to us." The crunch of her boot on the bread was like a jagged blade slicing into my heart over and over. The burning pain in my abdomen and the numbing throb in my injured leg faded in comparison to the anguish gripping my chest. Clinging desperately to Mia's pant leg, I shook uncontrollably, tears pouring down my cheeks. "Mia, when everything fell apart, I raced to your building and pulled you from that elevator. I used my last fever pills when you were burning up and gave you the only blanket to keep warm. I ventured out today for supplies for you two. That's how I lost the baby!" Mia sneered and kicked me away forcefully. My frail body slammed into the wall, the unsettling c***k of bones rattling my teeth. I lifted my head to meet her poison-filled gaze. "You chose that path. It's the apocalypse now. The weak are meant to be discarded. Jason picked me because I'm more capable, more compliant, and better suited to endure alongside him. "Initially, when you were expecting, the plan was to use you and the baby as leverage for more supplies, enough to get us a few extra bags. "But now, with the baby lost and your leg busted, you're nothing but a worthless invalid, your value gone." Clinging to Jason's arm, she continued with a voice full of disdain and blame. "Anyway, we've teamed up with a survival group. They've got guns, fuel, and a mountain of supplies. "We won't completely dump you because of our history as friends. They're in need of bait. In your current condition, without a pregnancy slowing you down, you fit the bill. "If you're looking for someone to blame, look no further than yourself, your misfortune and inability to protect even the baby." Bait? That word hit me like a lightning strike, shattering any illusion. It became clear that to them, my emotions, my sacrifices, and my unborn baby were never about friendship. They were mere bargaining chips, trade fodder. With the baby gone, I was now expendable, a pawn worth only a couple of bags of bread. Their plan was to feed me to the zombies, let those men have their way and throw me to death. I longed to retaliate, to slap those deceitful faces. But exhaustion had the best of me. My body was broken, and the miscarriage had drained the last drop of life from me. I could only drag myself feebly toward Jason. With a voice raw and shaky, tears flowed uncontrollably as my body trembled violently. I said, "Jason, not long ago, you would starve or freeze just to keep me fed and warm. You swore I'd never face hardship. That was your baby too. How can you be so cold?" Jason chuckled with a mocking edge, his eyes showing nothing but irritation, as though my words about our past and the loss of our baby were just a bad joke to him. "That was back then," he remarked offhandedly, like tossing away an old, worthless trinket. "Now we're in the apocalypse. You're hobbling on a busted leg and weakened from the miscarriage. You eat too much and can't pull your weight. You were only worth something because of the pregnancy. Now that's gone. Sacrificing you to keep Mia and me going and snagging a couple of bags of bread is a bargain." A bargain? Apparently, all my love, sacrifices, thrift, and my unborn baby were, in his eyes, merely a "bargain." He gestured to a nearby group. "Hey, boss, she's over here!" Men with harsh looks and greedy eyes closed in, assessing me like a discarded, yet potentially useful, item. Standing nearby, Jason was all flattery. "She's weak and won't get far. Do with her as you like. Use her for zombie bait, or put her to work. She's your problem now." One of them spat at me, "She's starved, injured, lost a baby. She's no fun. Even messing around would kill my appetite. Perfect since she can't run. Toss her on the main street. Zombies will feast on bait like this." Ignoring my struggles, they lifted me roughly, treated me like a dead weight, and dragged me to where zombies roamed, giving me a brutal shove. I hit the icy ground with force, pain exploding from my leg wound and belly as I slammed onto the hard surface, leaving me crumpled like a broken, discarded animal. The blood beneath me spread out, gradually thickening in the icy breeze, signaling the end of that little life. The growls approached rapidly. Zombies, enticed by the scent of human life and the rich smell of blood, descended upon me like a pack. With what little energy I had left, I glanced over. Jason, comfortably holding Mia, stood illuminated by the firelight, casually eating canned goods and conversing with the group leader, a grin on his face. I saw his irritation. He was annoyed that I had only fetched two bags of bread for them and upset over the loss of the baby, a missed opportunity for more supplies. He was the man I had poured my heart into, the one for whom I had scrimped and saved, and the one I had risked everything for, just hoping to share a crumb of bread. A surge of hatred exploded within me, obliterating all pain and despair, wiping out every trace of lingering affection and the sorrow of losing my child. Running wasn't an option, nor was it on my mind. Gathering the last of my strength, I pulled out the thin blade I kept hidden in my sleeve for cutting cans, and without a second thought, I sliced it firmly across my wrist. The blade sliced into my flesh, slicing open the artery. Hot blood spurted out, creating a crimson mist in the below-freezing air, spattering onto Mia and turning her white dress a vivid red. "Oh my God, it's blood!" "You lunatic, do you have any idea you're going to kill us all?" The overpowering scent of blood spread rapidly, acting like a beacon in the night, frantically luring zombies from over a hundred meters away. A horde of this size could easily pull these wicked souls apart, piece by piece. Echoes of curses and screams rang in my ears, branding me as mad. As my vision dimmed, I let out a laugh, fierce and despairing, a laugh that felt freeing. Clutching the knife, I drove it into my body repeatedly, as if desperately attempting to release all the bitterness, the pain, the rage over my child's death through the flowing blood. They sought to use me as bait, ensuring their escape. They schemed against my unborn child, reducing me to worthlessness. Now, my blood would become their curse. The zombie swarm lost control, turning and crashing toward those gathered by the firelight like an unstoppable tide. Screams, roars, gunfire, the unmistakable sound of breaking bones, and cries erupted into the bitter cold. I lay there in the snow, my lifeblood spilling out, my consciousness slowly fading. I witnessed those who had deserted and betrayed me, who saw me as nothing but bait, swallowed by the zombie swarm. I saw the panic on Jason's face, the imploring cries of Mia. How poetic! They would perish with me, and be the tribute for my baby. In the last heartbeat before darkness overtook my mind, I harnessed the final shred of my strength to cast a curse, absolute and venomous. "Jason, Mia, in another life, I'll pay you both back blood for blood. I promise."