7. Lena
7
LENA
A s the afternoon passed, Lena couldn’t help but feel close to Fleur. She couldn’t help but think about the words she had said. A crush? A feeling? Was it all too much to feel for someone, when life could be taken away so quickly?
She buried her thoughts and focused on the journey ahead.
“I think we should try to look for a car again if the coast looks clear,” Lena insisted, her eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of danger.
“As long as we’re not jumping into a car while being chased by a horde of zombies, I’m okay with it,” Fleur replied, a teasing glint in her eyes that momentarily lightened the heavy atmosphere.
“Well, maybe try not to venture into any doctors' offices this time,” Lena shot back with a playful grin.
“Deal.”
Eventually the path led to a road, and the road led to an old gas station. But it didn’t take long to see there were no signs of cars, fuel or much left at all.
“Well, I guess we’ll just be walking for a while longer,” Lena sighed, a hint of frustration creeping into her voice. She surveyed the barren lot, the remnants of a once-bustling place now eerily quiet. The sun beat down on them, and the weight of their situation felt heavier than ever.
Fleur placed a reassuring hand on Lena’s shoulder, grounding her. “We’ve come this far. We’ll keep moving, just like we always do,” she said, her voice steady. That’s when Lena noticed something.
It was a human, a woman. She seemed normal. But something about her made Lena feel uneasy.
“Hey. Is that a person over there?” Fleur squinted into the distance, her voice tinged with suspicion.
“I think so. We should try to avoid her,” Lena replied cautiously, scanning the treeline. “People can be just as harmful as the dead, if not worse.”
“What if she can point us towards the lab?” Fleur’s mind was already racing through possibilities.
“You want to trust a stranger? She might also be ready to ambush us and take us for all we have. Or kill us!” Lena shot her a skeptical glance.
“She’s alone. And she doesn’t seem to be turned.” Fleur was insistent, her gut telling her something different.
Lena sighed. “If you insist, but I’d say avoid her and keep moving.”
The woman was waving at them now, but something felt off. They walked toward her cautiously, only to hear the unmistakable sound of a gun loading behind them. They were surrounded.
“Fuck. I fucking knew it,” Lena muttered under her breath, eyes narrowing.
“Maybe they can be reasoned with,” Fleur offered, though her voice wavered.
“We better hope so.” Lena gritted her teeth, sizing up the situation.
There were two men flanking them, each wielding knives, while the one with the gun, clearly their leader, stood ahead. His presence was intimidating, but Lena’s trained eyes quickly assessed him. He hadn’t eaten well in a long time, and the same could be said for his companions. They looked like the type who’d been cast out of whatever community they once belonged to, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what would have gotten them exiled.
The leader sneered. “We haven’t seen any people around here in quite a while. Especially not two ladies. What brings you out here? It’s not that safe around here. Not for folk who don’t belong.”
Lena’s breath quickened as she waited to see if they recognized Fleur. But it seemed they didn’t, and she let out a quiet sigh of relief.
“We’re looking for her brother who lives in Ohio. We’re heading that way on and won’t be any trouble,” Fleur lied smoothly, her voice filled with feigned confidence.
The leader wasn’t convinced. “So three years after the outbreak, now you’re looking for your brother? Some sister you are. Sounds like bullshit to me,” he spat, his eyes narrowing in disdain. His accent was slightly southern, with a twang that was unfamiliar.
Lena had no patience for games. “What do you want from us?” she asked, her tone firm and irritated.
The leader’s smirk widened as he sized them both up. “Well, we haven’t had meat in quite some time,” he said, his eyes dark and hungry. “Looks like we might just get lucky today. You look like you got a bit of meat on your bones,” he laughed, showing off a gummy smile with blackened roots.
Lena had heard rumors about cannibals, groups who, in their desperation, turned to the unthinkable. But she didn’t want to believe it was true. She tensed up, disgust coursing through her, but then felt Fleur’s hand gently grip hers. Fleur looked up at her, silently telling her not to do anything rash.
Fleur, ever the diplomat, tried to reason with them. “Look, meat’s been scarce for everyone. But we’ve got a couple of cans of tuna. That should be enough to let us go on our way, right?”
Lena was silently hoping they could avoid violence, but her thoughts kept circling back to the horror of it all. These people weren’t zombies. They were human, people who had chosen to descend into madness. And somehow, that made them worse. At least zombies had no choice.
The leader’s eyes flicked between them. “Tuna, huh? Doesn’t sound like enough. How about this: you let me keep this one,” he said, nodding toward Fleur, his smirk widening. “Then we’ll call it even.”
Lena’s blood boiled. “I don’t fucking thi—” she began, but Fleur cut her off with a quick, surprising retort.
“You want me? But she’s so much bigger!” Fleur said, her voice incredulous, trying to buy them time.
The leader came closer, edging his way into her personal space. Fleur gave Lena the side eye. A quiet message to take them on.
“Now,” Fleur whispered.
Lena’s training kicked in. She swung her leg up, connecting with the leader’s arm, sending the gun flying out of his grip. It hit the ground with a deafening bang, a stray bullet grazing Lena’s arm. Ignoring the pain, she tackled him to the ground as Fleur lunged for the gun.
“Shoot them!” Lena yelled as she wrestled the leader.
The two knife-wielding men charged at Fleur, but without hesitation, BANG BANG BANG BANG! Fleur squeezed the trigger and the bullets whooshed through the air.
Lena delivered a brutal headbutt to the leader, knocking him out cold. “Did you get them?” she called, breathless, as she tied the leader’s hands behind his back.
“Yeah, I think so,” Fleur replied, still holding the gun, her hands shaking slightly.
Lena checked the bodies. The men were dead. The woman who had been waving at them earlier was fleeing into the distance. Without a second thought, Lena grabbed the gun and took aim. She fired, the shot hitting the woman in the leg. The woman collapsed, screaming in agony. The noise was too much; the dead would be approaching any minute now. They had to move, fast.
“What should we do with him?” Fleur asked, her voice quiet but steady, her eyes fixed on the bound leader.
Lena glanced at him, her mind racing through their options.
“Leave him to the dead. He won’t last long out here,” Lena huffed as she grabbed her weapons and placed them in her rucksack.
“Come on,” Fleur said softly, taking Lena’s hand in hers. “Let’s get out of here before more show up.”
Lena squeezed her hand in response, and together they walked away, leaving the carnage behind them.
As they continued walking, the thick canopy of trees behind them slowly gave way to the jagged outlines of a city. Broken buildings loomed like skeletons, their windows shattered, empty shells of a thriving hub. The air was filled with an eerie silence. There was no movement, no sound of life or death, just the occasional gust of wind.
They made their way cautiously into the ruined city, through the empty streets, their eyes scanning the surroundings, alert to any dead hiding in the shadows.
"Let’s get higher up and see what we’re dealing with. I’m sure we’re close, but the city could be a dangerous zone," Lena suggested, nodding toward a tall building nearby. Fleur agreed, and they quietly made their way up the building's stairwell, the sound of their boots against the concrete the only noise in the cold, hollow space.
When they finally reached the rooftop, the city stretched out below them, a sea of crumbling ruins and forgotten streets. Certain areas were strewn with zombies roaming around looking for something to eat. Lena stood at the edge, looking down at the world below. It had been a while since she’d seen a big city like this, and the deterioration was quite unsettling. But, at the same time, nature had started to emerge, too. The city had been left to grow wild. The destruction by humans had come to a halt, and the dead had taken over in their wild habitat.
“It’s strange,” Lena said softly, her voice breaking the silence. “I used to look at cities like this and think of everything they had to offer, the people, stories, lives. Now, it’s just…” She trailed off, the weight of the emptiness heavy in the air.
Fleur’s eyes remained on the horizon. “We’ve survived this long. There’s something to be said for that.”
Lena looked at her and saw the sunset reflected in Fleur’s eyes.
“I’m just… relieved we are here,” Lena admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. She took a deep breath. She felt more than that, but letting her emotional guard down sometimes felt like too much of a risk.
Fleur’s eyes softened as she looked at Lena. There was a vulnerability there, a silent understanding that she liked. Without a word, she stepped closer, her hand brushing lightly against Lena’s arm. The touch was so simple, but the energy that transpired felt so intense.
Their eyes locked, and for a moment, everything else seemed to fade away. The chill in the air, the ruins of the city, the danger that surrounded them. It all disappeared.
A short moment passed and Fleur leaned in, kissing Lena softly. Pressing her body into her for a tight hug.
“Let’s stay here a little longer. It’s starting to get dark, so it’s good we have a safe spot,” Lena whispered, her voice barely audible against the wind.
Fleur nodded, her eyes still locked with Lena’s. “Okay. I am exhausted, and we need to stay sharp.”
Lena took her hand and led them inside the building, an old office block which seemed almost untouched. They found a quiet corner by a desk and set up an area with the blankets out of their bags.
“Come lay down with me, let’s stay warm and close,” Lena whispered.
Lena’s hands rested on Fleur’s hips, her fingers firm but gentle. For a moment, they both stilled, savoring the heat of their bodies close together.
Fleur kissed Lena and began to move her hands slowly over her body.
“I really like you,” Fleur whispered.
“And I like you too. So much. It scares me though, feeling this way in this fucked-up world.”
“It scares me too. But I can’t help how I feel,” Fleur replied quietly.
After a moment, Lena sighed, the weight of reality creeping in. “We should sleep,” she murmured. “We need our strength.”
Fleur nodded, offering one last gentle kiss before curling up beside her. The wind thrashed against the building, but somehow they drifted into the deepest sleep.