A sharp tap on my shoulder jolted me awake. My vision was hazy, my mind clouded by exhaustion and pain. As I groggily turned, my eyes met a young man—perhaps eighteen or so—his face partially obscured by the dim light.

  "Come on, we need to move," he said, urgency lacing his tone. Before I could process his words, he grabbed my arm and pulled me upright. A searing pain shot through my leg, forcing a sharp hiss from my lips.

  He glanced down, his brows furrowing at the sight of my injury. "On a scale of one to ten, how bad is it?"

  "Ten," I managed to grit out, barely holding back a whimper.

  He exhaled, nodding. Without hesitation, he lifted me onto his shoulder, his grip firm yet careful. Each step he took sent jolts of agony through my leg, and I found myself biting my lip to keep from crying out.

  "Shh, keep quiet," he muttered as he navigated through the abandoned church.

  I clenched my fists, enduring the pain as best as I could. The cold night air hit my face as we stepped outside. He scanned the surroundings, then turned to me.

  "Where's your car?"

  "Five buildings down... a truck," I murmured.

  He didn't waste a second. After checking both directions, he broke into a sprint. The motion sent another wave of pain through my leg, and I had to stifle a cry. By the time we reached the truck, my breath was ragged, and my body trembled from the effort of holding it in.

  He set me down in the passenger seat, and the impact sent fresh pain shooting up my leg. I gritted my teeth, cursing under my breath. Without missing a beat, he started the engine. The headlights flickered to life, illuminating the church behind us—an eerie, desolate structure.

  I hated that place.

  Trying to shake off the memories, I turned my gaze to the man who had saved me. His scruffy facial hair and tattered clothes hinted at weeks—perhaps months—of survival in this hellscape.

  "Who... are you?" I croaked, my throat dry.

  His expression remained unreadable. "Name's Tucker."

  I hesitated before responding, unsure if I should trust him. But after what he'd done for me, I at least owed him my name.

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  "Ellie."

  Tucker nodded, eyes fixed on the road. After a few moments of silence, I finally spoke again.

  "What did they want back there?"

  His lips curled into a humorless chuckle. "Some crazy idea about repopulating. They had cleared out the town, set up shop in that church, and were planning on building a so-called ‘new society.’"

  A shudder ran down my spine. "That’s insane."

  "Yeah. That’s why I was already planning to leave tonight. But I had to save the damsel in distress first."

  I bristled. "I am not a damsel in distress!" I shot back, punching his arm.

  He raised an eyebrow before glancing at my injured leg. "You can’t even walk."

  I crossed my arms, muttering a defeated, "Whatever."

  Tucker sighed. "We need to patch that up. Got any medical supplies?"

  "No. I don’t usually get hurt."

  "Well, that’s about to change. We’ll stop in the morning. For now, we rest."

  I nodded. He pulled the truck over on the side of the road. As he stretched across the driver’s seat, I crawled into the back, wrapping my arms around myself for warmth.

  For the first time in what felt like forever, I closed my eyes, feeling—if only slightly—safe.

  ---

  Flashback – The Night It All Changed

  "Dad… what’s going on?"

  There was panic in his eyes as he tossed cans of food into a bag. "No time to explain, Ellie. Just grab your things and get in the car!"

  His urgency sent a wave of fear through me. My breath hitched, but I obeyed. I ran upstairs, grabbed my backpack, stuffed it with clothes and a few family photos, then rushed back down.

  My father was already in the car. My brother, Jacob, sat beside me, his hands gripping the seat tightly.

  "I’m scared," I whispered.

  Jacob hugged me, his voice barely above a breath. "Me too."

  My mother and father jumped into the car. "We have to get the Andersons," my mom insisted.

  "No, Sarah, we don’t have time," my dad argued.

  My mom shot him a glare before bolting out of the car, running to the neighbors’ house. My father cursed before following her.

  Minutes later, they returned, helping the elderly couple into the car.

  "What’s happening, David?" Mr. Anderson asked my dad.

  Dad clenched the steering wheel. "I don’t know… just that the government is setting up ‘safe zones’—some kind of disease is spreading."

  A heavy silence settled over us as the car sped into the unknown.

  ---

  A rough shake brought me back to the present.

  "Wake up. It’s morning," Tucker’s voice pulled me from the haze of my memories.

  "Let me sleep," I groaned, turning away.

  "I made breakfast."

  I cracked open an eye. "What?"

  He held up a bowl. "Canned beans."

  The scent hit me, and suddenly, I realized just how hungry I was.

  As I ate, Tucker carefully wrapped my injured leg and handed me a water bottle along with some Advil.

  "Where’d you get this stuff?" I asked between bites.

  "Went on a supply run while you were asleep."

  I paused. "I need to find a gun. They must’ve taken mine."

  He smirked and reached under the driver’s seat, pulling out a familiar handgun.

  "I grabbed yours before leaving," he said, handing it to me.

  I snatched it from his hands, checking the magazine. "And why didn’t you give it to me sooner?"

  "I didn’t know if I could trust you."

  I scoffed. "I was the one tied up and nearly assaulted by your group."

  "Yeah, and I was the one who saved you," he shot back.

  "Tch. Touché," I muttered. "But never take my gun from me again."

  "Agreed."

  After finishing my meal, I tossed the empty can aside but tucked the spoon into my bag. Finding food was hard enough—having utensils wasn’t exactly a necessity.

  "Where are you heading?" I asked.

  "I heard about a safe zone in Texas."

  I frowned. "I went to a safe zone when this all started. It got overrun in days."

  "Still worth checking out," he said. "I’m going, whether you come or not."

  I sighed. "Fine. We’ll find you a car, scavenge for supplies, and then we part ways."

  "Deal."

  Yet, despite my words, a strange feeling gnawed at my chest.

  I had only known Tucker for a day, yet the thought of separating left an uncomfortable weight in my heart.

  No one ever truly gets used to being alone.

  But I wasn’t about to risk another safe zone.

  Not after what happened last time.