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The morning was heavy with a kind of stillness that felt wrong. Even the distant groans of the infected seemed muted, like the calm before the storm. I hadn’t slept much—none of us had. Daryl had kept to himself since last night, dealing with the aftermath of his wife’s death in his own way. He had buried her, and, mercifully, she hadn’t turned before he had the chance to say goodbye.
I watched the sunrise through the blinds, the dull orange glow spreading over the streets of Cane Bay Plantation. It was hard to believe that just a few weeks ago, this place had been filled with life. Kids playing in the yards, neighbors chatting by their mailboxes. Now, it was a ghost town—infected lurking in the shadows, waiting for their next victim.
I felt a presence behind me and turned to see Colt, already dressed in his worn jeans and boots, a rifle slung over his shoulder. He’d grown up fast in these last few weeks, too fast. At 18, he was already taking on responsibilities no kid should ever have to face. But he’d handled it like a soldier. I could see that determined look in his eyes, the same one I’d seen in the Marines. It was a look I recognized in myself.
“You ready?” he asked quietly, glancing at the maps we’d laid out the night before.
I nodded, folding them up and tucking them into my pack. “Yeah, we’re going to head out soon. Where’s Nash?”
“Still upstairs with Mom. She’s trying to keep him busy.”
Annie had been incredible through all of this, but I could see the strain on her, too. She was worried about Nash. He wasn’t as strong as Colt, not yet. The fear had settled in deep with him, and Annie was doing her best to shield him from it. But we all knew that, sooner or later, he’d have to face it head-on.
Daryl came into the room, his face worn and his eyes bloodshot. He didn’t say anything at first, just looked between Colt and me. I could see the weight of his grief hanging on him, but there was something else now—resolve. He wasn’t going to let this break him.
“We moving out?” he asked, voice hoarse.
“Yeah,” I replied. “We’ll take the truck as far as we can. Scout the school. See what we’re dealing with.”
Daryl nodded, grabbing his shotgun from the table. “Let’s get it done.”
Annie appeared in the doorway, Nash by her side. His eyes were wide, but he wasn’t saying much. He just stared at the weapons we were loading into the truck, the reality of it all sinking in.
“Stay close to your mom,” I said, crouching down to his level. “We’re going to check things out. We’ll be back before dark, alright?”
Nash nodded silently, but I could see the fear in his eyes. He didn’t want us to go. Hell, I didn’t want to go either, but we had no choice. Staying put wasn’t an option anymore.
I stood up and kissed Annie on the forehead. “Keep an eye on the radio. If anything changes, you get Colt’s walkie and let us know. Stay inside, no matter what.”
She gave me a tired smile, but there was strength in her eyes. “Be careful.”
We piled into the truck—me driving, Colt in the passenger seat, Daryl in the back. As we pulled out of the driveway, I glanced at the house in the rearview mirror. I hated leaving them, but we needed to find a new plan. Something more sustainable. And right now, the school seemed like our best bet.
The roads were quiet, eerily so. We passed a few scattered infected, but nothing like what we’d seen near the city. They wandered aimlessly, their bodies deteriorating, some too weak to even chase after us as we sped by. It was like watching the world slowly rot.
When we reached the school, I parked a good distance away and killed the engine. We couldn’t risk drawing too much attention. The building loomed in front of us—familiar, yet now alien. The fences were still intact, and from what I could see, the doors were closed. That was a good sign. Maybe this could work.
“We go in quiet,” I said, pulling my rifle from behind the seat. “Check for supplies, see if the place is secure.”
Colt and Daryl nodded, and we moved out, keeping low as we approached the school. The silence was deafening, each footstep feeling like a shout in the stillness. I scanned the windows, looking for any signs of movement inside. Nothing.
We reached the fence and Colt boosted himself over first, followed by Daryl and then me. The place seemed empty, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I signaled for them to follow me as we approached the front doors, rifles raised.
I nudged the door with the barrel of my gun, and it creaked open slowly. The interior was dimly lit, sunlight streaming through the high windows in the hallway. It smelled musty, like a place that had been abandoned for weeks, but there was no sign of recent activity.
“We clear the classrooms first,” I whispered, leading them down the hall. Each door we passed, we checked—most were empty, desks and chairs scattered, some overturned. No signs of life, no infected. So far, so good.
We reached the gymnasium, and that’s when things changed. The double doors were locked, a chain looped through the handles. I motioned for Colt to stand back, and Daryl and I worked together to pry it open. As soon as the chain gave way, the door swung open with a screech, and the smell hit us—a pungent, rancid odor that made my stomach turn.
Inside the gym, bodies were piled in the center of the floor, some covered in makeshift blankets, others left exposed. It was a gruesome sight, and it told me everything I needed to know. Whoever had been here before us hadn’t made it.
“Shit,” Daryl muttered, stepping back.
Colt gagged, turning away from the sight. I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to take it in. These people had tried to do the same thing we were doing. They had tried to survive, but something had gone wrong. Maybe they’d let someone in who was infected. Maybe they’d run out of supplies and gotten desperate. Either way, this wasn’t going to be our sanctuary.
“We’re leaving,” I said, my voice firm. “Now.”
We turned and headed back down the hallway, faster this time. Every step echoed in the empty space, and my pulse quickened. We needed to get out of here before we ran into any more trouble.
Just as we reached the front doors, a sound stopped us in our tracks—a shuffle, faint but unmistakable, coming from the other end of the hall. I raised my hand, signaling Colt and Daryl to freeze. My heart raced as I listened, straining to pick up any other sounds. The shuffle grew louder, closer.
“Go,” I whispered harshly, motioning for them to head for the exit. We moved quickly, stepping through the doors and pulling them shut behind us as quietly as we could. I turned to see the source of the noise—a figure, hunched and staggering, coming around the corner at the far end of the hall. Infected.
We sprinted back to the truck, adrenaline pumping through my veins. Once inside, I fired up the engine and hit the gas. We peeled out of the parking lot, leaving the school behind.
“That was close,” Colt muttered, catching his breath. “What now?”
I gripped the steering wheel, my mind racing. The school had been a bust. It wasn’t the safe haven we’d hoped for. But we couldn’t give up. Not yet.
“We keep looking,” I said, determination in my voice. “We’ll find something.”
As we drove back to Cane Bay, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of the situation pressing down on me. Time was running out. We needed a new plan and fast.