You and your group have landed in an unknown city. You notice an abandoned building far up ahead. As you get closer you spot an abandoned backpack sitting next to the building. What do you do?
Cautiously check out the backpack
As you walk over, you notice that the backpack is full of medicine and first aid supplies. It also contains a large number of empty glass vials that were obviously once used to store antibiotics. At the bottom of the backpack you find a keycard. The building appears to be some sort of medical research facility. The words "Cure for the Apocalypse" are spray painted on the front door.There's no sign of any walkers, or any movement inside the building for that matter.
investigate more but stay alert
You cautiously walk up to the door and insert the keycard into a card-reader. The door unlocks. As you open the door to enter, you hear a voice coming from down the hall. "Hello? Hello? Is anyone there?"
The voice sounds like a young man. It's hard to tell where he's coming from because the building is so large.You lean out into the hallway and yell back, "Yes, I'm here. Who are you?" You hear the young man running over.
He shouts back, "I'm Chris. I was doing some maintenance in the storage room when I heard a noise. I thought it was a walker, so I came out to investigate. What about you? Are you alone out here?"
"I'm Ae," I reply, not using my real name yet. "I'm scavenging for supplies," I add but I don't reveal anything about my group and my family.
Chris nods and responds back, "Ae? That's interesting. Most people don't go looking for supplies alone anymore. It's way too dangerous with all of the walkers out there." He pauses for a moment and looks around the empty hallway before asking quietly, "Are you alone? Or do you have a group with you?"
"I'm not alone, you're here, right?" I respond, dodging the question.
Chris chuckles and answers back, "Yeah, that's true I suppose. But you must have a group you're with if you're out looking for supplies. A girl like you wouldn't go out on her own these days." Chris seems friendly enough, but he also seems to be very curious.
"What are you saying? I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much," I responded, once again dodging the question and staying very cautious too.
Chris doesn't seem to take offense and responds back, "I'm not saying you're not capable. I mean, you made it this far alone, right? You must be really tough. It's just unusual to see anyone alone out here. I was worried about you." Chris smiles and then says, "Would it be alright if I asked you some questions?"
"Only if you don't mind me asking you three questions first," I reply.
Chris nods and says, "Sure! I don't mind. Go ahead. I'm not a very interesting person though." He smiles and adds, "Ask away."
"How many walkers have you killed?" I asked first.
Chris takes a minute to consider, counting quietly on his fingers as he does so.
He eventually answers, "Well, I stopped counting after about a thousand. That was probably at least a year ago." He quickly adds, "It's a lot. I know that." He sighs and then looks back up at you. "What's your second question?"
I nod thoughtfully. "How many people have you killed?" I then ask.
Chris seems surprised at the question. "That's an unexpected question." Chris pauses and considers his answer.Eventually he responds, "Two. One was an accident. The other was not." There's a long pause as Chris seems to think through the memory. "What's your third question?" Chris finally asks.
"Why?" I ask.
Chris sighs and responds, "The first one was an accident. I didn't mean to. It just... happened." He pauses and then continues, "The other one? That's a harder story to tell." Chris looks down and shakes his head. "I'd rather not talk about it. I don't like to think about it. And it still hurts." He looks back up at you with sad eyes.
I nod. "Okay, what questions do you have?" I then ask. I'm still hesitant and cautious, but a little more relaxed now.
Chris smiles and asks, "How long have you been out here looking for supplies? Your pack looks like you've been out here for a while." He pauses and then asks another question. "You say you're not alone, are you out with anyone in particular?" Chris seems genuinely curious when he asks these questions. He doesn't push you to give away any information you're not comfortable sharing.
"Well...I guess since this whole apocalypse started? I mean, the world has turned into a literal fight for survival so we've gotta constantly be looking for supplies to survive, right?" I respond to the first question.
Chris laughs and responds, "Yeah, that's definitely true." He pauses and asks his next question. "Is your group big? When I'm out here alone I get so anxious that someone is going to sneak up on me and I won't be able to hear them coming."
"I never said I was with a group...currently I am alone but...I do have a family waiting for me back at camp," I answered without revealing details.
Chris nods and seems to understand what you're getting at. He smiles and says, "I understand. I didn't mean to pry. It's just nice to have someone to talk to out here." He pauses and asks, "Can I ask you one more question?"
"Sure," I say with a shrug.
Chris nods and seems to think for a moment before asking his final question. "This one might sound a bit personal. I hope you don't mind. But why are you out here alone? Isn't it dangerous going out here without a group? Especially as a solo woman. What if you run across a group of men who aren't as friendly as I am?" Chris seems concerned for you, but he's also a bit curious.
"You might be surprised at how resourceful I can be. I've...seen a lot and been in a lot of life or death situations, both from walkers and other survivors, and yet I'm still here. Though, it was only fairly recently that I was allowed to go out for runs on my own."
Chris nods at your response and seems impressed. He smiles and says, "Well, you seem like a tough woman. I can see why you don't need the protection of a group." He pauses for a moment and adds, "I still don't think it's very safe to go out there alone, but you seem like you know what you're doing." Chris seems to consider his next question carefully, thinking about what to ask. "Can I ask one more question?" Chris finally asks.
"Go ahead."
Chris smiles and asks, "So... Do you have a boyfriend?" His eyes light up as he asks. A mischievous twinkle shines in his eye.He seems genuinely curious to get an answer now.
"Honestly...no. I haven't even thought about it. Been too focused on trying not to die and helping my family out, ya know? Plus...it's not like you run into other people a lot," I reply after a few moments.
Chris chuckles and says, "Yeah, that's been my experience too. Sometimes it feels like I'm the last person on earth, you know? But I don't think I've ever met someone as interesting as you." He takes a step closer to you and his eyes lock with yours. He smiles and adds, "I'm really glad I met you."
I get hesitant and take a step back. "Thanks...well...it seems like you've got a good base here so I'll just...head out. Perhaps we'll see each other again..." I responded awkwardly.
Chris seems surprised at your response.He backs up a step and says, "Oh, are you heading out? Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I didn't mean to."
Chris smiled apologetically and added, "It's just been so long since I've seen anyone else out here. I really wanted to keep talking, but I understand if you want to leave. It's probably the safest thing to do anyway. This world is crazy nowadays. Especially for a girl alone." Chris pauses and then adds, "You're right. Maybe we will see each other again."
I take a deep breath. "It's okay...sorry, it's just...uh, nevermind. But I really should get going. It's getting late and I gotta get back to camp. See ya," I say before going back out and heading back to my group and family.
ns 15.158.61.8da2
