Chapter 2.
Adam ran without looking back.
His breath was heavy,His shirt was soaked with sweat.Behind him,the distant growls of the infected still ehoeed through the empty street.
He didn't know how long he had been running-but he know one thing clearly:
He had to stay alive.
As he turned into a narrow residental lane.he noticed a house with it's front gate slughtly open
Someone had been there.
Of maybe...someone still was.
Adam hrsitated for a moment his hand tightened around baseball bat he was carrying.sliwly.carefully.he stepped inside the yard.
The door wasn't lockec.
He pushed it open.
"Hello...?" Adam whispered.
But no answer .
The living room looked normal.but too normal.chairs were not moved shoeswere still at enterance. A glass of water sat on the table.hall full.
It looked like the family had left in a hurrry
Suddently
Aweak vouce came from somewhere inside in the house
"Dad..?"
Adam forze
"Mom...?"
The voice was soft,weak.Afraif.
Adam followed that sound carefully untill he reached a storage room door at the back of the house.
"Dad?
"Mom?
"Is that you?"
Adam slowly opened the door.
It was Malik.
His eyes were red from long crying.
For a moment,Malik faces up with some hope.
"Dad?"
But then his expression changed when he saw Adam.
"..you're...not my father"
Adam lowered his bat slowly.
"No ,Adam saix gently. "I'm not?"
Malik looked scared again.
"Where are my parents...?"
Adam didn't answering immediatly.
He already understood what has happened.
Malik parents must has gone out to look for help and never came back.
Adam knelt down in front at him.
"My name is Adam" he said softly,"i think your oarents hid you here to keep you safe."
Malik hand tremble.
They said they would came back.
Adam swallowed hard.
"I know".
Outside the house they hidden
A distant growls echoed again.
The infected were getting closer.
Adam stood up quickly and looked towarx the window.
Then he turned to Malik.
"We don't have much time"Adam said.
"If you want to see you parents again...
you have to stay strong."
Malik slowly nodded.
For the first time since the outbreak began'
And neither was Malik.
Adam decide they couldn't leave immediatly.
"Night was too dangerous.
The infected were more active in the dark. and the street outside were still filled with distant growls.
The safest choise-for now-was to stay inside the house untill morning.
Malik nodded.He didn't agrue.
Adam checked every window and locked everu door he could find.
He moved the table in a front of the enterance and placed a chairs under the main door handle.
It wasn't perfect-but ig might sloe the infected if they tried to get inside.
Then he returned to thd storage room.
Malik was sitting exactly when Adam left him.
"Are they came back?"malik asked again.
Adam paused before answering.
"....we'll looked for them tomorrow".he said it.
That was the onlu promise he could make.
They sharef some dry food,Adam fun it in the kitchen.
Malik ate slowly,like someone who had already learned tk save every bite.
The house become silent again.
Outside,somethinv moved.
A shadow passed the window.
A long growls echoed somewhere near the gate.
Malik moved closer to Adam without saying anything.
"It's okay"Adam whispered,"they cant see ud,if we stay quiet.
Neither of ghem slept well that night.
Everh small sound felt dangeroud.
Every movement outside msde Adam tightened his grip on the baseball bat.
But the infected never enteted the house.
Morninv finally come.
Sift bright slipped througj the curtsins
For the time since yesterday-
The street was quiet.
Adam stood near the window and looked outside carefully.
It clear.
For now.
"We cant stay here anymore"Adam said.
This place are not safe longer".
Malik looked at the front door.
"Are we going to find my parents?
Adam hesitated only for a second.
"Yes"he said,but first,we need to find a safe place.
Malik stood up.
He looked smaller than Adam remembered that night before-but stronger somehow.
"Okay.."said Malik.
Adam picked up his baseball bat
Than together.
They stepped out of the silent house and into the empty streets.
Not knowing what was waiting for them next.
The street looked quiet.
Too quiet.
Adam walked in front,holding hid baseball bat tightly.
Malik followed closely behind him.carrying a small bagpack they found inside the house.
"Stay clode"Adam whispered.
Malik nodded.
They moved slowly between the abondoned house,some doors were open.dome cars were lefy in the middle of the road.
The silent difn't safe.
It felt wrong.
Suddently.
A louf metsllic soynd echoef from the end of the street.
CLAANGG!!!!!!
Adam stopped walking.
Malik forze.
The come the growls.the infected.
Low,
Hungry,
Not just one
Many.
"They're here"Adam whispered again
From behind a parked car-one infected appeared
Then another.
Then three more stepped out front the side oc the broken gate
Malik grabbed Adam shirt.
"There too many"
Adam raised his bat
"Stay behind me:
The infected began moving faster.
One rushed forward.
Adam swung the bat.
THUDDD!!!
The infected fell to the ground but two more rushed him immediatly.
Adam stepping back.
They wasbsurroundef
Just as one infected jumped toward Malik.
BANGG!!!
BANGGG!!!!
A gunshot ecjoex througj the street.
The infected dropped instantly.
Another infected ran forward.
BANGGG!!!!
It felk again.
Four peoplr appeared from the corner of thd street.
"Myra"a voice shoted.lefy side"
"I see it,she replied
Than....BANGGGG!!!!
Another infected collapsed withim second.
The street become silent again.
Adam stared at them.
Four survivors
Alive,
Armed
Strong.
A young woman stepped forward first.
"Are you two okay?"she asked.
Adam nodded slowly.
"Yes"
The man beside het lowered hid weapon slightly.
"I'm farid"he said.
The woman next ho. Smiled gently.
"I'm Diana.
Than a taller man raisef his hand.
"Zul"nice too meet you:.
Finally,the girl who fired the first shot looked at Adam and Malik carefully.
"My name us Myra"she said.
Mallk stepped closer to Adam.
"....thank you..."he whispered"
Myra lookex at both of them seriously.
"You're shouldn't be walking alone out here" she told them.
"This ares isn't safe anymore".
Farid nodded.
Adam looked at Malik.
Then looked at tbem.
For the second time since everything changed-
Adam realized something imported.
They weren't alone anymore.
Farid looked at Adam carefully.
He told,
"Were not just trying to survive "
Adam frowed.
"What do you means?"
Myra stepped forward.
"Were looking for something.."
Adam tightly hus grip on the baseball bat.
"Looking for what"
Myra looked straight into his eye.
"CURE"