Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son
Chapter 89: A World of Memories

Chapter 89: 89: A World of Memories

The group settled down for the night near the car, their faces drawn and weary. Leo perched quietly on Winter’s lap, clutching his worn stuffed toy. He had taken it out of his space unconsciously again. Winter’s arms rested protectively around the boy, though his sharp gaze stayed fixed on the men patrolling the perimeter.

Zara knelt beside Sam, peeling back the bloodied makeshift bandage from his arm to inspect his wound. Her fingers worked quickly but gently, and her brow furrowed with worry. "It’s not as bad as I thought," she murmured, glancing up at Sam’s pale face. It still needs cleaning, though."

"I can handle it," Sam replied with a weak smile. "Just need the right supplies."

Richard and Mike stood a few paces away, their arms crossed, also watching the armed men move about. Mike shifted his weight, fingers twitching toward his side, where his utility belt rested—uncomfortably close.

One of the men from the convoy stepped closer, his boots crunching against the gravel.

"You’ll be at the base by tomorrow," he said, his voice calm but authoritative. "Stopping here is safer. The roads ahead are clogged, and travelling at night increases the risk. This area is clear—for now."

Winter’s brow furrowed. "Safer? With zombies roaming in the dark?"

The man gave a faint smile, his eyes briefly scanning the area. "It’s not just the undead you need to worry about. Bandits take advantage of desperate groups travelling after dark. Here, we’ve got light, numbers, and a defensible position. Your chances are better with us tonight."

The group exchanged hesitant glances but couldn’t argue with his logic. He glanced at Zara and the others, noting the fatigue on their faces. "Alright," Winter said, his voice lowering to a more reassuring tone. "We’ll go along with it."

Zara looked up from Sam’s side. "How safe is this base you’re talking about?" she asked.

The soldier’s gaze softened as it flickered to Leo. "Safe enough. We’ve fortified it and have protocols in place. It’s held against larger hordes than what you ran into."

He looked at Winter, then back down at Leo, who clung to his stuffed toy. "You’ve done well to make it this far into City H," the man said. "Most don’t survive the outskirts, let alone get this deep. You’ve got a good group." His eyes shifted to the group again, almost inspecting them.

Winter’s jaw tightened, but he nodded once. "We do what we have to."

"There are supplies for you to use," the soldier added, motioning toward one of his men. "For the boy. And for his injury." He pointed at Sam’s arm.

The soldier moved quickly, carrying a small pack of food and a medical kit. He dropped them gently in front of Zara and Winter’s group before stepping back.

Sam perked up, despite the fatigue lining his face. "I’m a doctor. I’d appreciate anything you can spare."

"Doctors are always welcome at the base," the soldier replied with a hint of respect. He turned toward the soldier. "Get him what he needs."

The soldier hurried over, handing Sam a few more supplies, including clean bandages and antiseptic. He placed them in Sam’s hands before stepping away.

Richard cleared his throat, his tone edged with suspicion as he squinted at the man who had been speaking to them. "Why was your squad out there, anyway? Right when we were about to be overrun?"

The soldier glanced back at his team. "We patrol the city daily—keep an eye on the gates and the paths leading here. People try to get into City H all the time, thinking it’s their salvation. Yet no matter how many zombies we clear, more show up—like they’re drawn to the survivors."

"That’s comforting," Richard muttered sarcastically, earning a sharp look from Zara.

"Rest while you can," the soldier continued. "Tomorrow, you’ll see the base for yourselves." With that, he walked back to his group, leaving the newcomers to their thoughts.

Zara sighed and moved to sit beside Winter. Leo wriggled out of Winter’s lap and crawled into hers, curling up against her chest. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around him, her fingers brushing through his hair.

"Hey baby," she cooed, kissing his forehead gently. "You hungry?"

He nodded, yawning as he rubbed his face.

Winter opened the food crate and began sorting through it. "At least they’re not stingy," he remarked as he passed a few cans over to Zara, who began sorting through them, looking for something that would be easiest to prepare. There wasn’t much—just enough for the night.

Not like they needed it, since they had their supplies but it was telling that they shared with them.

They quickly pulled together a small meal and made quick work of it. The men across the campsite continued their talk and patrol, loud voices filling the night over the crackling of the fire.

Leo eventually dozed off in Zara’s arms, his small frame rising and falling with steady breaths. Winter kept watch, his hand resting on his rifle, while the others discussed taking turns standing guard.

The night deepened, and the fire’s glow painted the group in flickering, warm hues against the surrounding darkness. The eerie, distant groans of zombies were muffled but still unmistakable. Despite the tension, the group settled into a semblance of calm, their exhaustion overpowering immediate fear.

Suddenly, Richard leaned against the car, his arms crossed, eyes scanning the perimeter. He finally broke the quiet among the group, his voice low. "You know... before all this, I never thought I’d be afraid of the dark. But now?" He shook his head, his lips pressing into a grim line. "Now, it feels like anything could crawl out of the shadows."

Zara glanced up from where she cradled Leo, her eyes meeting Richard’s. "What did you do before?" she asked softly, her voice careful not to wake the boy.

Richard chuckled humorlessly. "Security guard at a mall. Not much different, I guess. Except the worst thing I dealt with back then was teenagers trying to shoplift sneakers." His gaze dropped, and he shifted uncomfortably. "When the storms came, I was on duty. Watched a lightning strike take out half the parking lot. Cars on fire, people running... chaos."

He paused, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard. "I thought I could make it home to my wife and kid before things got worse. I didn’t." His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat quickly, forcing himself to go on. "By the time I got there, the mist had already come through. The house was empty—like they’d just vanished."

The group was silent for a moment, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air. Zara reached out, placing a comforting hand on his arm. "I’m sorry, Richard," she said gently.

He nodded, his jaw tightening. "I keep telling myself they made it out. Maybe found a safe zone. I’ll keep looking until I know for sure."

Sam shifted, grimacing slightly as he adjusted his bandaged arm. "I was working at the hospital when everything started. At first, it was just storm victims—burns, fractures, some heart attacks from the panic. Then the mist rolled in." He rubbed his face, exhaustion clear in his voice. "We thought it was some chemical spill. People started dropping like flies. And then the ones who didn’t... well, you’ve seen them."

Winter’s hand unconsciously tightened around his rifle, his jaw clenched as he stared into the flames. Zara caught the subtle shift in his posture, knowing the memories he was holding back.

Sam continued, his voice thick. "We tried to barricade the hospital, but it didn’t take long before the zombies got in. I was on the second floor when it happened. Heard the screams... saw people I worked with—friends—turn into monsters. I barely made it out. My wife and I were supposed to meet at home, but when I got there..." His voice faltered, and he shook his head. "I found her wedding ring in the driveway. That’s all."

The fire crackled louder in the quiet that followed, the group lost in their own thoughts. Zara hugged Leo closer, her mind drifting to her husband. She could still see his face, the determination in his eyes as he shoved her and Leo into the ditch, to avoid them being caught in the Mist.

The last thing she saw was his gentle smile. She still had nightmares of that day.

Mike, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke. "I didn’t lose anyone—not right away. My parents, my brother... we all made it through the storms. But the zombies... they took them."

His voice hardened the bitterness of premature loss. "We were on the highway, trying to get to one of those supposed safe zones. The horde came out of nowhere. Dad told me to run, that he’d hold them off with my brother. Mom wouldn’t leave them."

Zara’s heart clenched, this poor baby. She wanted to reach out to him.

He swallowed, his jaw clenching. "I ran. I ran like a coward. When I looked back, they were..." He shook his head, his eyes glistening.

Richard, who had been sitting silently, leaned over and placed a steady hand on Mike’s back, patting it gently. "Hey, kid," he said, his voice softer than usual. "You’re not a coward. You’re alive. That’s what your family wanted for you. They gave you a chance to make it through this hell, and you did. That’s nothing to be ashamed of."

Mike glanced up, his expression crumbling as tears spilt down his cheeks. Richard gave him a small, gruff smile and ruffled his hair. "You’re tougher than you think, Mike. We’ve all had to make impossible choices. Doesn’t mean we wanted to."

Sam nodded in agreement, his expression solemn. "Richard’s right. We’ve all lost people, Mike. And we all carry guilt for surviving when they didn’t. But you didn’t run because you were weak. You ran because they loved you enough to tell you to go."

Mike sniffed, hastily wiping his face with his sleeve. "I just... I wish I could’ve done something. Anything."

Richard’s hand stayed firm on his shoulder. "You did what you could, kid. You’re still here, and that means there’s still time to honour them. By living."

Winter, who had been watching the exchange in silence, finally spoke. "If this base is as organized as they say, there might be a way to find people who got separated. They’ve got systems, people, resources. It’s worth hoping for."

Zara glanced at Winter, catching the rare glimmer of optimism in his tone. She smiled softly to herself, recognizing it as his own way of being kind. "That’s Winter’s version of a pep talk," she thought, amused but touched.

The group lapsed into a comfortable silence, the weight of their shared pain easing slightly. One by one, they began to settle in for the night. Richard stretched out against a tree, his hat tilted low over his face. Sam leaned back against a log, his injured arm cradled protectively as he closed his eyes. Mike curled up in his sleeping bag, still sniffling softly but comforted by Richard’s words.

Zara lay with Leo tucked safely in her arms, his small body warm and reassuring. Winter positioned himself at the edge of the group, his rifle resting across his lap, ever the vigilant guardian.

As the fire crackled and the night deepened, the group drifted off into an uneasy but hopeful sleep, the promise of tomorrow’s destination a fragile light in the darkness.