The streets showed obvious signs of the duo's path through the commercial district. Walkers lay scattered across the asphalt, their bodies left where they had fallen over the last ten minutes. Some rested beside abandoned vehicles, others near storefronts or half-hidden against the curb.
There weren't enough to paint the city red, but enough that if they ever needed to retract their steps through a maze—and they forgot to carry markers—it'd make do.
Not far away, Noah wrenched his spear free from the skull of another walker. The moment the weapon came free, the body lurched forward, its legs giving out beneath it. Its head struck the curb with a sickening crack, sending a fresh spurt of blood across the concrete.
Levy finished the last of the small group, driving his knife through its temple before stepping away, exhaling a shallow breath.
"That's the last one."
Noah gave the area a final sweep. For now, it seemed that way, he thought. The gas station sat quietly behind them, its pumps standing untouched while abandoned cars occupied nearly every parking space.
Some looked as though they had been left behind in a hurry, untouched by the apocalypse. In contrast, others had folded hoods, shattered windshields, or doors hanging open after collisions that no emergency services had ever arrived to deal with.
They began making their way across the lot. Noah had just passed a deformed silver sedan when movement inside caught his eye.
"Hold up."
Levy stopped walking and turned back toward him. A walker sat slumped behind the steering wheel, its head resting against the deployed airbag.
As if sensing their presence, its cloudy eyes slowly lifted. It let out a low groan before slamming against the driver's side door. The seatbelt snapped taut across its chest. Its body lurched forward only to be whipped back into the seat, the inflated airbag pinning one of its arms awkwardly against the steering wheel.
It struggled again—and failed again. For a brief moment, neither Noah nor Levy moved.
"...Guess seatbelts really do save lives," Levy muttered.
Noah huffed a quiet laugh. "Just not in the way they're actually supposed to."
The walker continued clawing uselessly at the shattered window, slicing open its fingers and forearm. There wasn't once a moment of hesitation nor a brief pause.
Noah took a step toward the car; his spear slipped cleanly through the broken frame, silencing the walker. Its body fell limp, its outstretched arm falling outside the window. He pulled the weapon free and wiped the tip against its shirt before taking another look around the parking lot.
"Let's keep moving."
Leaving the gas station behind, the two continued farther into the commercial district. The streets had grown quieter. Not because there were fewer walkers, but because they had learned to avoid unnecessary fights. Unless one wandered directly into their path, they walked around it, taking advantage of the wider streets whenever they could.
Noah kept a steady pace, his eyes constantly scanning the area, never settling on any one place for long.
A pharmacy stood with its automatic doors stuck halfway open. Boxes of disposable masks and bottled vitamins were scattered across the entrance as though someone had knocked them over while trying to leave in a hurry.
Across the street, a café sat frozen in time. Half-drunk cups of coffee still rested on a pair of outdoor tables. One lay overturned, likely abandoned in a desperate rush, its spilled contents already dried beneath the morning sun.
Levy glanced toward it, his eyes lingering on the deserted cups.
"It feels weird, you know."
"What do you mean?" Noah asked, following his gaze.
"The coffee," Levy sighed, his voice low. "Hard to believe that was only yesterday."
Noah nodded slowly.
"Yeah."
He smiled softly, though there was little joy behind it.
"It almost looks like someone should come back for it."
Neither of them said anything else as they continued walking, and the further they traveled, the more little reminders they found.
A bicycle lay on its side beside a bus stop, its front wheel still spinning ever so slightly whenever the breeze caught it. A grocery bag had split open across the sidewalk, leaving canned soup, bread, and fruit scattered where someone had dropped them.
Everything looked... Broken? Shattered?
Interrupted. That was the word. It was as though the city had just suddenly stopped moving. If they happened to come across a bird frozen in the air, he wouldn't even be surprised. It was one of the many fleeting thoughts that Levy unconsciously thought of.
A low groan drifted from ahead. Noah's grip on his spear shifted just as a walker rounded the corner of a clothing store. It had barely taken two steps before the steel tip flashed, piercing its skull with mechanical precision.
It collapsed where it stood.
Neither of them slowed as Levy stepped over the body.
"You know..."
"Hm?"
"I keep wondering what everyone else is doing."
Noah glanced sideways.
"The survivors."
Levy shrugged.
"They're probably hiding somewhere."
"I'm sure they are."
"And we're just... walking around outside."
Noah gave a small smile.
"I've thought about that too."
He had. More than once. Every building they passed made him wonder if someone was watching from behind a curtain or peeking through a second-story window, waiting for the walkers below to wander somewhere else before making a move.
If he had stayed inside yesterday, would he have done the same?
He honestly didn't know.
They crossed another street before arriving at a small convenience shop tucked between a laundromat and a florist. The front door stood open, causing Noah to slow.
"What?"
Levy looked over, taking in the doorway. It wasn't hanging off its hinges or shut like most of the structures they'd passed; it was simply resting open.
The pair exchanged a glance before stepping forward with caution, Noah leading the way inside. The fluorescent lights overhead were still on, humming softly despite the absence of customers. The store itself wasn't in bad shape. A few shelves had been knocked over, several snack racks stood half-empty, and a basket of canned food sat abandoned near the checkout counter.
There was no blood, no bodies, and no walkers.
Levy looked around.
"Think somebody left this?"
Noah crouched beside the basket, taking stock of its contents: a few cans of vegetables, bottled water, instant noodles, and a pack of batteries. Nothing unusual or high-value—just the essentials someone would grab if they weren't planning to go out for a while.
His eyes drifted toward the front windows, where the occasional Walker wandered past without paying the store any attention.
"They probably heard something," Noah said quietly.
Levy looked over.
"Huh?"
"They were shopping," Noah gestured toward the basket, "and they couldn't finish."
Levy followed his gaze.
"...You think they had to run?"
"Probably."
Noah stood, leaving the basket exactly where it was. Or maybe they'd made it out safely. There was no way of knowing, though he found himself hoping it was the latter.
"Come on."
The two stepped back outside, quietly pulling the door shut behind them before continuing down the sidewalk. Neither noticed the faint set of muddy footprints leading away from the rear of the building and disappearing into the maze of side streets beyond.