I found my voice after a while, and though it was hoarse, it carried an undying resolve. "Everyone, listen to me," I began, my words slicing through the heavy silence that enveloped us. "We've been through a lot. Today, especially, has been hard." I paused, glancing at each of their faces. The girls looked back at me, their eyes mirroring the same grim determination I felt.
"Cassidy, you're a survivor, tough as nails. You've always had our backs, and I know you'll continue to do so. Kaya, you've shown us that you're strong, both physically and mentally. You've got a warrior's heart. Hazuki, your calm and kind nature keeps us grounded. Your medical skills have saved us more times than I can count. Yan-Hua," I turned my gaze to the woman clinging to my arm, her face pale but composed, "your courage is inspiring. You've stayed strong despite everything."
I could feel their eyes on me, their gazes heavy but not unkind. I swallowed hard, steeling myself for what I had to say next.
"We're not just a group of survivors. We're a team, a family. And right now, our family is in Canada." My lips quirked up into a half-smile. "We've made it this far. We've faced down raiders, survived zombie hoards, and hell, we've just walked away from a car explosion. We're alive. That's more than we can say for a lot of people out there."
I paused, letting my words sink in. "We're going to follow this highway and find the nearest settlement. I know it's not going to be easy. We're going to be cold, hungry, and tired. But we're going to make it. We have each other. We've got strength, resilience, and determination. And as long as we stick together, there's nothing we can't overcome."
For a moment, no one said anything. Then, Cassidy broke the silence. "Well, damn, boss. When you put it that way, how can we not keep going?" The hint of a smile tugged at her lips, and I felt a surge of relief. If Cassidy was able to joke, then we were going to be okay. We had to be.
***
We began to trudge along the highway. It was then a man driving a white van appeared.
The man pulled up beside us, his white van coming to a stop with a puff of dust. He rolled down his window, sticking his head out to look at us. His gaze lingered on Kaya, noting her makeshift bandage, then moved on to the rest of us. There was a thoughtful look in his eyes.
"Evenin', eh?" he began, his voice thick with a Canadian accent that sounded comforting in our current predicament. "Looks like you folks could use a little help."
Cassidy was the first to respond. "You could say that," she replied, her voice heavy with exhaustion.
The man looked at us for another moment before he made a decision. "I live not too far from here. Got plenty of room, food, and hot water. You folks are welcome to come and rest up."
His offer hung in the air for a few seconds as we considered his words. Trust was a luxury we couldn't afford in this world, but right now, we had little choice. It was either take our chances with a potentially helpful stranger or continue on foot in our exhausted state, risking exposure to the cold and the undead.
I glanced at Yan-Hua and the others. They looked back at me, trust in their eyes. They were waiting for me to make a decision. I nodded at them before turning my gaze back to the man.
"Thank you for your offer," I said, my voice steady. "We'd be grateful for your help."
The man's eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. "Great, hop in then. I'm Al, by the way. Al Tremblay."
"Nice to meet you, Al," I said, helping Yan-Hua into the back of the van. "We appreciate your kindness."
The ride to Al's home was quiet, but the tension that had been wrapped around us slowly began to unravel. As we pulled up to a two-story cabin nestled in the woods, it felt like we could finally breathe again.
Something feels off...
Q: Would you ever live in a stranger's house?