The relentless rain hadn't stopped for days. The sky was a constant shade of gray, and the pounding downpour never let up, drowning the streets in endless sheets of water. Inside their small safe house, the air was damp, the walls slick with moisture, and every step seemed to squelch underfoot. Supplies had dwindled to almost nothing. The food they had scavenged was long gone, leaving only a few scraps of dried noodles and stale bread.
Zhang stared at the empty pantry, his stomach growling with a dull ache. "We're out," he muttered, rubbing his hands together for warmth. His eyes flicked toward Maria, who was sitting by the small stove, her fingers tracing the outline of a map they had found in the city.
Maria looked up, concern flickering across her face. "We need to eat."
Zhang nodded. "I know." He stood up, pacing the room, his mind working through the possibilities. "We can't keep going without food... but we can't leave in this storm. Too dangerous. The monsters are out there, hiding in the shadows."
Maria's eyes lit up with a sudden idea. "We could set up traps," she suggested. "There's a pond nearby, we could use it to catch something."
Zhang paused, considering the idea. "Fish? Animals might come to drink too." He nodded, the idea clicking in his mind. "Yeah. That might work. We can use what we have."
They both quickly gathered what they could find—pieces of old clothes, branches from the few trees still standing, and the small amount of raw meat they had left. They packed everything into a small bag and braved the rain, stepping outside into the flooded streets. The rain hit them like cold needles, soaking their clothes in an instant.
The pond Maria had mentioned was just a few blocks away, surrounded by a few broken trees and old debris. The water was murky, disturbed by the constant rainfall, but it was still their best shot.
"Here." Zhang knelt by the edge of the pond, grabbing a few long, thick branches. "We can use these to make a simple net."
Maria handed him the torn pieces of cloth, and together they began to weave a makeshift net using the strips of fabric and branches. Zhang tied the ends tightly, securing them with knots while Maria worked to shape the branches into a frame. The rain was relentless, soaking through their clothes and making the task harder, but they worked silently, focused on survival.
"We'll need bait," Maria said, glancing at the small piece of meat they had brought. It wasn't much, but it would have to do.
Zhang took the meat and tied it to the center of the net. "This should lure something in. If not fish, maybe an animal will come to drink."
They lowered the net into the water, submerging it just enough that it wouldn't float away with the current. Zhang carefully secured it by tying the ends of the frame to a nearby tree, making sure it stayed in place. "That should hold," he muttered, stepping back to inspect their work.
Maria wiped the rain from her face, her breath visible in the cold air. "Now we wait."
They crouched under the cover of a tree, shivering as the rain continued to pour around them. The sound of the storm was deafening, but there was a strange peace in it too, like the world outside had been silenced by the rain.
After what felt like hours, Zhang stood up, moving toward the trap. "Let's check it."
He carefully pulled the net from the water, his eyes widening as he saw the result. Inside, a few small fish wriggled against the fabric, struggling to escape.
"We got something," he muttered, pulling the fish free from the net. They weren't much, but they were enough to get through another day.
Maria exhaled in relief, a tired smile on her face. "It's better than nothing."
They gathered the fish and quickly made their way back to the safehouse, their bodies chilled to the bone from the cold rain. Inside, they started a small fire with what little wood they had left, cooking the fish over the flames. The smell of cooking meat filled the room, a small comfort amidst the endless storm.
As they ate, the sound of rain tapping against the windows continued, a constant reminder of the world outside. They didn't talk much, but the silence was filled with the unspoken understanding that they were lucky to still be alive.
Zhang chewed slowly, staring into the flames. "We'll have to do this again tomorrow," he muttered, already planning their next move. "The rain isn't stopping. We need to keep finding food."
Maria nodded, her voice soft but determined. "We'll make it. One day at a time."
They finished their meal, wrapping themselves in the thin blanket they shared, their bodies huddled close for warmth. The storm raged on, but inside, they found a small sense of peace, a fragile hope that they could survive another day.
As they lay in silence, Zhang's mind wandered back to the traps they had set. He muttered quietly to himself, "We'll need better tools... sharper weapons... more supplies. This won't last."
But for now, under the cover of rain, they had made it through another night. And in this world, that was all that mattered.