Age Of Zombies Chapter 50 [50] Edge Of Dawn

We had been walking for two weeks. Two long, brutal weeks of trudging through the cold, the snow getting thicker as we made our way deeper into the Rockies. The nights had become almost unbearable, with the temperatures dropping lower than we'd expected. We were wrapped up in every layer we had, still freezing our asses off even by the fire. The weight of everything—what we'd seen, what we'd done—hung over us like a storm cloud. But now, finally, we were nearing Banff.

It was early morning when we crested a hill and saw the town spread out below us. The first sight of it stopped all of us in our tracks."Holy shit," Ethan muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow, though the air was freezing. "We made it."The town of Banff sat nestled in the shadow of towering, snow-covered peaks, looking almost untouched by the world's collapse. The mountains loomed over everything, jagged and imposing, their tops dusted in fresh snow from the night before. Down below, the town itself was small and quaint, with its clusters of log cabins and buildings. It was a postcard scene, like something out of a different time, a different world."Banff," Daisy said, her voice low and full of disbelief. "I didn't think we'd ever actually get here."Yabe stood next to me, her breath coming out in small puffs of steam. She was quiet, her eyes wide as she took in the view. The snow around us crunched softly underfoot as we all stood there, staring down at the town. For the first time in what felt like forever, there was a moment of peace."Looks peaceful from here," I said, my voice breaking the silence. "Like nothing's changed.""It's like stepping into a painting," Yabe murmured, her voice soft. She glanced over at me, her eyes full of something I couldn't quite place—relief, maybe, or hope.Liza snorted from behind us, her breath visible in the cold air. "Don't get too attached to the view. For all we know, that place could be crawling with zombies."Ethan, always the optimist, let out a long sigh. "Yeah, but for a minute, it's nice to pretend everything's normal again, right?"Daisy chuckled, her eyes still scanning the town below. "Pretend all you want, but we need to figure out what the hell we're walking into."We stood there for a moment longer, none of us wanting to break the spell that the sight of Banff had cast over us. The snow around the town was untouched, save for a few faint trails leading into the trees. The river that cut through the town was mostly frozen, but we could hear the faint sound of water rushing beneath the ice. The air smelled crisp, clean, almost like a fresh start. But we all knew better. The world had changed, and nothing—not even a place as beautiful as Banff—could be untouched by it.Yabe shifted next to me, pulling her coat tighter around herself. "It's strange, isn't it? How something can look so perfect, even when we know it's probably not."I nodded, my eyes still fixed on the distant town. "Yeah. It's like... it doesn't belong in this world anymore.""We don't belong in this world anymore," Ethan added, half-joking, but there was a sad truth in his words.Daisy let out a long breath, her hand resting on the butt of her rifle. "Enough standing around. We're not getting any warmer up here. Let's head down, see what we're dealing with."***After another half day of walking, the snow crunching beneath our boots and the cold biting at our faces, we finally reached the outskirts of Banff. The town's border was marked by a makeshift gate, a tall fence of rusted metal and wood that stretched across the entrance. It looked hastily thrown together but sturdy enough to keep out unwanted visitors—or worse, the dead.We approached the gate cautiously, our breath visible in the cold air, the weight of the long walk heavy on all of us. As we neared, two men dressed in thick winter gear stepped out from behind the barricade. Both were armed—one with a rifle slung over his shoulder, the other with a shotgun. Their faces were hard, eyes sharp with suspicion."Hold it right there," the man with the rifle called out, raising a hand to stop us. His voice was deep, no-nonsense. "Who the hell are you?"We came to a stop, exchanging a quick glance. Daisy stepped forward, keeping her hands visible but resting them on the butt of her rifle, just in case. "We're survivors, looking for a place to stay. Heard this town's safe."The second man, the one with the shotgun, snorted. "Safe, yeah. But we're at capacity. Ain't got room for any more people."I could feel the tension in the air rising as we stood there, unsure of how to respond. We'd come too far, survived too much, to be turned away now. I wasn't going to let it end here."We don't need much," I said, stepping forward beside Daisy. "Just some shelter and a chance to help out. We've got skills. We're not just looking for a free ride."The man with the rifle gave me a skeptical look, eyeing us up and down. "Skills, huh? What kind of skills?"I took a deep breath, knowing this was our shot. "Yabe here," I nodded toward her, "she's a nurse. She's got medical training, can take care of your injured."Yabe gave a small nod, her shy demeanor making her look more innocent than I would've liked. But it was the truth—she could save lives if they gave her the chance."And Liza," I continued, motioning toward her, "she's good with biology. Knows plants, can help with growing food, making medicine."Liza smirked slightly, giving the men a defiant look, like she dared them to challenge her."Ethan's an engineering student," I added, pointing to him. "He can fix things—generators, machines, anything mechanical. You'll need someone like that if you're gonna keep this place running through the winter."Ethan gave an awkward wave, clearly uncomfortable under the scrutiny but managing to keep it together."And Daisy..." I glanced at her, knowing she could sell herself better than I ever could.Daisy grinned, her confidence practically radiating from her. "I'm good with a gun. Damn good. You need someone to keep watch, I'm your girl."The two men exchanged a look, clearly weighing our worth. The one with the rifle seemed to relax slightly, but the other guy, the one with the shotgun, wasn't convinced yet."And what about you?" he asked, his gaze narrowing on me. "What's your skill, smartass?"I hesitated, knowing this was the moment. "I'm a psychology major," I said, my voice steady. "I know how people think, how they react under stress. I can help keep things calm, keep people working together when shit hits the fan."The man with the shotgun raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Psychology? How's that gonna help when the dead come knocking?"I clenched my jaw, trying to stay calm. "It's not just about the dead. People lose their minds in situations like this. Fear, panic, anger—they can tear a place apart faster than zombies ever could. You need someone who understands that, who can help people hold it together."For a moment, there was silence. The two men stared at us, their faces unreadable. I could feel the weight of their judgment bearing down on us, the cold wind biting at my skin as we waited for their response.Finally, the man with the rifle spoke up. "We'll need to check with the mayor."The other guy, clearly the more skeptical of the two, didn't look happy about it, but he nodded. "Fine. But if the mayor says no, you're out. No arguments."They both stepped back, one of them raising a walkie-talkie to his mouth. We stood there, our breath hanging in the air, as they exchanged a few muffled words with whoever was on the other end. I couldn't make out the details of the conversation, but every second felt like a lifetime. My hands were cold, my heart pounding in my chest.Yabe shifted nervously beside me, her eyes darting between the two men. "Senpai," she whispered softly, her voice trembling, "what if they say no?""They won't," I said quietly, though I wasn't as sure as I sounded. "We've come too far for that."The man with the rifle lowered his walkie-talkie after a moment, glancing back at us. "The mayor says to let you in," he said, though there was no warmth in his tone. "But don't cause any trouble, or you'll be out faster than you got in."Daisy grinned, but it wasn't a friendly smile. More like a predator who just found a crack in the prey's defenses. "Trouble? Us? Never."The two men stepped aside, opening the gate just enough to let us through. As we walked past them, the shotgun guy shot us a glare, clearly still not convinced we belonged."Welcome to Banff," he muttered, though his tone made it clear he wasn't happy about it.We stepped into the town, our breath still visible in the cold air. The gate clanged shut behind us, sealing us inside. Banff lay ahead, quiet and cold, but it was shelter. It was safety—for now.I glanced over at Yabe, who gave me a small, relieved smile. "We made it," she whispered."Yeah," I said softly, my breath fogging in front of me. "We made it."Q: Have you ever heard of Banff before?

Chapter 50 - [50] Edge of dawn

Related Books

Popular novel hashtag