As the sun rose the light penetrated into the room illuminating it ever so slightly like a spot like on a singer.
The embers of the fire they had started last night made the room smell like smoke ever so acrid with the smoldering smell of charred wood and damp ashes
The sun shone on Adam's face reminding him it's time to wake up but Adam hadn't been able to fall asleep all throughout the night as the sound of snarling moans and the occasional screams kept him awake.
Sitting up straight Adam pulled the tarp closer to him is back against the wall.
To his left Marcus slouched by the grimy window hunched over a can of beans the sunlight pouring through the cracked glass casted uneven shadows on his face.
His face in question was sharp, like it had been sculpted from stone he had a sharp jawline and high cheekbones giving him a statuesque quality. With tanned skin and piercing blue eyes. His hair neatly cropped military style yet it suited him every strand intentional. His features were almost unnaturally perfect, like a model molded into a soldier.
Adam scratched his eyes looked at Marcus still squinting and asked"Where is she?"
Without saying a word Marcus pointed upwards indicating she was on the roof.
' So they moved shifts at night...huh did I sleep or was dreaming I didn't. How wasn't there any sound?" Adam wondered.
"Thanks." said Adam as he headed towards the roof.
------
The rooftop was quiet, bathed in the pale light of dawn as the sun began to rise over the ruined city. New York lay in ashes below, its skyline twisted and broken, softened only by the golden glow that made the devastation seem almost beautiful.
Near the edge of the roof, Tabitha sat in an old metal chair, her back to the roof door, a gun resting in one hand, a cigarette in the other. Smoke drifted lazily from her lips as she watched the horizon, her face half-hidden in shadow, unmoving as the light touched her, making her seem like just another ghost amid the ruins.
Adam upon reaching the roof and closing the door took a seat on the cemented floor near Tabitha.
"Beautiful isn't." Adam said marvelling at how beauty can come from such chaos.
Silence was Tabitha's response.
"Yunno those things will kill you." Adam said refer to the cigarette between her index and middle finger.
"Well it's better than being taken out by mindless zombies, at least I get to die by my own terms and more humane" Tabitha responded with a flat tone her face expressing no emotions.
Adam felt the air around him and was thinking through about what his next words will be.
'Darn I guess she's still mad about last night. Should I bring it up or what....'
*Sigh*
'Here goes something'
"Hey about last night I'm so---"
Tabitha interrupted him in a rude manner "Don't you'll only make things worse." She ended flatly keeping her face straight.
Adam knew there was no point in trying again so he let her be and went back to the room.
In the room as Adam flung the door opened and saw Marcus in the midst of a warm up. Muscles coiled and focused sweat dripping down his button nose and arms.
Noticing Adams presence he didn't stop but looked up at him with a grin.
Adam sat back on the ground and was rummaging through the duffel bag to find his breakfast.
"You like her don't you." Asked Marcus admist his push ups but didn't break rythm showing his military discipline.
Adam stopped his rummaging for a second and his face tightened "What...pfft no, No! I just met her man jeez."
Adam answered very quickly and continued his search until finally finding a can of sweet corn and a jar of apple sauce which he put back.
"Nah that's a blatant lie there partner." At this point Marcus was doing sit ups.
"No it's not." Adam said in an offhand tone.
"Yeah it is. I've seen the way you look at her, you admire her heck I'd say adore even."Marcus said whilst letting out little grunts .
"Jackass, shut up." Adam chuckled opening the can.
Stopping his workout Marcus sat beside him and was staring the wall down.
" Look man it's fine it's a good thing she's a perfect role model. She. knows what has to be done and she does it heck sometimes my balls shrink to the size of peanuts when it's time to make such calls. But you know what...I do it anyway cos in this world now, You fight or you die." Marcus ended in a dark note and looked at Adam who nodded in agreement.
'Yeah this is how it has to be in order to survive and I will do anything to survive and find out who I am.'
Adam now had accepted reality and was ready to face it head on.
Standing up Marcus took a hand to the bag and pulled out the apple sauce.
"I don't like it too she does." Marcus whispered playfully
'I never said I didn't like it and I don't have any memory of it so why'd I put it back.' Adam wondered.
*Creak*
The door gave out a drawn out creak as Tabitha stepped inside.
"Time to go the alleyway seems a little bit clearer" Tabitha urged
"Yeah thankfully we are not in the city central or else we would be in deep shit." Marcus chuckled.
Tabitha brought the duffel bag and placed it on the ground and brought her pack and Marcus's and emptied them all.
Not much to Adams surprise lot's of weapons laid down ranging from guns to meeles like maces machetes and so on.
Adam by now knew that the guns weren't an option he scanned through what they had a picked his choice.
He picked up a Krambit. He didn't know why but he was just drawn to it.
"What a weird choice...meh that will do." Tabitha shrugged.
Now having picked up his weapon Tabitha and Marcus lead him to the alleyway.
Opening the door ever so slightly Marcus saw the alleyway, narrow and snaked between crumbling brick walls, cloaked in darkness. The ground, littered with broken glass, bullet casings, discarded trash, and old tires. The air was thick with the stench of decay, amplified by the shuffling of two zombies that lurked among the debris. One, gaunt and matted-haired, dragged its foot through the grime, while the other emitted low, guttural growls, its vacant eyes scanning the shadows. This grim corridor was a haunting reminder of a world long lost, where survival felt like a distant memory.
Marcus gestured for Adam to come take a look.
"Woah, so trippy."
"Yep, you got your knife?" Marcus asked looking at Tabitha who nodded.
They had both planned something which Adam would definitely not like.
"Yeah why?" Adam asked still looking out of the crack bent over.
"Good."
Adam moved back and gave Tabitha an apprehensive look and kicked Adam on his butt sending him out and used his belt to barricade it.
Adam was banging for them to open up but Marcus didn't budge.
"It's for you to show use your strength.
Kill those two first. You have 5 minutes." Marcus said calmly
----
A minute passed when Marcus stopped hearing any sounds.
"Done already you John." Marcus asked sarcastically.
Tabitha was still standing facing the door having a smoke.
Marcus sat down and put his hand down on the floor when something cut him.
It was Adams knife!
Tabitha's smoke dropped and both thier eyes widened with a realisation that he might be dead.
As the door opened Adam was standing right there his clothes all bloodied up and was fuming.
But he wasn't alone there was a stranger.