Mallory immediately regretted her decision. Alex, now inside her pristine, zombie-proof apartment, looked completely out of place. Their tactical vest and dirt-smudged boots contrasted sharply with Mallory's cozy couch, soft blankets, and a coffee table cluttered with half-empty snack bags.
"This place…" Alex trailed off, taking in their surroundings. "It's incredible. How do you have power? Running water?"
"I don't ask questions," Mallory said curtly, motioning for Alex to take a seat at the farthest end of the room. "And neither should you."
Alex smirked but did as they were told, easing onto the edge of the couch. They sat stiffly, as though afraid to touch anything.
Mallory narrowed her eyes at them. "Just so we're clear: you're not staying permanently. You get a night, maybe two. That's it."
"Fair enough," Alex replied.
"And don't go snooping around," Mallory added. "I don't care how curious you are about this place. Touch anything without my permission, and you're out."
"Understood."
Mallory relaxed slightly, though her eyes remained on Alex as she plopped down on her side of the couch. She grabbed a bag of chips and tore it open, crunching loudly as she stared at the muted TV.
"You're really… calm about all this," Alex said after a moment.
Mallory shrugged. "What's there to freak out about? My apartment handles everything. Zombies don't get in. I have food, water, and electricity. Life's good."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "You're living in a fully automated fortress during a zombie apocalypse, and you don't think that's worth questioning?"
"Nope," Mallory said, popping another chip into her mouth. "I'm just enjoying the perks."
Alex chuckled softly, shaking their head. "You're something else."
---
As the hours passed, Mallory became increasingly aware of Alex's presence. She wasn't used to sharing her space, and having another person around disrupted her usual routine. Alex, for their part, seemed content to sit quietly, occasionally glancing around the room as though trying to piece together how the apartment worked.
"What's your deal, anyway?" Mallory asked finally, breaking the silence.
Alex glanced at her. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, how'd you survive out there for so long? You don't look like one of those desperate scavengers."
Alex leaned back slightly, their posture relaxing. "I used to be military. Special forces, actually. When everything fell apart, I was stationed in the city. Tried to help where I could, but it didn't take long to realize things were beyond saving."
Mallory nodded slowly, intrigued despite herself. "So you've just been wandering around since then?"
"Pretty much," Alex said with a shrug. "There's no real goal anymore. Just… stay alive."
Mallory considered this. It was a stark contrast to her own experience—her entire survival strategy had been to stay put and let the apartment handle everything.
"What about you?" Alex asked, tilting their head. "How'd you end up here?"
Mallory hesitated. She didn't like talking about herself, especially to someone she barely knew. "I just got lucky, I guess," she said finally. "Found this place before things got really bad and decided to stay."
Alex nodded, though their expression suggested they didn't entirely believe her.
---
The next day, Mallory woke up to the now-familiar sound of the tablet chiming. She grabbed it groggily, squinting at the screen:
Proximity Alert: Human Detected.
She groaned, pulling the blanket over her head. "Not again."
"Another visitor?" Alex's voice came from the couch.
Mallory peeked out from under the blanket, glaring at them. "Why are you awake?"
Alex shrugged. "Military training. You get used to waking up early."
Mallory rolled her eyes and checked the security feed. A small group of survivors was gathered near the front of the building, their ragged appearances and frantic movements suggesting they were on the run.
"Great," Mallory muttered. "Now it's a party."
Alex moved closer, peering over her shoulder at the screen. "They're being chased."
Sure enough, a horde of zombies was closing in on the group, their grotesque forms moving with surprising speed.
"What do we do?" Alex asked.
"We?" Mallory shot them a look. "We don't do anything. That's their problem."
"They'll die out there," Alex said, frowning.
"That's not my fault," Mallory replied.
Alex stared at her for a long moment, their expression hard to read. Finally, they sighed and shook their head. "You really don't care, do you?"
"Not my circus, not my monkeys," Mallory said, tossing the tablet onto the coffee table.
Alex didn't respond. Instead, they moved toward the window, watching as the group fought desperately to fend off the zombies.
Mallory tried to ignore them, focusing instead on her breakfast. But as the minutes ticked by, the sounds of the struggle outside became harder to block out.
"Damn it," she muttered, standing abruptly.
"What are you doing?" Alex asked, turning to look at her.
Mallory grabbed the tablet and tapped a few buttons, activating the apartment's external defenses. The perimeter lights flickered on, emitting a high-pitched frequency that seemed to disorient the zombies. Within seconds, the creatures were collapsing, their grotesque bodies twitching before going still.
The survivors stared in shock, their expressions a mix of relief and confusion.
"Happy now?" Mallory said, shooting Alex a glare.
Alex smiled faintly. "You've got a good heart under all that sarcasm."
"Don't push your luck," Mallory replied, sinking back onto the couch.
---
As the days passed, more survivors began to show up near Mallory's building, drawn by rumors of a safe haven. Some tried knocking on her door, while others simply lingered outside, hoping for a miracle.
Mallory's frustration grew with each passing day. Her once-peaceful sanctuary was becoming a magnet for trouble, and she wasn't happy about it.
"This is getting out of hand," she said, pacing the living room.
Alex watched her calmly. "You could always help them."
Mallory shot them a glare. "And turn this place into a refugee camp? No thanks."
"You can't ignore them forever," Alex said. "Sooner or later, someone's going to try breaking in."
Mallory sighed, rubbing her temples. She knew they were right, but the thought of opening her home to strangers made her stomach churn.
"Fine," she said finally. "But if this goes south, it's on you."
Alex grinned. "Deal."
As Mallory reluctantly began preparing to address the growing crowd outside, she couldn't shake the feeling that her quiet, lazy life was about to change forever.
---
To Be Continued...