Chapter 15: The Shifting Tides
The days after the meeting with Sarah were a blur. Ethan had spent most of his time avoiding the others, unable to shake the weight of his thoughts. The warehouse had become a suffocating prison, and the line between survival and madness was growing thinner with every passing hour. The tension was palpable, not just between him and Leah, but within the entire group. Something was cracking—something that none of them could fix.
He had noticed it more and more over the past few days—the way people looked at each other, the fear in their eyes, the way they jumped at every sound outside. They were scared, but it wasn't just the threat of the infected or the looters. It was the way they had begun to turn on each other, the way they had started to question who was really in charge.
Leah's control was slipping, and it was only a matter of time before everything came crashing down.
That night, as the group gathered around the fire for their usual debriefing, Ethan watched the others closely. Leah was at the head of the group, as always, her eyes cold and calculating, her posture unshakable. The others looked tired—worn down by the constant pressure of survival—but there was something else in their eyes. Something deeper.
"We've got a problem," Leah said, breaking the silence. Her voice was calm, too calm. "We've been running low on food and water. The last supply run didn't bring back nearly enough."
Ethan stiffened. He'd been dreading this conversation. The scarcity of resources was something they couldn't ignore anymore. It was only a matter of time before they'd have to leave the relative safety of the warehouse and venture further into the city.
Sarah shifted uncomfortably beside him, her hand tightening around the edge of her seat. She knew as well as he did that this wasn't just about food. It was about control. Leah wasn't just worried about the group's survival. She was worried about her own position.
"I've been thinking," Leah continued, her eyes scanning the group. "We can't keep waiting around hoping things will get better. We need to make a more aggressive move. Start taking what we need from other groups."
The words hung in the air like a threat, and Ethan could feel the shift in the room. Some of the others shifted uncomfortably, exchanging glances. Others nodded, their faces hardened by the reality of their situation.
Ethan's stomach twisted. This was it. This was the moment where Leah's true nature came to the surface. The woman he had once followed without question was revealing the full extent of her ruthlessness.
"You're talking about raiding other groups," Ethan said, his voice low but firm. He couldn't keep quiet anymore. "We've already crossed lines we shouldn't have. But now you want to take it further?"
Leah's gaze snapped to him, sharp and dangerous. "What do you suggest we do, Ethan? Sit back and wait for someone else to come and take what we've worked for? You think we can just keep playing nice with the other survivors? They'll take everything from us if we don't fight for it."
Ethan opened his mouth to respond, but the words got stuck in his throat. He could feel the weight of the group's eyes on him, and it hit him all at once—he was alone. Even Sarah, who had always been by his side, wasn't speaking out.
"Everyone else is on board," Leah said, her tone hardening. "We're going to raid the old storage facilities near the outskirts of the city. We don't leave anyone behind, and we don't take prisoners."
A silence fell over the group. There was no room for dissent. No room for disagreement. Leah had spoken, and that was the end of it.
Ethan felt his heart pound in his chest. This was not the woman he had followed, not the person who had promised survival without becoming the very thing they were trying to escape. She had crossed a line, and the group was following her blindly.
But he couldn't stay silent anymore. Not when they were about to cross the point of no return.
"Leah," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "This isn't us. We can't just start taking from others like this. What happened to the people we used to be? The ones who tried to hold on to something... human?"
Leah's eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a sneer. "The world isn't what it used to be, Ethan. This is survival. The old rules don't apply anymore. You want to live? Then you fight. Or you die."
The words struck him like a blow. He had known this moment would come, but hearing it from her—he wasn't ready for it. He wasn't ready to see the woman he had trusted transform into something unrecognizable.
Sarah reached out, her hand resting on his arm. "Ethan," she said softly. "We have no choice. If we don't do this, we won't last. Leah's right."
Ethan felt his chest tighten. He wanted to argue, to fight back against what Leah was becoming, but Sarah's grip on his arm felt like a chain, holding him in place. The other members of the group were already standing, preparing for the raid. They were all in this now.
And he was starting to wonder if there was any way out.
The next day, the group set out. The air was thick with tension, the atmosphere heavy with unspoken fears. The journey to the storage facility was a silent one, the only sound being the crunch of gravel beneath their boots. No one spoke. No one dared to.
Ethan kept his eyes on the ground, his mind a storm of conflicting thoughts. He had seen what had happened to the man they killed in the convenience store. He knew the price of survival. But now it felt different. This wasn't just about defending themselves anymore. This was about domination. Control. Power.
And the worst part? He couldn't tell if it was too late to stop it.
When they reached the storage facility, it was clear that other groups had already been there. The remnants of old campsites and abandoned cars littered the area. The place was a mess—chaos, destruction. The scent of death was thick in the air, and Ethan felt his stomach churn.
"We take what we need, and we leave. No mercy," Leah ordered, her voice a quiet command.
The group spread out, scavenging for anything useful. Ethan found himself standing off to the side, staring at the wreckage around them. His hands clenched into fists as he fought the growing unease in his chest. He could hear the others rummaging through the debris, but he couldn't bring himself to join them.
This wasn't what he signed up for. This wasn't survival. This was something far worse.
And he was starting to realize that the longer he stayed with Leah's group, the less he recognized himself.
The world was changing. And so was he. But Ethan wasn't sure anymore if he wanted to survive at all.