BANG.
BANG.
BANG.
Each hit echoed through the small shop like a hammer striking a drum.
Mela and Jasper crept crawling from the door towards the next building, breathing slowly as she listened to the infected outside slam themselves against the glass and metal bars.
Jasper leaned against the counter behind her, one hand pressed against the side of his stomach.
"Man…" he muttered under his breath, shaking his head. "I swear those things just don't quit."
Another loud bang rattled the gate.
The glass trembled but held at least for now.
Mela glanced back at him.
"You still bleeding?"
Jasper looked down at his shirt.
The dark stain had spread slightly around the torn fabric where the infected had clawed him earlier.
"Not as bad as before," he said, trying to sound casual. "I've had worse."
Mela walked over and crouched beside him.
"Move your hand."
He raised an eyebrow.
"You're going to do the glowing thing again, aren't you?"
"Move your hand."
Jasper sighed and lifted his palm away from the wound.
"Man… if you pass out again I'm not carrying you."
Mela ignored the comment.
She placed her hand gently over the injury.
For a moment nothing happened.
Then the faint green glow appeared again.
It felt Soft and warm.
Like light filtering through leaves.
Jasper stared down at it.
"Okay… yeah… that's still weird."
The torn flesh slowly began closing.
Not completely.
But enough that the bleeding stopped.
Mela felt the familiar drain of energy pulling at her body.
It was like someone had quietly opened a valve somewhere inside her.
Her strength leaving her little by little.
When the glow faded she pulled her hand back and sat down on the floor beside him.
Jasper poked the wound carefully.
"…Alright that's actually insane," he said.
He looked at her.
"You're telling me you can just… do that?"
Mela leaned her head back against the wall.
"I think so."
"You think so?"
"I only discovered it today."
Jasper let out a short laugh.
"Of course you did."
The banging at the gate continued downstairs.
But it had slowed.
The infected outside were still there, scratching and slamming occasionally, but the frenzy had weakened.
Maybe they were losing interest, or maybe they were waiting.
Neither option felt comforting.
Jasper shifted slightly and winced.
"Still hurts," he muttered.
"wont it." Mela turned and glared at him "if you stay still it won't "
"Yeah, yeah."
He looked toward the front of the shop.
"You know… when I ran into that store earlier today I thought I was lucky."
Mela glanced at him.
"Lucky?"
"Yeah," he said, letting out a breath. "I thought the apocalypse started and I found the one safe building left in the city."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Then those things broke through the window and tried to eat me."
Mela almost smiled.
Jasper pointed at her.
"And then you showed up swinging a fire extinguisher like a maniac."
Mela turned her head the other way. Although she was blushing
"and I was being eaten."
"Almost."
Jasper shook his head slowly.
"Man… I still can't believe that."
He looked at the door again.
Then back at her.
"Hey."
"What?"
"You saved my life."
Mela didn't respond.
Instead she stared at the dusty floor in front of her.
After a few seconds Jasper sighed.
"Alright, you're one of those quiet hero types. I get it."
She finally spoke.
"I didn't do it for you."
"Wow."
"I needed help getting out."
Jasper paused.
Then he laughed.
"Okay that's fair."
For a while neither of them spoke.
The only sounds were the occasional thuds from downstairs and the faint wind moving outside.
Mela closed her eyes briefly.
And the blue system interface appeared again in her vision.
Healing Ability – Basic Level
Proficiency: 6%
The number had been smaller earlier.
She remembered clearly.
When she first used it on Jasper in the store, the system showed 3%.
Now it had doubled.
So using the ability made it stronger.
That was good to know.
But she could also feel the cost.
Each time she used it, her body felt weaker afterward.
If she pushed too far…
She wasn't sure what would happen.
Jasper broke the silence again.
"So… where are we going after this?"
Mela opened her eyes.
"My grandmother's house."
He nodded slowly.
"That the place you mentioned earlier?"
"Yes."
"is it Safe?"
"well it should be Safer than here."
Jasper leaned his head back against the wall.
"Man… at this point a place with four walls and a door that locks is good enough for me."
Mela stood and walked quietly toward the window near the back of the shop.
She carefully lifted the curtain just enough to look outside.
The street behind the building was empty.
Cars were abandoned, trash scattered everywhere.
The city felt… dead.
But somewhere out there, Her brothers were still alive.
They had to be.
Jasper watched her from the floor.
"You're thinking about them again."
She nodded.
"My brothers."
"You said they were outside when everything started, right?"
"Yes."
"Then they're probably moving too."
She looked at him.
"You think so?"
"Yeah," he said with a shrug. "If the world suddenly fills with cannibal zombies, the smart move is to run."
He pointed at himself.
"Which is exactly what I did."
Mela folded her arms slightly.
"You ran into a store."
"Hey," he said defensively. "It had snacks."
She stared at him.