Page 15 of Surviving Her

Eliza glanced at River, who moved with the kind of ease that only someone who’d spent years navigating the wilderness could muster. Every step River took was calculated, every glance purposeful. Despite her embarrassment, Eliza noticed that the younger woman was like a hunter on the prowl, her eyes scanning their surroundings for any sign of danger. Eliza couldn’t help but feel a surge of admiration for River.

But there was also a part of Eliza that found River’s approach unnerving. Where Eliza wanted to blend into the shadows, hide from the danger, and think things through before acting, River seemed almost eager to confront the issue head-on. The contrast between them was stark, and it made Eliza uneasy. She’d spent her life learning to stay calm, to weigh the positives and negatives, and to avoid unnecessary risks. River, on the other hand, was all about action, and it was clear that she wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty.

“You hear that?” River whispered, her voice low and alert. She stopped dead in her tracks. Her head tilted slightly as she listened to the distant sound of shouts and gunfire.

Eliza tensed up, her pulse beating loudly in her eardrums as she strained to hear. “ You said you saw looters this morning, right?” she said quietly, her eyes narrowing as she peered down the street. “We should find another way around. It’s too dangerous to get involved.”

River shook her head, her jaw set in a determined line. “It’s nothing. They’re not eaters. We can take them. They’re only normal people. If they’re looting, it means there might be some supplies we can use.”

Eliza felt a surge of frustration. “I don’t like ‘eaters.’ Pick another word.”

“Biters? Rotters?” River suggested.

“What did you say before? Walkers? Let’s go with walkers. What if those people have guns? They could be violent, right? River, we can’t just go charging in there. We need to be smart about this.”

I can’t believe we’re fighting over what to call zombies. Who’d have thought this would be the new normal?

River turned to her, her eyes blazing with that wild intensity that Eliza was beginning to get used to. “I’m not saying we should charge right in like a pair of total fucking idiots. But we can’t avoid every confrontation. Do you understand? We need supplies. You’ve made that clear. So let’s go find what we need.”

Eliza’s hands clenched into fists at her sides. The tension between them was thick. She understood River’s point, but it felt so reckless to seek out trouble when it could be easily avoided. Well, maybe not easily, but they could do their best, couldn’t they? “How come you’re so eager to fight?” she demanded, her voice sharp. “There’s more to survival than breaking bones and stabbing people in the head. I saw what you did to that man in the hospital.”

“Hey! A little ‘thank you’ wouldn’t go amiss, doc. I saved your ass. And that wasn’t a man. He was one of them. And just so you know, there’s a hell of a lot more to survival than hiding in the shadows. I should know. I’ve been leading survival workshops for years. I was just about to go into business with my father, okay?” River shot back. “Look, I totally get that you’re scared. So am I. I’m scared out of my goddamn mind! But we’re not goingto get anywhere by running away all the time. We need to get proactive. We need to face this shit head-on and accept that the world is now totally fucked.”

Eliza opened her mouth to argue, but stopped herself. As much as she hated to admit it, River was right—they’d never be able to avoid every potential danger. But the thought of confronting those looters head-on, of risking their lives for the chance at a few supplies, made her stomach churn with anxiety. They could be fighting over drugs and batteries, or just chips and soda.

“Fine,” Eliza said tightly. “But please…let’s just try this my way. We need to observe them first and find out what they’re looting. If it looks too dangerous, we back off. Agreed? Jeez, I trained to be a doctor and now I’m out here avoiding being killed by…walker zombies. This is some fucked-up shit.”

River hesitated before giving her new friend a slight nod. “Agreed. But if we have to fight, we fight. Or…erm…I fight, okay?”

Eliza pushed her unease to the back of her mind and followed River as they crept closer to the source of the commotion. Her heart threatened to burst out of her chest as they approached the corner of the street, where the looters had gathered outside a large convenience store.

From their hiding spot behind a toppled-over garbage can that had been pushed out onto the sidewalk, Eliza could see a group of men and women, their faces desperate as they tore through what little was left on the store’s shelves, stuffing anything they could find into their bags. Most of them were armed—some with makeshift weapons, others with handguns that glinted menacingly in the dusky light. It hadn’t taken long for the shops to become vacated and for the survivors to descend on the precious supplies. Everyone watched enough TV shows to know how apocalyptic scenarios like this played out.

Eliza’s breath caught in her throat as she watched them. These people weren’t just looters—they were dangerous. She could tell by the wild looks in their eyes and the way their hands shook with barely contained aggression.

“Jesus, River. Look at them! They’re insane. They’re all carrying,” she said, knowing in that moment that River’s plan was too risky. She realized that there was no way they could take on these people without getting hurt—or worse. “Come on. Let’s get out of here,” Eliza whispered, her voice trembling. “There’s too many of them. We can’t do it. We’ve got crowbars, and they have guns.”

River didn’t respond immediately. Her eyes remained fixed on the looters. Eliza could see the gears turning in her mind and felt the tense energy radiating off of her as she weighed their options. Then, with a resigned sigh, River nodded. “You’re right. Let’s move.”

Relief flooded through Eliza as they backed away from the scene, careful not to make any noise. They retreated into a nearby alley, the darkness swallowing them as they put distance between themselves and the looters. Eliza’s heart was still racing, her hands shaking with the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

“God, my blood pressure is through the roof,” she mumbled under her breath.

“Breathe, doc. Take a deep breath. That’s what it’s all about.”

“Erm…I don’t think mindful breathing, yoga, Pilates, weird vegan cookies, or any of your otherforest waysare going to cut it. My blood pressure is high because it’s an evolutionary response. My adrenal glands release hormones that cause my heart to beat faster, which in turn pumps more blood through my veins. That’s what’s happening. And it’s happening because I’m scared. Because we’re in the beginning of some kind of apocalypse, or at least that’s what it looks like. Fucking zombies.Fucking looters. My friends killed right in front of me. I can handle a lot, but this is next level.”

“Fuck, doc. Calm down. How did you even know I was vegan?” River replied curtly.

“I’ll calm down when we’re no longer in danger of getting eaten, beaten, shot, or mobbed. Does that sound okay to you? And the vegan thing was a lucky guess. I think it’s your hair that was the giveaway,” Eliza cried out, her voice increasing in volume.

“Shh!” River hissed. “If you stay quiet, there’s less chance of any of those things happening. And leave the hair alone. I’m cute as hell, and you know it,” she said, with confidence nearing the edge of arrogance.

As they continued to navigate the chaotic streets, dodging groups of zombies, looters, and ordinary folk fleeing the city, Eliza found herself relying more and more on River’s skills. River moved with an ease that Eliza envied, her instincts sharp and her senses attuned to every sound and movement. It was clear that River was in her element, and Eliza couldn’t help but be impressed. It was also clear that the scenes she witnessed were almost unbelievable. Sure, she’d binge-watchedThe Walking Deadand lovedThe Last of Us, but never in a month of Sundays did she think she’d be weaving her way through real-life zombies in her home city. The tension rose inside of her, anxiety slowly bubbling farther up her torso.

They passed through another series of alleyways, avoiding the main streets where the infected were most likely to be. The city was a labyrinth of destruction, with overturned cars, debris, and the occasional body blocking their path. The sight of the bodies made Eliza’s stomach turn; even though anyone would think she’d be used to it by now, she had to force herself to keep moving.

It wasn’t long before they encountered more people—this time, a group of armed men patrolling the streets, their eyes scanning for any sign of life. Eliza’s breath caught in her throat as she and River ducked behind a wall.

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