twenty years later

Alicia stared out the window of her bedroom. Since she and Kody had practically locked themselves in the house, they had built a fairly large fence to keep themselves safe.

She glanced to the corner of her window, where she could almost see a security camera. It was in desperate need of a replacement.

Alicia turned to her desk, where an open journal laid, untouched from the night before. She slowly walked over to the desk and sat down, staring at the words on the paper.

It was all just daily logs of what she and Kody had done in the likely case someone had come across the two, or found the home abandoned. She wanted someone to at least know she once existed.

She picked up her pen, slowly starting to write.

It's April 27th, 2033. Today marks 19 years and 7 months since the end of the world. 7,152 days without Nora to keep me from losing it. Thanks to Kody, I haven't. But it's still not the same. Just like every other fucking day.

Kody got a deer yesterday. Which means that we'll be having a feast every day for a while. The strawberries Kody and I had found on our last trip to the city are starting to grow, which means the carrots and potatoes are likely to start, as well. He insists that we start growing sunflowers, even though he's never liked the seeds. But he knows I do.

The generator has been having issues recently and now Kody's worried we'll have to start saving on things. Of course, we always eat what has to be refrigerated first, go for the cabinet food later, but what he's most afraid of is smelling like cow shit.

Kody thinks it has something to do with the water temp sensor, which means cold water. Few years ago, it was the battery itself, but thankfully, my Dad kept quite the supply of those. From what I know, all parts I need are at Home Depot and rusted. It's easy to fix rust, but I don't have the tools to do that.

Which means that I have to go into the city. Just so I can have some hot fucking water. I haven't been there since this shit show started. And it wasn't that I'm afraid to go there... Kody is.

Now he has no choice. It's a good thing he's learned how to hunt. And when to shut the fuck up.

"Alicia! I made breakfast!" Alicia turned to face her bedroom door and shut her journal, leaving her room and walked down the stairs.

"I finally figured out how to turn the wheat into flour. It's actually way easier than it looks when you have WikiHow in a book." Kody lifted up one of Alicia's moms old cook books and she scoffed a small laugh. "This thing was hiding under the basement stairs. Look at how much dust is on it."

Kody swiped a finger on the spine of the book and showed it to Alicia. His finger was coated in dust and he grimaced. "We live in filth."

"We don't clean. I swear, it won't kill you to sweep the place. And really? It seriously took you 48 years to figure out how to make flour?"

"Hey, baby me was too busy trying to win girls hearts. Which reminds me, happy birthday." Kody slapped Alicia's arm before walking back into the kitchen. She stood there silently for a long time, staring into nothing.

It wasn't like she was born in the worst day of the year. But she wasn't that far from having more birthdays in a post-apocalyptic world than before everything went to shit. It was a terrifying thought.

And somehow, Nora crossed her mind. Alicia knew what she would say if they were standing together in that moment.

"At least we made it this far, right?"

She couldn't remember what her voice sounded like. The only thing that helped her remember what Nora looked like was an old photograph that was strung up on her wall.

"Since I've figured out how to make flour, now we can have cake! And bagels! I missed bagels so
mu— You okay, Leesa?" Kody now had a rag thrown over his shoulder, holding two plates of toast.

Alicia glanced to Kody and smiled, nodding quickly. "Yeah. That smells good. What the bell is on that?" Alicia took her plate from Kody and stared at the red jam that was slathered on top. Kody smiled a little.

"It's strawberry preserve." Alicia looked up at him and smiled in amusement. Kody's dropped to a serious look. "I've been reading that cook book a lot."

She laughed as the two sat down at the dining table. "At least you found a hobby. Now I won't have to be the one always cooking."

"Oh, no. You're doing the cooking. I'll be the one making dessert. There's an ice cream recipe in that and I have missed ice cream more than I miss Keeping Up With The Kardashians."

Alicia stared at Kody for a moment as he bit into his toast. After a moment, he finally noticed her staring, stopping mid chew. "What? It was a good show."

"No it wasn't. Besides, if they still had reality TV in the apocalypse, I'm pretty sure Kylie would be crying every time she was on screen." Kody turned away to think before shrugging in agreement.

"Yeah. But who was the first to go?" They both shared a long look. "Ah, they're all probably dead anyways."

"Makes me wonder if some of my favorites survived."

"All of your favorites are action movie actors. Some of them are literally in apocalypse movies." Alicia nodded slowly before shaking her head.

"Yeah, but that's just acting. It's nothing like the real thing." The two continued to eat in silence for a while. Eventually, Alicia left to the kitchen, washing her plate and set it down to dry.

Kody walked in a few moments later, pausing when he noticed there was a long, questioning look on Alicia's face. "You look worried about something." He said while walking towards the sink. He turned the faucet to hot and waited for a moment. He reeled his hand back when it came out ice cold.

"The hot water isn't working anymore." She said quietly, staring at the running water. Kody shut it off and dried his hand. "We don't have a spare."

"So we just survive with cold water. No big deal." Kody shrugged but Alicia shook her head.

"No way. If we don't have hot water, we don't have warm showers. And if the sensor is broken, that means the generator is deteriorating. Eventually we won't have running water at all, or electricity. Can't even flush the fucking toilet." Kody stared at Alicia for a long time, afraid to ask the question he already knew the answer to.

"We have to go to the city, don't we?" Alicia turned to Kody, nodding slowly. He stepped back and leaned against the counter, covering his face. "Leesa, we haven't been there since... The Quarantine Zone is massive, what if FEDRA tries to kill us?"

"Depot is just outside of the QZ that we won't be noticed. Look, I know you're wary about going out there... But we have to if we don't want to freeze to death in a shower." Kody turned out the window, sucking in a sharp breath. "We know how to hunt and keep a low profile, we got this."

"This is insane. Are you sure your dad doesn't have a spare lying around?" Alicia shook her head quickly. She had every spare for the generator lying in a box. There wasn't a water temp sensor in there. "Shit."

"I can't go alone." Alicia pleaded. Kody kept shaking his head, rubbing his cheek. "Kody, we have to."

"If I die, I swear to god, Alicia—"

"You aren't going to die. Remember what we promised each other?" Kody nodded, looking down at his friend.

"If one of us goes, we go together." Kody held out his pinky like a child, Alicia linking hers to his with a determined smile. "I'll get the bow and guns."

"I'll pack our bags. We leave tomorrow morning so we can make it to the shed by night." Kody nodded, the two parting ways. The basement door creaked open as Kody rushed down, and Alicia walked up the stairs to their separate rooms.

......

"I can't believe we're actually going through with this. Aren't you scared?" Kody said as the two stared at the exterior of Alicia's parents home. The apple tree had five crosses underneath, with a sixth cross resting on the trunk, unused.

Alicia stared at that cross for a long time, wondering about the possibility of having to use it within the next few days. She hoped she wouldn't be the one digging the hole. Or the one being buried.

"We'll be okay. We aren't a couple of scared college students anymore." A chicken ran past them and towards the field across the house. Kody watched it for a moment.

"Says you. We may not be college students, but I'm still scared." The two shared a long look before Kody fixed his backpack, and they started walking. "Wish that damn truck didn't break down."

"Me either. But, it doesn't hurt to get some exercise." Alicia smiled a bit, looking back at the house again.

"You think we'll find anyone?" Kody wondered. He had asked that question three times last night. The two knew about smugglers, and the crazies that weren't in the QZ, so they also knew the risks of coming across people that weren't infected.

"I hope not." Alicia mumbled for the fourth time. She didn't want to interact with anyone she didn't know. If there was even the slightest chance that they crossed paths with a smuggler, it was game over for any of them.

"Maybe we'll find a prairie dog. Keep the cows in check." Kody chuckled. Alicia let out a scoff? shaking her head.

"I don't think there will be any dogs out here. Coyotes, maybe. But not a dog."

"All I'm hearing is that if we find one, we're keeping it."

......

Alicia sat on a bucket as she ate an apple, staring out the window of the shed. The only noise outside were crickets chirping, and maybe an owl in the distance. Kody was laying on the ground, asleep, using his backpack as a pillow and a spare shirt for a blanket.

She stared at him for a while, wondering how he was always able to fall asleep so fast. Alicia would stay up for hours, staring at her wall or ceiling, waiting.

Always being on alert was her issue. Despite rarely coming across an infected, she was always worried that she'd hear the tin can drop downstairs. She hoped her home wouldn't be invaded while they were gone. But that was always a risk.

Only a year after the apocalypse began, a couple had tried to steal from them. It was late, and Alicia had finally fallen asleep when than can dropped. She tried reasoning with them, offering to let them stay for a night or two, be warm, clean and fed. But those two were ruthless. The woman was pregnant, and simply wanted the house for herself and the baby.

They were the first people Alicia had ever killed.

Maybe that was why she never left the house after. If jail was still a thing, she would have turned herself in the second their hearts stopped beating. But she knew that was the world she and Kody lived in now.

Kill or be killed, as one would put it. Survival of the fittest. And maybe that was why she and Kody weren't a couple.

She truly feared having a relationship with anyone in this world. The risk of losing someone she cared about was far too high. Sometimes she hoped that Kody would up and leave one day so she wouldn't have to bury him. But he couldn't leave her all by herself. Neither of them could.

Alicia huffed, turning away and back out to face the window again. For a moment, she saw a glimpse of a deer, debating on going out and killing it. Then she realized she wasn't at home, and had nowhere to store it.

After around another hour, Alicia had thrown a jacket over her body, using her own backpack as a blanket before, very slowly, drifting off to sleep.

......

"Leesa. Wake up." Kody nudged the sleeping woman, her grumbled incoherently before her eyes popped open. She glanced around, groaning in pain as she sat up and rubbed her shoulder.

"What time is it?" She mumbled. squinting as she looked out the window. The sky was a bright blue.

"I think 9. You got a watch, don't you?" Alicia shuffled through her bag and pulled out an old watch. It was 9:23.

"Almost 9:30. Let's go." Alicia stood up and folded her jacket, stuffing it into her backpack. Kody already had his on, opening the door to the shed. His shotgun was hanging on the side, the arrows for his bow sticking out from the bag.

"Are you sure we have to do this? It'll be night by the time we leave Home Depot. Infected will be everywhere." Kody said as they started walking down the road again. Alicia knew he was right, but she also knew they couldn't give up when they were already half way there. And she didn't want to risk the generator breaking down.

"We made it this far. Might as well keep going. We'll be home in a few days, Kody. You can count on it." Alicia reassured and patted his shoulder. Kody didn't look as hopeful, but kept staring ahead.

He was still thinking of the possibility of them encountering someone else. Or something. He could handle infected no problem, they don't scare him as much as they used to. Sure, they still made him nervous, but he knows how to protect himself.

It was people he wasn't that sure of. Infected don't have any way of protecting themselves except for their own bite and punches. People have guns, knives, and homemade weapons. They could kill him and Alicia easily.

"You got that look again." Alicia spoke after a long silence. Kody did a double take at her, raising his brows.

"What look? I don't have a look." He defended, scoffing. "I'm fine."

"You have several looks. That one is worry." Alicia glanced up at Kody, who sighed. "I told you. We'll be fine."

"Again, You don't know that. People are pricks now. More than they used to be, at least." He grumbled, looking ahead again. "All I'm saying is that I can protect us against infected. But U don't know about people."

"Which is why we need to be quiet. If people don't see us, then we're safe. Just make sure FEDRA doesn't see us."

"FEDRA. Right. Because they are the ones we should worry about." He shook his head, looking around. "FEDRA will think we're smugglers or something and interrogate us then kill us. Everyone else will kill us for our supplies without a second thought."

"You're thinking too hard about this, Kody." Alicia stated, turning to face him as they walked. "We can handle ourselves with unarmored people, one hundred percent. We're probably better aim than most of them, anyways."

Kody let out a laugh, shrugging. "My aim has improved over the years."

"Are you kidding? Two decades of using a bow and arrow to kill rabbits and deer? You and I would rock an archery competition." Kody smiled, amused and pleased with the compliment and nodded.

"You're right. But you'd probably win it for us. You're better at hunting rabbits than I am."

"It's all in the breath control. Like I've told you. And you're loud when you miss." Kody rolled his eyes at that and Alicia laughed.

......

Kody had been right about how late it would be when they got to Home Depot. It was late afternoon by the time they got the doors pried open. Now it was time to stay quiet and find what they needed.

"Should we split up?" Kody asked in a quiet voice, glancing around. It was incredibly dark inside even with the skylights.

"Absolutely not. Are you an idiot?" Alicia smacked him across the head and he winced, rubbing the spot she hit. Kody gave her a glare and she ushered for him to follow her.

"Get a basket. Maybe we'll find some other useful items." Kody suggested and Alicia stared at the basket for a moment. She sighed, picking it up as Kody did and the two slowly started heading in.

For the most part, neither could hear any Clickers or Runners. It was a fairly large building, though, so they weren't too hopeful that it was completely empty.

Kody kept looking behind them every few seconds, his heart thundering in his throat. He was shaking a little bit, but not so noticeably. He was surprised at how anxious he was. The entire time they were walking through the city, he didn't let out a shaky breath once.

"Over here." Alicia whispered before rounding a corner. Kody stopped to look at an old LEGO set on one of the outside aisles, slowly reaching for it. "Kody!" Alicia whisper-yelled and he jumped, turning to her. "Important things first."

"LEGO's are important!" He argued quietly before grabbing the box, which rattled loudly. Both of their eyes went huge and Kody slowly turned to Alicia. He set the LEGO box down as quietly as he could.

Alicia shook her head and turned to a shelf. She shook her flashlight as it flickered, looking at the water temperature sensors and her look turned from hope to complete despair and defeat. All of the sensors were far more corroded than she thought. Kody walked over, the same look crossing his face when he saw the horrible state the sensors were in.

"None of these are salvageable. Kody, our generator can't last much longer without a sensor." Alicia turned to him. Kody said nothing.

"I'll try and fix one." Kody grabbed one of the sensors and stuffed it into his bag. Now it had been Alicia's turn to go quiet, but for a new reason.

Kody stopped when he heard that haunting noise. He turned around, so slowly, and cautiously raised his flashlight to the noise just a bit away.

His flashlight landed on a Clicker.

And four more started to walk forward.