Dead City Lights

Occasionally there would be footsteps echoing down the street or the sounds of a fight along the street. I was wide awake by the slightest noise, my eyes snapping open in a second, both hands pressed against the cold floor ready to push me up in case of an emergency.

That's how my nights always went. It was no wonder that my eyes were often blood-shot and I had bags under them. To be honest, I might look like a zombie as worn out as I am. And the constant tiredness sure isn't helping my mind. I feel like I'm getting closer to going crazy with every day. It was just a matter of time... wasn't everything? Nothing lasted forever. There is no forever. Everything falls apart and gets forgotten at some point.

I squeezed my eyes shut tightly suppressing a frustrated sigh. I had learned to make as little sounds as possible. Always stay quiet. That way there's a bigger chance you'll survive. But if I hadn't talked to myself the whole time I was travelling I probably would've forgotten how to. I didn't know if it was bad that I was talking to myself. I mean, I was lonely. When the world is suffering under zombie invasions, there aren't many survivors and humans are social beings. They need company. All company I had was myself. So I talked to myself. Me and myself.

Something near me suddenly rustled and I was on my feet in an instant, eyes wide and alert. But seeing that it was only the boy I had found yesterday, I actually remembered I wasn't alone anymore and that I wasn't in danger... yet. I still didn't trust that guy. I did bring him here and kinda watched out for him for reasons even I myself didn't understand but he might've gotten wounded in his last fight.

I eyed him warily, once again fighting the urge to check him over. I didn't even look for any weapons. If he was dangerous then... I'd be done with. But I don't think I cared anymore. If the world was going down anyway why did I need to live up to the very end? I bet the last living human is going to feel very lonely and depressed. As if I didn't have enough of that already.

I was about to turn away from the sleeping boy on the bed when his eyelids fluttered. I froze. What was I supposed to do? What was I supposed to say? Good morning? Oh damn, I was starting to freak out. I hadn't thought this much ahead yet. I wasn't ready for him to wake up this early!

But as usual, the world didn't care if I was ready or not. His eyes opened fully and he lay there for a second, a puzzled look lining his features before he frowned and quickly sat up. I just stared back at him as his eyes met mine. Just like when we first saw each other a day ago. He looked me up and down for a second before harshly asking, "Who are you?"

He spit the words out with distrust and wariness but that was no surprise. Who was there left to trust in this situation? At first, I wondered if I should answer. Why tell a complete stranger your name? But then i realized that it didn't even matter. Zombies sure as hell didn't care about names. They don't memorize things. Their minds seem to shrink until all there is in it is the desire to kill.

But I still didn't open my mouth yet. The situation was so unreal that I felt paralyzed. Like in a dream where you want to move but your legs feel like they weigh a ton and all you can do is watch yourself get swallowed by the oncoming darkness and your mouth opens with a scream but no sound comes out. Inside I felt like I would start hyperventilating any second now but I knew that my face showed nothing. And I was grateful for that.

I realized that the boy's eyes had narrowed and only then understood that I hadn't answered for a long time.

"Zane," I said shortly, my heart speeding up since I was actually having a conversation with a human. A conversation! A normal human! I still couldn't believe it. My mind kept making up situations where I was going to have to kill this handsome boy soon. My sick mind-

Handsome? Did I just think that? Weird... or maybe not. I guess I am officially going crazy. My mind is fucking up. And soon I'll probably end up as a zombie after being unable to ward off an attack. There was no denying it. I wouldn't be a survivor for much longer. Who knows, maybe this guy in front of me was going to kill me now.

He looked around and then back to me, meeting my eyes again which hadn't strayed from him.

"Why did you bring me here?" he asked suspiciously. With here he meant some come-down apartment which was still half-way usable. It was the best I was able to find while carrying him. He was also pretty light as I had noticed but anyway, the apartment had shades and a view on the main street which was important for me. I needed to know what was going on at all times. And there was an easy escape route at the back and numerous other ones I had found while exploring the place. I also always needed to know everything about my surroundings before I could settle down.

We should be pretty safe here for now. As long as no zombies came wandering up into the old hotel and we don't make much noise, it would all be good. But that brought me back to the question the boy had asked me. I could tell him I brought him here because it was safe. But I knew that wasn't the answer he was looking for.

And to be honest... I didn't know the real one.