[Ti: 1200 Hours]
[Location: Storage Room – Unknown Rooftop, Manila]
The rhythmic pounding on the door had stopped.
Thomas sat upright, his bat resting against his knee as he listened intently. The groaning and clawing that had filled the night had vanished, replaced by the distant sounds of gunfire and explosions in the city.
Erica, still seated on the floor near the wall, noticed his sudden focus. "What is it?"
Thomas didn't answer imdiately. Instead, he rose from his spot and cautiously approached the door. He pressed his ear against it, listening for any movent. Nothing. Slowly, he turned the knob and nudged the door open just enough to peer outside.
The stairwell was empty.
"They're gone. But I still wouldn't go down there. We are under equipped to fight them."
"That's… weird. They were just out there a few hours ago."
Thomas nodded. "Too weird. Either they lost interest… or sothing else drew them away." He looked out over the rooftop railing toward the distance. The hordes that once clawed at the building were now squirting out of the building toward the MOA complex.
His n were still fighting.
Thomas exhaled. He needed to get back.
His stomach let out a faint growl, interrupting his thoughts. Erica smirked, arms crossed. "Looks like even the great survivor needs to eat."
Thomas let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, well… it's been a long day."
Erica grabbed her bag and opened it.. "Well, since the zombies are gone, we might as well eat." She pulled out a half-full bag of chips and a single bottle of water. "Not much, but it's sothing."
Thomas took a seat on the floor, and Erica sat across from him, placing the snacks between them. She opened the bag and handed it to him. "Go on, you first."
He grabbed a small handful, popping them into his mouth. The stale, salty taste wasn't ideal, but right now, it was the best al he could ask for. He passed the bag back to Erica, who did the sa before opening the water bottle.
"We'll have to share," she reminded him before taking a sip. She handed the bottle to him, and he drank just enough to quench his thirst before passing it back.
For a mont, they ate in silence, the city's chaos feeling like a distant mory.
"So," Erica finally spoke, "do you have a girlfriend?"
Thomas raised an eyebrow at the sudden question, not to ntion, kind of a weird one. He swallowed his bite before shaking his head. "No."
Erica looked at him in mild disbelief. "No way."
He smirked. "Why's that?"
She tilted her head, examining him as if he were a puzzle she couldn't solve. "Co on. A guy like you? You're a fighter, built like you've been through hell and back, and you carry yourself like soone who's always been in control. No way so girl hasn't thrown herself at you."
Thomas chuckled, shaking his head. "Not really. I was too busy."
"For what?"
Thomas shrugged. "Studying."
Erica humd, taking another chip.
Thomas took a sip of water before passing it back to her. "What about you?"
Erica scoffed, wiping her lips with the back of her hand. "Nope."
That surprised Thomas. "Seriously?"
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, what, now it's hard to believe that I don't have a boyfriend?"
"I an… yeah," he admitted. "You're, what, mid-twenties? You're beautiful. There's no way soone hasn't—"
Erica held up a hand, cutting him off with an amused smirk. "Alright, alright, I get it. Flattering, but no. Never had one."
Thomas gave her a curious look. "Why?"
She shrugged, leaning back against the wall. "Never had ti for it. I worked in an office before all this—just a secretary trying to get by. I spent most of my ti dealing with annoying bosses and company drama. Romance? Never crossed my mind."
Thomas smirked. "So you were one of those overworked employees, huh?"
Erica sighed. "Yep. Suits, deadlines, coffee addiction—the whole deal. And then, one day, I wake up, and the world is ending. Funny how life works."
Thomas chuckled. "Yeah. Real funny."
For a mont, they both just sat there, staring at the floor, lost in thought.
Then, a distant screech pierced the sky.
Erica stiffened. "What is that…"
Thomas imdiately grabbed his bat and Erica's arm and ran toward the door of the storage room. He took her inside, and after that, he peeked outside, he scanned the sky, eyes narrowing. A dark figure circled above the city.
A Reaper. And there are a lot of them, and most probably heading to MOA Complex.
"Are those?"
"Reapers," Thomas said before closing the door. "That is the thing that took into this building. I apologize for suddenly pulling you inside, but if they see us, we're dead."
Erica pressed her back against the wall, gripping her bat tightly. "You're telling there are more of those things?"
Thomas simply nodded. He took a seat across from her.
"Are you okay? Did I grab you too hard?"
Erica smirked as she leaned back against the wall. "No, but you did grab pretty tight," she said, rolling her shoulder.
Thomas let out a small chuckle. "Sorry about that. Just wanted to make sure you weren't yanked out into the open."
She waved a hand dismissively. "It's fine. Actually…" She trailed off, reaching up to the buttons of her shirt.
Thomas's eyes followed her movents, curiosity creeping in. With a casual motion, Erica began unbuttoning her bloodstained button-down shirt, revealing a snug white undershirt beneath. The fabric clung to her figure, highlighting her toned form—her collarbones stark against her alabaster skin, the curve of her shoulders, the slight rise and fall of her ample chest.
Thomas caught himself staring.
He quickly averted his gaze, clearing his throat.
Erica, of course, noticed.
"Sothing wrong?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, amusent dancing in her dark eyes.
Thomas shook his head. "No, just—uh, didn't expect you to start undressing."
Erica laughed softly. "Relax, I'm just showing you sothing." She pulled her sleeve back, revealing the faint marks on her upper arm. "This is where you grabbed ."
Thomas frowned, leaning in slightly to get a better look. Sure enough, there was a faint redness around her arm where his grip had been. He hadn't even noticed in the mont.
"Guess I was rougher than I thought," he admitted. "You okay?"
Erica grinned, her smirk teasing. "Oh? So you were looking that ti?"
Thomas blinked, realizing what she just said. "What? No—I an, I was just checking your arm—Besides, why ask such questions, like earlier about you asking if I have a girlfriend."
Erica simply smiled at his response. And then—a question ford in her mind.
"Thomas, I want to ask you a question," her tone suddenly grew bashful.
"Sure what is it? And it's better to be a normal question," Thomas replied.
"Are you…uhm," Erica stamred, as if deciding whether she'll ask it or not.
"What?" Thomas urged.
Here goes nothing.
"Are you a virgin?"
Reviews
All reviews (0)