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Chapter 18: Coffee

  With Carl gone, I figured it might be worth a few minutes to sit on the rooftop as the sun began its descent, painting the mountains in hues of amber and violet. I perched at the roof's peak, letting the scene wash over me like a soothing balm on frayed nerves. The beauty of the sunset stood in sharp contrast to the grim reality below. Thousands of eyes, hollow and lifeless, stared up at me, their pale gray skin stretched tight over skeletal faces, twisted by an insatiable hunger. Once, such attention might have felt exhilarating. Now, it was anything but.

  I scratched my nose—a nervous habit—as I began to devise a plan to escape this nightmare. The path to freedom would likely be paved with the bodies of the undead, if it could even be called murder when dispatching zombies.

  The weight of the situation pressed down on me as I weighed my options. Facing so many of them was overwhelming, but I knew I had to find a way out. My eyes scanned the darkening landscape, searching for potential escape routes, but the encroaching shadows seemed to swallow everything, stretching endlessly.

  Before the night claimed the last of the light, I climbed down the ladder with deliberate care. I gathered my supplies and backpack—everything I would need to hunker down for the night in the break room. With the immediate threat of zombies dealt with, I could finally take a closer look at the power station and figure out what was keeping the lights on.

  The power banks lined the wall like silent sentinels, each displaying a percentage. Most hovered between 93 and 95, but one near the beginning of the row sat at 87. I guessed this was the one shouldering the heaviest load, or maybe it had simply seen more use. Along the back wall, shelves were stacked with boxes, likely containing expensive components that needed to be locked away. In one corner, a pile of 3/4-inch tubing stood upright, cut into lengths ranging from five to eight feet. These were probably used to protect live wires coming out of the breaker boxes.

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  I recalled something about metal tubing being required by code to shield exposed wires, a safeguard against the deadly kiss of high voltage. Maybe it would come in handy for some future project—or as a makeshift weapon. With the power bank percentages still high, I felt a bit more secure, confident that the lights would stay on for a while longer.

  Feeling a bit better about my situation, I left the power room, making sure to close the door firmly behind me. I made my way to the break room to set up for the night. Compared to the chaos outside, this room—with its bare-bones amenities—felt like a sanctuary. I unrolled my sleeping mat and bag, arranging my supplies on the table in a semblance of order.

  Before settling down, I collapsed the table legs and leaned it against the wall. I placed my mattress pad on top of it, grateful for a barrier between me and the cold, unforgiving concrete. I had changed into the cleanest pair of coveralls hanging on the rack, rolling the other two into a makeshift pillow. As I slipped into my sleeping bag, the scent of the coveralls—a mix of industrial oils and something vaguely metallic—was oddly comforting, a reminder of a world that still made sense.

  My gaze drifted to the refrigerator and cabinets, curiosity tugging at the edge of my exhaustion. What treasures might they hold? But I decided to leave that exploration for another time, choosing to take things one step at a time. Instead, I boiled some water in the microwave and made myself a cup of instant coffee I'd found earlier. The warmth of the coffee and the relative safety of the break room offered a fleeting sense of normalcy.

  As I sipped the bitter liquid, I mulled over my options for the next day. The metal tubing might be fashioned into a crude spear, or perhaps a barrier to keep the zombies at bay. The boxes of components could contain tools or parts I could repurpose into something useful.

  Lying down for the night, a mix of exhaustion and cautious optimism settled over me. The sunset had been a rare moment of peace in this relentless world, a fleeting glimpse of beauty amid the horror. Now, with a plan beginning to take shape and a secure place to rest, a small flicker of hope ignited within me. Tomorrow would undoubtedly bring new challenges, but I was ready to meet them head-on.

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