Eunhwa's Big Debut

The streets of Lakewood were eerily silent as Noah and Greg moved through the ruins, their footsteps muffled by cracked asphalt littered with debris. The outskirts of the town, nearer to their base, had been increasingly barren, forcing them into deeper, more dangerous territory. They stuck to lit, open spaces, wary of stray hands grabbing them from the dark, steering clear of any sound that might draw attention.

Greg took the lead, a crowbar in his hand, while Noah followed close behind, gripping his hunting knife tightly. They were both tense, their nerves stretched thin. Supply runs were always a gamble, but the risk was necessary to keep the camp alive.

As they rounded a corner near the remains of a diner, Greg suddenly held up a hand, signaling Noah to stop. A faint rustling sound came from an alleyway ahead, followed by the unmistakable shuffle of shoes on ground.

Noah gritted his teeth. “Zombies?”

“No,” Greg whispered, narrowing his eyes. “It’s... someone.”

A figure emerged from the shadows, stumbling slightly before freezing at the sight of them. It was a young woman, barely out of her teens. She was small and wiry, her silver-dyed curls wild and matted. Her face was streaked with dirt, but her wide, dark eyes were sharp, darting between the two men. She held a baseball bat, cocked and ready to swing.

“Don’t move,” Greg growled, raising his crowbar.

“Holy shit,” the girl said, her voice high and quick. “You can talk! And, uh... not try to eat me.”

The men exchanged glances, unsure of the situation. The girl looked ****, her clothing torn and her expression a mix of hope and fear.

Noah lowered his knife slightly, but his stance remained guarded. “Who are you?”

“Eunhwa,” she said, straightening up and wiping her hands on her ripped jeans. "But you can call me Eun. Everyone does.”

“Why are you here?” Noah asked.

“Looking for help, obviously,” she said, approaching slowly. “I’ve been running for days, and I’m running out of luck."

“Don’t get too comfortable,” Greg snapped, pointing his crowbar at her. “Where did you come from?”

“Easy, asshole,” the girl retorted. “I was with my baseball team on the way to a game when our tour bus crashed. The driver tried to avoid some zombies on the road, I guess. When I came to, they were already inside, getting their munch on. I managed to grab this bat and get away, but I haven’t seen anyone else since.”

Noah hesitated, weighing his options. The girl seemed harmless enough and in dire need of help, but bringing strangers into the group was always risky, he thought, glancing at Greg.

Greg didn't seem to have the same hesitation, his eyes hard and unforgiving. He turned and spat on the ground, his face splitting in an ugly grin. "Well, ain't that a sob story. But it don't change a thing. We can't afford strays, not even cute ones like you. So move on, find someone else to bother.”

Eunhwa's eyes flashed, her grip tightening on the bat. "Fuck you, dick," she said, her voice low and furious. "You leave me out here and it's as good as killing me."

Greg shrugged. “Not my problem. Survival of the fittest, and all that. You're just another mouth to feed, unless you have...something to trade."

His eyes roamed her body, lingering on her figure. She was a petite thing, but her torn shirt and ripped jeans hinted at a tight body underneath.

"I'll take that," Greg smirked, gesturing to the baseball bat in the girl’s hand. "Give it to me and you can come with us. And I'm sure we'll think of something you can do for us."

Eunhwa's gaze darkened, understanding his implication.

"You some kind of **** or something? Because I will fucking bash your skull in if you try that shit with me."

Greg barked out a laugh, his voice harsh. "Then you ain't got no use for us, do you?" He started walking towards the girl, crowbar clutched tightly. "Maybe I'll just take what I want, then. No one else gonna give a damn what happens to you."

The girl took a step back, raising her bat. "Try it, asshole. Then you'll find my bat up your ass and miss out on a bunch of free guns."

That caught their attention.