CHAPTER 56: 56: A WORLD OF EMOTIONS

For the past few days, the biting cold had become a permanent fixture in Zara’s life, clinging to her like an unwelcome shadow. Each step felt heavier than the last, and her boots soaked through from trudging through endless puddles and half-melted snow. Her body ached, her feet blistered and raw, and the persistent chill seemed to seep into her very bones. The rain came down in icy sheets, plastering her dark hair to her face and soaking through her tattered coat.

Leo clung to her chest, his small arms wrapped loosely around her shoulders, his head resting against her neck. He was so quiet, so still, that for a moment, Zara worried he might have fallen asleep or worse. But the faint warmth of his breath on her skin reassured her. She adjusted her grip on the rusted metal pipe in her hand and scanned the stretch of abandoned highway ahead.

The skeletal remains of cars lined the road, their metal husks rusted and frozen. Some were overturned, others stripped for parts or left half-submerged in icy ditches. Most people had tried driving out of their homes during this start of the apocalypse, only to be struck by the mutant weather or torn apart by the zombies, the cars becoming their coffins. Some cars still had faded blood stains or white sun-bleached skeletons on them.

She shuddered to think of what happened to them.

Zara’s sharp eyes caught sight of a vehicle with its doors ajar, its interior appearing mostly intact.

"Hold on, Leo," she murmured, her voice hoarse from days without proper rest. She adjusted his weight and made her way to the car, her legs trembling with every step.

When she reached it, she leaned heavily against the doorframe, peering inside. The back seat was cluttered with debris—old wrappers, a faded blanket, and a plastic bag containing a few cans of food. It was a miracle. Or a danger, this meant someone had been using this car for a while now. Were they still here?

No, she thought, looking at the thin layer of frost that had begun to gather. The person hadn’t been back in some time. She hurriedly crawled inside, pulling Leo with her, and slammed the door shut against the relentless rain.

Inside, the air was stale but warmer than outside. Zara set Leo down on the seat and began inspecting him for injuries. Her hands were shaking—partly from exhaustion, partly from the lingering fear that something, anything, could go wrong.

She quickly stripped him of his wet clothes, dried him up and changed him to a dry pair she had taken from the cache. Back then she hadn’t questioned why the billionaire had needed children’s clothing and even now she didn’t care. All that mattered was leo.

Zara let her head fall against the cold glass, her breath fogging the window. For a moment, she allowed herself to feel the ache in her muscles, the sting of her cracked lips. Her body ached as if it were breaking under the strain of months of relentless survival. She glanced at Leo, who sat quietly, his small frame dwarfed by the seat.

"Are you okay, baby?" she asked raspily, tilting his face toward the dim light. His cheeks were pale, his lips slightly chapped, but otherwise, he seemed unharmed. Relief washed over her, though it was fleeting.

Leo nodded, his brown eyes wide and glassy. "Hungry," he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper.

Zara’s heart twisted. She rummaged through the supplies, pulling out a small can of beans. She opened it with a shaky hand, the metal lid slicing her thumb. She barely acknowledged the pain as she winced and began to open it, her focus solely on Leo. She scooped the beans out with the bent spoon, her hands shaking, her vision starting to blur from the pain building in her head. She gave Leo the majority, eating only a few herself.

Her eyes flicked to the road ahead, her mind racing. City H was their goal, but the journey there was going to be an issue. The weather, increase in zombies and lesser hiding pace would make this a tough one for them. Supplies weren’t an issue as she had more than enough for a few days split within her backpack and what she had given Leo inside the cache.

Making the actual trip would also be a huge problem for them.

The pounding in her head intensified, growing with each passing second. If only we had a car... She pressed her fingers to her temples, the ache spreading like wildfire.

Then again, even with a car, they would have spent days on the road to get to City H from City B.

"What do I do?" she wondered aloud, her voice trembling. She rubbed at the side of her head again, but the pressure in her head only intensified.

The soft sound of Leo fidgeting painfully pulled Zara from her thoughts. His small legs kicked against the seat, his movements restless.

"Leo, stop," she said gently, her voice strained.

He didn’t listen. His eyes were wide, unfocused. "Mama," he whined, his voice barely above a whisper. "I want Kit and Mia."

Zara froze. Kit and Mia. The names stabbed through her like a knife. "Leo," she said gently, "we can’t see them right now."

"Why?" he whined, his voice rising. "I want them. I’m hungry too!"

Her pulse quickened, and she blinked back tears. "You just ate, baby," she said, trying to keep her tone steady, but it was getting harder. The weight of it all, the exhaustion, the fear, it was pushing down on her.

Leo huffed, crossing his arms, and her breath hitched in her chest. His legs kicked at the seat again, and she could see the frustration building in him, mirroring her own.

"No! I want something else!"

"Leo," she warned, but the words felt weak. "Please." Why is he acting like this? The frustration began to swell in her chest, but she tried to keep it under control, tried to breathe through it. I can’t lose it now. I can’t let him see me like this.

But Leo didn’t stop. He pouted, his lip trembling as his little body squirmed and shifted in his seat, becoming more agitated. The headache at the back of her skull pressed harder, like a vice. She could feel it creeping down her neck, squeezing tighter with each passing second.

"I want Daddy!" Leo shouted suddenly, his voice rising with the desperation that mirrored Zara’s own. "Daddy would give me what I want!"

Zara flinched. Her hands curled into fists in her lap.

"Leo, stop," she said sharply, the sharpness in her tone betraying her growing impatience. "Not right now."

Leo began to wail, fat tears streaming down his cheeks as he kicked at the dashboard. "I want Daddy! I want Kit and Mia! I want food!"

Her vision blurred as her head pounded. Why won’t he listen? Her fingers dug into her scalp, trying to ease the throb, but it only made it worse.

"Leo!" Zara’s voice cracked as she shouted, her patience snapped like a brittle thread. "Stop it right now!"

But Leo didn’t stop. He screamed louder, his tiny fists pounding on the seat in front of him, his face flushed with frustration.

"I want to go! I want my daddy!" he shrieked, trying to climb over her lap toward the door. Zara grabbed him roughly, her hands firm but desperate, and pulled him back. She fought to keep the tears from escaping, even though everything inside her felt like it was breaking.

Leo’s sobs only grew more desperate. "Daddy!" he cried, his tiny hands pushing against her chest. "Daddy!"

Zara’s chest tightened, a sharp pang of guilt and anger coiling inside her. I miss him too, I want him here too. She wanted to scream, wanted to collapse and curl up with him and forget the world. But she didn’t. She held on, gritting her teeth through the pain. "Leo, stop!" she cried out, the words strangled by the migraine pounding at her skull. "You think I don’t want that too?" The words came out harsher than she intended, fueled by all the exhaustion, the grief, the ache in her body. "You think I don’t miss them every damn day?"

Leo froze, his tearful eyes wide with shock as his sobs hitched into hiccups. His tiny chest heaved, and his trembling bottom lip quivered. The hurt in his expression shattered something deep inside her.

The silence that followed was deafening. Zara’s heart ached as she saw the trembling of his lip, the way his small body seemed to curl in on itself. She wanted to comfort him, to take back her harsh words. She opened her mouth to apologize, but the words wouldn’t come. Her frustration and exhaustion choked her. She reached for him, her hand trembling, but her body betrayed her—she winced as another sharp pain shot through her head, blinding her.

Please, no, she thought, struggling to steady herself. Her hand instinctively pressed against her temple.

Leo flinched, sensing the change in her. His small hands reached for her, chest still heaving with sobs.

Before she could comfort him, a noise outside made her freeze.

She whipped her head toward the window, peering into the rain. Shadows moved in the distance—figures picking their way through the wreckage of the highway. Zara’s blood turned to ice. Scavengers.

Their loud voices drifted through the rain, muffled but distinct.

"Check the cars. There’s gotta be something here," a gruff voice said.

"Nothing but junk so far," another replied, irritation lacing his tone.

"Yeah, and if we find anyone hiding, you know the drill," another replied with a cruel laugh.

Zara’s stomach churned. She couldn’t fight them—not with Leo here. The space was too cramped. Her mind raced. If they found her and Leo, they wouldn’t hesitate to kill them—or worse. Her eyes squeezed shut for a moment as a wave of dizziness washed over her. She rubbed her temples with trembling fingers, trying to stave off the pressure. She couldn’t lose focus, not with Leo’s safety hanging in the balance.

She turned to Leo, who was still sniffling quietly, his face buried in his hands. "Leo," she whispered urgently, crouching in front of him. "Listen to me. I need you to hide, okay? Stay very quiet."

Leo’s teary eyes searched hers, fear evident in his expression. "But—"

"No buts." She pulled him up from the seat, her hands trembling as she brushed his hair out of his face. "Stay here. I’ll come back for you. I promise."

Leo’s eyes widened, fresh tears pooling. "No, Mama. Don’t leave me!"

"I’m not leaving," she lied, her voice cracking. "I’ll be right back. But you have to hide. Please, Leo."

She wrapped him in the tattered blanket and tucked him into the floor of the backseat. His tiny hands clung to her coat, hiccups making his babble unintelligible. The sight cut into her heart but she could hear the scavengers getting closer.

She gently pried them off. "Stay quiet. No matter what, don’t come out," she said, her voice trembling.

"Mama—"

"It’s ok, you’re ok," she whispered, pressing a kiss to his forehead before slipping out of the car.

The cold hit her like a slap. Her knees felt weak, but she forced herself to move. The scavengers were close, their voices cutting through the rain.

"Nothing in this one," one of them muttered.

"Keep looking."

She moved quickly, circling the car to draw the scavengers’ attention. Zara crouched behind a rusting truck, her heart pounding. She needed to lead them away—far enough that they wouldn’t think to double back and search the car.

She grabbed a piece of debris from the ground and hurled it toward an overturned bus nearby. The clatter drew their attention.

"There!"

Two of the men moved toward the noise, their boots crunching on the wet pavement. Zara bolted in the opposite direction, her feet slipping on the icy ground.

"Over here!" one of them shouted, spotting her. "There! Someone’s running!"

"Get them!"

Boots pounded against the wet asphalt behind her as Zara sprinted down the highway. The cold air burned her lungs, and her soaked clothes clung to her like a second skin. She looked back to make sure all of them were following her, it would be a waste if someone stayed back to continue checking the cars.

They were all hot on her heels. Good, she thought. Good, please follow me.

Zara slipped on the slick pavement, her knees hitting the ground hard. Her vision blurred for a moment, a wave of nausea rolling through her stomach. She had to keep moving, or Leo would be alone and vulnerable. Pain shot through her, but she forced herself up, limping as she pushed forward.

She ducked behind abandoned cars, her heart pounding in her ears.

"They were heading this way!" one of them shouted, their voices growing closer.

Zara’s breath stuttered, they were too close. She bolted again, narrowly missing the men.

"It’s a woman!" A voice rang out, tinged with surprise.

A bullet ricocheted off a nearby car door, and she flinched. She hadn’t thought they would have guns. Thank God she got them away from Leo.

"She’s fast," one scavenger muttered.

"Doesn’t matter. She can’t outrun us."

Zara darted between cars, her eyes scanning for an escape. It seemed as though she had lost them in the scraps of cars. She got up slowly, the world spinning around her, and turned to run.

Zara’s foot caught on a piece of debris, and she stumbled, falling hard onto the icy pavement. Pain shot through her knees again, but she scrambled to her feet. Her pulse thundered in her ears, and her head felt like it was going to explode from the pressure.

One of the men was on her before she could react, tackling her to the ground.

"Gotcha," he snarled, his breath hot against her ear.

She screamed in frustration, thrashing wildly as she struggled with the man. She couldn’t get caught! She had to get back! Her baby was waiting for her!

"Let go of me you bastard," she shrieked, hysterical as she tried to push him off.

"You’re so feisty," he grinned, grabbing her throat tightly. "Just what I need for this cold weather."

They grappled in the snow, Zara’s fingers scrabbling for her pipe. The man’s weight pressed down on her, his hand closing around her throat. She swung it with all her strength, the impact cracking against his skull. The man slumped, and she shoved him off, scrambling to her feet.

The other scavengers were close, their shouts echoing through the rain. Zara darted into the ruins of an old building on the side of the highway that branched off, her breath ragged. She felt sick, the headache that had been building all week almost blinding now.

She stumbled into the building, looking around for anything that could be of help. The walls were crumbling, the floorboards creaking under her weight.

Outside, the scavengers cursed and shouted, their heavy boots shaking the unstable building. Dust and debris rained down as the structure groaned under the strain.

Zara pressed herself against a wall, her chest heaving. Her fingers tightened around the pipe, her knuckles white.

*****

Back in the car, Leo huddled beneath the blanket, his small frame shaking with quiet sobs. The darkness and strange noises outside terrified him. His hiccups and sniffles echoed in the confined space as he clutched the edges of the blanket.

"Mommy," he whispered, his voice catching in his throat. He pressed his face against the blanket, his damp cheeks sticking to the fabric. The world outside was big and dark and full of scary things. Too scary.

A sound echoed—something moved across the road. Leo’s hiccuping breaths stopped short. His eyes widened, glistening with unshed tears, as he peeked out from under the edge of the blanket. He could see the open door where Mommy had gone, the cold, grey rain pouring beyond it. But Mommy wasn’t there. No one was there.

"Mommy?" His voice was a thin, wobbly thread, barely a whisper.

A louder noise came—a sharp crunch, like something heavy stepping on broken glass.

Leo yanked the blanket back over his head, retreating into the only safe place he knew. The air under the blanket was stuffy and smelled faintly of their supplies, but it was better than out there. Out there had monsters.

His little fists clutched the fabric so tightly his knuckles turned white. "Mommy," he whimpered, his voice trembling. "Come back... Please come back..."

A low groan echoed through the rain, the kind of sound that always made his mommy run away with him. Was it the monsters?

The blanket shifted slightly as he trembled, his small sobs muffled now but still there, breaking through his attempts to stay quiet. "I-I’ll be good," he whispered to no one, his tiny voice cracking. "Please... I’ll be good. Don’t get me."

Another sound. Closer. A shadow passed outside the car, sliding across the glass, and blocking the faint grey light.

Leo froze, his breath stuck in his chest. His tiny hands covered his ears. He squeezed his eyes shut, rocking slightly as his mind desperately tried to summon Mommy back. "Mommy... Daddy..." he whimpered, barely able to say the words through his sobs.

A scraping noise along the car door made him cry out softly, and he ducked further into the blanket, curling into a tight ball. "No, no, no," he murmured through chattering teeth.

Another groan. Louder this time. And closer.

Leo’s muffled cries turned to hiccuping gasps. He pressed his face to his knees, tiny tears streaming down his cheeks as he rocked back and forth. "Mommy," he sobbed again, louder now, his tiny voice breaking. "Mommy, come back!"

The shadow moved again, pausing near the door. Leo couldn’t see it, but he felt it.

It was there.

*****

In the building, Zara crouched behind a crumbling wall, listening to the scavengers’ voices.

"She went this way. Spread out."

Their voices echoed through the derelict building, but all Zara could hear was the pulsating beat of pain in her head. It was becoming harder to focus, her body swaying with the effort to remain steady. Each step felt like a small earthquake inside her skull.

The structure groaned under their weight, the floorboards creaking ominously. Zara winced, the noise vibrating straight into her migraine, making her stomach churn. She crept forward, her body barely moving, her senses overstimulated by the sound of the scavengers’ boots, the crumbling structure, and the incessant pain in her head. She slid through another narrow gap, barely making it.

"Damn it, where’d she go?"

"Keep looking. She can’t have gone far."

She crept through the rotting infrastructure, her slight frame allowing her to slip through narrow gaps that the scavengers couldn’t.

They rushed in, foot stomping harshly in their haste. Their presence destabilized the fragile structure and with a loud crack, part of the ceiling caved in, sending dust and debris falling everywhere.

The dust choked her, but it was the pain in her head that almost made her collapse right there. She staggered toward the back entrance, forcing herself to move despite the sharp, stabbing sensation in her temple. Her legs felt like jelly beneath her, her head swimming, but she pushed herself out as the building collapsed behind her, the scavengers’ shouts swallowed by the roar of falling rubble.

The icy air cut through Zara’s lungs as she broke into a sprint, her boots crunching against the thin layer of snow that blanketed the cracked highway. Each breath was shallow, her heart pounding like it might burst. She glanced down as she ran, her gaze snagging on a trail of shuffling footprints, the uneven pattern unmistakable. Zombies. Recently.

Her throat tightened as fear crawled up her spine, gripping her like a vice. The realization sent her into overdrive, her legs burning as she pushed herself harder. The footprints were coming from the direction of the car.

Leo.

Her mind spiraled, envisioning every horrible possibility. What if they found him? What if he cried and gave himself away? What if I’m too late? She shook her head, forcing the thoughts aside, but her mounting desperation wouldn’t be silenced. Her fingers gripped the rusted pipe in her hand until her knuckles ached, the cold metal biting into her skin.

The distant outline of the car came into view, and her stomach flipped. The door was open. Almost there. Just a little more. The closer she got, the louder her pulse roared in her ears.

"Leo?" she called, her voice trembling.

The back seat was empty. Her breath hitched as she spotted the blanket—Leo’s blanket—discarded near the open car door, its edges wet from the melting snow.

Her heart raced, her head spinning violently as the migraine exploded into a full-blown wave of nausea. The fear and pain became too much but her mind couldn’t process it.

Her vision blurred entirely. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out—only the taste of bile rising in her throat, and then, unable to stop it, her body lurched forward. She bent over, gagging, the pressure in her head reaching a breaking point. She retched into the snow, her body trembling violently with the force of it.

In the midst of it, her thoughts screamed in panic. Where was Leo? Where the hell was he?