CHAPTER 52: A PEACEFUL WAKING

"Aren’t they too cute like that?"

"I am even jealous of it."

"Should we wake them up?"

"No idea. They look so peaceful..."

The conversation drifted in and out of my consciousness like a radio with poor reception. My body felt heavy, weighted down by the kind of deep sleep I hadn’t experienced in long days.

I furrowed my brow, fighting against the pull of sleep, and slowly cracked open my groggy eyes. The first thing I saw was Christopher and Cindy standing there, both wearing identical grins that suggested they’d been watching us for far longer than was strictly necessary.

"Ha..." I started to speak, but my voice came out as more of a croak. I cleared my throat and tried again, blinking rapidly as my vision came into focus. The movement caused Sydney to shift slightly, a soft groan escaping her lips as her head remained nestled against my shoulder like she belonged there.

I took a moment to survey our surroundings, noting the scattered cushions and blankets that had somehow become our impromptu bed. The TV screen was black now, and I could vaguely remember falling asleep to the closing credits of some action movie whose plot had been secondary to the comfort of having someone to watch it with.

Looking around the basement, I realized that Christopher and Cindy weren’t the only ones awake. In fact, it seemed like everyone was up and moving around, which made me wonder exactly how long we’d been unconscious down here.

"You guys slept here all night?" Christopher asked.

I rubbed my eyes with my free hand, careful not to disturb Sydney who seemed determined to use my shoulder as her personal pillow. "Kinda, we couldn’t sleep," I said, my voice still rough with sleep.

Christopher nodded knowingly. "Yeah, you bet. We heard you, you know."

The casual way he said it made my blood run cold. My heart began to race as a dozen terrible possibilities flashed through my mind. "H...Heard what?" I asked, and I could feel sweat beginning to bead on my forehead.

"I mean, you were quite loud," Cindy added with a smile.

"W...What!" The word came out strangled, and I felt my face flush red with mortification.

Did they really hear us? About everything?

The basement had felt so private, so isolated from the rest of the house. I’d thought we were safe from prying ears down here, but now it seemed like our haven had been nothing more than an illusion.

"Well, the volume of the TV was a bit loud anyway," Cindy continued, and suddenly her smile took on a different meaning entirely.

The relief that washed over me was so intense I nearly laughed out loud. The TV. Of course. Just the damn TV.

I let out a long, shaky breath and felt my shoulders relax. "Sorry about that... we were unable to sleep, so we watched a movie and ended up falling asleep down here," I explained.

I didn’t even know why I was panicking about it actually.

"Yeah, don’t worry about it. We slept well in the end," Christopher said with a dismissive wave. "I mean, the last time we slept was in that library, and that was pretty awful."

"You bet," I agreed, remembering the uncomfortable night.

As the conversation continued around me, I found myself reflecting on the quality of sleep I’d just experienced. It had been... different. Better. It had been a while since I’d slept that well—actually, even before the virus had spread and turned our world upside down, I hadn’t slept that soundly for months.

I guess it was thanks to her...

I glanced down at Sydney, who was still using my shoulder as her pillow, her breathing deep and even. There was something about her presence that put me at ease in a way I couldn’t quite explain. It was strange—I felt nearly as comfortable with her as I had with my mom, back when the world still made sense. Maybe it was because Sydney was so honest, so straightforward. There were no hidden agendas with her, no judgments, no expectations beyond basic human decency.

As if sensing my gaze, Sydney slowly began to stir. Her eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks before her blue eyes opened fully, immediately focusing on me with that sharp intelligence that never seemed to dim, even fresh from sleep.

"Hey, handsome," she said with a sleepy smile.

"Yeah, stop that. It’s weird coming from you," I replied automatically.

"You’re right," Sydney sighed, stretching her arms above her head and yawning widely. She then noticed Christopher and Cindy watching us with barely concealed amusement. "Is everyone awake already?"

"Already? It’s eleven AM, you know," Cindy said, checking the watch on her wrist.

"Too soon for me," Sydney muttered, shaking her head as she worked the kinks out of her neck. "Anyway, looks like we all got a quiet night, didn’t we?"

"Yeah, no Infected approached or tried to get inside the house," Christopher confirmed with a nod.

Hearing that was reassuring.

This house was truly a good one.

"We’ve been waiting for you, and now we’re late," Rebecca spoke suddenly.

I glanced up to see her standing at the foot of the stairs, arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently.

"Waiting for what exactly?" I asked, stifling another yawn.

"We heard gunshots," she said, and the simple statement made every trace of sleepiness evaporate from my system.

"Huh?" I looked over at Rachel, who was standing quietly beside her sister, and she gave me a confirming nod.

"Yes. Multiple shots, definitely firearms."

Rebecca’s frown deepened, probably irritated that I’d sought confirmation from her sister rather than taking her word at face value.

"It was a bit far from here, but it was quite loud in this silence outside. So yes, there might be survivors," Alisha said as she approached our little group, her expression serious.

"B...But do we really have to go look? It could be dangerous..." Jason’ stuttered.

Rebecca’s jaw tightened. "If we keep acting like cowards, we’ll never find a solution to our problem. Do you want to live your entire life in this house with all of us?"

"B...But it’s the safest choice..." Jason protested weakly.

I could see Rebecca’s hands clenching into fists. "You don’t understand—"

"Alright, enough," I interrupted, pushing myself to my feet and inadvertently dislodging Sydney from her comfortable position against my shoulder.

Rebecca had been on edge lately, more so than usual.

"Jason’s saying the truth," I continued. "We can’t trust everyone just because they’re fellow survivors. There might be some people with ill intentions who are just showing their true faces now that there are no more law enforcement officers to keep them in check." I paused, looking around at the faces gathered in our makeshift meeting. "But they could also be people like us, so we need to check it out. However, I don’t think it would be wise for all of us to go together. Some should stay in the house safely."

There was a moment of silence as everyone processed this, then a series of nods indicated general agreement with the plan.

"I’ll stay, for my part. I have no interest in seeing other people," Liu Mei spoke up from across the room. She was perched on one of the armchairs, legs crossed elegantly, a book balanced on her lap. Her tone was as disinterested as always, but I noticed she was wearing a different outfit than usual—a flowing skirt dress that definitely hadn’t been in her original supplies. She must have found it among the belongings the previous residents had left behind in their hasty evacuation.

The sight of her in normal clothes, reading a book like this was just another quiet morning was quite strange and once again, I was reminded she was truly a beautiful woman.

Rather I was only surrounded by very beautiful women.

What kind of luck was that?

Mei’s callous words hung in the air, but none of us were surprised anymore. We’d all grown accustomed to her narcissistic tendencies, the way she could dismiss human suffering with the casual indifference of someone choosing what to have for breakfast. Her decision to stay behind was as predictable as the sunrise—self-preservation wrapped in the thin veneer of practicality.

I turned toward Christopher.

"Christopher and I should definitely go," I said. "We need to scout ahead first, right?"

Christopher ran a hand through his disheveled hair.

"Yeah, I figured as much," he replied. "Someone’s got to watch your back out there."

"Yeah."

Right after Cindy spoke. "T...Then I’ll come as well."

Christopher’s expression immediately shifted. "No, Cindy. You should stay here."

"What?!" The word exploded from Cindy’s lips. "I can handle myself!"

"It could be dangerous," Christopher said.

"Don’t give me that bullshit!" Cindy’s voice rose, her cheeks flushing red. "I’ve survived everything that’s happened so far. I can easily—"

"Cindy, it’s not about your capabilities," Christopher interrupted gently, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Listen, can we talk about this privately for a minute?"

He glanced around the room, taking in our audience of curious faces, then gently took Cindy’s arm and guided her toward the far corner of the room.

I watched them for a moment, noting the way Cindy’s shoulders gradually relaxed under Christopher’s patient explanation, before Rachel stepped forward and claimed my attention.

"I’ll come," she said.

Almost immediately, Rebecca chimed in, "I’m coming too."

Rachel’s response was swift and non-negotiable. "No, Rebecca. You’re staying here."

Rebecca’s face crumpled with disappointment and frustration. "W...Why?! I want to come with you! Maybe we’ll find people who can help us. Maybe there are other survivors who—"

"If there are people who can help us, we’ll talk to them and bring back information," Rachel said. "You don’t need to put yourself in danger for that, Rebecca."

"Sister, I want to come—"

"Don’t argue with me on this." Rachel cut her off sternly. "I won’t change my mind."

Rebecca’s hands clenched into tight fists at her sides, then she let out a sound of pure frustration and stormed toward the staircase.

"I hate this!" She shouted over her shoulder. "I hate being treated like a child!"

Her footsteps thundered up the wooden stairs, each step punctuating her anger, followed by the sharp slam of a door that made everyone in the room wince.

Rachel stood frozen for a moment, her composed facade cracking just enough to show the pain underneath. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath.

"I should go talk to her," she said, more to herself than to us, and followed Rebecca’s path up the stairs with much quieter, more measured steps.

Thankfully Christopher returned by then from his conversation with Cindy, who looked resigned but not happy about whatever agreement they’d reached. "So it looks like it’ll be the three of us then?" He asked, scanning the room for any other volunteers.

I glanced around, mentally tallying our options.

Jason would be a burden.

Alisha was still recovering from her injury from her ankle.

She caught me looking and gave a rueful shake of her head.

But then Elena stepped forward. "I’ll come."

I saw Alisha’s expression change—a flash of worry, and something like upset before she looked down at her lap.

"I’m sorry, sister," Elena said softly. "But I can’t leave them to go alone."

Alisha’s response was barely audible. "It’s okay."

I found myself caught between relief and concern. On one hand, Elena would be incredibly useful to have along. The Dullahan Virus running through her system made her as physically capable as Rachel, maybe more so. Her reflexes were sharper, her strength greater, and in a world where the difference between life and death could be measured in milliseconds, that kind of edge was invaluable.

On the other hand, I could see the emotional cost of her decision written across Alisha’s face, and it made my chest tighten with guilt.

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to organize my thoughts.

Maybe it was overkill and only two of us could just look around but I didn’t to take the risk.

If we run into a group of infected, four people had a better chance of survival than three. Not by much, maybe, but in our world, even small margins could mean everything.

"You don’t want to come, Sydney?" Christopher asked then.

Sydney looked up.

"I’m exhausted," she said simply. "You guys go ahead."

Christopher nodded, accepting her answer without question, but I caught the slight surprise in his expression. Usually Sydney would have been the first to volunteer for something like this but she couldn’t this time for obvious reasons.

"Alright then," Christopher said, clapping his hands together. "Let’s get ready to move out."

The others began to disperse, heading off to gather their gear and prepare for the journey ahead. I waited until the room had mostly cleared before moving to sit beside Sydney.

Making sure no one could see or overhear us, I discreetly pulled a small package from my pocket—white and pink plastic that seemed almost obscenely bright.

Sydney’s eyes widened as she recognized what it was. "Where did you get that?" She whispered surprised.

"I... just took one. You know, just in case," I replied, feeling heat creep up my neck. The words sounded lame even to my own ears.

"From the store?" Her question was sharp, too sharp, and I realized she’d already figured out that I hadn’t just randomly grabbed before.

Damn her quick mind.

"I just wanted to be prepared," I said weakly.

Sydney stared at me for a long moment, and I could practically see the gears turning in her head. Then, unexpectedly, she laughed.

"You’re really something, Ryan," she said, shaking her head. "So you were already thinking about the possibility of sleeping with me? Or were you planning this with someone else? Either way, it’s impressively forward-thinking and creepy at the same time."

"I wasn’t planning anything!" I protested, feeling my cheeks burn with embarrassment.

Sydney’s smile turned mischievous, and for a moment she looked more like her old self. "You’re hopeless, you know that? If you hadn’t finished inside me, we wouldn’t be having this conversation."

"I couldn’t help myself," I admitted.

"Of course you couldn’t," she said with mock arrogance, tossing her hair back. "I am pretty hot, after all."

"Yeah right but Sydney... do you feel anything strange? Any different than usual?"

The question seemed to catch her off guard. "Strange how?"

I chose my words carefully, not wanting to alarm her unnecessarily. When I’d made the decision to transfer the Dullahan Virus to her, it hadn’t been out of some twisted desire to experiment on her. It had been a calculated risk based on what I understood about how the virus worked.

The Dullahan Virus remained dormant unless triggered by contact with the zombie virus. In its sleeping state, it should actually strengthen her, make her more resilient, faster, stronger. It was like giving her a genetic upgrade, insurance against the dangers of our world.

But if she ever got bitten by an infected... well, then the Dullahan Virus would activate, and while it would prevent her from becoming a mindless zombie, the awakening process itself was apparently excruciating.

Still, I’d rather Sydney die from the worst headache in human history than watch her transform into a cannibalistic monster. And since I couldn’t guarantee I’d always be there to protect her, this seemed like the best insurance policy I could give her.

"No, nothing strange," Sydney replied, raising an eyebrow. "Should I be feeling something?"

"No, that’s good. Just... tell me if anything changes, okay? Even if it seems minor."

"Wait," Sydney said suddenly, her eyes widening with alarm. "Actually, I do feel something wrong."

My heart nearly stopped. "What?! What’s wrong?!"

Instead of answering with words, Sydney reached over and placed her hand directly on the obvious bulge in my pants.

I lowered my gaze.

"Right here," she said with a perfectly straight face.

I felt my face flame red. "That’s just morning wood!"