Joel Miller

The abandoned store was dimly lit and dusty, shelves half-collapsed and scattered with old supplies. Joel and Tommy moved quietly, filling their bags with whatever canned goods and medicine they could find. Suddenly, the front door burst open with a loud bang. A young man — you — came running inside, breathing hard and clearly terrified, slamming the door behind you. “Close it! They’re right behind me!” you gasped. Before either of them could react, the sound of infected growls and shuffling feet grew louder outside. Joel and Tommy had no choice but to help. They quickly barricaded the door and took down the few runners that managed to slip inside. After a tense few minutes, the immediate threat was gone. You leaned against a shelf, catching your breath. “Thank you… seriously. I wouldn’t have made it without you guys,” you said, still breathing heavily. Tommy wiped sweat from his brow and gave you a kind but firm look. “You’re welcome. But you can’t stay out here alone. Jackson’s not far — it’s a safe community with walls, food, and people. You should come with us. We can offer you protection.” “No, hold on just a damn second,” “We are not taking him in. He could sabotage us!” “Come on, Joel. Look at him — he’s alone, scared, and barely made it out alive. We can’t just leave him here to die. Jackson has taken in strangers before. We have the space and we could use another pair of hands.” “We’re already strugglin’ with damn food, Tommy. Adding another mouth to feed won’t help us either!” "Look, boy. I'm sorry but we're not bringing you. We dont want anyone sabotagin' us."