The inside of the truck was a little crowded, but it could fit five people just fine. The ride was a nice and relaxing one. On any other day, Ryan would find it boring and uninviting, but after everything that had happened to him, it was a breath of fresh air. He could relax.

  The red-haired girl kicked her legs back and forth, eager to talk and learn more about him. She introduced herself as Yuna and the driver as Taylor, respectively. Mike took the passenger seat, using the map to give directions. The rest took the backseat, with Yuna sitting comfortably in the middle and Ryan and Karin sitting by the windows.

  Ryan stared at the desolate buildings. The road trip had been mostly quiet, but he liked the idea of not having to think for once. Yuna’s reflection in the window stared at him from behind. A shiver went down his spine. He turned to face her. Despite being the shortest of the group, she was one of the oldest members. Ryan almost found it hard to believe she’d have a bountiful amount of childlike wonder and a mature-sounding voice.

  “So, what were you thinking about?” She asked.

  “Uh, nothing...” Ryan replied. “Could you... not stare?”

  “Oh, sorry.” Yuna scooted a little, giving him space. “So, what’s your name?”

  “Ryan...”

  “Oh my gosh, he can talk,” Karin said, adding in dramatic flair. “And he has a name.”

  “Karin, don’t be rude,” Yuna said.

  “Sorry, couldn’t resist.”

  Ryan couldn’t help but smile, but stayed silent as he listened in on everyone’s banters. He secretly hoped he could get along with them and there wouldn’t be any trouble later down the road.

  “Hey, Mike?” Taylor spoke up, not losing focus on the road. “Just wondering, did you find anyone else in there besides Ryan?”

  “You already know the answer to that,” Mike replied.

  “Yeah, but I mean, even if they didn’t make it. Did you see anyone that might’ve looked familiar?”

  “...No, I’m afraid not.”

  “I see...”

  Ryan glanced in the rearview mirror from his seat. Taylor chewed the inside of his cheek and gripped the steering wheel. Still, he said nothing. Ryan could’ve sworn he saw mist in his eyes. Still, it wasn’t his business to pry into something personal, so he kept quiet.

  It was Yuna who broke the silence. “Are you sure you didn’t want to go check it one more time before we...?”

  “Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll be fine, don’t worry,” Taylor said. “I probably wouldn’t have liked what was inside, anyway.” He looked at the window above him. “It’s nice meeting you, Ryan.”

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  “Uh, yeah, likewise.”

  “Hey, Taylor, I was wondering. Had anybody tried to attack the truck?” Mike asked. “Or even go near it?”

  “No, not that I know of. Although I thought I saw someone limping and crouching on the side. But when I asked Yuna about it, that figure wasn’t there anymore. I’m not sure if I saw things or not. But other than that, no, surprisingly.”

  Ryan cursed himself internally. He should’ve known that the vehicle looked familiar. If only he had inspected the windows closer, he might’ve gotten food and water a lot sooner. At least he had it now.

  “So, Ryan, what were you doing in a place like that?” Yuna asked.

  “Food... people... search...” Ryan tried to best explain his answer without giving his voice out. He also didn’t want to go into too much detail, especially to those he had just met.

  “Ah, I see. Did you have any—?”

  “Yuna, that’s enough,” Karin told her, sternly. “He’s been through a lot and has to rest his throat. You can ask him questions later, if he’s comfortable with it.”

  “Oh, I had no idea. Sorry, Ryan.”

  “It’s fine...” Ryan replied, waving it off with a smile.

  “Don’t mind her. She’s eager to find another human like us.” Karin stretched her arms and leaned forward from her seat. “As are we. When you’re rested up and feel like talking, we can share stories about how our lives went before this all went down.”

  Ryan nodded. “Sounds good.”

  “Alright, I can’t wait to go back to base.” She relaxed her hands on the back of her head.

  Mike glanced in the mirror from above and shook his head.

  “Karin, you don’t have a seatbelt on.”

  “Huh? What does it matter? It’s not like we’re going to get into any accidents. Besides, there’s nobody out on the road.”

  “We can’t be too comfortable and carefree. Anything can happen, especially in a world like this.”

  “But—”

  “Seatbelt. Now.”

  “Alright, fine.” Karin slumped back in her seat and put the belt on. Afterwards, she pouted and crossed her arms.

  “Also, you need to organize your backpack when we return.”

  “I hear you, alright? Sheesh, you’re just like my dad...” After uttering that, she lowered her arms and stared at the floor; her expression softened. “Dad...”

  Yuna touched Karin’s hands and gave her a reassuring smile. The rest of the ride had been silent and awkward. Ryan crossed his arms and let out a quiet sigh. It hadn’t occurred to him how everyone in here also had people important to them. He wasn’t the only one suffering inside; he just had a harder time hiding that from the others.

  Everyone stayed silent for the rest of the trip. It had been exhausting for everyone involved, as the weight of the situation took its toll on them. Shoulders slumped, heaving hearts, tired eyes. The drive was quiet. All the group had were their thoughts to keep them awake, yet wary of the future ahead of them.

  The sound of the roaring engine purred throughout the day. Ryan used that as white noise to fall asleep to. He figured a little more shut-eye wouldn’t hurt, so he closed his eyes, darkness enveloping him.

  After a while, he opened them again. It didn’t feel long since he first closed his eyes, but a bump on the road jolted him awake. Taylor apologized for the mishap before focusing his attention back on the road. His hands were steady, eyes focused. It was like he blocked out all sounds surrounding him, like a cog in the machine. Ryan wished he could block out the noise as well as him. Mike also stayed silent on the passenger side, occasionally giving directions on where to go.

  Thinking it would take a while to get to their destination, Ryan took out snacks from the backseat and munched on them, keeping to himself. He glanced at the windows; it was turning to dusk, as the sun set. He didn’t know how much time had passed, or even how long he slept for. Nevertheless, his body ached, and his energy drained long ago. Yuna and Karin also fell asleep, resting their heads on each other’s shoulders.

  Fortunately, they hadn’t encountered any zombies or accidents, so the ride was a quiet, but safe one. For the first time in a while, Ryan felt at peace. He knew it was only the beginning, and things weren’t over yet, but it was still nice to relieve this while it lasted, before things got heavy again.