Love, Lost and Found

My boyfriend Caiden Barnes was a physics professor whose mind was consumed by research.

When the apocalypse hit, he turned into a zombie. While other zombies lunged to bite, he clung to me, cracking bad jokes.

"What's God's ride?" He pinched my cheek, his eyes glowing red with manic excitement. It was hard to believe a physics professor could ask a cold joke so seriously.

I racked my brain but came up empty, stammering that I didn't know.

Caiden drooped his eyes, then grabbed my neck, forcing me to read a book of bad jokes. His eerie voice whispered in my ear, "It's a Pokémon."

I was speechless.

1

Before the zombie outbreak, Caiden and I had a massive fight.

"Caiden, let's break up," I said coldly.

Caiden took off his glasses and loosened his tie, revealing a striking Adam's apple. He sank onto the couch, exhausted, rubbing his forehead. "Kaylee, can you stop being unreasonable?" he asked wearily.

He was so absorbed in his research that he forgot my birthday. Though he apologized that morning, I was still furious.

Anger clouded my mind. "How am I being unreasonable? It's your fault!" I snapped.

Choking up, I added, "Yesterday was my birthday. What were you doing? Obsessing over your stupid physics!"

Tears streamed down my face-I couldn't help it, they always came easily. Caiden froze, looking at me with guilt, his Adam's apple bobbing. "I'm sorry... yesterday," he started, his voice hoarse.

I cut him off, not wanting to hear excuses, grabbed my phone, and stormed downstairs.

As I left, regret crept in. Caiden only forgot this once; he was usually so thoughtful. I was just angry, wanting to vent, not make a scene. But pride got the better of me, and I hopped into a taxi.

I told the driver to take me to the Sam's Club in the suburbs.

When I got mad, I shopped like crazy-that was my thing.

Caiden's black Volkswagen trailed the taxi at a steady pace. Seizing the chance to forgive him, I swiped his card to buy two carts full of snacks, bottled water, and instant meals.

The haul was too much for Caiden's trunk, so I had a delivery guy take it all back home.

After shopping, I felt better. Caiden took the opportunity to sweet-talk me, promising to take me to a new sushi spot downtown.

On the way to dinner, my phone buzzed with a message. "Attention residents. Seek safe, secure shelter immediately. Unknown biting creatures have appeared in the East District. Protect yourselves. The government and military are responding. Trust us."

I opened the video. It showed a person moving unnaturally, blood staining their mouth, black pupils turned crimson. Terrifying.

It was a zombie.

The zombie twisted, lunging at someone nearby with alarming speed, biting them. Twenty seconds later, the bitten person turned into a zombie too.

Caiden and I exchanged a glance. He floored the gas, rushing me to a villa in the southern suburbs. He told me to stay safe, then drove back to his lab.

Tears filled my eyes as I watched his resolute figure. "Caiden! Is your research worth more than your life? What about me? What do I do?" I shouted, frustration boiling over.

Caiden paused, turning back. The sunset bathed him in light, and he looked calm as ever, offering a gentle smile. "Kaylee, I'm just flesh and blood. If I die, I die. But my research could save humanity. It can't be lost."

With that, he opened the car door and sped off.

That was Caiden-once he decided something, he never looked back.

I pulled the curtains shut, unable to watch him leave.

His lab was in the East District. Going back was a death sentence.

2

After Caiden left, the villa's security system kicked in. Touching the gate or walls would trigger an electric shock. I sealed the windows and doors, but I wasn't sure how long I could hold out.

Zombies spread fast, biting person after person. Within hours of the outbreak, the streets were crawling with them.

The military gunned down some zombies, but their biting speed and strength were overwhelming. The city spiraled into chaos.

My phone pinged with updates. Officials confirmed it was a zombie virus. Vaccines and treatments were in development.

I stared at drone footage of the East District, regretting our fight.

Only when he left did I remember how good he was to me.

I longed for him to call my name one more time.

If I'd known this would happen, I would've cherished Caiden like he was my heart. I wouldn't have fought with him.

He loved me deeply, never raised his voice, cared for me tirelessly when I was sick, handmade gifts for my birthdays, and quietly cleaned up my messes when I got into trouble.

I was the one who took it all for granted, acting spoiled.

The East District had fallen, the streets overrun with shambling zombies.

I knew Caiden's odds were grim, but I clung to a desperate hope he'd return.

I never believed in gods, but for him, I was willing to pray to Jesus just once.

3

At ten o'clock at night, I gripped a baseball bat, sitting warily on the couch. Zombie growls echoed outside, and I curled up, trembling with fear.

I should have listened to Caiden and exercised with him every morning. Then I wouldn't be this scared.

The sound of electric shocks at the gate was relentless. I tightened my grip on the bat and peeked through the large window at the front door.

Under dim yellow streetlights, a figure in a bloodstained white shirt stood. Blood smeared his handsome face, and his once-gentle eyes glowed red. His gaze was vacant, like a tainted lotus.

It was Caiden.

He wandered in front of the villa's gate, like a lost puppy, repeatedly touching the electrified door, looking pitiful and wronged.

I instinctively wanted to let him in, but reason stopped me.

I yanked the curtains shut, refusing to look at him.

For two hours, I sat motionless on the couch, my mind blank. Then, faint footsteps approached, neither too close nor too far.

I grabbed the bat, hid behind the door, and prepared to strike.

The villa was pitch-black, the footsteps jarringly loud in the silence. As they grew closer, I counted silently. When I felt someone touch the doorknob, I sprang out, swinging the bat down hard.

"Ow! Stop!" a pained yelp came from my right.

I couldn't stop the second swing. The figure gasped, clearly in pain, and gritted out, "I'm not a bad guy."

I crouched, shining my phone's flashlight on the ground to see who it was.

It was the delivery guy from that afternoon. I recognized him.

He looked young, clutching his bleeding head where I'd hit him. The flashlight revealed a teenage boy. "I'm the one who delivered your stuff today. My name's Nigel," he said.

"I'm a sophomore at Azonia University. I can't go back home. Can you take me in? I study sports science. I'll be your bodyguard. I swear I can protect you!"

Nigel's eyes were earnest. To prove it, he started lifting his shirt to show his muscles. I stopped him, stepping back to keep my distance. "I'm Kaylee. Let's be clear-I don't keep freeloaders. Zombies are vicious. Are you sure you can protect me?" I asked.

Nigel didn't answer right away. He thought for a moment, his gaze clear and steady. "I can't promise, but as long as I'm alive, I'll keep you safe," he said.

Nigel probably stayed because of the two carts of supplies in my basement. With zombies multiplying, what would a defenseless woman like me do when the supplies ran out?

Taking him in was my only option.

The clock on the wall struck one. A chilly autumn breeze swept through. I lifted a corner of the curtain, watching Caiden at the gate. Suddenly, he seemed to sense me and looked up. His red eyes gleamed with a possessive, manic intensity.

He never looked at me like that before. Now, Caiden was bloodthirsty and terrifying.

I drew the curtains, too scared to look again.

4

I didn't know how I fell asleep. When I woke, it was ten-thirty in the morning.

The zombie roars outside had quieted. As I tidied up and went downstairs, Nigel had already cooked breakfast and was waiting.

After eating, he told me the zombies seemed drawn by some signal and were heading toward the East District. He'd taken the chance to grab supplies from a supermarket and reinforced the villa's walls.

I rushed to the second-floor balcony to check if Caiden was still at the gate.

The front gate was empty, save for bloodstains on the ground.

A vague sense of loss settled in my chest.

I opened my phone to check drone footage. My body froze, and the phone slipped from my hand, clattering to the floor.

In the video, Caiden stood atop an SUV, countless zombies kneeling at his feet. His eyes blazed with unrestrained madness. He stared into the drone's camera, his lips curling into a menacing smirk. A second later, the screen went black-the drone was torn apart.

Caiden had undoubtedly become the zombie king.

"Kaylee, what's wrong?" Nigel's voice startled me.

I replied, "A zombie king appeared in the East District."

As soon as I spoke, he pulled out his phone to watch the latest drone footage. For some reason, when he saw Caiden's face, he muttered, "How could it be him?"

Did he know Caiden?

"He's my boyfriend. Do you know him?" I asked, probing.

That day, I'd gone alone to ask Nigel to deliver my supplies. Caiden was parking the car-they never met.

Nigel looked flustered, covering it up. "No, I don't know him," he said.

Something felt off.

5

At night, while heading to the bathroom, I noticed light coming from Caiden's study.

I crept closer. The door was open.

Nigel was rummaging through something, flipping through books and blueprints in the cabinets.

Caiden studied physics, so his study was filled with physics books and research drafts. What use would a sports science student have for them?

The autumn wind howled. The villa, perched halfway up a hill, was always windy, especially at night.

The windows creaked in the gusts. A forgotten detail hit me.

A year ago, Azonia University stopped admitting sports science students. Nigel claimed to be a sophomore. How could that be?

What was he really after?

A chill crawled up from my feet.

6

I didn't know how I made it through the night.

Nigel was no longer trustworthy. I had to find a way to get him out.

"Morning, Kaylee!" he called out with a smile.

His voice snapped me back to reality. I forced a smile that wasn't too strained. "Morning."

"Nigel, where are your parents? Aren't you worried about them?" I clutched the book in my hands, acting casual.

Nigel went quiet for a few seconds, as if weighing his words. "My parents died suddenly when I was young," he said. "I got bullied a lot as a kid, so I chose sports. At least I could run faster."

I paused my page-turning and looked up at him. A flicker of sadness lingered in his eyes.

"Sorry," I said.

Nigel shrugged it off, then asked, "Kaylee, I saw a bunch of physics books in the study yesterday. Can I read them when I'm bored?"

I tossed the book onto the table, making a thud, and feigned carelessness. "Sure, go ahead."

He grinned, saying thanks.

A strange curve tugged at his lips.

7

The zombies outside multiplied. The city lost all power, water, and internet.

This killed my plan to check the security cameras.

If I couldn't use the cameras, I'd have to see for myself what Nigel was up to.

Night fell. The clock struck twelve.

The zombie roars outside vanished unexpectedly. I lifted the curtain and froze at the sight.

Zombies stood like walls at the villa's gate, their eyes glowing green.

It was eerie. Too eerie.

This had never happened before.

A bad feeling stirred in my gut.

I yanked the curtains shut and tiptoed to the second-floor study.

Rustling sounds came from inside. In the darkness, I couldn't make out the figure clearly, only the scattered blueprints on the floor.

"It's not here? It was right here last time," he muttered.

He was looking for the USB drive.

My hand, clutching the drive, grew sweaty. As I turned to leave, a chilling laugh came from behind.

"Kaylee, you caught me," Nigel said.

8

I swallowed hard, gripping the USB drive, and demanded, "Nigel, what are you after?"

He spread his hands, feigning innocence. "Just reading, of course."

"You-" Before I could finish, a loud crash came from the balcony.

Nigel and I forgot our standoff and rushed to pull back the curtains. The sight was horrifying.

Countless zombies climbed the second-floor balcony. A few were already clawing at it, trying to break into the villa.

If I hadn't activated the security system earlier, reinforcing the walls, those bloodthirsty zombies would've torn us apart by now.

There were too many to fight off outside.

Were we just supposed to wait for death?

I glanced back. The south balcony was clear of zombies.

A smile crept onto my face.

I grabbed a flamethrower and a stun baton, thrusting them at Nigel with fake panic. "Nigel, kill them! Take them out, and I'll give you the USB and the password!"

To make him believe me, I held the USB drive close to him.

Nigel bought it. He pocketed the drive, cracked open the balcony door just enough for the flamethrower and stun baton to work, and started attacking. At first, the flames and electric shocks scared off many zombies.

But soon, the power ran out. Nigel turned back, asking for more batons and flamethrowers.

I just smiled. As I handed him the gear, I shoved the balcony door open from the side, exposing him to the zombies.

Before I could hit the button for the iron gate, Nigel pulled out another flamethrower from nowhere, driving the zombies back.

No. I couldn't let him back in.

I slammed the button for the iron gate, but it wouldn't drop. Just as Nigel lunged toward the door, the gate finally fell.

I exhaled in relief, expecting the zombies to tear him apart. But they stood frozen, like statues.

Nigel seemed shocked too. After nudging a few unmoving zombies, he ripped off his fake innocence and sneered at me. "Kaylee, you're not as dumb as I thought."