Over on Anna's side, she was busy searching the ground floor's cold foods section, carefully scouring the aisles for anything that had been left behind.
She picked up a packet of frozen chicken legs and inspected it closely. The packaging was warm, water dripping from it into the puddle where it had been lying. Bringing it to her nose, she sniffed it cautiously.
It stinks... but not too badly.
She sighed to herself.
This should still be good for a few more weeks.
She stuffed it into the reasonably sized supply bag she had been filling as she searched.
Looking around once more, she hoped to spot something else nearby, but the shelves were almost completely bare.
Those bastards really did clear this place out...
Her gaze drifted down to the bag.
They even took all the preserved food.
At least I managed to find something. Hopefully the others had better luck than me...
After a moment, her thoughts shifted elsewhere.
...Zane.
I wonder how he's doing.
"I should get going."
She picked up the sack and turned—
A hand suddenly brushed against her waist.
At the same instant, someone licked the side of her neck.
Startled, Anna instinctively lashed out with the back of her hand.
She spun around to find Drew standing there with a smug grin stretched across his face.
"You bastard!" she snapped. "What were you thinking, sneaking up on me like that? I thought you were a creeper!"
His grin only widened.
"And what if I am?"
"That's not funny."
Annoyed, she bent down to pick up her bag and leave.
Before she could take a step, Drew grabbed her arm.
"Come on," he said. "What's the rush? We're all alone. We won't get another opportunity like this anytime soon."
He shoved her back against one of the freezers.
"Why don't we have some fun?"
Anna drove her knee upward.
He twisted his hips just enough to avoid it, causing her knee to slam into his thigh instead.
"Again with this?" she growled. "Let go of me, Drew. This is neither the time nor the place for your stupid games."
She dropped the bag and clenched her free fist.
"Didn't you learn your lesson last night?"
She swung at him.
He caught her punch effortlessly and pinned that wrist against the freezer as well.
"What are you talking about?" he chuckled. "What's the matter? I know you want this too."
He leaned in until their faces were only inches apart.
Anna continued glaring at him with undisguised hatred.
"Oh... is this about your boyfriend?" he sneered. "Don't worry. I won't tell him if you don't."
His grin became even uglier.
"Or better yet... I'll make you forget about that weakling."
He forced both of her hands above her head with one hand and leaned in for a kiss.
Before their lips met—
Anna bit down hard.
"ARGH!"
Drew jerked backward, clutching his mouth.
His fingers came away stained with blood.
"You bitch!"
His open palm cracked across her face.
Anna's head snapped to the side, but instead of shrinking back, she slowly turned to face him again.
Then she spat his own blood directly into his face.
Drew froze.
The smile disappeared.
His expression twisted into pure fury.
"Enough being nice!"
He slammed Anna to the floor and climbed on top of her, grabbing at her chest.
"Stop this, Drew!" Anna shouted, struggling beneath him.
"Stop? Why?" he laughed.
"Who's going to stop me?"
He leaned down beside her ear.
"You can scream if you don't want this."
A cruel smile spread across his face.
"Oh... that's right."
"You've got to stay nice and quiet, or those monsters will hear you."
He burst into laughter.
Holding both of her wrists above her head with one hand, he pulled her shirt upward while using the other to work at the fastening of her trousers.
No...
No... is he really going through with this?
Anna's breathing became uneven.
"I don't want this!" she cried.
"Please stop, Drew!"
He ignored her completely.
She squeezed her legs together with all her strength to stop him from pulling her trousers down.
I can't move...
Is this really happening?
Please... come back quickly, Quin...
"...Quin..."
Drew looked down at her with amusement.
"Oh? Thinking about your boyfriend?"
"He's not coming to save you."
"And even if he did..." he whispered with a smirk, "...he'd probably just join in."
"You don't let him touch you either, do you?"
"Poor guy."
For a brief moment, Anna's body went completely still.
The words stunned her.
The strength in her legs faltered.
Drew took advantage immediately, pulling her trousers down.
His hand slowly began moving higher.
"Virgin, are we?" he said, an unsettling grin spreading across his face.
"Let's see what I'm dealing with."
"Don't worry."
"I'll be gentle."
"I'll make sure it's memorable."
"You'll be so happy you'll forget all about that boyfriend of yours."
Tears streamed down Anna's cheeks.
This is really happening...
I let my guard down...
Just as his hand reached for her underwear—
She finally broke.
"AAAAAHHHHH!!"
CRASH!!
Both of them froze.
"What was that?!"
A deafening explosion echoed through the mall.
Concrete dust burst into the air as a wall collapsed inward.
The one-eyed ravager from before charged through the opening, smashing through the side of the building as if it were made of paper.
It immediately began sprinting toward the source of the commotion.
"It's one of those fucking monsters!"
The moment Drew saw it, all thoughts of Anna vanished.
He scrambled to his feet and bolted across the mall without looking back, abandoning her where she lay.
Damn it...
Why wasn't there any ringing...?
Still laying beside the refrigeration unit, Anna fought to stay silent.
The one-eyed ravager ignored her completely and charged after Drew.
As it thundered past, its massive body clipped the freezer beside Anna.
The entire unit toppled over.
CRASH!
It slammed down onto her legs and lower body.
"AAAH!"
A cry escaped her before she could stop it.
The ravager froze mid-stride.
Its head slowly turned.
Then it charged toward her instead.
Anna clenched her teeth so hard they hurt.
No...
It's coming.
Think of nothing.
Think of nothing...
Pain shot through her body.
Her breathing became ragged.
Every instinct screamed at her to move, but she couldn't.
Damn it...
This isn't working...
The pain...
I can't... breathe...
The ravager continued closing the distance.
Just as it seemed certain to reach her—
CLANG!
A can came flying from the second floor.
It struck Drew squarely on the side of the head.
"GAH!"
He stumbled sideways in shock.
The sudden commotion instantly pulled the ravager's attention away from Anna.
Without hesitation, it spun around and charged after Drew once again.
Anna looked up toward the balcony.
Standing behind the railing was a lone figure.
The stranger placed a finger to her lips.
Shhh.
Anna wanted to respond.
Instead, another wave of pain crashed through her body.
It felt as though bombs were exploding inside her head.
She held her breath, desperately trying not to cry out.
Her vision blurred.
Everything faded to black.
When Drew regained his senses, the ravager was already charging straight at him.
His heart nearly stopped.
He turned and ran.
He sprinted toward the mall entrance, believing the narrower corridors would slow it down.
Instead—
The ravager simply smashed through the walls between them.
Chunks of concrete exploded in every direction as it continued gaining on him.
Its footsteps grew louder.
Closer.
Closer.
This can't be happening...
"No..."
He glanced over his shoulder.
The monster was only a few metres away.
"No..."
His voice cracked.
"THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING!"
"NO!"
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
"I'M NOT DYING HERE!!"
Something inside him snapped.
He stopped running.
He turned to face the charging ravager.
"FUCK YOUUUUU!!"
With a roar, he threw his fist toward the creature.
It never reached.
The ravager was faster.
As its massive club-like arm swept toward his face, time itself seemed to slow.
A classroom.
He sat at the back, one foot resting on another student's desk. Cigarette smoke drifted lazily through the room while several of his friends laughed around him.
"Be quiet."
He emptied ash from his cigarette onto the head of the trembling boy beneath him.
At the front of the class, the teacher looked back.
Sweat rolled down the man's forehead.
For a moment, it looked as though he might speak.
Instead...
He quietly turned around and continued teaching.
Another memory.
A girl with a black eye approached, holding out a lunchbox with both hands.
"I've brought your lunch."
Drew frowned.
"What was that?"
Realisation struck her.
She immediately dropped to her knees.
"I-I've brought your lunch, Master Drew! Please forgive me master!"
Without hesitation, he slapped her.
She hit the floor.
His friends laughed.
She fought back tears.
As atonement he punished her to stand in underwear at the back of the classroom
His parents.
A restaurant owner bowed repeatedly while apologising because Drew disliked the food.
His mother humiliated the man in front of everyone.
His father watched without saying a word.
The following day, the restaurant was gone.
Young Drew smiled.
Power felt wonderful.
Then...
Fire.
His mansion burned against the night sky.
Everything he owned disappeared in a single day.
I'll just take it all back.
He remembered standing before Tim and Josh during the early days of the apocalypse.
"I am Drew V. Elgamo."
"The man who will one day own this world."
"Follow me."
"You'll have everything you could ever want for."
One final memory.
An alleyway.
His younger sister, Machi, stood between him and a bleeding boy.
"You could have killed him!"
"So what?" Drew replied coldly.
"I will if I want to."
He grabbed her by the face.
"Know your place."
She looked at him with tears in her eyes.
"You'll lie in the bed you've made."
"The way you treat people will come back to you someday."
"I only hope it isn't too late."
...Is this what you meant, Machi?
Seems like...
It's already too late for me now...
My life has been—
SMASH!!
The ravager's arm struck him before the thought could finish.
His body folded unnaturally.
He flew across the corridor and exploded against the wall in a spray of blood.
He died instantly.
The ravager stood still for only a moment.
Then another distant sound echoed from outside the mall.
Without hesitation, it turned and charged toward it, smashing back through the wall the way it had entered.
Silence returned.
Only the groaning of twisted metal remained.
A few moments later, the figure from the second floor climbed down and stopped beside the overturned refrigeration unit.
She looked to be about Anna's age.
Ash-blonde hair hung in two thick braids that reached to her waist.
She wore a denim beanie, a cropped jacket over a fitted top, shorts, and worn leather boots.
Standing above Anna, she studied the unconscious girl for a moment.
"This one..." she murmured quietly.
"...looks to be in pretty bad shape."