The Day Love Betrayed Me and Never the Plan 11

10 Vouchers 

Five years had passed since Chloe’s uncle died in a car crash. Linda had been living overseas with her twins, barely in touch with Chloe until recently. Luckily, it was not too late. 

Memories of Chiara and Filip, the twins, shouting, “Chloe, run!” in their final moments pierced Chloe’s heart. That was the only genuine care she’d ever felt in her previous life. 

She glanced out the window. It was 3 PM, and the zombie virus–laden red rain would start at midnight. If Linda’s family caught the high–speed train now, they could arrive in Chloe’s city in three hours. 

“Linda, grab Chiara and Filip and get over here ASAP,” Chloe urged. 

“What’s going on?” Linda asked, her voice gentle. 

“The apocalypse is coming,” Chloe said urgently. 

Linda chuckled softly, “You and your novels! I’ll bring the kids to see you right after Christmas. My phone’s dying; gotta go. Bye.” 

Before Chloe could get another word in, the call cut off. 

She kept the phone to her ear, staring at the sunset. ‘If they don’t come, so be it.‘ 

In her previous life, they didn’t meet until a year and a half after the apocalypse started. The three were beaten up, but alive. 

Suddenly, Chloe remembered that a small town nearby had baked lots of bread this year, selling them for a dollar each. 

She hopped in her car and spent all her remaining 6 grand on bread. 

Back at her rented apartment, she looked up at the sky. It was the last calm moment before all hell broke loose, but weirdly, she felt pretty chill. 

She shot Linda a text, telling her to stay inside with the kids and not go anywhere. 

Then she locked up tight, pulled the blanket over her head, and crashed. 

***** 

A raindrop hit the window with a soft “plink.” 

Chloe stirred. She got up, flipped on the light, and stood by the window in her pajamas. 

“It’s raining,” she muttered, like she was casting some weird spell. 

Dark clouds devoured the last peaceful evening, like demons closing in. A faint red raindrop tapped against the glass, a warning that doom was coming. 

15:05 tum, Den 91 

Chapter H 

Omande, four cart withered the second the rain to hed them 

Hm the last one, after snaking up those red drops, started growing crazy fast, its green almost glowing 

Its spines got longer and sharper, like they were about to attack 

Chloe raised an eyebrow ‘A mutant cactus? Guess I’m getting lucky. I’ll take time to fully transform, so no rush 

She knew a brutal fight was coming, and she needed to beat hy absolute best. 

Chloe burrowed hack under the covers and dried off again, only to be jolted awake at four in the morning by hantic pounding at the door 

Rain was pouring down in sheets, shammmming against the windows. The wind howled, and zombie screams cut through the storm 

With all that chinos ragging outside, the knocking felt creepier than evers 

“Who’s there?” Chloe called out. She quickly threw on her thick clothes, tucked her pants into her boots, and grabbed a machete, 

The knocking grew more desperate, turning into frantic pounding as a voice shouted, “Open up. Help, please? 

Chloe pecked through the peephole and saw her neighbor, whose face was smeared with blood. A huge chunk was missing from her shoulder, looking, like a zombie had taken a bite, 

The neighbor shook uncontrollably, her eyes wide with terror. She’d lost it, just hammering on the door over 

and over. 

Even if she wasn’t already bitten, a single scratch from a zombie would infect her. She was beyond saving 

Suddenly, the neighbor let out a serem as a sickly green claw yanked her away. The sickening crunch of teeth on flesh came, horrifying beyond words, 

Even though Chloe had seen zombies countless times in her previous life, catching their gaze now, she couldn’t help but shiver. 

The zombie’s face was a nasty mess of purple and blue, its eyes pure white and blank. It bared razor–sharp fangs, blood dripping from its mouth, with chunks of bone and meat still hanging from its teeth. 

Even with a wall between them, the smell of blood hit Chloe like a truck. 

With a black, indifferent face, she blocked the peephole and pulled back the balcony curtains. 

The cactus outside had swollen to five times its size, now a deep, inky green. Its spines were now thick and countless, covering the entire plant. 

Suddenly, Chloe narrowed her eyes. 

The cactus moved. The top segment wriggled like an earthworm, then quickly stilled. 

15:05 Sun, Dec 21 

Chapter 11 

“The first batch of mutant plants is awakening,‘ Chloe thought. 

Just then, her phone buzzed. It was Linda calling. 

CZD 

10 vouchers. 

“Chloe, monsters are everywhere outside. Whatever you do, stay inside,” Linda said, her voice tight with panic. 

Then Chiara and Filip chimed in, “Hey, Chloe? Mom says it’s super scary out there, so you better not go out, okay?” 

Though, they were just little kids, totally clueless about the real danger. 

“Okay,” Chloe said. “I’ve stocked up the kitchen and storage room with supplies. Stay put, don’t open the door for 

anyone, and wait for me.” 

After hanging up, Chloe began gearing up. 

When the zombie virus hit in the dead of night, most people were sleeping at home. Only a few unlucky souls were out partying or working. 

So there weren’t many zombies around at first, and they moved super slow. If one had the guts to step outside, they could still grab plenty of supplies. 

In the apocalypse, the brave ate well, and the weak went hungry. 

Too bad, by the time people caught on, zombies were everywhere and the city was locked down tight under a blanket of snow. Nobody could move. 

After what felt like forever, the rain finally stopped. 

Chloe crammed everything she could into her spiritual space: the couch, the bed, all the food, and so on. 

She opened the wooden door and saw the zombie sitting on the floor, chewing on the last leg of her neighbor. The place reeked of blood. 

In the distance, more zombies were drawn by the smell, slowly shuffling over with their mouths twisting into creepy grins. 

At the sound of the door opening, the first zombie slowly turned its ashen–gray face toward Chloe, its blank, white eyes locking onto her. 

He opened its mouth, and chunks of bone and flesh dropped from his lips, scattering across the floor. 

Through the gap in the steel door, he shoved out a grayish arm, his long, hard, black nails scratching wildly at 

the door. 

Chloe whipped out her axe and hacked down hard, slicing off both his arms. The zombie didn’t even flinch; he started smashing its head against the door. 

She flung open the door and slammed a spiked mace directly into the zombie’s skull, splattering brain matter everywhere. 

15:05 Sun, Dec 21 

Chapter 11 

Only then did the zombie go limp. 

20 vouchers 

Zombies were nightmare fuel. They might move slowly, but they didn’t feel pain and had crazy strength. Once grabbed by a zombie, escape was nearly impossible. 

Even with arms or legs chopped off, they’d instinctively crawl toward the source of blood. 

The only way to take them out was to crush their skulls and destroy the brain. 

Chloe stepped out with her spiked mace. Three zombies staggered toward her, and she just cracked their skulls and kept moving. 

These were just low–level zombies, slow and scared of sunlight. Once they hit level one, they’d get way faster, and sunlight wouldn’t faze them. 

By then, things would get really ugly.