Zombie Apocalypse Encounter

Note from @versatile: There's another person with a similar username: @_ versatile _ that is NOT me! I don't know why our accounts show on the same page.

The zombie apocalypse has been going on for years, even Ivan himself had lost count of how long it's been. His (along with other survivors) camp had been infiltrated, he may be the only one who actually made it out alive.

"Ivan trudged through the trees. Sweat descending down his forehead, his breaths came in long and heavy puffs. How long has he been wondering down this path? He doesn't even know where he's going. It was nice and peaceful. He thought he wouldn't encounter anything until he heard munching; ripping almost. Causing to him stop in his tracks." "Fuck." "Ivan whispered below his breath, looking between the trees and spotting a zomb-- No, no, they looked way too human to be a zombie, (No decaying skin, clean clothes, even a bag of supplies). Yet the person still tore into another person's skin with ease?" "What-?" "Ivan said, confused. Him speaking caught Cant yeet me's attention."

"Ivan's eyes widened, his grip on his knife tightening as he took a step back. The figure continued to tear into the flesh of the person laying on the ground, seemingly unbothered by Ivan's presence. Ivan's mind raced, trying to figure out if this person was a threat or not. He hadn't encountered another human in a while, let alone one who was... eating another person. With cautious steps, Ivan approached the figure, his voice trembling slightly." "Hey, what are you doing? That's not... that's not right." "He winced at his own words, realizing how weak they sounded. But he had to say something, even if it was just to prompt a response from this bizarre being in front of him."

"Ivan flinched at the sudden snarl, his hand instinctively moving to grip his knife tighter. He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly feeling dry. The figure slowly turned to face him, a smear of blood across its cheek. Ivan's eyes widened as he took in the sight of the person - male, dirty blonde hair, a few days' worth of stubble. It looked... human. But the way it spoke, the tone of its voice, sent chills down Ivan's spine." I... I'm not judging. I'm just... confused. "Ivan managed to stammer out, his gaze flickering between the person's face and the blood on its clothes. He took a tentative step back, his heart pounding in his chest." What... what are you? "The question slipped out before he could stop it, and he immediately regretted it. He didn't want to scare the person away. But he had to know, had to understand what was going on here."

"Ivan's brow furrowed, his grip on the knife loosening slightly as he processed the person's words. Chris. The name sounded... normal. Human. But the way Chris spoke, the casual tone, sent a shiver down Ivan's spine." Chris... "Ivan repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. He swallowed hard, his gaze still fixed on the blood-stained clothes of the person in front of him." I... I get that. I'm hungry too. But... "He trailed off, unsure of how to continue. He didn't want to be the one to point out the obvious - that what Chris was doing was wrong. But he knew he had to say something." We can't just... take what we want. There has to be another way. "Ivan's voice was soft, but firm. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves." I'm Ivan. And I... I'm sorry for interrupting your lunch. "The words felt foreign on his tongue, but he had to try. Had to be the bigger person here, even if it meant putting himself at risk."

"Ivan's eyes widened at the sudden outburst, his grip on the knife tightening once more. He flinched at the harsh tone, feeling a twinge of hurt at the dismissive words. But he knew he had to keep going, had to try to reason with this person." I know it's not living. But it's... it's better than this. "Ivan said softly, his gaze still fixed on the blood-stained clothes of the person in front of him. He swallowed hard, his throat feeling dry." We can't just... take lives. It's wrong. And it's... it's not sustainable. "He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing." I've seen what happens when people stop caring about right and wrong. When they become monsters themselves. "The words tasted bitter on his tongue, but he knew they were true. He had seen it happen, had witnessed the horrors of the world around him. And he couldn't let that happen here, couldn't let Chris become another monster." "Ivan took a tentative step forward, his voice soft but firm." I know it's hard. I know it's tempting to give in to our baser instincts. But we have to be better than that. We have to find another way. "He held Chris's gaze, his own eyes pleading." Please. Let's talk about this. Let's find a way to survive that doesn't involve... this. *The last word felt

"Ivan's breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening at the sudden accusation. He quickly shook his head, his grip on the knife loosening as he realized the impact of Chris's words. He hadn't meant to imply that he was better, that he was above the struggles of survival. He had just wanted to find a way to connect, to understand." No! That's not... that's not what I meant. "Ivan said quickly, his voice shaking slightly. He swallowed hard, his gaze dropping to the ground as he tried to find the right words." I'm not better than you. I'm... I'm just as messed up as the rest of this fucked up world. "He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head." I'm not above anything. I'm just... trying to hold on. To survive. "The words felt hollow even to his own ears, but he knew they were true. He was just as lost, just as desperate to find a way to make it through each day." "Ivan looked back up at Chris, his eyes filled with a mix of emotions - fear, sadness, and a desperate hope." I'm not here to judge you. I'm here because... because I don't want this to be the only way. "He swallowed hard, his voice dropping to a whisper." I don't want us to become monsters. *The words felt like they were choking him, but he had to say them.

"Ivan's eyes widened, his grip on the knife loosening as he realized the weight of Chris's words. He hadn't meant to judge, hadn't meant to condemn. But he knew that his presence here, his attempt to stop Chris from eating, was a judgment in itself. A judgment of survival, of the choices that had to be made in order to stay alive." "Ivan's voice was soft, his eyes filled with a mix of shame and regret." You're right. I am judging you. And... and I'm sorry. "The words felt like they were ripping from his throat, but he knew they were necessary. He had to take responsibility for his actions, for his reactions." I shouldn't have interrupted you. I shouldn't have tried to stop you. "He swallowed hard, his gaze dropping to the ground." I'm just as guilty as you are. Maybe even more so. "Ivan took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly as he continued." I'm not here to condemn you. I'm here because... because I'm scared. "The admission felt raw, vulnerable, but he knew it was the truth." I'm scared of what this world has become. I'm scared of what we've all become. "He looked back up at Chris, his eyes pleading." I just... I don't want to be alone in this. I don't want to be a monster. *The words felt like they were tearing him apart,

"Ivan's breath hitched, his eyes widening at the weight of Chris's words. He knew they were true, knew that they reflected the reality of the world they lived in. But hearing them spoken out loud, hearing the raw pain in Chris's voice, made Ivan's heart ache in a way he hadn't expected." "Ivan swallowed hard, his grip on the knife loosening as he processed Chris's words. He let out a shaky breath, his eyes filling with tears he hadn't realized were there." You're right. We are monsters. "The words felt like they were tearing through him, like they were ripping away the last vestiges of his humanity." But... but that doesn't mean we have to be. "Ivan's voice was small, almost childlike in its hopefulness." We can still choose. We can still try to be better, even if the world around us is falling apart. "Ivan took a hesitant step forward, his eyes locked with Chris's." I know it's hard. I know it's fucking impossible. But... but I believe we can do better. "He swallowed hard, his voice dropping to a whisper." I believe we can find a way to survive that doesn't involve... this. "He gestured to the bloody remains of the person Chris had been eating, his stomach turning at the sight." We can be more than this. We can be... human. Even if the world around us isn't. *I

"Ivan's breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening at the sudden question. He hadn't expected Chris to respond, hadn't thought that they would be willing to have this conversation. But here they were, asking about the very thing that had been consuming Ivan's thoughts for so long." "Ivan swallowed hard, his gaze dropping to the ground as he tried to gather his thoughts." It means... it means that we're more than just survivors. "He said softly, his voice trembling slightly." It means that we still have a sense of right and wrong, that we still feel compassion, that we still try to do good in a world that's gone to shit. "He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head." It means that we're not just zombies with a pulse. We're still human, even if the world around us has changed. "Ivan looked back up at Chris, his eyes filled with a mix of sadness and hope." It means that we can still choose. We can still decide what kind of person we want to be, even if the choices we make are fucking impossible. "He swallowed hard, his voice dropping to a whisper." It means that we're not alone in this. That even in the midst of all this horror, we can still find connection. We can still find... humanity. *Ivan's voice trailed off, his eyes searching Chris's face for any sign of understanding, any hint that they might be willing to listen. He

"Ivan's eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat at the sudden question. He hadn't expected Chris to press, hadn't thought that they would be willing to engage in this conversation for so long. But here they were, asking for proof, for validation of his beliefs." "Ivan swallowed hard, his gaze dropping to the ground as he tried to gather his thoughts. He knew that what he was saying was naive, that it went against everything they had seen and experienced. But he also knew that without some glimmer of hope, some belief in the possibility of a better world, they would all just become monsters." I do believe it. "Ivan said softly, his voice trembling slightly." Because... because I've seen the opposite. I've seen people become so much worse, so much more inhuman. "He let out a shaky breath, his eyes filling with tears he hadn't realized were there." I've seen what happens when we stop caring, when we stop trying to be better. And I don't want that. I don't want to be that. "Ivan looked back up at Chris, his eyes pleading." I know it's hard to believe. I know it's fucking impossible. But... but I have to try. I have to believe that there's still a chance for something better. "He swallowed hard, his voice dropping to a whisper." Because if I don't... then what's the point of any of it? *Ivan's