A rescue

"While scavenging a house in the long dead city, I find a girl hiding in a wardrobe." "Ahh!... P-please... d-dont... h-h-hurt me..." She pleads.

"The girl stops shaking for a moment, and looks at me with watery eyes." "I... I was hiding from the zombies... I-I didn't expect to find anyone else..." She whispers nervously.

"A small smile appears on Hayley's lips as I talk to her." "Th-that's true... But t-they can still hear me, and... I d-don't want them to find me..." She wipes at the tears in her eyes.

[LIMIT: 4/5]

"Hayley stumbles unsteadily to her feet, still looking a bit wary of me." "T-thank you f-for helping me... I... I don't know what I would've done if y-you hadn't come..." She murmurs quietly.

"Hayley nods through her tears and pulls out a small, tattered backpack that she had been using to store some of the supplies she had found. She hands it over to me hesitantly, still unsure if she can trust me." "Y-yes... You c-can have it... I-I'm not using it for anything anyway..."

"Hayley takes the backpack back and slings it over her shoulder, looking relieved that I'm not asking her to give away all her belongings." "N-no... I'm the only one left... The rest of my group was killed when we were ambushed by a horde of zombies..." She looks down at the ground, unable to meet my eyes.

"Hayley nods, looking miserable." "I k-know... I don't know how much longer I can survive out here o-on my own... It's just been so long since I had a proper meal... I've been eating scraps and anything I can find..." She shudders at the thought of what she's had to eat.

"Hayley nods, wiping away her tears and looking more composed." "O-okay... I'm good at finding things, I promise..." She follows me out of the house, still looking around warily for any signs of danger.

"Hayley's eyes widen in fear at the sight of the infected." "W-what should we do? Do you k-know how to fight them?" She whispers, clinging to me for support.

"Hayley watches in awe as I take down the two infected. She seems a bit shaken by the violence, but also relieved that we're safe." "W-wow... That was amazing... I didn't know you were so strong..." She looks at me with newfound respect and admiration.

"Hayley nods, understanding." "O-oh, I see... So it's easier to fight them now that they're weaker..." She looks a bit less scared of the infected now that she knows that they're not as tough as they used to be.

"Hayley nods, relieved to be going somewhere safe." "O-okay... Thank you for taking me with you... I didn't know what would have happened if you hadn't found me..." She follows me attentively, still wary of any potential dangers.

"Hayley looks a bit embarrassed." "O-oh, I'm Hayley... Sorry, I was just so scared when you found me..." She introduces herself shyly, looking down at her feet.

"Hayley looks up at me, surprised and a bit intimidated by my stern words. She nods, understanding." "S-sorry... I'll try to be more careful..." She keeps her eyes on our surroundings as we continue walking towards the settlement.

"Hayley nods, a bit nervously." "O-okay... Nice to meet you, Jack..." She looks up at him briefly before returning her gaze to our surroundings.

"Hayley hesitates to answer, her face scrunching up a bit." "I'm 18... Why do you ask?" She seems a bit suspicious of my question, wondering if there's a reason behind it.

"Hayley's face falls and she looks a bit sad, remembering the terrible events of her past." "Me too... We used to be over 20 people before... But... We got attacked a few times and many of them didn't make it..." She trails off, not wanting to think about the memories anymore.

"Hayley shakes her head." "N-no, I don't... We never had any weapons, and we didn't really know what to do when the zombies came after us..." She seems a bit ashamed of her lack of skills, but also grateful that I'm there to protect her.

"Hayley nods, a bit worried." "Y-yeah... I know... Can't keep relying on others to protect me forever..." She looks down at her hands, feeling a bit inadequate.

"Hayley smiles, feeling a bit better knowing that I have faith in her." "T-thank you, Jack... I'll do my best to learn... I just hope it's not too late for me..." She looks up at me with hopeful eyes, wanting to prove herself and become stronger.

"Hayley looks at me curiously." "W-what do you mean? Aren't zombies the only danger out there?" She seems a bit confused, not having encountered other threats before.

"Hayley nods, understanding what I meant." "I see... I've heard stories about that too, but I didn't think it was true..." She looks around nervously, realizing that there are more dangers out there than she had initially thought. "I'm glad you found me too... I don't know what would have happened to me otherwise..."

"Hayley follows Dead Rat on a Lampshade closely, feeling a bit more confident with them around." "O-okay... I'll stay close... Thank you for being here for me..." She smiles gratefully, happy to have someone she can trust in this dangerous world.

"Hayley stands behind Dead Rat on a Lampshade, feeling a bit intimidated by the large base." "W-wow... this place is huge..." She looks around in amazement, taking in all the sights and sounds of the base.

Vito nods gratefully, accepting the supplies and turning to look at Hayley with a kind smile. "Welcome to our base, Hayley. You're safe here." He then turns to look at me. "Thank you for bringing her to us, Jack. She's in good hands now."

"Hayley smiles shyly, feeling happy and relieved to have a new home." "Th-thank you... I really appreciate this... I'll do my best to contribute..." She looks around, eager to help out in any way she can.

"No, we're good for now. Thank you for your help, Jack. We'll handle things from here." Vito says with a nod of gratitude, before turning to Hayley.

"Come with me, Hayley. I'll show you around and introduce you to everyone." Vito leads Hayley around the base, showing her all the different areas and introducing her to the other survivors.