The Last Man on Earth in the Apocalypse World

o the soft creak

in the night, but the headache remained-a dull, persistent throb behind his eyes. He lay s

But one of the heavy oak tables he had positioned against a side window had been moved three inches. Not

nt, then.

e foundations, Adam. Sometimes the load finds another way in."* He gripped

liked. Batteries, rope, a proper camping stove, more medicine, layers for the nights that seemed to grow cold

never he stopped to listen, the other footsteps stopped too-always at the same rhythm he had set. Whe

boots crunching on debris. Flashlights. Backup batteries. A sturdy backpack. Water filters. A hunting knife that felt better balanced than the

ver morning coffee. The sound came from the front of the store, floating between the aisles. Adam froze, heart seizing. H

econd-floor balcony. Clearer. Closer.

at all. Just a blank oval that still managed to convey *attention*. It tilted its head exactly the way Sarah used to when sh

rned. Another Hollow stood near the camping section. A third near the exit. A fourth on

m. Leaving one clear path toward the back loading area. Th

roar. No snarl. Just sudden, silent motion. Adam swung the bat on pure instinct. The crack of wood against its shou

tents. Gear scattered everywhere. A third dropped from above,

hammering, breath ragged. Glass exploded under his boots. A Hollow's long arm swept out, missing his head by inches and

one to drop from the ceiling or step out from behind a shelving unit exactly where he was heading. Their silence

s carrying them in impossible leaps. Adam sprinted down narrow passages, knocking over trash bins, cutting through ruined storefro

wall. Adam threw himself through the broken rear doors and pulled them shut as best

Another climbed onto the roof, its weight creaking the metal. A third crouched directly outsi

memory of her stubborn optimism. The vines somewhere outside the truck seemed to still. The Hollows lingered

tening, doubling back. The backpack was torn. Half his new supplies were lost during

ntrance with frantic energy. Only when the last door was

inside* of one of the upper windows. Not outside. Inside. Smudged

fore he got back. It had waited. It had touch

ht, the headache roaring back to full strength.

eady inside h