Ch-4. A Friend In Need!

[We're back]

(Yeah....we are.)

[Look a bit happy, man. You're the MC. It's all about you.]

(Nope. It's all about you and your fucking fantasies, you creepy author.)

[Who the Fuck are you calling creepy. I can erase your existence!]

[Now then..]

The battered Traveller screeched to a halt at the edge of a deserted rest area, the engine coughing like a wounded beast. Narendra glanced in the rearview mirror, his breath heavy but triumphant. The horde they'd plowed through was gone—at least for now. Beside him, Yogita was slumped in her seat, her face pale from the chaos they'd just escaped.

Narendra grinned. "Told you. Nothing like a little chaos to get the adrenaline pumping."

Yogita turned to him, her expression somewhere between disbelief and amusement. "You're insane, you know that?"

"Maybe," he replied, chuckling as he leaned back, the tension draining from his shoulders.

The moon hung high, casting a silvery glow over the deserted area. It was eerily quiet—too quiet for a world that had descended into madness. Narendra stepped out of the vehicle and stretched, wincing as his muscles protested. Yogita followed suit, shakily stepping down.

"You okay?" he asked, noticing her trembling hands.

"Yeah," she muttered, her voice catching slightly. Then, surprising both of them, she burst into laughter. "That was actually… kinda fun."

He raised an eyebrow. "Fun? You were screaming your head off five minutes ago."

"Shut up," she said, smacking his arm lightly. "Let me have my moment."

They sat side by side on the Traveller's hood, sharing some salvaged snacks. For a fleeting moment, it almost felt normal—the moonlight, the quiet, the simple act of eating together. It was a fragile illusion, shattered only by the distant growl of the undead.

"We should get moving," Narendra said, tossing the empty wrapper aside. Yogita nodded, her eyes scanning the darkness warily.

They climbed back into the Traveller. Narendra turned the key, and the engine sputtered before roaring to life. He glanced at Yogita, a sly grin on his face. "Ready for the next round?"

"Not really," she muttered, strapping herself in. "But I don't think I have much of a choice."

The Traveller barreled down the road, Narendra's hands steady on the wheel despite the uneven terrain. The zombies that occasionally stumbled into their path were no match for the vehicle's reinforced front bumper. Yogita clung to her seat, muttering curses under her breath every time they hit a bump.

Just as Narendra started to relax, disaster struck. A rogue zombie darted out of nowhere, its mangled form colliding with the windshield. Narendra swerved instinctively, losing control. The Traveller veered off the road, plowing through the underbrush before slamming into a tree.

The world went black.

In the dream, everything felt strangely serene. Narendra and Yogita were back at the rest area, laughing and talking as if nothing had happened. The horrors of the apocalypse seemed distant, almost unreal.

But the dream didn't last. Narendra awoke with a sharp gasp, his head throbbing and his nose bleeding. The mangled dashboard and cracked windshield brought reality crashing back.

He blinked, trying to orient himself. "Yogita?" he croaked, panic rising in his chest.

"Right here," came her voice, sharp and irritated. He turned to see her sitting in the backseat, arms crossed, glaring at him.

"Oh, thank God," he breathed, relief flooding him. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm peachy," she snapped, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Thanks to you, I've now experienced what it's like to be in a demolition derby."

Narendra chuckled nervously. "Hey, at least we're alive, right?"

"Barely," she muttered, still pouting. But then, her expression softened slightly. "Are you okay? Your nose is bleeding."

"Yeah, it's just a scratch," he said, wiping at his face. "Nose isn't broken, so that's a win."

Yogita rolled her eyes but said nothing more as Narendra tried to restart the Traveller. After several attempts, the engine roared back to life. They resumed their journey, Narendra steering them towards the gates of a nearby colony.

The colony was a grim sight. The gates hung open, and the once-bustling compound was now a playground for the undead. Narendra parked the Traveller just inside, surveying the area.

"Why are we here?" Yogita demanded, her voice rising. "This is suicide!"

"Language," Narendra muttered, his eyes still scanning for movement.

"Oh, screw your language!" she snapped. "We should be finding a safe place, not walking into a death trap!"

He finally turned to her, a sheepish grin on his face. "Didn't I tell you? It's all about family."

She stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Friends," he corrected quickly. "I meant friends."

Yogita groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Fine. Who's this *friend*?"

"You'll see," he said, grabbing a shotgun and stepping out of the vehicle. "Stay here and cover me."

"Cover you?" she echoed, frowning. "What does that even mean?"

Narendra sighed, exasperated. "Just… shoot any zombies that get too close."

Yogita muttered something under her breath but picked up her gun. Narendra climbed onto the roof of the Traveller, his eyes scanning the surrounding buildings. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"Hello?" he said, adopting a bizarre accent.

"Why the hell are you talking like that?" came the irritated reply. "And where are you?"

"Look down," Narendra said, grinning.

A figure appeared on the roof of one of the nearby buildings. "Naren?" the boy called out, squinting.

"Chintu!" Narendra waved. "Follow my directions and get down here!"

Chintu's descent was anything but graceful. Following Narendra's instructions, he used a rope to climb down to his balcony, then carefully made his way to the ground, avoiding the zombies swarming below. Finally, with a desperate leap, he landed on the Traveller's roof.

Narendra pulled him up, and they embraced briefly before breaking into their usual banter.

"You good?" Narendra asked.

"I was born ready," Chintu replied, puffing out his chest.

Narendra groaned. "That was so cringe, bro. I'm disappointed in you."

Their reunion was cut short by Yogita's voice. "If you two are done with your bromance, maybe we can get out of here?"

Chintu turned, his jaw dropping when he saw her. "No. No, no, no. WTF?! Why is *she* here?"

Narendra shoved him towards the vehicle. "Just get in."

The trio fought their way back into the Traveller, dispatching zombies with practiced efficiency. Once inside, Chintu continued his tirade.

"She's a walking disaster!" he exclaimed. "Do you know how much trouble she's going to bring?"

Yogita shot him a sweet but menacing smile. "Nice to meet you too."

Narendra ignored the bickering as he started the engine, plowing through the colony gates and leaving the undead behind.

As the Traveller sped down the road, Narendra couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope. They had supplies, weapons, and now, an extra pair of hands. But the journey was far from over. The undead were relentless, and the world was a minefield of danger and uncertainty.

[For now, though, they had each other. And in a world gone mad, that was something. Yeah, like nothing could go wrong now right?]

(Why the fuck would you say that, you ahitty author?!)