Shopping

In the car…

"Read me the list," Mike says as he drives.

"Let's see...food cans of all kinds, envelopes of pasta and rice, batteries, bottles of water, alcohol, gauze, antibiotics, bleach, soap, and toilet paper."

"A long list…"

"We'll have to go shopping."

Mike looks at Iñaki, smiles, and steps on the accelerator. The car proceeds through the dark streets in the direction of the supermarket.

The car leans slightly on a curve and Iñaki feels something hit his foot. His curious hand reaches down, picks up the object, and places it before his eyes.

"It's a USB stick," says Iñaki.

"Huh? Oh, yes."

"What is this?"

"My Music."

"Your music?"

"Give it to me," he says and inserts the memory into the car radio. "What do you want to hear?"

"A little rock would be nice."

Mike gives Iñaki a funny look and presses the button. The percussion of a drummer enters the car and Iñaki vibrates with the music. The car zigzags down the road. Iñaki lowers the window. Mike imitates him with rockstar airs.

Without saying a word, Mike points to the glove compartment. Iñaki looks at him confused. The rocker insists.

Iñaki opens the glove box and a box of Malboros greets him. He grabs it, takes out two cigarettes, lights one and gives it to Mike, lights another, and smokes it like the master of Buenos Aires

"How was your talk with Victor?"

"He basically told me I was his slave."

"Welcome to the club."

The car fills with smoke coughs and laughter.

"Did you have a partner before all this?" asks Iñaki.

"Valerie..." Mike remembers transporting himself to another time and space. "I met her in New York in 2003.

She was on the subway, waiting for the train like every morning when I first saw her. She got off the train and I got on. I think she saw me that time too, but we didn't say anything. Believe it or not, I was quite an introvert back then.

This routine of seeing each other, but not talking to each other lasted a couple of days, even weeks. Until one day, I know it sounds cliché, she stumbles and bumps into me. That was the first time we talked and well, the rest is history."

"So... what happened? " asks Iñaki.

"She died…cancer."

"Sorry, thanks for sharing."

"Thank you for reminding me. For a few moments, she became as real as this cigarette."

"There it is."

Mike looks up and sees the shadow of a quadrangular structure rising in the distance. A deserted parking lot surrounds it like a dead sea.

"Well, let's go shopping."

Mike parks the car in front of the structure and turns off the engine.

"We could use one of those electric Prius, this diesel draws too much attention," says Mike.

"Are you saying this because of the two infected that are coming here?" asks Iñaki.

Without waiting for an answer Iñaki gets out of the car wielding the axe.

"Remember not to use the gun unless you have to!"

"It won't..."

Adrenaline runs through Iñaki's veins and he launches himself after the zombies. He can see them now. The decomposed bodies of two cashiers rush him. Iñaki dodges her bites and plunges his ax into the skull of the first cashier while kicking the second away.

He unearths the ax in one swift motion and readies himself. The second cashier rejoins. Iñaki raises the axe. Waits. The cashier jumps. He puts the ax down.

CRACK the figure collapses at his feet and her stench gets into his mouth.

"Are you crazy?!"

"Everything under control," says Iñaki cleaning the ax blade with his pants.

"Sometimes it seems like you want to kill yourself."

"Let's go."

Iñaki looks up and contemplates the stage. In the parking lot, there is trash everywhere, some cars and supermarket cars are tipped over.

"Take this backpack," Mike says. "It's the only one we have."

"Ok, let's go"

The supermarket doors are closed. Through them, they can see nothing but darkness. Mike levels his ax with the glass door and swings. A rain of glass falls at Iñaki's feet. The two remain still for a few seconds. Only the sound of their breath accompanies them.

And then they hear a groan coming from the depths of the earth. A spectral echo rises to Iñaki's ears and disappears. Silence. Iñaki looks in all directions and doesn't find any zombies.

"Let's go."

The darkness completely swallows Iñaki as he walks through the door. Silence. Somehow it feels colder in there than it does out there.

"Shh" hisses Mike and turns on his flashlight.

Iñaki turns on his own and investigates his surroundings. A row of spectral boxes receives him at the entrance. He doesn't pick up any movement, or any sound.

Behind the boxes the darkness consumes everything.

"Okay," whispers Mike, "we have to get food, drink, medicine, and cleaning supplies."

"Ok."

Iñaki's tense body follows the phantasmagorical procession of the light beam. Every step is a caress to the ground.

"Let's leave a cart here at the entrance to get things going," Iñaki whispers.

"Too noisy to carry it with us?"

"Yes."

"Okay, here's one."

The light pierces the darkness and casts all kinds of shadows. Hands, heads, and legs are conjured up in Iñaki's imagination. He squeezes the axe handle.

"Here."

Mike lights a spotlight on a sign decorated with a series of arrows. Food – Drinks – Frozen – Cleaning – Hygiene – Pets – Pharmacy – Electronics.

"Where do we look first?"