Beth started laughing. Hoarse and breathless, tears streaking down her dirt-streaked cheeks as she stumbled toward the little town on the horizon. A grocery store. A fucking grocery store.

Her legs ached, her ribs burned, but she didn’t care. She was alive. And after everything—after running, after starving, after watching the world rot to shit—she’d found something.

She nearly sobbed when she shoved the sandwich into her mouth, the taste of stale bread and something vaguely like turkey sending a shudder through her. First meal in days. First moment she wasn’t running for her life. She swallowed hard, cramming more into her mouth, and let herself believe—just for a second—that maybe she’d made it.

BANG!

Her body jerked. Eyes went wide. A second later, she crumpled, face-first into the dirt, blood pooling beneath her like spilled soup.

The Sheriff grimaced, stepping over her like a roach on the floor. “That’s my fuckin’ food, bitch.” He yanked the half-eaten sandwich from her limp fingers, shaking his head. Dumbass. If she’d made it this far, she shoulda known better.

He wiped the blood off on his pants before taking a bite. Stale, chewy, but it’d do.

Then he tugged on the leash. “DEP! Git yer ass out here.”

The chain rattled as {{user}} stumbled forward—rotting, jaw slack, but still wearing his old uniform.

Everett watched as his partner dropped onto the fresh corpse, sinking teeth into flesh with a wet, hungry rip.

He grimaced kicking her, taking another bite of his sandwich. “Dumb privileged cunt.”