“Alright, everyone, listen up. As I’m sure you’re aware, we have some pressing matters to discuss. With an additional member in our group, we’ll need to manage our food and water. That means we’ll have to use smaller portions per day if we want to make it through the month, as in only for emergencies. We may have to go on more scavenging trips to gather supplies, depending on how the situation goes and if circumstances change. That being said, this also means spacing out our tasks to maintain our health and base of operations so we don't have as much work piled on us."

  Mike glanced at everyone, making sure they were following so far. Karin tapped her foot, expecting him to get to the point. Ryan tried to control his shaking hands, also wanting him to get to the main topic at hand, but for a different reason.

  “This brings us to our assignments for today. But before that, there's something important we need to discuss. Some of you are already aware of this, but for those who aren't, the plumbing systems in this school have ceased to function. We investigated earlier today and found that the toilets, sinks, and showers have stopped working properly.”

  “Are you serious?” Yuna asked, leaning from her chair. “That’s why I couldn’t get the toilet to flush this morning? Or shower?”

  “Huh.” Karin tapped her chin, surprisingly calm. “I was wondering what that smell was last night.”

  “Hey, I take offense to that!”

  “At ease.” Mike told them before continuing. “So, as a resort, we’ll need to use water bottles in its wake to do basic hygienic activities such as brushing our teeth, for instance.”

  “That does raise a problem, though.” Taylor pointed out. “While it’s a good temporary solution, it also lessens the factor of our drinking supply as a result.”

  “Exactly, and we have a limited amount as is.”

  “So, we just need to find a place that has good water for drinking and bathing in,” Yuna said. “Is that right?”

  “Sounds about right,” Mike replied. “If it’s alright with all of you, and I know we just came back from a trip like this yesterday, but I’d like to go back out and gather more things.”

  "Ok, so..." Ryan said as he raised his hand. "Do you have any idea where to search for the water? I'm not sure if there are any locations left that don't have spoiled food or contaminated water."

  “That’s a fair point,” Taylor said, scratching the back of his head. “We don’t want to waste our time going around in circles, only to come back empty-handed.”

  “Oh, that’s not a problem,” Karin spoke with confidence as she rested her hands behind her head. “I know just the place.” She placed a foot on the table, prompting Mike to jump.

  Once he composed himself, he stared sharply at her.

  “Is that really necessary? And did you even wipe your feet before—?”

  “Relax, Mike.” Taylor interrupted, as he held up his hands. “Karin was probably tired after working so much today. Besides, she might not have had time to wipe before the meeting started.”

  “Yeah, what he said,” Karin added with a pout. “Geez, you’re so inconsiderate, Mike.”

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Ryan sighed; this wasn’t the time to be arguing about this. Fortunately, the little derail didn’t last for long. Yuna had the same idea as him and spoke up about not straying too far from the subject at hand.

  “So, could you tell us about the place you’re referring to?” She asked, beaming with curiosity.

  Back on track, Karin let out a sad chuckle before speaking again. “My mom used to work at a water bottle factory; it shouldn’t be too far from around here, I hope.”

  “Your mom works there? Then does that mean—?”

  “I doubt she’s hiding in there, to be honest.”

  “You never know, against all odds, we found a survivor in that restaurant. We can’t lose hope now. I mean, it’s not certain, but you can’t give up now.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. I was setting my expectations low. I didn’t want to be disappointed. But I shouldn’t be pessimistic about this either.”

  Ryan listened in on the conversation, feeling he could take note of what they said, especially in a situation like this. Still, though, for him, it was easier said than done.

  Karin held her head high, seemingly proud of her accomplishments and expecting praise from the rest of her compatriots. Instead, they all ended up asking her more questions about the situation.

  “Isn’t the factory abandoned? Wouldn’t that mean there’s limited supplies over there as well?”

  “What about for showering? Isn’t there a way we can get access to water for showering without using the bottles?”

  “Is it safe from zombies? There won’t be any we have to deal with, right?”

  “How big is this factory? We won’t get lost, will we?”

  “Alright, alright, one at a time!” Karin got up from her seat and exclaimed. Once everyone else quieted down, she cleared her throat before explaining herself. “The factory has multiple floors. It’s a big place, and there are water bottles all over, including the storage rooms. I know some areas with pipes we can use. We can use that, along with a valve, and create our own shower or bath.” She crossed her arms and sighed. “I’m not sure about the zombies, however. I didn’t think about it that far ahead.”

  “If there’s not a lot of them and they’re spaced out, then we wouldn’t need to worry about them,” Taylor replied. “Worst-case scenario, we can create a distraction, then rush in and grab the water bottles.”

  “Sounds good. Any more questions?”

  “Yes, I have one,” Mike said, much to Karin’s annoyance. “Why didn’t you tell us about this sooner?”

  “Ugh, I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far ahead! The idea just came to me a few minutes ago.”

  “Calm down,” Yuna said, holding her hands up. “Let’s not get frustrated over this.”

  “Ok, then it’s settled.” Mike stood up from his seat and brushed the dust off his pants. “Let’s get ready to depart right away.”

  Everyone got up and prepared for the trip at hand. Before exiting the school building, Ryan walked over and called out to Mike, prompting him to stop moving.

  “Hey, can we have a little sidebar?” Ryan asked, his hands shaking over what his response could be. “I wanted to get something off my chest.”

  “Alright,” Mike replied, turning around. “But make it quick.”

  “Was that... all we planned on discussing back there? I mean, I know this is important and—”

  “Get to the point. What do you mean by that?”

  “Oh, well, I know this might seem selfish, but I wasn’t sure if—”

  “Look. We have other crucial things to worry about right now. If you’re wondering where you stand in this group, that’ll have to wait, for the time being.” Mike glanced at both sides to make sure nobody else was around. “Although we haven’t reached a unanimous group decision yet, the majority seem to... trust you, for the time being. However...” He leaned over and stared down at Ryan. “...if you try any funny business, we will notice. I won’t be merciful.”

  Mike motioned his fingers in front of his eyes, then pointed them at Ryan, indicating he’d keep an eye on him. Once he got that out of his chest, he turned and left the building, leaving Ryan to stand there, slack-jawed and speechless. A shiver fell down his spine. The guy meant business; it didn’t look like he was bluffing. Once the initial shock wore off, Ryan shook it off and followed them outside.