Three Minutes

12:46 PM- A middle aged man and a woman in her thirties sit alone in a dimly lit room. They exchange an occasional glance but no word slips between the solemn two. The man has had too much to drink and stares with an empty expression at the broken clock on the wall. His watch displays the actual time as the seconds ticks by. The woman is sitting in an old armchair that needs reupholstering. She does not seem concerned about how comfortable her seat is, however. She stares out of the grime covered window, as if expecting something to come at any moment. Nothing moves in the night but the leaves outside. All is calm in this wasteland. For now.

12:47 PM- The woman and man did not know each other before the outbreak. They came together out of necessity and nothing else. She never suspected that she would be in need of any help. She always thought of herself as independent. A strong woman who did not seek the shelter of a man when any troubles crossed her path. She was, of course, completely wrong. She was able to survive for a few months but she was quickly running out of supplies. It was then that she met Harold, or was it Herbert? The man had about as much conversational skills as he had ability to stay away from alcohol. That was, of course, none. He would grumble something about the weather or grunt in approval of an idea of hers, but he certainly was not one to say “Let’s sit and take a moment to speak our minds about how we feel about this situation” . Regardless, he was actual living company for once and he was definitely a help with survival. She was actually beginning to like having the oaf around.

12:48 PM- The man was not always as he is at this point in his life. He had a family once, and a job, and he was respected in his community. That was all gone now. He drank not only because of that, but to escape the pounding pain the shot up through his leg all throughout the day. It was the result of a previous injury he would rather not think about, but drinking was his only respite from the never-ending pain he suffered from. He wonders about the woman across the room from him. Her name is Avery. Did she have a happy life before this? Is she able to cope with this world so drastically different from what they previously lived in? His mind is full of questions. It is a blurry, confusing mess. His thoughts are interrupted by a noise in the night. The distinctive moan of the enemy that took his life from him. He sits up. His mind immediately shakes the numb feeling that the alcohol gave him. He feels adrenaline pump through his veins and his heart-rate increase exponentially. The woman stands up and they look each-other in the eyes. It is time.

12:49 PM- There is a noise as something large hits the door.