Good Night: An Apocalypse Story

The next morning, after a quick meal, Stephanie geared up and set off toward Cluj once again. She rode her bike through the forest trails until she reached the city limits, where she carefully stashed her bike in the underbrush, making sure it was well-hidden. Her gaze swept across the city's edge as she observed the streets from a distance.

There were no Freakers on the rooftops, which was a good sign. From what her father had taught her, the adult Freakers were fast, but they lacked the coordination and balance required to leap from rooftops or move across high ground with agility. Their offspring, however, were more nimble, able to climb and jump easily—until they matured and lost that ability.

Her thoughts returned to her mission. To navigate this city and avoid the hordes, she'd need to take the high ground. She spotted a building with a lower roof nearby and made her move, her enhanced physique making it easy for her to leap onto it without hesitation. She moved quickly, vaulting from one building to another, her body light and agile as she cleared gaps with ease. Her senses were sharper than ever, the result of whatever strange transformation she was undergoing.

Each jump felt effortless as she climbed her way higher, hopping from rooftop to rooftop, the city's layout unfolding before her like a map.

When she reached a high enough vantage point, she crouched low and began to survey the city. From here, she could see the extent of the horde clusters below, their pale forms moving in the shaded areas, clustering in certain zones. She studied the streets, memorizing where the larger concentrations of Freaks were, and marking the zones where the Freaks were thinner—potential routes she could use to move through the city undetected.

Her eyes swept across the cityscape, noting important buildings. Most were abandoned and overgrown with vegetation, the rooftops sprouting trees and vines. But as she looked further, something caught her eye.

In the distance, she saw a university, its campus surrounded by high walls of metal bars—a makeshift fortress of sorts. It was a stark contrast to the rest of the city, well-protected and clearly maintained. From where she stood, she could make out windmills turning in the breeze, as well as patches of farmland within the walls. The place was self-sustaining.

"Interesting," she muttered to herself, her sharp eyes studying the campus. The university might hold answers—or resources she could use. Its walls made it one of the few places in the city that looked inhabited or, at the very least, still functional. Whoever controlled that area had some kind of order established, but whether they were friend or foe remained to be seen.

Stephanie continued scanning the area, carefully mapping out potential escape routes and identifying important buildings that could hold supplies or information. She noted where horde clusters were thickest, avoiding those parts in her mind. Her approach had to be tactical—if she wanted to make it through Cluj alive, she couldn’t afford any mistakes.

With her reconnaissance complete, Stephanie prepared herself mentally. She had an idea of the layout now—hordes, safer zones, and a potential point of interest at the university.

It was time to move, but she would proceed cautiously. For now, high ground was her ally, but eventually, she would need to descend into the streets and face the dangers below. Freaks weren’t the only threat in Cluj—there could be other survivors, camps, or even worse… people like Mariana, hidden among the ruins.

As Stephanie continued to survey the city from her high vantage point, something caught her eye—a supply airdrop perched precariously atop a tall building in the distance. Its parachute was long gone, but the large, metallic crate stood out against the overgrown rooftop. Getting to it would require some serious parkour—leaping across narrow ledges, scaling crumbling walls, and navigating gaps between buildings.

Her father’s words echoed in her mind, reminding her of how things had been after the apocalypse first began. The governments, trying desperately to maintain control, had dropped supplies into major cities—food, medicine, tools, weapons—everything people would need to survive. But as the governments and militaries collapsed under the weight of the Freak hordes, many of those drops were left untouched, still waiting for someone brave enough to reach them.

"Most of them are unopened," her father had said. "The world ended before people could even get to them."

Stephanie’s eyes narrowed as she assessed the challenge. The airdrop would definitely have valuable supplies—potentially life-saving gear. But it wouldn’t be easy. She’d need to be at her absolute best to reach it, and there was no guarantee that Freaks hadn’t claimed the lower levels of the building.

“I’ll need more gear to pull that off,” she muttered to herself, already making plans in her head. The high-stakes parkour route would require ropes, grappling hooks, and a few other tools she didn’t have on hand at the moment. Deciding to prepare before attempting the dangerous climb, Stephanie turned away from the city and headed back to her hidden bike.

As she drove through the forest on her way back to the abandoned cabin, her mind stayed focused on the airdrop. If she could get to it, she might find things that would make her journey to Cluj a lot easier. But she knew better than to rush in unprepared—she needed to be stronger, more focused, and equipped.

Arriving at the cabin, Stephanie parked her bike and immediately set to work. She placed her UV lantern and lamp outside, where they could recharge in the sunlight, ensuring she would have protection during the night. The light of the UV was essential against Freaks, and she never took it for granted.

Once that was done, she dedicated the next few hours to training. Her enhanced body was strong, but she needed to push her limits even further for the parkour route she would face. She worked through her strength routines, building muscle in her legs and core with squats, lunges, and jumps. Her agility was critical for navigating the crumbling city, and each exercise brought her closer to peak condition.

After training, with the sun beginning to dip lower in the sky, Stephanie decided to hunt. She grabbed her bow and headed back into the forest, her eyes scanning the dense foliage for any sign of movement. It didn’t take long before she spotted a deer grazing in the distance, its ears twitching slightly. Stephanie crouched low, nocking an arrow quietly, and drew her bow.

Her senses, honed from years of survival, guided her hands as she lined up the shot. With a smooth release, the arrow sailed through the air, hitting the deer cleanly. It fell instantly. She quickly retrieved it, her mind already thinking ahead to her next steps.

Back at the cabin, after preparing the meat for cooking and storing, Stephanie felt the tension in her body ease slightly. Hunting had always brought her a sense of focus, reminding her of her father and the lessons he had instilled in her from a young age.

With the practicalities taken care of, Stephanie decided to give herself a rare moment of respite. She headed toward the nearby stream, its clear waters fed by a natural spring. The air was cool, the forest around her quiet but alive with the subtle sounds of nature. She undressed and stepped into the water, letting the cold wash over her. It felt good—refreshing after the long days on the road.

For a few moments, she let her mind relax, allowing herself to just exist in the moment. The world outside was harsh and unforgiving, but here, in the quiet of the forest, she could feel a sliver of peace.

But as the sun began to set, Stephanie knew her focus had to return. After drying off and redressing, she headed back to the cabin to prepare her dinner and rest.

The next morning, Stephanie sat quietly, studying the map her father had left her. It was well-worn from years of handling, the creases and faded ink showing its age. Her eyes traced the two marked entrances to the facility—one through the hospital and another through the military base. Both sounded like dangerous paths, but the facility was her goal.

After committing the map’s details to memory, she packed it away and geared up, planning to search for parts to upgrade her bike. There was an old mechanic shop outside the city limits, and she figured it would be a good place to scavenge for tools and supplies.

As she neared the shop, Stephanie could already see a few Freaks milling about near the entrance. The building itself was in disrepair, overgrown with weeds and the telltale signs of abandonment. Stephanie quietly parked her bike out of sight, drew her knife, and moved in with practiced stealth. Her enhanced reflexes allowed her to move silently, her body low to the ground as she crept closer.

The first Freak, its back to her, was completely unaware of her presence. With quick, controlled precision, she slipped behind it and drove her knife into its neck. The creature gurgled softly before collapsing, its pale body falling to the ground. She wiped the blade clean on her pants and continued forward, her senses alert.

As she approached the shop's entrance, she thought about how vulnerable she was when relying solely on a knife in close combat. A longer melee weapon—something with more reach—would make a significant difference, allowing her to keep Freaks at bay while still dealing heavy damage. She made a mental note to look for something like that later.

Inside the mechanic shop, the air was thick with dust and rusted metal. The place had been looted before, but Stephanie knew that if she looked carefully enough, she might find some tools or parts that had been overlooked. Moving cautiously, she kept her distance from the darkened rafters, avoiding any potential threats lurking above. Her instincts were sharp, and she wasn’t about to let herself be caught off-guard.

As she scanned the area, her eyes landed on a Freak offspring, its small body twitching as it skittered near a pile of rusted metal. The sight of it immediately triggered a reaction, and Stephanie wasted no time—she threw her knife with deadly accuracy, the blade sinking into the creature’s skull. Its body hit the ground with a sickening thud, lifeless.

Stephanie stepped forward to retrieve her knife, but as she bent down, she felt a sudden vibration in the air, a subtle disturbance from above. Her instincts kicked in, and without hesitation, she kicked upwards. The sole of her boot connected with something soft—another Freak child that had been trying to ambush her from the rafters above. Her kick sent the creature hurtling into the nearby wall, its frail body snapping on impact as it crumpled to the ground, dead.

Breathing steadily, she stood up and wiped the sweat from her brow. Her enhanced senses had saved her, and she couldn’t help but feel a small surge of satisfaction at her reflexes.

With the threats taken care of, she turned her attention back to the tools and parts scattered around the shop. She rummaged through old toolboxes, shelves, and cabinets, finding a few useful items—wrenches, bolts, spare chains, and even a spark plug that still looked functional. After gathering what she could, she packed everything into her bike’s saddlebags.