The night had gone still again. Only the wind brushing through the trees and the faint hum of crickets broke the silence.
After everything that happened earlier, Vinz sat quietly in the small living room. The place was simple but neat, the faint smell of wood and canned food hanging in the air. His hammer rested beside him as he glanced at the two people he'd just met. Ken and Cassandra.
Ken was wrapping a strip of cloth around his wounded arm, calm as if he'd done it a hundred times. Cassandra sat near the small table, cleaning dried blood from her knife with a rag.
No one said a word.
"So," Vinz finally broke the silence,
"you two been staying here long?"
Ken looked up and managed a faint smile. "About a week. Found this place after we ran from Nara City. It's quiet here, safe enough, for now."
Vinz nodded slowly. "You're lucky. Most places I passed were burned or empty."
"Yeah," Ken sighed, tightening the knot on his arm.
"Lucky's one way to say it."
Vinz hesitated, then asked, "Earlier, you said my tricycle looked familiar. You knew my father, right?"
Ken's expression softened. "Yeah… Emman. We worked together back in the day. Same shop, both mechanics. Your dad was one hell of a worker, always laughing, always loud. You were a kid then, maybe seven or eight?"
Vinz tried to picture it, but the memories were hazy.
"Yeah, I think I remember that shop."
Ken chuckled, then winced as he tied the cloth tighter.
"He talked about you a lot. Said you were a talented kid."
That made Vinz smirk.
Cassandra stood without a word and disappeared into the kitchen. The clink of a metal cup echoed briefly before silence returned.
Vinz's eyes followed her, then shifted back to Ken. "She always that quiet?"
Ken leaned back. "Pretty much. She lost someone early in the outbreak. Doesn't talk much unless she needs to."
"Oh…" Vinz murmured.
"Didn't mean to pry."
"It's fine," Ken said.
"You saved our lives earlier. She just needs time to get used to you."
The light bulb flickered overhead, and the house creaked as the wind brushed against it.
"I'll step out for a smoke," Ken said, pushing himself up.
He pulled a half-empty pack from his pocket. "You two try to rest, alright?"
Vinz nodded, and Ken slipped out the back door. A faint click of a lighter followed, then the smell of cigarettes drifted through the open window.
Now it was just him and Cassandra.
She sat across the room, her knife catching bits of light as she wiped it clean. Vinz glanced her way a few times before speaking.
"You okay?" he asked quietly.
Cassandra didn't look up. "Yeah."
He waited for more, but she stayed silent.
"You handled yourself pretty well earlier," he said after a pause.
"Didn't expect that."
"Didn't have a choice," she replied, voice calm but distant.
Vinz nodded. "Yeah… I get that."
The silence between them stretched again. He tapped his fingers against his knee, searching for words.
"Ken said you've been together since the city?"
She looked up briefly, then went back to her knife.
"Yeah. He helped me when I got trapped near a gas station. Been with him since."
"Must've been hard," Vinz said softly.
"It was," she replied, and that was all.
Vinz could tell she didn't want to talk, so he didn't push it. He leaned back and listened to the faint crackle of the cigarette outside.
After a few minutes, Cassandra stood and walked toward the small room at the corner.
"You can take the couch," she said without turning around.
"Thanks," Vinz said quietly.
She nodded once and closed the door behind her.
Vinz exhaled, rubbing his face. The day had been long, and everything still felt unreal. He got up, picked up his hammer, and peeked through the window. Ken sat outside on a wooden chair, smoke curling up into the night air.
Vinz stepped out.
"You're still awake," Ken said, glancing at him.
"Yeah," Vinz replied.
"Just wanted to check my things in the tricycle before I crash."
"Good idea," Ken said, taking another drag.
"Never know what might happen."
Vinz nodded and headed for the tricycle parked by the fence. The metal was cool, still carrying the faint smell of oil and smoke.
He opened the compartment under the seat, hammer, flashlight, a few cans of food, a bottle of water, some tools. He covered them with a piece of cloth he'd found earlier, just enough to keep the dew out, and tightened the strap around the handle.
The air bit cold against his skin. Somewhere in the distance, a lone howl rose and faded into the wind.
Vinz looked up at the sky, thinking of his father and how everything had changed so fast.
He sighed. "Guess I'll stay for now," he whispered to himself.
Then he walked back inside, closed the door gently, and sat on the couch. The dim bulb flickered once before steadying again.
For the first time in days, Vinz felt a small hint of safety, but deep down, he knew trust was still something rare in this new world.