If this were ten years ago, people picked what clothes to wear based on current fashions trends, or what made them happy. Yeah, those days are gone. Now, it’s all about which clothing has the most leather and camouflage. Well that, and abandoned army uniforms and bullet proof vests are in very high demand. Regardless of your preferences, try getting clothes that protect you from pretty much everything. Weather, zombies, you name it. Most importantly, stock up on parkas. Winter is very brutal, and the second most common cause of death is freezing. At least, that’s what I think.

I don’t wanna bore you too with what happened, but long story short: we walked for a long time. I was mostly quiet as the gray, empty city passed by in silence. I kept glancing around to see if there were any zombies around. But not a single undead corpse was present. The only noise I could hear was our feet stepping on the ground. Even the wind seemed to be taking a break. It’s pretty unusual since this city’s known for being really windy during the day. I looked up at the sky to see if there was anything interesting. And...nothing. Not even any clouds. I groaned. This trip better be worth it.

“Ugh, Where are we even going?” I grumbled, not even bothering to check my tone. Might as well get some answers to pass the time. But Ashton barely reacted, only responded with a:

”You’ll see.” Wow, that helps. A lot. I couldn’t even see his face, but he probably has one of those pretentious pondering expressions smart people have when observing things. Either that, or he was brooding about something. I can never tell with this guy.

We eventually stopped in front of a large, gray building. Okay, there were a lot of gray buildings, but if it helps this one was wider than the other ones. And this one, actually had a door! Modern technology prevails! There was a small sign on the top with small faded letters. I could barely make out what it said:

“Warehouse.” Well, at least it told the truth. And honestly, I was pleasantly surprised. Warehouses are extremely useful, especially during an apocalypse. I could find tons of stuff here. Maybe I’ll get a new bat!

I watched with mild curiosity as Ashton pushed the door open. So you know the boxes at Aston’s place? Times that by like, ten thousand. Shelves were placed all around the building, with various boxes on all the levels. I stared at everything in awe.Why wasn’t I informed about this?

“Whoa, where did you find this?” I glanced at Ashton next to me, who looked somewhat bored.

“Eh, there’s actually a lot of warehouses here. This just happens to be the closest one.” I watched him walk inside and start rummaging through the boxes. “Come on. This isn’t gonna explore itself.” I nodded and stepped inside. For a minute, I did nothing but stare at the entire space, trying to take it all in. There were endless rows of shelves everywhere I looked. The boxes came in all shapes and sizes, some of them even had stuff peeking out of them. But my fascination was interrupted by something hitting my head.

“Ow!” I suddenly snapped back and glared at Ashton who was still rummaging, not even looking at me.

“Put those on.” I looked down and what was in my hands: A very large dark green army jacket. The leather looked very cheap, and it wasn’t even camouflaged. I stared at it with utter disdain. There was no way I was wearing this. Besides, the shirt I was wearing was fine. I don't know why I should change it. I gave Ashton a funny look.

“Are you sure? My clothes seem fine.” Ashton then turned around and gave me a very judgemental look.

“No, they don’t. Jeans and a t-shirt are literally the worst clothes you can wear. They rip easily and make you look like a couch potato.” I clenched my teeth and narrowed my eyes. It was as if his word were stones being thrown in my face.

“Are you serious? I was on the baseball team.” But all I got from Ashton was a chuckle and a divisive sneer.

“Yeah, sure. But that shirt won’t protect you from zombie claws.” I sighed and put on the jacket, which by the way, was very uncomfortable. But according to Ashton, he’s the boss. I’ll definitely take it off when he’s not looking.

I went back to walking around and looking at the boxes, while also trying to get as far away from Ashton as possible. I really need a bat. I started grabbing random boxes and sorted through each one. So far though, nothing was coming up. But I had to keep looking, this warehouse was pretty huge after all. I grabbed another back and tipped it over, it’s contents spilling on the ground. I poked around, looking carefully at each item. Suddenly, I spotted a small spike sticking out of a red blanket. Weird, I’d better take a closer look. I removed the blanket and couldn’t believe what I saw. A metal bat. And not only that, it was also spiked! Just my luck! I chuckled to myself.

“Well, guess you’re right, Ashton. I did find what I’m looking for.” I picked up the bat and held it in my hands. It seemed to be in very good condition, the metal wasn’t even rusty. I then gave it a couple test swings. It was a little heavy, as expected of a metal bat, but I still got it. I gotta tell Ashton about this. I looked over at him

“Hey Ashton, look what I-” I immediately stopped talking when I saw a zombie toward him But he didn’t seem to notice, as he still sorted through the boxes. My eyes widened as I held the bat in my hands. And before I even had the chance to think, I ran over as fast as I could towards the zombie. Ashton’s an asshole, but I’m not gonna let him die. Besides, I can’t make the same mistake again. I lifted the bat over my hand and as soon as I got close to the zombie, I swung with all my might.

“Die, you idiot!” As soon as the bat hit my target, the head popped off the body like a golf ball on a tee, and flew towards a nearby shelf. The body collapsed in front of me, completely inanimate. I panted as I let the top of the bat touch the ground. That bat was heavier than I thought. I need to practice.

“Not bad.” I glanced behind me and saw Ashton giving me a small smile. “The jacket’s not bothering you, is it?” I smiled and slung the bat over my shoulder.

“Actually, it’s very uncomfortable.” That earned me another weird look.

“Okay, I’ll find you another one.” He then walked away towards another shelf. I sighed and followed him. It’ll be better with the two of us.