March 15, 2018 
Framingham, Massachusetts - Walmart Parking Lot

[color=7bcdc8]"No…"[/color] She paused at the doors, scrubbing at her cold, raw nose as she peered through the dirty glass. [color=7bcdc8]"…we don't get lucky days, Grant. Not anymore."[/color]

Sometimes, Briana envied Grant. She looked over her shoulder at her best friend's casual smile, the strength in his stance, the tiny glimmer of optimism in his eyes, but the quiet admiration she felt for his attitude never made it past the hot, brittle anxiety that crackled day and night under the surface of her mind. Even now, she couldn't help quickly scanning the horizon behind him, checking left and right, nerves on fire. 

That's how it was for her now. Fear, dread, constantly on edge, always just on the cusp of fight-or-flight. Four months of it had pulled her seams apart and sewn the frayed pieces into something she barely recognized. Ironically, only when trouble actually hit them did Bri feel anything like herself. It was everything in between the obstacles, the quiet times that she couldn't seem to handle, and they'd seen a lot of that in Framingham, Mass. But more and more, she found herself wishing for chaos, even as she feared it. 
At least a risen attack gave her something to focus on.

[color=7bcdc8]"C'mon, let's see what's left,"[/color] Bri motioned, pushing and pulling at the front doors, but it was clear they were locked from the inside. Hmm. Obstacle. Thank God. [color=7bcdc8]"Mm."[/color] Immediately, she backed up, a handful of scenarios flashing quickly through her thoughts. Locked doors, no broken glass, could be it was simply closed down before the chaos and hadn't seen survivors. Or it was occupied already, someone else's safe haven, but then wouldn't there be guards or deterrents against others? No signs of serious damage to the outside, only three parked cars in the parking lot, doors wide open, odds that they'd be inside the store were fairly high. Odds they were infected and risen were even higher.

[color=7bcdc8]"Maybe a side door, or…a loading bay or something?"[/color] She approached the corner with caution, rounding it slowly, prepared for anything. She didn't get far before Grant stepped in front of her, weapon ready. He'd always been protective, even before The Outbreak, and there was never a day she wasn't grateful for his efforts, although when she was in the zone and trying to accomplish something, sometimes it messed with her focus. 

But right now? Bri let him go first. They were working on it, slowly, but her skill with a weapon was still very low.
The side entrance was unlocked, which had Bri nervous. But her leather messenger bag was nearly empty and the few mouthfuls of water left in their bottles wouldn't last the rest of the day. They couldn't pass up an opportunity like this. Flashlights out, the two survivors entered warily.

There was a time not long ago that Bri would a reached for the light switches out of habit, but she'd broken that one a few weeks ago. [color=7bcdc8]"What do you need?"[/color] she asked Grant quietly, her patch of light sweeping steadily, looking for any signs of the risen. Her heart hammered in her chest. [color=7bcdc8]"I've got a list. It's short, but… damn, I wish the power worked, I [i]hate[/i] the dark."[/color]