- You know what’s better than doing laps? Getting chased.

  - Same goes for working out. Pushing against zombies with a screen door works wonders on your muscles.

  - The goal is to feel alive while surviving. To be strong enough to handle anything.

  ---

  I found an old gym a few blocks over. It was a little weird, being surrounded by dumbbells and treadmills—like the world had decided that even the end of days could be used as a “new fitness journey.” But I needed to do something.

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  Problem is, the gym’s owner wasn’t exactly alive. But hey, a little zombie sparring could do wonders.

  So I set up a “course.” Yeah, you heard me. Not a workout. Not a drill. A course.

  I tied a screen door to the broken gym’s front door, creating a makeshift barricade. Threw some weights on the floor, smashed some glass. Then I waited.

  Eventually, a pair of zombies showed up. Probably heard the noise. I didn’t feel scared anymore. I felt… something else.

  First run? Tripped over a dumbbell. Got up, adrenaline kicking in, heart thudding harder than my knees.

  Second run? Nailed it. Dodged a swipe. Slammed the door, shoved it back.

  Third run? I didn’t stop running. I kept going. Just running.

  Funny how the only time I felt like myself was when I had something chasing me.

  But it’s not about the zombies. It’s about not stopping. The zombies can’t kill me unless I let them. And today?

  Today, I wasn’t going to let them.