1 I won ten million dollars in the lottery. The next thing I knew, my best friend was sobbing, telling me she’d been reborn. “Oh, thank God, Jenna! We have to use this money to stockpile supplies. In one month, the zombie apocalypse is going to hit.” “Last time, we didn't have anything, and the zombies got us. We can’t let that happen again!” My best friend, Maya, helped me build a safe house in a desolate area far from the city. She even coordinated a fleet of trucks to deliver tons of rice, flour, and oil. The ten million was gone in a flash, but we had enough supplies to last us for decades. I squeezed her hand, overwhelmed with gratitude. But then, she burst out laughing. “Hahaha! I was just kidding! Rebirth? Zombies? Do you think this is some kind of novel?” “I can’t believe you actually fell for it. You are so, so stupid.” I swallowed the words I was about to say, the ones that would have begged her to stay. Her rebirth might have been a lie, but mine was real. And the zombie apocalypse was really coming. … Maya was still laughing, slapping her thighs and doubling over. Seeing me standing there in stunned silence, she patted my shoulder condescendingly. “Hey, it’s just ten million dollars. Who asked you to be so gullible? You can’t even take a joke.” She didn't seem to grasp how cruel her “joke” was. If I hadn’t been reborn, if this was my first time through… I would have spent my entire lottery winnings on a useless villa in the middle of nowhere, filled with food that would spoil within weeks. I think the shock might have killed me on the spot. “So it’s a little isolated, but it’s quiet, right? And you love quiet,” she said, then theatrically covered her mouth. “Oh my God, Jenna, I just remembered! You’ve always wanted to get residency in Southwood, but this property is technically in Northgate…” “So I guess you’ll have to settle for Northgate residency. But hey, it’s close enough to Southwood, right? You’re not going to be petty and get mad at me over that, are you?” She looked at me with wide, innocent eyes. Northgate was a stagnant, underdeveloped district, while Southwood was the city’s crown jewel, with the best schools and hospitals. I’d always dreamed of settling there, for my aging parents and for the family I hoped to have one day. In my past life, I never could afford a place in Southwood, not even when the apocalypse hit. I ended up renting with Maya the whole time. “No,” I said. Residency wouldn’t matter much after the world ended. I was just having a hard time believing it. In my previous life, I hadn't won the lottery. When the apocalypse came, we had no food, and I never developed any powers. Life for two ordinary women was brutal. But we never gave up on each other. We stuck together, searching for supplies, looking for a safe zone. Then we ran into a group of heavily armed men. I remember Maya crying, just like she had today. “You have to hide,” she had told me. “Don’t come out, no matter what. It’s the apocalypse now. Women without powers are just toys for men.” “I’ll lead them away. If I survive, I’ll come back for you.” I never saw her again. I assumed she had died for me. I carried that debt with me, so the moment I was reborn, I rushed to the lottery vendor. I bought a ticket with the winning numbers I’d overheard in my past life, and the first person I told was her. I remember the stiff way she’d said, “Congratulations.” At the time, I thought she was just stunned with happiness. “Maya, why would you lie to me?” I had to ask. With ten million dollars, I would have shared everything with her. Why go to such lengths? She rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with acid. “We were both broke. Why should you get to be rich all of a sudden? It’s not fair.” So it was jealousy. “Come on, why are you still dwelling on it? If you think you can’t eat all this food by yourself,” she offered, “I guess I could stay here with you for a while. But…” She snickered, clearly enjoying my misfortune. “Those bags of rice and flour will probably be crawling with bugs in three days.” “Get out,” I said, my voice cold. Maya blinked. “What did you say?” “I said, get the hell out. Is that clear enough?” Her face flushed with anger. “Jenna, I’m your best friend! How can you talk to me like that?” I laughed, a harsh, humorless sound. “A best friend who would trick me into wasting ten million dollars? Don’t flatter yourself. You were just jealous that I had money.” A flicker of guilt crossed her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it. “It was a joke! It’s your own fault for being stupid enough to believe it!” “Fine. If you don’t want my company, you can stay here all by yourself,” she sneered. “This place is in the middle of nowhere. There aren’t even any taxis. Let’s see how you get back to the city. Don’t come crying to me, begging for a ride.” As her car sped away, kicking up a cloud of dust, a small smile touched my lips. The apocalypse hits in three days. We’ll see who’s begging who. My safe house was built like a fortress. Every detail had been meticulously planned by Maya and me. The perimeter wall was thirty feet high, topped with an electric fence and razor wire to keep out mutated zombies. We had generators, rice, flour, oil, and a whole menagerie of livestock: chickens, ducks, geese, cows, sheep, pigs, and even a fish pond. From air conditioners and heaters to Wi-Fi and power banks, we hadn't missed a thing. I had enough supplies to throw a hot pot party on a whim. Thinking back, the more detailed and careful Maya had been in the planning, the more she must have relished the thought of the big reveal, the moment she could laugh at how utterly foolish I had been. The first thing I did was call my parents and tell them to get on the next flight from their hometown. Then, I called my boyfriend of two years, Ken. He’d always been good to me. In my past life, he was infected and turned while trying to get back to me. A tragic hero. “Ken—” I barely got his name out before his angry voice exploded from the other end. “Ten million dollars, Jenna! How could you be so stupid? You actually fell for Maya’s joke and blew it all?” “I wouldn’t have even known if she hadn’t come and told me! Do you have any idea what people are saying? The whole story is all over social media!” “Everyone’s calling me the boyfriend of a rich idiot who doesn’t know what to do with her money. You’ve completely humiliated me.” “Why didn’t you tell me you won? Why are you so stupid? So pathetic?” He had never spoken to me like that before. It was true what they say—money really does reveal a person’s true character. Ten million dollars was a life-changing amount of money, a fantasy for ordinary people like us. I wanted to tell him about the apocalypse, to calm him down, but before I could get a word in, he launched into another tirade. “I’ve always thought you were an idiot! We’re supposed to be in love, and you have the nerve to ask for a two hundred thousand dollar bride price!” “I’m not some trust fund kid! My mom is a beautiful woman, and she didn’t even ask my dad for that much when they got married.” I understood his implication. I wasn't as beautiful as his mother, so I had no right to ask for so much. Two hundred thousand was customary in our culture. The money would have come back to us as part of my dowry, and my parents were even planning on matching it. I had explained all of this to him before, and he had agreed. “So what are you trying to say now?” I snapped, my own anger rising. “We’re breaking up,” Ken said coldly. “I don’t want to be known as the idiot’s boyfriend. I have never met anyone as stupid as you.” “If you had just given me that ten million, I wouldn’t have had to worry about the bride price. I could have bought a car, a house, given you a comfortable life.” “But you had to go and screw it all up. I guess you’re just not destined for a good life.” “I know your parents are in Southwood now. I’m coming to pick you up. We’ll settle this, and you can give me back the ten-thousand-and-one-dollar engagement gift.” He hung up, his disgust palpable. It hurt, I won’t lie. But his little outburst had shown me his true colors. He arrived as I was feeding the chickens in the yard. Now that we were breaking up, he didn’t even bother pretending to be nice. “Looks like you really are meant to be a poor country girl. You’ve got no luck with money. You should just go back to your village and raise chickens.” I didn’t waste my breath arguing. I’m not the type to drag things out. I met him with my parents and gave him back the engagement money. Even after he got the money, he couldn’t resist a final, snide remark to my parents. “Sir, Ma'am, if you have any money, you’d better not let Jenna handle it. If someone tells her a joke about aliens invading, she might just spend your life savings on a ‘spaceship’.” My parents looked confused. I just stared at him, my face a blank mask, and shut the door on him. “What happened with you and Ken?” my mom asked. “Everything seemed fine. Why the sudden breakup?” “And you told us to bring everything important with us,” my dad added. “What’s going on?” I was about to explain when the door burst open. Maya rushed in and threw her arms around my mom. “Mom, Dad! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming to Southwood?” she chirped, using the affectionate terms she always had for my parents. My mom smiled, but when she saw the look on my face—the distinct lack of my usual delight at seeing Maya—her smile faded, and she said nothing. “What’s this?” Maya snatched a gift box from my dad’s hand and ripped it open. Inside was a designer handbag. “Jenna’s been wanting this for months, but she never got around to buying it. Your mom and I saw it in the store and decided to get it for her,” my dad explained. A flash of jealousy crossed Maya’s face. “Tsk, tsk. Dad, you bought the wrong thing. Jenna’s not into this stuff anymore.” “She’s into raising chickens and ducks now. You should have bought her some feed…” Seeing the bewildered expressions on my parents’ faces, Maya burst out laughing. “Oh, you guys don’t know, do you? Jenna won ten million dollars, but she spent it all on a stupid villa in the middle of nowhere.” “And a bunch of other useless junk. Blew through the whole ten million. Can you believe how dumb she is?” My parents’ faces fell. Maya, encouraged, was about to continue, but I grabbed her arm and shoved her out the door. She was so damn annoying. She scrambled to her feet, furious. “Jenna! Your parents didn't even kick me out! What gives you the right—” “Get out!” my mom snapped, slamming the door shut. I told my parents everything. I was nervous they wouldn’t believe me. “Dad, Mom, it’s all true. In two days, the zombie apocalypse is going to start.” My dad stood up immediately. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go buy more supplies.” My mom stroked my hair. “Silly girl, of course we believe you. We’ve saved up a little nest egg over the years. Looks like it’s going to come in handy.” After being called an idiot over and over for the past few days, having someone finally believe me brought tears to my eyes. “Dad, Mom, thank you for trusting me.” My parents had fifty thousand dollars in savings. We bought a used pickup truck, more food, and a variety of seeds. Back at the safe house, my dad got to work with the lawnmower, cutting down all the tall grass in the surrounding area to use as feed for the livestock. My mom cleared a patch of land for a vegetable garden. We had even hired someone to dig a well in the yard ahead of time. That night, as I lay in bed, I saw Maya’s latest social media post. [Day 1 with my love. Thanks for the designer bag and necklace, babe. Love you forever.] It was a picture of her hand intertwined with a man’s. I recognized the mole on his hand instantly. It was Ken’s. It stung a little, but mostly, I felt a sense of relief. What kind of decent guy moves on that fast? I was lucky to be rid of him. The next morning, my dad announced he was going out. “Supplies aren’t enough. When the world ends, people lose their humanity. We need something for self-defense.” “Your grandfather had an old friend who deals in that sort of thing. I’m going to go see him.” I knew who he was talking about. I was hoping we could get him on our side. He had a team of highly-trained bodyguards, and in the coming world, security would be everything. Unfortunately, Mr. Foster, the old friend, was not convinced. “My sources are generally more reliable than yours, and I’ve heard nothing. Not even a whisper.” I refused to give up. “Mr. Foster, what my dad and I are telling you is the absolute truth. The apocalypse will be here in six hours.” “You can bring your family to my safe house. Wait six hours. You’ll see for yourself. If I’m wrong, you’ve lost nothing but a bit of time. If I’m right… well, you know the consequences.” The Foster estate was in the heart of Southwood’s busiest district. A high concentration of people, especially powerful people, meant it would be one of the most dangerous places to be. Just as I thought I had failed, Mr. Foster’s grandson, Alex, walked in. “Why not give it a try? Grandpa, you’re always saying you miss the country air. Think of it as a six-hour vacation.” A glimmer of hope sparked within me, but it was extinguished by a snort of laughter from the doorway. Maya and Ken were standing there, bent over with mirth. “You guys are actually listening to this idiot? Hahaha.” “She blew through ten million dollars, and now she’s trying to drag you down with her to make herself feel better.” “An apocalypse? Zombies? Have you been reading too many fantasy novels?” I saw the change in Mr. Foster’s expression and my heart sank. It was over. The Fosters gave my dad three rifles, some body armor, a few grenades, and some basic supplies. When Maya saw us loading up the truck, she looked at my parents with a mixture of pity and disgust. “Mom, Dad, Jenna’s had a mental breakdown. I’ll be honest with you,” she said, her voice dripping with false concern. “The zombie apocalypse was just a joke I made up. She can’t accept that the ten million is gone, so she’s lost her mind.” “Are you really going to let her waste all your money? I heard you’ve been buying a lot of stuff.” I crossed my arms and smirked. “That’s right. My parents spent fifty grand on me. What’s it to you? Jealous again?” Maya shot me a glare, then turned on the charm, sidling up to my mom. “Mom, I’m serious. You promised you’d buy me a present when you came to Southwood. Let’s go shopping now.” “We can’t let Jenna spend all your money. She’s—” My mom pushed her away. “I’m not your mom, so don’t call me that. And it’s my money. My daughter can spend it however she wants. It’s not called wasting.” Maya’s face turned an ugly shade of green. She stomped her foot. “Not wasting? Are you old and senile?” “All that useless junk she bought will rot in ten days. And that stupid villa is in the middle of nowhere. You won’t even be able to sell it.” “I’m trying to help you, and you’re pushing me away? Fine! We’ll see what you do when the money’s gone and the food is spoiled!” “When you’re starving and homeless, don’t you dare come begging me for help!” she shrieked, then stormed off. Ken gave me a cold look. “Your family had fifty thousand dollars, and you still made me work my ass off for a bride price? You’re a heartless bitch.” “What my family does with its money is none of your damn business,” I retorted, slipping off my shoe and hurling it at his face. “Who the hell do you think you are? Shut your stupid mouth and get lost.” I thought that was the end of it with the Fosters, but just as my dad and I got back to the safe house, they pulled up behind us. Mr. Foster leaned on his cane, surveying the property with a look of mild approval. “Since my grandson trusts you, I’ll stay for six hours. Call it a vacation. The scenery is quite nice.” “When I was young, your grandfather and I used to love raising chickens and playing chess.” I didn’t know why Alex had believed me, but I was grateful. The Fosters had brought a large contingent of their security team, and their presence was a huge relief. I shot Alex a thankful look. He paused, then a faint smile touched his lips. “If the apocalypse doesn’t come, my grandfather will probably break my legs. Then you’ll be in trouble.” “Don’t you worry, Mr. Foster,” I joked. “If that happens, I’ll personally nurse you back to health until you’re jumping for joy.” “…” One hour before the apocalypse. My dad and I had just finished butchering a cow and were setting up the grill in the yard when Maya video-called me. “Jenna, look where I am.” Behind her, a sea of people swayed under flashing lights. It was ‘Oblivion,’ Southwood’s most famous nightclub. And the epicenter of the initial outbreak in my past life. “Ken proposed to me today,” she crowed. “It was even bigger and better than when he proposed to you.” “Look at all these people! They’re all congratulating us.” “And he spent a whole year’s salary on my ring! It’s way bigger than the one he gave you.” I watched her hand wave in front of the camera, but my attention was caught by a figure in the background. He was hunched over, his movements slow and jerky, not like a normal person at all. Before I could get a better look, Maya flipped the camera back to her face. “Jenna, don’t be mad at me anymore. Come be my maid of honor.” “It was just a joke. Are you really going to hold a grudge for this long? I’m asking you because I really do see you as a friend.” “You’re not mad that Ken chose me, are you? I can’t help it that you asked for such a high bride price.” “Besides, him choosing me just proves he loves me more. It’s not my fault. Why are you blaming me?” Her words were so ridiculous I had to laugh. I hung up. Thirty minutes later, a bartender from Oblivion posted a video to his social media. Amidst screams of terror, a man was pinning a small woman to the floor, tearing at her flesh with his teeth. The zombie apocalypse had begun.
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