Lauren’s encounter with Zahra and Harry is bittersweet. The fact that at least some members of the neighborhood survived is reassuring, as there remains an automatic sense of solidarity and mutual support between the three of them that clearly does not exist in the bleak wilderness of the outside world. However, this sense of hope is tarnished by the fact that Zahra reveals that Lauren’s family are dead. On the other hand, at least Lauren can be certain of their fate, and won’t face the uncertainty that characterized her father’s disappearance.