《Zero Cell》


 Chapter 1

    Alex stared through the small window in his apartment, watching the reddish sun rays bend over the hills. Dusk would soon come within the hour; he scoffed and looked away. Eric was late.


    Of course, he would be, even when he knew it was important for Alex to leave on time. He rumbled his throat as he rubbed his temples. Alex had two hours ahead of him, and driving through the night was not part of the plan. He quickly checked his phone, hoping for a text from that brute, but nothing, at least not from him. His friend Zoey, however, spammed him with messages asking when he¡¯d leave. She was due to get married soon and asked to meet up for preparations.


    Jerk, Alex thought as he stared at his phone¡¯s clock. The bright light flashed his dark green eyes and glowed against his short chestnut brown hair. Watching the hands tick away, he rolled his eyes; the police station was only two minutes away. Where could Eric be?


    Though he loved autumn, Alex hated that nighttime came quickly. It was only half past four on the first of November, barely evening, yet around this time, it would start to look like midnight. He had planned to leave earlier, as he would stay until the day of, but of course, Eric just had to see him off.


    To make matters worse, Zoey was strict with punctuality. She didn¡¯t care if you were tired the following day; she had things that needed to get done. Tomorrow would be rough. His shoulders tensed as he realized that it was about a two-hour drive down south from his small hometown of Grand Terrace. He¡¯d likely get little sleep once he got there, too. Banks City was massive, full of things to do, though he only fancied going out a little. It was also one of the wealthier cities in California with some of the best restaurants for night relaxation, so of course Zoey Taylor had to move there with her future hubby.


    Alex preferred the small, quiet town, especially since Eric was a cop. The fewer people, the better. It had been six years since he and Eric moved in together. Ever since high school, friends ¡¯til the end. Alex narrowed his gaze at nothing in particular as he paced from the kitchen to the living room. He couldn¡¯t help but think about that man. Was it really so hard to be on time? Alex sighed. His friend was always like that. Forgetful of important dates and times. Thank God you pay the bills, we¡¯d never be able to live anywhere if he was in charge.


    Since this morning, he had been ready to go. He packed lightly, bringing only his backpack to hold his clothes and a charcoal waist pack for everything else. The backpack was nice; it split into two compartments, with the left side pouch slightly larger. It also attached to his belt and didn¡¯t get in the way. Zoey would be proud that he matched his clothes.


    He always kept his outfits simple, wearing a black quarter-zip sweater and slim dark jeans. The cool black fabric was made of fine cotton and nylon; it was stretchy but nicely clung to his small, skinny body. He also prepared for the freezing by wearing a light gray undershirt. That girl is obsessed with fashion. Alex smiled, shaking his head.


    Despite his best efforts to look good, she¡¯d probably strip him down and change him for her own aesthetic. She hated monochrome colors¡ªtoo dull. His stomach churned at the thought. He hated it when she¡¯d try and fix his pale skin to look more ¡°empowering,¡± as she¡¯d put it. However, it only made him feel foolish. I could bring it up to Eric; he would quickly shut that down.


    Alex shook his head against his thoughts. Eric would only escalate the situation and always get what he wanted, no matter who he hurt. On the surface, Eric was a friendly and easy-going guy, but Alex knew him better than most. He chuckled slightly. That¡¯s why you¡¯re waiting in the first place; all because he just had to say goodbye and would through a fit if he didn¡¯t get to.


    A light click echoed throughout the small three-bedroom apartment, prompting Alex to turn his head left toward the front door. As it opened ajar, Alex thinned his lips. The bigger, bulky man in his police uniform finally entered. Eric let out a lofty sigh as he shut the door and began to unlace his black boots. He then ran his fingers through his short brown crew cut before trailing them down his fair-skinned neck.


    Eric then finally pushed his squared glasses up as he began to unstrap his black bullet-resistant vest. ¡°Fuckin¡¯ hell¡ªtraffic was a nightmare. Hi, Ali.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± Alex said coldly.


    ¡°I know, I know.¡± Eric sighed again as he unbuttoned his black collared shirt, revealing his white undershirt. He then finally moved toward Alex for a hug. ¡°Missed you.¡±


    ¡°That so?¡± Alex snarked. A thick stench of sweat and musk drove into Alex¡¯s nose as his head reached Eric¡¯s right shoulder. He cringed as it intensified from Eric adjusting his large biceps. After a couple of seconds, the two finally let go.


    ¡°You need a shower,¡± said Alex, stepping back and squeezing his nose.


    ¡°Long day¡ª¡± Eric stretched his arms as he wandered over to the kitchen, ¡°¡ªyou make food?¡±


    ¡°Beef broccoli.¡± Alex softened his tone as he watched the man take out a fork. ¡°There¡¯s a bowl for you in the microwave.¡± He was happy to see the man home and safe.


    ¡°Nice, nice.¡± Eric pulled out the warm meal, plopped it onto the counter, and ate.


    Alex rechecked his watch. It had only been twenty minutes. ¡°So why are you late? Especially since you¡¯re the one who wanted me to wait.¡±


    ¡°That Thompson kid¡­¡± Eric said in between devouring his meal. ¡°He had more questions about that one case in Riverlands.¡±


    That case, Alex thought. It was an investigation of some sort¡ªone of the locals, from what Eric briefly mentioned a few days ago, went on a rampage and ate his wife¡¯s face. Alex had heard something like that on the news recently, too. Apparently, sources said that multiple people came down with some illness that caused mass aggression. But even so, he kept his skepticism about it. Eric never mentioned any of that, so it was likely untrue.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°And you still gave him the whole spiel?¡± Alex folded his arms and leaned on one hip.


    ¡°He¡¯s a good kid¡ªwants to make a difference.¡± Eric fixed his foggy glasses.


    ¡°Yeah, I knew a knucklehead like that once too.¡± Alex walked over, snatched his backpack, and put it on.


    Eric chuckled as he chewed. ¡°I¡¯ve changed.¡±


    Alex rolled his eyes, grinning, as he backed up. ¡°Right. Now you¡¯re a grown-up knucklehead.¡±


    ¡°Hey, at least I¡¯m not Finny; dude¡¯s still doing stupid shit, and he¡¯s gonna be a dad soon!¡±


    Alex shrugged, hiding his grin. Eric knew damn well that wasn¡¯t true¡ªhe was also still immature, even at twenty-six. But out of all thirteen of their friends, he preferred to be around Eric. Finny was nice¡ªpractically that cool uncle who¡¯d sneak you booze, but that was about it. ¡°Speaking of Finny and Katie, are you gonna go up to the cabin with them?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t wanna be their third wheel,¡± stated Eric.


    Alex chuckled. ¡°Fourth. Ray is going up there, too.¡±


    ¡°Great. I¡¯d get hours of him talking about how he¡¯s gonna move to New York soon¡­ Already got a studio and a job and a new life waiting.¡± Eric averted his eyes, this time toward his meal instead. ¡°I¡¯d rather just stay at home, alone as usual¡­¡±


    That was strange, Alex thought. That man was always excited whenever his friends did anything. Did they get into a fight? Alex wondered. As he stared quietly, he noticed an unusual gloom lingering in the air, thick enough to cut. Eric turned back to his meal, seemingly uninterested in conversing.


    ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯m taking the bike. I¡¯ll get there faster on the Kawasaki than the SUV,¡± stated Alex. He reached over toward the key holders and took the correct one. When Alex turned around, he found Eric staring at him again, no longer eating. The man then stood up and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Wait, hold on, I¡¯ll get my gear.¡± Eric then rushed to his room.


    ¡°I figured I could just leave without them,¡± Alex hollered.


    Eric returned with not only the gear, but a deep scowl painted on his face. He then lifted his jet-black helmet and army green riding jacket. ¡°Yeah? No. I don¡¯t want a phone call tonight about someone having to scrape you off the asphalt.¡± He stood there, arms crossed, watching Alex reluctantly put his phone on the counter and then put on the oversized jacket.


    It was uncomfortable with all the layers. On top of that, Alex had to flip the cuffs as they were too long. He was already short at five-five, and wearing this thing only added to his smaller stature. Eric, of course, smirked. I feel so stupid, Alex thought as his face started to burn.


    ¡°You better stay safe,¡± Eric ordered. His brown eyes stared intensely. However, his deep, husky voice caused Alex¡¯s heartbeat to thump quicker.


    He looked up at his friend, then nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±


    Eric breathed through his nose, seemingly doubtful of those words. But he gave in and let Alex go. ¡°Don¡¯t speed or lane split, okay? The slower, the better.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°There. You look good.¡±


    Alex¡¯s eyes fell to the jacket. The sleeves went well past his hands. He annoyingly rolled them, though they resisted. ¡°I feel stupid.¡±


    Eric guffawed at that statement. ¡°Better than dying. How long are you staying?¡±


    ¡°Until Monday night.¡±


    Eric stepped back, scratching his neck, and looked away. ¡°¡­Was hoping you¡¯d come home sooner.¡±


    ¡°Sooner?¡± Alex chuckled, easing the tension if there was any. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Zoey in months¡ªwe have a lot to catch up on.¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­¡± The man fixed his falling glasses and sniffled. His eyes were now puffy, his face hard; he looked like he¡¯d been holding back a geyser. ¡°You barely see me, too.¡± He turned around and started to walk.


    ¡°Eric, I live with you,¡± stated Alex.


    ¡°Hardly!¡± Eric whipped around, his voice now strained. ¡°You¡¯re only here to sleep. How long has it been since we¡¯ve done something together? I want my friend back.¡±


    ¡°I kinda need to work¡ª¡± Alex flung his arms up halfway, ¡°¡ªto, you know, survive.¡±


    ¡°Ali, there are several nights where you don¡¯t get home until midnight. Just what¡¯s in that office that¡¯s more important than your friend!?¡± Tears slowly ran down Eric¡¯s reddened face.


    ¡°You¡¯re being ridiculous,¡± Alex scoffed, ¡°acting like you haven¡¯t done the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Oh please, I¡¯m not always working in the station¡ªI do go out there, you know.¡±


    Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.


    Alex rolled his eyes as he glanced over to the counter. It had to be Zoey bugging him. She was likely already drunk and ready to gloat about how amazing Matt was for getting her a large diamond for her engagement ring. Alex turned his attention back to Eric, letting the phone go to voice mail. ¡°You were saying?¡±


    Eric let out a deep sigh and wiped his face. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. You shouldn¡¯t keep her waiting¡­¡±


    Alex shook his head and reached for his phone. He already had a plethora of messages from that angsty woman asking where he was. ¡°What is up with you?¡± he asked while responding to a few texts.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just tired,¡± Eric whispered.


    Alex lowered his phone and then cocked his head. ¡°Do you wanna spend time with me?¡±


    ¡°What does it matter¡ªthere¡¯s always something going on in your life¡ªwe never have time.¡± Eric turned around, folding his muscular arms.


    The thought of ditching Zoey crossed Alex¡¯s mind. Though, he¡¯d get a rash of shit from her if he did, especially for the guy she despised. She never told him why she hated Eric, likely a childhood feud; they were neighbors growing up. But sometimes Alex wondered if it was because Eric took him away. Alex shook his head. Eric needs to cool down; we¡¯d likely only fight more.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back before you know it. And if you really need me¡ªI¡¯m a call away¡­¡±


    Eric didn¡¯t turn around as the two said their goodbyes, leaving Alex to shut the door and walk to his bike alone. He¡¯d have to deal with that man later, but for now, he should make haste; time was ticking.

 Chapter 2

    The growing night was silent as Alex sped down the highway. Twilight had scattered across the sky, leaving nothing but early-rising glimmering stars. The rough protruding hills, with tall and dense forests, surrounded him; they glowed faintly as the sun¡¯s rays faded. He glanced up, spotting more and more bright dots coming into view. It was a dazzling sight, and his dark green eyes needed something new to stare at. An hour on the road was getting to be dull.


    Thank God the road¡¯s empty, Alex thought.


    A road without traffic was a blessing, especially since Alex liked to speed when riding. But despite that, it was odd. The two-fifteen was notably a crowded highway; most people would¡¯ve been off work by now. He sighed as his stomach grumbled a bit. Alex silently cursed, knowing he should¡¯ve stopped and rested at that old diner. Though he did eat beforehand, riding the motorcycle always caused hunger. Maybe it was due to the bike¡¯s rumbling or the frosty air against his face.


    I¡¯ll stop by a convenience store and buy something. When¡¯s the next exit?


    Alex slowed his speed to a reasonable sixty-five. The frosty wind flicked his short hair, kneading it in many directions. He took a deep breath, sucking in the fresh scent of damp dead grass that wafted through the wind. However, that inhalation also caused him to open his mouth and yawn. He shook his head, trying to stay awake, but his strained eyes could barely last. He then tugged at his handle, speeding a bit more as he passed a bright green ramp sign that said Riverlands, one mile.


    That place.


    He hadn¡¯t considered it, but going through that city would easily cut his time by thirty minutes. He¡¯d ride it to the coast and reach Banks City in no time. Zoey would be happy if I¡¯d arrived earlier than expected. And I could get some sleep.


    Alex slowed his speed even further. It¡¯d already taken him an hour to get here, even without traffic. But those reports in the media about aggressive people also sparked in his mind. If they were true, there could be problems.


    What am I thinking? I don¡¯t even have to step off my bike, he reminded himself. Besides, it was nighttime¡ªhe could run through the stoplights if he had to. Not to mention, Eric¡¯s a deputy¡ªI can easily get out of any trouble. Alex grinned, shifted into high gear, and sped toward Riverlands.


    Eventually, the small town¡¯s lights came into view over the canopy of dense forests. It was a majestic sight; the glistening skyline blended with the stars spectacularly, appearing as a colorful painting for his eyes to see. Alex wished he could dance among them. But he soon returned his focus to the road. The vibrations from the roaring motorcycle rumbled through Alex¡¯s body. He loved going fast, feeling the adrenaline as gusts of wind brushed past his skinny body and frosted up his exposed neck. But, as he drove off of the exit ramp and down onto Short Street, he noticed something unusual.


    It was utterly empty, void of any night dwellers. Aside from the few cars parked on the side of the road, there were no people. What the hell¡¯s up with this place? First the freeway, now here? Alex groaned. But something else unnerved him, causing his body to shake. A disgusting smell wafted in the air. It was rancid, like an animal that had died and cooked in the sun.


    What the hell? Alex gagged. It was overwhelming for his senses; he had to pull over. Warm bile slowly rose in his throat as saliva flooded his mouth. He quickly swallowed it back down. Eric would be more than pissed if his expensive helmet became a vomit bag. Alex slowed his roll and drove into the closest building on the right. Without warning, he pulled off his helmet, breathing deeply. Though the smell still lingered, it wasn¡¯t as bad.


    His stomach muscles ached, legs wobbling, as he suppressed the desire to vomit. He blinked slowly; his eyelids felt full of lead. The night barely arrived, but he was already tired. Trying not to puke while acclimating to the rancid odor was challenging. It¡¯s like college all over again when you have that awful hangover. He didn¡¯t want to think about how embarrassing it was to get wasted and then spend the following day by the toilet while Eric rubbed his back. It was worse when they laughed¡­


    Darkness came quicker than he¡¯d realized. Alex could barely see other buildings further down the road. It was strange that not even the street lamps were on. However, at least the outside lights of the building were on. Alex sighed as he shut off the engine. I¡¯ll take a break inside and get this horrible taste out of my mouth.


    Alex slowly hopped off, leaving his helmet and street jacket on the seat, and meandered to the curb. The building looked to be an apartment complex. It was a single, long building, though with the pitch-black night, it was difficult to see the edges on either side. It didn¡¯t help that double glass doors showed an inside darker than pitch black.


    He narrowed his eyes as he cautiously stepped up onto the sidewalk. But then, he stopped when the lights flickered overhead. He clenched his jaw as goosebumps formed on the back of his neck. Alex wasn¡¯t scared. Nonetheless, he didn¡¯t deny that this place was creepy.


    No people outside or cars? Someone had to be playing a trick, right? Alex then rolled up his sleeves, hooking them onto his elbows, before tightening the straps of his small dark backpack. Finally, Alex shoved his keys into the waist pack¡¯s smaller compartment. This is nothing.


    He gulped down warm saliva as he made his way to the entrance. Whoever was screwing with him will have another thing coming. Suddenly, the echoing of his shoes turned into a thick, squelching noise. Alex stopped dead in his tracks. His heartbeat sped up drastically, fearing the worst. He slowly lowered his head, heartbeat thumping loudly in his ears, and found that he had stepped into a dark, sticky liquid. It splattered in a large puddle on the pavement.


    What the hell¡­? Alex gulped. Is this blood? He couldn¡¯t tell anymore if this was some prank or if someone really was messing with him. He looked closer; small bits of a chunky substance and more splotches trailed through the doors. A heavy feeling suddenly washed over him, like he shouldn¡¯t be there. Maybe the rumors were true. The wind blew slightly, causing several trees to stir around. Alex stayed focused on what he was staring at, ignoring the gentle whispers of the leaves.


    What if this is real? Alex thought.


    With the blood trailing inside, someone could be hurt and likely need help. Even though Alex¡¯s gut screamed at him to leave, he had to be sure. If this was all a joke, I can laugh my ass off speeding the fuck out of here. But what if it wasn¡¯t? Alex gulped again. He knew to call for help in emergencies, but this would be the first. Finally reaching the glass doors, Alex wrapped his small left hand against the icy cold handle. His breath appeared as a cloud of white smoke and brushed up against the glass, causing it to fog.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Caw! Ca-caw!


    Alex jumped to the sound of a crow¡¯s calling and flapping wings. Before readjusting, the crow was long gone. Stupid bird. That was the worst time to do that.


    Alex pulled out his small golden flip lighter inside the dark main lobby. He thumbed over the imprint of a stallion on the front. Then he finally flicked on its bright orange light. It was hypnotizing as the little flame danced in the air and gave off a beautiful glow around the vicinity. I¡¯m glad I brought you with me.


    Alex then stuck his arm out and approached the front desk. With the guiding light, his other hand pressed upon the wooden counter. On the other side of the desk, Alex could vaguely make out a dark silhouette lying on the floor. He then rubbed his eyes, trying to fully adjust to the orange glowing light. But even as he looked around, there wasn¡¯t anyone there. What¡¯s going on?


    Just then, a light scuffling came from behind. Alex turned slightly and spotted another shadowy figure against the wall, dry heaving.


    ¡°Are you okay!?¡± Alex rushed over to him. The man¡¯s wheezing throat let out a light groan. The man was older, with dark hair and tan skin, and he looked to have cataracts in his eyes. His wheezing continued, and Alex finally saw why he was having trouble breathing. His abdomen had a dark stain, but his hand covered most of it. There was also a clear indication of blood oozing out through his fingers. Alex jumped to his feet and headed for the door. ¡°Wait here, I¡¯ll get some ban¡ª!¡±


    A tall figure slammed against the glass door, causing Alex to shriek. He didn¡¯t look normal; his skin was a sickly gray, and his eyes were of that similar white. On top of that, his disheveled clothes were stained in dark red blood. The lunatic snapped his mouth open and closed as he slid his matching bloody hands on the glass downward.


    Alex backed up, his legs shaking. He shook his head at the crazy man when suddenly, a deep, raspy groan came from his left. It was that other man, shuffling slowly up to his feet. Alex stared back, mouth agape as the injured man limped toward him, groaning slightly. It looked as though the wound didn¡¯t faze him.


    ¡°Hey, wait a minute,¡± Alex whispered. But the stranger didn¡¯t respond, only moving within arm¡¯s length as the other started slamming against the glass doors. Alex flinched as it began to crack, sending bits of glass flying.


    Then, without warning, the man opened his mouth and lunged at Alex. Thankfully, his small frame let him slip to the left, and the lunatic fell onto the floor. Adrenaline flushed through his system; it was time to leave.


    I thought that guy was hurt. Was he gonna bite me?


    The stranger then started to drag himself toward Alex while producing a raspy wail. His dirty-looking fingernails scraped against the carpeted floor as he inched closer. Alex backed away cautiously, maintaining the distance. He then flicked off his lighter and shoved it back into his pocket. Alex didn¡¯t dare take his eyes off the crawling thing as he did. An awful gurgle came from the man¡¯s throat, groaning some more as if he were starving.


    Thud¡­ Thud¡­ Thud¡­


    A cacophony of heavy sounds came from the entrance. More of those crazy people were grouped up outside. The outside lamp illuminated about four of them; they stood crammed against each other as they slowly slammed against the glass some more.


    Alex¡¯s heart rate rose rapidly as another one of those crazy people launched up and over the front desk; stained hands reached out and tried to grab him, but they missed just shy of an inch. The glass doors finally gave way, shattering shards everywhere as those people shuffled in. They were all similarly disheveled and had dark stains on their clothes and faces. Alex then gasped at the sight of their exposed flesh; bite marks were everywhere. His eyes widened, and his legs started to tremble.


    What¡¯s up with these people? Why are they after me?


    Alex hastily turned his head back and spotted a door and an open hallway on the right. With one final glance around, he sprinted toward the hall. Their cries of insanity caused his head to ache; he didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d been hyperventilating as a result.


    I need to get away!


    Taking the right turn down the hall, Alex nearly toppled over as he abruptly stopped. Down on the floor, he spotted one of them, with long, shaggy hair ruffling around as they were hunched over something, digging at it aggressively. The obstreperous growls mixed with saliva created a distorted reverberation in the air. Dark liquid splattered everywhere and even drenched into the attacker¡¯s tattered clothes.


    No. No way.


    Alex slowly backed away, his legs trembling with dread. Then, the crazy person stopped and arched its head up. Finally, it turned to face him. Its mouth, bloodied and full of freshly ripped flesh, caused Alex¡¯s stomach to churn. His throat was dry, but he couldn¡¯t swallow saliva to fix it. Without warning, the crazy person finally dropped the flesh and rose from its sitting.


    Alex shook his head as more hungry moans came from the room prior. He then rushed back to that other door. In a quick motion, he grabbed the doorknob and twisted it. However, it was stuck fast. No, you can¡¯t be serious! Alex then slammed his shoulder against the door, but it still refused to budge.


    Come on! He pleaded. The warmth of those strange people tickled the nap of his neck. He was more than uncomfortable as their guttural groans and gross breath caused his body to cringe. But Alex kept ignoring the discomfort and slammed into the door. Then, he instantly jerked back; two of those people had latched onto his backpack. They tugged hard, making it impossible for Alex to break free. The struggle was more than enough stalling for the others to encircle the poor young man. Some of them snapped their jaws at him.


    ¡°Fine!¡± Alex shouted, slipping his arms out of the straps. ¡°Take it!¡±


    As the ones holding on stumbled, Alex barged into the door again, finally breaking the lock and stumbling in. Without a second thought, he quickly slammed the door shut. He had to block the entrance and fast! Thankfully, a tall metal locker was against the wall. Alex rushed over and pulled with all his strength. He gritted his teeth as the locker scraped against the tile. Small veins in his neck popped out as his face reddened.


    Please, please!


    The locker finally blocked the door, keeping out those people. Alex swayed for a second before collapsing onto the ground. He sighed. I didn¡¯t lose my wallet; it¡¯s okay.


    A slight chill ran up his spine as darkness surrounded him. His skin formed tight little bumps and perked up the light hairs on his arms. The ghastly moans from those people¡ªthose things echoed through the door. Alex quivered his lips and curled his legs close to his body. He wanted to cry, but no tears would come out. What is wrong with this place!? Screw this, I¡¯m going home.


    He shut his eyes and put his head on his knees. ¡°This has to be a dream. But when will I finally wake up? That guy¡ªhe was eating it¡ªlike a zombie...¡±


    I have to get out of here¡ªout of this city¡­


    The banging and the unnatural cries finally ceased. Alex lifted his head and glanced around the room. It was tiny, rectangular, and had a door at the far end of the right wall. But no monsters, thankfully. Alex rubbed his eyes, letting them fully adjust to the darkness. Then, he carefully stretched his legs out and stood up. As he did, he pulled out his phone, immediately dialing Eric¡¯s number when¡ª


    ¡°What the...?¡± Alex¡¯s eyes widened. The service was dead. He silently cursed to himself. No service meant no help; how wonderful. ¡°Guess the rumors were true. This place has gone insane.¡±

 Chapter 3

    Alex needed to get back to his bike. However, with those things roaming outside, it might be difficult with only his bare hands. Despite being wounded, or rather undead, it seemed like they had impressive strength still; it¡¯d probably be impossible to break free. Alex rubbed his sore shoulders. If I didn¡¯t sacrifice my backpack, I would¡¯ve been¡­


    He shuddered, thinking about it. He¡¯d need some sort of protection; those people were clearly trying to harm him. A wooden broom rested against the wall, but he retracted his hand from picking it up.


    ¡°I doubt that would work. If they latch on, I¡¯m done for.¡±


    Alex cupped his elbows as he walked to the right-side door. The adjacent room was thinner and longer. On the left wall, by the opening, had metal shelves packed with various assortments. Alex then moved past that, where a small desk of tan wood struck his attention. His gaze fell on a small, folded note and a holstered handgun that rested gently on top of the desk. He raised both his brows and took a deep breath. The gun looked real; it looked deadly. He took a step back, body swaying. He wasn¡¯t terrified of firearms. After all, Eric owned plenty of them. But that didn¡¯t stop his heart from racing at the sight of them. He cursed under his breath at Eric; the man should¡¯ve taught him how to use one.


    ¡°He¡¯s the best marksman in the state; how ironic.¡± Alex sighed. ¡°You¡¯re on your own in a town full of crazy people. And you have no choice but to use that to survive. What a night.¡±


    But before he did anything, Alex first took hold of the note. The sand-colored paper was rough in texture and worn down, but Alex paid no mind as he unfolded it and began to read.


    November first, morning.


    I¡¯m all alone. Caitlin ran an¡¯ left me stranded. I¡¯m not infected an¡¯ I know I can still take the freeway to escape. But it¡¯s a long shot. Those things¡¯re out there. Dammit! If anyone reads this, get outta town! This place is infested with zombies!


    The rest was blank.


    Are those people really zombies? Alex wondered. If they are, then I have no choice. I have to use this.


    He placed the paper back down and finally grabbed the holstered gun. The holster was soft, with a belt clip-on and straps to attach to the thigh. He took a quick breath, clipped the two support straps to his thigh, and finally secured the main line to his belt.


    So this is it¡ªthe real deal. Alex pulled the gun from its attached holster. It was a two-toned handgun; the silver barrel had a black frame underneath. It was sleek in design but had sturdy-looking grips. It wasn¡¯t as heavy as he thought it would be, and he wondered if Eric¡¯s was the same.


    I don¡¯t know how many bullets this thing carries, but a gun¡¯s a gun, he thought confidently. Etched into the side of the barrel was the phrase Glock 48. His index finger naturally found its way toward the trigger. His thumb rubbed against the trim line that separated the slide and the frame as he inspected it further.


    Eric¡¯s gun had a safety button somewhere, but I don¡¯t see anything similar. And where¡¯s that flicky thing in the back? Alex raised his brow, confused. How do I even use this gun¡­? Do I pull the trigger? Eric, you ass. He sighed and lowered his head. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll learn as I go. Hopefully, I¡¯ll have time to figure this out.¡±


    Alex slowly entered the next room and exited a long hallway toward the right. But Alex couldn¡¯t venture further. He quickly pinched his nose and gasped. A putrid smell had permeated his nose and mouth. Mixed with the dry scent of mold and probably rotten meat, Alex couldn¡¯t help but gag.


    Ugh, what is that?


    His head pulsated a bit from the intense, wavy mixture of aroma. Down on the floor, leaning up against the wall, was the corpse of an older, heavier man nestled against the corner. A large, fatal-looking bite was seared into his neck. His shirt was ragged and bloodied; it was impossible to tell its original color. His dark hair covered his lowered face; even so, Alex could see bits of his sunken-in grayish skin. He gulped at the gruesome sight.


    That¡¯s a real dead body, he thought. A slight shiver ran up his spine, causing him to tense his shoulders. I hope I don¡¯t end up like you.


    Alex slowly looked up and saw a glowing green exit sign pointed behind him. He smirked and turned back. As he did, his face suddenly dropped when he saw a large metal crate blocking the exit door.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± He groaned out loud. Of course, something¡¯s blocking my way.


    Alex shook his head as he walked over. He then positioned himself against the crate. He tried with all the strength he could muster to push the thing. Holding his breath until his face turned pink, Alex switched from using his arms to anchoring his body against it. But nothing worked. The slippery, smooth tile didn¡¯t help either, causing his gray shoes to slide and give way. Finally, he gave up, panting heavily. His thin arms barely made it budge.


    Darn it. I need to find another way. Alex turned about and lurched forward, eventually coming up to a T-intersection.


    Two ways, he thought. Going along the main path was the better option. The side path likely wouldn¡¯t lead back to the lobby, and he needed to get out of there as quickly as possible. Hopefully, those crazy people were gone, too.


    A safe bet. Once he finally reached the corner at the end of the hall, he pressed his back against the wall¡¯s edge, keeping his gun close. A faint, blurry static tickled the shell of his right ear, and with a couple of breaths, Alex whipped around the corner, flicking his weapon out. The leading hall had another dead body resting in the middle of the floor. Behind it was several amounts of luggage blocking him from going through. The body looked like a male police officer wearing a typical blue and black uniform. Though he lay in a thick pool of dark blood, Alex only spotted a few bite marks on his exposed neck. The officer also looked young, as he had a fresh face, short, unkempt hair, and hollow eyes, likely a rookie¡¯s first day on the force.


    Alex then looked over and spotted something even more interesting. There was a little brass key clutched by the officer¡¯s hand. I wonder what that unlocks. He took a step closer as the static crackle increased. A small radio on the officer¡¯s belt started to voice a message, though it wavered a bit, likely due to the signal.


    ¡°Requesting... backup... south side....¡±


    Alex felt a little lump forming in his throat. I wonder how bad they have it.


    ¡°Infected with a... stay alert... bullets... slow....¡±


    The radio finally shut off with a burst of static, allowing silence to fill the air and leave him with his thoughts. I doubt it¡¯ll be easy getting out of the city. I might need to wait until dawn.


    Alex carefully knelt down and snatched the radio. It was very light and looked like it still worked. He clipped it to his own belt. Finally, he reached over and snagged the little key as an ominous feeling suddenly washed over him. His heart raced drastically; its thumps grew louder and louder in his ears and throughout his body. Alex quickly stood up and backed away. Maybe this key unlocks a different exit.


    Rushing around the corner, going back to the T-intersection, Alex came to a quick halt. His eyes widened, his body stiffened, and his legs felt like lead. Looking forward, a tall, shadowy figure stood swaying in the middle of the hall. It moaned slightly and took a few steps toward him.


    What the? Did it really just get back up? Alex¡¯s breathing slowly became erratic. His hand squeezed his Glock handgun until his fingers turned bright red. Within a short moment, that dead guy had covered now a few feet; he was too close for comfort. Alex raised his Glock 48 and aimed it at its chest. But he didn¡¯t shoot. His finger stiffened over the trigger as his arms started to shake.


    Shoot! His brain screamed internally.


    The horrid groans from it got louder and louder, overtaking the pulsating noise in Alex¡¯s ears. His breathing became uneven as he struggled to fire. The zombie was too close now. Shambling up to him, it was way larger than Alex had thought. Its battered gray skin had several bite marks on the arms and neck. Half of its jaw was broken, and the right side of its face had flesh wholly removed. However, its decrepit white eyes were focused on a singular target.


    It lunged without warning, its greedy, rotten fingers curling around Alex¡¯s smaller shoulders. All he could do now was try and push it back. He tried as best he could but was losing ground fast. Alex shut both eyes and clenched his teeth while struggling to stop this monster from biting his throat. The zombie-like man hungrily bemoaned and rapaciously snapped its jaw at the young man; its blood-stained teeth and foul breath burned Alex¡¯s nostrils.


    I can¡¯t¡ªhold it off!


    Alex¡¯s eyes widened as the zombie lunged in for a bite to his neck when suddenly, a gunshot went off. The aggressor¡¯s strength quickly faded as both collapsed to the floor. Blood splattered as the zombie¡¯s head smacked the ground; tiny bits of flesh sprung out across the floor. The body lay there motionless, how a dead man should be.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Alex pressed his hand against his chest, feeling his heart pounding. His ears and neck burned a bright red as he caught his breath. But he was alive, thanks to someone standing directly across from him. His dark green eyes soon trailed up to meet his savior¡¯s.


    A man had stood before him with light brown eyes and similar-toned crew-cut hair. The front of his hair was neatly gelled up, forming little spikes. Looking closer at his face, the man had a more structured face that showed off young, crescent laugh lines and a chiseled jawline. His nose bridge looked solid and long, with his nostrils being balanced. A small dark shadow molded nicely around his jaw. Alex then skimmed both ears and noticed small, shiny black studs in the lobes. The stranger lowered his gun, allowing Alex to see some impressive biceps and a broad chest. Though they weren¡¯t larger than Eric¡¯s, this guy still looked like he could handle his own.


    He wore a tight, gray button-down shirt. It was most likely a uniform, as the name Miller¡¯s Autoworks was embroidered on the left breast pocket. The hem of his button-down was semi-tucked into his belted black jeans.


    When he stepped closer, Alex could see that this man towered over him; he had to be six feet at least, probably a few inches taller than what Alex surmised. He hadn¡¯t known many men who were that tall¡ªEric was only six inches taller than Alex at five-eleven. This dude could break me if he wanted to. Easily. Alex gulped, his face flushed pink.


    ¡°You okay?¡± he whispered to Alex. His deep voice was dry sounding, almost exhausted.


    Alex took a much-needed breath. Then he said calmly, ¡°Yeah¡­ I think so.¡±


    ¡°Good. Fucking hell, I didn¡¯t expect another survivor here.¡±


    Despite the corpse bleeding out onto the floor, Alex¡¯s stomach remained still. Alex¡¯s eyes trailed to the rotten corpse. Surprisingly, his stomach remained still as he watched it twitch; dark blood oozed out of the bullet hole. Then, out of the corner of his eye, the stranger walked over to it, and he flinched. The man then kicked it slightly with his work boot. ¡°Dammit, Micky, you shoulda left when I told ya to.¡±


    ¡°Neighbor?¡± Alex asked.


    The stranger turned his head and looked down. ¡°Yeah, he lived in three-B.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Alex curled his legs in. He probably shouldn¡¯t have pried.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I got ¡¯em. It shouldn¡¯t get up for a while,¡± the man confirmed, changing the subject.


    ¡°Thanks, by the way,¡± Alex whispered back shyly. His voice, much higher, caused a churning sensation in his stomach.


    ¡°No problem. I kinda like being an action man.¡± The man smirked. ¡°Call me Keaton.¡± He raised out a hand.


    Alex nodded and took it. His scrawny body was easily lifted to his feet. Just the roughness of Keaton¡¯s thicker hand and strength caused Alex¡¯s face to flush red. They were similar to Eric¡¯s, though Keaton¡¯s hands clearly worked on some machinery; Eric, on the other hand, focused more on firearms. His face stayed red as he stuttered to say his own name.


    ¡°Hey, I gotta ask....¡± Keaton suddenly spoke up.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Alex cleared his throat.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you shoot ¡¯em? You know they aren¡¯t people, right?¡±


    ¡°I-I know. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Alex was at a loss. He didn¡¯t really know this man, yet somehow felt as though explaining his whole life story would justify everything.


    I¡¯ll keep it simple, he reasoned in his mind. He should know.


    ¡°I uh,¡± Alex continued, ¡°I don¡¯t really know how to use it.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Keaton cocked a brow and tilted his head slightly to the right.


    Alex couldn¡¯t bear the stare; his face tinged red instantly. He backed up, raising his shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s not even mine¡ªI-I found it. I¡¯ve also never really had an interest in them¡­¡±


    A small chuckle escaped from Keaton¡¯s mouth, prompting Alex¡¯s face to redden even more.


    Oh great, now he¡¯s laughing at me.


    ¡°Alex, it¡¯s aight. Let me teach you real quick.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    Keaton waved his hand off. ¡°Of course. Especially when I¡¯ll need you to return the favor, but first, lemme see your gun.¡± He got closer and gripped the handgun slide, persuading Alex to let go. ¡°Glock 48¡­ single stack, it seems, and it¡¯s lighter than an 18 model.¡±


    ¡°That a good thing?¡± Alex asked.


    Keaton shrugged. ¡°Depends. Well, I guess for you, it¡¯d be okay.¡±


    Then, the man aimed Alex¡¯s gun away and pulled the slide back before pressing a small button on the left side with his thumb. The magazine ejected onto his open hand, and Keaton then checked it quickly. Satisfaction filled his wide smile, and he refilled it and then put the slide back in place. Finally, Keaton handed it back to Alex.


    ¡°Your gun carries ten rounds. But there¡¯s only nine bullets left,¡± he explained.


    Alex nodded. Whoever had this gun before already used one. I hope it was on one of those zombies. He tried not to picture the worst.


    ¡°I know some of the cops around here use Glocks. We can look for more mags if we find one of their cars.¡± Keaton said, taking a few steps away.


    ¡°Sounds like a good plan,¡± Alex nodded to his newfound friend. ¡°Oh, wait, what about your gun?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Keaton raised his gun upward and showed its left side. His thick hands wrapped around its grip nicely. The weapon itself appeared evened out in his hand. ¡°My boss¡¯s weapon, a standard USP.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference between ours?¡±


    ¡°Nothing that¡¯d really concern you. So long as you hit your target, all guns work the same.¡±


    Alex paused, placing a finger on his chin; not a moment later, another question popped into his mind. He spoke, ¡°How many bullets can it carry?¡±


    Keaton released the magazine quickly. He then showed Alex its spine, which had fifteen little holes. Most of them had a golden shine; however, only five at the base were blacked out. ¡°It¡¯s not a lot,¡± he started. ¡°But fifteen should be more than enough¡ªI won¡¯t miss.¡±


    Alex was impressed by Keaton¡¯s confidence, but he knew this man was serious. Given that he was alive, he had no reason to doubt either. And the accuracy, too; it was cool to see another guy aim with such precision. Oh, Eric, you might have a run for your money.


    Then, a horrendous snarl bounced off the walls. Alex gasped, glancing from side to side. He didn¡¯t know where it came from, but it sounded close.


    ¡°Well shit, I was gonna let you practice on the dead one, but I guess experience is best with one that still moves!¡± Keaton flicked his head slightly, signaling Alex to face the side hall.


    Another zombie stumbled through the hall toward the two. It was a male with shaggy blonde hair and white eyes. The zombie had on a simple sky-blue t-shirt and dark pants. Bite marks across its gray flesh were seen, particularly on its exposed arms and right underneath its jawline. Though taller than Alex, it could barely lift its upper torso as it moved with a limp gait. A horrendous bloody piece of metal rammed into its right thigh. It didn¡¯t even care that it was wounded. Its milky white eyes were set on the pale young man before it.


    ¡°W-Wait! I can¡¯t hit a moving one yet!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be okay. I¡¯m right here.¡±


    Alex swallowed, nodded, then pointed his gun.


    ¡°Use the gun¡¯s sights to determine the distance and aim for the chest; enough bullets should bring it down.¡± Keaton stood tall, legs shoulder width apart, with arms folded. ¡°And grip the gun tightly; otherwise, you¡¯ll limp wrist it.¡±


    Alex did as he was told, tightening his grip as he looked down the sights until all three white dots lined up. ¡°Why not the head?¡±


    ¡°You might use more bullets trying to hit a small moving target¡ªnah, it¡¯s safer just to hit the torso,¡± Keaton explained. ¡°Also, take your time between shots, and only squeeze the trigger once you¡¯re ready to fire.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Alex teased his handgun¡¯s trigger by slightly pushing the latch back.


    ¡°If you¡¯re ready, fire.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know why, but listening to Keaton¡¯s calm voice cleared his head. Alex had no trouble and focused on the limping target. Even with the callous growls hitting his ears, Alex didn¡¯t go astray; he blinked as he inhaled. Then, he finally squeezed the trigger, letting out a loud gunshot.


    The bullet burst through the left side of the zombie¡¯s chest, but that didn¡¯t stop the monster. Alex slid his foot back, gasping slightly.


    ¡°You¡¯re okay,¡± whispered Keaton.


    Alex nodded, not taking his eyes off the target. Then, he fired his gun again and again. After three rounds, the zombie finally collapsed into an oozing pool of dark blood.


    ¡°I got it.¡± Alex lowered his Glock 48 and glanced up at his friend.


    ¡°Nice job.¡± Keaton smiled widely and stuck his thumbs up. ¡°I think you can take on just about anything.¡±


    Alex¡¯s face reddened, prompting him to glance away. His body jittered excitedly. He wanted to shoot it again¡ªto hit another target. Keaton then took his thick, heavy hand and patted Alex¡¯s back. He gave a curt nod before pulling his hand away. At that moment, Alex wondered why Eric refused to teach him. He almost wished that man did, to at least experience this together.


    When I get out of here, I¡¯ll show you. I¡¯ll be just as good as you, Alex thought.


    ¡°Ready to get out of here?¡± Keaton then asked.


    ¡°Where to?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a shelter about a few blocks away¡ªI¡¯ve been trying to navigate around all this shit, but with Freeman Street being the only way, it¡¯s not been easy. Everything is fucking blocked off with wreckage or police barricades. Hell, even some fires have made alleys inaccessible. ¡°Why must everyone panic in a damn crisis¡­?¡± Keaton shook his head and looked away briefly.


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re here then?¡± Alex questioned.


    He raised a brow before letting out a soft chuckle. ¡°Nah, going back home was just on the way to.¡± He then elaborated further. ¡°I mainly wanted to come back and grab some of my legal documents¡ªimportant shit, ya know; can¡¯t escape the city without ¡¯em. But just crossing the street from work took a bitch and a half too. Fuck.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°You live around here? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen your face before.¡±


    Alex shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m from a town up north.¡±


    ¡°Lucky you.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that,¡± Alex muttered as he glanced around.


    Keaton laughed, his voice rich with vigor. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s get out of here. With all the noise you¡¯ve made, I¡¯m sure more zombies will come.¡±


    Alex blinked, slightly annoyed. But the grin on Keaton¡¯s face told him to loosen up. Once they were ready, the duo finally headed back toward the blocked exit door.

 Chapter 4

    It didn¡¯t take long for them to reach the end of the hall. Thanks to the green exit sign, a small radius of light illuminated the crate. Alex chewed his lower lip. He wanted to get to his bike, but going through the front entrance was a no-go. Even with Keaton there, his stomach still churned at the idea of venturing back. As they approached the side exit, Alex frantically glanced up at his companion, who slowly grew a scowl.


    ¡°What the? Who¡¯s the dipshit that left their box here?¡± Keaton groaned loudly.


    ¡°I tried moving it before, but it¡¯s way too heavy.¡±


    Keaton pursed his lips. He then stomped toward it and easily shifted the crate to the right with his left hand. ¡°Hmm. Aight, I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± Finally, he holstered his pistol and firmly grasped the metal crate¡¯s side. Then he pushed forward; it barely resisted, leaving only minimal scratches on the floor. Keaton sighed, wiped his brow, and rubbed his hands clean before taking out his gun.


    ¡°Well, look at you, mister muscles.¡± Alex placed both hands on his hips and leaned slightly to the right.


    A wide smile spread across Keaton¡¯s face as he scratched the back of his head. ¡°Heh, it was nothing.¡±


    A warm feeling instantly ignited within Alex¡¯s body. He then backed up a bit, holding back his own smile. This guy¡¯s pretty cool.


    ¡°Aight, here we go.¡± Keaton then pulled out his handgun and pushed the door open slightly. He then poked his gun out, ready for anything. However, the door only opened ajar and then instantly smacked against something and caused an echoing thump. Alex jumped and held his breath; he then flicked his head back to glance down the hall. Thankfully, that zombie from before was still lying there.


    Maybe it¡¯s down for good, or that was just a fluke prior¡­ A calm wind brushed through the gap and against Alex¡¯s chest, causing him to lose his train of thought.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Keaton whispered.


    Alex turned his attention back to his newfound companion. ¡°Who blocks an exit twice?¡±


    ¡°An overcautious jackass¡­.¡± Keaton attempted to stick his body through the opening but stopped when the frame and his broad chest collided, preventing him from sliding through. ¡°Dammit. I¡¯m too big for this. Alex, what do we do now?¡±


    Alex licked his back molars, then tapped Keaton¡¯s shoulders, prompting him to step aside. ¡°Maybe I can try.¡±


    ¡°You sure? There might be more of those things.¡± Keaton flashed a nervous glance down the hall.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a kid. I¡¯m not scared.¡± Alex pulled out his lighter and once lit, he stuck his arm through the gap.


    ¡°I-I know, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine; besides, you taught me how to shoot.¡± Then, Alex easily slid half his body through the gap without a second thought.


    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± Keaton¡¯s thought trailed off. He sighed, then said, ¡°Aight, fine.¡±


    Alex squeezed through the tight door easily. Thankfully, his lighter made it easier to see outside, albeit only so far. The dim, overhanging street lamps didn¡¯t help much; they barely lit up the street. Looking as best as he could, Alex spotted many shadowy figures lying in various assortments. Even more so, he found several bullet shells scattered by his feet. He clenched his handgun tight as he thought of the multiple ways that an onslaught could¡¯ve occurred.


    Thank you, Eric, for making me wait, Alex reminded himself. If I was here a tad earlier¡­.


    He sighed and looked to the other side of the street, where a few flames rose out from an old barrel. Some of the towering buildings also had fires, though they hadn¡¯t spread far. He faced left, where a minivan was. Its rear doors were left wide open. Beyond that was a large black gate that covered the whole road. A few flashing blue and red lights marked the cruisers behind it; they all appeared abandoned. A faint siren echoed in the distance, followed by a mechanical voice. However, it was impossible to hear what it said.


    Darn, Alex thought. That way would¡¯ve taken me back to my bike. Guess we have no choice but to travel on foot.


    Looking closer, Alex spotted several cardboard boxes stacked on each other. Their contents spilled onto the gross floor, and some remnants blocked the door. Someone must¡¯ve been in a hurry.


    ¡°See anything?¡± Keaton¡¯s voice echoed, pulling Alex away from his thoughts.


    ¡°Yeah, more boxes.¡±


    A subtle scoff came from the inside. ¡°Fucking annoying. No monsters, though?¡±


    ¡°The road¡¯s empty.¡± Alex pushed the door back into its frame, flicked his lighter off, and quietly removed the boxes. At least I can move these ones.


    ¡°Alright. It¡¯s ready, Keaton,¡± whispered Alex.


    The door slowly creaked open, and the tall, smiling man stood in the frame. Keaton kept his grin and raised his hand, prompting a high-five. Alex shrugged and returned the gesture.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± said Keaton.


    ¡°Of course. I told you it was no problem.¡±


    Keaton chuckled and quietly closed the door behind him. ¡°I know, I know. But still, I don¡¯t wanna lose the only other living person in this town.¡±


    Alex lowered his head and backed up. ¡°What¡¯s up with this town anyway? Why are there zombies here?¡± He glanced up at his companion while tugging his popped collar with his spare hand.


    Keaton poked at his inner cheek and stared deeply into Alex¡¯s eyes. He shook his head while taking a step closer. His cologne¡¯s intense, dry cedar smell filled Alex¡¯s nostrils. Keaton then put his hands on his hips. ¡°Well, there was a quarantine three days ago, but no one likes to follow good advice. So, the infection spread quickly¡ªcourse, we were told that it was just the flu¡­ Look how that came about.¡±


    ¡°I never thought this stuff was possible....¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too hard about it,¡± his deep voice rang. Keaton walked out onto the street, looking both ways. He finally settled and faced the right. ¡°If we head west, we should bypass the roadblock on Freeman Street.¡±


    Alex nodded, shut off his lighter, and followed. He walked down the open road, wary of either direction. The city street was unnervingly calm; malaise filled the stale air. But despite the situation, Alex kept his footing. Maybe it was from Keaton being there with him, but he didn¡¯t know for sure. Or it was rumbling distant sirens and occasional gunshots that grounded him. Alex groaned, turning his attention to Keaton¡¯s aggressive foot stomps. He was sure the man couldn¡¯t help himself, but Alex would rather listen to silence.


    A light breeze of cool air brushed by, causing slight goosebumps to coat Alex¡¯s bare skin. He huffed as his face flushed pink; his nose was already bright enough to see in the darkened night. Overhead, clouds slowly formed, swallowing up the small white dots in the sky; it looked like a thick spiral would form over the town itself. Shadows of grays and blacks looked like a stormy sea against the moonlight.


    ¡°I think it might rain,¡± whispered Alex, sniffing the air.


    ¡°Hopefully, we¡¯ll be long gone before it does. It¡¯s already hard to see at night; imagine it blurry, too¡ªwith zombies sneaking up on us.¡±


    Alex tensed up. He didn¡¯t know what to think. What Keaton said was entirely true, but they could also use that advantage. As he glanced around, seeing the unmoving figures on the floor, Alex knew they needed to get off the streets.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Keaton muttered, causing Alex to jump. ¡°Can¡¯t believe they got this street too. You know there¡¯s a crazy good donut shop behind that roadblock.


    ¡°I¡¯m not much of a sweet tooth,¡± Alex whispered.


    ¡°Eh, no biggie, I¡¯m just pissed everything is all blocked off¡ªyou know the mechanic¡¯s shop is also blocked off too. I can¡¯t believe I slept through all of that commotion.¡± Keaton shook his head.


    Though Alex knew little about this place, he was sure it must¡¯ve been a pain. ¡°At least you managed to get out, though.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, true. Who knows how many unlucky bastards didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Alex tried not to think about it, but his brain went off on scenarios. He¡¯d seen the movies, the creativity on being trapped like a rat; he still felt ill as he remembered one of a man abandoned his family in a house. Alex then flicked his eyes to Keaton¡¯s sturdy back and wondered if he¡¯d leave too if his life depended on it. One thing he knew for certain was that everyone could defend themselves in a dire situation.


    ¡°Fuck¡­ I wish I could¡¯ve at least had dinner before all this,¡± Keaton muttered, his stomach groaning in response.


    The two continued, the stretch seemingly endless. Alex chuckled slightly at his companion pouting. He didn¡¯t mind taking a break to eat, but it wasn¡¯t like they really could. From what he¡¯d seen in the apartments, it was likely that every building held the same nightmares.


    Even the bookstore¡­


    Alex shook his thoughts from his head and his attention on the long stretch of road; it banked left at the far end; however, from the orange glow of the buildings down there, it was likely impassable too. He couldn¡¯t tell, though, if a fire had broken out as the air was nothing but fowl; a thick, grimy odor of smelled like rust made its way into his nose; it practically replaced the air as he couldn¡¯t even smell his own scent. Alex stopped and glanced around. Was it another zombie? He couldn¡¯t tell. They all smelled like shit in the end, anyway. But that smell¡­. Alex tensed his shoulders as he walked. The smell thickened and grew more intense as he walked. He quickly checked his shoes, ensuring he didn¡¯t step in anything awful. Thankfully, there wasn¡¯t anything.


    ¡°Alex, check this out,¡± Keaton whispered from up ahead.


    He had stopped just a few feet down the road. With a confused glance, Alex brought his attention to the asphalt in front of his friend. The thick odor was even stronger now; the smell of rotten meat drilled into his nose, causing him to gag. It was awful, worse than the zombies.


    What the? What is that? Alex narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brows while clenching his nose. He was somewhat shocked that Keaton could stand so close without vomiting. Ignoring that, Alex focused on holding his breath as he got closer. As he did, an oversized black silhouette came into view; it was sprawled out, lifeless.


    Holy shit¡­ Is that¡­?


    They stood in front of a dead, massive, four-legged creature. The hideous beast had several deep slash wounds, and its intestines were loosely hanging out. Parts of its skin were ripped clean off; he saw open holes showing bones and maggots infesting. Not only that, but the mangled animal also shared those same milky white eyes.


    ¡°A dog!?¡± Alex shrieked.


    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s been dead for a while. That wound, though, I wonder what caused that.¡± Keaton shook his head and looked away.


    Alex blinked. ¡°You think there¡¯s something worse out there?¡±


    ¡°Likely.¡± Keaton stood up and let out a heavy sigh. ¡°We should be careful. I don¡¯t really wanna meet whatever caused that.¡±


    Alex lowered his eyes back down to the dead dog. Fighting off a single zombie was the best he could do. No, running away was the best option. But he knew he¡¯d have to bring one down eventually. Grouped-up zombies were out of the question for now, and these things, Alex likely wouldn¡¯t see the light of day. He was almost certain that those zombie dogs would maul him to death. On top of that, whatever killed that dog¡­ Alex glanced away, not wanting to think about it more.


    Great, what else are we gonna be dealing with besides zombies?


    Alex¡¯s thoughts dwindled as the two moved on. They passed by a tireless pickup truck held up by cinder blocks. Even in desperate times, it never ceased to amaze Alex how voracious people could be. He rolled his eyes as Keaton headed toward the car.


    ¡°Shit, Alex, someone jacked this car¡¯s tires. Hey, wait a second!¡± Keaton crouched down toward the license plate. ¡°I worked on this car three days ago! What the hell!?¡± Keaton clenched his fists and pouted, prompting Alex to chuckle.


    ¡°Someone was clearly impressed with your work; they had no choice but to take it,¡± said Alex, now amused.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± ¡ªKeaton scoffed¡ª ¡°hate Ford pickups anyway.¡±


    Alex folded his arms and tilted his head slightly. ¡°So, you work on cars¡­ That explains the suit.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Keaton mumbled, turning his attention back to Alex. ¡°Oh yeah, I¡¯m a mechanic¡ªworking on cars is my specialty. Fun fact, dealerships screw you over.¡±


    ¡°Good to know.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Keaton asked. ¡°What¡¯d you do for a living.¡±


    ¡°Secretary. For the Bellucci Corporation.¡±


    ¡°Bellucci? Sounds like some type of fashion.¡±


    Alex nodded. ¡°My job is to assist the CEO, Chantel Bellucci, in her daily tasks, mostly involving her fashion empire.¡±


    ¡°Tch sounds like a pain,¡± Keaton grumbled.


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy; I lose several hours of my day and sleep. But the branch office where I work is closer to home, so I guess there¡¯s that.¡±


    ¡°Eh, I¡¯d much rather spend my time in the shop. It¡¯s close by, and I love looking at all the beautiful cars that stroll in¡­ Fuck, why¡¯d this city have to go to hell?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m with you on wanting things to return to normal. I¡¯d rather be home where I only have to deal with a stubborn roommate. He¡¯s way easier to manage than all of this.¡±


    ¡°Roommate?¡± Keaton dry-gagged. ¡°Yikes. I live alone; best decision I ever made. Well¡­ I guess I didn¡¯t have much of a choice, actually.¡±


    Alex chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not so bad. We¡¯ve been living together since we graduated high school. I¡¯m used to the company.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not fair; you already had someone. Imagine being me, having to invest in a dating app at twenty-eight just to find a girl who can handle all this.¡± Keaton waved to his body. ¡°That shit takes way too long. And no fucking way, I¡¯ma go try some site to find a rando for a roommate. Some people are insane.¡±


    Alex gave a soft smile. ¡°That does sound rough.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I mean, I¡¯ll find my soul mate eventually¡­ I hope.¡± Keaton lowered his eyes.


    ¡°I have faith you will.¡±


    Keaton flicked his eyes to the bottom right. He was thinking about something, though Alex couldn¡¯t tell what. Finally, Keaton looked back at Alex before giving a curt nod.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get to the shelter,¡± suggested Alex.


    Then, suddenly, a cacophony of raucous snarls and squeals echoed throughout the street. Alex raised his shoulders slightly when something else also emitted. Not a moment later, a loud blast followed by rapid popping sounds went off in the distance.


    More survivors?


    He was honestly shocked that there were still others out there fighting. From the dead silence, Alex was almost convinced he and Keaton were the only ones left. But being quiet was on their side. Despite the horror, whatever was out there had gone after someone or something else. He sighed, relieved to be on a street with nothing.


    As they walked closer to the bookstore, a faint yet clear string of jazzy music tickled the shell of Alex¡¯s ear. He blinked. He hadn¡¯t noticed any music before. Where was it coming from? He quickly turned around, looking at the abandoned buildings before spotting one with its lights on. It was the corner building, where this street met the next in its seven-shape. As far as he could tell, it looked like a restaurant, maybe a pizzeria. The building¡¯s front had a small dining patio with a thin railing that wrapped around it. Unfortunately, the inside had been in disarray. A few chairs had been stacked up against the left window, while the right had a splatter of dark blood against it. Alex stepped closer; the jazzy melodic tunes danced in his ears.


    He recognized the whirling music. Eric¡¯s partner, Donny, was into jazz and would play similar songs nonstop. He was old school, something Alex enjoyed whenever he visited, as he¡¯d often show up with cool cassette tapes and tell stories about how he got them. Of course, Eric would always complain after Donny left, mainly after the man had a beer¡ªor two. Alex tilted his head, thinking about Eric sprawled out on their couch; he missed him.


    Heavy footsteps approached from behind, causing Alex to nearly jump out of his shoes. He stumbled backward with a slight yelp. Keaton stood before him; his brows scrunched together as he looked at either side of the street.


    ¡°Keep your eyes open; here they come!¡± Keaton shouted.


    Alex blinked when several dreadful moans and cries echoed throughout the street. He quickly pivoted around, eyes now widened. Zombies crept out from every abandoned building. Each of them varied in different attires, heights, and even wounds. But one shared thing was the insatiable hunger that permeated their raspy howls. There had to be at least twenty of them; they filled the narrow street quickly; their matching glossy white eyes had locked on to the only two living survivors outside. Alex narrowed his eyes and watched as even more carriers poured out onto the street to investigate the commotion.


    ¡°This is insane¡­¡± Alex shook his head slowly. ¡°There was nothing here a minute ago!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll only get worse as time goes on¡ªwe gotta go!¡± Keaton yelled out. Finally, the man jerked Alex¡¯s thin arm, easily pulling him toward the bookstore.


    As much as Alex tried to resist, able to move independently, Keaton¡¯s rough hand was too strong. He stopped resisting and let his friend lead as he glanced around, watching as more and more zombies shuffled out into the open. They flooded the street to the brim, and Alex wondered if the building would hold back this undead amalgamation. But he didn¡¯t have time to think twice; they reached the bookstore¡¯s front doors.

 Chapter 5

    The two burst through the double doors right into the store. The grip around Alex¡¯s wrist loosened, and he broke free. His skin burned hot even as he massaged it. When he took a deep breath, he instantly gagged. The air inside was unnaturally thick, and a nasty, musty stench of rotten meat lingered; it smelled like death. He seriously doubted if his nose would adjust to this rotten city. Alex averted his fixation by glancing at Keaton, who¡¯d pushed a nearby bookshelf over to block the entrance. It looked like child¡¯s play to that man as he was seemingly unaffected by these strange events. But Alex was lucky to have met someone who could manage well under stress.


    ¡°We should be good for now. Alex, you aight?¡± Keaton finally asked, facing him.


    Still rubbing his bruising wrist, Alex responded, ¡°I¡¯m hanging in there.¡±


    ¡°Good. Sorry,¡± he flicked his head toward Alex¡¯s arm. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to get caught in that mess.¡±


    Alex sighed and finally let go of his wrist. Though the burning sensation that crept up his arm persisted, it was more manageable now. ¡°You think this place is safe?¡± Alex turned around, taking in all of the scenery.


    The air inside was unnaturally thick, and a nasty, musty stench of rotten meat lingered; it smelled like death. The room wasn¡¯t large, but he could see at least four thin aisles, with a small caf¨¦ at the lower left end of the store. In the center was a large round table with stacks of various books.


    ¡°Better than being out there,¡± Keaton huffed and walked past.


    Alex turned around and took in the scenery. The room was medium-sized, and around fifty people could take shelter there. Alex saw four thin aisles past the displays of newly released books, with a small caf¨¦ at the lower left end of the store. In the center was a large round table with stacks of various books, and off to the right was the checkout area.


    However, when he looked down, Alex realized why this place wasn¡¯t a shelter. There was a plethora of corpses that had been mowed down or eaten, and splotches of dried blood had coated several sections of the floor. He wanted to throw up but couldn¡¯t, not even when he saw bits and chunks of flesh in blood mounds. He looked closer at some of the lesser ravaged bodies and saw matching slash marks on their torsos; the floors and walls oddly shared the same marks.


    ¡°Oh, god¡­ What happened here?¡± Alex clenched his handgun as he walked closely behind Keaton.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, don¡¯t wanna know,¡± Keaton whispered back.


    Alex gulped as he and his friend ventured down one of the aisles. As they passed through, it seemed the place had been thoroughly trashed and scavenged. Torn books were scattered across the floors and aisles, several of them smeared with bloody handprints and scratches.


    He tried not to think about it; instead, he focused on the books that still remained on their shelves. As he trailed their spines, reading various titles and authors, a familiar book caught his eye when moving past one of the shelves. It was a pocket-sized book titled Morphine Love. The words were printed with a smooth, creamy gold and a darkened outline; everything else was blank, with the cover¡¯s pure white color¡ªno summary in the back, no author¡¯s name on the front.


    I¡¯ve read this before, a long time ago, Alex thought. Despite the hellish atmosphere, a feeling of warmth filled his body as he picked it up and glossed over its rugged hardback with his thumb. He was an avid reader by heart, having various amounts of books back home. The corners of his mouth pulled into a smile as he reminisced about his late nights, enthralled with the worlds his collection contained. Of course, it was all thanks to Eric, who fed his addiction often. His eyebrow twitched, remembering that he¡¯d never asked; Eric just did it.


    A husky groan came from behind. Alex dropped the book and whipped around as two decaying hands grabbed his shoulders. His body tensed up as the male zombie pushed against him. It was muscular and heavy, too, forcing Alex to muster up all his strength to keep it at bay. However, its snarls and snapping, bloodied mouth tried to chomp Alex¡¯s throat. Alex then grimaced as he slowly bent his weakening legs. His biceps burned as the zombie slowly overpowered him. A putrid stench of its musky warm breath hit Alex¡¯s nose, cringing it in disgust.


    Then suddenly, a blaring popping noise ruptured the tension. Within an instant, a bullet whizzed through the air and pierced the zombie¡¯s forehead. Blood sprayed everywhere from the back of its head as it flicked backward. Its grip finally loosened, allowing Alex to shove it off of him. A muzzled thump followed once the zombie slammed against the carpeted floor.


    Alex fell to his knees and gripped his chest as he breathed. His reddened face burned slightly as cool air brushed against it. Keeping his head low, Alex spotted two large shoes coming into view.


    ¡°That¡¯s twice I¡¯ve saved you.¡± Keaton snickered.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Alex said, glancing up at an extended hand.


    As Keaton pulled him back to his feet, he said, ¡°The back door should be around¡ª!¡±


    BANG!


    A gunshot went off, and both men froze. It sounded close, maybe a room away, but that was more than enough for Keaton to be on high alert. He lifted his pistol, prompting Alex to do the same.


    A survivor? Alex thought; he hoped.


    However, Keaton didn¡¯t look as enthusiastic. His face had hardened into a frightening scowl. The two then made their way down the shelves and turned left; taking up the whole corner was what looked to be a small caf¨¦. The chairs in the front were haphazardly tossed aside, with the small tables also toppled over. Bloody hand marks were smeared against the food display, and dark red footprints trailed off the white tile and onto the store¡¯s carpet. There was a forest green door behind the counter, though it looked untouched. Despite the metallic stench, there was also a hint of vanilla and dark roasted coffee beans wafting through the air.


    Keaton moved past the counter and flicked his gun toward the floor. ¡°Clear,¡± he whispered.


    As Alex moved past some of the chairs¡ª


    BANG! BANG!


    ¡ªMuffled gunfire came from behind, causing the two to flinch. Alex quickly turned, his attention toward the opposite end. There was an open door on the far-left side of the room. He took a few steps forward, curious to see who caused that when suddenly, a petite blonde-haired woman rushed through. Two zombies then shambled right after, forcing the young woman to back up into a corner.


    Alex gasped. No way! She¡¯ll get caught!


    He had to do something fast. But even as he lifted his weapon, the woman was exceptionally quick on her toes; she aimed her handgun and fired a few shots, taking down the first zombie. It wore a dirty and ripped construction uniform, and as it stumbled back onto the floor, its tools scattered, softening the subsequent gunshots.


    Whoa! Alex raised both eyebrows, shocked by her skills. She was accurate, better than he could ever be. However, the second zombie was persistent, eating up four rounds and forcing the woman to yield back.


    Now was his chance! With the zombie at a safe distance away, Alex aimed and remembered what Keaton said. Aim for the chest.


    He slowed his breathing as the monster reached with its left hand, revealing its dirty torso, and he aimed down the sights until they lined up. He finally pulled the trigger, tightening his muscles for the recoil, and the gunshot erupted. Before he could even blink, the bullet whizzed through the air and pierced the zombie square in the chest. Blood sprayed from its back as it staggered.


    I hit it!


    Another gunshot went off behind him. It had to be from Keaton, as that bullet instantly smashed through the zombie¡¯s skull. It fell back against the wall and slid down, leaving a fresh coat of dark blood. The woman took in multiple breaths as she glanced at them, smiling.


    Alex then rushed in, lowering his handgun in the process. Keaton, however, focused more on the zombies. Once the zombie stopped twitching, as blood continued to ooze out onto the cold floor, Keaton lowered his handgun and faced the young woman.


    ¡°Thank god you¡¯re okay,¡± Alex sighed. ¡°That was too close.¡±


    Upon closer inspection, the girl looked unharmed. She took a few steps closer and smiled brightly at Alex and Keaton. As she did, a peachy-sweet aroma encircled her and brimmed Alex¡¯s senses. Suddenly, his full attention was drawn to her.


    She had a small, fair-skinned face with a little button nose and thin brows to match. Her blonde hair was tied in a messy ponytail, complimenting her soft-looking appearance. Alex noticed her bangs parted to the left, covering her forehead, and were secured by a few bobby pins.


    She wore a thin, maroon, short-sleeved sweater with a mock turtleneck that showed off her petite body. The woman also wore a cream-color hoodie wrapped around her oak-brown denim shorts to compliment it. She certainly was prepared for the cold as she wore black leggings underneath and fashionable brown knee-high boots.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± her soft voice said. ¡°You saved me some bullets.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d hate to have lost a survivor. My name¡¯s Alex.¡±


    ¡°Lyra. Hey.¡± She quickly raised her hand, then lifted her thumb and first two fingers. His green eyes met her hazel eyes, illuminated by the bright light above. They were exotic; flecks of green and blue danced in the brown.


    Alex waved and nudged his friend to do the same. But Keaton was motionless; he stood there with a blank face and a slightly open mouth.


    You can¡¯t be serious, thought Alex. He quickly introduced his friend.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯ll keep it straight. I¡¯m trying to get out of the city. This place is seriously fucked.¡± Lyra kept her gun raised, ready for anything. ¡°I suggest you two do the same.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°We were actually going to the shelter¡ªI heard it was safe,¡± stated Alex. He flicked his head toward Keaton, who still seemed utterly infatuated with the girl.


    This time, Lyra lowered her gun and leaned on one hip. ¡°You think it¡¯s worth it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know but I¡¯d rather try and get out when it¡¯s morning. These things are really annoying to deal with when it¡¯s hard to see...¡±


    She nodded. ¡°True that. I¡¯ve been having trouble on my own. Seems like there¡¯s no one left alive¡­ Well, until you two showed up.¡±


    Alex smiled. ¡°Come with us? We can get out together.¡±


    ¡°Beats being alone¡­ Sure, why not.¡± Lyra then glanced down at Alex¡¯s belt before smirking. ¡°Oh hey! You¡¯ve got a police radio!¡± Alex nodded, unsure of what else to say. Lyra then pulled a similar one from her hoodie¡¯s pocket. ¡°Channel seven, okay?¡±


    Alex then checked his radio, making sure to dial it to that. ¡°Got it, easy to keep in touch.¡± He then slotted it back into place and looked up at Keaton. The man was still flustered, and Alex wondered if he¡¯d even blinked.


    The young lady chuckled slightly. ¡°Once the big guy is ready, follow me. I think I found the way out.¡± She then brushed by; her ponytail swayed fast as she headed for the door they were initially going to go through.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Keaton?¡± Alex snapped his fingers in front of his friend¡¯s face. After a few tries, Keaton finally blinked out of his daze and turned his attention down to Alex.


    ¡°Dude, that girl is so pretty,¡± whispered Keaton with a quick puff.


    ¡°Is now really the time?¡± Alex tilted his head, scrunching his brows.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m in love.¡±


    Alex stared blankly before raising his hands out of contempt. Oh, my lord. This man will be the death of me.


    ¡°I should ask her out.¡± Keaton nodded to himself.


    He then took a deep breath before confronting Keaton once more. ¡°I think you¡¯ll get a knee to the groin, Romeo. Now let¡¯s go.¡±


    Alex tugged on Keaton¡¯s thick forearm, dragging him toward their newfound companion. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t leave them in the dust; Lyra stood with her arms crossed just outside the door. Alex stepped into a short corridor that banked off to the right. It was empty, thankfully; however, the dried blood stains on the walls suggested caution. Alex firmed his hold on his gun as he followed behind Lyra.


    ¡°I was trying to get out through the back, right, but this stupid gate is in the way. I¡¯m hoping this leads through to the security room,¡± said Lyra.


    ¡°It¡¯s not by the gate?¡± Alex asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s this smaller room on the corner with a window, but metal boxes block the door to that; I couldn¡¯t get past¡ªOh! But I did see that there¡¯s a second door in that little room through the window.¡±


    They rounded the corner, Lyra keeping her gun cocked. She then stopped and pointed toward two sets of large, thick metal crates at the end of the hall. Though they didn¡¯t block off the pathway completely, there was no way for them to squeeze through.


    ¡°Come on.¡± Lyra took a quick left turn down an adjacent hall.


    As soon as Keaton rounded the bend, Alex tapped his shoulder. He then asked, ¡°You think you can push that?¡±


    Keaton folded his arms and clenched his jaw. ¡°Maybe. I¡¯d honestly like to see you try, though.¡±


    Alex smiled lightly, then chuckled, prompting Keaton to smile as well.


    ¡°Why are we laughing?¡± asked Keaton.


    ¡°Because there is no way I¡¯m going to embarrass myself in front of you guys,¡± Alex said, raising both his thin arms. ¡°I mean, look at me. I can barely handle staying alive.¡±


    Keaton placed a finger on his chin and his other hand on his hip as he examined Alex¡¯s body. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he smirked. ¡°You¡¯ve been fine so far.¡±


    Alex wrapped his arms around his torso and glanced away as his face flushed red. He opened his mouth, wanting to speak, when a feminine voice down the hall told them to hurry up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not keep the princess waiting.¡± Keaton burst out laughing as he strutted down the hall.


    Yeah¡­


    Lyra stood, face unreadable, in front of a thick metal door. As the two approached, Alex noticed the door had a small open window built into it. Not only that, but a scratched-out sign was embedded into the door. Security office, he read internally.


    ¡°This is it,¡± she said, not bothering to look at them.


    Both men nodded, letting her take the lead. She carefully pushed open the door with the butt of her right hand, then instantly flicked her wrist and aimed her weapon.


    Alex leaned against one hip and waited for Keaton to back her up. He then wrapped his arms around his body and shivered. The thin hall was oddly cold, and goosebumps formed up his legs rapidly. He blew air upward in quick succession. Jesus, what the hell? His jaw started to shake rapidly. Alex swallowed some saliva as he tried to keep his teeth from chattering.


    ¡°Oh fuck¡­¡± Lyra¡¯s voice whispered from inside.


    Alex clenched his jaw, rushing in as fast as he could. The room was reasonably packed with a large control panel, corresponding monitors above them, and several metal shelves that covered the walls. Two worn-down rolling chairs had been pushed together to make space. Alex turned his attention to the right, where Lyra had been crouching down, inspecting a corpse. He had to be the security guard, wearing a gray collared shirt with a golden name badge. His security hat had fallen onto his lap, exposing a large gash on the dead man¡¯s skull. Alex¡¯s stomach churned at the sight of pink fleshy brain matter; he glanced away, gritting his teeth, trying not to puke.


    ¡°Fucking hell¡­ What happened?¡± Keaton spoke hoarsely as if he, too, tried not to let the sight get to him. Alex refused to turn toward them, even as Keaton walked by and likely leaned down with Lyra. Instead, he turned his attention to the window above the control panels. The area over was a storeroom, still jam-packed with various unopened boxes. It looked like they had a recent delivery. Alex furrowed his brows and chewed his inner cheek, wondering if the store got overrun from this end or the front entrance.


    ¡°It¡¯s blunt trauma; he was struck down with someone heavy¡ªa steel pipe probably,¡± said Lyra, breaking Alex out of his thoughts. He peeked through the corner of his right eye.


    ¡°Shit, what a horrible way to go. Why would anyone do this?¡± asked Keaton.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know; maybe they thought he was infected. But this is overboard. It takes one good swing from someone with average muscle to cause brain damage¡ªbut from what it looks like, someone had repeatedly been pounding it down.¡± She finally stood up and walked over to Alex, unshaken by what she¡¯d seen.


    Alex stared blankly, watching quietly as she leaned over and pressed a few keys on one of the monitors. He then coughed, breaking the silence. ¡°What¡¯s up with you? Why are you acting so calm about that?¡±


    Lyra turned her head, her fingers still typing away. ¡°Sweetie, I¡¯m an RN who works in intensive care¡ªI¡¯ve seen things way worse than that.¡±


    The nausea subsided as he nodded slowly. If she can handle this, then it¡¯s not that bad. You can do it too.


    With a few more button taps, a blaring buzzing noise burst through the room. Then, a loud and obnoxious metallic groan followed. Alex looked through the dusty window and watched patiently as the shutter slowly lifted. Its hissing screech still blared in his ears even after it had fully ascended.


    ¡°Easy,¡± Lyra smirked. She then stood up and turned toward Alex when suddenly a hellish shriek halted her in place. They both stood frozen as it continued, but the sounds didn¡¯t stop. An ear-piercing metal thump, followed by clanging pipes, drowned out the monstrous noise. Something had moved in the room prior. Keaton quickly slid into the hall, flicking his gun forward.


    ¡°What was that¡­?¡± Lyra whispered, her arms wrapped around her petite torso.


    ¡°No clue,¡± Keaton responded. ¡°Nothing here, though.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get the fuck out of here¡ªthis place is giving me the creeps.¡±


    Lyra kept her head down as she rushed out of the room. The two then slowly crept down the hall, leaving Alex alone. He took a deep breath, trying to keep himself together. He shouldn¡¯t have come here; he knew that much. But still, he wondered what would¡¯ve happened to those two if he hadn¡¯t arrived. His thoughts traveled to Eric, hoping that man wouldn¡¯t be mad. Alex sighed deeply. Who was he trying to fool? Of course, Eric would get pissed. Regardless, he had to see this through. If they got to the shelter, they could wait until help arrived. Then maybe you can snag a line and tell Eric you¡¯re okay.


    Alex nodded. It was a good plan, hopefully, one that came to fruition. Finally, he turned around and headed for the door. But as he did, heavy, wet stomps scampered through the storeroom. He flinched when the shriek happened again. It was inhuman, not even fully animal-sounding either. What the¡ª? Eyes wide, Alex ground his teeth as he watched something shadowy slip by the window and through the open gate. It was fast, faster than he could picture. Alex blinked, trying to recall what he had witnessed; whatever that thing was, he wasn¡¯t sure.


    I swear if I see that thing again¡­ Alex finally exited the room, trying to forget what he saw, when he¡¯d nearly bumped into Keaton¡¯s sturdy left arm.


    ¡°The hell?¡± Lyra shook her head slowly and backed up a bit. ¡°Those crates were heavy a fuck¡ªthere¡¯s no way a zombie could¡¯ve pushed it!¡±


    Keaton walked toward the crate and placed his thick hand on top of it, caressing the smooth metal. ¡°Whatever it was¡­ I doubt we have the firepower to take it down.¡±


    Alex looked over Keaton¡¯s shoulder to see what they were talking about. The metal crates from before had been toppled over, leaving a small but squeezable gap they could move through. That thing must¡¯ve done it. Alex swallowed a lump in his throat, recoiling his body a bit.


    ¡°I say we take our leave¡ªmaybe we can find better guns in a different store.¡± Lyra brushed her blonde bangs out of her face. She then casually slid through the open gap the crates caused, effortlessly passing through. ¡°Come on, boys; we should hustle.¡± With that, she moved out of sight.


    Keaton shrugged slightly before giving a light smile back to Alex. He then held his breath, thinning his muscular body as compactly as possible, before moving himself through the gap. It was Alex¡¯s turn next. He holstered his Glock 48 and carefully inched through the crates. Thankfully, his waist pouch didn¡¯t cause any issues. Alex was nearly there, about halfway through the opening. Keaton thankfully waited patiently, checking his surroundings as well.


    A sigh of relief slipped out of Alex¡¯s mouth when, all of a sudden, something latched onto his left arm. It was intense, causing him to flinch and practically halt in place. Alex whipped his head around and gasped. The zombie from the security room had latched onto him and was dangerously close. If he¡¯d reacted any later, he¡¯d surely have a nice bite wound on his thin forearm.


    The decaying hand surprisingly had a vice grip on him, tugging him hard enough to pop the shoulder out nearly. Alex gritted his teeth, pulling back. Thankfully, the zombie¡¯s teeth were far out of range, but even so, it still snapped its bloody jaws at him and snarled. Alex pulled his arm back harder, nearly slipping out of its grip, but the thing was tenacious; it leaned over the crate and squirmed closer. He silently cursed, realizing his gun was currently holstered. In this situation, all Alex could do was resist. And so he did; Alex pulled back with a harsh glare. The zombie didn¡¯t care, though, as its hollow white eyes were fixated on his young flesh. Then, a second hand gripped his right arm from behind, causing him to yelp.


    ¡°Alex, move!¡± ordered Keaton. He did so, pulling his head back as far as he could. There was plenty of room for the shot, and Keaton didn¡¯t hesitate to pull the trigger¡ª


    BANG!


    ¡ªthe zombie¡¯s head slumped onto the crate, with blood splattering against its smooth metal surface. Alex¡¯s ears burned as they rang, the echoing shot reverberating inside his eardrum. He¡¯d likely need a hearing aid after all this was over. But at least he was alive; the grip had loosened, and Alex pulled his thin arm away, free at last. He finally breathed fresh air before fully sliding through and away from that rotting thing.


    His arm ached; Alex held it and gently massaged the tightened muscles as best he could. His now reddened skin was bruised slightly. This¡¯ll no doubt turn purple tomorrow, Alex thought while chuckling. Why are they so strong? They¡¯re supposed to be dead.


    ¡°You aight?¡± Keaton asked. He rubbed his firm, thick hand on Alex¡¯s shoulder and motioned his thumb in circles.


    Alex nodded, grateful for the warm touch. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Keaton smirked, giving Alex a light pat before stepping back. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to call for help¡ªI¡¯ve got your back, ya know?¡±


    ¡°Likewise.¡±


    The two wasted no time and walked into the open street, promptly catching up to that zestful young woman.

 Chapter 6

    The chilling night wind nipped Alex¡¯s face as he reached the outside. It felt colder than before, as if the temperature dropped drastically. In response, he tugged at his popped collar, keeping it close to his pale neck. Thankfully he brought the damn thing too. It was a bit costly, too; Zoey had mentioned that the quality fabric came from somewhere in Europe. However, Alex never really needed it as he lived in a much warmer California. He was definitely grateful now. However, despite all of that, the air itself was unnaturally dry. Cinder and ash wafted in the air, lingering on his clothes. He wondered how many fires had broken out and how much damage was done to the city. Was it salvageable? He didn¡¯t know.


    A slight movement from the corner of his eyes caused tiny goosebumps on Alex¡¯s shoulders. Keaton inched toward Lyra, crouched behind a damaged midnight-blue sedan halfway on the sidewalk. She was looking onward, northbound, to where a small shopping center was. The street eventually ended there, and going south was also not really an option. As Alex followed slowly, his eyes wandered, ensuring those carriers were nowhere in sight.


    So far, so good, he thought. But even so, his face slowly fell, and he grimaced. It was too weird. They¡¯re back outside, on what looks to be another main road, and¡­ nothing? Not even that odd, shrieking creature was to be seen. But a strange feeling washed over him, like he was being watched.


    Alex crouched beside Keaton, nearly close enough to feel his body heat. It practically radiated off of him, like an invisible gas cloud that stopped the temperature in its tracks. Alex curled lower lip, jealous; Eric could also do that with his much larger frame. He would often toy with the subject of cuddling, too. He shook his head, focusing away from those thoughts and toward Lyra, who¡¯d been eyeing something off in the distance.


    Keaton frowned slightly at her. ¡°Why are we hi¡ª¡±


    ¡°Look it,¡± whispered Lyra, cutting him off. ¡°Up there.¡±


    She had pointed her thin finger toward the rooftops in the far-left corner. Two humanoid-looking silhouettes stood by the edge. For a second, they appeared to be roughhousing. At least, that¡¯s what Alex assumed. However, his widened eyes could only take in so much. Whatever they were, they had vanished, jumping back onto the roof and out of sight.


    ¡°The fuck were those?¡± Keaton¡¯s deep voice burst.


    Lyra flicked her eyes to Alex. ¡°Whatever made those shrieks, I think that was them.¡±


    Oh no! Alex¡¯s heartbeat thumped loudly in his chest. He was sure anyone could hear it if it weren¡¯t for his uneven breathing.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell where they¡¯re headed or what they¡¯re doing.¡± Keaton glared and then cocked his head.


    ¡°Hopefully, they¡¯re going far, far away from us.¡± Lyra stood up.


    They were in a rut. With those things on the loose, they had to take extra caution. Did we let them out? Alex wasn¡¯t sure. But he knew he didn¡¯t want to mess with them, especially since there were two. Though he only heard one, assuming there weren¡¯t anymore was a mistake. Stay out of their way, and we¡¯ll be fine. He turned to the left, wondering if they could take an alternate path to the shelter. He then squinted and spotted several SWAT vehicles that completely blocked off the road going south. Jeez, we can¡¯t go anywhere.


    ¡°South is a no-go; the only way forward is north,¡± whispered Alex.


    ¡°Fan-fucking-tastic,¡± Keaton groaned as he stood up as well. ¡°Oh, great, and look at that¡ªdead bodies to fill a sea¡­¡±


    Alex nearly jumped to his feet, glancing at what Keaton had said. He was right, and there were several corpses scattered throughout the road and adjacent shopping center. But that wasn¡¯t all. With the help of the street light, Alex could see golden glistening bullet casings everywhere. This place was a last stand. A slight chill ran up his spine as the faint scent of musky gunpowder cringed his nose. I hope whoever was here prior got to someplace safe.


    ¡°Alex, Cloonan Street is fucked everywhere. North is blocked too¡ªlook at the cars.¡± Keaton pointed. His face looked hard, irritated at the constant delays. ¡°Shit!¡± His fists were clenched, turning ghostly white.


    At this rate, he¡¯d likely explode from anger.


    Alex blinked, surprised. Keaton didn¡¯t appear to be the type to get upset, especially when the situation wasn¡¯t so bad. But then a thought rose in his head. The man had been surviving this infection since it happened. Sure, even Alex witnessed a few roadblocks, but how many had Keaton? He couldn¡¯t let his friend snap. The night had just begun. But honestly, he was at a loss for what to do. And considering what happened with Eric, he¡¯d likely escalate the situation.


    Thankfully, Lyra was quick to react. She brushed her hand against Keaton¡¯s forearm, gently soothing him. ¡°Let¡¯s keep our cool. We can pass through the flower shop over there. I believe they have a side alley that leads to the next street.¡±


    The two stared at each other longingly as if they were old friends. A slight twitch flicked Alex¡¯s lower right eyelid. Jealously, no doubt that was the case. It¡¯d been long since he¡¯d expressed that type of trust with someone. And although he got to visit Zoey whenever he could, her new life would no doubt be a challenge. And she wants kids, Alex scoffed. At least Eric was in his life¡ªhe wasn¡¯t alone.


    Alex lowered his eyes. Eric, were you¡ª?


    ¡°Aight,¡± Keaton coughed slightly. You take the lead; I¡¯ll watch your back. Alex, at my six.¡±


    Alex nearly fell back, his stomach tied in knots at those orders. He had to admit it was impressive, preventing a man from having a total freak out. The pretty girl had some power, after all. Hmm, Alex pushed his tongue into his cheek, thinking. Once he was finished, he nodded and raised his handgun.


    The shopping center was just an open square of arranged old, brick-style buildings. A couple of bushy trees were implanted into the center median to give an aesthetic to the surrounding buildings. Despite that, Alex found more trash and abandoned bloody tattered clothes on the ground. A few shopping carts were scattered and discarded; the closest one had a bloody, mangled thing inside. It was difficult to tell what it was exactly, but the dark blood that stained the metal left a sour taste in Alex¡¯s mouth. He looked elsewhere; the walls of several stores had been tagged with many graffiti marks. Some were random signs, but others had words such as Get out carriers near and Help us please!


    As he continued, a light wind brushed against some of the trees, allowing their leaves to sing peacefully. It would be heavenly to Alex¡¯s ears if it weren¡¯t for the distant alarms of cars and sirens going off; the occasional popping of gunfire and mini explosions also unsettled the soundscape. There are still other people out there. I hope everyone is managing somehow.


    He kept his footing, balanced and slow, as he meandered north through the land mines of the undead. For now, they had remained silent. But he knew they were likely playing dead. He¡¯d seen it before and wouldn¡¯t fall for it again. The street continued past the small shopping center and, at the furthest point, looked like it turned left. The last of the buildings, four in total, had only three marked alleys that separated them. The one at the far-left corner was merged into its adjacent. As he turned to look at the rest, one caught his eye instantly. A dirty white car had backed in and crashed into a small store. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t make it far into the building, giving him a full view of the front half. Blood splattered across the broken windshield, and the mangled body had several large pieces of glass poking out of them. Their eye socket had been pierced with a large metal rod. Alex averted his vision, not wanting to witness anymore.


    Lyra reached the closest alley and pressed on one of the gates. She turned around and shook her head. Locked, great.


    ¡°I wonder if we go through there,¡± Alex jerked his head to the right middle building, closest to the street, ¡°we might get lucky.¡±


    Oddly, the soft monochrome gray that painted the store was undisturbed. Unlike some others, the windows weren¡¯t broken or barricaded up. Alex shrugged. He didn¡¯t really care and chalked up the reason being that the owners likely just left it. As Alex moved toward the glass-framed door, a crow cawed in the dark trees, startling him; it then quickly jumped out and flew off into the distance. These damn birds, he thought.


    Alex finally pushed open the door and walked in. While his gun was aimed, he swayed his arms from left to right. The room was rectangular, with the register on the far left on top of a glass counter. The longer back wall had shelves and empty, broken pots. At the far end of the left side was another door with a green exit above it. A sigh of relief escaped his lips. There were no zombies inside. However, there were two dead people pushed up against the lower right corner of the store. It was an unfortunate sight to see; matching bullet holes caved into their skulls. Suicide, darn.


    A sudden feeling of worry washed over him. He thought of Eric and how unusually upset he was earlier. He did know that man had endured a lot in his life; Eric wasn¡¯t weak; he could handle it. Although, what if it was too much to bear? Whatever had been eating away at him had to be something serious. And the fact that he even talked to Alex about his feelings was a big red flag; Alex needed to get home¡ªto see him. You idiot, no wonder why he wants you there more often. But he wouldn¡¯t¡­ He couldn¡¯t¡­


    At this point, he wasn¡¯t sure of anything.


    ¡°What is this place?¡± Keaton asked abrasively.


    Alex turned around, shaking his mind free from those thoughts. Eric had to hang in there, at least for a little while. At the moment, Alex needed to focus on securing his safety.


    ¡°It¡¯s a flower shop,¡± responded Lyra, stepping in last. She locked the door and pushed a thick bag of potting soil in front.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t look like a flower shop.¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°Someone must¡¯ve stolen all the flowers. I dunno.¡±


    Alex ignored them and took a closer look at the two corpses; they were likely trying to survive but couldn¡¯t take the madness anymore. A youngish-looking boy and girl huddled next to each other and rested peacefully. The boy had wavy dark hair and wore a thick blue hoodie, while the girl wore a dark red letterman jacket. Her auburn hair glistened in the store light, though Alex wondered if it was due to her own blood. They both had their matching backpacks left to the side. Keaton seemed happy as he whistled while darting over.


    ¡°Dude¡­¡± Alex whispered. A small knot formed in his stomach as he watched. Stealing was wrong, sure, but grave robbing was something else entirely. He didn¡¯t feel good as Keaton waved him off.


    ¡°Can¡¯t let their stuff go to waste¡ªyes! A free flashlight, and they had ammo!¡± Keaton looked over his shoulder, smirking as he held up three thin magazines. ¡°Thirty bullets, all for you.¡±


    He was hesitant, but the ammo did look desirable. There was no guarantee that he¡¯d find any more rounds, and even though he¡¯d spared plenty, Alex would likely have to use them eventually. He reached, glaring as he took the two magazines and pocketed them.


    ¡°This is wrong,¡± Alex stated firmly. His intense stare narrowed to the back of Keaton¡¯s head.


    ¡°Whatever it takes to survive, Ali-boy.¡± Keaton shifted through the backpacks some more. ¡°We¡¯ve got ammo for you too, Lyra¡­ Lyra?¡±


    Both men turned, fearing the worst. But there she was, standing at the far end of the shop; her back was turned, and she seemed to be fidgeting with some device.


    Alex nabbed Keaton¡¯s spare magazine and walked over to her. As he drew near, faint static rattled out from the machine. It must¡¯ve been a radio that she¡¯d been messing with, as a woman¡¯s voice burst through the static. He handed over the magazine and listened quietly.


    ¡°¡­The report on the Riverlands City disaster will begin at nine. All citizens should remain indoors and away from anyone exhibiting signs of aggressive behavior. This is not a drill¡ªThe police have already established roadblocks on major routes to prevent the infection from spreading¡­ Everyone in neighboring cities should prepare for evacuation¡­¡±


    ¡°So, the police have the city on lockdown?¡± Alex raised his brows, his green eyes rounded. More importantly, why are they asking us to stay within the city? Is my home being evacuated, too?


    ¡°Jeez. We¡¯ll probably need to find alternative routes if we wanna escape,¡± Lyra shook her head. ¡°And hopefully, the infection stays local.¡±


    ¡°Lyra?¡± Alex whispered. However, it was loud enough for her to turn with a puzzled look. He continued. ¡°Do you think this will spread beyond the city?¡± He hoped she would¡¯ve taken a bit longer to respond, but she prepared the question herself.


    When she spoke, she maintained a clear and concise tone. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it will. So long as the government doesn¡¯t pretend like it doesn¡¯t exist¡ªwe¡¯re lucky actually; the town is relatively smaller and very isolated.¡±


    ¡°We can worry about all of that once we¡¯re safe in the shelter,¡± Keaton said. He looked ready to move on; his face had softened, likely satisfied with the looting.


    ¡°Any guns?¡± Lyra asked. She then fixed her white hoodie, tightening the sleeve-knot. Alex narrowed his gaze at her adjustments; he hadn¡¯t realized she also had a gun holster attached to her thigh, as well as a leather belt bag that hung loosely on her hip.


    Keaton responded, ¡°Just one, no mag though. I ain¡¯t keeping it¡ªdon¡¯t have the space.¡±


    ¡°Damn, handgun it is.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Terry¡¯s models are fucking amazing¡ªsorta pissed I don¡¯t get to use it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that guy?¡± Lyra scoffed. ¡°I remember having to pull a bullet out of his thigh two years ago at the hospital. He would not stop complaining about the experience.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± asked Alex.


    ¡°Just a gun store owner by the police station,¡± explained Lyra. ¡°He¡¯s a total nerd who does nothing but objectify women on the Internet all day.¡±


    Keaton¡¯s face struck aghast. He spoke up, straining his voice. ¡°No, he is not; he¡¯s a gun specialist who crafts the models.¡±


    ¡°Mkay? Same thing.¡±


    ¡°Lyra, that man is a godsend when it comes to building gun blueprints. He invented Silver Spirit and even worked on Kazeshini. He¡¯s literally the best of his time.¡±


    Lyra flicked a finger. ¡°I don¡¯t know what any of that means, but he sounds like a nerd.¡±


    Keaton waved her off, no longer interested in conversing. Despite them both arguing like children, Alex couldn¡¯t help but smile to himself. It was adorable watching two strangers act like long-time friends. When we get out, we should all go drinking and bowling. Enjoy a night of freedom.


    ¡°Alex, here, take this.¡± Keaton then stood before him and placed something heavy in his hands.


    Looking concerned, Alex glanced down and found a knife sheathed in leather. The hilt was black, and the sheath was a matching leathery gray. A small strap with a shiny gold button held the knife in place.


    ¡°Is this uh¡­?¡± Alex was too stunned to speak. Keaton merely gave an affirming nod.


    ¡°Yeah. Now listen,¡± Keaton¡¯s tone suddenly changed. ¡°If someone¡ªanyone¡ªgrabs you and I can¡¯t get to you, I want you to take that knife and jam it right into their skull. Okay?¡±


    Would this thing really save me? I guess maybe, in a pinch, I could use it to protect myself. Alex nodded.


    ¡°Good,¡± confirmed Keaton. ¡°I got one too, just in case.¡±


    Keaton then turned around, allowing Alex to see. The holstered knife was resting at an angle on his lower back, attached to his belt. Alex took him and did the same, securing it behind his left hip.


    ¡°There, now you look like a real badass,¡± Keaton smirked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel like one.¡±


    A thunderous rumble shook the earth. It sounded mechanical and intensely vibrated Alex¡¯s head. He nearly collapsed onto the chairs, trying to resist the sound. Outside, a small but increasing dust tornado started whipping around random dirt particles. The rumbles increased in frequency as well.


    ¡°What the hell is going on!?¡± Keaton asked, his hands covering his ears.


    ¡°An earthquake!?¡± Alex shouted. He joined the club, cupping his ears as well. The intense vibrations shook his body to the core. He could barely stand; his body was petrified, and his vision started to blur.


    Lyra looked up; her face hardened to a scowl. ¡°That¡¯s no earthquake! It¡¯s coming from above us!¡±


    Is it... a helicopter? Alex thought briefly. It was too much to take; the vicious vibrations petrified his body and caused his insides to feel numb. He ground his teeth and scrunched his face tightly.


    Then, a heavy static vibrated through the air, and a man¡¯s loud, echoing voice came out. Despite the helicopter¡¯s rotor blades viciously slicing through the air, Alex could still hear the pilot¡¯s grainy voice.


    ¡°Everyone in this vicinity¡ªplease evacuate to the Riverlands police station! A rescue team is on its way!¡±


    ¡°The police station?¡± Lyra repeated, rubbing her inner ears. ¡°That dip is really out there hollering to everyone?¡±


    The pilot repeated his message as the helicopter flew away. Finally, the intense vibrations ceased, allowing Alex to uncup his sore ears. His head still ached from the noise, but he was grateful he wasn¡¯t directly outside.


    ¡°Where even is the police station anyway?¡± asked Alex.


    ¡°It¡¯s, uh, nowhere near where we¡¯re going,¡± replied Keaton.


    Lyra quickly rushed over to the window and peered outside. She kept an intense glare at the fleeing helicopter. If looks could kill, Alex was sure the pilot would die. She scoffed, finally turning around. ¡°Asshole really had to do that right over us.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s bad because¡ª?¡± Alex silenced himself as soon as he heard it. The withering screams of the undead left the trio in silence. No way, that bastard, he seriously brought them to us!?


    It wasn¡¯t long before the group of zombies finally appeared, roused from their suspicions. Their growling squeals were barely audible through the windows, though Alex knew they were starving from their snarling faces and attempts at scratching and smacking up against the glass.


    The zombies outside then started to batter the windows, leaving behind dark splotches and newly formed cracks. They knew fresh meat was just within reach. They were sitting ducks with no way out.


    Oh no! Alex gulped; his lower jaw started to chatter. Not only that, but his legs began to shake, too. He was struck with fear as his heartbeat formed an irregular pattern.


    Then, another cacophony of feral shrieks went off outside. Alex had heard them before, back in the coffee shop. They were almost demonic cries, unlike anything the zombies could produce. Sinister, like nails on a chalkboard, they stung Alex¡¯s eardrums. It had to be that thing¡­


    ¡°Alex was that¡­!?¡± Lyra¡¯s eyes were wide, her brows high; she gasped, slowly backing up against the wall.


    But before he could even answer, larger cracks began forming on the windows. Bits of shards started to break off, causing Alex to gasp. No way!


    ¡°The pressure!¡± She yelled. ¡°The glass won¡¯t hold forever; we need to go! Now!¡±


    ¡°Oh shit! They¡¯re breaking in!¡± Keaton shouted, clenching his jaw.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head through the back door!¡± Lyra called out.


    The window finally gave way and shattered, sending large glass shards flying. Alex covered his face, cowering back so as not to get a face full of broken glass. Their voracious moans of starvation bellowed out of their grotesque, blood-stained mouths. The tattered clothes, several bite marks, and soulless white eyes were too much to take in. But Alex only had one thought as the zombies lunged with vicious delight.


    Run!


    He then made a break toward the exit door when gunshots erupted. It was likely Lyra covering for them, but Alex couldn¡¯t tell as once he shifted his arms away from his face, a thick fabric suddenly appeared. Alex slammed hard into a muscular chest as a familiar cedar smell filled his nostrils. He then pulled back, using the forearm as a support. Keaton stood tall, glaring at the zombies as he fired with a single hand.


    ¡°Alex, we gotta go!¡± Keaton yelled through the gunfire.


    The gun¡¯s flashes illuminated the shadows outside, revealing that more zombies had stumbled through the ally. Their lustful moans, craving flesh, synced well with the sounds of raining bullets. They looked similar, decaying flesh and ripped skin revealing rotten organs and bloody bones, yet their faces differed. Some of them had their faces ripped off, others just noses, but despite this, Alex could still see what they used to look like, who they used to be.


    They were people, survivors of this infection that got caught and were¡ªand were¡­ eaten.


    ¡°Alex!¡±


    Keaton shook him, trying to break him free from his trance. But Alex didn¡¯t move. He was practically petrified. No matter where they went, those things were always there. Alex shut his eyes shut as his body trembled.


    ¡°No worries! I¡¯ll carry you out!¡±


    Alex gasped, nearly jumping backward as sudden weightlessness overwhelmed his senses. With the ground vanishing behind his feet and the quick whiplash of movement, he could only feel the warmth of Keaton¡¯s body. Then, Alex came face to face with a large red wall.

 Chapter 7

    The door slammed shut, sending a burst of pounding vibrations into his ear. He winced in pain as silence filled the alley. Keaton then hopped Alex off his shoulder and took quick, short breaths. ¡°We should be good now,¡± he stated, though Keaton still kept his hand on the knob.


    Alex fell against a brick wall, his legs weak. He then looked up at Keaton¡¯s sturdy back. Keaton held the door shut with his left hand, keeping his handgun close to his body. Alex then pressed his hands against his tense shoulders. He swallowed saliva as he rubbed the tightened muscles. Flicking his eyes to the left, Lyra also seemed on edge as her head glanced from side to side.


    She then sighed and lowered her gun. ¡°They¡¯ll probably bust down that door. Let¡¯s keep going.¡±


    Alex took a few steps toward Keaton before a feminine yelp came from behind. Alex sluggishly aimed his gun at Lyra, who had been struggling to hold off an overpowering zombie. It was a male zombie who was bigger, stronger, and more aggressive toward her small frame. Its voracious moans said nothing more than its desire to sink its teeth into her supple flesh and tear out her throat. Though he wanted to pull the trigger, he knew he¡¯d likely miss.


    Another way! Alex holstered his gun as Lyra shrieked out. He needed something that could stop this zombie without injuring his companion. Then, his fingers grazed against a rubber hilt as he tried to reach for anything on his belt that could save her.


    The knife! Alex finally realized. Sweat leaked down his face as he bolted over to Lyra, unsheathing the blade. He had to hurry as the adrenaline filled his veins; he might lose this one chance to strike with unwavering speed. Lyra kept her head as low as possible as the zombie straightened its posture and unhinged its jaw. Then, in a fast motion, Alex pulled Lyra back as he drove his knife into the zombie¡¯s withering throat. The blade pierced through with no resistance. At the same time, Alex pulled back and shoved the zombie away, causing it to stumble a bit before collapsing onto the wall behind and sliding down. Fresh droplets of murky blood trailed to the unresponsive corpse.


    Lyra sat on the floor, her chest heaving. Beads of sweat dripped down her face, glistening her soft-looking, unyielding skin. She stared with a blank expression, hazel eyes full of uncertainty.


    ¡°You, okay?¡± Alex extended his hand out.


    ¡°Yeah, thanks.¡± She took his hand and pulled herself to her feet.


    Alex turned around toward Keaton and started to move when suddenly, a quick gunshot pierced his ears, and the strong scent of gunpowder entered his nose. He slowly pivoted his torso to look back. Astonished by the sight, Lyra had her gun aimed down with a heap of smoke trailing out from her gun¡¯s muzzle. The zombie was still on the ground, dead. However, its body was no longer against the wall but now on the floor by her small brown boots.


    ¡°Piece of shit.¡± Lyra spat, rubbing her shoulder. ¡°You seriously wanted a round two?¡±


    Alex flicked his head back to his other companion. Keaton kept his gun pointed toward the door as it shook violently. Though it seemed to hold up decently, Alex wasn¡¯t sure if they¡¯d back off as the knob continued to rattle. He shook his head. No, they¡¯re persistent; these zombies won¡¯t stop until we¡¯re all dead.


    After a couple of minutes, Keaton finally lowered his weapon, though the banging on the door didn¡¯t cease. He¡¯d backed up close enough for Alex to see the gun strapped to his back. It was matte black with a unique, wide-looking handguard under the barrel. The magazine was long and weirdly thin. He wanted to ask what the gun was called but ultimately knew it didn¡¯t matter as he wouldn¡¯t know what it meant. I¡¯ll ask anyway when we are safer.


    Keaton finally turned around and patted Alex¡¯s shoulder with his thick hand. ¡°We ready?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Alex.


    Keaton smiled and led the way. Moving past Lyra, he then took a left turn. Alex returned his attention to Lyra, whose eyes were gloomy and dark. He tried his best to give back a sympathetic expression, but she seemed to ignore it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, yeah?¡± asked Alex.


    Her eyes met his, and then she nodded. ¡°Right.¡±


    The two slowly crept out into the adjacent alley that led west. Thankfully, Keaton waited for them. His flashlight beamed down the alley, revealing it to be empty. But considering those things were always near, Alex didn¡¯t let his guard down as he walked. About ten feet ahead was an old-looking metal gate. Keaton pressed against it, causing a squeaking clash of rusty bolts in their hinges.


    The undead moans echoed throughout the alley. With a mixture of layered screams and perilous growls, Alex halted in place. The thin hairs on his neck stood erect, and his breathing stopped momentarily. As he slowly turned his head, he spotted them from his peripherals. Several bloody and torn fingers curved around the corner of the section they¡¯d just come through. Finally, the feeble carcasses peeked out.


    ¡°They¡¯re still coming!?¡± Alex shrieked. He wanted to aim, but his shaking legs had a different plan. Instead, he twisted around and stepped through the gate as the zombies flooded the alleyway.


    Lyra didn¡¯t look back as she bolted out of the alley. She then slammed the gate shut before stumbling backward. ¡°Fuck off!¡± she screamed as the closest zombies finally slammed up against the closed gate.


    It wouldn¡¯t take long before they burst through. The gate screeched against its brick foundation when they finally brushed against it. The hungry, high-pitched cries grew louder as the zombies pushed against it even harder, nearly breaking the hinges. They stuck their arms out through the thin gaps in the bars. The closest ones had been severely squashed; blood leaked from their damaged and torn faces as they pressed against the metal.


    Lyra furrowed her thin brows, glaring at them. ¡°We need to block this before they break through!¡±


    Alex briefly considered running, but he bit his lip. No, they¡¯d just catch up, and we might be in a worse position.


    Alex had to think of a way to slow them down, fast. He flicked his eyes everywhere as his breathing heightened. Thankfully, this area was more expansive, and his eyes instantly caught sight of a massive dirty couch casually discarded on the right brick wall.


    ¡°We can use that!¡± He exclaimed. Lyra crouched behind the armrest at the end while he took the front to tug. The fabric was rough to the touch; grinding up against his soft skin, Alex cringed his nose.


    ¡°Just push it straight ahead. If we block the hinges, they can¡¯t get through,¡± explained Lyra.


    ¡°On three,¡± Alex whispered. He flexed his thin muscles in preparation. ¡°One¡­ Two¡­ Three!¡± Alex gritted his teeth while he pushed. The couch slid forward with resistance. Its pegs left a trail of two black lines along the floor. Even with Lyra¡¯s help, the two barely moved it a foot.


    ¡°What the hell!?¡± Lyra gasped for breath. ¡°Why is this thing so hard to move!¡±


    ¡°You guys, just let go,¡± Keaton ordered.


    The two hopped off as Keaton grabbed the armrest in the back. In a swift motion, and with just one hand, Keaton sent the couch forward. It slammed hard into the wall and blocked off that door for good. Dust burst out of every crevice and filled the air. A grimace crossed Lyra¡¯s face as she smacked dirt off of her hands.


    ¡°Nice work.¡± Alex looked up at his flushed-faced companion. But unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t tell if it was due to the cold or moving something heavy.


    ¡°Y¡¯all just needed some extra muscle.¡± Keaton winked with a sly grin.


    Alex hid his own smile as he walked. Up ahead were a couple of corpses that leaned against the adjacent walls. Cautiously, he stepped over the first body¡¯s mutilated legs and kept a note of them being a male that had bloody dirty blonde hair and hollow dark eyes. Two bullet holes had marked the corpse¡¯s upper face, and crimson blood had leaked down its cheek and nose for some time. It had coagulated already, and most of it had dried up on the clothes. Underneath its gray hand was a bloodied piece of paper, a newspaper article dated October thirtieth. The front cover had a photo of one of the zombies labeled close-up.


    ¡°Biohazard Outbreak?¡± Alex muttered, skimming through a few of the article headlines.


    Riverlands Local, October twenty-eighth


    An infectious outbreak falls upon the city.


    The end of the world is near. Fifty-nine people left ill after spending time in the river. Doctors confirm a new pathogen unlike anything they¡¯ve ever seen.


    Mayor Irons hasn¡¯t made a statement yet¡­


    Riverlands Local, October twenty-ninth


    Monsters in the surrounding woods.


    Reports from Riverlands Park rangers of a giant bear monster roaming about. Wild coyotes have been sighted, looming closer to the forest¡¯s edge. Seek caution and alert local authorities¡­


    Riverlands Local, October thirtieth


    Sprawling infection continues in downtown.


    Lady reported her husband eating the face off of their neighbor¡­ Local authorities have been notified and suggest keeping family and loved ones close.


    At two in the afternoon, an old couple contacted the police about strange domestic violence next door. When the police arrived, they found a dog that had mauled a child. It likely carried rabies and was put down shortly thereafter.


    Riverlands Local, October thirty-first


    The government finally responds.


    The state has implemented a mandatory curfew as the number of cases of this strange disease has increased. Many of the fifty thousand citizens have already been afflicted by this strange plague. The military has been sent to quarantine the area¡­


    ¡°This whole thing happened only a few days ago?¡± Alex whispered.


    ¡°Something like that¡­¡± Lyra spoke, her voice lighter than usual.


    He didn¡¯t say anything else as he set the paper down. Instead, he moved on and passed by the second corpse¡ªanother male but had on a safety vest, a simple black tee, and tan slacks.


    As he grimaced at the unsettling display of death, a sudden unnerving sensation washed over his body; he couldn¡¯t help but feel like he was being watched. He slowed his pace, looking everywhere he could. Alex then swallowed a thick lump building in his throat. What is that? Could it be whatever created that shriek? Or something else?


    ¡°You good, Alex?¡± Keaton stepped in front of him.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he whispered back. Alex then stared up at his friend. ¡°But¡­ I think something¡¯s following us.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Gut feeling,¡± said Alex, keeping his handgun raised.


    ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± Lyra whispered. She had been staring at the wall close to the second body. With her gun, Lyra pointed at a handwritten message. ¡°They got Micky, and now they¡¯re coming for me. I¡¯m so sorry, Veronica; I couldn¡¯t keep my promise¡­.¡±


    ¡°Jesus.¡± Keaton took a minute, scratching his head, trying to find the following words to say. Finally, he sniffled and continued. ¡°You guys think that was from them?¡± Keaton asked, pointing to the bodies.


    ¡°Likely,¡± said Alex. I have to make it out¡ªI just have to.


    The trio ventured further down the alley, stumbling upon an offshoot path. With the help of Keaton¡¯s flashlight, Alex saw that there weren¡¯t any more corpses on the floor. Once they finally reached the intersection, Lyra pressed her back against the right wall. She then took a deep breath before popping her head out, then the rest of her body.


    ¡°Clear,¡± she whispered, though she kept her gun pointed.


    Keaton brushed behind her and moved along the path. As Alex followed, Lyra¡¯s weapon caught his eye. It differed from his or Keaton¡¯s, having a smooth, rounded barrel and appearing to be made entirely of steel. Underneath the barrel was a small black cylinder.


    ¡°Hey, Lyra, your gun looks interesting,¡± Alex whispered.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± She lowered her handgun and turned her head toward him. ¡°Oh, thank you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it called?¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Uh, a Hi-Power... whatever that¡¯s supposed to mean; I only grabbed it because it has this cute flashlight.¡± She then lowered her weapon, gave a peachy smile, and adjusted her blonde bangs.


    Alex¡¯s brows raised in astonishment. She didn¡¯t seem the least bit bothered by this whole situation. This girl, he thought to himself as he hurried by.


    ¡°The shelter should be only a block away,¡± Keaton said up ahead. He thankfully waited by the corner of the alley. The open street unveiled a bright orange fog, and the closer Alex approached, the warmer the air became. His underarms and back leaked droplets of sweat; he¡¯d definitely needed a shower after all of this. Long and hot until my skin turns red.


    Looking up, Alex saw the night sky¡¯s glimmering starlight. It was a marvelous spectacle, though he couldn¡¯t say that about his current situation. Alex blinked, refocusing on his next goal. They¡¯ll make it to the shelter, wait until dawn, and then get a better grasp on their situation.


    Hopefully, it¡¯ll all blow over, Alex thought as he approached Keaton and Lyra.


    ¡°The street¡¯s empty,¡± Lyra said. She stood in a small alcove, back against a barred door.


    ¡°The shelter is at the end of this road, heading west. I say we book it.¡± Keaton crouched down and fastened his shoelaces.


    Alex¡¯s eyes bulged, and his mouth suddenly went dry. He hated running, he wasn¡¯t fast, and to top it off, he was tired also.


    ¡°Uh, how about no?¡± said Lyra. She furrowed her thin brows, looking dissatisfied.


    ¡°Why not? We can easily make it if we run.¡±


    Lyra pushed off from her spot. ¡°Just ¡¯cause it¡¯s clear now doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯ll be clear forever. It could very much be a trap, and I don¡¯t wanna get surrounded.¡±


    Keaton sighed loudly. He then wiped his face from sweat and glanced up at the two. ¡°¡­You act like we can¡¯t defend ourselves.¡±


    ¡°We might not have enough bullets to take on a horde and what if there¡¯s more inside the shelter? We¡¯d be seriously fucked then.¡±


    Keaton glared at her, though she brushed him off. He then turned his attention to Alex. However, Alex didn¡¯t really want to respond or get in the middle, either. Small arguments were just a waste of time in his book, so he shrugged.


    ¡°Great, I¡¯m outnumbered.¡± Keaton groaned before looking away.


    ¡°Hey, going to the shelter wasn¡¯t my plan¡ªI¡¯d say we¡¯re even; slow and steady is better anyway.¡± Lyra winked at the defeated man before sauntering out of the alley.


    She wasn¡¯t wrong in that sense. This was Keaton¡¯s plan, and to be fair, Alex also wanted to leave as quickly as possible. Keaton stood up, rolling his eyes.


    ¡°That girl, what¡¯re we gonna do with her?¡±


    Alex chuckled. ¡°Well, ya know¡ªget used to it. I think all women are like that.¡±


    ¡°At least I¡¯ve got you, though. That¡¯s a plus.¡± He grinned slightly.


    Alex merely sighed as he left to join her. Lyra had moved to the center of the street. Although he didn¡¯t feel too comfortable being out in the open, it wasn¡¯t wholly disadvantageous; they could run in any direction the second too many zombies crawled out of the woodwork. As he drew near, the orange tint against the buildings grew brighter. A cluster of cackling flames came from an open crashed truck. The heat was surprisingly soothing against the cold air, and thankfully, it was small enough not entirely to change the atmosphere. He was also relieved that it was loud enough to dull out their footsteps, at least for now.


    Going east was a no-go; the road was blocked off entirely by blue police barricades. Many random cars, from sedans to SUVs, were stuck beyond it, too.


    ¡°You see that?¡± Alex asked, though Lyra raised a brow. He waved her off and then rubbed his eyes.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there!¡± shouted Keaton.


    Lyra gleefully smiled and patted the man on the back as the three quickly started to move through the street. As they did, Alex took caution to his surroundings. To his right was a still-lit restaurant featuring an open dining patio. The light breeze brought a seemingly fresh scent of bread and alcohol. Although, as Alex took in the smell, a faint whiff of burnt meat also lingered. He cringed his nose, wondering just what exactly he was smelling. As they navigated through the street, moving past one minivan, a dull buzzing radio played a flat song of just trumpets. It was similar to elevator music, mind-numbing.


    Alex groaned. He needed to stay alert. His left foot stepped into some sticky black liquid, causing him to dry gagged. He wasn¡¯t the type to prize shoes. However, constantly feeling the shoe give to what¡¯s under it would become an annoyance.


    Alex shook his thoughts, realizing his friends were farther ahead. What was wrong with him? Being so scatterbrained could easily get him killed. Alex then lightly tapped his brightened cheeks. Time to focus. He quickly scraped what he could by dragging his shoe along the asphalt and picked up the pace.


    A couple of distant gunshots fired off and startled a bunch of birds. Their intense singing and echoing blasts rang in Alex¡¯s ears. But that wasn¡¯t all, as he could also overhear a mechanical fan far above them. It was likely that same helicopter, though Alex couldn¡¯t see any flashing-colored lights.


    Alex took a more concentrated look around as the blood pulsing in his ears finally eased, allowing him to hear normally. There were a few scattered cars, including trucks and blocking police cruisers. At the far end of the west side was a large firetruck blocking half of the road. It looked like it had crashed into one of the buildings on the right side. A light sprinkle of rain started to fall, making the roads shiny with the help of the street lamps.


    His friends were heading in that direction, seemingly unaware he wasn¡¯t next to them. As Alex began to jog after them, sirens from emergency vehicles slowly filled the windy air. The slick roads nearly caused him to slip a couple of times. He trekked slower and passed by an open police cruiser with still flashing lights.


    Zombie corpses seemed scarce; Alex only spotted four on the ground. But he knew to be wary. They could be anywhere. Outside¡¯s not safe, he concluded as he cautiously approached the cruiser. The shifting light enticed Alex, and he paced to the driver¡¯s seat. He kept his gun locked on the driver¡¯s side of the vehicle. The police car was a simple four-door with its front smashed in. Thick tire tracks in front were sketched trailing down the road. An officer was inside, but unfortunately, a thick metal rod had pierced through the glass. Alex looked closer, finding an airbag had sufficiently wrapped itself around the officer¡¯s face.


    Poor guy. Alex shook his head. He inched his way to the passenger¡¯s side and tugged on its handle. To his surprise, it was unlocked. Peeking through, the inside of the vehicle held scraps of glass, metal, and blood. While rummaging through, he stumbled upon something interesting. It was a long, tan piece of crinkled paper. He pulled it out of the debris and blew on it; the film of dust spread throughout the car. Once cleared, the article revealed itself to be a city map. Alex nearly jumped for joy as he quickly tried to find his location. Where are we? Is it this place? Or¡­?


    There were several symbols marked in different ink. Alex¡¯s mind blurred while deciphering what some of these symbols implied. Most of them appeared irrelevant to his case. However, he saw a slight pattern in many red X¡¯s. They¡¯re all blocked-off roads, he confirmed. Alex scanned each street carefully from where he was located, but everything was blocked off.


    Hmm, he thought carefully. We could use this to get out of the city. Even though everything¡¯s blocked off, it looks like there¡¯s a pathway beyond this factory-looking place that leads over the Santana River¡­ Are we already at that place? A quick shadow flashed by the rear-view mirror, causing Alex to jump while scrunching the map. He cautiously looked over his shoulder, but nothing was there. Alex sighed, then went back to looking at the map. What do we do? Alex put a finger to his chin, contemplating. I bet Keaton will know.


    Finally, Alex stepped out of the vehicle; he neatly folded up the map and pocketed it. It feels like we¡¯re getting nowhere, he thought. He pulled out his phone to check the time. The bright blue light flashed on his cold, pale face. The vibrant hue glowed nearly blended with the white text in his eyes. It was still November 1st, and there were about three hours left. He was tired as his body swayed slightly from left to right. Alex then put his phone away and took a few steps forward. Can¡¯t stop now. Rest later.


    Alex then adjusted his open collar, his clothes feeling damper by the second, then rushed toward his companions. All three of them stood in front of a large convenience store. Lyra gave a friendly nod as he slowly approached. The building held the same red and white banner with the phrase shelter¡ªsafe. The building¡¯s windows were heavily boarded up, and a large gate surrounded the whole building. Most of it was made of brick, aside from the gate¡¯s doors, which looked like thick iron.


    ¡°Yes! We fucking made it to the shelter!¡± Keaton voiced, jumping and pumping his fist into the air.


    ¡°Thank god.¡± Lyra bent over, using her knees for support, and stretched. Though Lyra sounded relieved, her body curled up, and she took a step back the second she looked up at the open door. ¡°This place looks¡­ abandoned.¡±


    ¡°Prolly better for us then.¡±


    Alex lowered his head as he moved toward the gate entrance; he hoped otherwise that the unresponsive outside was just to deter unwanted guests. The gate looked unlocked; he¡¯d just need Keaton¡¯s help to push it clear. He turned back when¡ª


    ¡ªA high-pitched shriek called out from the shadows. The trio all slowly turned their heads toward the direction and spotted it. The thing Alex had only caught a glimpse of from the video stood atop the abandoned crashed fire engine. He couldn¡¯t speak or even utter a single sound; his mouth hung open in terror as it stared at them with hellish golden eyes.


    The black furry creature stood on its hind legs, almost mimicking a person. It then twitched its incredibly sharp claws and caused Alex to step back. He held his breath as the horror with golden eyes scowled at them. It lifted the corners of its muzzle, revealing sharp yellowish teeth and a musky cloud of hot breath. Then, without warning, the creature jumped from the fire engine and charged at them. It was fast, running on its two legs, and its thick pink tail stayed low to the floor.


    Alex raised his arm, hoping to block it as the creature sprang into the air. But before it could do anything, a bright flash quickly dissipated with the blaring noise of a few gunshots. The beast fell to the floor, dead. Black blood oozed out from the holes that pierced its skull; its body twitched slightly in response. Alex took a step back and stared at the dead thing on the pavement. So, this was the thing that¡¯s been following us.


    ¡°Jesus Christ, what the fuck is that?¡± Keaton whispered. He then kicked its elongated grayish feet with his boot. ¡°It looks like some sort of, uh, a rat? Or uh¡­? Uh¡ª?¡±


    Alex lowered his guard a bit as his stomach tingled. He could barely feel his feet as he swayed back and forth. When he swallowed, it felt like the saliva had doubled in volume. It was thick and slimy, running down his throat. A scratchy and salty odor wafted up the back of his nose and caused his stomach to churn a bit. Then, an awful odor slammed against his nose. His gag reflex went into overdrive; he nearly vomited onto the pavement. That thing smelled disgusting. It was as if drenched in moldy drainage water and soaked in expired milk for a few days. He flexed the muscles in his stomach, hardening them to keep it from rolling over as he glanced at it.


    Keaton was right, it did look like a rat. Its matted, patchy fur had sticky-looking flesh tissue almost ingrained in it. Crimson blood ran in rivulets down the sides of its messy flesh, and as it did, something looked off. Surprisingly, its abdomen had many holes, not counting the ones Keaton marked. Someone else had already shot at it.


    We got lucky, really lucky that it¡ª!


    Another beast slides out into view, causing Alex to shutter. It, too, was in hot pursuit of trying to take the larger man down. But, in addition to Keaton¡¯s lack of attention, this zombie rat was surprisingly quiet. It accosted his right side before taking one giant leap into the air.


    ¡°Keaton, watch out!¡± Alex screamed. But it was too late. That thing had already tackled his friend to the ground. Keaton¡¯s gun bounced off the concrete and landed close to Alex as he struggled with the furry beast. Then, finally, the furry rat zombie got the upper hand and broke one of its arms free from Keaton¡¯s grasp. The man¡¯s eyes widened, mouth agape, as the monster raised its bloody claw.


    Alex aimed his weapon and pulled the trigger. The creature staggered a bit as a spray of red mist hit the concrete, giving Keaton time to readjust his hold; he punched it square in the muzzle but still couldn¡¯t shake it off. Lyra stepped forward and fired off her own round into the beast¡¯s shoulder. Her bullet surprisingly caused the rat monster to flinch, allowing Keaton to pull out his knife and run it through the side of the creature¡¯s ungodly face. In a blinking motion, Keaton shifted his leg underneath it and kicked it off.


    That was their chance. With Keaton completely out of the way, Alex snatched up the spare handgun and flicked it toward the beast. It was heavy, and his finger barely wrapped around the trigger, but he was already in motion. He and Lyra then aimed their handguns and unloaded them into the zombie rat. It cried out in pain as its blood drizzled onto the floor, and finally, with one last jitter, it ceased all movement.


    Frosty air filled Alex¡¯s lungs as he took multiple breaths. His nose filled itself with the pungent smell of dried grass and moist dirt. His face flushed pink as he holstered his handgun and then looked down at his friend. Keaton was also breathing heavily and staring blankly at him. He¡¯s okay, thank God.


    Lyra rushed over and tugged Keaton¡¯s left arm. Alex took his right, and the two lifted the breathless, heavy man to his feet.


    ¡°You, okay?¡± Lyra asked.


    ¡°Yeah¡ªYeah; I¡¯m good.¡± Keaton flicked his eyes back at the dead beast and then grimaced. ¡°That sneaky little shit¡ªthought I was a goner.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck was that thing?¡±


    ¡°I dunno, but it¡¯s not friendly.¡±


    ¡°Thank god there were only two,¡± Alex responded, handing Keaton¡¯s gun over to him. ¡°We should be even more careful¡ªthose things are fast.¡±


    Lyra pulled out another magazine and reloaded her Hi-Power. ¡°At least we stocked up on more ammo; imagine if we didn¡¯t have shit trying to fight them.¡±


    ¡°True. We¡¯re definitely gonna need every round we¡¯ve got. That big-ass zombie rat takes a fuck ton of bullets to down,¡± said Keaton.


    Alex looked at his empty weapon¡ªa wasted magazine on a single monster. Jesus, I hope we don¡¯t run into a pack of them. ¡°These things are creepy. They don¡¯t even act like zombies¡ªa-are they even zombies?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lyra said next. Honestly, I¡¯d rather not try to figure it out. All we do need to know is that they are fast and dangerous.¡± She clutched her arm and lowered her head.


    ¡°As long as we shoot them together, we shouldn¡¯t have a problem,¡± said Keaton.


    Lyra nodded. She then looked again at the dead creature, almost studying it before finally saying, ¡°I wonder what other creatures mutated into monsters, too¡­¡±


    Though Alex didn¡¯t know much about biology and infections, he did know that animals could spread diseases as fast as people, and based on Lyra¡¯s reaction, she probably thought that as well. What if the infection was because of these rat things? But before Alex could ask, Lyra had already walked away toward the store¡¯s front entrance.


    Rattling moans of the undead rang from all around. Alex flinched slightly at them as other seemingly random noises joined in. Those similar shrieks were the only thing that Alex could pick up. They sounded close, likely surrounding them. Cowardice creatures, Alex sniffled. Then, a couple of gunshots blasted off in the distance.


    The thick, large gate was the last obstacle they needed to cross. Alex didn¡¯t wait a second longer. He hustled over to it, Lyra followed behind. The two then pushed either side of it; slowly but surely, it yielded with a high screech of metal, and the trio stepped into the small courtyard.


    An array of screams emitted loudly. The horde of infected were coming. Alex then turned and closed the gate back in place, and with the help of Lyra, the two pushed a sliding bar through to prevent it from opening up again. Assuming the zombies couldn¡¯t open the doors, a feeling of safety surrounded him. At least for now, there shouldn¡¯t be any more problems. They could rest a bit easier now that the whole town wasn¡¯t after them.


    Alex finally took a magazine from his belt pouch and reloaded his Glock 48. As he placed the empty one back into the same pouch, Alex turned and found his friends waiting at the shelter¡¯s entrance. Keaton had his USP pointed down, but he was on full alert, ready for Lyra to push open the door. Alex blinked, then raised his eyelids slowly. It was almost as if they were made of lead, and when he blinked again, a soft, almost inviting force held them down a bit longer. It felt good to keep them shut. Even as the whirling wind rustled the trees and as the light sprinkle of rain dampened his hair, matting it, he¡¯d almost contemplated collapsing right here and sleeping. It wouldn¡¯t take long for him to go unconscious either, as he was beyond tired.


    ¡°Ready?¡± asked Lyra, her voice steady. Her small hand had gently pressed against the wet metal push bar.


    Keaton grinned, unafraid as if he hadn¡¯t just nearly died. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll waste whatever tries us.¡±


    ¡°Can we hurry? I wanna get inside,¡± Alex asked, straining to keep his body from giving up and resting on the cold pavement.


    He didn¡¯t want to fight another one of those things again. But as he glanced around, standing in the freezing cold, they stood out in the open. They were practically presenting themselves on a silver platter. The hinges creaked with a light rattle, and the trio marched inside. Alex shut them quietly behind him; they were safe, for now.

 Chapter 8

    The shelter looked to be a medium-sized lobby with a second-floor balcony. Alex estimated that fifty people could crowd inside comfortably. However, there were no people¡ªnot even the undead. Odd, but Alex wasn¡¯t all that surprised. It¡¯d been hours since he¡¯d gotten here, and he¡¯d only found two. He was curious about where everyone went or if they all died. They could be hiding, Alex hoped. Wishful thinking, but he¡¯d never find them if that were the case. It was also likely that this shelter was deemed unsafe, and whoever was here had fled hours ago.


    Those things outside would¡¯ve made it hard for anyone to even get here, on top of trying to defend this place. Alex then wondered how many people refused the trek and stayed put. From where he started, it was challenging enough. Since then, the only gunshots, not coming from his friends, were purely distant. The only other option was that everyone died.


    Are we the only ones left? Alex thought as he glanced around the lifeless room. He didn¡¯t bother counting that helicopter pilot as he could easily escape if he wanted to.


    But despite the lack of people, there was enough evidence to know that there had been someone here prior. There were sleeping bags and small cots against the walls, separated by little tables with personal belongings or medical supplies. Many belongings, such as clothes and backpacks, were also abandoned next to the cots. Someone also had barricaded a broad set of double doors on the left with thick dark wood. The windows were boarded up as well with matching planks. At the end of the room was an employee¡¯s-only door and the bathrooms were near the far right.


    The power¡¯s on, too. That¡¯s good. Alex silently nodded to himself.


    ¡°Shit, no one¡¯s here,¡± Keaton voiced. His hands were clenched, barring thick knuckles. But he kept his expression solid.


    ¡°Maybe they all evacuated,¡± Lyra whispered. She looked somberly toward the right side of the shelter.


    ¡°But where?¡±


    Lyra shrugged.


    ¡°Maybe deeper in?¡± expressed Alex.


    ¡°You wanna check?¡± Keaton raised a brow, and his hardened eyes stared Alex down.


    Honestly, Alex wasn¡¯t sure if venturing further than the lobby was a good idea. There¡¯s a reason why someone barricaded those doors, and Alex didn¡¯t want to find out. He shook his head, and a slight pain surged up his neck. He lowered his tensed shoulders, quickly grabbed his neck, and rubbed it slightly. When did I do that?


    ¡°Well, we could wait here and see if anyone else comes,¡± suggested Lyra. She cupped her elbows, nervously looking around.


    ¡°Nah,¡± Keaton started. ¡°We should¡ª!¡±


    Thump¡­ Thump¡­ Thump¡­


    A vague noise came from beyond the door at the end of the lobby. Alex heard it. Survivors? Maybe? No, likely another zombie just trying to scare them. But even so, he didn¡¯t move, unsure what to do next.


    ¡°What was that?¡± he asked, a bit shaken. The hairs on his arms had formed goosebumps.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s some guy who wants to give us a million dollars,¡± Keaton chortled.


    Alex glared. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Lyra, go check out what it was, yeah?¡± Keaton thinned his lips to form a crooked smile.


    ¡°Me!?¡± she scoffed. Her face, a pretty porcelain, formed little grooves across her forehead as she scowled. ¡°You do it!¡±


    ¡°Nah, I gotta stay here and guard the door¡­ Ya know, macho stuff.¡±


    Lyra groaned longingly at that childish response. Alex couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the two. Finally, she uncrossed her arms and strutted over to the door. Alex and Keaton followed closely behind.


    ¡°You guys are bothbabies,¡± she muttered through clenched teeth. Lyra then pressed up against the door and pushed it open with her Hi-Power in hand. Finally, she flicked her gun into the room. An orange-tinted light peered out from the open door. Alex squinted, wondering what that light could be. What the¡­?


    The door creaked obnoxiously open, and Lyra completely slipped through. It didn¡¯t take a moment¡¯s notice before her hand appeared in the doorway. She curled her fingers repeatedly before pulling away.


    Alex lowered his gun and meandered inside. A glance around the room confirmed his confusion. The orange light came from a small candle resting atop a thin desk. It looked freshly lit, too, as the wax barely leaked. Someone was here. Are they still around?


    The whole room was relatively puny. It was a rectangular room with desks adjacent to one another. The room had two doors, and the blood trail led right to one of them. Maybe they went there? Alex wondered. The second door was at the far end. It had a broken window, glass all on the floor, and a thick, sturdy-looking wooden barricade that boarded it up.


    Alex crept up toward the blocked door and peered inside. The lights were on inside, giving him a full view of the smaller room. That¡¯s when he saw it. Cots that held corpses in filled sleeping bags. Blood was splattered against the floor as two of the sleeping bags had been viciously torn open with the contents out of full display. There were half-eaten pounds of flesh and guts that were hanging loosely over the cots. Alex stepped behind Keaton, trying to look away, but his eyes refused. The chunks of flesh lay in small pools of blood. In the far corner were discarded mangled bodies. The ones that were still whole had been brutalized by broken glass, knives, and even ice picks.


    Gross, Alex thought, his stomach tied in knots. So fucking gross. Tiny hairs stood straight up as goosebumps formed on Alex¡¯s skin. He wanted to curl up and cry; he wanted this nightmare to end. He then shut his eyes and counted internally to ten. God, I¡¯m so tired.


    When Alex finally opened his eyes, he was still in the shelter, next to Keaton, holding a gun, still trying to stay alive. Several echoing gunshots came from outside, though they sounded too far away.


    Then, as Lyra made her approach, a zombie jumped out from behind the blocked door, squealing and spitting blood onto the broken window frame. She jumped back, catching her breath. The zombie held a smile that repulsed into a rictus as it lightly tapped on the wooden board.


    ¡°Bastard!¡± Lyra seethed. Her feminine voice sounded strained like she was silently screaming it at the zombie.


    Alex lowered his eyes to her gun. It was firmly grasped and quickly rising, and he knew what would happen next. He placed both hands against his ears to lower the sound as, in a swift blinking motion, Lyra flicked her gun at the now moaning zombie and fired it. One ear-piercing shot caused him to flinch as the vibrations slapped his body.


    It slumped back from behind the door with a heavy thump then silence returned to the room. Alex lowered his hands and then sat down on the closest chair. Finally, he took a deep, relaxing breath and holstered his Glock 48.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± she whispered, not facing them. After a few seconds, she then holstered her weapon.


    ¡°No worries,¡± Alex assured. A light tapping noise prompted him to shift his head back. Keaton had been fidgeting with a vending machine in the left corner of the room. From what Alex could see, soda and other various snacking options were still untouched. He watched Keaton kick it, and in response, the vending machine dropped a few water bottles.


    Keaton then grabbed the bottles and grinned as he walked toward Alex. He then sat on the desk next to Alex, sighing through his reddened nose.


    ¡°Here, take this.¡± Keaton then handed Alex a bottle then tossed another over to Lyra.


    ¡°Oh, cool, I didn¡¯t even see this! Nice find, Keaton.¡± Lyra holstered her weapon before twisting the cap off and gulping down the water. She left only an empty bottle.


    ¡°No problem.¡± Keaton then spread his legs wide for comfort, rolling his neck before gulping down his bottle. Once finished, he crunched the plastic, twisting it to get every last drop. And after that, Keaton tossed the bottle and leaned over before breathing heavily. ¡°Fucking hell, I didn¡¯t realize how dehydrated I really was. All this running around and shooting shit is making me hungry as well.¡±


    Alex glanced down at his bottle. As refreshing as it looked, he decided not to open it. He wasn¡¯t all that thirsty and likely needed it for later. So, instead, he put it away into his back pouch.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Everyone seemed okay. Lyra backed up against the wall and cupped her elbows. Her thin, petite body heaved as she closed her eyes. At the same time, Keaton sat on a rugged plastic chair and casually drank from his water. It was almost nice that they all could enjoy this small amount of peace. Going to the shelter was at least a good call to take a break. At least they were safe, and at the moment, that was all that mattered to Alex.


    He then moved toward one of the desks. Upon its smooth, dark wooden surface was a small written letter. Someone¡¯s last words? Alex wondered. His thin fingers snatched it up quickly, and he began to read.


    October 31st, afternoon,


    We shouldn¡¯t¡¯ve left Terry; he was the best man to take us through the streets. And now we¡¯ll be stuck in this stupid store with little to no food left. The gunshots are still goin¡¯, though! That¡¯s good! ¡®least¡ªpeople are still fightin¡¯. But if we don¡¯t move soon, I fear we¡¯ll be stuck here. I ain¡¯t gonna go creepin¡¯ through the night with all them carriers. The stalkers are also hard to kill too. They take half a damn mag, an¡¯ they still can git up. Fuck this shit¡­ Fuck ev¡¯rythin¡¯.


    Alex set down the note as he pondered. Stalkers, huh? That¡¯s a good name¡ªI wonder where that guy is now. He gently set down the note, sighing briefly. There¡¯d be no way to find out¡ªand to be frank¡ªhe didn¡¯t want to either. All he could do was keep going; maybe Keaton was right in taking supplies from fallen survivors. If it kept them alive, then Alex had no choice. Otherwise, we¡¯ll be stuck like that guy. There won¡¯t be any help either¡­ Will there?


    ¡°Well,¡± Lyra suddenly spoke. ¡°We made it¡­ now what?¡±


    Alex already knew what he wanted to do. Waiting for help was pointless¡ªhe just wanted to go home. ¡°I really don¡¯t wanna stay in this town any longer than necessary.¡±


    A gruff sigh came from Keaton. He then stretched out his large muscular arms over his head. ¡°But this is the only safe place we¡¯ve come across unless you¡¯ve got a better idea,¡± Keaton finally asked. His light brown eyes were full of uncertainty, and the sullen look didn¡¯t help lighten the air either.


    ¡°Let¡¯s be honest, this place is a dud. I was for it originally, but I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be so¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Dead?¡± Lyra tried to force a smile but ultimately stopped halfway. But she was right; that¡¯s what he was thinking.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯ve got ideas¡­¡± Keaton stressed, repeating himself.


    Alex opened his mouth when suddenly, he remembered something. ¡°Oh!¡± He¡¯d nearly forgotten the map! Alex quickly pulled it out from his back pouch, unfolding it and handing it over to Keaton. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find our location. Maybe you can? A better idea of our area doesn¡¯t hurt. We might be able to find a way out of the city.¡±


    ¡°Alex, where did you find this?¡± Keaton scrunched his face, looking intensively at it. He then traced his rough-looking fingers against the paper along the lines of some streets.


    ¡°Outside, in a cop car.¡±


    Keaton gave a curt nod, not taking his eyes off the map. Eventually, he tapped a large block in the upper left¡ªthe northwest part of the town. ¡°We¡¯re here, in this factory.¡±


    ¡°This place is a factory?¡± he asked bluntly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a combination,¡± Lyra chimed in. She stepped forward, looking at the map herself. ¡°The front entrance is the store that sells food. That¡¯s on the far-left end of the street. The factory portion is where we¡¯re at. It was originally all just a factory warehouse until a union, I think, took over a few years ago.¡±


    ¡°You sure know your history,¡± said Keaton. He then showed Alex what she meant by circling the building on the map. It was large, bigger than the other little gray squares. But where he had closed in on the circle was a conjoined section right next to what looked to be a bridge by the river.


    ¡°So, what should we do?¡± Alex glanced at the two for an answer.


    ¡°I dunno.¡± Keaton groaned, rolling his neck. ¡°I wanna stay a bit longer, maybe explore the grocery department of this place first. I¡¯m kinda hungry. And going back outside and facing those rat mutants isn¡¯t something I wanna do at this moment.¡±


    ¡°That sounds fine, for now.¡± Lyra blew air through her mouth, vibrating her lips. ¡°I¡¯ll think of a way out; just give me some time.¡± She then pushed off against the walk and sauntered to them. A quick unholster of her gun told them she was ready to go.


    Keaton left the paper on the table, hopped off his seat, and moved toward the exit door. Just as he reached for the knob, a leaden boom echoed into the safe room, shaking the candle¡¯s wisp of a flame. Then another boom emitted, hitting Alex¡¯s ears. This time, he stood up and glanced at the room¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°What was that?¡± questioned Lyra. She turned her body slightly, slowly pulling her handgun.


    It can¡¯t be good, thought Alex. His hand wavered over to his holstered gun, wondering if he should pull it. Keaton finally pulled the door ajar and squeezed through. Alex quickly hopped off his chair and followed behind. Once outside, he then moved toward the middle.


    Those things were those stalkers shrieking in unison, slashing against the wooden barricades. They held, but it didn¡¯t look like it would for long as chippings started flinging onto the floor. An elongated snapping sound began to erupt as the wood bowed.


    Alex remained silent, though his mouth was left hanging open. How did those things know they were in the shelter? Alex shook his head, unable to form any valuable thoughts. His heartbeat pounded in his chest as the varied shrieks came once more. They definitely were calling out to one another. But it didn¡¯t matter as they needed to leave this place. He could count at least four, but Alex knew there¡¯d be more. As he tried to pull himself away, his legs suddenly tightened; his body refused to respond.


    ¡°What the!? No way!¡± Lyra groaned at the sight.


    ¡°They sussed us out? That¡¯s fucking bullshit unfair!¡± shouted Keaton in response.


    They¡¯re here! This isn¡¯t good! Alex narrowed his gaze.


    It had only been a few seconds when the wooden barricades snapped, finally buckling. Dust and wood chippings blew into the shelter as a stalker burst through. They squealed as they jammed themselves through the broken windows. The abnormally large furry rats collapsed onto the floor but were quick to their feet. The closest one flexed its dangerously long claws before taking off with a burst of speed.


    ¡°We¡¯ve gotta retreat!¡± Lyra screamed.


    Alex slowed his breath to regain composure. Then he whipped around and tried to sprint. But before he could get far, his legs collapsed to the floor, with an intensive amount of weight suddenly appearing on his back.


    What the!? Alex flinched. A long, sharp claw tickled his soft throat. From the corner of his eye, the muzzle half opened and leaked murky foam. It hissed slightly in his ear; hairs on his neck stood erect. Its hind legs pressed down on the back of his shins to keep him immobile. Even if he wanted to, Alex didn¡¯t dare move a muscle; a single step and his head would be on the floor.


    I can¡¯t use my knife. I don¡¯t have the speed¡­


    A quick shadow flashed in the corner of Alex¡¯s right eye. Then, the heavy weight of the stalker suddenly lifted and dropped Alex to the floor, gasping for air. It was Keaton who now had the thing in a headlock.


    ¡°Alex, look away!¡± shouted Keaton. He flexed his strong muscles, holding down the struggling monster. His left hand locked its mouth, and his right held its thin neck. It let out small whimpers as it struggled, pleading to its fellow stalkers for help. But they couldn¡¯t do anything. Even as some of them leaped to cut the distance, Lyra was precise with her aim. She didn¡¯t waste a single bullet as she covered for them. Alex swayed back and forth, trying to sit up as the flashing lights irritated his vision. The dreary cries of those things in pain and blood pulsating through his ears made it hard even to focus. It didn¡¯t help that his ears started to ring after the fifth shot from Lyra¡¯s gun. His eyes fell over to Keaton, who¡¯d been making small adjustments in his hold. It looked like he was preparing to do something else to the creature.


    ¡°Keaton¡­ You¡ª¡±


    ¡°Look away!¡±


    But it was too late. Alex sat there on all fours, eyes wide, mouth gaped in horror as he watched Keaton¡¯s strong hands twist the stalker¡¯s head with ease; the creaking snap of hard bone soon followed, and the deadly creature fell limp. He wanted to vomit. The ghastly sight made his body feel light and numb. Practically petrified, his eyes glanced toward Lyra¡¯s direction back near the safe room. Without hesitation, she dashed to his side and grabbed his shoulders, scrunching up his high collar.


    ¡°Alexander, get up!¡± she yelled.


    Within seconds, he was back on his feet. Lyra held onto the back of his sweater and right forearm as they shuffled back into the safe room. More gunshots erupted from his other companion, but Alex kept his mind focused. We can barricade ourselves in and find a different way out.


    Once they were safely inside, Lyra finally let go. The door then slammed shut with a gust of wind brushing against Alex¡¯s back. He turned around, spotting Keaton pulling the vending machine to the door. He was fast in moving it, probably due to an adrenaline rush, but that was their only option. The machine firmly held it closed. Alex backed away, letting his friend have breathing room. The door thumped vigorously with heavy bangs from outside, but the makeshift barricade held strong. Even so, Alex watched as the vending machine¡¯s base scraped against the floor with each attempt to burst through.


    It¡¯s too crammed in here. No way to fight them, he thought. Without notice, Alex ran over and grabbed the second door¡¯s handle, twisted it, and then pushed it open.


    Alex didn¡¯t look back as he moved into the next room. They had no choice but to find a different way out. He cursed silently as his friends joined him inside. They had found themselves in a similar room. It was elongated with a set of doors on opposite ends. Though, on their left was a set of double doors. Above them held a fixed metal sign that said grocery section. Lyra walked up to it and jiggled the knob. For a brief moment, the silence was broken by a faint rattling sound.


    ¡°No good,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯s locked.¡±


    The only other option was the opposite door. As Alex went for it, another high-pitched shriek came from the room they¡¯d left. Those things would no doubt bust down that door, too. They¡¯re relentless.


    Alex quickly hustled through the next door and stumbled into a long, wide corridor that took them west. The hall had a few entries on the left side and matching windows on the right. A gloomy bluish light fed through and brightened up the area. The white paint had coated both the walls and the tiled floor. However, on the ground, an unfortunate victim was directly under one of the closest windows. He looked like he was once a survivor, wearing a thick leather coat and a baseball cap to cover his long, wavy hair. His skin was surprisingly not grayish. However, there wasn¡¯t really any color left. The corpse looked¡­ drained. Then, Alex spotted why that was. A large gash on the body¡¯s abdomen had thoroughly bled him out. His head was slumped over, causing a few droplets of blood to fall onto his stained tank slacks. It was likely that the face was mangled. Alex stayed back, trying to hold back a rising feeling of vomit. It burned viciously in his throat, but he kept it down.


    Those things¡ªthe stalkers¡ªAre any of them in here, too?

 Chapter 9

    ¡°You guys, look at this!¡± Lyra grinned as she knelt down by the body and picked at something. Lyra then showed off a newish-looking first-aid kit. ¡°It¡¯s got everything we could possibly need in it too! Suture kit, band-aids, rubbing alcohol¡­¡± She was enamored with it, thoroughly inspecting its contents and nodding to each one. ¡°Who says Popsicle sticks and glue can¡¯t fix any problem?¡±


    Alex gently nudged Keaton, smirking at the sight. ¡°We¡¯re lucky to have a nurse on our team.¡±


    But Keaton stared blankly, then spoke with a slight monotone, ¡°We¡¯ve come close to death way too many times tonight.¡±


    It was impressive; Alex had been here for a few hours and only received minor cuts and bruises. Although his body did ache from the stress, he was more than capable of continuing. Things could¡¯ve gone so much worse, but luck had been on his side since he arrived in this isolated town. Two more people watching his back definitely raised his chance of survivability.


    Lyra stood up slowly, putting her kit behind her back and latched it around her waist. She then shared a glance with both men before nodding. ¡°Let¡¯s find a way out.¡±


    A light groan came from down the hall. Everyone halted their movement, waiting. It came again, sounding like a person; they were likely male as it sounded lower pitched and hoarser this time.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s still alive,¡± Alex finally spoke. His heart rate spiked at the thought. Another person was there.


    However, Lyra and Keaton seemed wary. They didn¡¯t even move as he stepped forward. He then shook his head, ignoring their pleas, and quickly jogged over to a door on the left side of the hall. It was left half open. Alex cautiously pushed it, his heartbeat thumping loudly in his chest. The hinges stretched out their wailing creaks, signaling to anything they were there. He swallowed a thick lump as he peered inside. Aside from the outside light that had crawled across the dark blue carpet, it was dark. And an ominous cold brushed up against his face. Alex hesitantly shifted his left leg, hovering in the door frame. He knew this was a bad idea; all the red flags went off in his head. But what if¡­? What if someone did need their help?


    Alex had to be sure. He made up his mind. He confidently moved past the door frame and stepped into the dark room. A raspy groan that sounded a few feet away suddenly entailed concern. There, he could see it, at the light¡¯s edge, a seemingly giant blob of darkness. Alex then inched closer, his gun pointed, though his finger wasn¡¯t on the trigger.


    His eyes slowly adjusted to the room, allowing clear sight of everything. It was a more extended room with multiple cubicles lined in rows. He couldn¡¯t see the back of the room but assumed it didn¡¯t go far. What he could see, thankfully, was that the blob was a person: a man with dark hair and a white collared shirt. He was likely an employee, but Alex wasn¡¯t sure. It didn¡¯t matter anyway as he crouched down to help. Another groan whispered out from the injured man.


    I think he needs medical help.


    But before he could even call out, a firm hand grabbed him by the shoulder. Alex winced as he was pulled away. His back slammed against a robust, thick leg. Keaton stood above him, scowling as he looked forward into the darkness. Not saying a word, he slowly raised his handgun.


    ¡°What the¡ª?¡± Alex gasped, rising to his feet.


    ¡°Look,¡± Keaton¡¯s deep voice commanded as he jerked his chin toward the darkness.


    Shadows were swaying in the darkness. Alex spotted several figures ranging from tall and short to thick and thin. They shuffled about randomly before some slowly ventured closer to the light. The person he thought needed help crawled to his feet and shuffled forward. But Keaton was ready; with his left arm, he pushed Alex back, swiftly aimed his weapon, and fired point-blank. Blood sprayed across the floor as the zombie fell on its back.


    ¡°Alex!¡± shouted Lyra from the doorway. ¡°This way!¡±


    Alex rushed back, nearly toppling her over as he clutched onto her petite frame. Behind him, more gunshots rang out as Keaton slowly backed into the corridor. He then shut the door and raised his pistol, its muzzle facing upward. They waited a few seconds, not moving, as the muffled groaning died down. It seemed as though they had a short attention span when their prey was no longer visible; they didn¡¯t even bother to brush against the door or even try to figure out how to open it.


    It was a good thing to keep the zombies in a single room. If the group had to backtrack, getting caught with those things at the rear would be unpleasant. Finally, Alex let go of his friend then held his elbows.


    ¡°I thought he was alive,¡± he said, breaking the silence. He then loosened his shoulders and slumped forward in defeat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fine,¡± whispered Keaton. ¡°We all did.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Lyra. She glanced at Alex¡¯s way with a sympathetic smile.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why this place got overrun¡­ I mean, the gate was closed!¡± Alex clenched his fingers tight until the knuckles turned white.


    Lyra shuffled her feet toward one of the windows. She groaned quietly, then shook her head. ¡°The windows are barred, too. Unless one of those things got in, maybe through the front entrance?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± stated Keaton. ¡°But those guys didn¡¯t look like they had many bites on them. In fact, this whole area is oddly clean.¡±


    It was true. If there weren¡¯t infectious monsters looming about in this place, Alex would¡¯ve easily thought it ordinary. But even so, this place unnerved him. The stillness of the area, the fact that nothing was trying to get at them, caused a slight chill to run up his spine. He was almost grateful that the zombies in that small office room were there; at least, it was something. But what he¡¯d really want to see were more survivors. He still didn¡¯t know why there weren¡¯t any at all.


    Could this infection really be that strong, wiping out all citizens with ease? Alex blushed, realizing he¡¯d nearly been zombie food to such tomfoolery. Okay, okay, maybe it was possible.


    Then, a small thought came into his head. ¡°Lyra, you¡¯re a nurse, right? Do you have any idea why we haven¡¯t come across a single person?¡±


    Lyra gave him an odd look as if he was crazy for even thinking there should be survivors. She finally spoke. ¡°Sorta¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well?¡± Alex¡¯s dark green eyes bulged out slightly as he raised his brows.


    Even Keaton raised his head as he leaned against the closest wall behind them. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    Lyra took a deep breath and blinked slowly. Opening her eyes, she lifted her head and began to speak calmly and clearly. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t believe we¡¯re dealing with a patient-zero type of infection. The zombies are way too slow to overcome a whole population¡­ No, it¡¯s something else¡ªentirely. The infection rate was way too fast.¡±


    ¡°Like what? A virus or¡­?¡± asked Alex.


    ¡°I was thinking more of a bacterial infection, likely spread through water. It has to be something alive, and a virus just doesn¡¯t cut it¡ªthese things are dead, and they have to die in order to resurrect.¡±


    ¡°Wow, look at you. A nurse and a detective.¡± Keaton grinned.


    ¡°I¡¯m not finished. Bacteria don¡¯t operate like this either. In fact, nothing we have reanimates the dead and spreads through bites¡­¡± She continued. ¡°To be honest. I really don¡¯t care. It¡¯s not airborne as we haven¡¯t turned ourselves, and due to the mass spread over the city, I think the water treatment plant is to blame.


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± said Alex. ¡°If the infection spread through the water, then it makes sense why we haven¡¯t encountered any survivors; everyone likely was infected the moment they drank the tap.¡±


    ¡°Bingo.¡± Lyra gave a thumbs-up gesture.


    ¡°Fuck.¡± Keaton groaned, wiping his face. ¡°There¡¯s only one water treatment plant in the city. If there was an accidental leakage, then¡ªyeah, that explains a lot.¡±


    ¡°That was the easy way out, though,¡± stated Lyra. She shifted her blonde bangs slightly. ¡°Everyone else who didn¡¯t turn likely got bit to death. Or worse, torn apart by those stalkers.


    ¡°Great.¡± Keaton pushed off the wall in annoyance. ¡°My town has been overrun by zombies and monsters ¡¯cause of a fucking water contamination.¡±


    ¡°Polluted water happens more often than you think.¡±


    ¡°Well at least we can avoid the water, and maybe let the authorities know to check that out first.¡± Alex tried to reassure Keaton, but he didn¡¯t look interested anymore.


    Instead, Keaton pulled out his USP pistol, checked to ensure it was loaded, and spoke. ¡°We¡¯re done here.¡±


    They took the hall down and rounded left to where another set of doors awaited them at the far end. Alex stepped into something dark and sticky as they passed by an offshoot hall on the right. It trailed to an ajar elevator adjacent to the open hall. It stuck fast and likely had been for some time as when gazing up to the top, a thick, gray-colored arm stuck out of the slit; blood dropped down from its fingertips. Alex shuddered in place. Getting stuck inside an elevator was one thing, but to be jammed in the shaft itself. He stumbled back a bit, nearly pressing himself against the wall behind. Alex never liked elevators anyway, but now was a perfect reason never to use them. With one final glance, a memory that would forever traumatize him, Alex took off toward his friends down the corridor.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Lyra and Keaton braced either side of the oak wood double doors. They then slowly twisted the knobs and pushed it open. The doors stretched their creaking noise as the hinges turned. So much for stealth. Alex gulped as his companions stepped inside, seemingly unaware of what could be lurking within.


    It was his turn next. Alex finally stepped into a long office room. However, this place had been thoroughly trashed, unlike the hall. The lights flickered, showing a few panels hanging from their hinges. There were a bunch of chairs and tables stacked against one another, blocking them off and forcing them to move through the outer edge of the room. Alex glanced to the right, where several thick metal cabinets had also blocked them off. He sighed. This room was practically worthless. At least, though, he spotted another door on the far-right end of the room.


    Lyra, however, seemed interested in the place. She cast a sheepish smirk and rounded the cubicles. Alex tried to reach out, but she had no intention of slowing down. When she finally did, she went to the far back, where a still active computer was. Alex cocked a brow. What could she be up to?


    He followed behind Keaton as they made their way to her. The makeshift barrier was thankfully U-shaped, giving them more or less a clear space to move through. However, the cubicles were a tad annoying. There were, unfortunately, dead employees resting in a few of them. Alex made note of the one closest to their exit. If it were a zombie, that one would be the most dangerous.


    He spotted another couple of corpses huddled up together when he was just within reach. Directly across from the cubicle where Lyra was, Alex dragged his feet along the dark carpet and made his way over there instead. Upon closer inspection, they both shared similar-looking bite marks on their exposed arms. However, Alex¡¯s stomach dropped when he spotted two matching bullet holes in their skulls.


    In the male¡¯s hand was a crumbled piece of paper, and though Alex didn¡¯t want to disturb them, an irking feeling in his head told him to grab it anyway. I won¡¯t touch anything else, he thought. Out of respect. Alex then pulled the note from the bloody hands and quietly read it.


    October 31st,


    Joey¡¯s going down to the sewers. He said there¡¯s a way to reach the outskirts by following the canals. I wanted to join him and his group, but I just couldn¡¯t. Alyssa promised she¡¯d meet me here before dawn. I have to wait patiently, then we¡¯ll both get out of here¡­ together.


    Alex sat the paper down, frowning. At least they didn¡¯t die alone. He then lowered his tired eyes. Eric¡¯s face suddenly flashed in his mind; the man¡¯s squared glasses matched well with his happy smile. His strong jawline and facial structure could make a man shake if he were to scowl. He fit the role of a cop, at least. But then, Alex wondered what he would do in this situation. Could he handle all of this? Or would his poker face break as soon as one of those things got back up?


    Thank God he didn¡¯t come with me. I don¡¯t think I have it in me to shoot him¡­ Alex shook those feelings away, then stood up and walked over to Lyra.


    She¡¯d been messing around with one of the computers, typing away, looking at a couple of recent files. Keaton hovered on the other cubicle next to hers.


    ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± Alex asked.


    Lyra breathed deeply, not averting her eyes from the screen. Her soft voice remained neutral in tone, too. ¡°I was hoping we could find something about this place. But all of the files are locked behind a password.¡±


    ¡°Can you crack them?¡±


    Lyra glanced back and chuckled. She then turned and shook her head. ¡°No. This isn¡¯t some video game or movie. Anyway, none of these files look interesting enough. I doubt we¡¯ll find anything that¡¯ll clue us in on what happened here.¡±


    Keaton scratched his stubble loud enough to hear. He then said, ¡°What about using it to, like, check the security cameras?¡±


    That was a good idea, though Alex couldn¡¯t recall seeing cameras in the halls. Lyra clicked away at the keys before smirking. She then pushed off the desk with a smug look. ¡°Check this out,¡± she leaned back in her chair, ¡°I found a layout of the shelter in one of these folders.¡±


    Both men moved closer to the computer, looking intently. The old, dusty screen displayed a simple gray and blue map; their room glowed in green. From what Alex could gather, if they backtracked through that other hall, there should be a second lobby that could take them back outside. Alex hummed as he looked at his companions.


    Lyra strutted in the back, her blonde ponytail swaying behind her as she casually did some victory dance in place.


    ¡°If we take this pathway¡­¡± Keaton trailed off in thought. He pointed at the screen with his middle finger, tracing the path through the winding hallways.


    ¡°We can finally exit this shit show!¡± Lyra said confidently.


    Keaton cracked his thick knuckles. ¡°But where should we go after this? You wanna follow the helicopter¡¯s advice and head to the police station?¡±


    ¡°Hell no!¡± Lyra abruptly yelled. She cleared her throat. ¡°Keaton, Alex, I have an idea¡ªbetter than anything we¡¯ve got.¡±


    Both men shared a glance before looking back at the now confident woman.


    Alex spoke next. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    ¡°Ever since you showed us that map, I¡¯ve been thinking about places people would evacuate to. Obviously, we can¡¯t go through main routes out of the city¡ªthey¡¯re all blocked, right?¡±


    Alex and Keaton nodded.


    ¡°¡ªAnd so, if we were to take a lesser-known route, it¡¯d have to be across the river where the population is thinner. I believe there¡¯s an old train station across the Santana River. We can use that and head north toward Coltund. From what I recall, the station¡¯s abandoned, so no one uses it, but the trains still run through. Even if that doesn¡¯t work, we can also just follow the tracks.¡±


    ¡°Colton¡¯s train yard¡­¡± Keaton trailed off.


    ¡°It just might be our only chance to escape Riverlands,¡± pleaded Lyra. She quivered her lip and bulged her large hazel eyes.


    Alex quickly added. ¡°My roommate is a cop¡ªhe¡¯s got friends in Coltund; they could easily help us too.¡±


    Lyra nodded to that. ¡°Keaton?¡±


    The man turned around and took a few steps forward. Seconds felt like hours as they waited patiently for him to say something, anything. But finally, he turned his head with a smile. ¡°Alright then. Your plan it is, Lyra.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± She nearly fell back in her chair from leaning too far.


    It was a good plan¡ªa solid escape. But first, they needed to get out of this place. Keaton and Alex both rounded back to the entrance. However, when Alex turned around, he noticed that there should be a blonde-haired woman following them. Instead, Lyra was still on the computer.


    Now, what is she doing? Alex waited patiently. He folded his hands on one of the cubicle¡¯s corners and pressed his body against the edge. It seemed as though she was engrossed with whatever was on the screen, and he silently cursed himself for not looking prior.


    ¡°Lyra, hurry it up,¡± Keaton ordered, stressing his deep voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming, I¡¯m coming!¡± she hollered back.


    As soon as she took off toward the opened area of the cubicles, a cacophony of sharp snarls suddenly entered the room. Alex gasped! The double doors burst open, and a cluster of hungry mouths and reaching hands lunged at Lyra. His heart skipped a beat when one of them nearly grabbed her. But she was fast on her feet, back-stepping on a dime. The young woman whipped her ponytail, glancing in either direction. The zombies shambled into the smaller space, cutting her off from reaching him.


    ¡°Lyra, watch out!¡± Alex shouted. If she didn¡¯t, she¡¯d get caught. His trigger finger twitched. How was he going to get her out? There had to be at least ten of those things crowding the space. Shooting won¡¯t take them down in time. Alex clenched his jaw. He knew he had to do something.


    ¡°Outta the way! Move!¡± shouted Lyra, looking back at Alex. She ducked as a zombie lunged for her, then took off in a sprint. She then leaped up onto one of the cubicle desks and dove over. A quick roll and she was back on her feet, her gun locked on the zombies crawling over after her. Alex blinked, shocked that she was surprisingly fit.


    ¡°Heh, I was almost a sandwich, huh?¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°No time for jokes!¡± responded Alex. He fired two shots at the crowd before quickly shutting the doors. Hopefully, those things won¡¯t burst through again. He groaned. Who was he kidding; they never stopped attacking. No wonder everyone died; these things never give anyone a chance to breathe. Suddenly, a freakish shriek bounced off the walls of the long hall, prompting Alex to turn around.


    You can¡¯t be serious.


    ¡°No rest for the wicked, huh?¡± Alex chuckled.


    ¡°Now look who¡¯s joking.¡± Lyra smiled in response.


    They didn¡¯t waste any more time. The trio sprinted for the side hallway and subjacent door at the end. Alex didn¡¯t want to fight any more of those stalkers, especially when he could still feel its cold claw pressed against his throat.


    They didn¡¯t bother with caution as all three of them burst into the next room; Alex, though, did ensure the door was closed behind them. Another large lobby was found, empty like the others before. There were two more doors, one across the lobby and the other adjacent on the right. A row of long windows filled the wall after it. It wasn¡¯t particularly dark, but the low lighting didn¡¯t help; Alex blinked a few times, not realizing he¡¯d been squinting to see as he moved to the other side of the lobby. He quickly checked the door, but it was stuck fast. Alex shook his head at the others.


    ¡°I think someone put wire on the other side of this one,¡± Keaton said, letting go of the handles.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Alex asked.


    Lyra sauntered over to the opposite side of the lobby, where an air duct rested near the ceiling. Its vent hung loosely from a rusted bolt. But it looked large enough for someone to fit through. Lyra must¡¯ve come to the same conclusion as Alex as she instantly turned toward the tallest in the group.


    ¡°Wanna give me a boost up? If it leads somewhere, I might be able to unlock those doors over there.¡± Lyra jerked her head toward where Alex was.


    Keaton holstered his USP. ¡°You sure you can handle it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a scared little girl.¡±


    Keaton shrugged as he walked over and pushed his back against the wall. He then let Lyra use him as a ladder; he lifted her up with ease, getting her head to peek into the duct. Keaton held his breath, his arms fully flexed. Small veins slowly popped out from his neck.


    ¡°See anything?¡± Keaton voiced through his clenched teeth.


    ¡°Not really. Oh, wait! I think this will take me to the other side of the wall.¡± Lyra adjusted her stance and lifted herself up and into the duct.


    ¡°Wait, Lyra!¡± Alex shouted, raising his hand. ¡°Are you sure you wanna go by your¡ª?¡±


    But she was gone; she slipped through to the other side. Alex chewed his lip and tapped his foot. He couldn¡¯t even tell how far she went. It didn¡¯t help that she was as silent as a mouse.


    ¡°Lyra?¡± Alex whispered.


    She didn¡¯t respond.


    Alex tapped his foot, glancing at Keaton. His heart rate started to spike as the silence grew. Who knew how long those air ducts were or what was on the other side?


    Or what if she got stuck? Alex shook his head. She¡¯d call out to them if she did. But why was she taking so long? They waited for about five minutes; Alex couldn¡¯t take anymore.


    ¡°Alex!? Keaton!?¡± Lyra¡¯s voice finally echoed through the duct. Alex sighed, relieved to know she sounded okay.


    ¡°Where are you!?¡± Alex shouted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know. I went into the hall, and there was nothing. But I did find this!¡±


    A few seconds later, a ringlet with several keys clattered through the duct before smacking the ground next to Alex¡¯s shoes. He slowly reached down and snatched it.


    ¡°Hey, I can¡¯t reach the duct on my own. I¡¯ll go ahead and see if I can find anything else. Remember Alex, radio, okay?¡±


    ¡°Wait, Lyra!¡± Keaton said, ¡°Lyra!?¡± He glanced at Alex with a face unreadable.


    ¡°Guess we¡¯ll meet her later then.¡± Alex shrugged and walked toward the locked doors.

 Chapter 10

    Alex nearly leaped with joy as one of the keys finally fit into the lock. He flicked his head at Keaton, who gave a curt nod. They were met with a flight of stairs as they entered the next room.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not stay too long upstairs; I wanna regroup with Lyra as fast as possible. I¡¯m certain she¡¯ll try and loop back,¡± Alex said, taking two steps at a time.


    ¡°Agreed. Hopefully, we won¡¯t run into any more problems too.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long to reach the top, and the duo rushed down the hall until they stumbled across the first door on the left. A thick gold nameplate told them that this room was the lounge. Alex silently cursed himself, remembering a room blocked off by a gate that looked like it could¡¯ve been a lounge. But, of course, that was too easy. He groaned in frustration and rolled his eyes as he wandered further down the hall. There were rectangular rows of windows that let in moonlight. Dust particles bounced inside the bluish hue and scattered quickly as the two walked by. He glanced out the passing windows, hoping to glimpse the night sky. But the angle of the building made that problematic. He squinted slightly and wondered how long the night would go on.


    Then, a heavy pat on his shoulder caused him to jump out of his thoughts. It was Keaton¡¯s, and he¡¯d let go as soon as he touched it. He then pointed forward down the hall.


    ¡°Alex, look,¡± he whispered.


    With an arched brow and curiosity that could kill a cat, Alex followed Keaton¡¯s finger with his eyes. Down at the end of the hall was a small child, holding both his hands up to his chest; he cautiously wandered into the hallway, glancing all around. He wore a small dark red shirt with long black sleeves, blue denim shorts, and little yellow rain boots. His face, full of concern, looked like he¡¯d been crying for a while. The little boy¡¯s short, curly brown hair was unkempt, and his matching eyes showed terror as he gazed back at Alex.


    Is that a child? Alex¡¯s eyes widened, and for a split second, his shoulders loosened. The boy jumped with an eek before turning around and sprinting in the other direction. He pushed through the door at the end of the hall and ran out of sight.


    ¡°Hey! Wait!¡± Alex shouted. He then took off in a hustle but halted instantly when the closest window shattered before him. A stalker had jumped through and into the corridor. It hissed and glared at the two, blocking their path.


    Why now!?


    In a swift motion, Keaton spun toward it on his left heel and finished off with a fatal kick to the creature¡¯s stomach, knocking it off its feet. Alex barely had time to process as his legs shifted into high gear, running past the stalker¡¯s spasming body. They¡¯d made it halfway down the corridor when more windows shattered behind them. Of course, Alex had to look, slowing down his speed, only to find three more stalkers lunging after them. Their high-pitched shrieks stung his ears.


    ¡°Forget ¡¯em!¡± hollered Keaton.


    Alex turned around and kept at it. They pushed open the door and took an immediate left into another long hallway, great. Thankfully, the little boy was just in sight and about to take a right turn.


    ¡°Please! It¡¯s not safe! There¡¯re monsters everywhere!¡± he called out, pleading with the boy to listen.


    But the kid was fast and likely couldn¡¯t hear him. Alex surmised the kid thought they were monsters, too. He furrowed his brow and¡ª


    THUD!


    ¡ªa door on the right burst open, swishing on its hinges and slamming against the wall. Alex clenched his teeth and scowled as a zombie shuffled into the hall, blocking them from reaching the kid.


    ¡°Get outta my way!¡± Keaton shouted, seething with anger.


    But it wouldn¡¯t listen. It just wanted to feast. Keaton took the first monster; now it was Alex¡¯s turn. He whipped his Glock 48 toward the reaching zombie and fired.


    BANG! BANG!


    Alex saw two flashes of light before the zombie collapsed onto the floor. As they moved past, he saw the twin holes in its chest ooze dark blood. More shrieks cried out behind them. The stalkers were hot on their tails. Time to hustle!


    Suddenly, a youthful scream pierced his eardrums. Alex gasped, fearing the worst. He didn¡¯t think or have time to as he nearly clipped his arm around the corner. Adrenaline flushed his veins as he whipped his gun directly ahead, spotting the poor boy. The kid struggled against an aggressive male zombie wearing a blood-stained business suit. His whimpering was even louder than the voracious growls of his attacker.


    ¡°Get off him!¡± Alex unloaded three rounds into its upper chest, with the final hitting its face. The zombie collapsed to the floor, freeing the poor boy. Without warning, he quickly took a right turn and trotted away down another hallway.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Keaton shouted. Alex whipped his head around and spotted his friend aiming at the stalkers. They crouched lower, preparing to strike.


    ¡°Screw them!¡± Alex shouted. He then bolted down the hall, where the kid fled. About halfway through the hall was a poorly constructed wooden blockade with a large hole at the base.


    ¡°Shit, I gotta bust it down!¡± Keaton yelled out. ¡°Stand back!¡±


    Alex flicked his head back as the Stalkers shifted into the hall in hot pursuit. ¡°Do it quickly!¡±


    Keaton gripped his handgun tightly as he sprinted, jumping up and kicking into the barricade and shattering it instantly. All that was left behind were scrapes blown to the side, as well as a small cloud of dust. Keaton then bolted forward, calling out, ¡°He¡¯s up ahead!¡± and running to the left.


    Alex hastened his backpedaling before completely turning around and bolting toward the new exit after his companion. The turn led to stairs; Alex nearly stumbled down but caught himself.


    ¡°Please! Come back here!¡± he shouted, straining his voice as he reached the ground floor. However, the boy was crying too loudly. He had made it through a large door at the end of the hall, not looking back. Keaton was nearly there when something else decided to block their path; a metal grating from up above collapsed onto the ground, and another stalker jumped down out of the ventilation shaft.


    ¡°Dammit! Fuck off!¡± Keaton snarled.


    A door on the left side behind them suddenly popped open, with a group of aggravated zombies coming out. They couldn¡¯t catch a break in this hellhole. From random employees to what looked like past survivors, the new horde crowded upon themselves; they pushed and pulled, turning themselves into a jumbled mess. At least, though, their uncoordinated movement played into Alex and Keaton¡¯s favor. Both of them ignored the zombies and focused on the stalker; they aimed their handguns, firing one shot each, without giving it a chance even to pounce. It staggered back as black blood sprayed onto the floor. Now¡¯s their chance!


    They rushed by as it slowly regained its posture. But it was enough as the horde had collapsed on top of it, stomping it to death. Alex didn¡¯t feel anything as its shrieks drowned out in a bubbling mess. It was a monster, after all, a horrible creature that only wanted to rip and tear through any living person.


    Alex gritted his teeth as he pushed open the door at the end of the hall; the low-lighted room was large, filled with cubicles that cut them off from the center. Please be okay, please! Alex thought as he took the outer path left. Another makeshift barricade stopped them, but to his relief, it was only a desk and a shelf. They could easily climb over, no problem. He wanted to call out for the kid but withdrew; who knew what was in there? And Alex didn¡¯t want to attract any more unwanted attention.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Fuck! The kid¡¯s gone.¡± Keaton muttered, glancing over one of the cubicle walls.


    ¡°We¡¯ll find him¡­ We have to,¡± Alex whispered.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Keaton yelped.


    Alex shifted back and found his companion struggling against a giant zombie. The dead man was well over six feet tall, if not more. The zombie had a firm grasp on Keaton¡¯s right wrist, holding his firearm to face the ground. But Keaton was impressively strong; even with one arm, he kept the aggressor at bay. Alex took careful aim up towards the zombie¡¯s face. It was bitten, with its nose missing, sunken skin, and grayish-white eyes. A small flash brightened the room as he pulled the trigger, followed by a shattering bang. A bullet hole formed in the zombie¡¯s noseless face; more blood splattered against the cubicle walls.


    Keaton took this opportunity to shove back the dead man onto the floor and regain his posture. ¡°Fucker. Didn¡¯t see him hiding there.¡±


    More zombies wandered slowly into the small area from the hall, eager for an easy meal. The two hustled over the desk and then the shelf. To Alex¡¯s shock, the zombies didn¡¯t try to nudge at the barricade; they stood still and stared at them. Even when Keaton flashed his light at their grueling faces, the zombies only made small grunts and moans.


    Strange. Alex narrowed his gaze. I thought it was just a fluke, but they seriously do have limited vision.


    Alex turned toward the left, where Keaton carefully walked down an open aisle. The room was practically empty. Only the scattered papers on the ground and the desk told Alex the employees must¡¯ve left in a rush. However, the barricade suggested something else. There had to have been someone who put it up. He turned his attention back to the kid, who strangely wasn¡¯t there. With the help of Keaton¡¯s flashlight, there was no way he could¡¯ve missed a hiding spot. Not only that, but the two were quiet enough that any crying or even whimpering should be easily heard; Alex¡¯s heart started to race. There was a door at the far end of the right side. Alex swallowed, shaking his head. No way. He must be here.


    ¡°Alex,¡± Keaton whispered. ¡°The kid¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not¡­!¡± Alex strained. His aching throat could barely take in air. It was frustrating to think about. They were so close; the kid was right there and then¡­ gone. Alex quickly rounded back and double-checked every cubicle in his path. But it was no use. ¡°Where else could he have gone!?¡± he asked. The pulsing of blood thumped hard in his ears, making it difficult to think.


    Keaton grunted, pressing his hand against his wound. He, too, was out of breath and likely needed to rest. But he continued to talk, pushing through the pain. ¡°Don¡¯t know, but we¡¯ll find him. Stop worrying.¡±


    It was hard not to, especially when Alex¡¯s stomach was tied in knots. He wanted to throw up, realizing that it was his fault¡ªif he¡¯d been faster, maybe things would¡¯ve been different. But even as he tried to focus on something else, fear took over his mind. The kid was alone, scared, and probably lost in this winding place. He needed help, another person to make him feel safe; Alex needed to find him fast. He then nearly collapsed onto a nearby chair, not noticing that his legs were aching. Light surges of pain strung up and down his thighs, and just sitting relieved his lower back.


    ¡°We lost him. How?¡± Alex lowered his head in defeat.


    ¡°Kid¡¯s fast. But he¡¯s also small, and he¡¯s prolly tired.¡± Keaton assured.


    ¡°It¡¯s so dangerous here; what if he¡¯s hurt? He could¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Alex,¡± Keaton said with a stern yet soft whisper. ¡°We will find him. Hell, we still gotta regroup with Lyra.¡±


    ¡°Lyra can take care of herself. But that kid¡¯s like, what? Eight? Ten? If he gets caught again¡­!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll try all the rooms. At least we know he didn¡¯t go back the other way.¡± Keaton pressed his hand on Alex¡¯s shoulder. It was warm, and as he started to rub it, a slight burn of tension coursed throughout his back. Alex knew his shoulders tensed easily, but he¡¯d forgotten amongst the chaos how sore he¡¯d be later. Keaton then patted them lightly. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go find them and get the hell outta here.¡±


    Alex slowly raised his eyes up to meet Keaton¡¯s. ¡°Right.¡±


    He stood up, ready to go, and the two then walked to the only open door. They lurched into another hallway, this time with stairs directly ahead and a left bend adjacent. There was no point in going up for now; Alex would check that out later. Instead, he was more interested in investigating the adjoining corridor. He reached the halfway point; above him was a coiled shutter gate with a pulley chain to the right.


    BOOM!


    The two halted and whipped around to the sound. The door was shoved against the wall as a twitching stalker burst into the room. It let out a ghastly shriek that pierced Alex¡¯s sore ears. The creature then snarled at them; its foaming muzzle looked deadly as it crept forward.


    ¡°Shit! Not them again!¡± Alex shouted, flicking his gun toward the monster.


    The stalker shot daggers at them and thinned its lips, forming a wicked smile. It was preparing itself to lunge and strike. But Alex and Keaton were ahead of it; their guns snapped in the creature¡¯s direction, waiting for it to move.


    Alex¡¯s arms were calm, and his stance was secure for the recoil. The second you move, he thought. Even though he didn¡¯t want to waste a bullet, there was no way this thing would let them go. No, it had to end in bloodshed. The creature moved.


    BANG! BANG! BANG!


    The gunshots pierced his eardrums; his canals felt as if they¡¯d been seared with a scorching hot rod. It didn¡¯t help that the shells pinged on the floor and sputtered about, further irritating them. But he ignored it as best he could and continued.


    BANG! BANG!


    Each round penetrated the stalker¡¯s furry coat, spraying droplets of blood against the open doors. It stumbled back on each shot before making a dreadful cry and finally collapsing onto the floor. Keaton quickly rushed over, aimed at its head, and delivered another blow. With one last spasm, the creature finally ceased.


    Alex lowered his handgun; his arm muscles tightened on reflex as a slight burning sensation strung against his nerves. Firing three bullets in a row was taxing on his thin arms. He glanced down at his weapon; the slide had cocked all the way back, and his gun was empty.


    ¡°What the?¡± Alex gave a look of confusion. His gun shouldn¡¯t be empty; he should¡¯ve had more to spare.


    Unless this one was a dud, he groaned and then pressed the small button with his thumb, releasing the magazine. It fell to the floor, tapping against the tile. He then quickly inserted his spare, pushing deeper into the well until a light click could be heard. Hopefully this one¡¯s actually a full clip.


    ¡°Ha-ha, oh yeah, that felt good!¡± Keaton whistled loudly as he lowered his gun. The moonlight shone down on him through the large window on his left; it illuminated his muscular back and legs and caused Alex to blush. But He didn¡¯t look away. Instead, he enjoyed the view.


    A dark shadow fell across the room, obscuring the light. Alex tilted his head, confused about where the moon went. He blinked, and the shadow seemingly grew larger. Keaton turned toward the window¡ª


    ¡ªit shattered abruptly, sending shards everywhere. Keaton covered his face, stumbling backward until he fell onto the floor. Alex gasped when a second stalker jumped through, blocking the view and locking eyes with him. This one shrieked ferociously, instantly sprinting. Alex had only a few seconds to react, and he hadn¡¯t cocked his gun! He reeled back, beads of sweat rolled down his neck. If he didn¡¯t act fast, the stalker would surely kill him. Instincts took over, and Alex dove out of the way, rolling onto the floor as the monster hooked its right claw up. A sharp metal screech penetrated his eardrum as the rolls from the shutter gave way. It slammed to the ground, separating him and Keaton.


    The monster had slashed through the chain, but at least it was trapped on this side. Alex heaved deep breaths as he rose to his feet. The gaping scratches on the tile floor looked fatal. Alex finally cocked his weapon, then aimed.


    But the stalker was quicker; it spun around, crouching on its hind legs. Its golden, narrow eyes locked in on Alex. Then, before he could pull the trigger, the furry rat pounced with incredible speed; its arms extended, preventing Alex from dodging again. He hit the ground hard, grunting in pain as the beast¡¯s entire body weight sat on top of him. Its left arm had pinned down his right. And even as Alex struggled, the furry creature was too heavy to uplift. It snarled at him, showing dark teeth and leaking gray foam. The stalker then lifted its right arm and flexed its long claws.


    Nasty freak. Get off! Alex thought behind clenched teeth. With his free arm, he pulled out his knife, gripped its base tightly, and then jammed it right into the rat¡¯s skull. It must¡¯ve been adrenaline coursing through his veins as Alex then shifted his leg underneath the screaming creature¡¯s gut. With all his might, he kicked the stalker off of him.


    Droplets of black liquid sprayed against the tiled floor as the beast fell on its back. It spasmed for a few seconds, whiplashing its arms and crying before it stopped altogether.


    Is it really dead? Alex stared at it with wide eyes. I thought it was odd the other one was able to move even though we hit its brain. Guess these things are just¡­


    BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.


    Alex flinched out of thought, his attention now focused behind him. He¡¯d almost forgotten about the gate. Alex stretched his legs as he stood and made his way over. From this side, the chain that allowed it to move had been completely shattered; its severed half rested on the floor. Alex groaned. There was no way he could lift that thing, even though Keaton was on the other side.


    ¡°Alex? You aight!?¡± Keaton¡¯s muffled voice shouted out.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! How boutchu!?¡±


    BOOM!


    Alex gasped. A gunshot came from behind the shutter.


    ¡°Alex, they¡¯re coming in from the windows! I can¡¯t stay any longer!¡±


    ¡°Go find Lyra! We can meet up later!¡±


    Alex heard nothing other than the muffled snarls of the infected. All he could do was hope Keaton heard him. He shook his head, turning back and moving on. If Keaton and Lyra regrouped, then Alex wouldn¡¯t have to worry. He could instead focus on finding that kid. He¡¯ll stick to the first floor before going back up. It was more than likely that the boy hid instead of kept going. He had to be tired by now.


    I just hope nothing finds you first, Alex thought. With his gun ready, he set off to find the kid.

 Chapter 11

    Alex wasted no time and quickly swept through the first. Thankfully, there weren¡¯t any more monsters besides an already downed zombie; someone else had already shot it. The only room he came across, though, was a janitor¡¯s closet filled with cleaning supplies. Adjacent to that was a set of doors blocked from the other side. He groaned out loud, having to return to the stairs. But before he did, something crossed his mind. He remembered the radio attached to his belt.


    That¡¯s right! Lyra had one, too.


    As far as he knew, she was somewhere on the other end of the shelter and could easily open up this pathway. Alex took it off his belt and turned it on. He then changed the channel to seven and pressed the talk button. ¡°Lyra, can you hear me?¡±


    Static came from the radio, causing Alex to slouch and slant his lips. She had to have given him the correct number, right? Or did he forget it? Or was she¡­? Alex¡¯s heart sank. No. She couldn¡¯t be. Lyra was too smart to fall victim to them.


    A burst of static came through, followed by a female voice. ¡°This is Lyra, over.¡±


    Alex smiled, breathing through his nose. ¡°Lyra, thank God. Listen, I¡¯m on the north side of the shelter next to some double doors; everything is blocked off, and I got separated from Keaton. You think you could unblock this area for me?¡±


    ¡°What the fuck? I leave you guys alone for half an hour, and you¡­!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll spare the details, Keaton¡¯s gonna try and find you. Whenever you get the chance, please open these doors for me.¡±


    ¡°You sound like you¡¯re going somewhere.¡±


    ¡°A kid is wandering alone in this place,¡± Alex responded. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta find him.¡±


    ¡°Great. Alright, I¡¯ll regroup with Keaton and head over to your location.¡± Another burst of static emitted from the radio, and Lyra¡¯s voice was gone.


    Alex put the radio back on his belt and headed up the stairs. At least she was alive. That alleviated some stress he was feeling. But they were far from ready to leave. Hell, they still needed to find an exit out of the shelter on top of regrouping. He wasn¡¯t worried about them, though; the kid being alone was more concerning. There seemed to be only a few spots in this office section of the shelter where someone could hide. The little tyke also had the advantage of fitting in spaces most adults couldn¡¯t. But kids aren¡¯t the best at staying quiet; they still need to have that spatial awareness.


    His heart raced faster as he thought about it. If that were true, then something terrible could happen to the boy. With zombies running amok, they could easily overwhelm him. They already can stop adults in their tracks; a kid would cry once panic hit and lure every zombie in the area to them. Not to mention that this boy had already proved Alex¡¯s thoughts right before.


    We alerted everything in that office, just trying to catch up¡ªIf he didn¡¯t calm down¡­ Alex tried not to picture the worst. There was still time to rescue the boy from whatever danger lurked. Alex rushed up the stairs, the only thing left to check, and wound up in yet another similar-looking hall. The right side peered off while his front was yet another long corridor. Thankfully, Alex found a door to the left that appeared to lead outside. Next to that were rows of windows that led down the hall.


    Alex pressed his hand against the cold window as he viewed the outside street below. So, this was the side we would¡¯ve passed by if those stalkers hadn¡¯t jumped us. Annoyingly, the rain droplets blurred the view. Alex could vaguely make out cars piled up, creating their own zig-zag path on the road. He then squinted, trying to focus through the blur, but couldn¡¯t see anything else.


    Darn¡­ Wait!


    Alex looked across the street and found him. Blurry yet brightly lit yellow boots waddled through a large gate and then ran into an abandoned building. Alex smirked to himself. The kid was pretty close, and Alex could easily catch up. With Keaton secure and Lyra making her way over to him, Alex went for the door to the left; he opened it and greeted the outside world.


    A dark awning covered the metal staircase, allowing for an easy descent. The floor beneath was of concrete, although it puddled at the base. Whoever made this place didn¡¯t do a proper job of installing drains. Alex took careful steps to avoid slipping and sliding down. He didn¡¯t care for the downpour either, so long as his socks didn¡¯t get wet. His collared sweater could handle a good amount of water before it started to soak his undershirt and his jeans were fine in getting wet also. But he really didn¡¯t want to maneuver through the rainy streets with cold, soaking-wet socks. Alex checked his pants¡¯ cuffs, ensuring they covered the shoe¡¯s collar. Once he was good, Alex then checked his surroundings.


    He had to travel a little east to get to the gate. But that was okay for him as he wasn¡¯t planning on running there. Instead, he¡¯d keep a pace of jogging. If anything would attack, he¡¯d need as much stamina as possible. Especially if it were those stalkers, I could easily outrun a zombie, but not them, not when it¡¯s raining outside.


    Alex couldn¡¯t think of anything else that could be out there. He then started to move out until an ominous howl burst through the pitter-patter of rain, the sound of a dog. He immediately stopped dead in his tracks and quickly shut off his flashlight. Although it helped him see easier, it also gave away his position. Alex waited and listened. Aside from the rain shifting to a more erratic drizzle than a light sprinkle, nothing happened. He was sure he¡¯d heard it. It was a deep howl, elongated for others to hear. Even as the pulsating sound of blood in his ears drowned out the noise, he remained still and refused to go further until he¡ª


    Aaarh-owooooo!!!


    ¡ªAlex gulped, hearing the roar again. He felt his blood turn ice cold as three more howls joined in. Dogs¡­ Really!? Zombie dogs changed the whole plan. They were likely faster than stalkers¡ªand in packs¡ªwell, normal dogs could easily take people down. You have to be extra cautious. If they could smell¡­ Dammit, hiding won¡¯t matter!


    He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves and rationalize. They didn¡¯t know he was there, and the rainfall kept his noise to a minimum. Stealth was still on his side. And, with the help of the cars, he could easily sneak by. But you also don¡¯t know where they are.


    He had no choice. He had to take the risk. Alex stepped out into the street, tightly gripping his handgun. The jagged parked car forced Alex to the right. There had to have been a crash somewhere, as everything on the road had been a mess.


    Another bark came from within earshot. No, it sounded like it was next to him. As he U-turned past a damaged Chevy pickup, a dark four-legged creature skittered past him, knocking him onto the wet asphalt. Alex gasped, sitting up quickly. He then flicked his gun behind him. However, the creature had vanished. He didn¡¯t even get a look at the thing before it toppled him. Alex scrambled to his feet as the howls began again. The cars surrounded him on his sides. The mutt could only come from behind.


    He spun on his feet, only to be shoved to the ground again. A thick growl and murky breath brushed against his face. Alex quickly pushed his right arm against the beast¡¯s throat as it snapped its withered jaws. Dammit! Alex clenched his jaw tight. He was really getting tired of these gross, decaying flesh-bags getting on top of him. The hound was shockingly strong despite having several open wounds. Its hollow gray eyes glared at him. But Alex kept his cool. Despite its attempts, the furry mutt didn¡¯t have enough strength to break through his arm. However, his right arm, the only thing stopping a zombie dog from mauling his face apart, was also the same one that held his handgun. Alex had to think of something, fast! He wasn¡¯t going to get ripped apart; he¡¯d at least take one of these rotten corpses to hell first!


    Then, in between the mutt¡¯s barking and snapping and spitting black goo everywhere, a light bulb went off in Alex¡¯s head. His knife! He slowly adjusted his body, pushing up enough to slide the knife out of its sheath. His right arm ached; a burning sensation rolled through his muscles. But he didn¡¯t give up. Alex took hold of his knife and raised it as best he could. Then, in a swift motion, he impaled the sharp blade deep into the dog¡¯s shoulder. But he wasn¡¯t finished. As the beast yelped from impact, it slightly gave way, enough time for him to shift to a better position and shove the thing down onto his side.


    The wet concrete splattered water as the zombie dog smacked hard against it. Alex ripped the knife from its body and kicked it back. He then wiped his face and finally flicked his gun. With the creature still incapacitated, he unloaded two bullets into its body, causing it to spasm. His second bullet, thankfully, brought it down for good.


    Dark blood poured from its wounds, and occasionally, it twitched. Alex quickly reloaded his gun yet again, then rushed to his feet. Keeping trained eyes on it, Alex cautiously moved around the dog; he didn¡¯t lower his guard for a second. There was no doubt that it would likely get up again, that it was just playing dead, and Alex didn¡¯t want to risk it. The beast was about the size of a Husky or maybe a German Shepard, but it looked more like a wolfdog. Something about its body seemed primitive and¡­ animalistic. Its paws were large, though its claws were practically nubs. He briefly wondered if the hound bit them off while it succumbed to the infection. Its dark fur looked ragged, caked with dirt and grime. And there were also a few bite marks on its legs and shoulders.


    He kept going, leaving the now-dead thing to rot in peace. A few SWAT vehicles blocked his path, but thankfully, Alex found a small gap he could pass through. This was probably the first time he¡¯d been grateful that he couldn¡¯t bulk up, forced to stay small and scrawny finally had a benefit. Alex smirked. Eric definitely enjoyed being larger. He¡¯d always shown off his strengths when it came to anything heavy.


    Alex found himself back on the sidewalk; the towering shelter filled all his view. Thankfully, the pathway didn¡¯t end, although he was prepared to climb over any cars in his way. It¡¯s not like anyone will mind, he thought.


    There was, directly in sight, the large gate the little boy passed through. The howls intensified as he inched out onto the street again. It was as if he¡¯d entered their den and was finally noticed. A couple of barks resonated back, prompting Alex to aim his weapon. There was an offshoot, a break in the cars, on his right.


    Making his approach, Alex darted his eyes in that direction. He flicked his gun and then unexpectedly gasped; his arms instantly lowered it. There were a few more dogs down the road, gnawing at something, clearly preoccupied even to notice him. With the help of the street light illuminating the scene, Alex swallowed hard. His brow twitched, then furrowed as he watched them. One of the dogs, a dirty and fatally injured pit bull, had been lying beside a corpse, peeling off the flesh of a thigh. He was fascinated with the sight. Sure, he¡¯d seen dogs eat meat before, but this was no ordinary situation. It held the bone in place with a single paw, scraping its bloody and sharp teeth against the bone to get every piece. Another two mutts stood up as they ripped and tore off more flesh from the main body.


    Was that recent? Or was he already dead? Alex¡¯s eyes widened to the horror that unfolded. He didn¡¯t even notice when another dog pranced into view until it started barking at him¡ªa Doberman Pinscher. Alex blinked, finally seeing the creature that stood only ten feet away. Its right ear had been torn, and there was a nasty gash that ruined half its face. But it didn¡¯t care as it started to growl. Its deep white eyes fixated on him, on its new meal. Alex stepped back slowly as another jumped onto a white Honda Civic on the left. It snarled at him before barking up a storm.


    His mind went blank, and flight mode kicked it. Alex took off in a heaping burst of speed toward the gate. Both the Dobermans barked and yelped out right behind him. They were hot on his tail, but Alex wouldn¡¯t make it easy.


    The large gate was in sight. With adrenaline coursing through his veins, Alex didn¡¯t feel any resistance from his leg muscles as he sprinted. Even with his gear, he didn¡¯t slow. But those zombie mutts were hot on his trail. Their intensive barks were irritating Alex¡¯s mind.


    Come on! Just a little further!


    The gate flung wide open, followed by an exhausted grunt. Alex pivoted, not giving time to think, as those hounds were hot on his tail. He grabbed both ends and closed the entrance. With a tired, pumping breath, Alex finally slid a security bar into place, locking it. But the hounds were ruthless. Some slammed against the doors as they snarled, causing rainwater to splash out onto the muddy floor. They barked for a couple of minutes as the rain started to increase. It didn¡¯t take long before it turned into a storm; the thunder from above drowned out their howls. Alex looked toward the new building; the kid couldn¡¯t have gone far. His shoes squelched; water had already soaked his sweaty socks, which brought a mild discomfort. At least you aren¡¯t puppy chow.


    He rushed, pushing the wide set double doors, and shone inside with the help of the flashlight. The building looked incomplete. Several pieces of caution paper blocked off a corridor on the left, and a bunch of construction equipment was scattered about. Loose nails were bent, jaggedly pointing up, and the smell of fresh concrete lingered. Alex then found an orange cement mixer by the upper left corner with concrete mix inside. Turning his head, he noticed a thick wooden base had covered the right side of the far end, creating a countertop. Power tools rested nonchalantly on some prebuilt wood beams. As he walked in, pressing his damp clothes to remove excess water, he spotted several holes in the ground. This isn¡¯t a place for a kid¡­


    Alex waved his light toward the end of the room, lingering it for a bit for his eyes to adjust. Once clear, he could see that there were two branching paths. One was ahead, veering to the left, while the other was on his right. A set of stairs met the end of that hall. Alex shook his head; the kid likely didn¡¯t go up. And if he did, it was wiser to clear out the first floor and then work his way up.


    Then, as Alex took a single step toward the left, a light scratching came from the right corner of the room. It sounded like a nail had been scraped against the concrete. It was subtle, though he heard it clearly. Could it be a zombie?


    Silence filled the room again as Alex flicked his gun on the wooden counter. A thought crossed his mind. What if it was the kid? Alex knew for certain that he¡¯d never be able to live with himself if he shot the poor boy. He¡¯d faced enough horrors that not even a therapist could help with, adding to it the death of a child¡ªno. He took his finger off the trigger and wrapped it under the guard with his others. He could throw the flashlight to buy him time if he was wrong. Simple and effective, and his eyes could already see where the light didn¡¯t shine; he¡¯d be okay.


    BOOM! BOOM!


    The thunder from outside shook the floor beneath, and as Alex drew closer, a light whimpering came within ear¡¯s reach. It had to be the little boy. There was no room for doubt. Unless zombies could emulate human sounds¡­ Alex shook his head, removing those things from his mind. It was ludicrous thinking. These things were slow and stupid; none of them thus far had shown even a small ounce of humanity.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Another scratching sound directed his attention to the far corner this time. The makeshift countertop had an open base with uneven beams holding it up. And in between those beams, Alex saw it. Two little yellow rain boots glimmered in his flashlight. Alex holstered his handgun and slowly made his approach. His shadow trailed down the floor; it bounced slowly and grew as he got close. Eventually, the little rain boots pulled themselves behind the desk.


    ¡°Hey¡­ kid?¡± Alex said in a soft, high-pitched voice. ¡°It¡¯s okay; I¡¯m not one of those bad people outside.¡± He then crouched down, leaning on his left knee.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± a small voice squeaked.


    It was a simple question, yet Alex didn¡¯t really know how to respond. This was a scared kid who¡¯d been alone for what looked to be most of the night. It wasn¡¯t like an adult, where they could easily measure the uncertainty; no, this child had only two options, both inspired by fear. And Alex knew he had to get the kid to trust him¡ªit wasn¡¯t safe otherwise. If only Lyra were here to deal with this¡­ Despite knowing so little about her, something told him she could get the child to trust her, no problem. However, it was likely because she was easygoing, and most people trusted them more.


    Finally, he said, ¡°Yeah¡ªI¡¯m a person. Why don¡¯t you come out?¡± Alex raised his hand and waited patiently for anything to happen.


    The kid said nothing, though a slight whimper and a little sniffle could be heard.


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to be all by yourself. I¡¯m sure your parents are worried sick.¡± In the corner, though barely visible, lay the small child pressed against the wall. Shivering and holding his legs, the boy with big brown eyes looked like he would burst into tears.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    Finally, the little boy poked his head past one of the beams and stared at Alex with big, teary brown eyes.


    ¡°Will you help me find my momma?¡± the kid squeaked out. His voice was frail and filled with freight. It was likely that he had come from his home, and although Alex had no clue where that would be, it was likely a long trek to the shelter in general. Maybe his dad¡­ died? It was a terrible thought, but it could also explain why he was alone. He¡¯d have to pry for more information once the boy was secure and safe.


    Alex sighed through his nose. ¡°Is your mom in the shelter?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ At the hospital.¡± The little boy sniffled and then wiped his nose with his sleeve.


    ¡°The hospital? That¡¯s across the river, right?¡± Alex asked. He didn¡¯t get a thorough explanation of the map from Keaton, but he could¡¯ve sworn he¡¯d seen a hospital on the other side.


    The little boy made a muffled yeah, confirming his statement. That was good. The kid was warming up to him. Alex nodded, breathing through his mouth. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    The kid chuckled gleefully but remained put. He was close, a little more conversation, and the boy should be on his side. Time to reel it in. Alex spoke up clearly but still with a softer pitch. ¡°You know it¡¯s too dangerous to be on your own, especially in this place.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared, mister.¡±


    Alex gave a friendly smile, then slumped his shoulders down. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t doubt that. You¡¯ve done a pretty good job, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± said the boy. ¡°My momma taught me how to be brave!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The little boy shifted onto his knees and scooted closer. ¡°Jesse¡ªJesse Sweeten.¡±


    ¡°My name¡¯s Alex.¡±


    Jesse nodded and finally crawled out from his little space and stood up. The kid was tiny, barely reaching Alex¡¯s hips. He then clutched onto Alex¡¯s right leg and squeezed tightly, muffling a little Thanks into his pants. Once he let go, Alex patted his curly hair.


    ¡°Come, Jesse. Let¡¯s go find your mom.¡± Though Alex gave another light smile, deep down, he knew that this kid likely wouldn¡¯t see his mom. Orphaned. I guess we have that in common.


    The next task at hand was to find an exit. They couldn¡¯t go back per se, as he didn¡¯t want to face those dogs again. Alex knew he could outrun them, or rather run fast enough to make it back to the shelter, but there was no guarantee that Jesse could as well. No, it would be a death wish to try that. Alex stood up and furrowed his brows. If they couldn¡¯t go back the way, they came¡­ Well, I guess we¡¯ll have to see what¡¯s down these halls.


    ¡°Those doggies are bad,¡± Jesse whispered. So, it was true, he had seen them. It was a miracle that they¡¯d left him alone. Or maybe they just hadn¡¯t seen him entirely.


    ¡°Yeah, we aren¡¯t going that way. We can find another way to get out. I have a couple of friends in the shelter that can help¡ª¡±


    ¡°Is that real?¡± Jesse pointed toward his holstered weapon, catching Alex off guard.


    A small thought crossed his mind. Several years ago, when he was eighteen, he¡¯d officially moved in with Eric, and they¡¯d experienced their first almost break-in. He¡¯d remembered being terrified as Eric wasn¡¯t officially a cop yet, but Eric was more than prepared. Alex stood at the door frame as Eric¡¯s bulky body slipped by; he had a dark object in his hand that caused Alex¡¯s heart to jump.


    ¡°Is that real?¡± He remembered asking the same question.


    And Eric¡¯s response, ¡°No,¡± somehow alleviated him. Though he knew down the line that it was, that Eric would¡¯ve shot anyone who tried to break in.


    But Alex didn¡¯t want to shield this kid from the horror. Especially if this weapon was the only thing that could protect them. They were both stuck in this hellhole after all, and Alex was sure that the kid had seen the carnage.


    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± he stated. But he didn¡¯t stop with just that. ¡°But it¡¯s dangerous out there. So, I might have no choice but to use it to protect us.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Okay¡­ My dad has a gun.¡±


    The kid was entirely unbothered as he smiled with a peachy face. Maybe he was tougher than Alex thought. He¡¯s likely too young to understand what¡¯s happening. ¡°So, where is your dad?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in the shelter. He told me to go hide, but I got hungry, and then I heard a loud noise!¡±


    Alex¡¯s heart sank. He didn¡¯t want to be right in that subject. And he didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d been squeezing his flashlight until his knuckles turned white.


    This poor kid.


    The two started to walk and talk, taking this conversation over to the corridor next to the countertop. The back area could have an exit and, if they were lucky, a way to get through the shelter without facing the dogs. Otherwise, he¡¯d have to use his radio and ask for help. They turned the corner once they came up to it when Jesse piped up again.


    ¡°What about you? Where¡¯re your mommy and daddy?¡±


    ¡°My parents¡­? They passed,¡± Alex lied. That was what he¡¯d tell anyone who¡¯d ask. But he knew it wasn¡¯t true. His parents were likely very much alive, enjoying the lives they wanted before they had him. In truth, he was abandoned, left to die in the winter cold at the doorstep of a firehouse.


    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry,¡± the boy pipped.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, though; I don¡¯t need my parents¡¯ help¡ªI¡¯m a grown-up anyway.¡±


    ¡°Well, you must get lonely.¡±


    Harsh. Kids were brutally honest. But Alex shook his head, keeping a firm voice. ¡°No, I¡¯m not lonely either.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What about a boyfriend?¡±


    A slight chuckle slipped out of Alex¡¯s mouth. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°This girl in my class. Mary, she¡¯s like obsessed with me.¡± Jesse¡¯s eyes widened as he finished.


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡ªshe always wants to play tag, but I don¡¯t like playing tag with her ¡¯cause she is fast and hard to catch.¡±


    Adorable.


    ¡°And she always wants to sit next to me and color.¡±


    ¡°She probably likes you.¡±


    But the kid cringed his face and dry gagged. ¡°Ew, no. She has cooties. Did you know all girls have cooties?¡±


    ¡°I did not know that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Billy Clark from my class said so. And he¡¯s really smart.¡±


    The two came up against a barred door. Alex gently pressed it, but it was stuck fast. The door itself had thick iron bars vertically, but unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t stick his hand through openings.


    ¡°Damn. We might have to go another way.¡± Alex sighed, pinching his nose bridge.


    ¡°No, wait!¡± Jesse shuffled over to the right corner, where a small open vent had breached the wall. ¡°I think I can fit through here.¡± The kid wasted no time as he crouched down and slipped through.


    ¡°Oh, please be careful. If you see one of those sick people, come back here¡­ Jesse?¡± Alex¡¯s breathing heightened as silence fell upon his ears.


    Of course, the worst came to mind. Even as he tried to block it out, the kid winding up dead kept plaguing his mind. Alex clenched his jaw until it started to get sore. Jesse hadn¡¯t screamed. He wasn¡¯t in pain; he had to be okay. Now I know how Keaton felt¡­


    Suddenly, small little foottaps echoed down the hall. A fluffy puff of curly brown hair bounced slightly as Jesse ran to the door.


    ¡°Mister Alex!¡± he chirped, hands weaved together by his heart.


    Alex sighed in relief. ¡°Thank God you¡¯re okay. You gave me a scare.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no monsters¡ªit¡¯s completely empty.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Can you get the door?¡±


    The boy nodded and pulled something by the handle. A subtle click and Alex finally twisted the knob, reuniting the two.


    ¡°Great work, Jesse.¡±


    ¡°It was nothing.¡±


    The pitter-patter of rainfall tickled his right ear when he entered the loft. It sounded softer than when he¡¯d arrived, and hopefully, the storm eased. Alex really didn¡¯t want to get soaked in the rain again. And though his open-collar sweater dried, his socks were still wet. Feeling the water squelching in his shoes as he walked was annoyingly uncomfortable.


    Another set of stairs led up to the second floor on the left side, and a doorless frame had been installed on the far right. Darkness enveloped past that, telling him that it did lead to the outside world. It was good; they could get back to Lyra and Keaton and hopefully find Jesse¡¯s mom. Maybe the rain will go away too¡­


    Alex didn¡¯t hate the rain; if he could have it his way, he¡¯d be sitting on his couch, with the fire on, drinking warm coffee and reading a book. Listening to rainfall on a gloomy day was amazingly peaceful. The quiet white noise never irritated his ears. The scenario was better when Eric would join him, mainly to sleep, but Alex liked hearing his friend¡¯s deep breathing. That was also peaceful.


    His face burned red as he thought about Eric. Tall, bulky, and heavily far-sighted. He was strict, but Alex knew that Eric relied on him more than the other way around. It wasn¡¯t a big deal; he appreciated being needed. And he was certain Eric liked being needed, too. He asserted himself into Alex¡¯s life while, at the same time, he could barely go to the store by himself. Alex smiled sincerely; he was the only person who never made him feel¡­ alone.


    A friend. Someone I can¡¯t live without. He had to return before Eric noticed; that man would not sit still idling by. He would easily break any laws to get to Alex. Or kill another person¡­


    ¡°I see the exit!¡± Jesse squeaked, pulling Alex away from his thoughts.


    The boy jogged up toward the open entrance, prompting Alex to follow. He pulled out his Glock 48, ready to continue. They stepped into a small alley, or at least it looked to be one. The concrete walls still surrounded them, yet the floor was mud. Alex could even see the dampened wooden support beams at the base. But Jesse seemed content. In fact, he strangely knew where he was going as he jogged left and led the two out into the street.


    Jesse then pointed southwest toward a large bridge. From where they were, it was too dark to make sense of the scale. However, Alex could see tall twin, probably steel, pillars on each end. ¡°My momma works over there!¡± he said, then glanced up at Alex.


    ¡°Alright. We can check it out.¡± Alex chewed his lip, thinking about Lyra and Keaton. I¡¯ll have to contact them soon¡ªlet them know I¡¯m okay, but first, we should get out of this rain.


    Jesse let out a slight but mucous-sounding cough. His little tongue rolled as he coughed a few more times. He then gripped his chest and squinted his big brown eyes tightly. After a few seconds, he appeared to be okay as he lowered his hands and continued as if nothing happened.


    ¡°You, okay?¡± Alex asked, narrowing his eyes to the boy. That was odd.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay¡­¡± The kid trotted along, unbothered by the rain, smiling widely. Jesse ran right up to a puddle and stomped into it, letting the droplets splash across the pavement. It was adorable watching the kid relish in blissful ignorance. Even when there was a looming dread around the corner, Alex stopped, watched, and smiled too.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get out of the rain. You¡¯ll catch a cold if you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t get sick. My momma¡¯s a nurse¡±


    ¡°A nurse, you say?¡± Alex raised his brows.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. My momma helps me with all sorts of stuff. She knows all about the body.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool. You wanna be like her one day?¡±


    ¡°No. I wanna be like my daddy,¡± Jesse said. ¡°He¡¯s a firefighter, and he¡¯s really strong!¡±


    Alex chuckled slightly. How adorable.


    ¡°Well, before we play in the rain, we should get raincoats, yeah? To match with your boots?¡± Alex gently rested his hand on Jesse¡¯s shoulder as they walked south down the empty street.


    ¡°You know, momma always tells me that too.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s got the right idea. It¡¯s better to keep dry than be soaking wet.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ If you say so.¡±


    Howls echoed through the conjoined street, causing Alex to halt in place. A couple more barks erupted, responding. Alex slowly turned his head to the left, where the roads merged. They couldn¡¯t reach them even if those disgusting mutts wanted to; there was a sizable black police fence that blocked off the whole lane. Alex then sighed through his nose with relief, lowering his tensed shoulders.


    ¡°Aw, mister Alex, look!¡± Jesse whined. The poor boy frowned as he pointed with his tiny fingers. Up ahead was a matching black barricade, though a bundle of abandoned cars blocked them off from even getting close.


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to find another way around.¡± Alex glanced from side to side, eventually spotting a metal staircase leading up to the shelter¡¯s second floor on his left. He then tapped Jesse¡¯s shoulder and pointed. ¡°Look, we might be able to go through the shelter to get onto the other side.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± The boy glanced up at Alex, giving a hopeful lip quiver. ¡°I really wanna see my momma.¡±


    Alex merely shrugged. ¡°Hopefully. And we can also wait inside until the rain clears up.¡±


    Jesse¡¯s pouting face instantly shifted to a red hue of a wide smile. His small teeth were adorably aligned. ¡°Okay!¡±


    Before they reached the stairs, Alex and Jesse stumbled into a small courtyard fenced off with barbed wire and a door with wiring in the middle of it. Alex smirked to himself, finding the door to be thankfully unlocked¡ªand no carrier in sight.


    The small courtyard had a couple of trashcans against some rusty empty barrels. A thick set of wet tools was haphazardly thrown into a box that rested by one of the barrels. To the right was the set of stairs that stretched to the third story; they were dark in color, with a loose handrail and open risers.


    Alex glanced back at Jesse, who wavered for a moment. Alex then smiled at him and extended his hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll go slowly.¡±


    They took the steps one at a time, and Alex instructed Jesse to hold his other hand onto the safety rail. Even though the steps had raised holes for shoe support, the rain could still cause a slip. The distance between each step was larger than Jesse could manage; the boy¡¯s little legs had to stretch out, but he managed to keep up with Alex¡¯s slow pace.


    The door at the top was left ajar. Alex narrowed his gaze as he reached the top step. He then carefully pulled it back open, hoping there wasn¡¯t anything inside. A zombie in the rain was bad enough, but one that could push him down a flight of stairs. He took a deep breath and wrapped his finger around the trigger.


    He did a quick once over¡ªno zombies inside¡ªbefore he let Jesse walk in. The boy gleefully smiled, seemingly unconcerned with their situation. Alex sighed, wishing he could do the same. Chin up, he thought. You¡¯re the reason why he can. Alex smiled back, holstering his handgun again to ease any tension.


    It was a control room, small and cluttered with various panels and circuit boards. With the lights on, Alex put away his flashlight and inspected further. A thin, cracked, dusty window on his right stretched across the wall; however, it didn¡¯t look like it was meant to see outside. Directly across the room was another metal door. Looking at the control panels themselves, Alex found the closest one was built in front of the window. Aside from a large black lever raised, the various buttons and switches were uninteresting to him. Jesse scampered by him and past the panel, then stood on his tippy toes to look through the window¡¯s edge.


    ¡°Look down there! I see a bridge,¡± said Jesse.


    Alex pressed his hand against the window. It started to numb to the coldness, but he didn¡¯t care as he leaned over to peer through it. Jesse was right; there was an offset footbridge on the lowest floor. On the right side was an open hole in the wall that likely led back outside.


    ¡°I was here before! And I think that bar is for it.¡± Jesse pulled back and looked up to Alex. ¡°But it won¡¯t move.¡±


    Alex then flicked his eyes back outside through the open door. Across the river was where Jesse said the hospital, but even at this height, he couldn¡¯t see any building that indicated it was a hospital. Hmm, I¡¯ll have to ask Keaton just how far away it is.


    ¡°Alrighty. Let¡¯s give this a shot.¡±


    Alex grabbed onto the handle and, with a slight give, pulled it down slowly. A barely audible ticking sound vibrated throughout the lever, and once he pulled it all the way down, a loud click fell into place. A heavy rumble soon followed. It shook the ground they stood on, prompting the two to look back down at the bridge. And like clockwork, the bridge twisted itself back into the proper potion. A thick layer of steam leaked out from the sides of the bridge, but once it settled, the steam soon dissipated.


    ¡°You got it!¡± Jesse rushed over and grabbed onto Alex¡¯s left leg, hugging it tightly. Alex brushed his hand against the boy¡¯s fluffy brown hair. It was soft and glossy. His mother must¡¯ve been a detailed woman if she managed to keep this boy looking pristine. The corners of Alex¡¯s mouth pulled up slightly as the boy finally let go, ready to move on.


    They needed to find the others. Alex pulled the small radio from his belt and twisted some of the knobs. Finally, he pressed the talk button and began. ¡°Lyra, come in. It¡¯s me, Alex.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long before his radio went off. Lyra¡¯s voice, filled with static, told him she was there. ¡°This is Lyra, over.¡±


    ¡°I think I found a way out. A bridge on the northwest side of the shelter. Can you meet me there?¡±


    ¡°Roger that. Keaton and I are gonna try and restart this generator. Some of the gates in the shelter need its power to function.¡±


    Alex pressed the talk button again, glancing over at Jesse, whose thin brows had been raised. ¡°I also found the kid; his name is Jesse I¡¯m taking him along with us.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    The static stopped, and silence fell upon the room. It was time to leave. Alex put his radio away and headed for the door. He then pulled out his Glock 48, twisted the keyed entry doorknob, and pushed it open. It led to another empty hallway.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Alex asked, looking back.


    The young boy stood in the middle of the room, his hands hovering over his chest. Jesse nodded, then trotted up to him, and the two left.

 Chapter 12

    The hallway was eerily quiet. Not even the wooden boards beneath their feet creaked as they hurried along. The rain outside had lessened; Alex couldn¡¯t hear it pinging against the windows anymore. Thankfully, Jesse¡¯s pitter-patter was enough to keep him sane. He needed to find a way back down somehow; on top of that, keep this precious kid safe from harm¡¯s way.


    Piece of cake. Alex rolled his eyes at his own thoughts. With the seemingly endless monsters that lurked inside this place, Alex knew they¡¯d find trouble eventually. He had bullets and could take one of them down, but without Lyra and Keaton, he¡¯d have to be extra cautious. Jesse seemed content. He held onto Alex¡¯s jeans as they walked, though he had to move a bit faster from time to time.


    They came across two doors, one down the hall and another to his right; Alex took the closest first. He slowly opened his as his heart thumped in his ears. But, before he went inside, he waited and listened. He grazed up against the ajar door and closed his eyes to focus. Aside from his breathing, he heard nothing. Not even Jesse, who also kept quiet.


    It must be safe. Alex opened the door fully and found what looked to be a board meeting room. As the two crept in, Alex flicked his gun from side to side to ensure nothing was there. Thankfully, there was only a corpse in one of the corners, and it looked like it wouldn¡¯t get back up soon. Looking around, he¡¯d found a few tan metal chairs and a large whiteboard plastered on the wall covering a good portion. What was on it wasn¡¯t that useful to his eyes.


    Annual produce growth? Alex narrowed his gaze at one of the sentences. It is thickly bold, likely marked over three times. But other than the written messages, only the toppled chairs and an out-of-place blue tarp told Alex that someone was once here. Everything, though, was left abandoned.


    It was sad yet relieving at the same time. Alex¡¯s shoulders loosened a bit, no longer stressed out. The faded orange light gleaming from the ceiling also put him at ease. He felt safe in this room like nothing could burst in and hurt them. But an unsettling chill ran down his spine. Goosebumps formed on his legs in a light layer. He knew that they couldn¡¯t stay. They had to venture out and find the others. Alex turned and then stopped when Jesse suddenly wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°Jesse?¡± he whispered.


    The small child stared at something out of view in the far corner of the room. Alex rushed over, ready to shoot, when¡ª


    ¡°Mister Alex¡­ that¡¯s my daddy.¡±


    Alex¡¯s face dropped; his heart sank, watching the boy lean down over his father. As he tried to speak, a thick knot formed in his throat. ¡°Jesse, I¡¯m¡­¡± But he didn¡¯t know what to say next.


    The boy tugged at his father¡¯s red and black checkered flannel. But his father didn¡¯t budge. Finally, Jesse gave up and placed his hand over his father¡¯s. ¡°Daddy¡¯s not gonna wake up, is he?¡±


    Jesse glanced back, his face reddened. Teardrops formed in the corners of his eyes, and some had already rolled down his cheeks. Alex clenched his jaw, holding back his own fountain. He silently nodded, confirming what Jesse already knew.


    The kid sniffled before planting a kiss on his father¡¯s cheek. ¡°Goodbye, Daddy. I love you.¡±


    Alex¡¯s heart hurt. He didn¡¯t know the man, but he knew of sacrifice. He wiped away his tears and headed for the tarp. In the blink of an eye, Alex covered Jesse¡¯s father with it. He then whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll look after him. I promise.¡±


    As he stood up, the boy rushed over, grabbed his leg, and cried. Alex didn¡¯t move as Jesse continued to bawl his eyes out. It¡¯s one thing to say your parents are dead and another actually to witness it. Alex ran his fingers through Jesse¡¯s hair. ¡°Grieve as long as you want. We¡¯ll go when you¡¯re ready. But I want you to know your dad will always love you. He fought to keep you safe. And I¡¯ll do the same.¡±


    If he did hear it, he didn¡¯t respond; his cries turned into a mixture of uneven breaths and coughs. In that moment, time didn¡¯t seem to matter. Alex crouched down and hugged Jesse tight, letting him grieve in peace.


    <hr>


    It was likely an hour at most that had passed. Jesse seemed to have run out of tears. There was no longer reason to stay there as the only other door was outside. Alex finally stood up and turned around. ¡°Ready to go, Jesse?¡± he asked, looking down at the young boy with big brown eyes.


    Jesse nodded, sniffling and wiping his face, and they went back out into the hall, taking the next door. A sense of dread loomed as he checked this room, too. Aside from a few shelves that housed open boxes, it was also empty. The contents were of various things, nothing truly noteworthy to Alex. But for some reason, he felt weird, unnerved about this. At first, he was uncomfortable with everyone leaving this shelter. But now, not even zombies roamed in this part.


    ¡°Alex,¡± Jesse whispered. He¡¯d already made it to the other side of the door and waited patiently for him. ¡°This door won¡¯t open.¡± Both his little arms reached up for the knob, and even though he tugged, it was stuck fast.


    Alex gave it a shot next. He twisted the copper door handle slightly but to no avail. Strangely enough, there wasn¡¯t a lock to be seen. Alex then trailed his eye upward and found the problem. There was a shiny gold bolt that secured the door. No wonder why there wasn¡¯t any sign of people in this part of the shelter if this was the only way to get here. Alex coughed slightly, trying not to burst into a laughing fit.


    What door isn¡¯t locked in this hellhole? A sly grin cast on his face. Finally, he twisted the knob and pulled back. Alex stepped through into another long hall, ending in a T-intersection. However, this hall had a grille gate preventing entry to what looked like a break room.


    As he inched his way forward, he heard a disgusting chewing noise from beyond the gate. Alex flexed the muscles in his head, pulling back his ears and cringing. The loud sound of flesh ripping caused Alex¡¯s stomach to roll. He was going to be sick. It was disgusting; each loud tearing caused some kind of liquid to splash on the floor. Not only that, but he could also hear sickly moans of delight with each bite. He knew it was one of them; however, in this instance, Alex wondered if it was more animal than human. Its feeding made him want to vomit. It was as if the thing was starving; it¡¯d likely leave nothing but bone once it was done.


    Then, as he peered through the slits in the gate, he saw it. The zombie was on all fours, head down, viciously ripping flesh out of a dead girl¡¯s upper torso. Her dull blue eyes told him that it was a struggle like she¡¯d been fighting well past the creature tearing out her throat. Droplets of her blood had sprayed against her face and honey-blonde hair. She was nothing more than a memory now.


    His heart sank. How many survivors had succumbed to this? Crying and screaming in pain as those things took the time to rip out chunks of flesh. How many drowned in their blood as their throats got torn? His eyes glance to Jesse; the poor kid could¡¯ve been one of those victims.


    ¡°Mister Alex?¡± Jesse clung to Alex¡¯s left thigh, gently tugging on his wet jeans.


    ¡°We¡¯re okay,¡± he whispered back. ¡°Let¡¯s just leave him to his¡­ meal.¡±


    As they scampered down the open hall, Alex kept a steady hold on Jesse¡¯s smaller hand. With a quick check of his eyes and a flick of his gun, Alex moved toward the left when a familiar ajar door appeared. It was the one he¡¯d used to get down onto the street. He sighed, relieved to have made it back to this. Now, they could finally reunite with the others. Alex let go of Jesse¡¯s hand and instead prompted him to hold onto the adjacent stair railing.


    As soon as he touched the ground floor, Alex instantly flicked his gun forward and then to his right. The zombie he¡¯d previously killed was no longer there. However, directly ahead were two new corpses. Their grayish skin and ripped-out hair made it hard to make out their gender; their clothes weren¡¯t enough to decipher either, as they¡¯d been torn to shreds. But Alex didn¡¯t really care. They were all the same in his book. But he was curious as to where they came from and who killed them.


    Alex waited until his little friend in the little yellow rain boots finished scaling down the stairs. Together, they walked over to the now wide-open double doors. His heartbeat raced in his chest as he paced his speed a bit faster. Lyra promised to meet here, and it looked like she could be nearby.


    ¡°Lyra?¡± Alex whispered gently. He turned his head from side to side, hoping nothing else heard him. But, unfortunately, there as no response in general. ¡°Damn¡ªhoped she¡¯d be around here?¡±


    ¡°Who, Alex?¡± Jesse pipped, looking up with widened eyes.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Alex smiled gleefully. ¡°My friends.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­. I had a friend who always played hide-and-seek, and he was hard to find.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Not even the teachers could find him. One time, the police came to our school but couldn¡¯t find him either,¡± he chimed.


    Alex raised a brow but kept his suspicions under wraps. ¡°Cops, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m friends with a cop.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Jesse questioned, his mouth left agape.


    Alex nodded.


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s cool!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you meet him; he¡¯s practically a kid himself.¡±


    Jesse agreed with an excited smile, and they began to move out until a hoarse moan whispered from down the hall and caused thin hairs to stiffen on Alex¡¯s neck. He whipped around, glaring hard at the two awoken zombies shuffling toward them. They must¡¯ve awoken to the noise.


    ¡°Alex!¡± Jesse yelped. The boy cupped his hands to his chest, his legs shaking.


    But Alex gave a reassuring smile as the two zombies smacked their decayed skulls together, staggering themselves to the floor and wall. The one that fell to the floor flopped around as if it couldn¡¯t figure out how to use its arm. Jesse chuckled.


    ¡°They seem to be busy. Hopefully, they¡¯ll forget about us too.¡±


    They finally left through the open doors. A large sign with signaling arrows pointing left and right had dried dark blood covering nearly half of it. The word help had been written in the same blood adjacent to that.


    Go left for the commerce section and right for the warehouse. Alex trailed his eyes, taking in both options. There was a strong possibility that Lyra would¡¯ve taken Keaton to get food. The man had to be starving. And although it seemed like a good idea, Alex would rather try for the warehouse instead. He wanted to leave this place as he¡¯d already made an opening.


    And we still have to go to the hospital and find Jesse¡¯s mom.


    He didn¡¯t know how far away that place was or if she was still alive, but he wasn¡¯t getting anywhere by prolonging the time spent here. If anything, his friends were better at taking down the infected monsters in their path; they shouldn¡¯t have an issue catching up. Alex glanced down at Jesse, who¡¯d been struggling to stand still, and then thought about his real priority. I need to keep you safe most of all.


    He took the right path. The most practical solution was to ensure an escape. That way, by the time Lyra and Keaton finally stumbled into that area, he¡¯d be waiting with Jesse and ready to go. It was a solid plan, so long as nothing got in his way.


    So far, so good.


    They¡¯d come across a set of double doors that swiveled on their hinges; a thin piece of dusty glass was embedded into either door. He tried to peer through it, but he couldn¡¯t see much. Alex sighed, slowly pushing the knobless door with the butt of his hand.


    Finally, he cautiously entered a large three-story room. It had to be the warehouse, as it was lined with long and thick metal shelves that held various crates and plastic-wrapped boxes. The aisles were dense, and a few forklifts and other crate carriers were nuzzled together in a few of them. But at least the central aisle was clear of that, aside from a few fallen boxes.


    ¡°Alex! The gate!¡± Jesse¡¯s voice bounced off the cold walls as he sprinted down the central aisle. He really was fast; despite being nearly half the size of Alex, he reached the end of the room in less than a minute. As Alex nearly caught up, the kid slightly jerked the gate back and forth. He then looked up at Alex and frowned. ¡°It won¡¯t open.¡±


    Alex clicked his tongue and then glanced around the frame. It looked new, freshly installed, as the silvery frame was spotless. To the right was an odd-looking control lever. Instead of a single bar that stuck out, this one rested flat and was embedded into the wall. From the look of it, he¡¯d pull it downward. And so he did, tugging slightly on the black rubber grip of the handle until it moved. But nothing happened afterward.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Alex mumbled.


    He ran his fingers through his brown hair, then trailed the edges of the gate again. Finally, he spotted something useful. A thin black cable ran along the border and down to the floor. He then patted Jesse before following the line to the left until he stumbled upon another set of double doors. The thin black cord pressed onward through the wall.


    He pushed it slightly and aimed his weapon through the slit. Everything was clear, but even as he entered, a thick stench of an acidic tangy smell lingered. It was awful, sour in the grossest way. But he¡¯d smelled this before; it was like burning rubber on a hot day, a stench that would cling to skin and stay even after washing.


    Gunpowder, he thought. It didn¡¯t bother him at first, but this time, it smelled like someone really let off some steam with their gun. The hall opened up to another large and extended room. But this one looked a little different. Alex halted in place, his face drained of color. Jesse slammed into his left leg, but Alex didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Mister Alex?¡± Jesse whispered. Alex remained aghast, letting the boy see for himself.


    It was a blood bath. Several zombie corpses had been strung out in various places throughout the open room; there had to be at least twenty of them. And from the way they were spread out, it was challenging to find a pathway through. Alex chewed his lip. Not only that but there was also a giant red shipping container that blocked off the other side altogether. What to do? Alex wondered. They could go back and find a different route. Alex shook his head. There wasn¡¯t another route. The food section will be the same, he thought to himself.


    ¡°Alex, look,¡± Jesse whispered again. The boy pointed off to the right and then to the left.


    There were a few smaller metal crates stacked haphazardly. They could climb them to get over. Also, off to the left was a worn-down forklift. Alex turned toward Jesse and gave him a silent thumbs-up. It definitely helped to have another pair of eyes watching. But they needed to be careful about this situation. From what Alex could see, the crate option was a no-go. The zombie bodies that surrounded them looked too closely compacted. They realistically only had one way to go, and though Alex didn¡¯t like that option, he didn¡¯t see much of a choice. They had to head toward the forklift.


    One wrong move, and we¡¯ll wake up the whole family, he thought.


    The dark red pools the zombie lay in told him they¡¯d been shot down. Their skin all shared that sickly gray, though nearly half didn¡¯t share the natural zombie bite. Maybe Lyra was right; the water could¡¯ve initially spread the infection.


    This at least explains the smell. The others could be up ahead.


    ¡°Alright, here¡¯s what we¡¯re gonna do,¡± Alex whispered. He bent down closer to Jesse¡¯s ear. ¡°You follow me to a T. Whatever move I make¡ªyou make. If I stop, then you stop. And if they wake up¡ªyou run. Okay?¡±


    Jesse nodded.


    It was time to move. Alex led the way and carefully maneuvered around the dead zombies. He also made sure to walk by the ones whose mouths were not near their ankles. Surprisingly enough, Jesse stayed quiet. In fact, it was almost as if he wasn¡¯t there. Alex glanced back, his breath stuck in his throat. But the boy was right behind him, hopping in every space Alex had previously touched. He sighed in relief and continued. The pathway he started would lead them to the forklift; from the look of the shipping container, Alex would only have enough height to send Jesse up.


    Another zombie corpse rested against the forklift¡¯s rear. Its face fell forward, and its bangs covered the rest. Alex hesitated in moving close to it. These things did not play fair; he couldn¡¯t tell if it was dead or pretending. And the fact that they don¡¯t breathe, as far as Alex could see, also didn¡¯t help. The last thing he wanted was to get close to the waiting one and have it jump out at him. If I shoot or scream, I¡¯ll wake the others. He bit his lip, thinking about what to do.


    The only option that came to mind was to send Jesse up first. With the boy out of the way, Alex could rush the forklift and jump it before the zombie did anything. Simple enough, he hoped. Once Alex reached the large steel crates, he turned and pressed his back to them and waited for Jesse. It didn¡¯t take long for the boy to reach his side. Jesse breathed quietly through his small mouth; his face was adorably flushed pink.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m gonna lift you up there.¡± Alex flicked his head. ¡°And you can wait until I get up there with you.


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Jesse. He shuffled in front of the shipping container and looked up.


    ¡°Ready?¡± asked Alex as he placed his hands around the kid¡¯s thin torso.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Jesse squealed as he jumped up.


    Alex flinched back but raised the kid as high as he could. ¡°Up you go.¡±


    The boy easily reached the edge of the container and, with a little help, lifted himself. With him out of harm¡¯s way, Alex knew what would come next; he needed to use the forklift for a boost. Alex took a deep breath. He had to move fast¡ªthat thing could wake up anytime. He quickly holstered his gun and then rubbed his dirty hands together. He then took minimal breaths, slowing his heart rate down. Alex loosened his muscles and joints, limber enough to escape any grasp.


    Once he was ready, Alex slowly crept up to the forklift without making a sound. So far, so good, he thought as he raised his left foot. There was next to no wiggle room; the dead zombie took up most of the space. He¡¯d have to lift his leg over it to get a foothold. Then he could jump up to Jesse. Alex took a deep breath. Alright, here we go.


    He pressed his foot against the forklift, and in a swift motion, Alex jumped up and grabbed onto the crate¡¯s edge. He gritted his teeth. Climbing up was harder than he thought; his thin arms would definitely be sore in the morning. But Alex needed to do this now. If he fell back down to try again, he¡¯d only be more tired on the next attempt. Alex scrunched his face and crinkled his eyes. His hands burned, turning pale white while trying to hold him up. Alex then adjusted his footing, pushing off the rough metal, and finally hauled himself up. Alex panted, exhausted and out of shape. His arms tightened, pulsating slightly, but he did it. Great, now they could¡ª


    THUMP!


    Alex¡¯s eyes widened as he glanced down; the rest of his body remained still. The zombie from before had fallen over. Though it didn¡¯t move anymore, that alone was enough to unnerve him. He stayed perfectly still, holding his breath, and waited for anything else to happen. But nothing did. Even as Jesse jogged up to him, Alex refused to budge. He waited at least a few minutes, making sure everything was clear.


    Finally, Alex sighed as he stood. That could¡¯ve ended badly. If they all woke up...


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jesse asked. His big brown eyes stared blankly at Alex¡¯s deep forest green.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Alex said. ¡°I¡¯m just glad none of those things got up.¡±


    ¡°But aren¡¯t we safe up here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but there¡¯s a lot of those things down there¡ªthey could pile up and get to us. It wouldn¡¯t be pretty.¡±


    Jesse glanced down at them, then stepped away from the edge.


    ¡°Besides,¡± Alex added, ¡°we need to come back through here. If they wake up, let¡¯s hope it¡¯s after we leave. Right?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    The other side had another shipping container, though this one was smaller. They¡¯d have to climb back up again, but Alex wasn¡¯t worried about that side. He held Jesse¡¯s hand as they carefully made their way back down. Thankfully, this area didn¡¯t have any zombies.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Alex whispered.


    ¡°Okay.¡±