The roar that filled our room was unlike anything I’d ever heard— a guttural, primal sound that reverberated off the walls, shaking me to my core. The creature lurking in the shadows moved with a feral speed, its heavy footsteps echoing ominously in the silence.

Jaide’s eyes narrowed as she shifted her stance, her grip tightening on the gun. "Stay low and keep quiet," she whispered urgently, her voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart.

I could feel Daries trembling beside me, his small hand clutching mine as we pressed ourselves against the cold floor.

"Ate, I'm scared." I swallowed hard, trying to steady my breath, but the terror that gripped me was overwhelming. Whatever was in our house wasn’t just dangerous— it was horrific.

Then, it stepped into the light.

The creature was grotesque, its skin pallid and decaying, patches of flesh hanging loosely from its bones. Its eyes were hollow, sunken into its skull, yet they glowed with an unnatural hunger. It wasn’t just one of the infected—it was something worse, something that had evolved into a more monstrous form of the disease.

Its mouth gaped open, revealing rows of jagged, bloodstained teeth. I could see bits of flesh stuck between them—evidence of its last meal, perhaps even its last victim. It snarled, the sound vibrating through my very bones, as it focused its lifeless gaze on us.

Before I could even think to react, the creature lunged.

Jaide fired her gun, the sharp crack of the shot piercing through the air. The bullet hit the creature in the shoulder, but it barely flinched, its momentum carrying it forward with terrifying speed. I barely had time to push Daries out of the way as the creature crashed into the wall where we had just been crouching.

Splinters of wood and plaster exploded into the air, and I felt the sharp sting of debris against my skin. Jaide didn’t waste a moment, unleashing a barrage of bullets into the creature’s body, each shot echoing like thunder in the enclosed space.

But the creature was relentless. Even as the bullets tore through its flesh, it kept coming, driven by an insatiable hunger. It was like nothing could stop it.

"Run!" Jaide screamed, her voice filled with urgency. "Get Daries out of here, now!"

I grabbed Daries, pulling him to his feet as we bolted for the door. My mind was a whirlwind of fear and adrenaline, every instinct screaming at me to protect my brother at all costs. But as we reached the door, another figure emerged from the shadows, blocking our path.

It was a man—no, what used to be a man. His body was twisted, deformed by the infection that ravaged his once-human form. His skin was gray, mottled with blackened veins that throbbed with a sickening pulse. His eyes, like the creature’s, were hollow and glowing with that same unnatural light.

He reached out for us, his fingers gnarled and claw-like. The smell of decay wafted from him, thick and nauseating. I gagged, my stomach churning at the stench, but there was no time to hesitate. I raised my foot and kicked him with all the strength I had, right in the chest.

He staggered back, his body unsteady, but it wasn’t enough to knock him down. His twisted face contorted into a grotesque smile, and he lunged at me, his clawed hands reaching for my throat.

Suddenly, Jaide was there, her blade flashing in the dim light as she slashed at the man’s neck. The blade cut clean through, severing his head from his body in one swift motion. Blood sprayed across the walls, thick and black like tar, as the headless body collapsed to the floor, twitching violently before finally going still.

"Go!" Jaide shouted, shoving me forward as she turned to face the creature again. I pulled Daries behind me, and we stumbled through the door, the cold night air hitting us like a wave of ice.

Outside, the world was just as bleak and terrifying. The once vibrant neighborhood was now a graveyard of abandoned cars and dilapidated houses. The air was thick with the stench of death, and the distant moans of the infected echoed through the darkness, a constant reminder of the horrors that awaited us.

We didn’t stop running until we reached the edge of the street. My lungs burned, and my legs felt like they were about to give out, but I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t afford to stop. Not when the danger was still so close.

Jaide caught up to us, her breath ragged but her eyes sharp, scanning the surroundings for any signs of movement. "We can’t stay here," she said, her voice tight with urgency. "They’ll be coming. They always come."

I nodded, barely able to catch my breath. "Where do we go?"

Jaide glanced around, her mind racing. "There’s a safe house a few blocks from here. If we can make it there, we might have a chance."

I looked down at Daries, his face pale and frightened. He was trying so hard to be brave, but I could see the fear in his eyes. I squeezed his hand, giving him what I hoped was a reassuring smile. "We’ll be okay, Daries. I promise."

He nodded, his small hand gripping mine even tighter.

We started moving again, sticking to the shadows as we made our way through the desolate streets. The night was eerily quiet, the only sounds the distant moans of the infected and the soft crunch of our footsteps on the gravel.

But then, as we rounded a corner, I heard something—something that made my blood run cold. It was a whisper, faint and barely audible, but it was there. A voice, soft and eerie, like a breath of wind in the dead of night.

"Help... me..."

I froze, my heart skipping a beat. The voice was coming from the alleyway to our left, where the darkness was thick and impenetrable. I strained my ears, listening, but the voice was gone as quickly as it had come.

Jaide noticed me stopping and turned back, her eyes narrowing. "What is it?" she whispered, her hand hovering over the gun at her side.

"I... I heard something," I said, my voice trembling. "Someone... someone asking for help."

Jaide’s expression darkened, and she shook her head. "It’s a trap," she said firmly. "We keep moving."

"But what if it’s someone who needs us?" Daries whispered, his voice filled with concern.

Jaide knelt down beside him, her eyes softening. "I know it’s hard, kiddo. But out here, things aren’t always what they seem. Sometimes, the ones who ask for help are the ones who will hurt you the most."

Daries bit his lip, nodding reluctantly. I felt a pang of guilt in my chest, but I knew Jaide was right. We had to be smart, or we wouldn’t survive.

We continued down the street, the weight of the unseen eyes in the darkness pressing down on us. The world around us was a twisted nightmare, where every sound, every shadow, could be the last thing we’d ever see or hear.

And as we moved deeper into the night, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being watched. That something, or someone, was following us, lurking just out of sight, waiting for the right moment to strike.

@mcynyxt