ECHOES OF TERROR: THE RACE THROUGH CARNAGE

Flashback
Year 2022
T

he underground metal base
Scene: surrounded by zombies

Eunhye and the others stood ready, weapons at the ready-guns, shafts, sticks-anything they could find. The door had been breached, allowing the zombies to crawl in. The group was surrounded, with no way to prevent the invasion.

The noise of the jeep's engine would only attract more zombies, so the group opted for a stealthy retreat through the back door. Yohan stumbled over a stone but managed to right himself without making a sound. The others shared a brief moment of relief before Hailey's voice cut through the silence, her scream echoing with a mix of fear and despair. "YOHAN!"

The zombies, drawn by the noise, accelerated their advance. Minji, taking command, shouted urgently, "TOWARDS THE BACK DOOR!" Minji's command was clear and urgent. The group sprang into action, their movements a frantic dance of survival. Minji, Yon, Ji-Hoon, Jay, Sae Joon Hyun, and In-Ha took position, their weapons ready. They targeted the zombies with precision, aiming for the creatures' heads and vital points to slow their advance. Each shot, each strike, was calculated to keep the zombies at bay while they made their escape.

Eunhye, moving swiftly, reached the back door. She flung it open, only to be met with a horde of zombies staring back at her, their vacant eyes fixated on the source of the noise. The sight was horrifying, an impenetrable wall of decaying flesh and empty stares.

Desperation painted Eunhye's features as she glanced back at the others. The group had to act fast. Charyeong, tears streaming down her face, grabbed stones from the surrounding area and hurled them towards the zombies outside. The noise created a brief distraction, with some zombies shifting their focus towards the sound of the thrown stones. But it wasn't enough; many remained fixated on the group, their hunger unquenched.

Su-yeong and Hamin, fighting their way through the swarm, punched and kicked at the zombies, pushing them back with sheer force. Despite their efforts, the zombies were relentless, getting back up and advancing with renewed aggression.

Yon, taking a different approach, used a spray bottle filled with water to create a temporary barrier. The water deterred some of the zombies, but the effect was short-lived. The creatures were more concerned with the noise than the substance, continuing their relentless pursuit.

Ji-Hoon, who had been firing his weapon with deadly accuracy, paused to reload. The group had managed to dispatch several zombies, but the sheer number was overwhelming. In-Ha, who had initially insisted on finding a cure instead of outright killing the zombies, now found himself questioning the practicality of that decision.

Mina, her face pale with fear, muttered to herself, "What do we do now..."

The question hung in the air, unanswered, as the group continued to fight. The tension was palpable, every second stretching into what felt like an eternity. The back door provided no solace, and the group was trapped between the advancing zombies and the horrors lurking behind them.

Sae Joon Hyun moved swiftly, his instincts sharp as adrenaline coursed through his veins. He swung his leg with precision, the sole of his boot connecting with a zombie’s face, sending it reeling backward. Without pausing, he grabbed another one by its ragged collar, yanking it toward him with surprising force before slamming it to the ground. The sound of decayed flesh hitting the concrete was muffled by the chaos surrounding them.

With practiced ease, he spotted a rusted metal pole nearby and thrust it into the chest of another approaching zombie. Using the pole for leverage, he propelled himself into the air, twisting his body sideways. His momentum carried his leg into the side of yet another zombie, knocking it to the ground in a heap.

"Eunhye Noona!" he shouted over the cacophony of groans and snarls. His voice carried urgency and determination. "Fight! We need to get out of here, or we’ll end up as zombie food!"

Eunhye heard him, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Around her, the relentless tide of the undead pressed closer. Every swing of her weapon felt heavier, her limbs screaming in protest. She wasn’t the only one struggling. Su-yeong, Hamin, Sae Joon Hyun, and even Yon, their most experienced fighters, were visibly fatigued. Each movement they made seemed to sap the last reserves of their strength.

Eunhye’s eyes darted toward the back door, now obscured by a dense cluster of zombies. Her mind raced. There was no way they could fight their way through that wall of rotting bodies. And the Jeep parked nearby? Useless. Even if they managed to reach it, they’d be surrounded in seconds, trapped in a metal cage with no escape. Running the vehicle through the horde wasn’t an option either. The sheer number of zombies would cause the vehicle to topple, and that would seal their fate.

She clenched her fists, determination hardening her resolve. "This would be the most terrifying movie ever if it were on screen," she muttered to herself, inhaling deeply. Her gaze flicked back to the others, and then to the left side of the base. An idea formed.

Without hesitation, she broke into a sprint, her voice rising above the din. "Follow me, you useless rotten fools!" she screamed, her voice filled with a mix of desperation and fury. Her shout acted like a magnet, drawing the attention of more than half the zombies. Slowly but surely, they began shifting their focus away from the others and lumbered after her.

The path to the back door was clearing, the once-impossible wall of zombies now reduced to a manageable gap.

“Eunhye Noona!” Yohan called out, his voice tinged with panic as he started to run toward the back door. “Take a wide turn and follow us!”

“If I can, I will! Just run!” she yelled back, her legs burning with exertion. Her heart pounded in her chest, a relentless drumbeat that drowned out everything else. The swarm behind her grew closer, their guttural growls spurring her to push harder despite the ache in her muscles.

Meanwhile, the fighters seized the opportunity Eunhye had created. Sae Joon Hyun, Yon, and Hamin coordinated their movements, cutting down the few straggling zombies that remained in their path. Minji was the last to emerge from the base. She paused briefly at the threshold, her hands trembling as she grabbed the large metal doors.

"Ji-Hoon, now!" she called out. Ji-Hoon, standing just inside, swung a heavy object—perhaps a metal pipe or a crowbar—slamming it into the heads of the advancing zombies. He pushed them back with all his might, buying Minji the precious seconds she needed. With a final grunt of effort, she slammed the heavy doors shut, the metallic clang echoing ominously.

"It’s sealed!" she shouted, her voice hoarse. The relief was short-lived as she turned to see Yon and Hamin still engaged in a fierce struggle with the remnants of the horde that had followed Eunhye.

Yon fought with calculated precision, his blade slicing through decaying flesh with brutal efficiency. Hamin’s strikes were powerful, each swing of his weapon punctuated by the sickening sound of bones shattering. Together, they managed to finish off the remaining zombies.

Eunhye, having taken a wide turn as instructed, rejoined the group, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. Her face was pale, and her legs wobbled as she leaned against a nearby wall for support.

“We’re clear,” Yon announced, his voice steady despite the sweat dripping down his brow. The group stood in silence for a moment, their chests heaving as they caught their breath. They had survived, but just barely. The night wasn’t over, and the fight for survival was far from finished.