Jake straightened up, released his foot, and out of breath, he fell against a wall nearby.He had long since forgotten about the jar when it fell from his hand.He held back the urge to vomit as he stood motionless in his living room and stared at the remains of his neighbor.Despite how absurd everything seemed at the time, he couldn't stop worrying about what the police would think as his mind spun.How was he going to convey this to them, his neighbors, and his loved ones?Yes, she had clearly been agitated, and now that he had taken the time to notice it, her pale skin was covered in a disgusting shade of green. But how did that make it right to kill her?

Jake felt a jolt of shock when he realized that someone else had entered his apartment.On stiff legs that didn't seem to want to work for him, this second person mostly walked.Jake had not been aware of the man's presence despite his soft, eerie moans as he moved.Jake didn't come out of the spiraling depression that his thoughts were pulling him into until he came around the corner into the hallway leading to the entrance.Something about the newcomer that was quite troubling became increasingly apparent as he moved further into view.There could not be any doubt about the piece of this person's flesh that had been removed, even though it had only appeared that someone might have bit off Suzie-Anne's ear.This man's left arm was missing a significant amount of muscle and skin, a portion that was clearly shaped like a human mouth.

To his stomach, Jake was sick.He played video games and watched movies.He had not been living under a rock, despite the fact that he was not a cultural savant.He had no idea what these two were before.Additionally, if there were two, there would undoubtedly be many more.This new knowledge may have brought sorrow, but it also brought a kind of clairvoyance.He suddenly had a crystal clear idea of what he had to do.Jake turned and ignored the sluggish newcomer. He went back into his bedroom, searched his closet for something he had almost forgotten about, found it, and then went back to the living room.Although it had managed to turn toward the bedroom and take a few more awkward steps, the man was still present.Jake smiled and extended his hand to show the sword he was holding there.

He had purchased it a few years ago for about ten dollars at a comic convention.Even though it was actually made of wood and metal, it was clearly made cheaply, and he was sure it wouldn't take much effort to break.He still took the blade out of the sheath because it was the closest thing he had to a real weapon.

As it moved erratically, the... object in front of him drew closer and closer to its target and raised its arms.Its movements, though still awkward and slow, increased in speed and intensity as the moans it let out came faster, as if it were getting more and more excited.With a somewhat wicked grin on his lips, Jake thought, "Not that it mattered anymore."He smashed the creature's skull as hard as he could with the blade of his weapon.It broke open the head with a sickening crack, but it got stuck less than an inch deep.Jake was temporarily thrown out of Daniel's reach when the blade broke off at the hilt.

The newcomer tried to grab his prey, but Jake was much faster than it was, and he was unfazed by the blow.He hurried back into the bedroom and desperately searched for anything that could be used as a weapon, cursing both his luck and the maker of the "sword."The majority of what was present consisted of dirty clothes and trash scattered across the room's floor.He felt like an idiot for worrying about something so insignificant at this moment, and he was embarrassed to have his room in such a state.

Because he was so close to living things, the stranger was now moving faster.Jake didn't have much time to mull over incoherent ideas or make a decision.He grabbed his desk chair and rolled it across the floor before he had a chance to fully realize what he was doing.As usual, the carpet was difficult, so it grabbed the chair's wheels and slowed it down, stopping it about a foot and a half short of its goal.

"Why do I do this so poorly?"Anxious, Jake yelled.He turned around, his eyes darting around in a frantic search for anything that might aid him now.He finally saw it.Hidden and unnoticed, between his desk and the wall:his desk's keyboard shelf.He had put it out of sight and ignored it because he was too conservative to throw it away and too lazy to find a new use for it.He had always hoped that his tendency to be a pack rat would one day pay off.They now had.

He lunged for the item, ripped it free, and raised it with both hands with a dreadful exclamation.Coughs and sneezes cost him precious time as a dust cloud erupted in his face.As if attempting to clear the dust cloud, he cleared his throat and shook his head.On the other hand, his reluctance to ever clean his room had undoubtedly done him no favors.

Jake waited patiently for the right time and distance as the man was getting very close.Jake swung into action right away and smashed the board into the other man's head as soon as it happened.It pushed the man's head a little bit further into the blade, which was still stuck.Despite this, the man didn't do anything other than stumble a little, which he probably would have done anyway.

"Oh, hurry up!"Jake yelled and once more swung the board.The other man was turned around by this blow, which came more sideways than straight down, and it sent him spiraling to the ground.Instead of trying his luck, Jake threw the board at the prone person and fled the room.When he got to the front door, he grabbed his keys and dashed out into the hallway outside his apartment.He quickly glanced left and right, but he didn't see anyone.He hurried down the hallway and toward the parking lot with a rJakeef sigh.

He immediately regretted leaving the hallway.

The highway just a short distance from the complex, barely visible past a few of the other buildings, saw no traffic despite it being almost rush hour.Instead, he could see a few burned-out cars, some of them completely upside down, and others that appeared to be parked, crashed, or stuck.The entire world fell into a strange silence.Except for the wind, there were almost no sounds.Even the insects and birds appeared to have stopped talking.He could see that most of the parking lot around him was empty of cars because everyone who lived there must have been trying to get somewhere else when this started.His car, which was still mostly in its space, had clearly been hit, possibly multiple times, and it looked funny in an unsuitable way, like it had been parked by a person who was extremely drunk.

The undead were literally crawling throughout the remainder of the parking lot in some instances.There were probably a few dozen of them, and the majority of them were just standing there, barely moving beyond the occasional swaying from side to side. However, there were still a few of them who continued to move slowly and aimlessly.

In an effort to avoid gasping, grunting, or making any other noise to make them aware of his presence, he held his breath.But it was too late already.It was obvious that much.They noticed him, whether because of the shift in the wind or for some other reason.They began to turn toward him very slowly and stared at him with empty, bloodless eyes.

They then began to move together.At first, their steps were sluggish—almost dJakeberate—but as they gained momentum, their pace began to accelerate surprisingly quickly.

At first unsure, Jake took a step back, decided it would be safer, and then turned and ran back the way he had come.Would it be in his best interest to hide inside and try to wait it out?However, since there was no food in his apartment, he would have to leave shortly.And what would happen if he was observed and these creatures waited outside for him when he would have to return?

He stopped short as he approached his door.The one that he managed to save had recovered and returned to the door.It launched itself at Jake, but Jake quickly dodged it and let the stranger's face dive onto the hard concrete.Despite being slower than him, the creatures were unquestionably persistent.From the parking lot, the first group had already reached the opposite end of the hallway.Now that he had considered two alternatives, it was time for him to consider a third.He quickly turned and continued down the hallway until it became somewhat of a courtyard.A metal fence with a gate that led to the community pool was to his right.The main office was in front of him, and to his left, a courtyard with walkways and eventually an exit from the complex opened up.He started that way, but more of the creatures came from the offices and building around the corner.