**Rex** Rex lay on the makeshift cot, exhaustion settling into his bones after the events of the day. His adrenaline was wearing off, adding depth to the fatigue in his bones. As he tried to find a semblance of rest, Elena drifted into his mind. She was a saving grace, but there was something about her that bothered him.Rex couldn't help but feel that Elena was concealing more than she had revealed. She had almost miraculously appeared at the right time, and besides, her fighting skill almost bordered on the supernatural. His experience with the apocalypse had gotten him wary of appearances, and this place where Elena was made him feel like another layer in some complex web involving survival and deceit.In the darkness of the hideaway, Rex tried piecing together a puzzle. Elena had been on the bandits' tail for days until she found them just at that moment, when they were about to close in on him and Amara. Coincidence or big scheme? A Elena in the background, manipulating strings,
"Lead the way," I said. We rode off into darkness, leaving the bodies of the bandits to whatever would eventually find them. Elena led the way through the barren landscape, and the ghostly shadows of the moon cast upon the ruins of the world. The roads were hazardous, and every rustle the wind carried seemed to hold more danger. The deeper we walked, the more I realized Elena navigated the path through the field. Her strides were calculated and purposeful, her turns cautious, as if she knew every evil threat hiding in the dark.Behind me, Amara sat silent, the dagger clutched tightly in her hand. I could feel the fear in her and attempted a reassuring smile. My face must have reflected more exhaustion than confidence, though. Scarcely had we fled the bandits, the unyielding pursuit putting all three of us on edge. Most of the time, Lucas had remained silent, and yet his mind was a thousand miles away. The artificial joviality of this man now changed into a resolute grimness. From the
As we walked through the trees—the sun low in the sky now—Amara began to fall behind. Her feet dragged with exhaustion. I slowed and walked beside her. "You holding up okay?" I asked, low. She cast a look at me, a faint smile pulling at her mouth. "I'm fine," she said. "Just… tired. It's been a long day.""Tell me about it," I said, trying to lighten the mood and slice through some of the tension in my voice. My brain wasn't paying any heed to my attempt at humor, though, skipping merrily away on all the things that could go horribly wrong in the coming hours. Amara didn't say anything for a moment. She watched Lucas, who strode a few feet ahead of us, head hung low and eyes cast down. "You think he's telling the truth?" she whispered.I turned to Lucas and considered her question. "I think he is," I said slowly. "But that doesn't mean he's told us everything." Amara nodded, apparently satisfied with my response. We walked a bit in silence before she spoke again. "You're different fro
The pale light of dawn graying the world awoke me from my restless sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, Sara would appear. Her face haunted me, her image dissolving into the darkness of my mind, ever ghostly, beyond my grasp. That fragile night's peace had only served to remind me of my solitude, and the heavy silence was broken by the moaning of the undead—an uncomfortably familiar lullaby.I knew today was the day I needed to leave the safety of this temporary refuge. The small fortified house had served its purpose, but staying here any longer was a death sentence. Somewhere in this growing wasteland that used to be our world lay the base where Sara had been taken. I was determined to find it. I stuffed my pack full, my mind a jumble of strategy and gnawing anxiety regarding treading into unknown territory. The streets outside were a minefield: ruined homes, burned-out cars, and crumbling roads filled with both dead and living who, in their desperation, had turned monstrous. I knew
Given that I had given up on being a doctor, my second choice was a degree in physiotherapy. It was a practical decision; it would allow me to make money while still staying in the medical field. The change from medicine to physiotherapy seemed like a concession I had to grant my ambitions for the sake of reality. Though feeling let down, I immersed myself into these studies and resolved to get the best out of my new path.It was during these years at university that I came across her for the first time. Her name is Sara, and she brightened up my life when I needed it most, having been under constant financial stress and academic failures. With her gleaming eyes and catchy laughter she stood out as a contrast between what was happening around me and that which was happening with me. We met at an ordinary place – students’ meeting room – where we started talking about simple things but soon discovered that we could converse on much more serious t
The time for grim work now: the night had grown dark and deserted, and the few remaining humans in the once teeming arena found themselves bathed in a sickening purple light. Through the low, occasional grunts of stray zombies, the ghostly stillness outside was best broken. My house was an ex-friend's then, made over into a shed of sorts and my only shelter amongst the storm. The fact that they had existed as walkers showed the danger left outside these walls.At home, I had turned the inner space into a system of fortifications: one could notice cans filled with stones and scraps of metal disposed around the perimeter, placed in such a way that upon disturbance, they would make noise. Almost carelessly placed, those cans seemingly had been posed so that when anything moved, the rattling would be heard. An intruder would be caught. Next to the cans was an old-time radio, which, at one time, brought news and music. It was now wired to a speaker with the system altered so that if jostle
"Fuck," I hissed, clutching the black bag tightly. It was worth more than my life. I moved slowly, crouching, so these shitheads couldn't detect me. Somehow, I had to lose them. Where am I? My home, or at least what's left of it. I had once lived here with my folks and older brother. Now the place was a ruin: the roof fell in, and among the debris lay a cheap bottle of cologne. I had no idea how it ended up here; I'd never allow such trash into my home.It's almost comical if you really think about it: the world that bragged once about achievements in science and colonization of the moon turned into nothing but rubble. If you ever do meet a human, they're either going to kill you first or eat you. A month ago, there was a zombie apocalypse. As for me, well, I'm just an average guy who happened to awaken some sort of ability. But there is no time for backstory. I needed to get out of here with this bag and nine bottles of liquor I had to get to a delivery point.These zombies might be