A desperate scream suddenly echoed through the street.
"Help! Somebody help me!"
William and Vella froze.
Then chaos erupted.
The zombies nearby lifted their heads and sprinted toward the direction of the scream, their bodies moving with terrifying speed as they rushed into the next street.
William immediately grabbed the opportunity.
"Now," he whispered.
The two of them moved quickly, staying low as they crossed the street toward the nearest building ahead. Their footsteps were light, careful, almost silent.
But before they reached the alley across the road, they saw the source of the scream.
A woman.
She was trying to run, but the zombies were already on her.
One grabbed her arm.
Another tackled her to the ground.
Her scream turned into a horrifying shriek as the infected tore into her body.
Blood splattered across the pavement.
William forced himself to look away.
Vella covered her mouth, her eyes wide with horror.
"T-that woman... they ripped her apart," Vella whispered, her voice shaking.
William pushed the door of the nearby building open and pulled her inside.
"We're dead if those things catch us," he muttered quietly. "Let's rest for a minute."
They stayed near the entrance, watching the street carefully through a cracked window.
Outside, the zombies continued swarming around the woman's remains like wild animals fighting over meat.
Minutes passed.
Eventually, most of the infected wandered away, leaving only a few stragglers in the street.
William stood up and tightened the straps of his bag.
"Alright," he said quietly. "Time to move."
They exited the building through the back door and stepped into a narrow alley.
But the moment they turned the corner—
Five zombies were already there.
Waiting.
The creatures snapped their heads toward them.
William gripped his axe tightly.
"Stay behind me," he said.
The first zombie rushed forward.
William stepped into the swing.
SWING.
The axe cut horizontally through the creature's neck.
Its head flew off and rolled across the pavement.
Before the body even hit the ground, William moved again.
The second zombie lunged.
CRACK.
The axe split its skull open.
The third and fourth came at the same time, their jaws snapping wildly.
William stepped aside and drove the axe deep into one of their heads, then ripped it free and smashed the other across the face.
Bone cracked.
Blood sprayed across the alley walls.
The final zombie staggered toward him, arms reaching.
William raised the axe and brought it down hard.
THUD.
The creature collapsed instantly.
Silence returned to the alley.
Blood dripped slowly from the blade of William's axe.
His clothes were splattered red.
"Huff... huff..."
William wiped sweat from his forehead as he tried to catch his breath.
"We need to move," he said.
Vella nodded nervously.
They quickly ran deeper into the alley, disappearing into the maze of empty streets.
Neither of them noticed the dark shape moving quietly on a nearby rooftop.
Something was watching them.
And it had been following them for a while.