Chapter 1
We were just running.
Crashing through hedges and trees, not knowing where we were going—only that we had no choice. It was chasing us. No matter how fast we ran, it got closer. I could barely walk now. The weight of Jerry's body on my shoulder felt heavier with every step. His legs were injured, dragging behind him, slowing us down.
Jerry:
"Marianne... you have to put me down. Just go. I can’t make it. That thing is going to catch up any second!"
Me:
"Shut up, please! We’re in danger and you want me to leave you alone in the middle of this forest?!"
Jerry:
"Do you even know where we’re going?"
Me:
"I have no idea."
Then, we both heard it — a voice, cold and sharp:
"Enough running."
Something hit me hard on the head. Everything went black.
When I came to, Jerry’s hands and feet were tied. I realized I had been unconscious for hours. The yellow leaves around me were soaked in blood.
Jerry was crying, screaming:
"She’s here! That bitch—she’s here! That psycho traitor!"
My brain was still foggy, but I knew exactly who he meant: Carly.
Our best friend.
The girl who had fought beside us for years. Who’d helped us survive the zombie outbreak.
Now... she was something else.
I could hear her footsteps approaching—slow, deliberate—crunching over the dead leaves.
She knelt beside me, lifted me gently off the ground, and placed her hand on my cheek with a look of pity.
Carly:
"You’re hurt..."
I couldn’t form words. My head was spinning. But deep inside, I knew she was going to do something terrible.
Me (whispering):
"You’re not really going to do it, are you?"
Carly:
"I’m your friend. You just need to accept it."
That’s when I saw the gun in her hand.
Me:
"Please... We can fix this. Like real people. What the hell is wrong with you?"
Carly:
"I’m fine. I’m worried about you. You’re bleeding."
I was on my knees, dazed. She kept talking:
Carly:
"Oh, Marianne... I’m just trying to save you. He’s the enemy now."
Jerry’s cries echoed through the forest. They weren’t just cries.
They were soaked in death.
Me:
"What the hell do you mean?! This is fixable! Don’t do it!"
I grabbed her collar with both hands, stared straight into her eyes.
There was no soul there.
Only cold.
Me:
"You’re not going to do this. Right?"
Carly:
"Yeah... Right."
She turned and shot Jerry in the head.
I screamed louder than I ever had in my life
