Rocking the Apocalypse

Close Call

April 13th, 2005.

Bill's POV

I jolt awake as someone shakes me vigorously. Blinking away the remnants of sleep, my vision clears to reveal Georg standing over me. His voice, still thick with drowsiness, cuts through the haze. "Hey, wake up. We've got to get to the tour bus." I sigh and sit up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Glancing over, I half-expect to find Tom beside me, but his spot is empty; he must have already gotten up. I crawl out of the tent, greeted by the brisk spring air that jolts me awake instantly. I look around and see Gustav and Tom standing there.

"Georg, how are we going to get back to the tour bus? We're in the middle of nowhere..." Gustav mumbled, his voice thick with sleep as he rubbed his eyes, looking around the green, damp forest. Georg shrugged nonchalantly.

"Easy. We'll just walk back the way we came. Eventually, we'll reach the stage where we performed and find the tour bus," Georg replied, already striding in the direction of the stage. I felt a breath escape me. My stomach twisted uneasily, a cold sense of foreboding settling over me. Something deep within warned of impending trouble. But, I keep quiet and follow Georg, the other two following behind.

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3rd person POV

"Um... Georg, are you absolutely sure about the way?" Bill questioned, casting doubtful glances as they trailed behind Georg. Tom let out an exaggerated sigh. "Just admit it, Georg! We're lost, and you have no idea where we're heading!" Tom hissed, His impatience was evident after the long walk. Gustav, typically quiet, remained silent. Georg sighed in annoyance. "You guys are acting like babies. We ran a while yesterday, so it's natural it'll take some time," he dismissed. The four fell silent once more, their only companions the chirping birds and the soft sound of their footsteps on the grass.

As they continued walking, Gustav suddenly halted and glanced back, prompting Bill to stop and follow his gaze. "What is it?" Bill inquired, causing Tom and Georg to pause and turn around, curious about the interruption. Gustav hesitated, his sudden action adding to the lingering unease in Bill's gut. "Did you hear that?" Gustav questioned. "Here what-" Tom tried to utter before he was hushed my Gustav.

Before anyone could respond, a low growl echoed through the air, followed by the shuffling of feet. They turned back around to see a figure stumbling towards them, its pallid skin and vacant eyes unmistakable.

Without a second thought, they turned to flee, only to find themselves surrounded by more of the undead. Panic set in as they realized they were trapped in a circle of zombies, their only escape route cut off.

"WHAT DO WE DO?" Bill's shout echoed through the clearing, the urgency palpable as the group pressed their backs against each other. They surveyed the grotesque creatures before them, their rotting flesh and exposed bones mottled with mold. Faces torn away, tongues lolling grotesquely, their bleeding, decaying forms closed in.

Fear gripped them as they realized escape was impossible. The circle tightened, the stench of death overwhelming. Bill started to panic. It feels like his fault in this situation. He should've said something about the bad feeling in his gut before they even walked. Bill closed his eyes and braced for the worse. Just then, as if sent by divine intervention, a man swung down from the vines and branches above, a long gun in hand. With a smug smile, he effortlessly took out two zombies with precise shots. Landing on the ground with a flourish, he looked at them and said, "Mind if I save your lives?" He says. Bill's eyes widen from astonishment, obviously impressed with what he just saw.

"Not at all!" Bill exclaimed. Tom rolled his eyes at the show-off. "Yeah, very impressive. Now help us, please!" he yelled, his gaze fixed on the bloodthirsty zombies. With a chuckle and a shrug, the man ran toward the remaining zombies and took them down, smoke trailing from his gun. The four looked at the man who had saved us. He had short black hair, white skin, dark green eyes, and a black stubble beard. He appeared to be in his mid to late thirties, wearing a dirty brown coat over a white shirt, jeans, and boots. He looked back at us.

"Is this what teenagers do nowadays? Just hang out in the woods during a zombie apocalypse? Where are your parents? Or are you forgotten children?" The man smirked, his gun slung over his shoulder.

Gustav's eyebrows furrowed. "Zombie apocalypse?" he whispered.

Georg stepped forward, eyeing the man suspiciously. "Who are you?" he asked firmly, voicing the question on everyone's mind. The man shook his head. He looked back up at the four with a relaxed smile, something the four would never put on at a situation like this. "The names Chris. I work for patrol to save little kittens like you at Z.T.F. He confesses, easing the boys a bit. Tom looks at Chris suspiciously. "The hell are you on about?" Bill looks at Tom with a annoyed expression. "Tom be nice! He literally just saved our life!" Bill scolds, causing Tom to roll his eyes.

"None taken... but why are you four here anyway?" Chris asked, looking down at the group.

Georg spoke up first. "We were performing on stage when zombies suddenly appeared."

Tom picked up the story. "We ran past the crowd and into the woods to save ourselves. We didn't even think about going to the tour bus!"

"Then we rested in a camp for a bit," Gustav concluded. "Now we're here."

Chris nodded as he connected the dots. "Ohhh... you're those flashy teenagers who were performing yesterday afternoon," he said.

"Flashy???" Tom repeated, but Bill ignored him and spoke up. "Can you help us get back to the stage so we can reach the tour bus? We won't bother you, we swear!" Bill pleaded.

Chris glanced at the watch on his right wrist. "Yeah, I've got time. Follow me if you don't want to die," he said, gesturing for them to follow him with his gun. He began walking in the direction of the stage.