The Last Light

Chapter. 2

Ellie frantically looks around the room. The sounds of the door splintering are almost too loud for her to be able to think straight. Her eyes land on the balcony door in the back left corner of the room.

She quickly rushes over and leans over the railing. "There's some bushes down there," she says, her voice filled with urgency. "It's a bit of a drop, but it's our best shot."

I hurry over to join her, peering down at the dark, overgrown bushes below. It's not a gentle landing, but it's better than being torn apart by the infected. The pounding on the door reminding me that we don't have time to hesitate.

"Can we make it?" I ask, my heart racing.

Ellie nods, already swinging one leg over the railing. "We don't have a choice. Just aim for the bushes and roll when you hit the ground."

Without another word, she pushes off the balcony, disappearing into the night. I hear a soft thud and then her voice, slightly winded but alive. "I'm good! Come on, hurry!"

I glance back at the door, now shuddering under the relentless force of the infected, before climbing over the railing. My hands grip the cold metal tightly as I take a deep breath, then I push off, letting gravity take over.

The fall seems to stretch out in slow motion before I crash into the bushes, the branches scratching at my skin as I tumble through. I hit the ground hard, but just as Ellie instructed, I roll with the impact, minimizing the damage.

Ellie is already on her feet, extending a hand to help me up. "Come on, we need to move before—"

A thunderous crash erupts from above. The infected have finally broken through the door, their frenzied growls fill the air. My heart leaps into my throat as I see some of them hurling themselves over the balcony railing.

"Shit!" Ellie yells, her eyes widen as the first of the infected plummets toward us.

Without thinking, I grab Ellie's hand and pull myself up, adrenaline surging through my veins. We barely have time to react as the infected slam into the ground around us, some landing awkwardly in the bushes, others crumpling upon impact but still clawing their way toward us.

"We have to go, now!" Ellie shouts, ripping me away from the horrifying sight.

We sprint, dodging the grasping hands of the infected that managed to survive the fall. The sound of more of them hitting the ground behind us drives us forward, our feet pounding against the dirt as we race through the yard.

My lungs burn from the night air, begging me to rest, but I push forward. "How long do we run for Ellie?!"

She tilts her head back slightly to look at me. "Until we find shelter, unless you wanna stay and get friendly with them!"

I scoff, she's really being a smartass in a time like this.

My legs begin to get shaky. All the sudden my eyes catch sight of a rundown semi-truck parked at the edge of an abandoned lot. The trailer attached to the back has its door lifted slightly, just enough for someone to crawl under.

"There!" I yell to Ellie, pointing toward the semi.

She spots it too and nods, immediately veering in that direction. Behind us, the groans of the infected still fill the air, but we're gaining ground, putting more distance between us and the undead.

Ellie reaches the trailer first, peering into the dark space beneath the lifted door. She glances back at me, her face tense. "It's tight, but we can fit. Go first—I'll cover you!"