Age of zombies

[15] The narrow escape

The parking lot was a scene straight out of a nightmare. Cars screeched out of their spots, their headlights blinding, as students desperate to escape raced toward the exit. Those who didn't have cars—or couldn't get to one in time—started sprinting back toward the library, hoping for safety in numbers. But deep down, I knew there wasn't any safety left inside that building.

Amid the chaos, I saw my flashlight rolling on the ground, its dim beam flickering across the concrete. I darted toward it, weaving between frantic bodies, and scooped it up, my heart hammering in my chest.

"Got it," I muttered under my breath, the relief short-lived.

As soon as I turned the beam upward, the light hovered over something that made my blood run cold. Standing right in front of me, no more than five feet away, was a zombie. Its face was twisted in an unnatural snarl, flesh hanging loosely from its jaw. Its milky, vacant eyes locked onto me, and for a moment, I couldn't move. I was frozen, every muscle in my body paralyzed with fear.

"Shit... shit..." I whispered, my breath catching in my throat.

The zombie let out a low growl and lunged toward me, its rotten fingers reaching out, its mouth open wide, hungry for flesh. I tried to step back, but my legs wouldn't listen. I was rooted to the spot, the flashlight shaking in my hand as the beam danced across the grotesque figure.

"Jake, move!" I heard Kenji shout from somewhere behind me, but I couldn't. I was locked in place, staring down my own death.

Just as the creature's teeth were about to sink into me, a sharp sound cut through the air—a metallic whoosh—followed by the sickening thunk of a blade meeting flesh. The zombie's head jerked violently to the side as Raul's katana sliced clean through its neck, sending its decaying body crumpling to the ground.

I gasped, stumbling back as the zombie collapsed at my feet. Raul stood there, his katana still raised, his breath coming in short, panicked bursts.

"Get the fuck up, man!" Raul yelled, reaching out a hand to pull me to my feet.

I blinked, still in shock, but I grabbed his hand and let him yank me off the ground. My legs felt like jelly, but the adrenaline was surging through me now, pushing me forward.

"Thanks, man," I managed to gasp, my heart still pounding.

"Don't mention it," Raul muttered, his eyes scanning the lot for more threats. "Now let's get the hell out of here before more of those things show up."

I nodded, gripping the flashlight tightly and keeping it aimed ahead as we sprinted toward the exit. The noise of car engines and honking horns filled the air, mixed with the distant screams of those who hadn't been lucky enough to get inside a vehicle. Shadows moved in the corners of my vision—zombies still stalking through the dark, drawn to the chaos.

We dodged between parked cars, Raul's katana glinting in the dim light as he stayed ready for any more surprises. Behind us, I could hear people screaming for help, but there was nothing we could do. Those who had made it to the library were pounding on the doors, but from the way the barricade had been set up, I knew there was no way they'd be able to get back inside.

"Fking idiots," Kenji muttered, running alongside us. "They think going back inside is gonna save them."

"They're just scared," I said, my voice ragged from running. "They don't know what else to do."

"Well, if they're not careful, they're gonna be dinner," Malcolm added, limping slightly but keeping pace.

We made a break for the ramp that led up to the surface, and for a split second, I thought we might actually make it out of this. But then, more shadows appeared at the top of the exit ramp—more zombies, their shambling figures blocking our path.

"Shit!" Raul cursed, skidding to a stop.

I could see the frustration in his eyes, the same desperation that was clawing at me. We were running out of options, and fast.

"We're surrounded," Kenji said, his voice grim. "There's no other way out."

Raul glanced around, gripping his katana tightly. "We fight our way through. It's the only chance we've got."

I looked back over my shoulder at the dark, chaotic parking lot. More zombies were closing in from behind, their groans filling the air. There was no time to think—only time to act.

"Let's do it," I said, my voice steadier than I felt.

We pushed forward, Raul leading the charge with his katana slicing through the air. The first zombie lunged at us, but Raul was quick, his blade cutting clean through its torso. The creature let out a wet, gurgling sound as it collapsed to the ground, lifeless once again.

Kenji swung wildly with his own katana, barely grazing one of the zombies, but it was enough to slow it down. Malcolm stayed close behind, using whatever strength he had left to help keep the undead at bay.

The light from my flashlight flickered as I tried to keep it steady, my heart hammering in my chest. I couldn't afford to freeze up again—there was no one else to save me this time. I swung the beam toward the exit, where the zombies were thinner now, and pointed.

"There! The ramp's clear!" I shouted.

We broke into a sprint, Raul cutting down any zombies that got too close. Kenji and Malcolm followed, their movements erratic but driven by sheer panic. I stumbled a few times, my flashlight bobbing wildly as I ran, but I didn't stop. I couldn't.

The moment we reached the top of the ramp, I felt a rush of cold air hit my face. The night was dark, but at least it wasn't the suffocating blackness of the parking lot. We were outside. We had made it.

"We're out!" Kenji gasped, his chest heaving as he looked around. "We fking made it."

But I didn't feel relief, not yet. We were out of the parking lot, sure, but the world outside wasn't any safer. Zombies still lurked in the shadows, and the chaos of the campus wasn't far behind us.

"Don't stop," Raul said, panting but resolute. "We have to keep moving. We're not safe yet."

I nodded, my legs trembling beneath me. "Let's go."

With the adrenaline still coursing through our veins, we took off into the night, leaving the underground parking lot—and the horrors within it—behind us.

Q: Are you afraid of the dark?