Zombie apocalypse:whispers from the dark

Rooftop escape

Zach and Anastasia sat on the rooftop for a few minutes longer, catching their breath as the chaos below continued to grow. The streets were now crawling with the undead, drawn to the sound of shattering glass and the lingering scent of the living. The zombies clawed at the store's windows, their moans echoing in the desolate street, sending chills up their spines.

Zach scanned the horizon, searching for any possible route they could take to escape. The rooftops were uneven, and some of the buildings were too far apart to jump. But as his eyes darted from building to building, he spotted something promising—a fire escape on the adjacent building, about thirty feet away. It would be a risky jump, but it was their best shot at getting down without being swarmed.

“There,” Zach said, pointing toward the fire escape. “We can make it across that gap. If we get to the fire escape, we can climb down and circle back to the school.”

Anastasia’s green eyes followed his gaze, then nodded. “We don’t have much choice, do we?”

Zach gave her a faint smile. “We never do.”

The sound of the zombies below seemed to grow louder, as if they could sense their prey was near but out of reach. Zach felt the pressure mounting—every second they waited, the more dangerous the situation became. He turned to Anastasia, his blue eyes serious.

“Ready?”

Anastasia exhaled, gripping the baseball bat she still carried. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

They stood together, moving to the edge of the rooftop. The gap between the two buildings seemed to widen the longer they looked at it, but Zach pushed down the fear gnawing at his stomach. There was no room for hesitation. He had to make it.

“I’ll go first,” Zach said, taking a deep breath. He turned to Anastasia, meeting her gaze one last time before the jump. “I’ll help you across once I’m there.”

She nodded, though Zach could see the tension in her shoulders. She was trying to stay strong, and that only fueled his resolve.

Zach took a few steps back, then sprinted forward, his heart hammering in his chest. As he neared the edge, he launched himself into the air, his body arching over the gap. For a moment, time seemed to slow, the wind rushing past his ears, and then—with a thud—he landed on the other side, rolling to absorb the impact.

He got to his feet quickly, turning to face Anastasia. “Come on!”

Anastasia took a deep breath, her green eyes locked on Zach. She copied his movements, running full speed toward the edge of the rooftop. She jumped, her feet leaving the ground, and for a brief moment, Zach’s heart stopped. But she sailed through the air, landing on the other side with a bit of a stumble, but safely in Zach’s reach.

Zach grabbed her arm, pulling her up and steadying her. “You okay?”

Anastasia let out a shaky laugh, brushing her hair out of her face. “Yeah. That was… terrifying.”

Zach grinned, despite the danger still lurking below. “You did great.”

They moved quickly toward the fire escape, careful not to make too much noise. The metal creaked under their weight as they descended, but thankfully, the zombies were still focused on the store. The fire escape led them down into a narrow alley, shielded from the main street. It was dark, the walls looming high on either side, but it provided enough cover for them to regroup.

Zach leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath. “We made it. Now, we just have to get back to the school.”

Anastasia nodded, glancing up at the sky, which was now a dull grey. “We’ll need to move fast before it gets dark again. If the streets are like this now, they’ll only get worse.”

Zach agreed. They gathered their supplies, made sure their weapons were secured, and then cautiously stepped out of the alley. The school wasn’t far, but the streets were unpredictable. They’d have to be careful not to draw attention.

As they moved through the abandoned streets, Zach kept his eyes and ears alert, scanning for any signs of danger. The city was eerily quiet, save for the occasional distant growl of zombies. The air felt heavy, the kind of pressure that comes before a storm. Every step felt like a gamble.

Anastasia stayed close to him, her presence reassuring in the chaos. They hadn’t said much since the rooftop, but the tension between them had shifted. There was a connection now, something unspoken, but powerful. Zach couldn’t deny it anymore—he cared about her more than he’d ever admit aloud, at least not yet.

As they rounded the corner of a building, the school came into view. But something was wrong.

The front doors were open.

Zach’s stomach dropped. “That’s not good.”

Anastasia narrowed her eyes, her grip tightening on the bat. “Do you think…?”

“We need to check,” Zach said, already moving forward, his heart racing. They hurried toward the entrance, their footsteps quiet but quick.

Inside, the school was dark, the eerie silence hanging in the air like a heavy fog. Zach’s mind raced, thinking of Yeong Do, Mei, and Aradhya. Had something happened while they were gone? Had the zombies found a way inside?

They crept down the hallway, their nerves on edge. As they neared the janitor’s closet where they had left the others, Zach raised a hand, signaling Anastasia to stop. There was a sound—soft, but unmistakable—the shuffle of footsteps inside.

Zach’s heart pounded in his chest as he gripped the handle of the door. He glanced at Anastasia, who gave him a small nod, her green eyes steady but tense. With a deep breath, Zach turned the handle and pushed the door open.

Inside, Mei was sitting against the wall, her heterochromatic eyes wide with fear. Aradhya and Yeong Do were standing nearby, their weapons drawn.

“What happened?” Zach asked, stepping inside, his voice low.

Yeong Do’s face was grim, his black eyes narrowing. “Zombies. They broke through the back door.”

Mei stood up, her hands trembling slightly as she held the baseball bat. “We managed to barricade it, but they’ll get through eventually. We need to get out of here.”

Zach cursed under his breath. They were running out of time. The school, once their safe haven, was no longer secure. If they stayed, they’d be overrun.

“We can’t stay here,” Anastasia said, echoing Zach’s thoughts. “We need to find a new place—somewhere we can fortify.”

Aradhya nodded, her brown eyes filled with concern. “But where? Everywhere else is probably just as bad.”

Zach’s mind raced. They needed to move, but they also needed a plan. The school had been a temporary solution, but now they had to think long-term. They had to find somewhere they could truly defend—somewhere that could be their home, if only for a little while.

“There’s a warehouse a few blocks away,” Yeong Do said suddenly. “I remember passing it before all this started. It’s big, has high walls, and only a few entry points. If we can get there, we might be able to hold out.”

Zach considered it for a moment, then nodded. “It’s worth a shot.”

Anastasia looked at him, her green eyes filled with determination. “Then let’s go.”

The group gathered their supplies quickly, knowing every second counted. As they prepared to leave, Zach couldn’t shake the feeling of dread building in his chest. They were heading into the unknown again, with no guarantees of safety. But as he looked around at the people beside him—Anastasia, Mei, Yeong Do, and Aradhya—he knew they’d face whatever was coming together.

And as they stepped out into the dangerous world once more, Zach felt a strange sense of hope. It wasn’t just about survival anymore. It was about finding something worth fighting for.

And for him, that something—or rather, someone—was right beside him.