"Zombie Dawn: Rise of the Hunted"

Chapter 15: Facing the Beast

Chapter 15: Facing the Beast

Rena's POV

The streets were eerily quiet as we walked, searching for anything that could help us survive a little longer in this hellish world. The tension between me and Filip from earlier still hung in the air, but there was no time to dwell on it now. Leon was ahead, his eyes scanning the area for threats, and Filip was right beside me, his expression set in stone.

Suddenly, a low growl echoed from the alleyway ahead, freezing all three of us in place. I exchanged a quick glance with Filip, my heart already pounding in my chest.

"Did you hear that?" I whispered, gripping the hilt of my sword.

Before anyone could answer, a massive shadow loomed in the distance, followed by the unmistakable sound of something huge lumbering toward us. My breath caught in my throat as a grotesque creature emerged from the darkness.

It was enormous-twice the size of any zombie we had encountered before, its body bloated and disfigured, with jagged fangs protruding from its mouth. It moved faster than it should, and its hollow, black eyes locked onto us with deadly intent.

"What the hell is that thing?" Filip muttered, his voice low, but filled with urgency.

Without hesitating, I drew my sword, the blade gleaming in the faint light. "Whatever it is, it's not friendly."

Filip nodded, his expression hardening as he swung his rifle from his back, readying the big gun we had scavenged just a few days ago. "I'll cover you. You get in close."

I swallowed hard, my pulse racing. This was a monster, not just a zombie. Its massive claws scraped the ground as it advanced, its growls growing louder with each step. Leon raised his weapon, firing a few shots, but they barely seemed to slow it down.

With a deep breath, I gripped my sword tighter and dashed forward, my feet barely touching the ground as I sprinted toward the creature. Its long, misshapen arm swung toward me, and I narrowly dodged, rolling to the side before slashing at its leg with all the force I could muster. The blade cut through its rotting flesh, but it was like cutting through rubber-the monster let out a furious roar, more angered than injured.

"Keep moving, Rena!" Filip shouted from behind, and a deafening barrage of gunfire erupted as he unloaded the big gun at the creature.

The bullets slammed into the monster's body, and this time, it stumbled back, a howl of pain escaping its twisted mouth. It was wounded, but not dead-not by a long shot.

The creature lunged at Filip, swiping at him with its massive claws, but Filip was quick, dodging the attack and firing again. I seized the opportunity, darting forward and slashing at the creature's back, cutting deep into the rotting tissue.

"Rena! Watch out!" Leon's voice rang out just as the monster swung around, its huge arm knocking me off my feet. I hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of me, but I gritted my teeth and rolled to my knees, refusing to let the pain slow me down.

Filip kept firing, his gun kicking back with every shot, but the creature wouldn't go down. I could see it weakening, but it was still relentless, its rage only growing.

"We need to hit it where it hurts!" I called out, my voice strained as I struggled to stand. "Aim for the head or the heart!"

Filip nodded, his face set with grim determination. He aimed the big gun at the creature's chest, unleashing a hail of bullets that ripped through its bloated body. With a final, deafening roar, the creature staggered, its massive form collapsing to the ground in a heap.

Panting, I stood there, my sword still raised, waiting to see if it would get back up. But it didn't move. The creature was dead.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, lowering my sword. My entire body was shaking, both from adrenaline and fear. We had survived, but only barely.

Filip walked over, his rifle slung back over his shoulder, his expression serious. "You okay?"

I nodded, though my legs felt like jelly. "Yeah... I'm fine. Just a little shaken."

He looked at me for a moment, his eyes softening just slightly. "You did good, Rena. We got it."

I tried to smile, but the weight of what we had just faced was still pressing down on me. "Thanks... I couldn't have done it without you."

Filip gave a small nod, but before he could say anything else, Leon stepped forward, his face pale. "What the hell was that thing? I've never seen a zombie mutate like that before."

I shook my head, still trying to process it. "I don't know... but if there's one, there might be more."

Filip's jaw tightened. "Then we need to stay on guard. We can't afford to let our guard down-not even for a second."

I glanced at him, my heart still racing from the fight. The thought of facing more creatures like that made me want to collapse with exhaustion, but I knew he was right. This was just the beginning.

As we walked away from the scene, I couldn't help but glance at Filip again, my thoughts swirling. I didn't know how to deal with everything happening around us-and everything I was feeling inside. But one thing was clear: we had to stick together if we were going to survive.

And maybe, just maybe, there was something between us worth fighting for, too.