As I shouted Ronald's name, he came hurtling down from above like a boulder dislodged from the heavens.
And he landed squarely on top of the zombie lady.
BOOM.
The collision was catastrophic. A dull thud rang out, followed by a thunderous crack. The very walls trembled under the weight of impact. Dust exploded outward in a cloud of chaos, forcing me to raise my arms to shield my eyes.
Their bodies tumbled to the ground—one a ragdoll of rotted limbs, the other a panicked human-shaped meteor. It was a scene so absurdly heroic that I couldn't help but blink.
"Oui! That gotta hurt," I muttered, awe and amusement mixing in my voice.
'Who needs weapons when you've got Ronald's body mass?'
Ronald scrambled to his feet, cheeks flushed, and looked at me in alarm.
"Are you alright, Llyne? I didn't injure you or anything, right?"
"Nope, I'm fine. But you did a ton on the zombie lady," I said, nodding toward the grotesquely flattened corpse. "Anyways, her bones didn't break and pierce your butt, did they? Because if they did, I wonder if you'd get infected and turn into a zombie." I smirked, teasing.
Ronald stiffened. His eyes widened with sheer horror.
"I'll turn into a zombie? Oh no! Llyne, help me! Oh, wait! There's no stopping a zombie mutation. Llyne, just burn me!"
His panic was so raw, so genuine, I burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Kehehehehe! I was just joking, bro! You won't turn into a zombie unless she took a big bite out of ya! Wahahahaha!"
Ronald let out a breath of relief, sheepishly scratching his head. "I guess... hahahaha."
Still chuckling, I asked between breaths, "By the way, did her bone really pierce your butt?"
"Hmm? Nope," Ronald answered casually, like he wasn't just asking to be set on fire.
"Why didn't you deny it when I first asked?"
He rubbed his head again. "Oh... I was panicking when I thought I might turn into a zombie."
"Thank goodness it didn't happen," I replied with a pat on his back. "Or else I wouldn't know how to carry your enormous body."
He nodded shyly.
But there was no time to savor the moment.
"Let's quickly turn all these doors before that zombie lady recovers."
Ronald clenched his fist. "Leave it to me."
Without wasting another breath, I approached the nearest door, hand gripping the knob. It was cold. Too cold.
I turned it slowly, and the creak that followed echoed like a warning across the space. I glanced at Ronald.
"Two is better than one."
He nodded. We dove in.
Minutes passed. Doors opened. Doors sealed shut.
Blue turned red.
At last, we stepped back into the central chamber.
"Is the doors all red now?" Ronald asked, breathless with anticipation.
I surveyed the room, eyes darting across the color-coded grid.
"Yup!"
Creak... Psst...
The sealed red exit door groaned open, exhaling a puff of pale smoke like a yawning beast awakening from slumber.
"We did it, Ronald!"
Our palms met in a triumphant clap. Adrenaline sang through my veins.
But—
Crack. Crack. Crack.
The sickening sound of shifting bones returned.
Faint. Rhythmic. Getting closer.
I took a cautious step back, my eyes narrowing as I listened.
"Oui... She's more relentless than Ma. Even Ma doesn't chase me with her rotan like her. If Ma sees this, she'll be so delighted. Ma will definitely offer her to be a hound dog that surveys me day and night."
My voice tried for humor, but fear had settled in my chest.
I glanced sideways.
And there he was.
Flat on the floor. Again.
"Ronald fainted again. Why am I not surprised?" I groaned. "What's the use of a big body if you're going to faint all the time?!"
Frustrated, I grabbed his arm and shook him hard. Then slapped his cheeks—once, twice.
No response.
My eyes darted to the doorway.
The zombie lady's shadow was getting longer.
I bit down a curse and hoisted Ronald onto my back.
"Oof! What did he eat to grow this big?"
Every step felt like dragging a stone pillar across broken glass.
We were close. So close.
But fate, the ever-sadistic jester, wasn't done with us yet.
A blur passed above.
And then—
THUD.
The zombie lady landed like a banshee reborn, directly in front of the exit, blocking our way.
"Damn it! Is it really a zombie? Isn't it too smart?"
She stared at me with those vacant, rotting eyes. Her mouth curled into a twisted grin.
She charged.
I scanned the barren room. No weapons. No traps. Nothing.
Just desperation.
I turned to Ronald, lying like a bag of potatoes across my back.
"Sorry, Ronald."
My muscles screamed. My heart raced.
And then—I threw him.
HURLED him with everything I had.
His body flew through the air like a divine bowling ball.
CRASH.
They collided. The zombie lady collapsed beneath him in a crumpled heap.
"Bullseye!" I shouted with a half-manic grin.
Adrenaline makes you say wild things.
"Ughh…" Ronald groaned, his body sprawled across the unmoving corpse.
"Huh? Oh, right! Ronald?"
I dashed to his side, knelt beside him. My hands hovered uncertainly.
"Are you alright, Ronald? Still alive, bud?"
No response.
Cold dread slithered up my spine.
"He's not dead, is he? Oh crap! I killed him!"
Then—
A soft rise and fall.
His chest moved.
I exhaled shakily and poked his stomach a few times.
Still unconscious. But definitely breathing.
I leaned in. Watched. Waited.
A warm breath ghosted across my palm.
"Oh."
Relief washed over me. "He's still alive. Thank goodness."
"Ki...?"
The growl came from the floor.
I turned.
The zombie lady stirred. Her broken limbs began twitching, reforming.
"Seriously? Can't you stay down a bit longer? I just checked on my pal's breathing," I muttered. "You really need to learn to read the room."
No time left.
I grabbed Ronald again, slung him over my shoulders like an oversized backpack, and sprinted.
The exit yawned before me.
My lungs burned. My legs ached. I was running on fumes and fire.
My fingers reached—
CLACK.
The door flung open.
I threw myself inside, slammed the door behind us with a resounding boom.
Silence.
No snarls. No footsteps. No creaking bones.
Just the pounding of my heart.
I slid down the door and sat there, wheezing, soaked in sweat.
"Wow. That was way too close."
I let my head fall back against the wood, my voice trembling between exhaustion and disbelief.
"If it weren't for my quick thinking, we'd be nothing more than zombie food."
I looked at Ronald—still peacefully unconscious like a napping bear after a feast.
"Look at him."
I reached out, tugged his cheek.
"Sleeping so comfortably while his partner is struggling for her life."
My smile turned mischievous.
"What happened to the 'I'll protect you from any danger' promise, huh?"