"Finally… I made it up those long stairs." As I reached the top, I spotted Pops' upper body hanging from the railing, his lower half being devoured by the same monster that killed him last time.
'Oh god… I think I'm gonna throw up.' I thought as I tried to come up with a way around the beast. It was really tearing into him. Sad… Pops had to die, but I can't help it. I'm too weak to change anyone's fate—for now.
Maybe I can sneak past. It seems like my only option. The people meant to save us could be up there right now. So, I crouched low and moved slowly behind it.
The zombies fused to its body turned their heads, clawing toward me, but couldn't reach. I picked up my pace, careful not to make noise. As it let out heavy breaths, I got a close look at its physique—pure muscle.'Holy shit… what did this guy eat before turning?'
Somehow, I made it past the beast and pushed open the rooftop door, slamming it wide in my excitement. First thing I saw was Jojo, pacing back and forth while muttering to herself. Tom stood with the walkie-talkie in hand, while Frank sat on the ground, rambling to Jojo like she was actually listening.
"YOU!" Jojo yelled the moment she saw me.
"Shhh, keep it down. That monster isn't far," I hissed back.
Her eyes were wet as she stormed toward me. "How did you know… how did you know Pops was gonna die?"
'What a crybaby.' I thought, though I still needed an excuse they might buy. "Look… I can sorta see when someone's about to die," I admitted.
Everyone froze. Even Frank shut up, staring as Jojo's tears welled. "If you knew… THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU TRY TO STOP IT?!" she screamed.
I quickly covered her mouth. "Who the hell would believe me? I had to climb up here alone just to hitch a ride. So stop getting in the way, so we can finally get out of this hellhole."
Tom muttered under his breath, eyes wide, "Who would've thought he had it in him…"
Jojo sat down at the edge of the building, silent and sulking. But Frank? He had plenty left to say. "That reminds me of one time my cousin and my brother got into a fight. Ended horribly. My cousin got shot."
After what felt like hours of Frank's stories, a helicopter finally touched down on the rooftop.
"You guys look like you've been through hell," the pilot said. "Don't worry—I've got a safe city you can head to."
We boarded quickly. "So… this city you mentioned?" I asked.
"It's inside massive walls. Electricity, food, water—everything you could ever need. A real paradise," he answered.
'He's a little too happy for a zombie apocalypse…' I thought, but shrugged. At least the hard part was done.
That's when a loud crash came from the rooftop door. I helped Frank up just in time to see the hulking, musclebound fusion of zombies charging straight at us.
"HURRY, PILOT! GO, GO, GO!" I shouted, dragging Frank inside. The helicopter lifted off just as another figure crawled from the rooftop. Half his body was gone, eyes dull and lifeless.
"…Pops," Jojo whispered.
"That was close, but from here it's smooth sailing," the pilot said, his voice way too cheerful.
Hours later, we finally saw it—a city surrounded by massive walls.
"Woah… that's bigger than I expected. How do you feed everyone?" I asked.
"Only the president has that information," the pilot said flatly.
'Maybe… maybe Loni's here.'
Minutes after landing, the pilot escorted us to an office. After some processing, we were each assigned housing. It felt too perfect—running water, TV, even if the channels were all pre-downloaded. Still, it kept me from losing my mind.
One night, I turned to Frank. "Hey… isn't it strange how they gave us everything we need right away?"
"I think they're just good people trying to help," he said calmly.
'Wrong guy to ask,' I thought. Still, I planned to search the city tomorrow. Maybe I'd find my sister.
THE NEXT DAY
I woke to the trio eating toast and eggs. They left me plain bread. Better than nothing. I kept quiet. This group… not exactly entertaining, besides Frank's endless stories.
After breakfast, I went out, asking around for Jaloni. I didn't know what she looked like now, but I searched all day until nightfall.
"This is my last stop before I head back," I muttered, walking into an alley. A ragged homeless man sat slumped there.
"Hey… you ever heard of a girl named Jaloni?" I asked.
"DON'T LISTEN TO THEM!" he suddenly screamed, grabbing my arm. "THEY'RE CONTROLLING US! THEY'LL GET YOU TOO!"
"The hell are you talking about?" I snapped, yanking my arm free.
"They control what we think, what we eat! Ask yourself—how do they get all this food? Beef? No! YOU'RE EATING PEOPLE!" he shouted.
'What the hell is this guy saying?' I thought, my stomach twisting.
"They'll kill me for telling you… but my life's worthless anyway." His voice dropped, trembling.
"What are you talking about, old man?" I asked.
"I used to work for them," he said. "They killed the useless and fed them to the workers. We dined on steak while they gnawed on their mothers' arms. Now, they control everyone. Once you lose ambition, once you grow too attached to this place—you're already gone. You won't even notice."
"I can't leave. Not yet. My sister might be here," I muttered.
Before he could respond, a man in black stepped out of the shadows. He raised a gun.
A dart pierced my arm before I could move. I dropped, the world fading. The homeless man wasn't so lucky—he was shot where he stood.
"Shit… you… have to ru—" I tried to warn him, but sleep hit me like a wall.
"It seems he told him too much," the man in black said into his radio. "Do you want me to take him in too?"
[Yes… he knows too much. He'll suffer the same fate for his curiosity.]
"Yes, sir."