CHAPTER 2 — "The Girl Who Should Be Dead"
The city was quiet. Too quiet. The power outage had blanketed the streets in darkness, and only the distant wails and occasional screams reminded anyone that chaos had already begun. Red stood in his room, his parents' message still fresh in his mind: stay inside, stock food and water, wait for them.
And then he heard it—a sharp, high-pitched scream that cut through the silence. Not a crowd, just one voice. Someone was in trouble.
Red moved to the balcony, eyes scanning the dimly lit streets. A girl—a teenager, maybe seventeen—was running, stumbling occasionally, as two zombies lunged at her from behind.
Without hesitation, Red stepped forward.
The first zombie reached her, snapping its jaw, its decayed hands stretching. In an instant, Red moved. He intercepted it, grabbed it by the head, and slammed it into the wall. The creature crumpled, stunned, and fell to the ground.
The second zombie paused, confused, then charged at him. Red sidestepped with ease, performing a backflip to avoid its grasp. He grabbed it by the shoulder, spun, and threw it against a car. The zombie staggered but didn't rise. Red's movements were fluid, precise. Calm, controlled, almost casual.
The girl stopped, panting, her wide eyes fixed on him.
"Are you… going to hurt me?" she asked, voice trembling.
Red shook his head, a small, reassuring smile on his lips.
"Don't worry. You're fine."
She hesitated, studying him. "Who… are you?"
"Call me Red."
Her lips curved into a short laugh. "Red? What kind of name is that?"
Red shrugged. "It works."
They both laughed briefly. Tension broke for just a moment.
Red could leave—he had already neutralized the immediate threat—but the other zombie was still moving, and he decided to stay. Something told him this might be… interesting.
As they moved through backstreets, avoiding the small swarm drawn by the noise, the girl glanced at him. "You're… different. Strong. Are you… a monster?"
Red chuckled softly. "Not a monster. Just… careful."
She stared, still unsure, but there was something in his calmness that reassured her. When another zombie stumbled close, she grabbed his hand instinctively. Red glanced at her, expression unreadable, and thought:
This might be the start of something… fun.
The two of them continued through the streets, alert, silent except for the soft sound of their footsteps. Red kept his eyes on the surroundings, every movement measured. The girl kept glancing at him, curiosity battling fear.
By the time they reached a relatively safer alley, the sun had begun to set. Shadows stretched across the streets, and the city seemed even more foreboding. Red finally released her hand, though he remained nearby.
"What's your name?" she asked hesitantly.
"Red," he replied again, his bangs hiding his eyes.
She chuckled, shaking her head. "Still… weird."
Red just smiled, his expression calm, unbothered.
And somewhere in the distance, the groans of the city's undead continued—reminding them both that this was only the beginning.