CHAPTER 20
YOU MUST LIVE
“Wait… You’re telling me that that’s your dad?” Ash commented.
“I’ve seen him before…” Freya said. Even under all the makeup, Freya recognized his face.
“Wait, you know my dad?” Ulysses asked.
“No, but I’ve seen him come over on weekends before. Him and some other lady.” Freya said.
“Did she have white hair, a fur coat on, and is always wearing sunglasses indoors?” Ulysses questioned.
“Yeah. That’s the one. Who is she?” Freya asked.
“That’s my mom, Kokeisha.” Ulysses sighed. “I knew our fathers were friends, but I don’t know why both he and my mom would be coming over to speak with your dad on the weekends…”
“Guys… I hate to stop the chatter but look!” Reighley pointed ahead down the road. Twenty-five meters away, there was a small horde of infected, about nine in total and they were sprinting directly towards the group. “Fire!” Reighley shouted. Herald hoisted his Z-Assault Rifle onto the hood of the vehicle that the group was using as cover, and he methodically began to target the incoming horde. His aim was true. Reighley underestimated how difficult it would be to take down such a small number of infected. The horde were using unreal evasive maneuvers, they were fully embracing their feral ideology by refusing to move in a coherent line. They wove in and out going between vehicles and some even dropped to all fours. The group slowly whittled away at the incoming infected. From a distance, the group managed to only bring down four of the zombies. The five remaining infected continued to bear down upon the group. They utilized anything and everything they could as cover. By that time the horde was fifteen meters away and the worst-case scenario occurred as an audible *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* was heard.
Reighley, Ash, Ulysses, and Herald, all were out of ammunition.
“It can't end like this!” Freya said courageously. She sprinted out from behind the trunk of the car with the Z-Shotgun in hand.
“Hey! Over here!” She shouted. Freya stood out in the open acting as bait. The five undead noticed Freya and charged directly at her. Freya fired a flurry of shots at the undead. The shotgun itself displayed what appeared to be twelve lasers at once, indicating that multiple charges were sent flying. The first barrage of lasers didn’t stop any undead, but after the second, Freya managed to take down a zombie. At this point, Freya had a full-on adrenaline rush from her courageous act. All she had to do was convince herself that it was life or death. The rush made her senses heightened to the limits. Freya unloaded her ammunition on the next two zombies and they too fell to the ground. When Freya went to shoot the fourth…
*Click*
Freya gasped when she realized she was out of ammo. “Is this the end?” She thought. As the last feral zombies were only a mere three meters away, she accepted her fate.
“Freya!” Reighley shouted. He felt completely powerless. Panicked, he looked around for a spare ammo clip when he glanced at the floor and noticed the Z-blaster that Lillie Two had left behind. Reighley picked it up and leaped after Freya going over the hood of the car, but before Reighley could fire a single shot, a bright and powerful red laser lit up the zombie closest to Freya. A loud bang resounded from behind the group, and the zombie went down. When the last zombie was close to Freya, it too went down after a single shot. Freya was shocked by the outcome and looked behind her. The person who finished off the last infected was Jim, and he was wielding a Z-Sniper Rifle.
“Keep moving!” Jim shouted as he slid his bolt action rifle back and forth, to ready the weapon.
“Dad?” Freya thought to herself. She didn’t expect to be saved by her father right after disrespecting him. She wasn’t sure what to think of it but was grateful nonetheless.
The group didn’t hesitate from the order and began to press forward. They managed to scour a commodity of Z-blasters from what they could only assume were competitors that lost just minutes before them. Many of the weapon’s magazines were empty, but they managed to scavenge enough ammo to give each person a full magazine. At this point, Jim caught up with the rest of the group. When he did, Reighley noticed Jim was completely stacked on weaponry. He had the aforementioned Z-Sniper Rifle, the Z-Shotgun, and a better-looking version of Herald's Z-Assault Rifle, all strapped to his back.
“This guy is stacked…” Reighley thought. He wondered if Jim paid for info on where those weapons were located. The weapons had real weight to them so he guessed Jim was in incredible shape to be able to carry all three of those on his back. Freya watched her dad approach and walk up next to her.
“Are you okay?” Jim asked jogging next to Freya.
“Yeah… thanks for saving me.” Freya reluctantly said while swallowing her pride. She felt torn. Her dad helping her wasn’t going to magically fix the amount of times he was absent. She also was still angry at him for what he did to her at school and his opinion of Reighley. Still, she knew that the right thing to do was to at least thank him. If it wasn’t for his help, the group would have already lost.
“Area Two… is just up ahead!” Ulysses said, breathing heavily.
“Are you okay Ulysses?” Ash asked.
“Yeah… I’m just… winded.” He answered. Ulysses was having a hard time breathing. He knew the exact cause. It was his smoking addiction. It was holding him back. “Geez… I’m pathetic… I haven’t even been running for very long. I have to step it up. As a man!” He thought. This issue made him seriously consider going cold turkey from cigarettes. Especially if it ended up being the reason he let his best friend down.
The group arrived at Area Two, The Risen Army Base, and they vaulted over the barricade. Reighley took a mental stock and knew that they were in a pinch. If they were attacked again by the infected they would lose.
“We have to get better weapons… If we could just make it to the gun vault then I think we could finish the run.” Reighley thought. “Guys we have to get into the gun vault. It’s our best shot at winning.” The group nodded in agreement and headed inside.
“Master Summers… It appears that many of the contestants are inside the base. I’m afraid I think we are in last place.” Herald said as he pointed towards the remaining people left.
(Remaining Survivors: 103)
“What did you call him Herald?” Jim questioned.
“I called him Master Summers, sir,” Herald answered. “Is there an issue?” Jim didn’t respond, instead, he silently pressed onward into the base.
Meanwhile, only slightly behind Reighley and the others, was Deven Stallik. He had been letting the others carve a pathway forward for him.
“This is perfect… That’s right, just keep clearing the way for my inevitable victory. Once we reach the Dead Man Zone, you’d better watch your backs.” Deven said and then laughed maniacally.
“It’s time we announce our current standings in the race!” Isabelle said. “Take it away, DJ Destiny.”
“It looks like the person sitting in last place is Deven Stallik!” Destiny announced.
“You’re not helping!” Deven shouted towards the screen.
“Following slightly ahead of Devin we have Freya and her groupies! With Loverboy R. leading the charge! In second place we have Class 2-D. They seem to be formidable opponents. All the way in first place is Donald Fitzgerald! It appears he has already made it to the armory. Don’t fall behind now!” Isabelle said.
“Thanks for the heads up D,” Ulysses said, looking at the monitor.
“We don’t have time to worry about those who are behind us. We’ll deal with them later.” Ash said. “We have to press on.”
The group made their way inside the base. It was dimly lit, with small electrical lamps hanging from the ceiling every few meters apart. The base had green tarps on the wall and multitudes of graffiti with writings of things like (There is no help here) or (Only God can save us now.)
Immediately the group was given a choice. There were three paths for them to choose. To their left was the path towards the med bay. To their right was the path towards the armory. The final path was directly ahead of them and had a sign on it that said (Dead Man’s Path). Reighley guessed that the middle path was the quickest and easiest way through, however, he knew that there was no reward. The med bay path he assumed was a slightly more difficult path due to the rewards being far less useful than actual weapons. He knew the group needed gear so he made his decision.
“All right, guys I say we go to the-” Reighley was interrupted after being shoved aside by someone.
“OUT OF MY WAY!” Deven Stallik screamed. He pushed Reighley and ran directly down the Dead Man’s Path.
“Watch it!-” Reighley said before looking back at what Deven was running from. “Oh no…” Reighley became fearful at what was headed their way. It was a horde of undead. He guessed the numbers were around fifty to sixty and they were coming in fast. Quick to react, Ash unclipped Jim’s special Z-Assault Rifle off from behind him.
“Hey! What are you-” Jim shouted.
“Buying time,” Ash said as she rushed back toward the horde of undead. “Now go!”
“Ash no!” Freya shouted sorrowfully. Ash hopped on top of a nearby humvee that was flipped upside down and took a deep breath.
“I’ll hold them off,” Ash said, glancing backward. She then looked towards the horde in front of her and began shouting crazily while unloading her weapon trying to draw the attention away from her team. The Z Assault Rifle she had stolen from Jim was suspiciously effective at taking out the undead. It only took roughly four bullets per zombie, but Ash knew that math didn’t add up to her success.
“Come on! We can’t let her sacrifice be in vain. Freya, and Jim, go down the med bay path and get as many sterilizers as you can hold. Ulysses, go with them so you can catch your breath. Herald and I will get the weapons we need for the rest of the run.” Reighley ordered.
“But…” Freya hesitated. She was torn between going with Reighley and her father. She didn’t want to go with Jim, but she also wanted to show that she trusted Reighley’s leadership as a man.
“All right, bro. Don’t die on me. I’ll see you on the other side.” Ulysses agreed and headed down the med bay path. Jim watched as Reighley led the group. Reighley reminded him of himself when he was younger. A go-getter with a lot of potential to lead. He couldn’t help but be impressed by the kid’s conviction.
“Keep her safe,” Reighley asked Jim.
“You don’t have to tell me that.” Jim scoffed. He then made his way behind Ulysses.
“Reighley. Please don’t do anything crazy!” Freya begged. Reighley turned towards the armory path and began running.
“I’ll be okay! I’ll definitely survive!” Reighley said. The groups split up into two.
“Stop raising death flags, dude!” Ulysses hollered.
“It looks like our protagonist has decided to separate the group,” Destiny announced. She had a drone tailing behind Reighley and the group watching their actions.
Once out of earshot, Herald looked concerned. “Master Summers, are you sure it’s wise to separate the group?” He asked.
“Yeah. Something wasn’t sitting right with me. If there is a Dead Man’s Zone up ahead and we can shoot each other, then there must be Medi-packs to help with the damage taken from Z weapons. We'll definitely need those if we are going to make it through. Not to mention I think the med bay path would be safer for those who don’t wish to be shot by friendly fire. I’m sure the majority of people who are willing to shoot someone to win also went down this hallway.” Reighley explained. The two were running down a hallway after making a sharp ninety-degree turn to the left. Suddenly Reighley’s vest glowed blue and Heralds did as well. A voice prompt spoke from their vests. It sounded like Destiny’s voice.
“Congratulations. You have reached the halfway mark. You’re officially in the Dead Man’s Zone. Friendly Fire is now activated.” The vest cheerfully said. “Your vest can take three shots before turning completely red. The first shot will change your vest to yellow, while the second one will turn it a flashing red. If you get shot one more time you’ll hear a buzz sound and your vest will turn a solid red color signifying your death. Only Medi-packs can repair the damage you’ve taken.” The voice explained. “Now good luck and don't die!” After the voice finished its explanation their suit colors turned off.
“Master Summers we must be incredibly careful from this point onward,” Herald said.
“Right… That’s partially why we split up. I don’t think anyone will dare to shoot Jim or his daughter in their own game. Me on the other hand, I would put them in danger, even if it was from stray bullets.” Reighley explained.
“Ah. so it's okay for an old man like me to catch the extra bullets.” Herald jested.
“No, no! You are the most experienced out of all of us. I need your expertise.” Reighley explained trying to salvage the situation.
The two trod carefully as their path became more narrow. They kept up the same pace as the groans from the undead could be heard from behind them. Herald and Reighley knew the zombies were inexorable in their path to catch the living. They headed down an elongated hallway with several outcroppings strategically placed along the path. The hall had several exit signs ominously posted throughout the hall for those who lost the race.
The two were approaching the armory, but eerily, they noticed there were no zombies nearby. Instead, all they saw were several people who looked completely defeated with solid red vests walking past them towards the exits nearby. Among the defeated competitors was Arend.
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“Arend what happened?” Reighley asked.
“Sorry pal. Dead men don’t speak. Oooooooo.” Arend said, sounding like a ghost. He then left through an exit.
“It must be him,” Herald claimed quietly.
“Who?” Reighley asked.
“An old friend,” Herald explained.
Herald and Reighley stealthily entered the armory. The room was circular in shape and had a dome rooftop. It was difficult to see inside the room as its light source was a mere three lanterns hanging atop the ceiling barely illuminating the objects on the floor. The floor had many three–foot–tall glow-in-the-dark barricades randomly scattered throughout the room. Directly in front of the duo were two barricades stretching a couple of meters from the hallway’s entrance. The barricades appeared to have a small graveyard’s worth of weapons left behind by the defeated competitors. The vault door was on the opposite end of the room from the hall that Reighley and Herald were walking. It appeared to be slightly cracked open, signifying they weren’t alone. Someone had already entered inside before they arrived. The door leaked light through the cracks on a barricade off to the left of it. The vault's handles and center were completely smeared with glow-in-the-dark paint.
Herald was on high alert due to the weapons from those who had fallen. He held his weapon at the ready. He knew of only one man skilled enough to eliminate such an exorbitant amount of foes. Herald noticed a glimmer of light from the vault reflecting off an object elevated on top of a barricade on the other side of the room. He couldn’t make out what the object was, but every instinct in him indicated that it was dangerous.
Get down!” Herald shouted, quickly shoving Reighley behind the cover. From this, Herald's vest changed to a yellow color after taking the shot that was meant for Reighley. He then immediately dropped behind the barricade and placed his back against it next to where Reighley had fallen.
“Are you alright Master Summers?” Herald asked.
“I’m fine. Thanks…” Reighley was in shock by the selfless act from Herald, but then sat up and placed his back to the barricade.
“Hello, Herald.” A voice reverberated by the vault.
“Donald. Good to see nothing has changed and that you’re still up to your cheap tricks yet again.” Herald said. He never considered the possibility of laserless weapons. He assumed it must have been a specialty item. Something Donald must have acquired from the vault.
“I’m just here for the boy Herald. Don’t make me do something I might regret.” Donald threatened.
“It wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened, would it?” Herald pressed.
“Look. We both know who the better shot is between the two of us. Just look the other way.” Donald pleaded. Herald's hand landed on the small mound of handguns and weapons that lay next to the barricade. He turned towards Reighley and saw how desperate the boy was to win. He knew what role he had to play in order for victory to occur.
“Reighley… I have a plan to get you to the vault. When I give you the signal I want you to make a run around the right side of the room towards the exit. Do you understand?” Herald whispered. Reighley peeked out of the right side of the cover and his eyes followed the curved wall. He immediately noticed that the east side of the room was darker than the rest due to the vault shining light upon the west side.
“Okay, but what about you?” Reighley whispered back with concern.
“Do you have that little faith in me, Master Summers?” Herald said with a smile.
Reighley glanced over to his companion and replied, “No, I trust you.” Herald then gave Reighley a decisive nod, waiting for the boy to get ready. Once in position, Herald quickly dashed out behind the cover to the west side of the room with four objects in hand. He picked up three Z Blasters and a single Z-Grenade from the weapon pile nearby. He hurled the three Z-Blasters one after another towards the lights above while running towards a cover on the west side of the room. His impromptu projectiles shattered the fragile lamps hanging on the ceiling, shrouding most of the room in the darkness that could rival the abyss. The only light source remaining was coming from the vault itself. Donald was ready for any movement at the entrance and began firing at Herald as soon as he dashed. Herald took a second shot from Donald turning his suit a flashing red color before he reached his point of cover. Knowing he couldn’t stop, Herald pulled the pin on the Z-Grenade and tossed it directly at the center base of the vault while diving behind a nearby barricade.
“Crap!” Donald shouted as he dove towards the west side of the room. Herald threw the Grenade to force Donald to retreat away from the vault. Herald knew the only way for Reighley to get through was to clear a path for him. Once the fuse expired, the Z-Grenade became as bright as a disco ball, reflecting lasers all around the vault door.
“Now Master Summers!” Herald shouted. During the Z-Grenades light show, Herald had run across the room and positioned himself behind a barricade. He placed himself between Donald and the vault while still remaining in the darkness. This left Reighley a clear path to run across the darker east side of the room. Reighley wasted no time, as he blindly slid his hand across the wall following its curvature towards the door.
“Herald! Stay out of this!” Donald shouted in frustration.
Herald knew exactly where Donald was. If he tried to move the light from the vault would expose him making for an easy shot. As Reighley arrived near the vault, he could hear Donald’s desperation. Donald peered around the cover on the lookout for a shot at Reighley only to immediately get shot by Herald, turning his vest yellow.
“Now, now, that won't do at all. Keep your focus on me.” Herald taunted.
“This is all for Madam Guinevere. I’m just doing what was commanded of me.” Donald shouted.
“Guinevere?” Reighley thought. “What does she have to do with any of this?” Reighley quickly pried the vault door open and began to use the door as cover. Reighley’s heart began to pound as he heard and felt the incoming horde of infected. It seemed that the horde had finally caught up with them. He looked into the darkness but Herald was nowhere to be found. Desperate, Reighley cried out.
“Herald it’s time to go!” Reighley warmed.
“I’m not afraid, Master Summers. You’re the one who needs to live above all else. I have complete faith in you.” Herald praised. Reighley paused and took a deep breath.
“Thanks, Herald.” Reighley thought. He quickly dashed through the open door and went into the gun vault. He knew that closing the door would signify the end of the butler's race.
Ulysses was astonished as Jim led with complete authority. Although the three had just entered the Dead Man’s Zone, no one dared to shoot Jim or those who were with him. Jim didn’t know what to say to his daughter so he kept quiet. The three made it through with ease and found a spacious room that had a tent set up in its center. At the far end of the room was a singular exit that appeared to lead outside. The tent had a red cross on it and was holding a large number of Medi-packs.
“Pack them up. Reighley needs these.” Ulysses said.
“Here! Take this bag.” A feminine voice said.
“Joy, you made it!” Freya turned and greeted her classmate with excitement. “Where is everyone else?”
“The boys went down the armory path while the girls went down the med bay path.” She explained while handing the bag to Ulysses. “We all sort of have a truce not to shoot each other while we're in here.”
“I hate to break it to you, but there is a horde on its way, so we have to go,” Freya explained. Slightly alarmed by the news, the remaining survivors gathered their gear and headed towards the exit, hoping that it would lead them outside the confines of the building. Upon exiting the room they closed the door behind them and sealed it shut to prevent any of the infected from getting through. Freya scanned her new surroundings. The path that lay in front of her was a vast wasteland acute to a desert. The sand around her feet made it difficult to run let alone walk. The artificial trees placed ahead were dead and bare. The majority of the structures ahead were torn-down barns or stables similar to old western movies. The center focal point that drew Freya’s attention was placed where she could only assume was at the finish line. At the far end of the desert was a four-layered pagoda tower that stood ominously at the end. With Reighley nowhere in sight, she looked towards the opposite end of the base hoping to find him. To her relief, she saw him exiting the armory side. He had a large bag filled with weaponry peeking out over his shoulder.
“I knew he could do it!” Freya thought. She looked for Herald but realized quickly that he was gone… Freya headed towards Reighley and when she was close enough she saw a laser pointer on him.
“Freya!” Reighley said with excitement. He watched as she ran towards her. Reighley looked up at the remaining contestants and saw the number left was incredibly low.
(Remaining Survivors: 27)
“Wow. Talk about thinning the herd.” Reighley said to himself. Two drones were carrying a plain white banner in the sky. A third drone was projecting Destiny and Isabelle on the banner. He looked at Freya and she didn’t look happy to see him. Instead, she had a look of fear. Reighley was incredibly confused until Freya stepped in front of him. He watched as her vest turned from blue to yellow, from yellow to a flashing red, and eventually a solid red vest signifying she was eliminated with a buzz sound. It all happened so fast that Reighley couldn’t even comprehend what had just occurred.
“Party foul!” Isabelle was outraged over the speakers. Destiny was irritated by who the shooter was. It was Deven Stallik, who was in first place. He was waiting around for Reighley to come out so he could take him out.
“Yeah! Everyone knows you don’t shoot the birthday girl, even if it does make for some good content. That’s right I’m calling you out Deven Stallik! Stop hiding like a coward behind that barn.” Destiny said.
“That’s completely unfair. Stop giving away my position!” Deven Stallik shouted in frustration. He was hidden behind a run-down barn just a bit further ahead of the rest but quickly fled while shouting. “I did not go through all of that suffering just to get eliminated here!” Devin had flashbacks of what had happened in the Dead Man’s Path and only managed to survive thanks to a sterilizer he was lucky enough to find. In reality, he only had to face a single zombie, but that alone was enough to slightly traumatize him.
“Sucks to suck.” Isabelle taunted. Deven scurried off further down the path completely infuriated by the bias towards Reighley and Freya.
“Why does everyone ship them together anyway? Freighley is an awful shipping name.” Deven said before running off ahead out of sight.
“Freya…” Reighley said as she jumped into his arms.
“Oh thank goodness. I made it in time.” Freya said with a smile.
“Dummy…” Reighley said with a chuckle. “You know, I’m surprised you even participated. You don’t like scary stuff, right?” Reighley asked.
“I don’t, but… I actually had this all made for you. I know you mentioned you enjoy horror stuff.” Freya said. Reighley felt like an idiot. He didn’t put two and two together.
“You… did all of this for me?” Reighley asked. He couldn’t even fathom the amount of money it must have cost Jim to produce something to this scale.
“Yes. Also… It’s been fun. I can see the appeal of running for your life.” Freya said. Reighley could feel her pulse just from holding her.
“Sorry… I’m kind of sweaty.” Reighley said.
“I don’t care. I don’t get to hold you very often.” Freya said. Reighley used Insight, when he looked into her eyes her aura was gently wrapping around and enveloping him with a comforting embrace. He could feel the warmth of the aura around him. It was akin to sitting next to a campfire on a winter night. The warmth surrounded him and kept the cold isolation of winter at bay. As if being in his arms was exactly where she was meant to be.
“You’ve been giving it your all for me,” Reighley said. It took everything in him to continue with his plan, hating himself all the while. His guilt was beginning to become unbearable. “Is this the right thing to do?” He thought.
Taking in Reighley’s intense stare Freya became flustered. “Stop… it. You're making me blush in front of everyone.” Freya whispered while she turned red with embarrassment. Freya felt Reighley’s skin but it was cold to the touch, she thought it was odd, but before she could say something about it, Reighley let her go.
“Freya, we'll talk later. I have a race to win” Reighley said, letting go of Freya. Jim approached the two with Ulysses following behind them.
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t shoot you right here and now.” Jim threatened while holding the Z-shotgun pointed towards Reighley.
“Well, Freya just sacrificed herself for me so that would make you look worse… Would you rather have Deven win?” Reighley said.
“Good point.” Jim lowered his gun.
“Reighley look!” Ulysses said, pointing towards the remaining survivors.
(Remaining Survivors: 11)
“That’s all that’s left? What’s happened to everyone?” Reighley asked. He looked around, and the people who exited the med bay were leaving the race. He immediately noticed that their vests were still blue in color. “They’re walking away, but they haven’t lost yet?” he thought.
“A lot of us planned on walking out after the second half of the race was finished,” Joy said.
“Why is that?” Freya asked.
“I don’t think anyone wanted to deal with Z.E.D.” Joy explained. “Don’t worry though! As the last remaining underling of class 2-D, I am going to see this through to the very end.”
“So earnest…” Ulysses praised.
“Here. I got this for you all.” Reighley said. He started unloading weapons from his bag. He managed to snag some rare equipment in the vault. He thought he grabbed multiple copies of each weapon. However, they were different. “These weapons are the special version of our starting gun. Just like the rifle Ash stole off Jim from earlier.”
“Well. I best get going and catch up with the rest. Good luck!” Freya said. She handed Reighley one of the Medi-Packs she had found in the bay and then left after blowing a kiss towards him. This caused his heart to flutter a bit and caused Jim to slightly quiver in anger from it.
“Did you see that honorable sacrifice by our dear Freya? What a noble heart she has. She was willing to give it all just for R. I’m sure she’ll tell you all about it when she makes her way backstage for an interview.” Destiny announced.
“Truly it must be love! Is there anything more poetic than someone willing to give up their life for the sake of their loved one? It’s so romantic!” Isabelle fawned. “She must have full faith that he will win in the end.”
“Isabelle! Just what are you saying?!” Reighley cringed
“Chat, let’s hear your thoughts,” Destiny said.
FDSA_MOXIE: It reminded me of the movie trailer for Princess Charming, Sleeping Handsome.
Taco_Panda: That’s why we love our Freya.
QueenyFishy12: I really hope R wins!
FunnyUser232: Who is this R guy? What’s his name? Will he be introduced later?
Gasp_For_Air: I totally would have dodged out of the way of those shots.
“I don’t have time to stand around and do nothing. I have to get moving.” Reighley thought. He looked at the path ahead of him and the majority of the runway was completely covered in sand. The structures on the path were decayed and broken down only acting as a cover to hide behind instead of places to loot. It was hard to get a grasp on where the finish line was as there were plenty of white dead trees in front blocking the view. “It’s like the wild west out here.” Reighley turned towards his remaining allies and pointed at one of the covers. “Let’s make our way from cover to cover. There are still contestants out there who are potentially hiding. It’s best not to take our chances, especially with Z.E.D around.”
“Now that you mention it… Jim, why is my dad here?” Ulysses asked.
“I’m sorry son. I can’t tell you that. I just asked a favor from an old friend. That’s all. If you want to know more, you’ll have to ask him yourself.” Jim replied.
“Ulysses, are you going to be alright bro?” Reighley asked.
“Yeah. I don’t know if I can beat him, but if I have to take on my dad in order for you to win, then I’ll gladly do it.” Ulysses said courageously.
“Neither of you are winning. I just need your help to make sure that rat Deven doesn’t win.” Jim mentioned.
“Thanks for the warning. Now let's move.” Reighley replied.
The four swiftly pressed onward towards the goal. Ulysses was the frontliner and Joy walked next to him. Jim and Reighley were behind the two ready for anything. The group stumbled upon a barn that wasn’t in shambles and found two survivors hunkered down behind a hay barrel. After sneaking up on them, they made quick work eliminating them from the competition.
“Nothing personal,” Reighley said as he and Jim shot the competitors from behind. It didn’t bother him to play dirty. He felt like that would have been the only way to survive in a real apocalypse. Survival rule number 1. “Why play by the rules, when there are no rules?” Reighley knew there was no honor at the end of the world. Just winners and losers.
(Remaining Survivors: 9)
As the four traversed through the barn, they heard a creaking noise come from above them. The sound caused their hearts to skip a beat. When they looked upward they could see red glowing eyes from a massive figure hanging from the ceiling.
“It’s a trap!” Jim yelled. It was like that of a horror movie. The figure let go and fell directly between the diamond formation that the group was moving in. There was a mad scramble as the party skittered away from the infected Zombie. This involuntary reaction further dispersed the temporary allies from one another. To make matters worse, a shadow stepped from behind the massive form. This other creature could be considered slim and nimble only because he stood next to the monstrous form of Z.E.D. Ulysses reflectively dodged back as he saw a streak of white flash before his eyes.
“Hello, Brother,” Sunny said. “Are you ready for your lesson?”
“Sunny!?” Ulysses yelled. When Ulysses looked at Sunny he noticed that Sunny was sheathing his blade that he had. Ulysses looked down at his vest, and it was switching between green and yellow colors. He had been slashed in that instant of dodging.
“What are you doing here? What do you mean, lesson!?” Ulysses questioned.
“Mother asked us to test you. Now prepare yourself!” Sunny threatened.
“Ulysses! I can’t help you.” Joy warned. Ulysses looked over at Joy and to his surprise, she had been eliminated in the blink of an eye.
“Ahhhhhh! I am Z.E.D. The Zombie Enhanced Dad!” Todoh roared as he began to charge toward Reighley and Jim.