Rio caught his breath, chest heaving, as he pushed himself to keep running away from the infected swarming behind them. The infected were relentless, their crazed pursuit driving him and the other evacuees forward. Going back to his house wasn't an option; he knew he'd be trapped.

"If I go back, I'll be trapped with all these infected trying to break in," he thought desperately. "I need to find an escape, or lose them if possible."

Running alongside other terrified evacuees, Rio's mind raced. His eyes darted to the houses they were passing on the left side. He knew there was an empty yard behind one of them that might offer a way out.

"Maybe I could sneak around the houses, through the yard, and climb the fence to the other side. I think it's the beverage factory once I get through," he pondered, his heart pounding. "But I have to wait for the right moment to break away from the group without being seen."

Spotting a parked vehicle near one of the houses, Rio glanced over his shoulder to see if any infected were directly behind him. When he realized they weren't, he continued running, biding his time until he reached the vehicle. As he neared it, Rio seized his chance. He veered off from the crowd, ducking behind the vehicle and hiding in its shadow. The dark streets, with only a few distant street lamps, provided him with some cover.

He crouched there, his breath shallow, as the evacuees and infected passed by. His heart pounded in his chest, his grip on the kitchen knife tightening.

Suddenly, one infected stopped, seemingly aware that someone had strayed from the group. It looked around, saliva dripping from its mouth, its body convulsing violently.

Rio held his breath, pressing himself against the cold metal of the vehicle. He couldn't afford to make any sound that might give away his location. His muscles tensed, ready to defend himself if needed.

The noise from the fleeing evacuees distracted the infected, and it rejoined the pack, chasing after the group with a guttural scream.

When the coast was clear, Rio cautiously crept onto the property, moving stealthily around the house. Reaching the backyard, he saw the dirt road and the fence leading to the factory. Parked trucks lined the area, indicating it was a trucking and logistics service area.

"It's impossible that there would be no infected here," Rio thought, surveying the dark dirt road.

The lack of light on the dirt road gave him a chance to move undetected. Rio finally decided to cross, knowing he needed to hurry before an infected caught up with him in the backyard.

"Walk straight, walk straight," he whispered to himself, moving through the pitch darkness.

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Suddenly, the ground quaked beneath him. A speeding eighteen-wheeler semi-trailer truck barreled toward him, its blinding headlights cutting through the dark.

The truck's driver, frantic to escape the infected, screamed upon seeing Rio in the middle of the road and honked the deafening horn.

"Move the fuck out!" the driver yelled, slamming the brakes, but the massive truck couldn't stop immediately.

Rio flinched, throwing himself to the side of the dirt road just in time. The truck thundered past, narrowly missing him. He landed hard, collapsing on the ground with a grunt. His body ached from the impact, but he was unharmed.

Exhausted and bruised, Rio lay on the ground, staring up at the fiery night sky in defeat. He had been running for what felt like forever, and his endurance was nearly gone.

As the truck passed, dozens of infected chased after it, oblivious to Rio lying in the darkness. He held his breath, knowing that staying low had been the right decision. If he had run for the fence, the infected might have noticed him.

Once the infected had passed, Rio crawled toward the fence near the trees.

A loud crash from the Sumulong Highway, adjacent to the dirt road, echoed through the night. The truck had likely plowed through the heavy traffic, causing a massive collision. Flames from ignited gasoline lit up the darkness, casting eerie shadows.

Shivering at the thought of the crash, Rio crouched behind a tree, hiding from the light. He pulled out his water bottle and drank deeply, quenching his thirst. Feeling slightly rejuvenated, he stowed the bottle back in his backpack and caught his breath.

Despite his exhaustion, Rio pushed himself to his feet, he climbed the mesh fence, dropping down on the other side into the beverage factory's yard. He landed awkwardly, pain shooting through his groin.

"Fuck!" he hissed, wincing and limping away from the fence. Suffering quietly and closing his eyes in pain, he pressed on, determined to survive.

The factory loomed ahead, a potential refuge in the chaos. Rio took a deep breath, steeling himself for the dangers that lay ahead.

The factory grounds were eerily quiet, the distant sounds of chaos a stark contrast to the stillness around him. Rio's mind raced as he tried to formulate a plan. He had escaped the immediate threat, but he knew he wasn't safe yet. He needed to find shelter, rest, and regroup.

As he moved further into the factory grounds, he found an abandoned storage shed. He cautiously approached it, checking for any signs of danger before slipping inside. The shed provided a temporary refuge, a place where he could tend to his injuries and plan his next move.

Rio leaned against the cold metal wall, wincing as he examined the pain in his groin. He had a groin strain but he knew he couldn't afford to be slowed down by injuries, though he also needed to take a moment to recover.

"That hurt," he whispered to himself, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. "Ah, my balls."

As he rested in the shed, Rio's mind wandered back to his mother. Her face, her voice. He drew strength from her memory, using it to push through the pain and fear that threatened to overwhelm him. He would survive this. For her. For himself.

After a few minutes of rest, Rio stood up, the pain in his groin still present but more manageable. He couldn't stay in the shed forever. He needed to move, to find a safer place, to continue his journey to the quarantine zone.

With renewed determination, Rio stepped out of the shed, his eyes scanning the factory grounds for a way forward. The path ahead was uncertain and fraught with danger, but he was ready to face it.