-Lich-

------Pura's Perspective----

18 hours had passed since we've rescued the two survivors, Zenith and Ariel. We eventually ended up isolating ourselves at the nearby chapel, which we had earlier discussed, and barricaded the wide ingress'. However, the swarm of zombies throughout the vicinity had caused a ruckus, making the defense slowly deteriorate from the assault we're facing. Sooner or later, the walls of the great church would crumble, leaving us far too vulnerable from the likes of these monsters.

After all, these spare of wooden chunks and other debris aren't quite enough to fend off the massive horde outside; still, we needed to do at least this much to survive.

The whole sanctuary became an attraction of zombies, bumping their fists on the old walls from every direction. We had least expected the terrible fervor of the infected pounding against our sole fortification.

"What are we going to do?" The words kept ringing unto our minds and no answers had emerged during our quandary.

Even so, the destruction had yet to come by and what greeted us next was…inevitable.

Another 2 hours had passed and our line of defense was impenetrable as it seems. But the swaying chandeliers and lamps hanging on the ceiling are the ironies among our frivolous statement.

Ariel, who was too frighten from the collisions, braces towards her mother, who was also trying her best to cope up with the matter. If it wasn't for our sturdy and humorous conduct, the tension could've arisen much more than we could ever handle.

Furthermore, the howls coming from the undead grew tremendously scarier than before, petrifying every living being inside.

"You hear that?" I said. I really wouldn't want to know the answers for myself. Agitated, they gaze unto my eyes and gave a disbelieved nod, hoping that their senses had already deceived them, but once more, the thunderous screech resonated inside the room.

The origin of the noise came from the north at the main entrance. Ironically, the church itself serves as a miniature cemetery welcome for all citizens near its vicinity. It'll be laughable in a sense that these zombies might actually resurrect from the borrowed ground and slowly climb its way towards the surface.

Relieving myself from the trivial thoughts, I hurriedly packed our things and decided to head upstairs, from the safety of the higher rooms, where the bells of the chapel are properly stored.

"Clinton, let's go up-"Right after finishing my sentence, the walls that had been vividly shaking had finally collapsed, producing a narrow hole at the ligneous doorway.

"Crap. Got it, let's go! MOVE IT!" Clinton followed suit, as he rallies everyone from the reality and marches forward at the staircase located in the east sector of the nave. Both the mother and her daughter had finally snapped back to their senses and managed to stick themselves from the long flight of stairs.

A loud crash had entered the scene and dozens of pebble came rolling inside out from the emergence of the unknown. A bulky figure stood tall for around 15 feet, much similar from the height of the lamp posts scattered throughout the open streets. Its limbs were distinct, and the overall compound which used to be the skin of a man had been shredded apart, decayed, and most likely withered. Its overall mass had also been entangled by some sort of wilted vine sprouting at various places from its body. The entity itself could also be distinguished as a lich; and that's what we'll call him from now on.

"A lich" I stated, as I held my mouth from falling off from the grotesque aura propelled by the ghoul itself.

The lich, unlike any other zombies that we've encountered, had its own company of infected standing to its side-- your regular zombies. Fortunately enough, the lich didn't have any weapons attached to its appendages. Nevertheless, we're still far too inferior from the devil in front; even if we did had any sort of weapons, such as firearms and enhanced armaments, we pose no threat from the eyes of the predator himself. Planning our escape will be the act of the wise, similar to the animals in the wild.

As soon as the Lich had stepped on the stage, his minions followed suit, glaring on to our petty state, shuffling like rats. Without a hint of humanity left inside, the humanoid monster laid out its mouth that had nearly hit the floor, and horrifyingly screeched to its heart's content. The insides of its oral cavity are voided with its natural flesh apart from our humankind. Moreover, the stench passively released from its hideous breath had soon poisoned the painted walls and wooden seats around its locale, making himself deadlier as it seems.

"Shit"

"Language, Clinton."

Clinton couldn't help but curse the image in front, as he clicks his tongue out in dismay. How can we even escape such a thing? -- All of us had had to ask the same question.

We steadily climb the stairs which were around a hundred feet tall. It was akin from a mall, and the crowd charging from behind would be the faithful customers rushing in to buy their favourite clothes or products at a discounted price! And us? We were the store's employees traveling our way from the storage room upstairs. Oh, how I wish it was all that there is to it, but sadly it wasn't; their vicious zombies for Pete's sake.

"Whatever you do, don't look down!" Clinton states. He then charges in straight for the door at the apex of the endless stairway. The door had a peculiar design, similar to the old Spanish era, which suits the whole atmosphere for the chapel itself.

"Hey, Clint! We're not great climbers, you know!" Defying his orders, I turned around and saw countless of zombies piling from downstairs, seemingly rushing, stumbling even, for their own hastily approach. At least there were no signs of the big bad wolf tailing from behind. I hope he just stood there like some sort of statue, idiotically waiting for us to come down. Right, let's go with that.

Arriving at my senses, I push the two females forward and took out my great weapon (pan) as I positioned myself defensively from the breech.

"Go go go go!" I hurriedly exclaimed, whilst swinging my pan towards the nearing zombies rushing on our rear. Some of the infected had been experiencing difficulties from the trail of stairs, which lead them to slide back down, tumbling throughout the process. Their mistakes allowed us to venture forward, eventually reaching for the wooden door above.

Clinton slams the door shut and hurriedly threw out his body on the rough surface of the door, against the alarming force of the rabid zombies from the other side. After some time, the infected had finally reached our location and started banging once more from the wooden door.

"You guys go ahead," He said. His body alone wasn't enough to hold the great amount of power held by the pushing zombies. Despite knowing his stance, he still decided to wishfully sacrifice himself to look good…I mean, for the greater good.

"Nobody's dying tonight! MOVE IT!" I scolded Clinton to budge his body away from the front door. With the help of Zenith and Ariel, we push out the large cabinet which greatly enhanced our cover from the worn outdoor. Heaving a sigh, Clinton wipes out his sweat and sits on the ground gasping for air.

"Hey, big boy. We need to reinforce the barricades once more" I lightly tapped his shoulders and pulled him from his seat.

We continued placing the various amount of chairs and such against the rustling door. After all, we do not how long that blockade would last.

"Now what?" I asked. Our options had already been exhausted; and the only choice left was to…

"Let's head for the roof" Clinton exclaims, as we both stared on the window which leads straight towards the concrete dome towering across the chime. The bell, by the way, was nowhere near our location and was still yards above from a different tower. Probably, this room is reserved for priests and bishops maintaining the religious aspect of the community. There were even mattresses and clothes left hanging on the closet, which was earlier used as a holy shield from the entrance door.

Clinton hops out from the window and landed on the sliding surface of the roof.

"How is it? I asked while holding the hands of Ariel who's still traumatised from the chase.

"It's dark. Zombies on the ground. Couldn't be any better." Clinton replied and soon invited us over towards outside.

"We'll wait here until Fleur arrives," He said, as he carefully grabs Ariel's hand, followed by Zenith, who was still constantly shivering since the dawn of the apocalypse. It was finally my turn to hop outside when suddenly

The barricaded door had soon erupted. Their decaying hands desperately reach inwards, grabbing unto various debris that was constantly cast away by their brutal force. Emerald vines could also be seen crawling on the floor, impaling the wooden planks and such, allowing themselves to grasp upon the large obstacles blocking their path.

"Clint!"

"Got it!"

I quickly dashed myself towards the window, but the vines, which was spiraling everywhere, had latched itself tightly enough to immobilise my right leg completely on the floor. My right foot was stuck and deeply wounded from the sharp edges of the thorns.

I then twisted my body and manage to detach my leg from the clenches of the decaying vines and vigorously ran once again towards the casement, towards the lying arms of Clinton.

He took my hand and pulls me out away from the danger, and carefully lays me down and flashes me with a worried smile.

"Wait, stay back!" I needed to be sure that the site that was grazed by the bine was properly checked-- and free from the infectious substance carried by the infected.

It was a blessing in disguise that the plant itself wasn't coated by their weird poisonous slime. The gash itself must've been their mutative properties of being 'one of them'; able to control those greyish vines under their will.

"How're your wounds?" Clinton asks, as he pulls out a handkerchief right from his pocket and thoroughly wrapped it on the fresh wound.

"It stings…but it ain't anything like that" I slowly raise my arm and pointed at the 15 feet giant who was grabbing unto the verge of the brick roof. The hands which were supposed to be the fingernails are coated with obsidian lumps of hardened and rotten flesh. The bricks which it had clawed upon had steadily fallen flat on its disruptive face, but the impact from the fall had not scratched the monster and felt nothing out of it, as it continued climbing upwards at an unwavering pace.

"Run. RUN!" Clinton screamed, as he pushes everyone unto their feet and abruptly tells us to run—as far away as possible from the likes of the lich.

As we slid down towards the end of the roof, grabbing to the pillars laid at the tip, the zombies on the ground began roaring endlessly, like sharks waiting for its prey. They were hopelessly reaching towards the ends of the roof, hoping to latch one of us who would be strayed further behind.

The huge claws found its way to me, as it firmly seizes my waist nearly crushing my bones and muscles apart; squeezing my insides similarly like a snake.

"LET HER GO!" Clinton yelled and rushes straight after me, hoping to land a clean hit towards the grappling claw of the monstrous Lich.

My consciousness began fading away, and the last thing that I could remember was…the face of the undying Lich glaring at my lifeless body.