145

After searching the Cathedral for Emma for twenty minutes, you are told by Uncle Lou that your sister is down by the river.

The bank of the river is narrow as rocks and coarse sand make up only a few feet before the rough waters begin. You spot a thin figure sitting on a high rock at the river's edge. As you draw near, the long brown hair and light complexion resemble Emma. The tide crashes against the heavy stone, splashing up water. It would take great strength to swim against the waves. The overhead sun beats down, and you are already sweating from the inescapable heat. The wind blows hard but the warmth it brings does nothing to cool your skin, and the swirling noise it makes almost drowns out the breaking waves. Not much else exists along the coast. Far to the right is a thick bank of rocks. To the left is a high slope leading to a cliff with trees and bushes along its ridge.

Nearing Emma, you pause and reach for your AK-47 instinctively. Something doesn't feel right.

"Rezo! Rezo!" you hear faintly in the distance. You believe it is coming from the cliff to the left.

The figure on the rock turns. Its face is missing part of the lower jaw, the remaining part deviated so the teeth are more sideways than vertical, appearing mandibular. The nose is mashed with the blood long dried and crusted. The figure's skin is yellow, though in most places, it is wrinkled to the point the skin is sloughing and gray. The zombie falls sideways off the rock and stands, arching its back and screeching. Its mouth curls into an O shape and teeth gnash together. She moves quicker than you've seen other zombies move. Long claws swipe the air as she dashes toward you.