Chapter 6

Daniel, on the brink of giving up, was suddenly flooded with memories of the cherished moments he had shared with his family. These recollections ignited a newfound determination and courage within him, prompting him to grasp the doorknob firmly. With resolve, he used his body to slam into the door, heedless of the deceased couple behind him, regardless of whether they were undead or not.

At last, the door emitted a creaking sound as it swung open. The sight filled Daniel with a radiant smile, and he continued to exert his strength until the door stood fully ajar. His joyful expression slowly morphed into one of profound sadness as he ventured forward.

On the opposite side of the building, the path to the staircase lay in ruins. Daniel gazed down at the street below, his heart gripped by fear. Frozen in place between the open door and his last hope of escape, he was spellbound. Suddenly, the floor beneath one of his legs began to fracture, jolting Daniel into action. He reached out, securing his hands on either side of the door frame to regain his balance. The section of floor he had previously stood on gave way, sending stones crashing to the ground below with a resounding thud.

With a sigh of relief, Daniel muttered, "Phew, that was a close call. I was one step away from certain death. How can I leave this building infested with zombies?"

A thunderous cacophony of approaching footsteps echoed in Daniel's ears, as if a multitude of people were hurtling toward him at breakneck speed. He spun around to confront the source and was met with the horrifying sight of an undead horde. It appeared that the noise from the collapsing wall had drawn them in.

Overwhelmed by the ghastly spectacle, Daniel lost his footing and began to fall. Swiftly, he grasped onto the floor he had been standing on, his legs dangling in mid-air. As the advancing zombies drew nearer, he assessed his surroundings and spotted a precarious ledge on the floor below. It was a perilous gamble, but it was either that or succumbing to the ravenous undead.

Taking a deep breath, Daniel gingerly shifted his weight, extending one leg to reach the lower floor. His gaze dropped to evaluate if it was safe to release his hands and make the perilous descent.

In his attempt to secure a foothold on the lower floor, Daniel's grip faltered, and he began to plummet. The prospect of a gruesome demise loomed as he hurtled toward the ground below, the thought of his head splintering on impact sending shivers down his spine. Yet, in the nick of time, he regained his footing by scraping his hands against the walls, earning himself painful wounds that he scarcely noticed. Fearful of dying with regrets, he spotted an iron projection jutting from one of the walls, seizing it in a desperate bid for salvation.

As he stood on the precipice of the second floor, contemplating a treacherous leap, the fear of losing his footing and plummeting to certain death gnawed at him. Thoughts of his wife and daughter, left alone in this perilous world, compelled him to overcome his doubts. Determination coursed through his veins, and he resolved to take the leap towards the other side of the hospital floor.

Summoning all his courage, Daniel muttered to himself, "I will either perish or survive, but I choose to live." With those words, he leaped into the void, screaming "ahhhhhhh."

His outstretched hands grasped for purchase on the second-floor surface as he drew closer, but they fell short, and he continued his descent, his curses echoing through the empty air as he plummeted toward his doom.

—---

Daniel's harrowing descent continued unabated. Amidst the darkness and chaos, one of his legs collided with an iron protrusion jutting from a nearby wall. The impact served as an unexpected catalyst, altering the course of his fall. Reacting instinctively, he grasped the rough surface of the wall with both hands, willing himself to endure the searing pain that coursed through his battered body.

Seconds felt like an eternity as he clung desperately to the wall, struggling to regain his bearings. Each ache and bruise became secondary to the overwhelming determination to survive.

Finally, the relentless downward motion came to an abrupt halt, his hands tightly gripping the wall. Daniel let out a trembling breath, relief washing over him momentarily. Yet, the respite proved fleeting as the section of the wall he clung to gave way, propelling him back into peril's grasp.

Time seemed to stretch into an agonizing crawl as Daniel muttered under his breath, "I suppose this is what happens when you're on the brink of your own demise."

With eyes tightly shut, he prepared for the inevitable impact, bracing for the finality of it all. But to his astonishment, the world around him shifted, and he found himself still alive and breathing, sprawled on the ground beneath him.

"I'm alive," Daniel gasped, each breath punctuated by palpable disbelief. His trembling hand reached up to touch his own face, as if to confirm the reality of his existence.

Casting his gaze upward at the remnants of the wall, now tantalizingly closer to his landing spot, Daniel couldn't suppress a disbelieving laugh. "I really survived," he declared, a mix of incredulity and joy in his voice, as he grappled with the staggering truth that he had defied death once more.