Story 515: Moonlit Ambush

The forest was an endless graveyard of twisted trees and scattered bones, illuminated only by the pale glow of the moon. ZETU had ventured deeper, drawn by reports of unusual zombie behavior in this cursed stretch of land. The air was heavy with mist, muffling every sound except the faint rustle of movement ahead.

"Stay sharp," Captain Marcus Kane whispered, his shotgun gripped tightly. "This doesn’t feel right."

Officer Derek "Shield" Coleman took point, his riot shield raised as a barrier against whatever lay ahead. Behind him, Riley "Quick Shot" Bennett scanned the horizon with her thermal scope, but the dense fog distorted her readings.

“I don’t like this, Cap,” Riley muttered. “Too quiet. No heat signatures, but I can feel them.”

“They’re here,” Detective Lila "Huntress" Navarro said, crouching low and examining the ground. She pointed to fresh tracks in the mud. “They’ve been moving in circles. It’s like they’re herding us.”