Story 901: The First Bite (Series HS: ZE10)

The wind howled through the skeletal remains of trees, carrying with it the stench of rotting flesh. Draven Cross tightened his grip on the rusted machete, his breath visible in the cold, damp air. The world had ended long ago, but its horrors refused to die.

A dim light flickered in the distance—a lone cabin on the edge of the woods. It was surrounded by motionless corpses, their bodies twisted in unnatural angles. He hesitated. Nothing ever came without a cost in this world, and that cabin screamed a price he wasn’t sure he was willing to pay.

But he had no choice.

Steeling himself, Draven stepped over a mound of tangled limbs and sunken faces. He nudged a corpse with his boot, watching for any sign of movement. The undead weren’t always predictable. Some rose at the slightest disturbance, others waited—silent, patient, hungry.

A muffled sob came from within the cabin.