It's Here

The alley closed in on us like a tightening noose, the walls looming on either side, slick with grime and debris. I could hear the creature's guttural growl behind us, growing louder, closer, its footsteps thundering through the empty streets. Every muscle in my body screamed for me to stop, but I couldn't—none of us could. Stopping meant death.

"We can't keep going like this!" Lylia gasped, clutching her side as she stumbled over a pile of broken bricks.

Apollo was right behind her, his hand gripping her arm, keeping her from falling. "There's no other option—just keep running!"

Ahead of me, Zeke darted through the shadows, his breath coming in harsh gasps as he clutched his tablet to his chest like a lifeline. He was fast—faster than I expected—but even he couldn't outrun the thing chasing us. I could feel it, its presence bearing down on us, every step rattling the ground beneath my feet. It wasn't just large—it was unstoppable.

The infected were everywhere, creeping out from the darkness, their eyes glowing in the dim light. They didn't seem to care about us, not at first. They were drawn to the noise, the crashing footsteps of the creature, but as soon as they saw us, their twisted, bloodshot eyes locked onto us, and they charged.

A smaller infected, its body twisted and hunched, leapt from the shadows, its teeth bared as it lunged toward me. I barely had time to react before it was on me, knocking me to the ground. Its hands, cold and sticky with blood, clawed at my face, and its mouth snapped inches from my throat. The stench of rot filled my nostrils, and I gagged, struggling beneath its weight.

"Liberty!" Apollo's voice cut through the chaos, and in a heartbeat, he was there, slamming the butt of his rifle into the infected's head. The creature let out a wet, choking sound and collapsed, its body twitching violently before it went still.

I gasped, shoving its corpse off me, my hands shaking. Apollo pulled me to my feet, his face pale, his eyes wide with panic. "We need to go!"

But it was too late.

The massive infected, the mutated one that had been chasing us, lumbered into view at the mouth of the alley. Its hulking frame filled the narrow passageway, its arms scraping against the walls as it moved. It let out a low, rumbling growl, its eyes locked onto us with a terrifying intensity. There was no mistaking its intent—it wasn't just chasing us. It was hunting us.

And we were trapped.

"There's no way out," Lylia whispered, her voice trembling. She backed away, her eyes wide with fear, as the creature advanced. "What do we do?"

Zeke, still clutching his tablet, glanced around frantically. "There has to be another way out. We can't stay here—"

"There is no other way!" I shouted, the panic rising in my chest like a tidal wave. The walls of the alley were too high to climb, the infected blocking our escape route. The creature's growls grew louder, more guttural, as it picked up speed.

Apollo raised his rifle again, his jaw clenched. "I'll slow it down. You three, get out of here."

"No!" I shouted, stepping in front of him. "We're not splitting up. We either all make it out or none of us do."

"Liberty, there's no time!" Apollo's voice cracked, his hand tightening on the rifle. "You need to go—now!"

But I couldn't leave him. Not again. The memory of my mother flashed through my mind—how I had lost her, how I hadn't been able to save her. I couldn't lose Apollo too. I wouldn't.

The creature roared, its massive frame closing the distance between us in a matter of seconds. It reached out, its grotesque, oversized hand sweeping across the alley, smashing into the side of a building with a deafening crash. Bricks and debris rained down around us, and I ducked, barely avoiding the rubble as it fell.

"We have to move!" Lylia screamed, her voice shrill with panic.

I glanced around wildly, my heart racing. There had to be a way out—somewhere, anywhere—but the walls of the alley closed in on us, leaving no escape. The only way out was forward—toward the creature.

My breath caught in my throat as I looked up at the thing. It was massive, its skin mottled and stretched tight over its bulging muscles, its face twisted into a permanent snarl. But what terrified me most were its eyes—wide, bloodshot, but with a glimmer of something else. Intelligence. This thing wasn't just an animal. It was thinking. It knew what it was doing.

And it wanted us dead.

"We go together," I said, my voice shaking but firm. I reached for Apollo's hand, squeezing it tightly. "We go together."

Apollo nodded, his eyes locking with mine. "Together."

Zeke was already moving, his fingers flying across the screen of his tablet, searching for a way out. "There's an old maintenance hatch at the end of the alley," he shouted, his voice strained. "It's not far, but we need to make a run for it."

The creature let out another roar, its hand swiping at the air as it advanced. The ground shook beneath its footsteps, the walls of the alley trembling with the force of its movements.

"We'll never make it," Lylia whispered, her eyes wide with fear.

"We have to try," I said, grabbing her arm and pulling her forward. "Run!"

We sprinted toward the end of the alley, the creature's roars echoing behind us. The air was thick with dust and the stench of rot, but I didn't dare look back. I could hear the infected closing in, their snarls growing louder, but all I could focus on was the maintenance hatch at the end of the alley. It was our only chance.

Zeke reached the hatch first, dropping to his knees and frantically working to pry it open. "Come on, come on!" he muttered under his breath, his hands trembling as he yanked at the rusted metal. The creature was only feet behind us now, its massive body filling the alley, its growls vibrating through the air.

Apollo fired another shot, the bullet slamming into the creature's shoulder, but it barely flinched. Its eyes were locked on us, its massive hands reaching out. It was too close. We wouldn't make it.

Then, with a loud creak, the hatch popped open.

"Go!" Zeke shouted, diving through the opening.

Lylia followed, her breath coming in panicked gasps as she disappeared into the darkness. I grabbed Apollo's hand, pulling him toward the hatch, but before we could reach it, the creature lunged. Its hand slammed into the ground beside us, sending a shockwave of debris and dust into the air.

"Apollo!" I screamed, pulling him harder. We tumbled through the hatch, the metal scraping against my skin as I fell into the darkness below. The creature roared in frustration, its massive hand swiping at the opening, but it was too large to follow.

We hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the wind out of me. My vision blurred as I gasped for air, my chest heaving, but we were alive. We had made it.

Zeke and Lylia stood nearby, their faces pale and drawn, but relief flooded their expressions as they realized we were safe—at least for now.

The creature's roars echoed through the tunnel, its massive hands pounding against the walls above us, but it couldn't reach us. Not here. Not yet.

I lay there for a moment, my heart still racing, the sound of the creature's rage filling the air. We had escaped, but I knew it wasn't over. The truth was out, but the danger hadn't passed. Not by a long shot.

And as I looked around at the faces of my friends—Zeke, Lylia, Apollo—I realized that we were in this together. Whatever came next, whatever horrors awaited us, we would face them. Together.