Chapter11: Bob is here

The terror of the night finally passed, and the dawn's first light slowly spread across the horizon. The sun rose once again, casting a warm glow over the land, bringing a sense of peace and joy that the darkness could never provide.

The group cautiously peeked out, scanning the surroundings. Sure enough, the group of pale-faced zombies had vanished. They quickly packed up their things, deciding to abandon David's car and continue on foot. Looking ahead toward Bob's building, there were no signs of zombies in sight—at least, none in their immediate view.

"Bob feels like the kind of person I've always imagined—like a warrior, with incredible strength and unmatched intelligence!" Jack said, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Tom, however, wasn't as optimistic. He glanced at May and muttered, "I just have this feeling that things aren't that simple. The more we venture out, the more we uncover suspicious things. But the truth… it's still elusive. If we're really just pets in God's fish tank, everything we're doing now seems utterly pointless."

Lily smiled gently and reassured him, "Since we're here, let's just take things as they come. No need to overthink it."

Jack patted Tom on the shoulder and said, "Exactly. If the world is really like you say, then we might as well treat it like a game. The only unfortunate part is that we only have one life."

They had just reached the entrance when suddenly, several zombies appeared from behind the building, charging straight at them.

"Bob!" Jack shouted. "We're here to save you!"

As they ran, they shouted, with Tom trying to move the large rocks blocking the building's door, but there wasn't enough time. The zombies were closing in fast.

"Hey, looks like we've got a bunch of kids here!" Bob's voice suddenly came from behind the fence, chuckling. "You guys sure showed up at the right time!"

"Buddy! There are like seven or eight zombies here! I feel like if we don't save you, we're done for!" May shouted, mimicking the typical banter between guys.

"Haha, no kidding! I've got a few handguns here! Take them!" Bob tossed several guns out the window.

"Handguns?" Jack's eyes widened. "Are you serious? You actually have handguns!"

"Not really," Bob grinned mischievously. "But they work! They're as good as real ones!"

"Well, if that's the case, then they're real guns!" Jack laughed, light-heartedly.

But by the time they got to the guns, they had already missed them. The group sprinted around the building, moving as fast as they could. Just as one of the zombies was about to grab Lily, Jack leapt forward, grabbing a handgun mid-air and instantly pulling the trigger. The closest zombie collapsed with a shot to the head. The others were quickly dealt with as the remaining members of the group grabbed the other guns and finished off the zombies in rapid succession, the sound of gunfire and the growls of the undead filling the air. The stench of blood lingered around them.

"Quick, help move those rocks!" Jack gasped, still catching his breath. Everyone rushed to clear the debris from the doorway. Bob stood by, rubbing his hands together in excitement, clearly enjoying the moment, though he kept a sharp eye on the surroundings.

After a hard-fought struggle, they finally cleared the rocks blocking the door. Bob came out, looking both surprised and grateful. "I can't believe you guys are students!" He took the snack Jack offered him with a big smile. "This feels like a dream. I can't thank you enough for coming to save me!"

Tom took a good look at Bob, and for a moment, he thought Bob resembled Jack—a more muscular, louder version, like a camera zooming in on the details.

Jack stared in shock, almost feeling like he had stepped into another world.

"You guys look kind of alike," May joked from the side.

Just as the group laughed, another zombie suddenly lunged at them. Without missing a beat, Bob reached out, using his powerful arm to push the group inside the building and slammed the door shut with a heavy thud as the zombie crashed into it. Bob seemed completely unfazed, turning back to the group with a casual smile. "So, any other news? Anything you need help with?"