Episode 7: Fight or Flee?

The room felt smaller and smaller. Their breaths were short, as if even the air refused to side with them. Nafisah clutched her hands to her chest, feeling her heart racing out of control. Azzam bit his lip, staring at the window that trembled from the pounding of zombies outside. Nizam, though trying to remain calm, couldn't hide the tension in his eyes.

"This is bad... really bad..." Nafisah thought, her gaze fixed on the shadowy figures beyond the window.

Darkness covered the front yard. Only the dim glow of the streetlamp remained, casting eerie silhouettes of the roaming undead. A low growl filled the air, mixing with the desperate screams from nearby houses.

"Do we stay here?" Azzam whispered, his voice hoarse.

"If we stay, they could break in at any moment," Nizam answered quickly.

"But if we go out... we don't know how many of them are out there," Nafisah added, her voice trembling slightly.

Suddenly, another loud thud rang out.

BUGH!

The window shook violently. Small cracks began forming in the glass. Nafisah swallowed hard, feeling fear creeping into her bones.

"Shit, they're gonna get in!" Azzam took a few steps back.

Nizam gritted his teeth. "We don't have a choice. We have to get out before they break through."

"Wait, go where? We can't just run blindly!" Nafisah tried to think clearly, though her mind felt paralyzed.

"We need to find a safer place—maybe a tall building or somewhere we can lock ourselves in," Nizam said, his eyes intense. "Or we can get to the car and drive out of the city."

Azzam exhaled sharply, his hands clenched. "Fine, we try for the car. But what if they've already surrounded it?"

A brief silence followed. Nafisah bit her nails, her eyes darting toward the front door. There was no time for a perfect plan.

From outside, the sound of shuffling footsteps grew louder. Nafisah could see the shadows moving behind the curtains. Their numbers were increasing.

"Damn it, it's like they can smell us..."

Suddenly, a loud scream pierced the air from the house next door. Nafisah flinched. Nizam turned his head sharply toward the source of the noise, his jaw tightening.

"Mr. Darman..." Nafisah stared at their neighbor's house, now illuminated by the light from inside.

Through the partially open window, they saw Mr. Darman, the old man, desperately fighting off the zombie that had broken into his home. He swung his wooden cane with all his strength, striking the creature's head.

DUG!

The zombie staggered but didn't fall. Instead, it grew wilder, grabbing Mr. Darman's shoulder and biting down savagely.

"Oh my God..." Nafisah covered her mouth, eyes wide in horror.

Blood splattered everywhere. Mr. Darman's screams turned into weak groans before his body collapsed to the floor, quickly swarmed by more zombies pouring in.

Azzam turned away, his face tense. "We can't wait any longer."

Nizam took a deep breath. "Okay. We grab what we need and leave through the back door."

Nafisah nodded quickly, though her hands were still shaking. They scattered throughout the house, grabbing essential supplies in silence. Nafisah grabbed her backpack, stuffing in a few bottles of water, a flashlight, and a kitchen knife.

Azzam took a baseball bat he used to play with, while Nizam secured some light food supplies.

"The bags are ready. Let's go," Nafisah whispered.

They moved toward the back door. Nafisah carefully reached for the handle and slowly opened it.

Silence.

She peeked outside. Nothing moved in the backyard. Nafisah let out a relieved sigh.

"The path is clear. Let's go."

They slipped out cautiously, trying not to make a sound. Their breaths were held, their ears on high alert.

But just as they reached the small gate behind the house, a guttural growl suddenly came from the side.

Nafisah's eyes widened.

A zombie—a woman with disheveled hair and a half-mangled face—stood near the tree. Her mouth hung open, blood dripping from her lips. She stared at them with empty eyes before starting to move.

"Shut your mouth and don't panic," Nizam hissed sharply.

Azzam tightened his grip on the baseball bat. Nafisah held her breath, praying the creature wouldn't move faster.

But that hope shattered as the zombie let out a loud snarl—and suddenly, more of them emerged from the darkness.

One... two... three... five...

"They're coming!" Nafisah nearly screamed.

Without hesitation, Nizam grabbed Nafisah's hand and shoved her forward. "Run! Now!"

They sprinted as fast as they could, their breaths ragged. Nafisah felt her lungs burning, but she couldn't stop.

Azzam ran behind them, glancing back occasionally to check on the pursuing zombies.

They finally reached a tall fence that separated their house from the back alley.

"We have to climb it!" Nizam shouted.

Azzam went up first, struggling to pull himself over. Nafisah followed, scraping her hands and knees as she desperately climbed.

Below, the zombies reached for them, growling and clawing at the air.

"Hurry, Nafisah!" Nizam yelled, pushing her up from below.

With one final pull, Nafisah managed to reach the top and jumped over. Her body hit the ground hard, but she had no time to feel the pain.

Nizam followed immediately after, and finally, Azzam dropped down with a heavy thud.

They panted, looking back. The zombies still reached for them, blocked by the fence.

Nafisah turned to her twin brothers. "We can't keep running like this. We need to find shelter."

Nizam nodded. "Let's go. We have to survive."

Without looking back, they ran into the darkness—toward something that might be safer… or even more dangerous.

The night wind blew, carrying the sharp scent of iron. The streets that were once bustling with the sounds of vehicles and chatter were now filled with eerie silence, occasionally broken by distant screams. The streetlights were still on, but their flickering no longer felt comforting; instead, they cast an ominous glow, as if the city stood on the brink of destruction.

Queensha stepped forward slowly, each step feeling heavier than the last. Her eyes scanned her surroundings, taking in the sight of hastily abandoned cars, wide-open doors, and shattered glass littering the sidewalks. She swallowed hard, trying to suppress the fear pounding in her chest.

"What happened to this city? This… this isn't the place we once knew," she thought, biting her lower lip anxiously.

Behind her, Seno and Sagena walked cautiously. Seno tightened his grip on the metal rod he had picked up on the street, his breathing heavy. He wasn't a coward, but the fear was real. Sagena, usually calm, now looked unsettled. Cold sweat trickled down his temple as he glanced back, ensuring they weren't being followed.

"This… isn't just an ordinary disaster," Sagena murmured, his voice barely audible. "Look at these streets. If this were just some riot, people would have taken back control by now. But this…"

Queensha turned to him, waiting for him to continue.

"…This feels like the apocalypse," he finished in a whisper.

Seno scoffed quietly. "Don't say things like that."

"Do you have a better explanation?" Sagena shot back.

Queensha raised her hand, signaling them to be quiet. Her eyes widened as she spotted something in the distance. "Look," she whispered.

Ahead of them, in the dimly lit street, several figures moved sluggishly. Their bodies were hunched, their steps dragging with stiff, unnatural motions. Low groans echoed through the air, breaking the suffocating silence. One of them turned around, revealing a face covered in gaping wounds, hollow eyes, and a mouth smeared with blood.

Queensha held her breath, her entire body tensing.

"Zombies," she whispered, barely audible.

Seno tightened his grip on the metal rod, sweat dripping down his forehead. "I can't believe this," he muttered, his voice shaking. "They're real? This isn't a movie?!"

Sagena let out a slow breath. "Believe it or not, we need to find a way out of here."

Queensha nodded quickly. "We have to move quietly. Don't draw their attention."

They carefully stepped forward, making as little noise as possible. But then—

CRACK!

Seno accidentally stepped on a shard of glass.

Everyone froze.

One of the nearest zombies stopped, its head turning slowly and stiffly. Its hollow eyes locked onto them.

Silence.

Then, the zombie let out a long, guttural moan and started dragging its feet toward them.

Queensha held her breath, her heart pounding. She grabbed Seno's arm, pulling him back. "Don't move suddenly," she whispered.

But the zombie was getting faster. One by one, the others turned, responding to the first one's groan. It was as if something had summoned them.

And then—they all started running.

Seno's eyes widened in horror. "They can run?!"

Queensha tightened her grip. "RUN NOW!"

They sprinted as fast as they could, leaping over debris, dodging the corpses scattered across the street. Their breaths came in ragged gasps, hearts pounding wildly. Behind them, the sound of dragging footsteps mixed with guttural moans grew closer.

Sagena glanced back, his face turning pale. "They're getting faster! We need to find shelter!"

Queensha spotted a small building on the side of the road—an abandoned convenience store. "There!" she shouted.

They dashed inside, the shattered glass crunching beneath their feet. The store was a mess—shelves overturned, products scattered everywhere. As soon as they were in, Seno shoved a heavy shelf against the entrance.

BANG!

The shelf crashed down, blocking the doorway. Queensha panted, pressing her palm against her chest, trying to calm her racing heart.

"God…" Seno collapsed against the wall, breathing heavily.

Sagena peeked through a gap in the barricade, watching the zombies outside. "They're still out there… but it looks like they lost our trail."

Queensha closed her eyes briefly, trying to steady her thoughts. She still couldn't believe it. Their world had changed in an instant.

"What happened to everyone? Why are there zombies? Why is this happening to us?"

Seno approached, his voice calmer now. "We have to stick together. No matter how bad this gets, we need to survive."

Queensha nodded. "But where do we go? We can't stay here forever."

Sagena fell silent for a moment before saying, "We need to find out how far this infection has spread. Maybe there's still a safe place out there."

Suddenly, they heard footsteps inside the store.

They exchanged tense glances.

That wasn't a zombie.

Someone was in there with them.

Queensha swallowed hard. "Who's there?"

No answer.

Seno raised his metal rod, ready to strike if necessary. Sagena gripped a small knife he had found on the floor.

From behind a dark shelf, a shadow moved swiftly.

Their hearts nearly stopped.

And then—

"Don't attack! I'm human!" a girl's voice rang out.

Queensha's eyes widened. A young girl with disheveled hair and a dirt-covered face stood before them. Her eyes were filled with fear.

"Please… get me out of here…" she pleaded, her voice trembling.

Queensha, Seno, and Sagena exchanged uncertain looks.

They had just found another survivor.

But could she really be trusted?