Chapter Two
"We need to go. Now," Risa said, stepping toward the woman and her children.
The children had their faces buried against the woman, eyes squeezed shut, their small bodies trembling. They were clearly terrified by what had happened.
The woman, however, sat frozen, her wide blue eyes locked onto the bodies, struggling to process the violence she had just witnessed.
"Where did you get that gun?" the woman finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"That's not important right now," Risa replied firmly. "We need to get far from here. Someone might have heard the shots. We have to find somewhere safer."
She crouched in front of the children, softening her expression. "Let me carry them so we can move faster."
The kids peeked at her, still fearful.
Risa offered them a small, reassuring smile. "It's okay. We're going somewhere safe. Just close your eyes for now, alright?"
She didn't want them to see the bodies behind her. That kind of sight wasn't good for their young minds.
She glanced back up at the white-haired woman. The shock in her eyes shifted into something more serious before she gave a small nod. She gently nudged the children, silently telling them it was okay.
Hesitantly, the girls moved toward Risa. She lifted them effortlessly, holding one in each arm. Their small arms wrapped around her neck, their faces burying into her shoulder as if trying to block out the world.
Risa began to think about where she was. She didn't have anything on her to call for help or backup. She assumed it was the same for the woman; if she had a phone, she would have called the cops already.
"System loading," a mechanical voice echoed, making Risa flinch slightly.
"Did you hear that?" she asked the white-haired woman.
"Hear what? Did you hear more footsteps? Do you think there are more of them following us?" the white-haired woman replied, fear clear in her voice.
"No. It's—never mind," Risa said, deciding to ignore what she heard. She must have imagined it.
"So, where is Douglas's base?" Risa asked, changing the subject and trying to figure out where their pursuers were coming from.
The white-haired woman abruptly halted, turning to Risa. Her expression shifted from fear to shock, then disbelief.
"Why?" Her voice was tight, almost accusatory. "Are you planning to send us back to him?"
Risa furrowed her brows. "What? No. Why would I—" She exhaled sharply, realizing how it must have sounded. "Look, I just need to know which direction we shouldn't go. The last thing we need is to accidentally walk straight into his hands."
The woman still looked hesitant, her gaze flickering between the children and Risa. Risa could see the tension in her posture, as if she were bracing for the worst.
Risa softened her tone. "I don't know what kind of people you've dealt with before, but I'm not handing you over to anyone." She locked eyes with the woman. "I just got you out of that situation. I'm not about to throw you back into it."
The woman studied her for a long moment before letting out a slow exhale. "West," she murmured. "His main camp is west of here. I don't know how many men he has under him, but they're all armed."
Risa gave a brief nod, absorbing the information. "Then we head east."
They set off through the forested area, moving quietly but steadily. Risa was unfamiliar with the terrain, but they kept going, determined to reach somewhere safe.
After hours of trekking through the dense forest, exhaustion settled deep into Risa's bones. The children were barely awake in the woman's arms, their small bodies limp with fatigue. Beside her, the white-haired woman stumbled, her steps growing unsteady.
The forest remained shrouded in darkness, but faint light pierced through the leaves. In the distance, the horizon began to brighten with the first hints of dawn, pale orange and pink spreading against the lingering shadows.
Through the trees, they spotted a cabin.
Risa stopped and scanned the area. There was no movement, and the only sounds were the distant calls of animals in the night.
"This might be safe," she said, adjusting her grip on the kids.
"I'll check it first. Stay here." She gently set the children down, giving their heads a reassuring pat.
She stepped onto the porch, the old wood groaning beneath her weight. The cabin looked abandoned and its door slightly ajar. Gently, she pushed it open and stepped inside.
The interior was dark, with shadows clinging to every corner, but Risa could still see the layout clearly. A stone fireplace stood cold and untouched against one wall. A worn-out couch sagged in the center of the living room, and nearby, a wooden table sat surrounded by a few mismatched chairs, positioned beside a modest kitchen. She hoped there might still be some food left behind.
Her gaze moved through the rest of the cabin. One door was slightly open, which she guessed led to a bedroom. Another stood wide open, revealing the back of the cabin, while the last remained shut, most likely the bathroom.
Suddenly, a loud thud echoed from the direction of the bedroom.
Risa froze. She wasn't alone.
"Hello? Anyone there?" she called out, keeping her voice calm. If someone was inside, maybe they could help.
"We've run into some trouble, and it would be nice if we could get your help contacting the authorities."
Keeping her steps light, she moved forward, pressing herself against the wall beside the bedroom door.
She took a slow breath, then cautiously peeked inside.
On the floor sat a man, hunched over in the dimly lit room. He wore a camping jacket and worn-out jeans, his entire body smeared with dirt and blood.
But that was not the strangest part.
It was his face. His skin was peeling away in patches, revealing rotting flesh beneath. His lips were cracked, his cheeks sunken, and his eyes clouded and lifeless.
'A zombie?'
Risa started to doubt if any of this was real. Was she being pranked? That might explain why she had woken up in an abandoned barn. Maybe it was all part of some elaborate setup, like one of those hidden camera shows.
But she was certain she had killed those three men in the barn. If this was a prank, someone should have stopped her before it went that far.
Wait, had they tampered with her gun? She quickly pulled it out and checked.
It was real. It was still her gun.
"What the fuck is happening?" Risa muttered to herself.
Sensing Risa, the zombified man let out a low, wet gurgle and twitched. His head jerked unnaturally, and the decayed figure's movements were erratic and jerky. His cloudy eyes locked onto hers, and with a wet, rattling breath, he took a staggering step forward.
Risa instinctively raised her gun in defense, but the zombie suddenly lunged at her in a swift, unexpected attack. She immediately ducked to avoid the strike.
Standing on guard, Risa raised her gun and aimed at the zombie again. She didn't give it a chance to lunge at her this time.
She pulled the trigger, and the bullet struck the zombie in the forehead. It stood still for a moment before collapsing to the floor.
"What the hell… is this real?" Risa's mind raced as she struggled to make sense of the situation.
She froze when another shuffle echoed through the room, this time coming from the back door of the cabin.
It was a woman, or at least what was left of one.
She wore weathered camping gear, including a torn jacket and hiking pants streaked with dirt. Her arms hung limp at her sides, and her head twitched with unnatural jerks. Her red-rimmed eyes were locked onto Risa, and her mouth hung slightly open, lips cracked and dry.
Risa tightened her grip on the gun and took aim at the zombie woman.
Then, without warning, the woman lunged at her.
Risa barely dodged in time as the creature crashed into the spot where she had just been standing. This one was much faster than the zombie she had encountered earlier.
She raised her gun to aim at the woman, but the zombified figure attacked again before she could pull the trigger. Risa tried to dodge, but the creature was quicker and managed to grab her.
The zombie let out a guttural snarl, a raw and animalistic sound. Its cloudy, bloodshot eyes locked onto Risa as its mouth snapped at her, trying to sink its teeth into her.
Risa struggled to push the zombie away, doing her best to avoid its snapping jaws. She had seen enough zombie media to know that a bite meant the end.
Gritting her teeth, she gathered every ounce of her strength. With a scream, she shoved the creature hard enough to send it stumbling back, temporarily off balance.
The zombie lunged at her again, trying to bite her. But Risa had already raised her gun. She fired, and the bullet slammed into the zombie's chest, sending it back a few steps.
The zombie recovered quickly, but she didn't give it another chance. Risa fired a second time, hitting it in the head. The zombie dropped to the ground, motionless, its body crumpling like a ragdoll.
"What the fuck," Risa muttered, taking a deep breath to steady herself.
"That was too real," she added, staring at the two unmoving bodies she had just taken down.
She was now certain this wasn't some elaborate prank. Still, she had no idea what was going on or what she had just gotten herself into.
Deciding to check the area for more of those zombie-like creatures, Risa turned her attention to the cabin. It was too small to risk leaving any surprises lurking inside, and she wasn't about to let another one jump at her, trying to take a bite.
Readying her gun, Risa moved carefully through each room. After confirming the place was clear, she exhaled and lowered the gun. Now, she had to deal with the bodies.
She grabbed the first corpse and dragged it across the wooden floor, her muscles straining as she hauled it toward the door. The stench of decayed flesh was overwhelming. The second body was lighter, but moving her was just as unpleasant.
Risa made sure to drag both zombies far enough from the cabin.
When she was finished, Risa walked back to where the white-haired woman stood, clutching the children. Their small hands gripped her jacket tightly.
Risa met the woman's uncertain gaze and gave a nod. "It's safe now."
The woman hesitated for a moment, then finally stepped forward, leading the children inside.
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Author's Note:
Hello! This is the updated version of the story. Thanks for your patience!