Brian walked into his parents' room and opened the closet. Sure enough, there was a black box inside. He wasn't particularly surprised, though. He had found it just a few days after he arrived in this world. Every guy has fantasized about holding a real gun, especially someone like him who had never even touched one. So, whenever he had free time after school, he'd search online for videos on how to use firearms.
He easily assembled the handgun, knowing that with the current infection outbreak and the fact that American citizens can legally own guns, he'd probably need it sooner rather than later. He walked back to his room, where the TV was on. The screen was now filled with news reports.
A female news anchor was standing outside a barricade, with houses burning fiercely behind her. "What we initially reported as a riot now seems to be related to the nationwide epidemic. We're receiving reports that infected patients are showing increasingly violent tendencies..." she said.
But before she could continue, a SWAT officer ran up behind her and shouted to three other officers inside the barricade, "Get everyone out of here—there's a gas leak!"
The anchor quickly turned to the camera to report the new information. But as soon as she started speaking, the SWAT officer turned back, pointed at the camera, and ran toward her, yelling, "Ma'am, get out of there now!"
"Boom!" Just as he finished speaking, the houses behind him exploded in a blinding flash. The TV screen went black, replaced by static. At the same moment, a deafening explosion rocked the night outside Brian's window, illuminating the darkness with a burst of red flame.
"Whoa, holy crap!" Brian cursed in shock. Everything that had just happened felt eerily familiar, like something straight out of a doomsday movie or video game. He knew he was in some kind of messed-up world.
"No way this is happening," he muttered. Without wasting any more time, he grabbed a backpack from the closet and rushed downstairs. Outside, dogs were barking frantically, and police cars were speeding by, their sirens blaring. It was clear that chaos was about to erupt.
Ignoring the commotion outside, Brian quickly went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. He found some canned food and vegetables and stuffed them into his backpack. Then he ran to the storage room, where a display case on the wall held a dagger—one of his stepfather's expensive collectibles. Brian grabbed an ashtray from the table, smashed the glass, and took out the dagger. In a world gone mad, food and a weapon were the most important things.
"Woof!" The barking outside suddenly stopped, replaced by a blood-curdling howl. Brian's attention was immediately drawn to the sound. He could tell it was coming from Sarah's house.
"It's Sarah's place!" Brian didn't waste any more time. He slung the backpack over his shoulder, grabbed a flashlight with his left hand, and held the handgun in his right. He slid open the patio door and rushed out into the night.
He hadn't known Sarah for long, but he felt he had to warn her. "Cooper, stop right there!" he shouted as he heard a thud from Sarah's backyard. Something had clearly gone wrong over there.
Brian kicked off his shoes, stepped on the flower bed, and easily climbed over the low fence. But as soon as he landed, he was stunned by the sight before him. Two broken planks in the fence revealed a horrifying scene: Cooper, Sarah's neighbor, was on top of Joel, his eyes bloodshot and his mouth wide open as if he was about to bite into Joel.
Joel, pinned beneath Cooper, had grabbed his neck. He had been utterly terrified, but Brian's arrival gave him a glimmer of hope. Joel pushed Cooper off with all his strength and shouted at Brian, who was still standing there in shock, "He's gone crazy! What are you waiting for? Help me get him off!"
"Oh... right..." Brian snapped out of his daze. He had a gun and a dagger, but he had no experience with killing. He picked up a nearby flowerpot and smashed it over Cooper's head.
Clang! The pot shattered, and Cooper's attack was momentarily halted. He clutched his head in agony. Joel seized the opportunity, grabbed a crowbar that had fallen nearby, and swung it upward, knocking Cooper to the ground. He then stood up, stepped on Cooper's chest, and started pounding his head with the crowbar—once, twice, three times...
Blood splattered across Joel's face and clothes. He kept hitting until Cooper, the infected man, stopped struggling. Only then did Joel stop, lowering the crowbar and staring at the lifeless body in disbelief, unable to accept that he had just done that.
Brian, witnessing the brutality, felt his stomach churn. He had seen plenty of similar scenes in movies and video games, but this was different. He couldn't take it anymore and ran to a corner, retching violently.
Ah—!
Just as Brian was vomiting and Joel was still in shock, another horrifying scene unfolded. A grotesque head appeared through the broken fence, its owner screaming and trying to force its way into the yard to attack them. But a protruding splinter of wood was lodged in its waist, preventing it from getting through.
"Jimmy?" Both Brian and Joel recognized the intruder. It was Jimmy, who lived with Cooper.
"Get inside, now!" Joel snapped out of his daze first. He shouted at Brian, who was still in the corner, and then ran toward his house.
Seeing Joel run inside, Brian didn't hesitate. He followed closely and stepped into the house.
"Dad?" Sarah's voice called out from inside. She looked at them with a bewildered expression.
Once everyone was inside, Joel quickly shut the glass door and strode over to a drawer by the door, where he kept his handgun. As he assembled it, he shouted at Brian, "Take Sarah to the back. Stay away from the front door."
"Dad, what's going on? You're scaring me," Sarah said, her voice trembling as she had never seen her father so anxious.
"Sarah, we need to leave. I'll explain later," Brian said, trying to reassure her. He knew they couldn't stay here any longer, especially with Jimmy still stuck outside the fence.
He walked over to Sarah and started leading her toward the front door. But just as they were about to leave, the sliding door and the front door were both hit with violent force.
The sight of Jimmy trying to break through the sliding door was expected, but the unexpected pounding on the front door caught them all off guard. Being attacked from both sides was a terrifying experience.
Joel had his gun aimed at Jimmy through the sliding door, and Brian took a deep breath, standing in front of Sarah and pointing his gun at the front door. He had to protect her. "Stay calm! Stay calm!" he muttered to himself, trying to steady his trembling hands. He knew that in this kind of disaster, courage and bravery were essential for survival.
"Ah!" The inevitable happened. With a crash of shattering glass, the front door was kicked open. An infected person, eyes bloodshot, entered the room with a piercing scream and lunged at them.
As the infected's terrifying face drew closer, Brian felt a strange surge of energy coursing through him. His pupils contracted sharply, and he suddenly regained control of his body. He raised his gun, aimed at the infected's head, and roared, "Die!"
Bang!