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"Help, Jack…" Teri struggled on the cracked, uneven ground, her hands clawing at the dirt as she tried to lift herself. Panic and desperation marked every movement.
"Roar…" The earth itself seemed to shudder. Cracks formed along the ground, and more zombies erupted from the soil, their decayed hands clawing outward as if the earth had betrayed them. The air was thick with the stench of rot and damp earth, carrying the unmistakable, sickly odor of decay.
Jack had already reached her side. He planted his foot firmly and struck outward with brutal precision, sending a massive zombie flying backward, its skull exploding under the force.
"Jack…" Teri clutched his waist, her eyes wide and filled with fear.
In Jack's eyes flashed a dark, almost mischievous intent, yet his hands remained gentle as he patted her back. "It's all right… it's all right. I've got you."
Another zombie burst violently from the ground, groaning and letting out a coarse, horrifying cry that echoed through the tombstones around them. It lunged toward Alice, Jill, and the others. These were the restless dead, driven by the T-Virus, crawling from their graves with unnatural speed, their decayed faces twisted with hunger and rage.
Alice rushed forward with fluid precision, her movements a dance of deadly efficiency. Fists and feet moved in perfect coordination. A swift kick struck a zombie squarely in the head, sending it flying across the tombstones before it crashed into the hard stone ground, motionless.
"Can you all stay together?" Jill called, her voice tinged with exasperation. "You two are far too… affectionate right now."
Teri's cheeks burned red as she reluctantly released her grip on Jack's waist. The chaos around them demanded focus, and even she knew they couldn't linger like this.
"Teri, follow behind me," Jack instructed, keeping his gaze on the approaching zombies.
"Got it," Teri nodded, swallowing her fear and steeling herself for what was coming.
Jack moved with lethal efficiency, striking the undead with precision. Fists and feet collided with skulls and necks, breaking bones with each blow. The crunch of splintered bone and wet thuds echoed eerily across the graveyard, punctuated by the occasional, piercing shriek of a zombie.
"Roar…" More corpses clawed their way from the soil, drawn by some unholy instinct. The ground seemed to pulse beneath their feet, an ominous rhythm that matched the pounding of their hearts.
Alice fought like a whirlwind, her movements both graceful and brutal. No zombie dared approach her, each one that did meeting a swift and merciless end.
Looking at the ever-growing horde, Alice's voice rang out. "There are too many! Move quickly, this way!"
Jack grabbed Teri's hand and pulled her along. Together, they ran toward Alice, the sounds of groaning undead and cracking earth following closely behind.
The group moved steadily through the cemetery, evading the grasping hands and snapping jaws of the zombies. The moonlight cast long, eerie shadows across the rows of tombstones, giving the graveyard an even more haunted appearance. Broken statues and toppled headstones marked the chaos, some cracked by the violent emergence of the undead.
"This city… it was so alive this morning," Teri said, voice trembling as she glanced around at the devastation. "How could it all change so fast? How could everyone… become like this?"
"This is a disaster sent by fate," Jack said with a faint, almost ironic smile. "Who knows what the next second brings? Perhaps the next second… I die."
"Don't say that," Teri whispered, her eyes sharp with worry, her hands trembling slightly as she adjusted her grip on his arm.
"I think it's highly possible," Jill said, stepping over a broken tombstone as she moved forward, her voice calm but tinged with seriousness.
"Any of us could die," Alice said lightly, her eyes scanning the shadows around them. "The world has changed. We must adapt quickly, or we won't survive. Luck… that will be required, too."
"You said 'it' would expand globally?" Teri asked, disbelief lacing every word.
Alice nodded, her lips curving slightly in a faint, grim smile. "You said this morning was happy… but in no time, Raccoon City fell. The infection will spread faster and faster. How long until the world changes completely? Three weeks… maybe three months at most."
"How… how could the world become like this?" Teri shook her head, still struggling to accept the reality.
"Who knows? Perhaps it will," Alice said, her tone calm and unyielding.
Peyton, wheezing, muttered, "I… I don't believe it. The government will fix this."
"That's comforting, isn't it?" Jack said with a shrug. "But what if the government isn't there when it matters most?"
"What did you say?" Peyton snapped, anger flaring in his voice.
"Don't get worked up. Believing someone else will save you is dangerous. Those people often die first," Jack said, glancing briefly at Peyton's injured leg, the crimson stain spreading across his pants.
Alice studied Jack silently for a moment. "You have a strong sense of crisis. I'm somewhat surprised."
"Beyond my good intentions, do you find me disappointing?" Jack asked teasingly, touching his nose.
"For now, yes," Alice replied, a trace of amusement in her eyes.
"You're very disappointing," Jill added, rolling her eyes as she kicked aside a loose stone.
"Why do you always target me, Jill? It's cruel. I have many merits, and you should notice them," Jack said, patting his chest proudly.
Teri interjected, "Jack was brave. He remained calm and protective in danger."
"You agree with her?" Jill said, coldly turning her face toward Teri.
"My vision is as clear as snow," Jack said, puffing out his chest. "I am truly outstanding."
"Narcissistic," Jill muttered, throwing a playful punch at him.
Alice said simply, "You're skilled, and it's good to recognize your own ability."
Jill glanced at Alice. "Your moves… like in the movies. Impressive, but not everyone is as fierce as you."
"You may just be lucky," Alice said neutrally, neither approving nor disapproving.
"What do you mean?" Jill asked.
"They tried to control me. I thought I would never remain human," Alice said quietly, pain flickering in her eyes. Jack understood immediately: her reference to "hands and feet" meant the T-Virus experiments.
"You've survived. You kept your will. Look at these zombies. Despite everything, you're alive," Jack said, gazing upward with a mixture of depth and mischief.
Alice gave a small, almost imperceptible smile. "You're right."
Dīng líng líng…
The telephone on the wall behind them rang sharply, the sound cutting through the groans of the undead and the soft wind rustling through dead leaves.
"We need to leave quickly," Alice said, walking fast toward the ringing phone. The unnatural, jarring sound drew attention from both the living and the undead.
Jack paused, smiling faintly. "Do you think someone actually needs to answer that?"
"I think so," Alice said, reaching toward the phone with measured steps.
"You don't think someone else will?" a man's voice came from the receiver, distorted slightly by the old, crackling lines.
The group paused, the tension in the air thickening. The wind rustled through the graves, carrying the smell of wet earth and decay, as shadows danced across broken statues and toppled tombstones. Each zombie's groan and shuffling footstep seemed louder now, more urgent, as if the entire graveyard were holding its breath, waiting.
Jack tightened his grip on Teri's hand, feeling the pulse of her fear mixed with determination. The moonlight reflected off the damp stones and cracked earth, illuminating the scene with a ghostly silver glow. Even amidst the terror, there was a strange beauty to the chaos—a testament to the persistence of life, however fragile, against the darkness of the world.