Lee, Samantha, and Rosa persevered in their flight from the undead, striving to evade their ravenous pursuit. Lee, though armed, could not risk drawing a swarm with the mere presence of a few zombies. He was tasked with finding a secure escape route while safeguarding the other two. His inability to physically engage with the zombies was a source of immense frustration. This was a maddening advantage that these lifeless creatures possessed.
With agility, he sidestepped the sprinting zombies, avoiding contact, and yanked both Samantha and Rosa away from any undead about to pounce. Their flight continued until they reached the staircase leading to the rooftop. In his attempt to secure the door, Lee inadvertently grazed a zombie, alerting others that had been dispersed across the desolate street.
Upon successfully sealing the door, the trio turned around to realize their safety was an illusion. At least fifteen walkers and runners stood motionless, seemingly waiting for them. They could sense the undead yearned to move, but something appeared to be restraining them. They were cornered, akin to prey ensnared in a trap.
"Stay behind me," Lee directed the pair.
Rosa stifled a whimper, fighting back tears, while Samantha's attention shifted from the imminent threat to her father's safety. She was uncertain if her father had fallen victim to the oddly behaving zombies. She snapped back to the present and consoled her young cousin.
"Where on earth did they spring from!?" Lee voiced his bewilderment at the sudden influx of zombies on the rooftop, before a realization dawned on him. "Could these be the zombies that mysteriously disappeared?"
A clap echoed behind them. Startled, they spun around to find a young boy in a black hoodie perched atop the entrance door. The boy waved, his grin tinged with amusement, as though he derived pleasure from their predicament.
"You!" Lee pointed his rifle at the young boy, who responded with a dismissive scoff. "Are you the one responsible!?"
"Whoa!? How can you accuse me!? Didn't you assert that it was impossible for anyone to manipulate these mindless beings?" Jarlath countered in a sarcastic, belittling tone, his grin unwavering. "I'm as clueless about their behavior as you are. I'm merely another survivor."
"I find that hard to swallow when you're displaying no fear!" Lee retorted, unconvinced by the young man's feigned innocence. He could see the boy was playing games with them. He wasn't gullible. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't blow you to kingdom come!"
"That's what she said," Jarlath chuckled, much to Lee's annoyance. "You should really think before you speak."
He then gestured towards the stationary zombies, answering Lee's query. Lee realized that if he eliminated the boy here and now, those zombies would likely engulf them instantly. He didn't comprehend how, but these zombies were under his command.
With zombies below, they couldn't flee either; the building was infested. There was also the possibility that Mr. Carl had already succumbed to the zombies below. He, Samantha, and Rosa were effectively trapped.
Jarlath hopped back to the ground, his finger on the muzzle. "If you possess any intellect, lower your weapon."
Lee, Samantha, and Rosa locked gazes with the hooded boy. They all experienced chills upon seeing his lupine eyes. It was clear to them that this young man wasn't stable; he was a perilous psychopath. They noticed the dried blood staining his hoodie. The darkened periorbital hematoma under his eyes radiated a terrifying aura that was out of place.
Lee relinquished his gun in frustration. Jarlath picked it up, scrutinizing the firearm before discharging all its rounds, startling Rosa, and causing the zombies to twitch slightly in response to the noise—a primal instinct for them.
"Superb weapon," he praised before tossing the rifle off the rooftop. "But useless when you can't risk attracting a swarm, correct?"
Lee clenched his fists, vowing to eliminate this arrogant young psychopath. "Rot in hell, you bastard!"
Jarlath paused momentarily upon hearing the threat, the familiarity of it registering before he shrugged it off. "Wouldn't be the first time I've been told that."
"What have you done to my father!?" Samantha demanded, her patience wearing thin as she sought information about her father's status. She felt like she was on the verge of collapsing, but she knew she couldn't afford to confront this individual. "Tell me! Or I swear to God-!"
"You'll kill me? Do you have any idea how many lives I've... taken... in the past two years?" Jarlath silenced Samantha with a single, grave sentence. His threat was not to be underestimated; those who encountered him and survived were petrified, spreading tales of his notoriety.
"Please, stop!" Rosa pleaded, holding back her tears.
Jarlath locked eyes with the child, reminiscing about the good times with his 'friend', before refocusing on Samantha with a wicked grin. "Your father is safe... for now. I wouldn't want to squander good flesh on my newfound companions."
"You despicable fiend!" Samantha cried out, her temper flaring as she lunged at Jarlath, but Lee managed to restrain her. "If anything happens to my father, I swear I'll make you suffer, slowly and painfully!"
Jarlath snorted, falling silent for a minute before his unsettling grin returned. "There's nothing you can do that can hurt me further. Not anymore."
Rosa sensed that there was something deeply troubling about Jarlath, beyond the obvious fact that he was a dangerous psychopath who hunted survivors for his own amusement. She may have been the only one who realized this, as Lee was preoccupied with restraining an enraged Samantha.
"Let's play a game, shall we?" Jarlath's proposition sent a ripple of dread through their bodies as the undead creatures drew nearer. "A game where the stakes are not being devoured by zombies! Who's up for it?"
Jarlath delineated the guidelines. One of them was required to enter a ring formed by the undead and fend off five of them. With a total of fifteen undead, each participant would confront five. If they all triumphed, they would evade becoming a meal for the undead and survive to recount the ordeal.
"Have you lost your mind!? There's a child here!" Samantha protested, highlighting that Rosa shouldn't be expected to battle the grotesque undead. The thought of a child confronting five undead, particularly given her petite stature, was inconceivable.
"Regrettably, I dictate the rules. There's nothing I can alter... unless you can substitute her with another person... but hold on!" Jarlath suppressed his laughter at the ludicrousness of the predicament. "Your father is too busy with receiving a 'lesson'! So the young girl will have to fight... apologies!"
"You monster!" Samantha felt a strong desire to strike him once more, but she observed all of the undead turning their gazes towards her, cautioning her against assaulting him again.
"Do you possess no compassion? Even for a child?" Lee was disgusted by this individual's attitude, wondering why he was burdened with such a malevolent power and what kind of person he was prior to the apocalypse. He was thankful to have never crossed paths with him before.
"I kill every man, woman, and child for the purpose of..." Jarlath settled on the floor in a lotus position while leaning against the wall, the undead behind it remaining immobile. "...alleviating my ennui."
"No..." Rosa stared at the undead encircling the area, quaking with terror. She felt on the verge of losing consciousness but resisted, aware that Lee and Samantha might be put in danger because of her. She didn't want to face these monstrosities. She yearned to flee, but she was unable to.
Jarlath cleared his throat before initiating the countdown on his fingers from 10. "Who will be the first to step forward? When my finger reaches one, then I'll select who will go first if you have not made the dec-."
Without a moment's hesitation, Lee raised his hand.
"I see. Three seconds, and you volunteer to sacrifice yourself first. How noble," Jarlath remarked sarcastically, much to the irritation of Lee and Samantha. "Choose your five undead in five... four... three..."
In his panic, Lee began to randomly select undead due to the sudden countdown. Once the countdown concluded, he examined the five undead whom he had chosen impulsively. He realized that the young man had planned this to prevent the selection of "difficult" undead that would pose a challenge for Samantha and Rosa, especially Rosa.
"Advance, those five who were selected," Jarlath ordered them, which Samantha noticed.
The five undead were once ordinary citizens who had endured a harsh existence, conjectured by Jarlath himself due to average businessmen typically earning minimum wage. He chuckled, aware that Lee had unintentionally chosen easy undead to combat. It was going to be a dull round, but it would be gratifying to observe the performance of the one contestant.
"An admirable selection. Opt for the less formidable ones to ensure your survival. Quite the chivalrous act, sir," Jarlath commented with a hint of sarcasm, barely suppressing his mirth. "And here I was under the impression you were compassionate."
"Shut up, you abhorrent demon! You forced me to make this choice!" Lee retorted, guilt gnawing at him as he considered the formidable undead that Samantha and Rosa would have to confront. The prospect of Rosa, a mere child, battling five zombies was unbearable.
"You are indeed a monster!" Samantha hurled another insult at Jarlath before turning her attention back to Rosa, who stood petrified, akin to a statue. "Everything will be alright, Rosa."
Jarlath let out a yawn. "Are you going to commence, sir? Or do you prefer to be a feast for my 'friends'?"
"You repugnant fiend!" Lee growled in anger, his hands clenched so tightly that blood began to seep from them. "How can I be certain a swarm won't come charging in!? Any interaction with them could summon an infinite number! They're interconnected through the hive mind!"
Jarlath clicked his tongue in irritation. "My dear friend, that's the uniqueness of my ability. My dominion over them temporarily severs their connection to the hive. To them, I am the queen bee, and thus I can manipulate them without repercussions."
"You possess such a remarkable ability, yet you don't utilize it to aid survivors. What is wrong with you?" Lee voiced his sincere bewilderment about why someone with such a distinctive ability would exploit it for personal benefit. If he possessed that ability, he would've safeguarded his friends and family, sparing them from the torment of this accursed apocalypse.
Jarlath's countenance turned grave. "Are you going to continue prattling and become a delectable dish? Or do you wish to preserve your own life? Choose. I'm fine either way."
Lee cast a glance back at Samantha and Rosa, both wearing expressions of concern. Samantha gave him a nod, signaling that they would manage. He yearned to plead with Jarlath to exchange his five opponents for either Samantha or Rosa, but something told him it wasn't feasible. There was no point in negotiating with someone as perverse as Jarlath.
As Lee stepped into the circle, the five zombies he had selected followed suit. The fact that all five of them entered meant it wasn't going to be a one-on-one duel but rather a disadvantageous match. It was alarming, not for himself, but for Samantha and Rosa.
"Kill him," Jarlath commanded the five zombies without a countdown.
All the zombies launched their attack on Lee simultaneously, catching him unprepared. Fortunately, they didn't attempt to bite him but instead threw punches at his face, likely influenced by Jarlath. Nonetheless, the unexpected onslaught of punches nearly knocked him off his feet.
'He says that punching them won't trigger a horde,' Lee voiced, skepticism lacing his words. Yet, with the suppressed fury that had been accumulating since the dawn of the apocalypse two years prior, he unleashed havoc on the quintet of zombies.
His fists darted like lightning bolts, raining a torrent of punches on the undead. Each strike hit with unerring accuracy, fracturing bone and tearing through flesh as he battled with a fierceness born of desperation and wrath. The atmosphere vibrated with the echoes of his fists colliding with their rotting bodies, leaving a trail of blood and carnage in his path.
In the midst of the surrounding pandemonium, Lee moved with the elegance of a ballet dancer, his actions fluid and deliberate as he sidestepped the awkward lunges of his undead foes. He evaded a reaching limb, delivering a crushing uppercut to the jaw of his assailant before pirouetting to confront the next adversary.
As time ticked away, the flames of Lee's wrath blazed brighter, propelling his assault as he rained an unyielding storm of punches on the zombies. His muscles screamed in protest, but he ignored the searing pain coursing through his limbs. Survival was paramount, and he was prepared to fight to the bitter end to ensure it.
As the final zombie crumbled before him, Lee stood, gasping for breath amidst the ruins of his adversaries, his chest rising and falling with exertion. Blood oozed from his knuckles, blending with the scarlet stains that marred his attire.
Jarlath clapped as Lee swiftly and ruthlessly vanquished them. "Well done. You've survived."
Hearing this, Lee immediately began to regain his composure. He was perplexed by the recent events, unable to comprehend the fury he had unleashed on the zombies. He noticed the worry in Samantha's gaze and the fear in Rosa's. He felt a pang of guilt for his actions.
"Your turn now, madam," Jarlath gestured towards Samantha. "Select your zombies in five... four... three..."
In stark contrast to Lee's frenetic state, Samantha remained composed as she selected five formidable zombies. Four were Runners, and the fifth was a Bodybuilder — a zombie variant with astonishingly resilient muscles, a phenomenon that defied scientific understanding given its undead status. Samantha couldn't bear the thought of her young cousin facing these horrific adversaries.
As Samantha stepped into the ring, Lee took a seat beside Rosa, offering words of comfort that all would be well. Aware of the danger Rosa would face in battling the remaining zombies, Samantha resolved to eliminate them after dealing with her five opponents, despite her lack of combat skills. She was more inclined towards resource gathering than fighting, but she had gleaned some rudimentary knowledge from observing her father.
"You know the drill," Jarlath directed the quintet of zombies.
In a flash, five runners bolted towards Samantha without a moment's hesitation. Their sprinter-level velocity took her by surprise, compelling her to leap backward to dodge their lunges. Enclosed within the circle by the other five zombies, Samantha recognized that retreat was not a feasible option.
Unsheathing her concealed, corroded kitchen knife, Samantha braced herself for the impending onslaught. Three runners converged on her, and she narrowly managed to sidestep their attacks, stabbing each in the cranium with considerable effort. As the fourth runner lunged at her, Samantha utilized the momentum to flip the zombie over and out of the circle. With swift reflexes, she flung her knife at its skull, eliminating it instantly, much to her own astonishment.
Samantha's entire body trembled with shock. If not for the adrenaline pumping through her veins, she would have crumbled after hurling the knife. Looking back, she noticed the bodybuilder zombie starting to stir. She realized she had no means to defeat it without her knife, uncertain of how to circumvent its robust muscles.
Then it dawned on her, 'Wait a minute. That monster never specified that you're unable to exit the circle.'
Following this epiphany, she stepped out of the zombie circle, startling both Lee and Rosa, while Jarlath found her realization commendable. She then retrieved the knife from the fourth zombie as the bodybuilder charged at her like a furious bull. In this scenario, she was akin to a matador, so she understood that timing was of the essence.
"I've seen Ferdinand... this should be manageable," Samantha murmured to herself, attempting to steady her trembling hands.
'Ferdinand, of all things? The Book of Life would be more appropriate.' Jarlath voiced his bewilderment.
She managed to sidestep to the right just in time as the bodybuilder zombie continued to charge until he came to a halt at the edge of the rooftop. Samantha had initially contemplated pushing him off but had an intuition that it was a dreadful idea. She realized that this zombie's resilience would likely prevent him from being shoved by someone as slight as her; she wasn't physically robust.
She waited patiently until the bodybuilder zombie charged at her once again. This time, she successfully drove the knife into his back, forcing it downward. While the bodybuilder might have had resilient muscles, he wasn't immune to blades. Samantha then stabbed through his skull before he could recover, gradually killing him as he continued to snarl in hunger.
Jarlath applauded, a sinister grin spreading across his face. "That was a splendid fight. Far better to that fellow."
"Go to hell, asshole!" Lee and Samantha shouted in unison.
"And now," Jarlath stared at Rosa with a stoic expression. "It's your turn."
Rosa stood petrified in fear. She stared at the five remaining zombies, terror surging through her. She yearned to return home, to see her parents and friends. Above all, she longed to awaken from this perpetual nightmare.