Pearl City, Hawaii
It has been several months since the stunning flash of light cascaded across the globe, marking the beginning of an unprecedented era filled with both wonder and dread.
In the midst of these changes, a chilling growling reverberates through the streets.
"Growl!! Growl!! Growl!! Growl!!"
This menacing sound presence of yet another terrifying transformation, the rise of zombies that now wander the once-bustling streets of Pearl City. Their decaying forms shuffle aimlessly, driven by an insatiable hunger, while their sunken eyes reflect a haunting emptiness.
The once vibrant coastal city, filled with the laughter and joy of its inhabitants, has become a desolate battleground, where survival is a daily struggle against the infected and the unpredictability of this new world.
Bang!! Bang!! Bang!! Bang!! Bang!!
The deafening sound of gunfire echoed across the desolate landscape, intertwining with the unsettling growls and roars of the zombies.
"Growl!! Roar!! Roar!! Roar!!"
A distressed family of five sprinted frantically along the cracked and uneven highway, their only hope lying in a helicopter waiting to lift them to safety. The cries of the zombies filled the air, mingling with the sound of the chopper's rotors, which cut through the wind like a glimmer of freedom.
Inside the helicopter, soldiers were steadfastly firing at the approaching horde, their faces tense with concentration. The pilot, anxiety etched on his brow, glanced anxiously at the radar screen, his heart racing as he noted the increasing number of zombies converging on them. Voice trembling, he relayed the dire situation through the radio.
"Sir, we've got to get out of here, there are too many zombies closing in!"
Bang!! Bang!! Bang!!
In front of the family, the father scanned their surroundings with wide eyes, his heart pounding. He clutched his weapon tightly, trying to maintain a steady aim despite the frantic scene unfolding around them.
"It's okay; we're almost there! Just secure the perimeter!" he shouted back into the radio, his voice a mixture of determination and desperation.
"Understood, sir," came the clipped response over the crackling connection.
"Evangeline, can you keep running?" he called to his youngest, his ten-year-old daughter, whose small frame trembled with fear.
"Yes, Dad!" she sobbed, tears streaming down her face. "I can still do it!"
Evangeline held tightly onto her mother's hand, panic clawing at her heart as they continued to flee, the shadows of the zombies looming larger behind them.
Bang!! Bang!! Bang!!
The eldest son at fifteen, was stationed at the back of the group, bravely firing round after round at the encroaching zombies. But despair gripped him as he felt the weight of his dwindling ammo.
"Dad, we need to move faster! I'm almost out of bullets!" he yelled at his father, urgency lacing his voice.
"We're doing the best we can, Kevin! Just help your mom get into the helicopter! I'll hold them off!" Christopher commanded, his voice steady with determination.
"Okay, Dad! Mom, let's go!" Kevin urged his mother.
"But Kevin, your dad!" his mother interjected, her voice breaking, reluctance etched on her face.
"I know, Mom, but if we don't get in first, we'll all be a burden!" he said, desperation seeping into his plea.
The woman's heart raced as she struggled to accept.
"I understand," she said finally, her voice weak with fear.
As the mother and her children moved to enter the helicopter, the father turned to cover them, firing at the masses of shuffling zombies.
Suddenly, chaos erupted. A zombie lunged from the crowd, catching the unsuspecting child of the mother, her five-year-old son, and biting into his small foot.
"Kyaa!! NOoo, Arthur!!" the mother screamed, her heart shattering at the sight of her son in pain.
Bang!! Bang!! Bang!!
"Go, Mom! Get in now!!" Kevin shouted in fear, and the overwhelming fury threatened to consume him as he shot at the zombie's head who's bitten his brother's foot.
The father hearing his family's panicked cries, hurriedly entered the helicopter, only to find chaos inside. Evangeline was cradling her brother as her mother's panic was in her eyes as she assessed the blood pooling around Arthur's bitten foot.
"Chris!" the mother's voice was frantic, tears streaming down her face. "He's bleeding! I need help!"
Chris, whose full name is Christopher, his face turned ashen as he processed the reality of the bite marks. The deadly implications tightened around his chest. He gritted his teeth, the heavy weight of his gun in his hand suddenly felt unmanageably heavy. He turned and pointed it at his son.
Click!
"Chris, what are you doing?! Where is your gun pointing?!" the mother's shocked voice rose above the din, her heart pounding with fear and disbelief.
Click!
Kevin aimed his gun at his father's, ready to intervene if necessary.
"Dad, Arthur is not a zombie yet!"
Evangeline, sensing the tension, dashed towards her father and wrapped her small arms around him, pleading through her tears.
"Dad, please don't shoot Arthur! We're safe now!"
Christopher's heart ached, torn between the instinct to protect and the grim reality facing them. He looked desperately at his wife, who was clinging to her son as if her embrace alone could protect him.
"Angella, this is the only way…"
he began, but his wife, interrupted him, her voice cracking.
"I can still cure him if he's infected! So please, don't pull the trigger! We can't give up on him!" she cried, desperately blocking Arthur with her body.
Just as the tensions reached a breaking point, Arthur's complexion shifted from pallid to a more familiar hue, signaling something miraculous. He stirred awake, confused by the erratic sounds of chaos and their frantic cries.
"Dad? Mom? What's going on?" he asked, his voice small and vulnerable.
"Arthur!!"The collective relief washed over them like a tidal wave as
"Waah!! Arthur!!" Angella immediately embraced her son, weeping with joy.