"Did you see it, Brother? It's been doing that for more than five minutes now," Cindy said, still staring through the binoculars.
"Doesn't seem like that Smartass Zombie I fought this morning," Jaxon replied, studying the zombie's movements. "If it was, it would've already opened the gate. This one's more like... a trace of its old habits, something it used to do when it was still alive."
"So it's like their bodies still remember things they used to do? That's creepy," Cindy muttered.
Jaxon didn't answer. He adjusted his scope, took a steady breath, and aimed for the head.
Thup.
The bullet hit clean, and the infected dropped dead instantly.
(2 EXP, 2 Coins, and 0.02 Strength obtained from the zombie)
'Hm, twice the usual reward?' Jaxon thought, surprised.
"That was amazing, Brother! You got it in one shot!" Cindy said, her voice full of excitement as she peeked through the scope again.
Jaxon chuckled softly, but his expression soon turned thoughtful. "It's weird, though... there aren't as many zombies around here anymore. Where'd they all go?"
He scanned the streets, but everything was quiet, eerily quiet. Not even a single growl echoed through the area, which was totally different from the last couple of days when it was all noise and chaos.
"I have no idea," Cindy said, forcing a little laugh. " Maybe you scared them all away, Brother."
Jaxon gave her a small smile. "I hope it's as simple as that."
…..
The afternoon passed quietly, and for a while, things almost felt normal again. When it was time for dinner, they all gathered around the small table. The smell of warm canned soup filled the room, a simple comfort after the long and stressful morning.
As they ate, the mood was calm, until Natasha suddenly spoke.
"Jaxon," she began, her voice serious, "about those strange zombies you told me about… I did some digging online earlier. I found some posts and videos from people saying they've seen the same thing. Zombies acting weird, like they were remembering habits from their old lives."
Jaxon paused mid-bite, his eyes narrowing slightly. "So it's not just us," he muttered. "We saw the same thing earlier. That means these… strange ones are starting to appear more often."
Natasha nodded slowly. "Yeah. And that violent one from yesterday, the one that wouldn't stop punching things, I found something about it too. People online call it the Brute Variant. They say it likes to smash or torture its prey before eating them."
Jaxon frowned, deep in thought. "That sounds exactly like the one I fought."
Natasha looked down, scrolling through her phone. "But about that smart zombie, the one that opened our gate, I couldn't find anything. No videos, no reports, not even on the news."
Jaxon leaned back in his chair, letting out a quiet sigh. "That's a relief, at least. It means they're not that common."
"Sis, what about the area around here? Did you find anything about that? It's been quiet since this morning. No zombies around except for the two Brother took out," Cindy said, glancing toward the window.
"I... I don't know," Natasha replied, shaking her head.
"Does that mean it's safe to go outside now?" Isabel asked cautiously. "Maybe we could go out for a little while?"
"Mom, no," Jaxon said firmly. "No matter how it looks, it's not normal. We're not going out for now."
"I'm with Jaxon on this one," Natasha added. "I was thinking the same thing. It feels like a good chance to check out the nearby houses or grab those guns from the military vehicle, but... I've got a bad feeling about it. Something just doesn't feel right."
Isabel looked between them and slowly nodded. "Alright. We'll stay inside if you both think that's best."
The rest of the meal was quiet. No one had much to say, just the sound of their spoons scraping against the bowls and the faint hum of the wind outside.
…..
After eating, Jaxon went back to his room. His body felt heavy, the fatigue from his workout catching up to him. He lay down on his bed, closing his eyes with a deep breath.
'Maybe I'll continue my training later... if the streets stay quiet,' he thought as his mind slowly drifted off.
Before he knew it, sleep had taken over.
….
"Brother… Brother."
Jaxon stirred as someone gently tugged at his blanket. His eyes blinked open, still heavy from sleep. The room was dark; the lights were off, only the faint glow from the streetlight outside slipping through the window.
"Cindy?" he mumbled, his voice rough with sleep. "What's up? And why are the lights off?"
"There's… there's something outside," she whispered, barely audible, her tone trembling as if she was afraid something might hear her.
Jaxon pushed himself up slowly, the sleepiness starting to fade. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he noticed Natasha and their mom were inside his room. Both stood quietly, faces tense and pale, staring out the window.
He felt his chest tighten. Something was definitely wrong.
"What's going on?" he asked in a low voice, almost matching their whispers.
Natasha glanced at him, her voice just as quiet but firm. "The infected… they've come."
Jaxon frowned, still confused. "That's… good, right? I can take them out from here again."
But no one answered him. Their silence said more than words ever could.
Jaxon slowly stood and walked toward the window, each step heavy with growing sense of dread. The others didn't move, only watching him.
He reached out and pulled the curtain aside, and his breath hitched in his throat.
The street below was swarming with movement. Under the flickering streetlights and the dim glow from the nearby houses, shadows were moving, hundreds of them. No... not hundreds. Thousands.
The infected filled the streets like a sea of death. Soldiers, workers, children, mothers, all of them walked, dragging their feet, their faces pale and torn. Some still wore bloodied uniforms. Others clutched bags or tools from their old lives, moving as if they still remembered where they used to go.
A cold chill ran down Jaxon's spine.
'What... what is this? Where did they all come from?' His heart was pounding in his chest as he gripped the windowsill.