The walk

The redhead's touch is more insistent than I anticipated, her fingers digging into the fabric of my shirt. I turn my gaze to her, my expression unmoved. Slowly, I lift my hand and pry her fingers off me, my movements deliberate. "Don't," I utter in a cool tone. "I have no interest in traveling with your group."

The weight of my words seem to crash upon her, and for a moment, she looks taken aback. But then, her face contorts with anxiety, and desperation seeps into her voice. "T-the world is falling apart!" she exclaims, her hands shooting up to her head, clutching at her curly red locks. She squeezes so tightly I can see her wince in pain. "It's better to travel as a group. Monsters are everywhere, and the military can barely do anything! We need to stick together."

Drawing a deep breath, she locks her green eyes onto mine. "Don't you see? This isn't some dystopian movie or a video game. This is real life! Every step we take, every decision we make – it's all a matter of life and death now. We can't afford the luxury of being solitary heroes. Yes, maybe we're strangers now, but together, we have a fighting chance. Alone, we're just easy prey for these monsters. You've seen how they move, how they hunt. They feed on fear, on isolation. But together, together we can find hope, strength. We can protect one another. The way forward isn't in isolation; it's in unity!"

As she delivers her impassioned plea, others from the group voice their agreements. "She's right," says the tall guy with glasses. "We can't face this apocalypse alone."

"Numbers will give us a fighting chance," the buzz-cut guy adds.

The girl named Lara nods, looking at me with a hopeful expression. "Ughhhh... We might be from different worlds, but in this new reality, we need to stand united."

All the while, I feel the familiar tug of a yawn forming, which I don't bother suppressing. As they speak, I let out a deep, long yawn, emphasizing my profound disinterest in their proposal.

The redhead's face flushes with indignation, "Are you even listening?!"

I glance over the group, my gaze unwavering. "Yes, I heard every word. And my answer remains unchanged." I sigh internally. This girl is very... annoying. I need to stay away from people like her in particular.

I can see their faces registering a mix of frustration, disappointment, and confusion. Still, without uttering another word, I pivot away from the scene. Their voices fade into a discordant mix of complaints, lost amidst the wider chaos that engulfs the city.

What a bunch of idiots, I think to myself. I'm sure I'd die if I stayed with them.

-

As I walk, the weight of her words on hope and unity echoes in my mind. I almost smirk at the thought.

Hope? What is hope but a delusion that the weak cling to? I think. It's nothing more than a mirage in the desert of reality, a fleeting feeling that vanishes when tested. Hope is for those who can't face the truth of their circumstances, who need some comforting lie to get through another day. It's a crutch, and crutches are for the broken.

Then there's that nauseating concept of unity she spoke of. Unity... Such a laughable notion. The image forms in my mind of parasites clinging to a host, feeding off the strength of another. Unity isn't about coming together as equals; it's about the weak seeking out the strong to shelter them from the storm. In the end, they're just leeches, sucking the life out of those they claim to "unite" with.

Strong people don't need anyone else, I ponder, they stand on their own, facing the world with eyes wide open, accepting the brutal truths for what they are. Relying on others only makes you vulnerable. In unity, all it takes is for one to falter, and the whole structure comes crumbling down. Is that strength? I think not.

As I weave through the flames and debris, I pull off my headphones. The music that had been drowning out the world is now a distant memory. Silence. A deafening, chilling silence, save for the occasional crackle of fire. No screams, no distant shouts. Just... quiet.

I glance down, a body sprawled out on the pavement. Another, a few feet away. And then another. All of them... empty. Their faces, pallid and hollow, eyes devoid of life. Each one, sharing that same eerie expression. What in the world...? My mind races, trying to make sense of it. What are these monsters doing to people? Sucking out their very souls?

Suddenly, the stillness is broken by a distinct, skittering sound above. My heart pounds violently in my chest. Movement on the rooftops. Without another thought, I bolt.

My breaths come fast, desperate. The rhythm of my heart matches my pounding footsteps. Oh fuck! Oh fuck! Oh fuck! The mantra repeats in my head, echoing my panic. A chunk of debris falls from above, narrowly missing me. I can hear them - it - chasing. Pursuing with an intensity that chills me to my core.

Suddenly, one of the creatures descends right in front of me, blocking my path. I skid to a stop, shoes scraping against the ground, but my momentum betrays me and I tumble to the side. The only escape now is a narrow alleyway, and I scramble to my feet, pushing my legs to their limits.

As I glance over my shoulder, I finally get a good look at the monster. It's grotesque. Several tongues, long and writhing, protrude from its maw. The entire being is drenched in a mix of gore and some kind of dark ichor. Its arms – long, skeletal and impossibly fast – stretch towards me, trying to ensnare me in their grasp. Every swipe, every lunge it takes, I narrowly dodge, fueled by sheer adrenaline.

My lungs burn. My muscles scream in protest. Although I might look well-built, I've always had shit stamina, I chastise myself, feeling the irony of my situation. It doesn't matter how many hours I've spent training; nothing could prepare me for this.

I duck beneath a low-hanging sign, narrowly avoiding another swipe from those grotesque limbs. Left, then right, I zigzag through the labyrinthine streets, trying to throw off the creature. But it's relentless. Every turn I take, it's there, mirroring my moves, its multiple tongues flailing about in anticipation.

My lungs protest as I gasp for air. Huff... Huff... I make my way to the other side of the street, my vision darting around in a desperate search for anything I can use.

"That might work," I murmur, my gaze settling on a particular spot. I shoot a glance at the monster, now gaining speed, and I make a mad dash for the structure I've noticed.

I sprint around a half-crumbled building, taking a sharp turn at the corner and racing past a storefront engulfed in flames. Every second, every heartbeat, feels like an eternity as the creature gains on me.

This is it. Spotting the dilapidated crane teetering precariously atop a building, I circle back around, heading straight for it. The fiery street provides ample lighting, casting eerie shadows everywhere.

Huff... Huff... The sweat drips down my face, but my mind is sharp, working overtime. The monster is close, too close, and I can feel its breath on my neck, hear its relentless pursuit. But I push myself harder, every muscle screaming in protest.

Think... Think... It doesn't matter how strong this thing is, at the end of the day it's a retard. A dumb monster trying to eat me.

I lead the creature in a seemingly random pattern, but with every step, the pieces of my hastily crafted plan fall into place. Drawing it closer to the base of the crane, I make a sharp turn, my shoes barely gripping the wet ground. With a final burst of strength, I rush towards a pile of debris and kick it hard.

The resulting noise draws the monster's attention, and it lunges towards the source of the sound. The misdirection buys me precious seconds, and with a swift move, I pull at a dangling cable from the crane, wrapping it around a metal beam.

The creature realizes the ruse too late. As it turns back towards me, the already unstable crane wobbles from my actions. It teeters, and with a thunderous crash, the heavy machinery falls. The monster tries to dodge, but the massive weight of the crane traps it beneath, pinning it to the ground, its grotesque limbs flailing desperately.

I don't wait for it to recover. Picking up a jagged piece of metal from the ground, I approach the creature. With every ounce of strength left in me, I drive the sharp end into the monster, ensuring it won't be getting up again.

Huff... Huff... My ragged breaths echo in the aftermath of the chaos, the scent of burnt metal and monster stench mixing in the air. My muscles feel like they're on fire, my chest heaving as I collapse onto the cold ground.

"Oh fuck... that was close."

I unzip my bag and dig inside, pulling out a bottle of water. Raising it to my lips, I chug it down, the cool liquid soothing my parched throat. Taking another deep breath, I push myself back up, feeling slightly rejuvenated.

I look down at the monster, its lifeless body pinned beneath the wreckage. A smirk tugs at the corner of my mouth. "You fucking bastard, you made me waste my water." I shake my head, a hint of irritation in my voice. "Tsk, dammit. All I want is a peaceful life." I let out a long, weary yawn, stretching out the exhaustion.

Glancing around, I pick up on the distant noises of the city, eerily quiet yet filled with a growing sense of dread. "I better get out of here. Some monsters will arrive soon; they surely heard the noise." Another exasperated sigh escapes my lips. "Ugh, I have no choice."

With newfound determination, I pick up my pace and start to run, my eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger. "I need to find somewhere to sleep; it'll get dark soon."

-

Heart racing, I stumble into a small market store. It seems untouched. I can't believe my luck – food and drinks line the shelves, all seemingly untouched. My feet make muffled sounds on the dirty floor as I walk in, and the faint echo of the chaos outside slowly fades.

This place is a haven amidst the madness. I start grabbing items from the shelves, shoving them into my mouth, tasting stale chips, and cold soda for the first time in what feels like ages. "Hell, I've hit the jackpot," I murmur to myself, taking another swig from a water bottle. "Smart of me to avoid the city center. Less competition."

However, as I turn a corner, my heart skips a beat. There, floating amidst the dimly lit aisles, is another one of those... things. But this one is different. A grotesque blend of floating flesh and countless eyes, each one staring in every conceivable direction. And it holds someone in its grasp, a lifeless human, their face a mask of horror.

"Fuck," I whisper under my breath. Taking a step back, I inadvertently knock a can off a shelf. The clang echoes like a gunshot, and instantly, one of its many eyes locks onto me. My brain screams at me to run, to do something, anything. But my feet are glued to the floor, paralyzed by fear.

The monster's stare is cold, emotionless. It doesn't move, nor do I. The two of us, frozen in a silent standoff. The quiet is almost deafening. In my head, panic sets in. Think, damn it, think!

Maybe it'll ignore me, I hope desperately. It already has someone. Maybe one is enough? But the longer I look into its myriad eyes, the less likely that seems. There's hunger there. An insatiable appetite.

"Come on, you disgusting thing!" I mentally shout. "Do something!"

But it remains still, and so do I. Time seems to slow down, and each passing second feels like an eternity. The atmosphere is thick with tension, my every sense hyper-aware of the creature before me.

Suddenly, I gather my wits and break the silence. "What do you want?" My voice quivers more than I'd like to admit. "Haven't you taken enough?"