Zam hyperventilated as he continued running, his legs burning beneath him as he pressed himself harder and harder against the pavement as fast as possible. His heartbeat thumped loudly inside his ears as fear gripped his entire body. One of the monsters from the hoard in the streets followed relentlessly, closing the distance between the two boys in mere seconds.
'W-what the hell!?' The boy panted, trying his best to catch his breath as he continued running through the bustling foggy city of undead monsters. Despite the fact that he was already exhausted, Zam pushed himself even harder. 'I need... I-I need to keep running!"
He needed to get away...
As a sharp pain shot up his left leg, Zam gasped for air as he tripped from the pain, dropping the bat in his hands nearby. He clutched his thigh tightly with his hand. His right hand gripping the injured leg. He looked at his calf with wide eyes as a warm wet spot spread slowly across the material covering it. Three long scratches were oozing with blood where they had pierced through the fabric of his pants.
'S-shit!' The young boy cursed silently as he watched the wound steadily bleeding, Zam looked back to see one of the monsters approaching him at full speed, its jaws parted wide in preparation to bite into him.
'SHIT!' Panic rose within the young boy. His hands frantically searched around him for the bat, feeling for its familiar shape.
'C-C'mon! C'MON! Find it!' He shouted desperately, his fingers trembling as they felt around. Just then, Zam finally felt the edge of the bat poking out just underneath his fingertips.
'HAVE IT!' The young boy grabbed hold of the handle of the bat just as the zombie charged straight towards him. His fingers closed around it once again as he pulled it back towards himself, aiming it in front of him as the monster neared his position.
With a loud shout, Zam swung the bat downwards, hitting the monster right between its eyes, knocking it back with a violent slam.
"EAT THIS YOU DECREPIT BASTARD!'
*SMACK*
The bat smacked the zombie directly on its snout, knocking it back a couple of steps. Though, it did little damage as the monster didn't even receive any noticeable marks as it stood back up. The creature gave a growling sound as it charged towards the teen once again. This time it attempted to grab onto the boy. As the monster came within arm's reach of him, Zam thrust his arm upward to try and ward off the creature.
The monster managed to snatch hold of his wrist though, giving him a painful tug as it held onto it tight. Zam yelped sharply, struggling to pull free from the strong grip.
"Ow ow ow! Let me GO DAMNIT!!" He struggled violently against the zombie's hold as his vision started getting blurry 'NO! No, no, no, I can't stop now! I have to go! I have to get out!' Tears began forming in the corner of his eyes as he kicked at the monster's stomach.
It had no effect whatsoever.
"Gahh..! Please, PLEASE LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" With every ounce of strength he possessed, Zam pushed against the zombie's grip, attempting to rip his hand away from the monster. But the monster wasn't about to loosen its grip. The boy's heart pounded in his chest wildly as the pain in his leg began spreading throughout his entire body. Each muscle in his arms ached painfully, his chest and legs were aching, he felt lightheaded, dizzy, and exhausted. Yet despite the pain and exhaustion, Zam continued pushing against the monster. The monster gave an annoyed groan before tightening its grip around him more, digging its nails deeper into the flesh. A low whimper escaped Zam's throat.
He struggled as the zombie's jaw grew closer and closer to his face.
"HELP ME!! SOMEBODY HELP!!! I DON'T WANT TO DIE HERE!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. The zombie's eyes glowed red in response, letting out a harsh screech before releasing Zam's wrist suddenly. The teen fell backwards in confusion from the sudden release of his wrist as he landed heavily on his back. Pain exploded all along his legs and torso, sending shockwaves of agony shooting through every inch of him.
Zam looked back at the zombie with fear as he tried to crawl backwards away from it. The zombie stared at him blankly with its dead rotten red eyes before opening its mouth, releasing what seemed to be a growling laugh. The laughter echoed throughout the empty streets in which Zam sat. A deep chill ran down his spine as goosebumps broke out across his skin.
'What in the hell is going on?!?' Zam thought confusedly. 'W-why is it laughing?' His gaze darted all around him in panic as if searching for a reason why it was making such horrible noises. He was so overwhelmed with the strange circumstances surrounding him, there was no way he could properly form a coherent explanation for what he saw or heard. It didn't help that his leg injury hurt terribly and he knew he couldn't continue walking.
Why WAS it laughing?
Not only that, it had a firm grip on him, why would it let go...?
Was it doing it on purpose? Did it want him alive longer?
Was it...? Just playing with its food?
Torturing him in order to entertain itself before it fed?!
Was that all it saw Zam as...? Food and pitiful entertainment?
His breathing became shaky and shallow as he stared at the decaying creature.
He was nothing more than a meal now. Food to this monster...
Nothing more than fresh meat.....
He was just a small morsel to be consumed and discarded.
That was all...
A meal... A meal to be shared amongst... All the other mindless monsters who prowled the streets.
All these thoughts swirled through the boy's mind as the creature slowly moved closer and closer to him.
It was getting nearer and nearer...
'Food...? That's all I am now...?' His breathing increased at a rapid pace as tears welled up in his eyes. It was all too much. Too overwhelming.
'Just prey..? Just prey to be devoured by those mindless creatures...?' The terror crept further and further deep inside his mind as he stared at the approaching creature. There was nowhere to run or hide anymore. It was either accept his fate, die here, or simply prolong the suffering till death.
Yet... despite all that... Despite how pathetic and weak he may appear in this situation... Despite knowing full well how easy it would be for the monster to devour him whole...
He couldn't bring himself to keel over from fear. He couldn't allow himself to give in to his fears. His life was far too precious to do something like that. He refused to die here. No matter how pathetic he might look. He refused to fall victim to this abomination before him! He wouldn't allow it to take him!
'Fight... fight....' Zam swallowed thickly as he glared back at the zombie. His gaze hardenened as his body tensed up, ready to spring upwards and attack should the zombie come close to him.
He clenched his teeth as he prepared himself for another attack, taking hold of the bat once more even if his wrist hurt like hell. He grit his teeth harder as he lifted the bat upward while he stood up again, ready to swing once again.
'I have to fight...' He gritted his teeth together, determination growing stronger within his chest. 'Even if my whole body hurts like hell... Even if I'm scared shitless... Even if I have no goddamned idea what the hell is going on...I HAVE TO FIGHT BACK! I CAN'T FALL YET!' He raised the bat up higher, ready to swing.
'I won't leave without fighting back!' The teenager tightened his grip on the bat, swinging over his shoulder in a "Ready-to-swing" position. He steeled his gaze, preparing himself as the crazed laughing zombie advanced toward him once more with a hungry smile etched on its rotting face.
The beast had accepted the unfair duel it had been given.
Prey versus predator...
The boy stared back at the creature, his eyes burning in intensity. He stared the creature straight in the eyes, a determined grimace painted upon his features.
'Come at me...' The teen stared at the zombie defiantly with an intense glare as the psychotic grin on the monster's face grew wider. Blood began to drip down from the side of its mouth as it chuckled at Zam's unwavering stare.
Zam took a large breath inwards, inhaling deeply as he readied himself for the zombie's next move, the bat gripped tightly in both hands, ready to swing as soon as the zombie made its first move.
Once again, the zombie lunged forward, raising up its bony claw and prepared to swipe down on the boy's arm. Roaring out to the empty streets.
A mix of putrid blood and saliva spilled out of the creature's mouth while it bared rows upon rows of sharpened jagged teeth. Its body jerked forward as it let out an agonizing wail, the pitch of which reverberated through the street. Another guttural scream pierced the air as it rushed towards the boy.
As quick as lightning, Zam swung the bat downward at the zombie once more, the creature let out a roar of anger as its mouth snapped shut. It reeled back slightly from the impact as it turned back to face the kid. In response, the teen immediately swung the bat once again, hitting the creature right across the face with an ear-shattering blow of force. Zam's aim was true. The impact sent the zombie flying backwards a few meters.
'God bless baseball practice...' Despite the wound in his wrist feeling agonizing, the teen felt immense satisfaction from hitting the undead creature square in its hideous face. The zombie stumbled a bit, clearly dazed and injured due to the hit.
But as quickly as it appeared dazed, it was already recovering itself fast. Within seconds, the zombie charged at him again, faster this time. The sound of it snapping its jaws as it moved sounded loud as ever to his ears. The teen attempted to sidestep to the left, but the monster was too quick for him, it grabbed onto him, causing a painful jolt to run up his right arm once more. The zombie laughed darkly as it threw the boy off to the side with ease. Zam cried out in alarm as he rolled several times across the pavement, landing harshly on the rough cement. The teen clutched at his side as he lay on the ground gasping for breath. He glanced up just as the zombie came at him once more, roaring loudly as it lunged at him once more.
With all of the strength and energy he could muster, Zam forced himself to roll over to avoid the zombie's claws. The monster was swift with its movements, not wasting a single second to attack the teen once more. Zam retorted quickly as he dodged the blows once more. Sweat started pouring down his forehead as his heart pounded erratically inside his rib cage. He desperately reached his hand behind him, grasping at anything he could reach as the creature came at him once again. He felt a surge of adrenaline course through his veins once more when his fingers wrapped around the metal grip of his weapon. Gritting his teeth in pain, Zam pulled the bat upwards and swung it downwards once more, managing to hit the zombie right between the eyes with a crack. The zombie let out a pained cry as it staggered back a few steps.
The continuous back and forth between their attacks kept them on their toes. As long as the zombie stayed on its feet and attacked him, Zam could remain on his feet and fight back. This wasn't an actual battle; this wasn't about killing the zombies either; this was about survival! This was the difference between surviving and dying! If he lost this exchange, then Zam would surely perish.
So Zam continued attacking the zombie relentlessly, attempting every tactic in the book to keep the beast away from him.
'It's too fast to run away from and the wounds are too grievous for me to try anyway...' The teen gasped for air as he tried to dodge the zombie's ferocious swings once more. 'So what do I do... What can I possibly do...!? How...?'
The teen grunted in frustration as he blocked one of the zombie's attacks by placing the end of the bat against its claws. With a growl, it tried to fully bite down on the wooden weapon, only for it to fail in doing so. Zam's eyes perked up as he saw the failing zombie continue to attempt to bite down on the stick.
'It can't break it...' The teen smirked a bit, gripping the steel handle tighter. With a firm pull, he tore the weapon cleanly off from the zombie's maul and tossed the object straight at the zombie's head. It spun in the air, heading straight for the monster's head. Once again, the rod connected with the side of the zombie's skull as it let out a pained shriek.
Not missing a beat, Zam rushed to grab the bat. A wide smirk formed itself on his lips. He charged forward, lashing out wildly at the zombie. The swings didn't stop for a second as the teen continued striking the zombie mercilessly. Each blow landed firmly on the zombie, leaving a small dent in its skin where it connected to the bone. But despite the damage being inflicted on the zombie's skull, Zam could tell that it still remained on its feet. It, however, didn't stop him from delivering blow after blow, continuously knocking the zombie on the head with every swing. And each swing seemed to make the zombie even angrier, seemingly angered by the damage it was receiving.
'I know this isn't a fight...!' He thought to himself angrily. 'This is just a struggle for survival! Nothing else!' The teenager gritted his teeth as he struck the zombie with a renewed frenzy, sending the zombie flying backward once more before it got itself back up. Once again, Zam ran toward it, aiming a fierce kick in its chest. The zombie groaned as it stumbled backward, trying to catch itself as it fell.
'These circumstances aren't fair... I know that much!' Zam's eyes darkened. 'Being forced into such bullshit by someone else!'
'Even if I'm landing hits...!' The teen grumbled to himself as he dashed forward, swinging down furiously at the zombie. 'To this bastard, I'm just an ant squirming around under a giant boot!' The zombie let out another furious moan as it tried to get up, its claw swiping viciously at the air to fend off the blows as its eyes glowed a vibrant red once more.
That was true... In this situation, the teen was nothing more than a bug scurrying around on the dirty floor. No matter how hard he tried to escape the zombie, he wouldn't be able to get away...
The rock bottom of the food chain...
Zam took a steady step forward, glaring at the zombie with fiery eyes. The teen swung the baseball bat, aiming straight at the monster's head once again.
Zam kept moving closer and closer to the zombie as he attacked. The monster steadily regained its footing and standing tall on its bony feet once more, the zombie snarled ferociously, letting out a deafening roar as it launched towards Zam once more.
The zombie slashed its fleshless hand at Zam, the teen being unable to evade the attack in time before it struck him square in the torso, knocking every last drop of air out of his lungs before making contact with his skin. The teen flew towards a nearby wall, crashing against the surface as his entire body slammed into the brick wall with a deafening CRACK!
His limbs suddenly felt limp as he laid there for several moments, completely immobile, his vision blurry as tears began to gather in his eyes once more. He couldn't help but allow a choked sob to escape from the back of his throat as he tried desperately to suck in as much air as he could manage into his lungs. He had no idea how far back he had flown back.
Zam cried out as he slowly dragged himself into a sitting position, his whole frame trembling violently. There was still no way he could beat this thing. It was going to kill him, whether he wanted to or not.
He couldn't fight back anymore. Not when he was so exhausted, weak, and beaten. Everything hurt. His body was bruised and battered with many new and painful cuts. The cut on his leg stung horribly, but he couldn't care less right now. The teen closed his eyes and tried to ignore the fact that he was laying on the concrete floor only a few meters away from the zombie, helplessly waiting to meet his doom.
{Due to unknown factors beyond my control, "User Solis" is being granted immediate teleportation to the nearest Safe Zone, please stand by...}
In an instant, a soft blue glow surrounded the teen. The light gradually faded, revealing an empty space where the young man stood previously.
The zombie, who had been watching in anticipation of victory, growled loudly in displeasure as it hungrily watched the young teen disappear. Its eyes once more shone crimson red, releasing a guttural howl of anger before charging at the wall Zam had crashed into earlier, furious that its dinner had been taken away from it.