"ARE YOU ALL JUST GOING TO STAND THERE?!"
Kalsie's voice thundered through the tense and grim air, each word carrying the weight of authority and a burning urgency.
His eyes glinted into the hesitating survivors who yielded to the fear that had ensnared them, and said, "Do you really believe you're safe just because you're at the back of the pack?"
"Listen! We are not your babysitters! They can die just as easily if you aim for their heads!" Kalsie's words sliced through the apprehensive silence like a blade.
"SO IF YOU WANT TO LIVE, THEN YOU MUST MAKE A CHOICE! FIGHT WITH US OR STAY BEHIND AND COWER LIKE COWARDS, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU ALL ARE!"
For a brief moment, the atmosphere hung heavy, as if time itself had stopped to listen.
The lives of every person present teetered on the edge of a life-altering decision. But Kalsie's words were not hollow; they were a call to awaken the dormant courage within each heart.
Then, as if ignited by Kalsie's fiery words, the crowd began to react.
"HUH?! WHAT DO YOU THINK OF US? LOSERS?!"
"JUST BECAUSE I STAYED BACK DOESN'T MEAN I AM A COWARD!!"
"HOW DO YOU THINK I SURVIVED BEFORE!? I CAN ALSO FIGHT!!!"
"LET'S SHOW HIM WHAT WE CAN DO!!!"
With a resounding "HOOOO!" of newfound determination, one by one, individuals pushed past their fear and anger, emboldened to confront the Dead Walkers.
Some charged forth with fierce determination, ready to prove their mettle. Yet, despite the rallying cry, there were still those who remained behind, choosing to embrace their fear rather than face it head-on.
'At least it influenced some,' Kalsie thought, his heart heavy but hopeful.
Over sixty souls were among them, and in the face of the terrifying dead walkers, at least a third of their number, including Kalsie and his steadfast friends, took up arms and charged.
Fear still etched its cruel lines upon their faces, but they chose to defy it, driven by the primal urge to protect themselves and those they held dear.
"HA!" Nicole thrust her spear into the oncoming horrors, desperately trying to keep one at bay while Jack and Job swung their weapons with unrestrained fury, shattering skulls and rending flesh.
Meanwhile, Fred, Noah, Bella, and Nick held their positions behind, loosing arrows at every opportune moment to support their front-line companions.
"Stay close and watch each other's backs!" Kalsie's voice cut through the chaos as he shouted, an urgent reminder to those who charged ahead without thought for strategy.
In an instant, three dead walkers leapt upon him with their decaying forms.
However, fearless and resolute, Kalsie acted swiftly.
With the humming sound, his blade danced through the air, severing the neck of the nearest assailant.
Then, without wasting a second, he swiftly pushed the second one away, narrowly avoiding its outstretched jaws.
The third, driven by insatiable hunger, lunged at him.
Slash! But Kalsie moved with precision, dodging the snapping jaws and ending the creature's existence with a single swing of his sword.
"Growl!!" A menacing growl brought Kalsie's attention to his rear.
The dead walker he had pushed aside had already crept back, lurking behind him, postioned to strike. But an arrow came slicing through the air and pierced the creature's skull ending its advance.
"Don't worry, I've got your back!"
Fred's confident voice rang out from behind as he professionally drew the bowstring, another arrow finding its mark and slaying yet another dead walker.
"Good shot!" Kalsie acknowledged.
Witnessing their collective prowess and feeling the tide slowly turning in their favor, Kalsie addressed the survivors, saying, "Everyone, we can conquer this together! Just a few more pushes!"
"OOO!!!!!"
"YEAH!!!"
Their relentless battle raged on, minutes melding into moments as they methodically reduced their macabre adversaries.
The once formidable horde had been whittled down to a mere thirty remaining Dead Walkers, a testament to the power of unity and teamwork.
However, their triumph was tinged with exhaustion.
"This is the advantage of working together! But…" Kalsie's inner thoughts echoed with the unspoken truth.
The toll of the battle had left them drained, their stamina waning even with the miraculous orbs that replenished their strength.
"GROWLLL!!" Suddenly, an ominous growl pierced the air, reverberating through their hearts.
Panic seized them as a voice from the rear shattered the brief respite, summoning their attention to an unthinkable sight.
"!?!" They trembled at the face of the nightmarish reality that loomed behind them.
More than seven hundred Dead Walkers advanced relentlessly, a malevolent wave of death bearing down upon them. The cruel irony of their situation sent a shiver through the collective spirit.
Their faces drained of color, and anxiety gripped their souls.
Confronting a mere eighty Dead Walkers had already tested their limits, and now an overwhelming force of seven hundred converged upon them. Fear clawed at their hearts.
"Damn it! I never expected them to close in so quickly! If we linger here any longer, that horde will overtake us!" Kalsie's sharp mind quickly processed the dire situation. He knew they had no choice.
"EVERYONE, RUN FORWARD! IGNORE THE DEAD WALKERS!" Kalsie's voice rang out, a desperate plea for survival. They had to flee, forsaking the few remaining Dead Walkers that still blocked their path.
"RUN!"
With urgency coursing through their veins, they bolted forward. Even if a Dead Walker lurked too close, they brushed it aside, driven by the instinctual need for escape.
Their pace remained sluggish, their bodies drained of stamina, yet they managed to put some distance between themselves and the pursuing Dead Walkers.
However, those who had lingered in the rear, avoiding the earlier battle, faced a far grimmer ordeal.
"Run!"
"Don't shove me!!!"
"Save me!! AHHH!!"
"It's closing in on me!! GGAHHHH!!!"
"P-Please! D-Don't abandon me! AHHH!!!!"
"!!" Earlier, Kalsie hadn't considered the fate of those who had remained behind when he had urgently commanded everyone to flee and ignore the Dead Walkers.
These individuals, gripped by terror, had not responded when Kalsie called for assistance. Had they lent their strength earlier, they might have vanquished the fiends more swiftly and reached the safety of the building with no casualties.
Instead, avarice and self-preservation propelled them to jostle and trample one another, each desperate to evade their impending doom.
A cruel irony unfolded as the Dead Walkers claimed several of them as easy prey.
"Damn it!!" Kalsie clenched his teeth, tormented by the anguished cries echoing from behind.