I jolted awake, my heart hammering in my chest as I blinked against the dull light filtering through the torn curtains. For a moment, I didn't know where I was or how I had even fallen asleep. My body ached, stiff from being curled up on the cold floor, pressed against the barricade I had made out of furniture and debris. I couldn't remember the moment I let my eyes close, but the exhaustion must have finally caught up to me, dragging me under whether I wanted it to or not.
The silence in the room was oppressive, broken only by the occasional drip of water from the leaky pipe in the ceiling. Outside, I couldn't hear anything. No screams. No growls. No movement.
Were they gone?
I forced myself to sit up, my muscles protesting with every small movement. My mouth was dry, my throat parched, and I realized I hadn't eaten or drank anything since yesterday—or was it longer? Time didn't feel real anymore, slipping through my fingers like sand. The world had collapsed, and with it, the structure of days and hours had vanished, replaced with a never-ending haze of fear and survival.
My barricade was still intact, though the door hung crooked on its hinges, the wood splintered from where the creature had tried to force its way in. I pressed my ear against the door, listening for any signs of life—or death—outside. Nothing. Just the low hum of silence, heavy and oppressive.
I should have felt relief, but instead, a cold dread settled in my stomach. How long will I keep living like this?
I pulled my knees to my chest, hugging them tightly as I stared at the wreckage of my apartment. The chaos of my rushed barricade had left the place in shambles. Broken furniture, overturned shelves, and scattered belongings made the room feel even smaller than it already was. The mess mirrored the chaos in my head—scattered, frayed, and on the edge of collapse.
My phone lay discarded on the floor, the battery long dead. Isla. The thought of my sister hit me like a punch to the gut. She had been bitten, crying, begging for help, and I had done nothing. I had been too afraid, too weak to even leave my apartment. I didn't even know if she was alive anymore—if she had turned, like everyone else out there.
I'm sorry, Isla… I whisper it like it would somehow reach her as I rocked back and forth, still hugging tightly to my legs.
I'm sorry I let you down. I'm sorry for every mistake that led me here, hiding while you were out there… facing it alone.
Please forgive me
A sob caught in my throat, but I swallowed it down. Crying wouldn't help. It never had. I had always been the quiet one, the one who let everyone else handle the world while I hid in the background. Isla had been the star—bright, loud, full of life.
The silence pressed in harder, thickening the air. I couldn't stay here forever, but the thought of leaving—of facing whatever was out there—made my chest tighten with fear. I wrapped my arms tighter around myself, trying to hold on to whatever small piece of control I had left. But deep down, I knew the truth. The world had changed, and there was no safe place anymore.
A loud bang from outside the apartment made me jump, my heart leaping into my throat. I froze, my breath catching as I strained to listen. Was it one of them?
Another bang, this time closer, followed by the unmistakable sound of shuffling feet. My blood ran cold. It's back.
Oh my God... It's fucking back
I scrambled to my feet, my body shaking as I looked around for something—anything—that I could use as a weapon. The fire extinguisher. It was still lying in the corner where I had dropped it after my fight on the fire escape. My hands trembled as I grabbed it, clutching it tightly in front of me like a lifeline.
The noises grew louder, footsteps echoing through the hallway outside my door. I held my breath, my back pressed against the wall, trying to make myself as small as possible. The creature—or whatever it was—was right outside, lingering just beyond the barricade. I could hear its low growl, the wet sound of its labored breathing.
Oh God. It knows I'm here.
The doorknob rattled, and I squeezed my eyes shut, my knuckles white as I gripped the extinguisher. My heart pounded in my ears, each beat louder than the last. I could feel the fear crawling up my throat, threatening to choke me.
For what felt like an eternity, the growling and shuffling continued, the creature testing the barricade, pushing against the door. But then—silence.
I opened my eyes, daring to hope for just a second. Had it left?
Then the door exploded inward with a deafening crack, the barricade collapsing as the creature forced its way inside. I screamed, stumbling back as it lunged at me, its bloodied face twisted into a grotesque snarl.
In blind panic, I swung the fire extinguisher with all my strength, connecting with its head. The creature staggered but didn't fall. It growled, swiping at me with its clawed hands, and I screamed again, barely dodging its attack.
I can't—
It came at me again, and I swung wildly, catching it in the jaw. Blood sprayed across the room as the creature finally dropped to the floor, twitching and convulsing. I backed away, panting, my entire body shaking with fear and adrenaline.
But I didn't feel victorious. All I felt was terror. Because I knew there were more. There would always be more.
I collapsed against the wall, the fire extinguisher slipping from my hands. My entire body trembled uncontrollably, and I realized I was crying, tears streaming down my face as I gasped for breath.
I had survived. Again. But it wasn't strength or courage that saved me—it was pure, blind luck.
How much longer could I count on that?
Because deep down, I knew: luck doesn't last forever.