POV: Rick
Rick stood at the edge of the camp, his eyes scanning the dark forest. The distant calls of mutated creatures echoed faintly, their guttural cries sending chills down his spine. He gripped his knife tightly, the weight of their situation pressing down on him.
"We can't stay here long," he muttered to Sarah, who was crouched nearby, sharpening her blade.
Sarah glanced up, her expression grim. "We just got here, and we're already talking about leaving?"
Rick nodded, his gaze unwavering. "Kane's not going to let up. And those… things he's controlling—they're only going to get worse."
Sarah sighed, standing and wiping her blade on her pant leg. "Great. Another sleepless night."
Rick's lips twitched into a faint smile. "Better tired than dead."
---
POV: Jenna
Jenna sat on a rock near the campfire, idly tossing a glowing crystal from hand to hand. It had come from the alpha wolf they'd taken down a few days ago, and Jenna had quickly claimed it for her hoard.
"Do you even know what that does?" Carl asked, appearing out of nowhere.
Jenna nearly dropped the crystal in surprise. "Geez, Carl, can you stop sneaking up on me? It's bad for my zombie heart."
Carl ignored her complaint, his eyes fixed on the crystal. "That thing could be dangerous. You shouldn't mess with it."
Jenna held the crystal up to the firelight, admiring the way it sparkled. "It's pretty. And it's mine now, so relax."
Carl sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You're impossible."
"That's what everyone keeps saying," Jenna replied with a grin. "And yet, here I am."
---
POV: Kane
Kane leaned against a tree, his sharp eyes fixed on the camp below. The faint glow of their fire flickered through the trees, a beacon in the darkness.
"They're weaker than they look," Theo said, standing beside him. "The chaos is already starting to pull them apart."
Kane smiled faintly. "Good. Let it fester."
"And Jenna?" Theo asked, his tone laced with curiosity. "What's the plan for her?"
Kane's smile widened. "She's the key. Keep her distracted, keep her off balance. The rest will follow."
Theo frowned. "You really think she's that important?"
"She's unpredictable," Kane replied, his voice calm. "And unpredictable people are dangerous."
---
POV: Jenna
Jenna was halfway through convincing her zombie gang to "guard" the camp when a loud crack echoed through the forest. She froze, her eyes darting toward the sound.
"What was that?" she whispered, gripping her crowbar tightly.
Carl appeared at her side, his sword already in hand. "Stay alert."
Jenna rolled her eyes. "You think I'm just going to run into danger like an idiot?"
Carl raised an eyebrow. "Do you want me to answer that?"
Before Jenna could respond, another crack rang out, followed by a low, guttural growl. The camp fell silent, everyone on edge as the sound grew louder.
---
POV: Rick
Rick moved quickly, signaling for everyone to take positions. "Get ready," he whispered, his voice steady. "This isn't a drill."
The growling grew closer, and soon, a pair of glowing eyes appeared in the darkness. Rick's heart sank as more eyes joined the first, their eerie light illuminating the trees.
"Mutants," Sarah muttered, gripping her knife. "And a lot of them."
Rick nodded, his jaw tight. "Hold the line. We can't let them breach the camp."
---
POV: Jenna
Jenna stood near the back of the group, her crowbar at the ready as the first mutant lunged through the treeline. It was smaller than the alpha wolf but just as vicious, its glowing veins pulsing with each movement.
"Alright, team," Jenna said, addressing her zombie gang. "Time to earn your keep. Attack!"
Her zombies groaned in response, shambling forward to meet the mutants head-on. Jenna watched as they clumsily engaged the creatures, their growls mixing with the snarls of their opponents.
"Not bad," Jenna muttered, swinging her crowbar at a mutant that got too close. "We might actually survive this."
---
POV: Kane
Kane watched from the shadows, his expression unreadable. The mutants were doing their job, keeping the group on edge and testing their defenses.
"They're holding," Theo said, his tone tinged with frustration. "Barely."
Kane smiled faintly. "Good. Let them think they're winning. The real test comes later."
---
POV: Jenna
Jenna ducked as a mutant swiped at her, her crowbar connecting with its side in a satisfying crunch. "Ha! Take that, ugly!"
Carl appeared beside her, dispatching another mutant with a swift strike of his sword. "Focus, Jenna. This isn't over."
Jenna grinned. "I'm always focused. This is me at my most focused."
Carl rolled his eyes but didn't respond, too busy fending off another attack.
---
POV: Rick
The battle raged on, the camp a flurry of movement and noise. Rick's knife flashed as he took down mutant after mutant, his muscles burning from the effort.
"We can't keep this up," Sarah shouted, her voice strained. "There's too many of them!"
Rick gritted his teeth, his mind racing for a solution. "Hold the line! Just a little longer!"
---
POV: Jenna
Jenna spotted a break in the line of mutants, their numbers thinning as the group fought valiantly. "We're doing it!" she shouted, a mix of excitement and disbelief in her voice. "We're actually doing it!"
Her celebration was cut short as a massive mutant burst through the trees, its glowing veins brighter than any they'd seen before. Jenna's jaw dropped. "Oh, come on!"