POV: Rick
Rick motioned for the group to stay low as he crept forward, his knife glinting faintly in the dim light. The street ahead was littered with debris, the remnants of abandoned cars and crumbling buildings casting long shadows. Amidst the chaos, he spotted movement—a small group of humans, heavily armed and moving with purpose.
"They're patrolling," Rick muttered, glancing back at the group. "Could be scouts from a base."
Sarah peeked over his shoulder, her grip tightening on her crowbar. "Or they could be hostile."
Rick nodded grimly. "We'll approach carefully. No sudden moves."
---
POV: Jenna
Jenna crouched behind a rusted car, her zombie gang growling softly at her side. She patted one of them on the head, whispering, "Alright, guys. Play it cool. No biting unless I say so."
Carl crouched beside her, his sword ready. "You're staying out of sight."
Jenna raised an eyebrow. "Aw, Carl. Worried about me?"
Carl's jaw tightened. "If they see you, it'll escalate. Let Rick handle it."
Jenna sighed, leaning against the car. "Fine. But if they start shooting, I'm not just sitting here."
---
POV: Rick
Rick stepped into the open, his hands raised to show he wasn't a threat. The patrolling group immediately turned their weapons on him, their postures tense and aggressive.
"Don't move!" one of them shouted, a burly man with a shotgun aimed squarely at Rick's chest.
Rick stopped, his voice calm. "I'm not looking for trouble. Just passing through."
"Yeah, right," the man sneered. "Nobody 'passes through' anymore. State your business."
"We're survivors," Rick said evenly. "We're looking for supplies and information."
"Information?" another member of the group, a wiry woman with sharp eyes, stepped forward. "About what?"
Rick hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "There's something happening underground. A… stone. It's spreading."
The group exchanged uneasy glances, their weapons still trained on him. "Stone?" the woman repeated, her voice low. "You're not making any sense."
---
POV: Jenna
Jenna peeked over the car, watching the exchange with growing impatience. "This is taking too long," she muttered. "Rick's not exactly a people person."
Carl placed a hand on her shoulder, keeping her in place. "Stay here."
"But—"
"Stay," Carl said firmly, his eyes locking onto hers. "Trust him."
Jenna huffed, leaning back down. "Fine. But if they shoot him, I'm stepping in."
Carl didn't respond, his attention returning to the humans ahead.
---
POV: Rick
Rick kept his hands steady, his voice calm but firm. "Look, I know how it sounds, but I'm telling the truth. There's a threat underground, and it's growing. If we don't stop it—"
"What are you, some kind of conspiracy nut?" the man with the shotgun interrupted, his tone mocking. "You expect us to believe that?"
The wiry woman frowned, her sharp eyes narrowing. "Wait. You said 'we.' Where's the rest of your group?"
Rick tensed, his gaze flicking briefly to the car where Jenna and the others were hiding. "They're nearby. But they're not a threat."
"That's for us to decide," the man growled, stepping closer. "Call them out. Now."
---
POV: Jenna
Jenna groaned, standing up with her hands raised. "Okay, okay. Don't get your glowing rock in a twist."
The patrolling group froze, their weapons snapping toward her. The burly man's eyes widened as he took in her zombie gang, who stood protectively around her.
"What the hell is this?" he shouted, his voice laced with panic. "She's one of them!"
"Whoa, whoa!" Jenna said quickly, waving her hands. "Let's all take a deep breath and not do anything crazy, like shooting the friendly zombie."
The wiry woman's eyes narrowed. "Friendly?"
"Yeah," Jenna said with a sheepish grin. "I'm like, the world's most awkward undead ambassador. Hi."
---
POV: Carl
Carl stepped into the open, his sword gleaming as he placed himself between Jenna and the patrol. "She's with us."
The burly man's grip on his shotgun tightened. "With you? Are you insane?"
"She's different," Carl said calmly. "And she's saved our lives more times than I can count."
The wiry woman studied Jenna, her sharp gaze taking in every detail. "You're intelligent."
Jenna smirked. "Why, thank you. I don't get that a lot."
"Shut up," Carl muttered under his breath, but there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes.
---
POV: Rick
Rick stepped forward, his hands still raised. "She's telling the truth. Jenna's not like the others. And if you give us a chance, we can explain everything."
The burly man looked unconvinced, his shotgun still aimed at Jenna. But the wiry woman seemed to be considering Rick's words, her gaze flicking between him and Jenna.
"Alright," she said finally. "Talk. But if I don't like what I hear, you're all dead."
Rick nodded, lowering his hands. "Fair enough."
---
POV: Jenna
Jenna let out a relieved breath, lowering her crowbar. "Cool. So, who wants to hear about the glowing murder rock?"
The burly man groaned, muttering under his breath. The wiry woman, however, raised an eyebrow. "You've got five minutes. Start talking."
Jenna grinned, stepping forward. "Oh, you're gonna love this story. It's got everything—zombies, glowing stones, and me. Mostly me."
Carl sighed, rubbing his temples. "This is going to be a disaster."