Cooper rearranged his backpack, hanging the baseball bat on the strap and slipping the knife into his pocket for easy access. He stood at the door, raising his ears to listen carefully. The corridor outside remained deathly silent, with no unusual sounds. He took a deep breath, gently opened the door, and peeked outside.
The dim corridor was clear of zombies, but the air still reeked of decay. He closed the door and moved slowly along the wall, scanning the rooms on both sides with a wary gaze. His goal was to search the remaining rooms on this floor, hoping to find more supplies.
The first room's lock was very sturdy. He tried to pry it open with his knife, but the lock cylinder seemed stuck. He didn't spend too much time on it and turned to the next room instead. This door's lock was obviously old, and he managed to open it in just a few minutes.
As he pushed open the door, a musty smell hit him. The room was cluttered with furniture and dust, but he quickly checked and confirmed no zombies were hiding. In the kitchen cabinet, he found an unopened bottle of mineral water and several expired cookies, which made him breathe a sigh of relief. Though not delicious, these foods were enough to sustain him in the current situation.
After searching this floor, Cooper decided to move upstairs. He walked to the stairwell, where the corridor seemed even colder, and the mold and blood stains on the walls looked horrifying in the flashlight's beam. His steps were still as quiet as a cat's, but his heart was beating clearly with an unknown fear.
Just as he was about to step on the stairs, a flash of red caught his eye - it was a fire axe.
The fire axe was mounted in a wall-mounted fire box with shattered glass, quietly lying there as if waiting to be used. Cooper's heart leaped with joy as he approached to examine it carefully. Though there was some rust, the axe blade remained sharp, and the handle was intact.
"This is definitely better than the baseball bat," he whispered to himself, hanging the baseball bat on the side of his backpack and gripping the axe handle, feeling its heavy weight.
He swung it a few times. While slightly heavy, it was undoubtedly a more powerful weapon for dealing with zombies. Taking a deep breath, he gripped the fire axe and continued climbing upstairs.
Just as he stepped onto the next stair, a low, hoarse growl suddenly reached his ears, raspy and piercing. Cooper's heart tightened, and he stopped in his tracks. He quickly pressed against the wall, holding his breath, gripping the axe tightly, and scanning the corridor ahead warily.
A zombie slowly emerged from the shadows of the corridor. Its skin was grayish-white, eyes cloudy and lifeless, with dark red liquid dripping from the corner of its mouth. Its clothes were in tatters, with multiple rotting wounds that emitted a strong putrid smell.
The zombie seemed unaware of Cooper, dragging its heavy steps while wandering in the corridor. Each step was accompanied by a slight scraping sound, making the scene incredibly eerie.
Cooper's heart raced, but he knew this was a good opportunity. He had to eliminate the zombie before it discovered him, or the consequences of attracting more zombies would be unimaginable.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. Gripping the axe handle, he slowly approached the zombie.
Cooper's footsteps were almost silent. His gaze was fixed on the zombie ahead, its back twisted and stiff, its gait sluggish, each step creating a jarring sound of shoe soles scraping the ground. The putrid smell grew stronger, making Cooper's stomach churn uncomfortably. He took a deep breath, trying to suppress his fear, his hands gripping the axe handle trembling slightly from the tension.
When he was just two meters away, the zombie seemed to sense something was wrong. It suddenly stopped, stiffly turning its head, its cloudy eyes staring directly at Cooper. The next second, it let out a sharp screech, like a startled beast, and lunged toward Cooper.
"Now!" Cooper muttered to himself, instantly raising the axe with a heavy whoosh, aiming directly at the zombie's head.
Crack!
The axe blade precisely split the zombie's forehead, instantly embedding into its skull with a tooth-grinding cracking sound. Murky black blood spurted out, splashing on Cooper's face and clothes, accompanied by a strong, foul stench. He didn't flinch but instead gritted his teeth, applying all his strength to press the axe downward, completely splitting the zombie's skull.
The zombie's movement abruptly froze. Its arms stiffly raised, almost touching Cooper's shoulder, but just as it was about to make contact, the entire body collapsed like a puppet losing its support.
Cooper gasped and watched as the blade of the axe remained embedded in the zombie's head, he didn't relax and immediately stomped on the zombie's chest with his foot, grabbed the axe handle with both hands, and yanked hard.
Pfft!
The axe head was pulled out, accompanied by a sticky sound and an even stronger stench of black blood that spilled all over the floor. cooper took a few steps back and swung the axe in his hand, trying to shake off the brains and broken flesh that adhered to the blade.
However, he had no time to celebrate his victory. The hissing and crashing that had just occurred stung in the dead silence of the building, and had probably attracted other walkers. He quickly looked around to make sure there were no more threats before looking at the bodies at his feet once again.
Despite the victory, the sensation of the foul-smelling liquid staining his arms and clothing, as well as the resistance of the skull he had just split open, made his stomach lurch. Fighting back the dry heaves, he forced himself to look at the fallen walker and whispered, "You're not human anymore, just a monster."
Cooper stepped on the sticky blood, holding the fire axe as he slowly walked forward, his mind still haunted by the memories of the battle he had just fought. The axe handle in his hand seemed to still have the vibration coming from the zombie's skull as it cracked, and the feeling made his back tingle.
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and pushed down the uneasiness in his heart.
The light in the hallway was even dimmer, and the smell of rot and dampness filled the air. His ears were constantly catching the movements around him, and every sound of wind blowing or slight friction made his nerves tense up. It was in this oppressive silence that he vaguely heard a small sound.
"Thud ... thud ... thud ..."
The sound seemed to come from one of the rooms ahead, as if someone was gently tapping on the wall.
Cooper stopped in his tracks, gripped his fire axe tightly, and pricked up his ears to carefully identify it. The sound was regularly spaced, and the tapping wasn't sharp, but instead carried a certain rhythm. His heart skipped a beat - it didn't sound like a walker, but more like someone trying to send a signal.
"Someone?" He whispered to himself, his eyes fixed on the half-hidden door of the room in front of him. That was where the voice seemed to be coming from.
He hesitated for a moment, two voices coming to mind at once. One voice reminded him that this could be a trap; while the other was filled with anticipation; after all, finding survivors meant hope and the possibility of living longer.
"There's only one way to find out." He gritted his teeth and carefully approached the door