His speed bolted, his heart pounding like a drum. Behind him, the zombie let out guttural growls, its footsteps slamming against the ground with unnatural force.
The endless graveyard stretched out before him, its dark expanse filled with broken tombstones and uneven terrain.
Asher sprinted as fast as his legs could carry him, dodging around jagged headstones and cracked statues of forgotten saints.
The air was cold and damp, and the scent of decay was thick enough to make him gag.
Every step felt heavier, and the ground seemed to conspire to slow him down with sudden dips and loose patches of dirt.
"This is definitely not a dream!" he shouted between ragged breaths, his voice shaking.
He dared to glance back and instantly regretted it. The zombie was gaining on him, its decayed body moving with a jerky yet horrifying speed.
Its one dangling eye seemed to lock onto him, unblinking and relentless.
Asher's lungs burned, and his legs screamed for rest, but the fear of being caught pushed him forward.
The graveyard seemed to twist and stretch with every turn, offering no sign of escape. He passed open graves, some with skeletal hands reaching out as if they too wanted to drag him down.
"Why does this place never end?!" he yelled, the terror in his voice echoing through the desolate air.
His foot caught on a loose root, nearly sending him sprawling, but he managed to catch himself.
The stumble cost him precious seconds, and he could hear the zombie's growls growing louder behind him.
The ground trembled slightly with each of the creature's steps. Asher weaved between a cluster of toppled tombstones, hoping to slow the creature down.
His mind raced, trying to form a plan, but the only thought that repeated itself was to run.
A chilling screech filled the air as the zombie pushed over a massive headstone in its pursuit. This move of his slowed down the zombie a little.
Asher jumped over a freshly dug grave, his breathing ragged. His body was reaching its limit, but the sight of the relentless monster kept him moving.
"Come on, come on, wake up already!" he muttered, his voice cracking.
He clenched his fists, trying to ignore the searing pain in his palm from earlier. The graveyard remained endless, an oppressive maze to him since there was no end.
The chase stretched on, and though Asher didn't know how long he had been running, the nightmare only seemed to deepen.
When suddenly, the ground beneath him trembled as he stepped, and a decayed hand shot up, grabbing his foot and stopping his progress.
Looking at his leg, he saw the disfigured creature clawing its way out of the dirt, debris falling from its decayed body.
"Oh shit, I'm dead!" he shouted but made fast actions by kicking it to release his leg.
Since he knows that long, direct touch from their hands will hurt him, when he escapes, he dashes back as the zombie holding him appears. Now, there are two.
Asher stumbled back, his chest heaving as the second zombie clawed its way out of the dirt, its rotten body are in full display.
Its hollow eyes locked onto him, and a guttural growl escaped its broken lips.
"Oh, great! Now there are two of them!" he muttered while brushing his teeth; his mind was racing.
He glanced between the two creatures, his silver hair matted with sweat. "If I keep running, I'm dead. Think, Asher. Think!"
(This is a reference from a series if you wanna know)
The first zombie, the one that had chased him relentlessly, finally arrived. It let out a hoarse screech and lunged toward him, its movements jagged but fast.
The second one followed, its decayed joints creaking as it dragged itself upright.
"Nope. Not dealing with both of you!" Asher shouted, his eyes darting around for anything that could give him a chance.
A half-broken tombstone caught his attention just a few feet away.
Without hesitation, he darted toward it, weaving between the uneven graves as the two zombies followed.
Reaching the tombstone, Asher spun around and shouted, "Hey, ugly!" He waved his arms at the first zombie, deliberately drawing its attention.
The creature lunged again, its rotting fingers clawing at the air. Asher jumped back, narrowly avoiding its grasp, and used the tombstone to distance himself from the second zombie.
"Alright, just one of you now," he muttered, sweat dripping down his face. His plan was a bit risky, but it was his only shot.
He moved carefully, stepping sideways to keep the first zombie focused on him while angling away from the second.
The creature growled and stumbled after him, leaving its newly risen counterpart behind.
When the distance between the two zombies widened, Asher made his move. He sprinted toward another patch of uneven graves, forcing the first zombie to follow while the second one faltered, turning in confusion.
The plan worked, the second zombie lost track of him entirely, wandering among the tombstones.
"Okay, one down," Asher whispered, relief flooding him. But there was no time to celebrate.
The first zombie was still on his heels, its guttural growls growing louder as it closed the gap.
Asher's eyes darted around until he spotted a jagged rock, about the size of his hand, lying near an open grave.
Grabbing it without hesitation, he turned to face the zombie, his heart pounding. The creature lunged, its mouth wide open, revealing cracked, jagged teeth ready to sink into his flesh.
"Not today!" Asher yelled, swinging the rock with all his strength.
The crude weapon smashed into the zombie's face with a sickening crunch, cracking its skull and sending bits of rotted flesh flying. The creature staggered back, its growls turning into a distorted gurgle.
Asher didn't wait to see if it would recover. He struck again, slamming the rock into its head until it collapsed, motionless, into the dirt.
Panting heavily, Asher stepped back, his hands trembling. "Well... that worked," he muttered, staring at the lifeless form.
His gray-tinged hand still burned with pain, but he couldn't stop now. The graveyard was silent again, but he knew it wouldn't last.
Picking up the rock and wiping his sweat, Asher steeled himself.
"If this is just the beginning, I'm so screwed," he muttered before turning his gaze toward the endless expanse of graves.
When suddenly ding...