Danny sat on the ground, struggling to catch his breath. It wasn't just from the fall. It was the crushing weight of reality that had caught him. The sun was mostly down , casting long shadows across the desolate landscape. He knew that this place was becoming more dangerous with each passing moment. With a deep, shaky breath, he gathered the strength to stand, moving toward the shattered remnants of a house.
As he approached, dread stroked him. He wiped the tears from his cheeks, calling out.
"Alex! Where are you!?" His voice trembled, echoing back in the stillness, but there was no response. He began to clear away his path, tossing aside broken beams and concrete slabs, desperately searching for a sign of Alex. Each piece he moved felt like a weight lifting, yet every moment brought him closer to a truth he feared to confront.
Then, through the haze of dust and despair, he spotted a gloved hand—Alex's hand—sticking out from beneath a heavy slab. Panic surged through him. "No, no, no!" he cried, his heart pounding as he frantically pushed the rubble aside.
As he uncovered Alex's body, the sight was more than he could bear. Blood pooled around him, a contrast to his pale skin. Danny fell to his knees, overwhelmed by grief.
"Please, just wake up! I can't... I can't do this without you...I can't live without you." Tears streamed down his face as he clutched Alex's cold body, unwilling to accept that he was gone.
"Why did you have to save me?" Danny whispered, his voice breaking. "You should've run. I'm the one who had to die, not you!" He held Alex close, feeling the warmth that still lingered in his skin, a cruel reminder of the night before when they had shared laughter and hope.
Gathering his resolve, he pressed two fingers against Alex's neck, searching for a pulse. After what felt like an eternity, he felt a weak thrum, like a distant heartbeat.
"Come on, shrimp." He brushed a strand of hair away from Alex's face, his hand trembling as he caressed his cheek.
"Survive... you have to." he murmured, his determination igniting a flicker of hope. With a surge of strength, he lifted Alex into his arms, staggering as he made his way through the crumbling remains of the house. But as he stepped outside, the darkness enveloped him like a shroud.
In the distance, a sound shattered the eerie silence—a horrifying sound of heavy footsteps, cracking branches, and blood-curdling screams. Danny's heart raced as he turned to see a monster emerging from the shadows. The fungus zombie that had attacked Vanessa was now barreling toward him, its grotesque features twisted in a hunger for flesh.
Danny hissed, gently laying Alex against the remaining wall inside the half crashed house. He quickly rummaged through his jacket and pulled out a crumpled letter, its edges worn and yellowed with age. He tucked it into Alex's jacket, a last gesture of hope before facing the creature. "If I die... you deserve to know the truth."
The monster was only a hundred meters away now. Danny pulled out his sniper rifle, determination coursing through him. He took a deep breath, steadying his aim. One shot, two shots—each bullet found its mark, but the creature kept advancing, its primal rage undeterred.
Danny fought with all his might, delivering blows with his fists and feet, but the creature was stronger than he had thought. A brutal strike from its spiny tail sent him crashing into the remnants of the wall, pain exploding in his head as he hit the ground. He could feel the coldness of blood on his face, as the monsters tail cut one half of it.
Dazed, he opened his eyes to see the monster approaching him. But amidst the chaos, he heard another sound—a low rumble, engines roaring . Confused, he blinked against the bright light coming from the darkened woods.
Suddenly, military vehicles burst onto the scene, headlights piercing the gloom. Danny felt relife but was quickly overwhelmed again as the zombie screeched in agony, the light scorching its fungal body.
Then came the gunfire—five quick shots rang out. Danny turned to see Vanessa, her gun steady as she targeted the creature. Just then, Owen emerged from the vehicle, wielding a powerful spotlight. He shone it on the monster, which shrieked and writhed as the light engulfed it, shrinking back into the darkness. Then Owen looked directly to his best friend.
"Never again," Owen muttered, pulling Danny up from the ground, holding him in hug. Danny is his savior, like a brother to him. Thinking about his death nearly gave Owen a sharp hit in heart.
"Where's Alex?" Vanessa asked, her voice trembling with fear and concern, tears brimming in her eyes.
Danny felt hollow. Pain coursing through him as he forced himself to stand. He stepped back into the ruins, heart pounding as he emerged with Alex cradled in his arms, a fragile hope flickering in the pit of his stomach.
"He's alive, but it's bad," Danny said, his voice cracking as he let the words spill forth. Vanessa rushed forward, checking Alex's pulse, her hands trembling. Tears streamed down her cheeks , still trying to stabilize herself.
"We should head back. And not to get attacked again. Let me carry him, you can barely stand." Owen urged, his voice laced with concern.
Danny walked past him, to the vehicle. "I don't have a third arm," he replied, managing a weak smile that masked the weight of grief pressing down on him as he cradled Alex's limp body against his chest.
Owen opened the large doors of the vehicle, before taking the driver's seat. . As the vehicle began, Vanessa immediately turned her focus to Alex, she rushed heal his wounds. She worked with precision, her hands steady and sure as she cleaned and bandaged the gaping cuts, desperate to stop both the external and internal bleeding.
Danny remained silent, his gaze fixed on Alex's pale face, willing him to wake up, to somehow fight through the darkness that enveloped him. Every second felt like an eternity, the rhythmic thump of the engine a constant reminder of the situation they were in.
"You alright?" Vanessa's voice broke through his thoughts. She glanced over at him, concern etched across her features.
He snapped back to reality, blinking rapidly as he realized how lost he'd become. "I might hate you a little more right now, but I'll save that for when this is all over," she said, "Do you want me to fix that cut?" She pointed at the gash on his face.
Danny nodded, grateful for the distraction. "Yeah, that would be good," he mumbled, lost in the memories and worries.
Vanessa leaned closer, her expression serious as she cleaned his injuries. "How did all this happen? Did Alex make it in time? I don't understand how he got hurt," she pressed, her hands deftly moving over the bandages.
He sighed deeply, recalling the chaos that had unfolded. "At one point, I thought I heard him calling my name," Danny began, his voice barely above a whisper. "I thought I was imagining things until he came barreling in, hugging me. In that moment, pushed me out the window just before the bomb went off. He stayed inside." The weight of those words hung heavily in the air, each word was a dagger in his heart.
"How did he even know about the bomb?" Danny was seeking for and answer.
"When they left you with those two guards, they planted a bomb somewhere and came to our location," She explained. "They dragged me into a room and locked me up while they tied others. They told us the bomb would explode where you were, easily killing you . They had plans to take me somewhere else. But Owen and Alex managed to break free and fight back. The last I saw was Alex sprinting out of the building, racing to save you."
She stopped for a moment, as she looked at Danny's cut. "Owen wouldn't let me follow him. Alex told us not to come looking for you if you don't show up within an hour. We couldn't just sit there. We found the keys and took a vehicle that the two soldiers were supposed to use to head back to base. We came as fast as we could."
As she finished her explanation, she gently wrapped a bandage around Danny's shoulder. He could feel the warmth of her hand, a reminder that they were still alive, still fighting.
"If Alex saw you right now, he'd be speechless," she said, trying to lighten the mood with a soft smile.
"I can almost hear him yelling at me," Danny replied, allowing a bittersweet smile to break through the sorrow.
"He'd definitely be angry, like, 'You need to take care of yourself!'" Vanessa mimicked Alex's voice, then added with a chuckle, "But he'd probably be even more smitten with you now that you look like... that creepy kid who looks like a Joker."
"Jeff? For sure," Danny laughed, the sound a welcome relief amidst the tension.
"Yeah, that one," she confirmed, nodding as she packed her medical supplies away. But then her expression turned serious again, the gravity of their situation returning. "Harding, do you... do you actually love him?"
The question hung in the air, heavy and unexpected. Danny felt his heart race, caught off guard. He didn't even know how to respond, not to Owen, and especially not to Vanessa, whose gray eyes seemed to penetrate his very soul. The silence felt unbearable.
"Vanessa," he finally said, his voice trembling with emotion. "If Alex dies, then I die too." His words were raw and honest, echoing the depth of his feelings.
Soon, the vehicle stopped. Just before Vanessa opened the door, gunfire echoed from outside. Her heart raced as she stood at the door, waiting for something to happen. Then Danny stood up, waving his hand for Vanessa to step back from the door. He stood in front of them with a gun in hand, waiting.
At that moment, the door swung open. Luckily for Danny, it was Owen, and he was relieved to see that Danny was just holding the gun ready to shoot. It could have ended badly.
"What kind of badboy are you pretending to be? It's all clear now," Owen joked as he opened both doors. Danny turned to Alex and lifted him up. Vanessa followed them out through another door into the house they had been sabotaged. Owen stayed behind, keeping an eye out for any zombie attacks like the one they had just faced.
Inside, Vanessa signaled Danny to place Alex on an old couch. Owen entered right after and pushed a cabinet against the door for extra security. As Danny scanned the room, he noticed fresh blood on the floor, as if something had been dragged.
"Where did this blood come from? Did they break in?" he asked.
"No, luckily it's not from zombies. Alex lost control for a moment and shot the soldiers who left you behind." No one could blame Alex, those soldiers had almost tried to kill them. But for Danny, it was still shocking to think Alex was capable of taking a life.
"Listen to me, both of you," Vanessa said, her voice suddenly serious as she looked at them intently.
"I'm done with this. Did you think I'd cry and not know where I am? Alex is alive. He will survive, I know him. He's too stubborn to let death catch him. But that's exactly why we've made it this far." She paused, pulling out a cigarette.
"Now it's time to end this shit. We're heading to Mosin, the three of us, while Alex stays safe with us behind..." She looked at Danny. They expected chaos, but Vanessa seemed focused and determined.
"You'll keep an eye on him, you'll protect him. Owen and I will finish this." Her words shocked both men.
"What? No, you can't go like that!" Danny was worried.
"Wait, when did you change your mind? You're giving him the job of protecting your best friend," Owen said, genuinely surprised. Danny just shot him a look.
"Seriously like after all this time, how did you not realize he'd lay down his life for Alex if needed?" Feeling called out, Danny glanced down, trying to hide his face.
"Everyone makes mistakes." Vanessa took a drag from her cigarette. "I misjudged, but when this is all over, Harding..." Saying his last name made Danny look up at her, who was now standing right in front of him.
"You'll tell him everything about the letter. I don't know what happened, we have two different stories. But Alex will find out... or I'll tell him about the picture you keep in your jacket." That was Vanessa's checkmate. Her words echoed in Danny's mind, especially the part about the picture. He looked at her, pale.
"Don't try to deny it. I saw it. Owen showed me." She flicked her cigarette to the ground, signaling the tension in the room.
"YOU WITCH, I TOLD YOU TO KEEP UR MOUTH CLOSEED!" Owen yelled, pacing around the table, trying to avoid Danny, who was right behind him.
"That's because you stopped me today." She leaned against the wall, watching Danny and Owen grapple on the floor. Danny didn't want to hurt his friend, but they would always fight at any chance they got.
"Kids," quiet voice spoke up but the loudest for the three of them. Then everything paused, their heartbeats growing louder in the silence.