The morning sun rose over the ruined streets. For the first time in days, there were no screams—only silence.
Breddy looked over the growing group of survivors.
"Everyone, follow me. I know a place."
The group exchanged nervous looks before following him through the abandoned neighborhoods. Burned-out cars littered the streets, and every shadow made them grip their weapons tighter.
After nearly an hour of walking, Breddy stopped in front of a two-story house.
"This is my place."
He unlocked the door and slowly stepped inside.
No zombies.
No broken windows.
Just dust and memories.
"It's not much," Breddy said, "but from now on... this is headquarters."
Everyone immediately relaxed.
Some collapsed onto couches.
Others raided the kitchen for canned food.
The manager began boarding up the windows while Shijiki checked every room to make sure the house was secure.
For the first time since the outbreak...
Everyone finally rested.
Breddy walked upstairs into his bedroom.
His old life was still there.
Family photos.
Video games.
A Walmart employee badge hanging on the wall.
He smiled sadly before opening his closet.
A few minutes later, he walked downstairs wearing clean black cargo pants, combat boots, fingerless gloves, and a fresh black shirt.
Over it was something he had spent years customizing...
A dark-blue Walmart tactical vest.
The Walmart spark logo was still stitched proudly across the chest, but the vest had been modified with magazine pouches, knife sheaths, flashlight mounts, and extra storage for survival gear.
It looked less like an employee vest...
...and more like military equipment.
Raven looked up from cleaning her pistol.
She froze for a second.
"Damn..."
Breddy looked down.
"What?"
Raven smirked.
"I've never seen someone make a Walmart vest look badass."
The room laughed.
Breddy rubbed the back of his neck.
"I made it before all this happened. Thought it'd be cool."
"It is cool," Raven replied, unable to stop smiling.
She caught herself staring at him.
Shijiki noticed immediately.
He leaned over to the manager and whispered,
"I think she likes him."
The manager grinned.
"Oh... definitely."
Raven shot both of them a glare.
"What?"
"Nothing," they answered together.
Breddy spread a map across the dining room table.
"We're running low."
He pointed toward the Walmart.
"We need ammunition, food, medicine... and better weapons."
Silence filled the room.
Everyone knew going back would be dangerous.
Raven stepped forward first.
"I'll go."
Breddy looked at her.
"I'm going too."
Shijiki immediately stood up.
"I'm coming."
Breddy shook his head.
"No."
"What?"
"This trip needs to be fast and quiet. Two people only."
Shijiki frowned.
"But—"
"I need you here."
Breddy placed a hand on his shoulder.
"If something happens while we're gone, someone has to protect everyone."
Shijiki sighed before nodding.
"...Fine."
Breddy turned toward Raven.
"You ready?"
She smiled and checked the magazine in her pistol.
"I've been waiting all morning."
As the front door opened, the two stepped into the silent streets together.
Neither of them noticed the pair of glowing eyes watching them from a rooftop across the street.
Something...
was following them.
-Back to Hell-
The streets were silent.
Breddy and Raven walked side by side through the abandoned neighborhood, rifles slung over their shoulders. Every parked car, every alleyway, every broken window could be hiding something.
Raven broke the silence.
"So... you really customized a Walmart vest?"
Breddy chuckled.
"People used to make fun of me for it."
"They're not laughing now."
She smiled.
"I wasn't joking back there... it looks good on you."
Breddy looked away, trying not to blush.
"...Thanks."
Raven smirked.
"Cute."
Before he could answer...
CRASH!
A zombie burst through the window of a gas station.
Breddy reacted instantly.
Instead of pulling his gun, he grabbed a loose metal pipe from the ground.
One swing.
CRACK!
The zombie hit the pavement.
Another came charging.
Breddy side-stepped it with an MMA move, threw it over his shoulder, grabbed a broken street sign, and drove it straight through the zombie's skull.
Raven watched in disbelief.
"You really use anything as a weapon..."
Breddy shrugged.
"If it hits hard enough..."
"...it's a weapon."
Raven laughed.
"I like your style."
As they rounded the corner...
They both froze.
The Walmart parking lot was no longer empty.
Hundreds of zombies wandered between abandoned shopping carts and wrecked cars.
Some wore Walmart vests.
Some were customers.
Some were police officers.
And standing in front of the entrance...
A massive zombie wearing riot armor slowly turned its head toward them.
Breddy gripped his shotgun.
Raven chambered a round.
Breddy smiled.
"Ready to go shopping?"
Raven grinned.
"After you, handsome."
The riot zombie let out a deep, terrifying roar.
Every zombie in the parking lot slowly turned toward Breddy and Raven.
"...Well," Breddy sighed, pumping his shotgun.
"I guess they saw us."
Raven smirked.
"Guess we're not sneaking in anymore."
The horde exploded into a sprint.
"RUN!"
The two survivors sprinted through the parking lot, weaving between abandoned cars and shopping carts. Zombies lunged from every direction.
A zombie tackled Raven.
Before it could bite her...
BANG!
Breddy blasted it off her with his shotgun.
"You good?"
Raven stood up, brushing dirt off her dress.
"You just ruined my dramatic entrance."
Breddy laughed.
"You can thank me later."
They burst through the shattered Walmart entrance.
The automatic doors were frozen halfway open.
Inside...
The store was almost completely dark.
Emergency lights flickered red overhead.
Shopping carts lay overturned.
Blood covered the white tile floors.
A distant growl echoed through the building.
Raven whispered,
"This place feels worse than before."
Breddy nodded.
"Because now we know what's hiding in here."
He pointed toward the overhead aisle signs.
"Sporting Goods."
"If there's anything left..."
"...that's where it'll be."
The two moved carefully through the aisles.
Every step echoed.
Then...
A small voice.
"...Help..."
They froze.
Raven slowly looked around.
"You heard that too?"
"...Help..."
The voice came from the camping department.
They rushed over.
Behind a display of tents sat a frightened teenage boy, no older than sixteen.
His leg was trapped beneath a fallen shelf.
"I thought... I was gonna die..."
Breddy immediately lifted the shelf off him with a grunt.
"You won't."
The kid looked at the two of them in disbelief.
"You actually came back..."
Raven smiled.
"Looks like today's your lucky day."
"My name's Tyler."
"Breddy."
"Raven."
Tyler grabbed a hunting knife from the shelf and limped to his feet.
"I can fight."
Breddy shook his head.
"Can you run?"
"...Yeah."
"Good."
"Then stay behind us."
Just as they reached the locked Sporting Goods cage...
The lights suddenly came on.
Every television in Electronics lit up.
A calm computerized voice echoed throughout the store.
"Attention Walmart Associates."
"Inventory lockdown has been disabled."
"Please return to your assigned departments."
Everyone stood still.
Then...
The entire building shook.
Heavy footsteps echoed from somewhere in the back warehouse.
...
THUD.
...
THUD.
...
THUD.
Raven slowly looked toward the stockroom doors.
"Tell me that's not another riot zombie..."
Breddy tightened his grip on his shotgun.
"I don't think..."
"...it's a zombie."
Something huge slammed against the warehouse doors.
The metal bent inward.
Another hit.
The hinges began to break.
Tyler whispered,
"...What the hell is in there?"
-The Warehouse Monster-
BOOM!!
The warehouse doors exploded off their hinges.
Dust and broken metal filled the air.
Everyone raised their weapons.
Out of the darkness...
...a massive figure slowly stepped forward.
It was a Walmart forklift.
Driving it was a giant man wearing torn tactical armor and a blood-covered Walmart coach badge.
His eyes were normal.
Not white.
Not glowing.
Human.
He slammed the forklift to a stop.
"...You're not zombies."
Breddy lowered his shotgun slightly.
"No..."
"We're survivors."
The giant climbed off the forklift.
He stood nearly 6'7", built like a linebacker.
A fire axe rested on one shoulder.
His tactical vest was patched together with Walmart gear just like Breddy's.
"My name's Mason."
"I've been trapped in this warehouse for six days."
Raven frowned.
"If you're alive..."
"...what was chasing you?"
Mason slowly looked back into the darkness.
His expression changed.
Fear.
"I wasn't hiding from zombies."
Something screeched.
Not growled.
Not moaned.
A high-pitched scream echoed through the warehouse.
Everyone turned.
Then...
A zombie crawled across the warehouse ceiling.
Its arms and legs were unnaturally long.
Its jaw hung open almost to its chest.
It moved like a spider.
Tyler whispered,
"What... is... that?"
Mason answered quietly.
"I call them..."
"Climbers."
Before anyone could react...
The Climber launched itself off the ceiling.
BANG!
Raven fired first.
The bullet tore through its shoulder.
It didn't stop.
The creature landed directly in front of Breddy.
Its claws slashed toward his face.
Breddy ducked.
He grabbed a nearby baseball bat off a sporting goods display.
CRACK!
The bat shattered across the creature's jaw.
The Climber spun around and lunged again.
Breddy dropped the broken bat...
...caught a hockey stick...
...and slammed it across the zombie's head.
SNAP!
The stick broke in half.
Raven laughed even while firing.
"You seriously use EVERYTHING as a weapon!"
Breddy smirked.
"If it's in Walmart..."
"...it's a weapon."
The Climber screamed again and jumped toward Tyler.
"No!"
Breddy sprinted.
Using a stack of dog food bags as a step, he launched himself into the air.
WHAM!!
A flying side kick smashed the Climber into a shelf full of camping gear.
Tents, lanterns, and coolers crashed down on top of it.
Raven didn't waste the opportunity.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
The final bullet pierced its forehead.
Silence.
The Climber stopped moving.
Everyone stared at its twisted body.
Tyler slowly looked at Breddy.
"...You're insane."
Breddy picked up another shotgun from the Sporting Goods rack and smiled.
"Nah..."
"I just work at Walmart."
Everyone laughed.
For a brief moment...
...it felt normal again.
Then the store speakers crackled to life.
"Warning..."
"Unknown bio-signatures detected..."
"Additional infected entering the building..."
Outside...
Hundreds of footsteps echoed across the parking lot.
Mason looked toward the front entrance.
His smile disappeared.
"They found us."
The glass entrance doors began to shake violently as an even larger horde started forcing its way inside.
To Be Continued...