"Yeah, what's up? Wait—hold on. If you're about to confess you're into guys, just so you know, I don't swing that way."
"I hate you, Frank. No, I'm not gay. I'm telling you I've died before—hell, I've seen you die before. Back in that city up north."
Frank squinted at me like I'd just told him I was the tooth fairy."What the hell are you talking about? And how do you know about the city up north?"
"Because every time I die, I wake up right back here!" I snapped, my voice cracking under the weight of it.
Silence. Then—"Pfft—HAHAHAHA!" Frank doubled over. "Bro, that's some grade-A bullshit. You sound like my cousin when he did shrooms and swore the fridge was talking to him."
I clenched my jaw. This idiot. If I mention Sarah, he'll probably put a bullet in me again.
His laughter carried on… until the loop reset. Same beats. Same streets. Same everything—until I found the Desert Eagle.
"Frank, let's go this wa—"
Too late. The voice echoed again.
"FRANK, PLEASE HELP ME!"
"Sarah?! I'm coming!" Frank bolted just like before. But this time, I sprinted ahead, gun drawn.
Rounding the corner, I met it—the bug-like freak. Two jagged claws for a mouth, teeth grinding in the middle. I was close enough to line the sights.BANG.
The bullet pierced straight through its temple. The monster dropped like a sack of meat.
I didn't even look at Frank. "Next time, don't run off just because you hear a familiar voice. I had to aura-farm a little anyway."
That's when it really hit me. My curse. I couldn't die… well, I could, but every time I did, I reset. Over and over. The catch? I still felt every single second of the pain.
"Louis," Frank finally muttered, "you gonna tell me what the hell that zombie was? How did it even know Sarah's name?"
I took a breath. "They're called Mirrormen. They can mimic how people look… and they dig into our memories, pull out things they shouldn't know. They use it against us. But they don't know everything."
Frank narrowed his eyes. "Then how do I know you're not a Mirrorman?"
I grinned. "You don't. Guess you'll just have to trust me."
We pressed on. Eventually, a hospital came into view. Oddly, no zombies yet—a red flag in a city this size.
As we crossed the street, three figures appeared ahead. Survivors. I called out, "HEY! We're human! Can we team up?"
They froze. Weapons raised. Instinctively, I lifted my hands. Frank? Of course not. He raised his damn gun right back.
"We come in peace!" I shouted. Step by step, we closed the distance until their voices carried.
"Stick your tongues out," the bearded leader ordered.
We exchanged looks but obeyed. He lowered his weapon. "Sorry, had to make sure you're not shapeshifting bastards."
"Mirrormen, huh?" I asked.
"Call 'em what you want. Their tongues turn yellow. One bite, and you're done."
Introductions followed."Name's Louis. This is Frank."
"Tommy," the leader said, shaking my hand. "Tom, if we're keeping it short. Let's survive this nightmare together."
His crew: Pops, the grumpy uncle type with shades and a bat. And then there was Jojo—petite, brown hair, green eyes, tracksuit tighter than survival gear had any right to be.
Damn. She's smoking.
"Nice to meet you, uh…" I started.
"It's Jojo."
"Isn't that… a guy's name?"
"It's my name," she snapped.
Fair enough.
Tom laid out the plan: "Hospital roof. Helipad. If we're lucky, it's an evac point."
"Lead the way. We'll cover you," I offered.
Frank? He was babbling. "Man, this reminds me of that one time me and my cousin had a group project—"
Then came the growl.
"Frank. Shut up."
The shadows trembled.
"RAHHHHHHHH!"
"SHIT, A BANSHEE!" Frank screamed.
BANG. Missed.BANG. Headshot. Too late. The noise attracted the swarm.
"RUN! Hospital's in sight!" Tommy barked.
Then—silk. White threads lashed Jojo, yanking her off her feet.
"SHIT! Something's got her!" I snapped my aim upward. A humanoid spider perched on the roof, six arms twitching, stomach splitting open to reveal jagged teeth.
The monster reeled her in.
I charged, firing into the horde, each bullet thinning the tide. Frank's cover fire kept me alive long enough to reach her.
Tommy's group managed to bring the spider down, but by then, the swarm had closed in.
We were trapped.
I refused to quit. The memory of being eaten alive was still fresh in my nerves. No way in hell was I letting it happen again.
"MOVE!" I roared, blasting through the undead. But they just kept coming.
Jojo sat on the ground, eyes hollow, giving up.
"DAMN IT, HOW COULD YOU JUST LIE DOWN?! DON'T YOU GET IT? IF YOU WON'T FIGHT TO LIVE, THEN BE THE DAMN BAIT SO I CAN SURVIVE!"
Her eyes widened. Something in her broke—then reformed. She rose, knife in hand, and started stabbing with feral desperation.
For a moment, hope sparked. Then—click.
"OUT OF AMMO!" I cursed. "HELP US, DAMN IT!"
But Tommy, Frank, and Pops… they were running. Abandoning us.
I looked at Jojo. Her lips trembled. "That's why… I gave up."
Pain exploded through me. Teeth ripped into my arm, my shoulder, my stomach.
"AHHHHHHHH—FUCK! IT HURTS!" My screams tore out of me, raw, desperate. "JOJO! HELP ME!"
But she only cried, tears streaming as the horde consumed us both.
And then—darkness.