Undead Rising

"Come on! Only two more rooftops!" Max panted and leaped across the cavernous gap separating the two buildings.

"I can't go any further!" Scott wheezed, slowing his movements.

"We're so close! Just keep going ya lunkhead!" Jess growled and bonked him on the head.

"Owwww…."

They hurled themselves gracefully over the last two rooftops, and looked down at the safe zone. Their salvation was at hand.

"Finally! We're saved!" Scott cheered.

"This place looks pretty safe...but it's so quiet.," Max muttered.

It was a smaller building, 6 stories high and surrounded by dented metal walls. Two tanks sat by their lonesome out front, patches of fire around them.

"That doesn't mean anything, we actually need to get in first." Jess rolled her eyes.

"Right, you got a plan to get down?" Max asked and turned to her.

Jess paused and looked around, scanning the area for a way to the ground.

"There!" She suddenly pointed toward a pipe running down the building opposite them, "We jump and slide."

"Oh come on…" Scott drooped and w.h.i.n.ed.

"This is it, and then we're saved, just do it man." Max assured him.

With a grunt, Jess leaped and slammed into the pole, and exclaimed with delight and slid down.

"That was fun! Your turn lunkhead!" She called from below.

"Don't push me this time." Scott grumbled and jumped.

He made it, but bumped into the pipe too hard and loosened its grip on the wall.

"Come on Max!" Jess called once again.

He nodded, took a deep breath, and leaped. He latched onto the pipe.

SNAP!

It popped off the wall, and he fell. With one chance to save himself, he kicked off the wall and crashed through the window of the building opposite him. Glass shards flew everywhere, some stabbed into him and created little bloody patches.

"God this needs to stop happening…" He g.r.o.a.n.e.d and sat upright.

"MAX!" His two companions called out.

He peeked out the window and shouted down to them.

"Get to the safe zone! I'll meet you there!"

"We can't just go without you!" Scott complained.

"I'll be there quick I promise! Just go!"

They had no choice. Arguing would attract too much attention and be wasting too much time. So, with one last glance, they disappeared around the corner.

"Alright, let's get the hell outta here…" Max sighed to himself and moved on.

Hearing silence instead of the usual chatter from his friends was really bothering him. It was just too quiet. The building was abandoned just like everywhere else. His footsteps thumping down the stairs was the only noise breaking the silence. It was so unnerving, by now Max knew that a threat or a monster could appear at any minute. He didn't want to take the risk, so he brandished his cleaver. Just in case. He arrived on the second floor and stopped. Something caught his eye. A red ball cap with a "J" on it laid on the floor, covered with bloodstains. To anyone else, it just looked like some rotty old cap. But Max scrambled over to it and scooped it up.

"If this belongs to who I think it is…"

He read the name tag residing in the caps innards.

"He was here…."

Not wanting to waste any more time, Max stuffed the cap in his bag and moved on. First floor, almost out. A low growl rang out, and Max instantly dived for cover. A creature hobbled into view and sniffed the air. Max knew it could smell his flesh. Once it got a whiff, it gurgled and started to look around, trying to find the source of the smell. The smell of a living being. Once it's back was turned, Max rolled toward the door and was out in a flash. He was about 10 feet away from the group of monsters. They all moved around aimlessly, like they didn't know what to do. Max turned and headed for the gate of the safe zone. A feeling of relief washed over him as he touched the smooth metal gate. It wasn't one with bars, no. It was flat like a wall, and he couldn't see inside. But he was finally happy to be safe. Finally. He knocked on the door three times.

"Hello? Is anyone there!"

No answer. Was no one home? They had to be, it was THE safe zone. He knocked again. Silence. His knocking didn't go unheard though. He turned to see the group approaching him fast, growling and groaning, aching to feast on him.

"Shit!"

He moved over to the wall and jumped, trying to grab on and climb over. But it was no use, the wall was too high. Was this the end? Hell no. With swift movements, Max climbed up one of the abandoned tanks, and kicked off, giving him enough height to grab the wall and lug himself over. He collapsed on the other side, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I actually f.u.c.k.i.n.g made i- AH!!" He shrieked in fear as he turned and came face to face with Jess and Scott.

"Hey, you made it!" Scott whispered cheerfully.

"Took you long enough." Jess muttered.

"Why are we whispering…?" Max asked and raised an eyebrow.

Jess and Scott shushed him and motioned for him to crouch down. He obliged and asked again.

"Why are we whispering?" He whispered.

Scott darted his eyes to the side and pointed. Three military guards marched back and forth on a set path.

"Oh, shit….why are we hiding..?"

"Just a precaution. These guys didn't let us in for a reason, so if they catch us…" Jess made a slicing motion at her neck with her finger.

"Right." Max nodded and looked around, "So now what?"

"We get in and talk to someone who'll be more understanding." Scott told him and pointed to the double doors leading into the 6 story building.

"We need to get past the guards first, so we need a distraction."

"Ok, I'll attract their attention. You two head in and talk to someone." Max told them and dashed over to a bush on the opposite side of Jess and Scott's hiding place. Max grabbed the bush and rustled it. The guards didn't even say anything, they just turned and approached the noise. Max nodded to his companions and watched them run to the doors. Now he had to avoid these guys, which were about to reach him. He peeked around the corner of the bush and gasped.

They were monsters.