CHAPTER 68: 68: THE WORLD IN FLAMES

The growls echoed closer, low and guttural, sending a chill down Winter’s spine. He crouched behind an overturned car, scanning the darkness with his rifle.

Beside him, Zara clutched Leo tightly, her breathing quick and shallow. The scavengers were scattered in the intersection ahead, their flashlights creating jagged beams in the night.

Winter’s focus shifted between the scavengers and the shifting shadows creeping closer from the other direction.

"Let’s move," Winter muttered under his breath, his voice steady despite the adrenaline surging through him. His knuckles whitened around the rifle’s grip. Zara looked at him, her pale face catching the faint moonlight.

"Where? They’re everywhere," she whispered.

Before Winter could respond, a scavenger panicked.

"Over there!" the man yelled, raising his weapon. The sharp crack of a gunshot split the night, echoing off the buildings.

Winter swore under his breath. "Damn it."

The response was immediate. From the shadows emerged the creatures—twisted, feral things with elongated limbs and clawed hands that scraped the asphalt. Their glowing eyes pierced the darkness, locked onto the scavengers who had just revealed their position.

The first scavenger screamed as a creature pounced, its claws tearing through flesh with grotesque ease. Blood sprayed across the pavement, black in the dim light.

Another scavenger fired wildly, hitting both a mutated undead and his own comrade. Chaos exploded.

"Stay low!" Winter barked, pulling Zara down as a creature’s screech reverberated too close for comfort.

The remaining scavengers opened fire, bullets pinging off walls and shattering windows. The creatures were relentless, lunging and slashing with animalistic ferocity.

One scavenger dropped to his knees, clutching his throat as dark crimson seeped between his fingers.

Another was tackled into the street, his panicked cries drowned out by the wet crunch of teeth sinking into flesh.

The scavengers scattered, some firing, others running. The creatures moved with terrifying speed, leaping between their prey, ripping apart anyone too slow to react.

Winter watched as one of the creatures grabbed a scavenger, snapping his neck before dragging the corpse into the shadows.

"Go!" Winter hissed to Zara, nodding toward a gap between two crumbling buildings. He took point, keeping them shielded behind him. Zara stumbled but followed close, her grip on Leo unwavering.

They sprinted through the gap, entering a narrow alley. The neighbourhood beyond was a maze of abandoned homes and overgrown yards, their escape route as unclear as their chances of survival. Winter led them through a back gate, into a yard where a rusted swing set creaked in the breeze.

Zara suddenly faltered, clutching her head. "No... no, no," she muttered, her steps slowing. Her eyes glazed over, her breathing uneven.

She found herself in a dusty dark room, there were lots of shadows running around the periphery of her vision. Then her vision filled with a fiery explosion. Winter stood at its heart, engulfed in flames, his figure disintegrating into ash.

"Zara?!" Winter grabbed her arm, steadying her before she collapsed. "What the hell are you doing?" His tone was sharp, but he gave her a small shake, snapping her out of it.

Her lips parted as if to speak, but she hesitated. Winter raised an eyebrow, the faintest smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You can’t fall asleep on me, princess," he teased, his voice laced with forced calm.

Zara blinked hard, swallowing back the words of her premonition. "I—I’m fine. Just keep moving."

Before they could take another step, a growl sounded ahead.

Two creatures emerged from the darkness, their grotesque forms backlit by the faint glow of a distant fire. Winter raised his rifle, firing a well-placed shot that tore through the closest one’s skull. It crumpled with a sickening thud.

The second lunged at Zara, its claws outstretched, but Winter swung the butt of his rifle into its face, shattering bone. Then he planted a boot into its chest and pulled the trigger again.

"Keep going!" Winter urged, yanking Zara forward.

They ducked through another backyard, weaving between toppled fences and abandoned furniture.

The distant screams of the scavengers, the snarls of the creatures, their own ragged breaths, everything seemed amplified in the dark.

The trio reached a dilapidated garage, its metal door hanging ajar. Winter pushed them inside, scanning the space for anything useful.

The garage was cluttered with rusted tools, propane tanks, and old furniture. The space was cramped, cluttered with rusted tools and debris.

Winter scanned the room, breathing heavily.

"Now what?" Zara whispered, her voice shaky.

"Now we hope they pass us by," Winter said grimly, loading another magazine into his rifle.

Their hope was short-lived. The sounds of snarls and footsteps grew louder, joined by the shouts of scavengers.

"They’re coming," Zara said, gripping a wrench she’d found on the floor.

The garage door rattled violently, claws screeching against metal. A scavenger’s voice shouted from outside. "They’re in there! Get the girl!"

Zara’s stomach turned. They still think we’re valuable. Figures.

Stay behind me," Winter ordered.

"No chance," Zara shot back, already scanning the room for anything useful. Her eyes landed on the propane tanks in the corner.

"We can use these," she said, already moving toward one of the tanks. Winter nodded, no questions asked as he covered her to set up a makeshift trap.

Outside, the snarls grew louder. Scavengers and creatures alike converged on their position, the chaos of the fight getting closer.

Zara worked quickly, her fingers trembling with nerves but getting things done. Leo peered over her shoulder at Winter who was standing between them and the door.

Memories of Mia flashed through her mind—showing her how to set traps, only to

Zara shoved the thought aside, focusing on the present.

A zombie broke through the side of the door rushing straight for Zara. Winter’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t think—he fired, the bullet tearing through the creature’s skull.

"You’re welcome," he said, smirking despite the chaos.

"Don’t get cocky," Zara shot back, dragging the tank closer to the door.

The doorway became a chaotic flood of scavengers and undead, the two groups clashing in a violent, blood-soaked melee. A scavenger fired a handgun wildly, the muzzle flash illuminating the mutated zombies—sharp-toothed mouths agape, their sinewy bodies moving with terrifying speed.

"Zara!" Winter shouted, ducking behind a rusted car as a bullet pinged off the metal.

"I’m on it!" she yelled back, grabbing a crowbar from the workbench. She swung it at a scavenger who had slipped past the chaos, the metal connecting with a sickening crunch that sent him sprawling.

Another mutated zombie leapt into the fray, its claws slicing through the air as it lunged at Zara. She barely dodged, stumbling backward and slamming into the workbench. Her hand closed around a wrench, and she swung it instinctively, the heavy tool striking the creature’s skull. It let out a screech, staggering but not falling.

Winter vaulted over the hood of a car, his rifle raised. He fired once, then twice, the shots hitting the zombie in the chest and head. It fell with a wet thud, and he pulled Zara to her feet.

"Stay close," he ordered, his voice tight.

The scavengers weren’t giving up. One of them hurled a Molotov cocktail, the glass shattering against the far wall and igniting an explosion of flames. The fire illuminated the carnage—scavengers fighting to stay alive, mutated zombies tearing through their ranks, and Winter and Zara caught in the middle of it all.

Winter fired another shot, dropping a scavenger who had ventured too close. "Hurry up, Zara!"

"I’m almost—done!" she said, stepping back just as a mutated creature clawed its way into the garage.

Winter met it head-on, his rifle blasting a hole in its chest. Another leapt at him, its claws grazing his arm before he slammed it into a workbench, driving a screwdriver into its skull.

Zara fought off a scavenger who grabbed her arm, using a wrench to crack his jaw. She spun, kicking another in the stomach before grabbing a metal pipe and swinging it with all her strength.

Winter’s rifle barked again, keeping the creatures at bay as Zara turned back to her work quickly. She flicked a lighter, her hands trembling, and tossed it toward the propane tank just as a mutated zombie lunged for her.

The propane tank hissed, and Zara yelled, "Get down!"

Winter tried to grab her and Leo, pulling them to the ground as the tank exploded.

The explosion was deafening. The blast sent a wave of heat and fire roaring through the garage, the force knocking Zara off her feet and sending debris flying. The flames consumed everything in their path, creating a fiery barrier between them and their attackers.

Zara groaned, pushing herself up on trembling arms. Her vision swam, but she forced herself to focus.

"Leo?!" She looked down at her baby who stared back at her with wide eyes. Besides the shock, which had become a daily occurrence at this point, he wasn’t physically hurt. She released a deep sigh and kissed his forehead softly. "I’m sorry baby, we are almost out of here."

She raised her head, trying to assess the damage of her trap and find their way out. The whole place was in chaos, people and zombies on fire, stumbling about and spreading the flames.

This was their chance to escape. She spotted Winter on the other side of the flames, frozen in place, his eyes locked on the inferno.

"Winter!" She called out, "Let’s go!" She rushed towards the open side of the garage.

But the fire’s light froze Winter in place. His eyes locked onto the flames, his expression distant, haunted.

"What the?" Zara frowned, skidding to a halt. What was he doing?

"Winter!" Her voice cut through the noise, but he didn’t move.

A creature lunged toward him, its claws inches from his throat just as the burning roof above them caved in.

It was exactly like she had seen earlier. Shit!

She sprinted through the chaos, her boots skidding on the blood-slick floor, and kicked the creature square in the face. It flew backwards, crashing into a pile of metal scraps.

"Snap out of it!" she yelled, grabbing Winter’s arm and dragging him away from the flames. "We’re not dying here!"

He blinked, the spell broken. Nodding, he followed her as they scrambled through the garage’s back door, entering a narrow drainage tunnel. The smell was overwhelming, but the darkness provided cover.

They waded through the murky water, the sounds of chaos fading behind them. Zara clutched Leo, her grip firm as they emerged into the outskirts of the city.

The night had quieted, the horrors left behind—for now.

They found refuge in a partially collapsed warehouse, its skeletal remains providing just enough shelter.

Zara dropped to her knees, clutching Leo tightly. Winter collapsed beside her, his rifle falling to the ground with a clatter.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, simply trying to catch their breaths and see if they had been followed.

Finally, Zara broke the silence. "What was that?"