Eli, Alan, and Ethan cautiously left the conference room.
Alan led the way, gripping his crowbar tightly, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings to ensure each step ahead was safe.
Eli followed closely behind, deliberately putting on a fa?ade of unease, though his mind was exceptionally calm.
Ethan brought up the rear, keeping low to guard against any potential danger from behind.
The first floor of the office building was slightly brighter than the conference room. Natural light streamed through the windows, reflecting off the shattered glass on the floor, casting an even eerier atmosphere over the already desolate area.
They had barely walked a few steps out of the conference room when a corner appeared ahead in the corridor.
Alan raised his hand to signal a stop. Pressing his back against the wall, he cautiously leaned forward to check what lay beyond the corner.
His movements were slow and precise, his breathing slightly held, careful not to disturb anything that shouldn’t be disturbed.
In the lobby, a large group of zombies crouched, heads down, gnawing on something with sickening chewing noises that echoed in the hollow space.
Alan slowly gestured for the group to retreat and return to the conference room. The three moved back silently, taking care not to make the slightest sound.
Before long, they were back at the conference room door.
Alan gently pushed it open, and the three slipped inside one by one.
Landon, seeing them return so quickly, instantly realized what had happened.
“"Outside... there are a lot of zombies, right?”
Alan nodded, signaling for Landon to stay quiet.
Landon swallowed hard and leaned back against the wall, saying nothing further.
Alan leaned against the conference table, looking at Eli and Ethan, and let out a quiet sigh.
“The situation is tricky. There are too many zombies in the lobby to move forward. We either leave the building entirely or head upstairs to see if there’s another way.”
Eli nodded, furrowing his brow as he pretended to be deep in thought. “The problem is, if we encounter mutated creatures in the sewers, can the weapons we have now inflict any real damage on them? Of course, the weapons we might find in this office building aren’t necessarily better than crowbars or steel pipes.”
Ethan crossed his arms over his chest and said, "You’re right, but something is better than nothing. There are too many zombies on the first floor, so let’s check the upper floors. Of course, we need to be careful."
Alan nodded, a glint of determination in his eyes. “Alright, we’ll check upstairs. If there are too many zombies, we retreat immediately.”
Eli nodded and said nothing more.
Alan slowly pushed open the conference room door, and the three stepped out in single file.
Their footsteps were light, moving forward cautiously, carefully avoiding the shattered glass and scattered documents on the floor. Alan led the way to the end of the corridor, where the door to the stairwell awaited.
He signaled the two to stop, then cautiously pushed the door open a crack, leaning forward slightly to peek through and observe the situation.
After confirming there was no danger, he gestured to the two behind him to proceed.
They entered the stairwell quietly and gently closed the door behind them, ensuring no noise would attract the zombies'' attention.
The stairwell was dimly lit, but there were no obvious signs of zombie activity.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
Alan glanced upward before speaking softly, “Let’s go up. The target is the fifth floor. Stay as quiet as possible.”
The three of them cautiously ascended the stairs, taking care not to make a sound with each step.
After a brief climb, they reached the stairwell entrance to the fifth floor.
Alan stopped and once again peeked through the door crack to survey the area.
Seeing no immediate signs of zombies, he slowly opened the door.
Just as he did, the door hinge let out a faint creak.
The three instantly held their breath, straining their ears to catch any sound or movement outside.
The office area was eerily quiet, with only a faint breeze slipping through the broken windows, rustling the scattered papers on the floor.
Alan cautiously poked his head out, his eyes scanning the room. After confirming there were no signs of zombies nearby, he signaled for Eli and Ethan to follow.
The office layout was intricate, filled with scattered cubicles and office furniture that severely limited their line of sight.
The floor was smeared with blood, and faint claw marks were visible on the walls. Some desks bore shredded clothing and gnawed bones, grim evidence of the horrors that had unfolded here.
The three did their best to ignore the horrifying sights around them and pressed on.
They carefully maneuvered around a few desks, heading toward a nearby storage room.
Alan tried the door and found it unlocked.
He gently pulled it open a crack and peeked inside.
The room was cluttered with cleaning supplies and various odds and ends. His eyes landed on a fire cabinet mounted on the wall.
Alan’s expression brightened as he cautiously opened the door, stepped inside, and retrieved a fire axe from the cabinet.
Under the current circumstances, the axe was undeniably more lethal than the crowbar in his hand.
He was satisfied, but he didn’t abandon the crowbar just because he had a new weapon—it remained an excellent backup.
Ethan searched through a set of storage lockers on the other side of the room.
He quickly found a sturdier metal rod, far more durable than the rusted metal stick he had been using.
Swinging it lightly, the rod whistled through the air, drawing a faint grin of approval on his face.
He didn’t discard his original weapon either. Even if he didn’t use it himself, it could be given to Landon.
In addition, he discovered a discarded utility knife at the bottom of the locker.
While it wasn’t particularly sharp, it might come in handy in certain situations.
Eli found a metal baseball bat that seemed to have been used by someone for batting practice during breaks or left behind from a company recreational event.
He gripped the baseball bat, feeling its weight. It was sturdy and strong, making it an excellent striking weapon.
In addition, Eli also found several pairs of work gloves.
Alan slipped on a pair, nodding approvingly. “Not bad. Better than nothing.”
Throughout the search, the three remained on high alert, their ears attuned to every faint sound in the surroundings.
Whenever the wind howled through the broken windows or papers fell from a desk, their eyes would immediately dart to the source of the noise, their nerves stretched taut with tension.
After a moment, Ethan estimated the time. It had already been over ten minutes.
“We can’t delay any longer. We need to leave now.”
The three exchanged a glance and quickly decided to retreat.
Alan took the lead, Eli followed close behind, and Ethan brought up the rear as they carefully made their way back to the stairwell.
After taking just a few steps, a faint noise suddenly came from nearby.
Though the noise was soft, it pierced through the silence of the corridor like a sharp alarm.
Alan immediately raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop.
Eli and Ethan froze in place, holding their breath, their eyes fixed on Alan.
It was clear something was approaching, and it was highly likely to be zombies.
Alan made a swift decision, signaling to change their route and retreat through another stairwell.
The three moved quickly, their footsteps so light they seemed to glide over the ground.
Before long, they reached the alternate stairwell without incident.
Alan cautiously pushed the stairwell door open. After confirming it was clear of zombies, he motioned for Eli and Ethan to go in first.
The three filed inside, and Alan closed the door behind them, exhaling in relief.
Though the journey was brief, every step felt like walking on a knife’s edge, where even the smallest mistake could have triggered a deadly crisis.
Moments later, the conference room door creaked open.
Landon jumped in surprise, his heartbeat accelerating as he stared nervously at the entrance.
Only when he saw Alan, Eli, and Ethan walk in did he let out a long breath of relief.
His previously tense shoulders relaxed, and a hint of reassurance appeared on his face.
Ethan approached Landon and handed him the rusted metal rod. “Take this.”
Patting Landon on the shoulder, Ethan spoke with a tone of encouragement. “We’ve got a long road ahead. You need to pull yourself together.”
Landon looked down at the metal rod in his hand, took a deep breath, and a trace of determination began to surface in his eyes.
While the others were out looking for weapons, he had been trying to convince himself to stay calm and be strong.
Landon wasn’t sure if he could be as strong as the others, but he knew he had no choice but to grit his teeth and push forward.
“I’ll do my best,” he said firmly.
Alan nodded, acknowledging Landon’s effort.
He could see that the young man was doing his best to be brave.
Scanning the room to ensure everyone was ready, Alan spoke in a low voice,
“Next, we’ll proceed to the sewer entrance as planned. Stay silent and alert the entire time. If anything feels wrong, retreat immediately—don’t take any risks.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, and Alan, satisfied, gave the order:
“Let’s move out.”