Dominic and I made a silent agreement to leave Sammy behind as we closed the room door behind us, enveloping ourselves in darkness with only the moonlight to lead our way around. I opted for a butcher knife from his kitchen, finding it wieldier than the gun he retrieved from behind his back. We agreed that moving without a light source would minimize our chances of attracting unwanted attention from the lurking zombies and we didn't think holding a candle would light much anyway. Gripping the largest wrench I had ever seen, Dominic held it tightly as we stood in tense silence, straining to detect any hint of movement beyond the door. Objects barricading the door lay scattered to the side.

When the moment was right, Dominic took the lead, cautiously stepping out into the hallway. I followed closely behind, grateful that my apartment door wasn't too far away. Yet each step through the pitch-black corridor felt like an eternity, the darkness swallowing us whole.

I clung to Dominic's shirt for guidance, relying on his presence to navigate the unseen obstacles ahead. Despite the absence of light, the putrid stench of decay assaulted my senses once more, its foul odor clinging to every breath. I tried to block it out, resorting to breathing through my mouth, but the acrid taste of misery still pervaded.

A sudden thud jolted me out of my thoughts, and I reached out instinctively, steadying Dominic as he stumbled over an unseen obstruction. "There's something in the way. Watch your step," he cautioned, taking a bold stride forward and leaving my hand free from his grasp.

Trapped in the suffocating darkness, I felt a wave of claustrophobia wash over me, the imaginary walls closing in around me. The urge to curl up and retreat consumed me, but I clung to the memory of the bright yellow Pokémon walkie-talkie, a beacon of hope guiding my steps forward.

Feeling my way through the darkness, I cautiously lifted my foot, probing the unknown obstacle in my path. As I attempted to step over it, a squishy sound beneath my shoe threw off my balance, sending me crashing to my knees. The cold metal of the knife slipped from my grasp, just beyond my reach, but I managed to retrieve it, the chill of its blade a stark contrast to the warmth of my palm.

Trying to maneuver around the obstruction, I felt something snag at my other foot, holding me captive. Desperate to break free, I traced my fingers along my shoe, encountering a series of textures: soft fabric, followed by something wet and cold, then what felt like hair. Near my shoe, my fingers brushed against my shoelace, tracing its length until I encountered a small, cold metal object attached to it. Further exploration revealed the oval, bendy texture of an ear, causing a shiver of revulsion to run down my spine.

"Camila," Dominic's voice broke through the darkness, his hands reaching out to assist me. "Shit, sorry," he muttered, the realization dawning upon him as he was groping my butt.

Despite the circumstances, a small smile tugged at my lips at his genuine mistake. "Sure you are," I replied lightly, allowing him to help me to my feet. "I can't, my shoe is stuck."

Bending down, Dominic traced his hand along my leg to my shoe, and with a swift motion, he freed me with a satisfying pop. "Thank you," I expressed my gratitude as I stood on my feet again.

His soft chuckle echoed in the darkness, a fleeting moment of levity that momentarily whisked us away from the perilous reality. But the screech at the end of the hall swiftly yanked us back, a harsh reminder of the danger lurking around every corner. Gripping his hand tightly, we quickened our pace, the urgency propelling us forward.

Navigating by touch, we located my door, the familiarity of the knob guiding our hands. With practiced precision, Dominic set to work, the faint sound of metal against metal signaling his attempts to pick the lock. With a muted click, the door yielded, and we rushed inside, slamming it shut behind us.

My apartment offered some respite from the oppressive darkness of the hallway, the moonlight filtering through the open window casting a pale glow. Hastening to the small hall closet, I retrieved the flashlights we had stashed, passing one to Dominic. Illumination flooded the room as we switched them on, our beams cutting through the shadows.

I darted to my room, the flashlight's beam dancing over every surface as I scoured for the precious walkie-talkie. A flash of disappointment washed over me as I came up empty-handed, but determination fueled my search as I headed to the living room, leaving Dominic to comb through the kitchen.

Retracing my steps from earlier, my heart quickened as I finally spotted the device resting on the TV stand. "I found it," I announced triumphantly, clutching the invaluable lifeline in my hand. Excitement bubbled within me, the prospect of reaching Tio injecting renewed energy into my veins.

Dominic joined me, "Okay, let's hurry back," he urged.

"Wait," I interjected, veering towards my mother's room. Retrieving a small metal box from beneath her bed, I set aside the knife, its blade glinting in the flashlight's beam, and opened the box. A picture of my father and mother sitting on the hood of a car-they looked young. A pang of regret pierced my heart at the sight of my father. Memories flooded back, reminding me of the missed opportunities to reconcile with him, the ache of his absence palpable.

Setting the photograph aside, I reached for what I had come for. The weight of my father's gun felt substantial in my hand, its cold metal a stark contrast to the warmth of my skin. Tucking it securely under my shirt, I couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for the one thing my father had taught me well – how to handle a gun.

Returning to Dominic's side, I clutched the walkie-talkie in one hand and the flashlight in the other, the weight of the gun a solemn reminder of the risks ahead. With bated breath, we waited for any sign of danger before venturing out once more into the unknown.

Dom eased the door open, his movements deliberate as he scanned the hallway for any sign of danger. With a cautious glance in both directions, he signaled for me to follow. Stepping into the corridor, my flashlight illuminated the horrors we had passed in the darkness. Bloody handprints smeared across the walls, lifeless bodies strewn haphazardly across the floor, their limbs splayed in grotesque angles, bearing the scars of bullet wounds.

Dominic navigated the obstacle course of corpses with practiced agility, clambering over them with determined precision. Following his lead, I picked my way through the macabre scene, each step a grim reminder of the fragility of life. The stench of death hung heavy in the air, mingling with the sticky residue of blood that coated the soles of my shoes.

A sudden gasp escaped my lips as something brushed against my leg, threatening to send me tumbling into the carnage below. Grasping onto the nearest wall for support, I frantically scanned the darkness, only to find a lone hand that had fallen limp to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Dom's voice pierced through the darkness, his flashlight momentarily blinding me.

Shielding my eyes, I nodded in response. "Sorry," he apologized, lowering the intensity of his light.

As my vision adjusted, a chilling realization washed over me. Standing behind Dominic, a tall figure loomed in the shadows, its presence unnoticed by my companion. Panic surged through me as glowing blue eyes glinted in the darkness.

Before I could utter a warning, the figure lunged forward, shoving Dominic to the ground with a sickening thud. My flashlight illuminated the grisly scene unfolding before me: a shirtless man, his body coated in blood, a gaping wound marred his flesh, revealing a network of pulsating veins that snaked across his back like twisted tattoos. The veins seemed to writhe with a life of their own, tracing a path up his neck and head, contrasting starkly against his dark skin.

I rushed to the scene, the butcher knife gripped tightly in my trembling hand, ready to strike. Dominic grappled with the zombie, his movements a desperate dance of survival. With a surge of determination, I lunged forward, aiming to drive my blade into the creature's skull. But before I could deliver the fatal blow, I felt an unseen force hurl me backward, sending me soaring through the air until I crashed to the ground several feet away.

The impact knocked the breath from my lungs, leaving me gasping for air as pain radiated through my chest. Disoriented and disheveled, I struggled to regain my bearings, the screams of agony echoing in my ears like a relentless barrage. The hallway seemed to tilt and sway as I fought to rise to my feet.

With nothing but darkness surrounding me, I frantically searched for my flashlight, its faint beam offering a glimmer of hope in the oppressive blackness. In the distance, I spotted it, its light beckoning me forward. But as I hastened towards it, a bloodied figure lunged out of the shadows, knocking me back to the ground with a bone-jarring impact.

The flashlight slipped from my grasp, its feeble glow tumbling away from me, leaving me vulnerable in the darkness. Panic surged through me as I felt the weight of the zombie pressing down on me. With trembling hands, I clawed at its neck, desperate to keep its gnashing jaws at bay. Each flicker of light offered fleeting glimpses of the horror unfolding before me, driving me to redouble my efforts in search of my lost blade.

The metallic clang reverberated through the darkness, a jarring contrast to the chaos unfolding around me. My fingertips brushed against the cold steel of the knife, tantalizingly close yet agonizingly out of reach. Dominic's scream pierced the air, igniting a primal fear within me as I feared the worst—that he had been bitten.

Beneath the weight of the relentless zombie, my resolve wavered, my shaky arm struggling to maintain its hold. But as the creature's screech echoed through the corridor, a surge of defiance surged through me. This wouldn't be my end. With a primal roar, I shoved the creature's neck back, desperation lending strength to my trembling limbs. Grasping the knife, I drove it into the monster's skull, the sickening squelch of its demise. Zombie fluids splattered across my face and newly clean shirt.

Amidst the eerie silence that followed, my senses sharpened, attuned to the visceral sounds of violence. The wet slap of flesh against flesh echoed through the darkness, each impact evoking gruesome images of Dominic's flesh being torn asunder. With a surge of adrenaline, I pushed the limp body off me and retrieved my flashlight, its beam guiding me back to Dominic's side.

As I approached, a gruesome tableau unfolded before me. Dominic lay against the wall, his eyes pinched with pain holding his arm. My light beamed over Sammy unleashing a relentless barrage upon the zombie's skull. The metal rod connected with bone, each strike reverberating through the air like a morbid drumbeat. With each impact, the skull yielded, fracturing under the relentless assault until it split open like a ripe melon, exposing the glowing blue goo within before the liquid glow light faded with the darkness.

Sammy turned to me, her face and hair drenched in the viscous fluid, her eyes narrowed with determination. The metal rod she held dripped with crimson and blue.

Screeches echoed from all directions, a chilling reminder of the relentless horde closing in around us. I wasted no time, rushing to Dominic's aid, pulling him to his feet as we sprinted back inside, bolting the door behind us in a desperate bid for safety.

"What the hell is..." Sammy's voice trailed off, but I silenced her with a firm hand over her mouth, my heart pounding in my chest as the sound of approaching footsteps thundered down the hall. Leading Dominic to his room with Sammy close behind, I shut the door behind us, sealing ourselves in with whispered urgency.

Dominic cradled his hand close to his chest, and dread coiled in my stomach as I glimpsed the pained expression etched on his face. Fear gripped me as I dreaded the possibility of him being bitten, my eyes darting between his face and the concealed hand.

"Are you bit?" Sammy's voice cut through the tense silence, her words echoing the unspoken fear that hung heavy in the air.

Dominic shook his head, relief flooding through me. Slowly, he extended his injured hand, revealing his index finger bent at a grotesque angle. His teeth clenched in pain, his lip trembling as he fought to suppress any cries of agony.

"We need to set it back," I declared urgently, my gaze fixated on his discolored finger, already showing signs of swelling.

"I sure as hell ain't," Sammy interjected, her weapon slung over her shoulder, droplets of fluid splattering onto the floor with each movement. She recoiled at the sight of Dominic's mangled finger, nearly touching the opposite side.

"Get me something he can bite on," I instructed Sammy, tearing a strip of fabric from the bedsheet. Meanwhile, I rummaged through Dominic's drawer, retrieving a pencil.

Handing me a clump of socks, Sammy grimaced. "This was all I could find."

"It will have to do," I replied, taking the makeshift gag from her hands.

"You're not doing what I think you're doing," Dominic protested, eyeing the items laid out before him with growing apprehension.

"It will be quick, I promise," I reassured him, meeting his gaze.

"He's going to scream," Sammy warned.

"And you wouldn't?" he retorted, panic flickering in his eyes as he surveyed the makeshift tools and my determined demeanor.

"Do you trust me?" I asked, locking eyes with Dominic, my resolve unshakable.

"Of course," he replied, taking a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come.

With a decisive motion, I stuffed the makeshift gag into Dominic's mouth. "Hold his arms," I instructed Sammy, feeling his heartbeat thrumming beneath my fingertips.

Drawing upon stories I'd heard but never experienced firsthand, I steeled myself for what lay ahead. With a sharp snap, the finger snapped back into place, muffled screams of pain escaping through the fabric as Dominic convulsed in agony. Sammy's grip remained firm as I hastily fashioned a splint for his injured finger.

As Dominic lay back, his eyes closed in exhaustion, I removed the gag, allowing him to draw a ragged breath. Sitting up slowly, he examined his newly set finger with a mixture of relief and disbelief, a testament to our resilience in the face of adversity.

Slowly retreating from the bed and settling onto the floor by the window, I retrieved the walkie-talkie, its weight a tangible reminder of the slim hope it held for reconnecting with my brother.

"What are you going to do with that?" Sammy's voice broke through the tension.

"Hopefully reach my brother," I whispered, the weight of my words settling heavily upon me. With a silent prayer, I powered it on, the static filling the room like an ominous fog.

Lowering the volume to contain the noise, I brought the device to my lips, pressing the button in a desperate bid for connection. "Tio, are you there?" I implored, releasing the button, my heart hammering in my chest.

Silence greeted me, amplifying the anxiety clawing at my insides. "Tio, talk to me," I pleaded, my voice trembling with fear and uncertainty.

Clutching the walkie-talkie tightly, I was met with only the relentless crackle of static, a cruel reminder of the distance separating us. Panic tightened its grip around my chest, threatening to suffocate me. "Tio, please say something," I begged, tears threatening to overflow.

Dominic and Sammy sat close by me on the floor, offering silent support as I fought to keep myself from unraveling. The weight of the unknown pressed down on me, threatening to crush my spirit.

Then, like a lifeline cast into the darkness, Tio's voice pierced through the static, flooding me with relief and disbelief.

"Tio, are you okay? Are you safe?" I choked out, the words catching in my throat as Sammy and Dom drew in sharp breaths beside me.

"Yes, we're okay," Tio's voice crackled through the speaker, followed by a heavy pause. "I'm scared, Camila. I want Mom."

Wiping away my tears, I reassured him with all the strength I could muster. "Don't worry, Tio. I'm going to get to you."

"You promise?" he pleaded, his voice laced with desperation.

"With all my heart," I vowed, determination igniting within me.