Generation Zombie

Prologue

The sky glared bright red from above, an unforgiving sandstorm approaching the shelter they were bunked in. This was their last stand; the five players were at the limits of their life bars, and a single wrong move would automatically mean game over.

Ruby wrapped another layer of cotton gauze bandage around the infected bite on her left thigh. None of the other players mentioned it, but she could tell that they were slowly getting worried and wary of her, because every little movement of hers was met with fierce scrutiny.

She couldn’t blame them. After all, nobody knew if the infected bite simply affected her life meter, or if it was something worse; if the Gene-Z virus would soon take over her system and turn her into a brain-eating undead.

“We can’t wait out the sandstorm in here. This shelter won’t hold.” She said to the rest, getting to her feet and waving away Arthur’s hand who tried to offer her assistance.

“Neither can we outrun it.” Elham added; doubling the knot on the scarf tied tightly and securely around her head, covering her hair and neck. Even in the most dangerous and most life-threatening situation, she was determined to look fabulous. If she had to die, her corpse will look pretty, and there was no going back on that.

Ruby raked a dirty hand through her dark brunette hair, pushing back her bangs to expose a sweaty forehead. Think. She desperately tried to come up with a plan, with some kind of way for them to be able to survive this hurdle. They were so close to The Isle of Salvation. Giving up was not an option.

Arthur sighed and grabbed the monstrous double-sided axe from the floor. “Ruby is right, we can’t stay here. If this shelter comes apart, we’re getting ripped away with it.” He supported, throwing a quick glance at Ruby and her infected leg. Something told him she was definitely in pain, but was putting up a strong façade so the others wouldn’t worry about her. “We need to move. It’s what the game wants us to do.”

Ajax halfheartedly got to his feet, and began to stuff his travel rucksack with some of the necessary survival items they had salvaged from the old tent, before the zombies infiltrated the place. Dejection and misery was written all over his face, and he did nothing to hide the tears gathered at the corner of his eyes. He wasn’t really one to hide his feelings.

“Wait. Do you guys hear that?” Elham asked, making everyone freeze in place, as she quickly walked closer to the flap opening of the tent, to hear the sound better. It was loud and clear now; a vibration, a rumble, and the distinct cackle of lightning.

They all knew what it signified.

Elham unzipped the flap of the tent, just in time as Juniper fell from the sky. The newly spawned player immediately got to her feet, sprinting towards the tent, and diving in, before the gathering winds and debris could find their way into the tent.

The gladness of seeing one of them spawn back was overshadowed by the fear of seeing Juniper so agitated.

“We need to get the f**k out of here.” She said breathlessly, clutching her heart and pointing to the direction of the closed tent flap. “We’re going into that sandstorm. We have no other choice.”

The players shared a look between them.

Ruby was scared to know the answer of the question that weighed on everyone’s mind. “What’s in the other direction, Juniper?”

There wasn’t any need for Juniper to answer the question because before she could part her lips, a tremor shook the ground under their feet, and the echoes of the wails of the undead could be heard.

“Grab your weapons!” Juniper ordered, removing her dragon’s spine whip from its sheath, and quickly grabbing one of Ruby’s backpacks to lighten the load for her.

The others jumped into action; Arthur packing the last essential items, Elham loading the remaining ammunition into her E-900 Smart g*n, and shouldering the bag that contained other weapons, while Ruby fought against the pain in her leg and struggled to balance her large crossbow.

Ajax stayed inactive, rooted to his spot with fear.

“Ajax! Get moving or I swear I’m gonna shoot you again.” Elham threatened, and that seemed to bring him out of his trance.

The five players evacuated and abandoned the shelter of the tent. The sky was an unnatural violent red, the sunset fast approaching along with the unforgiving sandstorm. At least now the scorching heat had finished its tenure, but the temperature dropped rapidly.

They looked ahead to the mass of gathering winds and debris, fiercely gaining speed and growing bigger like a tsunami of desert sand. Behind them, a swarm of at least ten thousand zombies were marching at full speed, attracted by God knows what. And there they were; five players in the midst of danger with very little chances of making it out of this cursed virtual reality alive.

“I hate this f*****g game.” Juniper cursed.

The rest of them nodded in solemn agreement, and plunged forward to their deaths.