Charted Among Liars I

Warning! This chapter contains description of blood, gore and fighting that may be disturbing to some readers.

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< intercomm dialogue >

|| system ||

|| 'AI speaking' ||

[ Location ]

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The humans before us called the sudden shift of zombie mind from mindless to intelligent as Zombie Evolution.

It's like they are reborn in the same body but their memories prior to being infected is forgotten.

Humans say it's a small price to pay to become a person.

But zombies say it's a big price to pay to be restored to what they originally were.

Some of the humans call them 'vampires' and 'immortals' because those infected centuries ago still remained as a child or teenager after undergoing Zombie Evolution.

They didn't age.

Their rotten nature for some reason had preserved their bodies to what they were.

"Come on!" Hilde challenged.

She drew a line where she stood and the compromised space where the crawling zombies have trespassed.

The crawling zombies now crossed passed the fence, getting back on their feet and sluggishly walking towards her.

Their movements are slow, giving Hilde more confidence that she can pass through them.

One injured woman versus a double dozen lethargic walking dead.

On the red corner, Hilde Stillwater a new challenger held against her will to fight through a horde of zombies for life and freedom!

On the blue corner, a pack of deadly mindless zombies that stood champion for who knows how long!

Hilde waited for one zombie to be near her before roundhousing the zombie's head into the wall.

The zombie's skull cracked upon impact. Blood splattered on the wall as its body slides down.

The second zombie enters the line she drew on.

Her leg throbbed after the kick, by adrenaline she forgot it was the side that got hurt on her fall.

Bouncing on her feet to shake the pain away, she waited for the second zombie to come close and performed an axe kick.

As soon as the zombie hits the ground, she swings the sharp end of her weapon over the back of its head.

She heard the squish sound and was satisfied enough to pull her weapon back.

This time 2 zombies enters beyond her line. Her injured arm pulsed because of all the movement she's been doing.

'Come on Hilde, just stay alive for a bit longer.' she cheered herself mentally.

Hilde used shouting as another way to express she is in pain. Not like being stealthy mattered in that context.

She needed to buy enough time and kept kicking and hitting the zombies to her left and her right, clearing a path in the center when she makes a run for it.

As soon as the fences is fully up, it's the time the race really begins.

'Just until team lead finds me. I need to hang on.'

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[Before Hilde is captured...]

Hilde didn't get the Premium Club Card she waited in line for. Only the basic card for her to enter a club in general.

'Barbie doll didn't give me any consideration of the sort. Now I have to do things my own way.' she thought.

Lights of blue and pink flashed brightly as soon as she entered. White glare lights accompanied it in reflection of the disco ball.

Music blared from all the speakers. Men and women dancing on the dance floor. Bartenders and waiters busy serving customers on the counters and tables.

Her phone rang and she couldn't even hear it with how loud the music is.

It was thanks to the vibration she felt from her pocket that she realized it. She picked it up in a hurry. "Yes?"

"Hilde honey, what is this email notification you received from Center License?" her mom asked.

Hilde froze when she realized it's her mom on the phone and not Reese.

"Did you just apply for an ASAP Club Membership Card?" she pressed.

"Mom! Stop reading my emails!" she blurted.

A few dancers who were nearby stared at her. Eyeing her from top to bottom just to double check if she were underage or not.

"I'm old enough to be here, thank you." Hilde said proudly and walks away from them.

She found herself walking towards the bathroom for some privacy.

"Well I was using the computer and I saw an unread email." her mom continues. "Why did you apply? Did you want to find a boyfriend?"

"No mom, I- it's not for me, it's for my job." she tries to explain.

"Uh-huh, so do you also need a dating profile for your job?"

Hilde can hear the keyboard clacking from her mother's end. "Are you browsing the search history?"

"Isn't that what mothers do?"

"MOM!"

Hilde couldn't be more embarrassed of herself.

"Okay, okay, but you will have to explain to me what this is. Bye!"

As soon as the call ends, Hilde sighed and keeps her phone back in her pocket. She sees two young ladies staring at her with judging looks.

"It's not what you think, I- my search history is-" she tries to explain with an awkward smile.

"We don't judge." the girls say and exits the bathroom.

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Kicking them towards the wall is one of her best options when her arm feels sore from all the swinging.

The wood in her hand is coated with dark red liquids, blood splatters also visible on her face and clothes.

"AAAAAGGGHHH!!!!" she yelled angrily after plunging her weapon on the zombie's chest and pins it to the wall.

The fence had fully opened and now the entire pack walking together towards her. Like a slow yet angry wave they come.

They all growled at the same time, like a one big hungry stomach really.

Hilde felt like she could finally breathe when the fence is up fully.

The zombies has crossed and she can see there are only three waves between her and the door.

She forced her injured right hand to move, stretching it, opening and closing her fist.

"Come on, come on," she whispers to herself.

Once she can move it, she uses it to hold her weapon so she can use her dominant hand to grab a zombie she had killed using it as a shield before she pushes through the center like a mad bull.

She falls down as soon as she crossed all three waves. The zombies now reaching for her ankles to drag her back.

They were strong, successfully dragging her behind the fence line.

Their grip is strong and their rotten and broken fingernails digging deep on her skin. She could only imagine if it were teeth biting down on her flesh.

She no longer saw the fence, no longer saw the light, no longer saw the door.

What she saw are bloody hands, cold and pale, skin rotting and peeling, the foul scent of the zombies had filled her nostrils.

They surrounded her like hardcore fans wanting a handshake or more.

"AAAAAGGHHHH!!!" she screamed in pain when her broken arm was tugged by them.

She felt them bite down on her skin, their teeth digging deeper until red liquid has squirt from it.