What is happening?

It was already past midnight and Alex was still driving the car through the desolate streets. Suddenly he saw a group of survivors surrounded by zombies,

He rang the horn loudly, signaling the survivors to move back. In doing this, he increased the speed of the car and crashed against the zombies.

This jerked the car, thus waking up the people sleeping in the car.

Arin jolted from her sleep and blinked groggily as the chaotic scene unfolded. The sudden acceleration and blaring horn shook her awake, and she shot a glare at Alex.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU! WHY DID YOU SPEED UP AND CRASH?" she yelled, her voice cutting through the tension.

Her parents, Lisa and Dave, and her brother, Kevin stirred in the backseat, their expressions a mix of confusion and alarm.

Alex, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, shot a glance at Arin. "We needed to clear a path. Those survivors were in trouble. It was the only way to help them."

Arin, still agitated, crossed her arms. "Helping is one thing, but risking our lives like that? You could've gotten us killed!"

Suddenly, one of the survivors came up to the car and knocked at the window. He looked grateful for the help. He said happily,

"Please take this juice as a token of appreciation."

Arin hesitated at first but she rolled down the window and accepted the gift.

She gave the juice to everyone in the car to drink; it had been for ages they had some juice.

She told the survivor, "Thank you for the gift. Please be careful later on in your journey"

She rolled up the window and Alex started the car.

The car drove along the desolate streets again. As they drove, the atmosphere inside the car shifted from tension to a more relaxed chatter.

Arin turned to Alex with a smile, "So, Alex, aside from being our zombie-fighting savior, what did you do before all this chaos?"

Alex grinned, keeping his eyes on the road, "Well, I wasn't a superhero, that's for sure. I used to work in a pretty dull office job. Zombie apocalypse turned out to be a career changer."

Arin laughed, "I can imagine. And you, Kevin? What's the one thing you miss the most from the pre-apocalypse world?"

Kevin pondered for a moment, "Video games. But now it feels like we're living in one, just with more danger."

Dave, looking out the window, added, "I miss the simple things. A weekend barbecue, watching a movie without worrying about zombies..."

Lisa chimed in, "I miss having a garden. Growing your vegetables, you know? Now it's all about scavenging."

Arin, glancing at her family, said, "Despite everything, I'm grateful we're together. We make a good team, don't we?"

Alex nodded, "Absolutely. In this crazy world, finding a good team is like striking gold."

The conversation continued a brief respite from the challenges they faced. 

Suddenly they were surrounded by a large number of zombies. There were more than a hundred zombies. It was extremely dangerous.

Alex, his eyes narrowing with determination, slammed his foot on the accelerator. The engine roared to life, and the car surged forward, plowing through the approaching zombies with a sickening thud. The once beautiful vehicle now bore the marks of its gruesome journey, with streaks of blood and bits of gore decorating its exterior.

Inside the vehicle, the family clung to their seats. Arin's eyes widened with a mixture of fear and disbelief as the undead were mowed down beneath the relentless onslaught of the vehicle. The impact of each collision went through the car, sending shivers down their spines.

Arin's mom, Lisa, gasped, "Alex, where are we heading? What's the plan?"

Alex, with his focus unwavering, shouted, "We need to get out of this swarm! There's an open road ahead. Hold on tight!"

The car plowed through the mass of zombies, creating a path of destruction. The undead, relentless in their pursuit, clawed at the car, leaving smudges of blood on the windows. The once smooth ride now felt like a turbulent roller coaster, with the imminent threat of death at every turn.

Amidst the chaos, Kevin, Arin's younger brother, held onto his seat, eyes wide with a mixture of fascination and terror. "This is insane!" he exclaimed.

Arin, her knuckles turning white as she clutched the seat, shot a glance at Alex. "Can't we go faster?"

Alex gritted his teeth, pushing the car to its limits. The speedometer climbed, but so did the number of zombies in pursuit. The road ahead seemed endless, and the desperate attempt to escape the encroaching undead became a battle against time.

Suddenly, a loud crash resonated through the air as the car collided with an abandoned vehicle blocking the way. The impact sent everyone lurching forward, and the windshield cracked.

As the noise of the collision subsided, a strange silence settled over the car. The family, now recovering from the shock, exchanged glances. Arin's hands instinctively went to her forehead, rubbing away the dull ache that lingered.

Suddenly, the smell of burning rubber and the sight of smoke enveloped the car. Panic set in as flames flickered, starting to consume the vehicle. The car was on fire.

"Get out! Get out now!" Alex's urgent cry cut through the panic. The family scrambled, disoriented and stunned, trying to unbuckle their seatbelts amidst the growing flames.

As the flames intensified, the world blurred into a chaotic dance of fire and smoke. The last thing Arin saw before everything went black was the fiery embrace of destruction, and the sensation of intense heat and suffocating smoke.

A sudden, searing pain pierced through Arin's head, causing her to wince. She instinctively placed a hand on her forehead and rubbed her eyes, attempting to dispel the discomfort.

"Hey, are you okay?" Alex's voice cut through the haze of her momentary distress. His concerned eyes met hers.

Arin, still grappling with the lingering pain, managed a strained smile. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Okay. Don't stress yourself," Alex advised, his worry lingering as if he sensed something amiss.

As Arin turned her attention back to the road, her smile faltered. A shiver ran down her spine, and an unsettling sensation crept over her.

"So, Alex," she began cautiously, her voice carrying a hint of uncertainty, "aside from being our zombie-fighting savior, what did you do before all this chaos?"

Alex's grin, once reassuring, now seemed oddly rehearsed. His eyes, fixed on the road, sparkled with a glint that sent a chill down Arin's spine. "Well, I wasn't a superhero, that's for sure. I used to work in a pretty dull office job. Zombie apocalypse turned out to be a career changer."

Wait I think, I heard this answer before but I can't remember where...

A wave of disquiet washed over Arin. Her laughter, a reflex to mask the unease, sounded hollow. "I can imagine. And you, Kevin? What's the one thing you miss the most from the pre-apocalypse world?"

This question I asked seems familiar. Something is wrong.

The response from her brother, Kevin, carried an uncanny weight as if the words had etched themselves into her memory. "Video games. But now it feels like we're living in one, just with more danger."

As the conversation continued, Arin couldn't shake the feeling of a repeating nightmare where the words, the smiles, and the road ahead echoed a haunting familiarity. It was like Deja vu.

Is this real? Or have I lived this moment over and over again?