The World Was Dark

Zara's heart thudded against her chest as she looked at the door separating them from whatever was in their house.  

Was it finally happening? 

Her mind raced, piecing together the possibilities, the dangers lurking just beyond the safety of their door.

She'd heard the creatures outside before, the shuffling steps, the low moans, but they had never come this close, never breached the barrier she'd so carefully constructed.

But now… now they were here.

Her heart hammered in her chest as she rose slowly, careful not to disturb Leo as she moved toward the door. 

Should I carry him with me? What if they're more than one? 

Every instinct screamed at her to protect him, to shield him from whatever horror had finally found its way inside.

She grabbed the baseball bat she had kept with her for protection as she tiptoed to the door.

Stay calm, she told herself, gripping the handle.

Stay calm and protect him.

As she opened the door, the darkness beyond seemed to pull at her. 

Turning on a flashlight would alert the intruder of her presence but walking around in the dark could lead her straight into their arms. 

She closed the door back and slid to the ground. Why was this happening to us? Why now? Why at night? 

She bit her lip, looking at her sleeping child. Maybe if we stay inside here all night, it will leave on its own? She wondered, flinching when she heard another crash. 

It sounded closer this time, vibrating through the floorboards, and Zara felt its shudder travel up her spine, making her grip on the bat tighten.

Her breaths came in quick, shallow bursts. Every sound outside her room seemed amplified—the faint scrape of something heavy dragging across the floor, a muffled thump. Her mind raced to identify how many intruders there could be.

Three? Maybe more? She couldn't be sure. But if they'd broken through her barricades, her efforts of the past months were crumbling before her eyes.

Zara glanced back at Leo, nestled under the thin blanket, his small body curled in peaceful oblivion. His little mouth was slightly open as his chest rose and fell gently. Her heart ached at the thought of him waking to the sight of monsters—of him losing the innocent trust he had in her ability to protect him.

She couldn't let that happen. Not while she was still breathing.

But her options were grim. If she stayed hidden in the room, they'd likely find her eventually. Yet fighting them head-on felt just as impossible. Her only weapon was the worn bat she'd kept as a last resort. And she knew these creatures didn't stop unless their brains were destroyed.

There was a bag of supplies in the living room—food, water, a flashlight, even a small knife she'd scavenged and sharpened. If she could get to it, she might have a chance at escaping with Leo. But the supplies were downstairs, in the very place the creatures now occupied.

Zara pressed her lips together, forcing herself to focus. The adrenaline coursing through her veins fought to drown her in panic, but she couldn't afford that.

She had to think.

Slowly, she reached down and picked up Leo, his warmth grounding her in the present moment. He fussed softly.

"Mommy?" Leo whispered, his voice muffled by sleep, his brows furrowed in confusion.

Zara's heart nearly stopped. She couldn't let him see this. 

"Shh, baby. It's okay. Stay quiet," she whispered, her voice shaky as she brushed her fingers through his messy hair. "We need to be very quiet. There's a bad man, and we need to sneak out of here, okay?"

Leo's little face lit up with understanding. He nodded, his small hands gripping her shirt lightly before going back to sleep.

I can do this. I can keep him safe.

Zara strapped him to her chest, balanced the bat in one hand, taking a deep breath as she adjusted his sleeping form.

She paused, standing completely still, ears straining to catch any sounds from outside.

Silence. Eerie, unbroken silence. Zara exhaled slowly, inching toward the door.

Her hand shook as she turned the knob, each movement quiet. She eased the door open just a fraction, peering through the small crack.

Shadows loomed in the hallway, cast by the faint moonlight filtering through the small gaps in the barred windows. She could barely make out anything and strained to pick up even the slightest hint of movement.

Then, a sudden scraping sound, louder this time, echoing from the stairs. Her blood ran cold. There was one of them, slowly shuffling its way up.

The narrow hall beyond her door seemed to stretch impossibly far, every step toward the stairs a risk. Zara swallowed hard, adjusting her hold on Leo, her heartbeat a steady drumbeat urging her forward.

She took her first step, and then another, each one careful and soundless. Her palms felt slick around the bat's handle.

As she moved forward, her mind whirled with every potential scenario—what she would do if one of them spotted her, if one lunged, if more than one stood between her and her bag of supplies.

She froze as another crash sounded below, her entire body tensing as she instinctively pulled Leo closer.

Her heartbeat thundered as she heard shuffling noises closer now—something heavy moving across the floor.

She swallowed, feeling the prickling chill of fear ripple across her skin. If the creature was coming up the stairs, she'd have to cross paths with it.

There would be no way around that.

Could they even climb?

She tightened her hold on the bat, steeling herself. If she could take it down quickly, they might have a chance. She could run to the living room, grab the bag, and make it out the back door before any others caught on.

Then, the sounds paused, only feet away, just around the corner where the stairs met the hallway.

Zara's stomach clenched, and she took a shaky breath, forcing herself to listen. Silence, but somehow even more menacing in its stillness.

The air smelled thick—dust and something else. Something rancid.

Her throat tightened. Please, please, don't let them be in here. Please let them be in the other room. I can't—

Then, a long, wheezing breath, faint but unmistakable.

Something stumbled in the corner, its silhouette twisted and grotesque, a human form—barely human anymore. Its eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, sending a rush of cold through her veins.

It was here!

Zara's grip tightened until her knuckles turned white. She readied herself, preparing to swing with every ounce of strength she had. Her body coiled, muscles taut, breath held tight in her lungs.

The zombie's mouth was open, drooling, its putrid breath escaping in shallow rasps. It took a step forward, its groan a hollow rasp.

The movies didn't do justice to the horror that was the real thing.

It took one shuffling step onto the landing.

In that instant, she swung. The bat connected with a sickening crack, the force reverberating up her arm as it struck the creature's head.

It let out a wet, garbled moan, stumbling sideways, but she didn't stop. She brought the bat down again, gritting her teeth as it landed with another sickening crunch.

The creature collapsed in a heap, its limbs jerking in final spasms before falling still. Zara's breath came in ragged gasps, her hands trembling from the shock of impact.

She'd done it!

But there was no time to celebrate. If there were more, they'd surely be alerted by the noise. Leo shifted against her chest, whimpering softly in his sleep.

"It's ok baby," she cooed, trembling as she rocked him back to sleep.

Once he settled, she moved quickly, slipping past the body as she descended the stairs.

Her legs felt like lead, each step a struggle as her mind screamed for her to keep moving, keep going.

God, I'm scared.

She kept one eye on the hallway ahead, the other on Leo, who had thankfully not stirred.

Finally, she reached the bottom of the stairs, glancing toward the living room. The bag was there, just as she'd left it, sitting by the door.

Relief surged through her, but it was short-lived. Movement flickered in her peripheral vision.

Another figure emerged from the shadows—a stumbling silhouette, blocking her path to the supplies. This one seemed bigger than the last, with more awareness in its eyes as well.

Her heart dropped, but she held her ground. She couldn't let fear take hold. Not with Leo depending on her.

The zombie dragged one foot forward, then the other, its movements slow. It's eyes were fixed on her, hungry and intent.

Zara inhaled, assessing the distance. She had maybe two seconds before it reached her.

Without hesitating, she hoisted the bat, shifting Leo to one side to keep him clear. As the zombie lunged, she swung again, putting her full weight into it. The impact jolted her, the sound echoing through the room, but it wasn't enough to bring it down.

It stumbled, head snapping back before it turned its gaze back to her, jaw smacked loose, its milky eyes narrowing with instinctual hunger.

Panic surged through her veins, and she swung again, desperate, frantic. This time, the creature staggered, but another shuffle sounded behind her—a third one, drawn by the noise.

Her chest tightened as she saw the third figure advancing toward her from the hall. This wasn't going to work. She couldn't take on two of them and protect Leo at the same time.

Her gaze flicked to the bag. It was so close, just a few feet away, yet so far given the creatures that barred her path.

She didn't have time to hesitate.

With a final swing, she knocked the second creature off balance, buying herself a few precious seconds.

She lunged forward, reaching for the bag, her fingers brushing against the strap just as the second creature lunged at her.

She swung the bag around, knocking the zombie back, and pulled the now awake Leo even closer, her pulse racing as she backed toward the door. She fumbled with the lock, her hands slick and trembling, but the door finally gave, swinging open into the cold night air.

Outside. Freedom.

She stumbled onto the porch, barely managing to shut the door behind her, trapping the zombies inside.

But she knew it was only a temporary reprieve. They'd break through eventually, and when they did, she and Leo needed to be far from here.

Zara spared a pained glance at the mound in the corner as she adjusted the bag on her shoulder, gripping Leo.

She dashed across the yard and out into the open. The night was pitch black, the silence of the neighborhood terrifying .

Shadows stretched across the deserted street, hiding God-knew-what in their depths.

'We are outside,' she thought, trembling as she fled. 'I'm outside, with Leo.'

Outside where the mist and the zombies could get to them. She could feel Leo looking at her in confusion, his tiny hands clutching at her chest like that day.

As she ran, a single thought echoed in her mind—don't stop, don't look back, protect Leo.

They were still alive. And as long as she was breathing, she would keep them that way.

First, she needed to find a shelter for them.