chapter 3
781 Words
**Chapter 3: Static and Shadows**
The gunshot still rang in Elena’s ears as the courtyard erupted into chaos.
Marcus didn’t hesitate. “Barricade the gate! Now!”
Survivors scrambled like ants, dragging furniture, broken cars, anything heavy enough to reinforce the entrance. The screams outside grew louder—closer. The infected had heard the shot, and now they were coming in force.
Elena stood frozen, staring at the dead woman on the ground. Blood pooled beneath her, seeping into the cracks of the pavement. The man who’d dragged her in—Jake, someone had called him—was on his knees, breathing hard. His hands shook as he wiped his face, smearing dirt and sweat.
“You knew she was bitten,” Elena said, her voice low.
Jake looked up, his dark eyes hollow. “I couldn’t leave her.”
Marcus stormed over, grabbing Jake by the collar and hauling him up. “You led them right to us.”
“I didn’t have a choice!”
“There’s *always* a choice.” Marcus shoved him back, then turned to the rest of the group. “Everyone inside. Now.”
Elena didn’t move. “What about the walls?”
“They’ll hold.” His tone left no room for argument.
Lena appeared at Elena’s side, gripping her arm. “Come on. Noah’s inside.”
That snapped her into motion.
---
The Nest’s main building was a converted apartment complex, its hallways dimly lit by battery-operated lanterns. The air smelled of sweat, mildew, and the faint, ever-present tang of blood.
Noah sat on a cot in their assigned room, clutching a tattered stuffed rabbit—one of the few things Elena had managed to grab from their old life. He looked up as she entered, his eyes wide.
“It’s okay,” she whispered, kneeling in front of him. “We’re safe.”
Safe. The word tasted like ash.
A knock at the door made her tense. Lena leaned in, her braids swaying. “Marcus wants everyone in the common room. Now.”
Elena hesitated, then nodded. “Stay here,” she told Noah. “Don’t open the door for anyone but me.”
His fingers tightened around the rabbit, but he didn’t protest.
---
The common room was packed. Survivors huddled together, their faces drawn with exhaustion and fear. Marcus stood at the front, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. Jake sat in a corner, his head in his hands.
“We’ve got a problem,” Marcus said, cutting straight to the point. “The infected are getting smarter. They don’t just wander anymore. They *hunt*.”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
“And now they know we’re here,” Lena added grimly.
Marcus nodded. “We can’t stay.”
The room erupted.
“Leave? Are you insane?”
“We’ve got walls! Supplies!”
“Where the hell would we even go?”
Elena stayed silent, watching the arguments unfold. She’d seen this before—the panic, the desperation. It never ended well.
Then, a voice cut through the noise.
“There’s a safe zone.”
Everyone turned. Jake had stood, his hands clenched at his sides.
Marcus’s eyes narrowed. “What?”
“A safe zone,” Jake repeated. “East of here. A military outpost. They call it *The Flicker*.”
Silence.
Elena’s pulse quickened. A safe zone. A real one.
“Bullshit,” Marcus spat. “If there was a safe zone, we’d know.”
Jake didn’t back down. “They’ve been broadcasting on a loop. Low frequency. I heard it when we were scavenging.”
“And you didn’t think to mention this before?”
“I wasn’t sure it was real.” Jake’s voice dropped. “But we’re running out of time. The infected are closing in. If we stay here, we die.”
The room held its breath.
Marcus looked at Elena. “You believe him?”
She hesitated. Jake’s story was thin. But the desperation in his eyes—that was real.
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “But I know we can’t stay.”
Marcus exhaled sharply, then turned to the group. “We move at dawn. Pack light. Weapons, food, water. Nothing else.”
Protests rose again, but Marcus silenced them with a look.
“Anyone who wants to stay behind, be my guest. But I’m not dying in this hellhole.”
As the group dispersed, Elena caught Jake’s arm. “This safe zone. You really think it’s out there?”
He met her gaze, his voice barely a whisper.
“I hope so.”
Outside, the first howls of the infected echoed through the night.
**End of Chapter 3**
- Writer
