Guts (the original interactive zombie apocalypse survival story)

48 - Find Your Family

You don't know the first thing about finding this kid's dad. He could be anywhere, and furthermore, wherever he is, chances are it'll be some kind of top secret place locked down tighter than Area 51. It would be a huge waste of time.

"We have to go to the mall first," you say, considering the discussion over.

Artie glares at you. "I want to find my dad."

He's clearly not going to take your final word. You roll your eyes. "Later."

"Now!" he whines.

The brakes screech as you come to a sudden stop. In the middle of the road, a gruesome car pileup is blocking your path. Artie had distracted you, and you almost didn't stop in time. You curse out loud, then shift the car into reverse. Taking the opportunity, Artie jumps out of the car while it isn't moving.

"Wait! Artie, no!" you scream. "You don't know what's out there!"

But he's already disappearing between two crushed cars. Sure, the kid misses his dad, but he won't stand a chance on his own. He might as well be your responsibility now, and you're not going to just sit back and let him die. You tear after him.

The air seems thicker than normal. Maybe it's your apprehension building. Being out in the open at a time like this isn't the smartest thing, and you know it. There are bodies in the twisted and mangled wreckage of vehicles. Seeing a man with his throat torn and bones protruding from his arm is almost too much for you. Then to top it off, you see a car rolled over with a woman beneath it that is folded backward in half like a piece of silly putty. Her head, arms, and head are sticking out together.

And to think you used to watch horror movies and laugh at gory scenes. This puts them all to shame. It's real. Real flesh. Real blood. Real people. Your eyes sting and your stomach clenches.

"Artie!" Your voice sounds like an odd shouting whisper.

The woman's head snaps toward you and she lets out a growl. You fall back into the ruined car behind you. Her face is as pale as her eyes, but her teeth are intact and they're snapping at you. Metal begins to creak and pop all around you. And your chest fills with a mixture of fear and dread. Artie screams.

You start to run toward the screams, but you find undead blocking your path. Right, then left, they're everywhere. You're surrounded. They're crawling out of ruined cars, stumbling around the wreckage, heading straight for you. You pick up some broken car part and bash the nearest undead with it. Its skull gives, but you have to swing again before it stops moving, and by then another undead is upon you.

You quickly realize you're not going to win this battle. They claw and rip your skin. All the bloodcurdling screams in the world won't help, however, because the only people left to hear them are dead.