Episode 7 – "Stray Dogs"
The survivors he saved are catching their breath. The air is thick with the scent of blood and burnt flesh.
One man finally speaks, voice low, wary."We've seen men like this before… unusual."
A woman blurts, eyes wide, voice trembling."That's what an outbreak would do to you!"
The man shakes his head."No. This man… he helped us. Against a Berserker."
The woman freezes, realizing the implications. Big ones, she knows, are monsters you don't mess with. But the man continues:"Yeah, we were scavenging, trying to survive… until Kelsey screamed my name. That's when the Berserker let out that deadly screech. And then… like some knight out of a nightmare… he showed up."
A pause. His voice drops."I yelled to distract the damn thing… and he jumps on its back. Starts wailing into the thing's head over and over, with that… creepy-ass smile. Dude saved us, but wow. The crazy part? He thanked us for killing it."
Cut to John, alone inside an abandoned farmhouse. His new domain. The place is a mess, but he sees potential.
He sweeps the broken glass. Moves debris. Pushes out the shamblers that had taken over the barn. With each motion, the place transforms—somehow cleaner, safer. Almost… home.
He pauses, surveying the farmhouse. The walls, the barn, the remnants of a world that's gone to hell."Looks nice now," he mutters, almost to himself. "We shall see what I do next."
Outside, the wind whispers through broken windows. Shambled groans echo in the distance. But inside, John stands alone, king of his small, bloody kingdom.