The sound of laughter filled the air.
Morning sunlight shone through the window, touching the wooden table where Vinz sat with his family. His mother was serving food, his father fixing something on the side while humming an old song, and Vinny was already halfway done eating, rice scattered all over his plate.
"Vinz, eat up before it gets cold," his mother said, while smiling.
"Yeah, brother! Before I eat it all," Vinny teased, laughing.
Vinz laughed too. "You eat too much, Vinny."
His father chuckled. "Let him be. It's rare to see him this happy. You too, Vinz… you look alive again."
It was peaceful. So peaceful that it felt unreal. The sound of the river outside, birds singing, and the calm rustle of wind made the morning feel perfect. Vinz felt his chest tighten, not from sadness, but from something he couldn't explain. It was like his heart knew this moment shouldn't exist.
Then his mother spoke again, softly, "Everything's okay now… we're together again."
Vinz blinked.
The light from the window flickered. The laughter slowly faded, replaced by a faint ringing sound. When he turned to look at his father, the smile on his father's face froze, his skin started to pale, his eyes turned white, and black veins began crawling up his neck.
"Pa?"
The ringing grew louder.
His mother's hand dropped the spoon. His brother's laughter turned into a distorted noise.
BANG!
A loud, heavy bang echoed through the cabin.
Vinz gasped and sat up, drenched in sweat. His heart pounded as he stared around the dimly lit cabin.
The sound came again.
BANG!
Something was hitting the door.
He breathed hard, realizing it was only a dream. But the noise wasn't.
It was real, something was outside.
The cabin's walls creaked with each bang. Dust fell from the ceiling. Vinz slowly stood up, his legs shaking a bit from the sudden panic. He grabbed the hammer he found near the window, it was old, rusty, but wasenough to hurt.
He moved closer to the door, every bang making his heartbeat faster.
What if it's an animal? Or someone looking for help? He wanted to believe that. But deep down, he already knew what it was.
The banging stopped.
Everything went silent.
Vinz held his breath, his grip tightening around the hammer handle.
Then, slowly… the doorknob turned.
CREEEEAK.
He froze. The door opened halfway, and a rotten hand slipped through the gap. Its nails were dark, skin cracked and peeling. The smell hit him next, strong, sour, and disgusting. Then a head pushed through, the face of a woman, or at least what used to be. Her jaw hung unevenly, one eye white and lifeless, the other bleeding.
She growled, low and guttural.
Vinz stumbled back. The door burst open, and the infected fell inside, crawling toward him on all fours.
He panicked, swung the hammer with both hands
THUD!
It hit her shoulder, knocking her down, but she still crawled closer, groaning. He hit her again, this time on the head.
CRACK!
The sound echoed through the cabin.
He stood there, breathing heavily, staring at the body that now lay still. Blood spread across the floor, mixing with the dirt near his shoes. His hands trembled. His whole body shook, not because of the fight, but because of what he just did.
He dropped the hammer for a moment, then picked it up again with a shaky breath.
"This… this is real," he whispered to himself.
He looked around, trying to calm down. The room was small, just a table, an old bed, a cabinet, and the window near the back. Sunlight was faintly peeking through the cracks. On the table were his father's notes, a half-open map, and a few canned foods.
He knew he couldn't stay here anymore.
If one infected found him, more would follow.
He wiped the blood off the hammer using a torn cloth and checked the window. The forest outside was still, but far away, he could see faint figures moving between the trees. Slow and staggering.
He needed to leave.
He quickly packed everything, his father's diary, some canned food, the knife, lighter, small bottle of water, and the map. He tied the bag tight and looked back at the door, where the infected woman still lay. Her lifeless eyes stared at nothing.
He whispered a quiet sorry, not because he knew her, but because deep down, he wished none of this ever had to happen.
Vinz pushed the door open slightly and peeked outside. The tricycle was still there, parked a few meters from the cabin near the trees. Its metal parts gleamed under the sunlight. He felt a bit of relief just seeing it, as if that tricycle was the last piece of normal life he had.
He stepped outside carefully, hammer in hand, scanning every direction. The air was colder now, mixed with the scent of rot. The once calm river nearby now felt distant, quiet, almost warning him not to stay any longer.
When he reached the tricycle, he placed his bag on the seat and tried to start the engine.
Click.
Nothing.
He tried again.
Click. Click.
His heart sank. "Not now… please not now…" he whispered.
He opened the compartment and checked the wires like his father used to. He didn't know much, but maybe the engine just needed a little push. He fiddled with the ignition, his fingers trembling slightly.
Then he froze.
The sound.
Growling, coming from behind him.
He turned and saw three infected stumbling out of the trees. One of them still had a blood-stained uniform, maybe a worker or farmer before all this started. Their heads twitched, jaws snapping as they dragged their feet toward him.
Vinz's pulse spiked. He grabbed his hammer tightly.
"Come on, come on…" he muttered, trying the key again.
The tricycle made a small noise, but still didn't start.
He looked up. The infected were now closer, maybe fifteen meters away. The middle one moved faster, stumbling into a run.
Vinz stepped back, raising the hammer.
"Stay away…" he whispered, voice shaking.
The first infected lunged. He swung the hammer sideways.
THUD!
The blow landed across its face, sending it crashing to the dirt.
The second one came right after, he kicked it on the chest, sending it down for a moment.
But the third one almost reached him. He raised the hammer again, swinging with all his strength.
The hammer connected with a sickening sound. The body dropped, twitching.
Vinz gasped for breath. Sweat dripped down his forehead, his arms trembling from the effort. He backed away toward the tricycle again, hearing groans in the distance, more of them. Many more.
He turned the key again, desperate.
Click… click…
Then suddenly
BRMMMM!
The tricycle roared to life.
He didn't waste another second. He jumped on, grabbed the handlebars, and sped off down the dirt path, leaving the cabin behind. The wind slapped against his face, the smell of blood still stuck on his hands. He didn't look back. He couldn't.
The noise of the engine echoed through the forest, but all he could think about was how close that was, how close he came to dying.
He passed by the river where his father's trail of blood had ended. The water had already turned dark in that spot. He slowed down for a moment, staring at it before driving again.
The forest grew thicker ahead. He didn't know where he was going exactly, just that he had to keep moving. The sun was starting to set, painting the trees in orange light.
His stomach growled, but he ignored it. His hands still shook on the handlebar, replaying the fight in his mind, the way the infected's eyes looked before he hit them, the sound of bones cracking, the smell that wouldn't leave his nose.
He didn't want to remember. But he couldn't stop.
The sky darkened, and he spotted an old dirt road leading uphill. Maybe it led somewhere safer or maybe nowhere at all. Either way, it was better than staying still.
He drove on, the tricycle engine humming softly as the night slowly took over the forest.