Rayan's legs burned as he ran. The world had turned into a nightmare, and it wasn't slowing down. Leo stayed close beside him, dodging panicked students and fallen bodies. The science building faded behind them, and the chaos only grew louder.
Smoke rose from the east side of the campus. Sirens wailed in the distance. Somewhere, someone screamed—and didn't stop.
They turned a corner and saw a group of students pushing open the doors to the underground tunnel that connected the college to the dorm area. It was supposed to be used during bad weather, but now, it was their best shot at escape.
"Come on!" Leo shouted.
They rushed in.
The tunnel was dark and smelled like wet cement and sweat. Dozens of students crowded inside. Some were crying, others just sat against the wall, staring blankly. Everyone was scared. A girl in the corner was muttering to herself, voice shaky and broken.
"I should've called Mom back… I shouldn't have yelled at her… she told me she had a bad feeling. Said not to go to college today…"
Rayan"s heart twisted. She looked like she was about to break. He didn't know her, but he felt her pain. Everything was happening so fast, no one had time to understand it.
Leo grabbed his shoulder. "Hey, over here."
In one corner, a boy sat on the ground holding his leg. Blood was running down from a deep cut.
Rayan knelt beside him. "Hey… are you okay? How did you get hurt?"
The boy winced. "I wasn't bitten. I swear. I just… I fell running down the stairs. Got cut on something."
Leo frowned, stepping closer. "You better not be lying. If a zombie bit you, you could put all of us in danger."
"I'm not lying!" the boy shouted, panicking. "Please, I just need help."
Rayan looked at the wound carefully. It didn't look like a bite. More like a scrape from broken metal. Maybe part of the railing or doorframe.
"He's telling the truth," Rayan said. "But we still need to watch him, just in case."
They tore some cloth from a jacket and wrapped the boy's leg tightly. He gritted his teeth but nodded in thanks.
"I'm Josh," he muttered. "Thanks for not leaving me."
"Hang in there," Rayan said, then stood. "We're not out of this yet."
Suddenly, the lights above flickered. A low hum echoed through the tunnel as the backup power failed. The tunnel dropped into total darkness.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
"What's happening?"
"Are the zombies coming?"
"No, no, it's just the power…"
Then came a banging sound. From above. Loud. Metal on metal.
Everyone froze.
BOOM.
The ceiling above the tunnel shook. Dust rained down.
Someone screamed.
Another boom. Then… cracks.
A piece of the ceiling broke and slammed to the floor, crushing part of the stairs behind them. The entrance they came through was gone.
"We have to move!" Leo yelled.
Rayan helped Josh up, slinging his arm over his shoulder. The boy was heavy, but adrenaline kicked in.
"Tunnel exit is this way!" someone shouted.
They pushed forward, squeezing through the tight underground space. Every shadow looked like it could hold something deadly. The air felt thick, like the tunnel itself was suffocating them.
More distant screams echoed above them.
Rayan's mind flashed back to earlier that morning. He had slept through his alarm, skipped breakfast, and barely made it to class. Everything had felt so normal. How could it all change in just one hour?
Someone coughed behind them. "What if this tunnel caves in too?"
"Shut up, "another voice snapped. "Don't say that."
A student tripped ahead of them and dropped her phone. It clattered against the floor, lighting up with dozens of missed calls and messages:
"Where are you?"
"Don't go outside!"
"We love you, please be safe."
No one stopped to pick it up.
The deeper they went, the harder it was to breathe. The tunnel felt endless, like it had no end. People were crying. Some whispered prayers. Others just walked like zombies themselves, mentally gone.
Rayan looked at Leo. "You okay?"
Leo nodded but didn't speak. His jaw was tight. His eyes scanned everything.
After what felt like forever, they reached a locked door at the tunnel's end. It was rusted and old, but their only way out.
Rayan stepped forward and kicked it with all his strength.
Once.
Twice.
CRACK!
The lock broke, and the door flew open.
Fresh air hit their faces.
But the sight outside wasn't any better.
Buildings were on fire. Cars crashed. Blood painted the streets. Bodies were lying in twisted positions, some still moving. And above it all, the black helicopters still hovered.
Rayan helped Josh lean against the tunnel wall. "We need to figure out where to go next."
And then...
A body dropped from the sky.
Right in front of them.
It twitched.
It moved.
It opened its mouth—and screamed.
"Back! Back!" someone yelled.
The zombie jumped up, eyes glowing yellow, mouth dripping with black liquid. It lunged at the nearest student.
Rayan froze.
He had seen this before—just minutes ago—but it still felt unreal.
Leo grabbed a broken pipe from the ground and charged.
"Stay away from him!" he yelled.
He swung hard, knocking the creature to the side. It crashed into a dumpster but started crawling, groaning like something out of a nightmare.
"Move!" Rayan shouted.
They bolted down the alley, past a burning car and a broken fence. They didn't know where they were going. Just away.
Away from the monster.
Away from the horror.
Away from the city that was falling apart.
And as they ran, only one thought filled Rayan's mind:
I have to survive. I have to find my family.
To be continued…