The Dead came in writhing hordes, teeming like grotesque shadows of what was once living. They branched off in deathly packs, stealing the life of everything with a pulsing heartbeat. Four stumbled toward a small group of shocked young survivors. Groans and growls erupted from the Deads’ decomposing fleshy throats. One reached its hand out, broken fingers gnarled like an elder’s appendage.
`A teenage girl flung herself away from the condensed group, wielding a jagged crowbar. She swung the weapon, aiming at the zombie’s head, but fell short. A shout escaped her older brother who had been beating a zombie about the head. He glimpsed the girl stumbled forward, jabbing the crowbar into her opponents collar bone instead. With a garbled roar, the Dead threw his head forward and sunk his blackened teeth into the girl’s throat.
Connor’s little sister fell with a scream cut short, her attacker landing on top of her. His jaws snapped tight around her jugular, pulling the skin away. Her pale skin became a crimson red and her eyes clouded over.
“No!” Connor sprang up, barreling through a Dead old lady and grabbing his friend to help him. He half dragged, half ran with his friend until he was close enough to snatch up the crowbar and launch it into the zombie’s skull. It crumpled to the ground over Connor’s little sister. Allan yanked it off of her and knelt beside her.
“Connor, we can’t leave her like this. She’s already gone.” Allan mumbled quietly, reaching for the crowbar.
With a thud, Connor brought down his foot onto Allan’s wrist. “No, I won’t let you defile her this way. She deserves better.”
“Connor, she’s gonna be a Dead if you don’t let me do this!” Allan screamed at Connor. Suddenly, the deceased girl opened her eyes.
“Connor, I’m with Mum. She’s okay! She’s…I’m…” She trailed off as her eyes began to lose their renewed blue color. “Wait…I’m…dead already…aren’t I?” She whispered with difficulty.
Samantha hacked at the last Dead with a stolen sword and stared at Anna, Connor’s sister. Allan leaned closer to Anna and Connor wept beside her.
“What the heck is going on, Connor! She doesn’t even have a pulse!” Samantha yelled as she clenched her friend’s cold wrist. Connor just wept and Allan stared dumbfounded.

“I must be…the cure…” Anna breathed, barely audible. She reached her gore-stained fingers out and touched her brother’s forehead. Making a fist, she gently squeezed a drop of blood into his palm.

The world slowed as the blood drop splattered into her brother’s hand. Samantha’s cursing and Allan’s panic as the Dead began to stumble towards them was drowned out by the tiny sound of the spilled blood. Anna’s eyes turned a pale grey again as her hand shuddered slowly to the cement.

“Go, Connor. Save…them…for Mum and I.”