The snarls and pounding footsteps of the zombies echoed through the narrow hallway. Caius felt the tension in the air before he saw it—a flash of metal spinning toward him.
An axe flew straight at his head, but Caius barely flinched. Instead, he tilted his body ever so slightly to the side, just enough for the axe to miss by inches. It slammed into the wall behind him with a loud thud, embedding deep into the concrete.
He didn't move a muscle, just stood there, glaring at the weapon with narrowed eyes.
"Awesome reflexes, I guess," Trent said, wide-eyed but still grinning. He leaned in slightly. "You're not human, are you?"
Caius didn't even bother looking at him. His eyes remained on the zombies fast approaching. "You better run, idiot!" he snapped, clearly irritated by Trent's nonchalance.
Trent's grin didn't falter. "Right, right! But seriously, that was cool."
"Shut up and run," Caius growled as he shoved Trent forward, kicking off into a sprint. His frustration only grew as the sound of growls and stumbling feet echoed behind them.
The hallway stretched ahead, but the zombies were gaining ground, their ragged breaths and growls getting louder. Caius' mind raced. They couldn't keep running forever, and they needed to find a way out fast.
"Man, you're really jumpy, aren't you?" Trent joked, his breath coming out in ragged gasps.
Caius shot him a glare. "I don't have time for your jokes. Unless you want to be zombie food, shut up and move faster!"
Trent chuckled. "No need to get all worked up."
As they continued running, the zombies were relentless. One leaped forward, nearly close enough to grab Caius by the neck. He spun, grabbed Trent by the collar, and shoved him toward a nearby door.
"There! Move!" Caius barked.
Trent stumbled through the doorway, and Caius slammed it behind them, the heavy thud of bodies hitting the door following just seconds later.
Breathing hard, Caius leaned against the wall, glaring at Trent as if daring him to make another stupid comment.
But Trent just smiled, breathless but still upbeat. "See? Told you we'd make it."
Caius shook his head, frustrated. "Next time, keep your mouth shut. I'm not saving you twice."
As Caius and Trent stumbled into the room, they quickly realized they were in a storage area cluttered with old furniture and equipment. Dust covered everything, and the air felt musty. The room had a single, heavy door which was now shaking from the force of the zombies trying to get in.
Caius moved to a small window high on the wall and peeked outside. The zombies were clawing at the door, their moans and thuds filling the space.
"Move, pretty boy!" Trent shouted, pushing a large, heavy table towards the door. "Help me block this!"
Caius snapped back to the present and grabbed the edge of the table, helping Trent position it in front of the door. The zombies continued to pound against it, making the whole door rattle.
Caius started looking around the room, searching for additional ways to reinforce their makeshift barricade. "That won't stay for too long," he muttered, his eyes scanning for anything useful.
Trent grunted as he adjusted the table. "Why not? This is pretty heavy though," he said, sitting on top of the table to add extra weight.
"Are you dumb?" Caius snapped, frustrated. "Didn't you see? They're far different from zombies in the movies. They're stronger, aggresive and more determined. This won't hold them forever."
Trent frowned, clearly irritated by Caius's harsh tone but understanding the urgency. "Alright, I get it. Just tell me what to do."
Caius shook his head, trying to stay focused. "Just keep an eye on the door. If they break through, we need to be ready to move. We need to find something more solid to block them or a way out of this room."
The banging on the door grew louder. Trent glanced over at Caius with a hint of admiration. "I gotta say, I'm amazed. You're not panicking at all. You really have changed, huh, pretty boy?"
Caius shot him a glare, irritation clear in his voice. "Can you stop calling me pretty boy? I have a name, and it's C—"
Trent chuckled, cutting him off. "I know, I know, it's Caius Harper. Seriously, who doesn't know you? You're like, the famous loser gay. And don't even get me started on those freaky two different eye colors."
Caius clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed. "Famous as a toy, sure. And these?" He pointed to his eyes. "It's called heterochromia, not freaky. Basically, one eye has a different color from the other due to genetics. It's pretty rare."
Trent raised an eyebrow, still smirking. "So, how'd you end up with 'em? Born with it, or did you fall into a vat of chemicals like a comic book villain? 'Cause honestly, freaky or not, it makes you stand out."
Caius groaned, crossing his arms. "Since birth. And no, I didn't fall into anything. It's just genetics, Trent. Can you drop it already?"
Trent laughed, shrugging. "Hey, I'm just sayin'. I think it's cool... in a freaky kinda way."
Ignoring Trent's, Caius continued to scan the room for a solution. His eyes fell on a small, circular vent near the ceiling. It was a bit rusty but seemed to be an escape route or at least a way to see if there were other options for them.
"Hey," Caius said, pointing at the vent. "Look at that"
Trent followed his gaze and frowned. "That's a vent. It might lead somewhere else, but it's too high up. We'd need to find a way to get to it or see if it's big enough to crawl through."
Caius nodded, determination in his eyes. "Exactly. If we can get up there, it might lead us to a safer place or at least give us a better view of what's happening."
As Caius continued to search for something to help him reach the vent, Trent took a different approach. With a grunt, he dragged another table over and wedged it against the door, reinforcing their barricade. The zombies continued to bang against it with growing intensity.
Caius was absorbed in his search, his hands scanning the cluttered room for something sturdy to stand on. Just as he was about to grab a wooden crate, he felt a sudden jolt.
Before he could react, Trent had moved quickly. Caius was lifted off the ground, and he found himself sitting awkwardly on Trent's shoulders. His legs dangled, and he felt the strange pressure on his neck and legs as Trent held him in place.
"Whoa! What the—" Caius exclaimed, his voice a mix of shock and confusion. He looked down to see Trent's face directly below him, a smirk on his lips.
Trent looked up, slightly amused. "Just giving you a boost. You needed it."
Caius's eyes widened, his surprise evident. "Are you serious? What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Trent shrugged, trying to balance Caius on his shoulders. "You were taking too long. This way, you can reach that vent. Unless you want me to do everything for you."
Despite his irritation, Caius had to admit that Trent's impromptu lift might be their best chance. "Fine," Caius muttered.
As he reached for the vent, Caius couldn't help but feel a mix of disbelief and frustration. "Just hold still," he instructed Trent, who grunted in response, focusing on keeping his balance.