Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 108768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
I held a machete.
He gripped a shotgun. A sword hung in its sheath on his hip.
Portraits of stern-faced rich men lined the walls.
Our feet sunk slightly into the luscious, thick red carpets, their patterns interlocked with roses and thorns, embodying the idea of love intertwined with anguish.
The ceilings above us featured beautiful gold leaf designs, with cherubs and lovers intricately etched in each. Their expressions were both passionate and afraid, trapped in a golden eternity.
The grandiose beauty of the house seemed so out of place given our anxiety-ridden situation.
Because each shadowed nook and cranny of the mansion harbored a new threat of zombies.
The undead—once the guests of some formal party at this mansion—now roamed its hallowed halls with a grotesque purpose.
Their pale, decayed skin cracked.
Black sludge spilled from the female zombie’s misshapen mouths and dripped along their ripped gowns.
The males dragged forward in their tattered tuxedos and frayed bowties hanging loosely off their shirts.
All the while, their eyes—milky and devoid of souls—locked onto us with a terrifying hunger. Their gaped open mouths revealed jagged teeth stained from unspeakable feasts.
“This way, Monique.” Lei reached for an ornate door, its once polished wood now marred by scratches and scuffs, as if many had tried to seek refuge behind it.
We opened the door, and a magnificent sight greeted us.
The grand ballroom—once probably the heart of a lavish party—now lay draped in a haunting stillness.
Crystal chandeliers cast a spectral glow over the room.
I rushed in.
Lei slammed the door shut.
Gripping my machete, I gazed around the space. “What should we do now?”
Lei stepped forward. “We will see soon.”
We tiptoed onto the large, empty dance floor that once pulsated with music and laughter. Now it was just an abandoned, hollow space.
The tall windows were framed by heavy velvet curtains in a deep shade of red, their folds partially blocking out the moonlight.
In the corners of the room, overturned chairs and long-forgotten wine glasses hinted at a celebration that had been abruptly ended.
Lei put his shotgun down and looked at me. “We are safe for now.”
“Maybe.” I lowered my machete. “But we should probably head away from here too.”
“Let’s stay.”
“Why?”
“I just need a few silent minutes with you, Monique.”
“We don’t have the time—”
“We must create it.” Quick, Lei’s hand wrapped around the nape of my neck, pulling me close until our breaths mingled in a rush.
The horrifying groans of zombies filled the air, but for that moment, time stood still.
We gravitated toward each other, pulsing with a force much stronger than fear.
He kissed me, and his soft, inviting mouth melted with mine.
Our lips danced.
There was a sweet taste of promise, a hint of what could be, and the assurance that even in the direst of circumstances, love could find its way.
As we pulled away, Lei’s eyes were dark with desire, and I felt a warmth bloom within me.
But the groans of the zombies outside jarred me back to reality.
I whispered. “We have to keep moving,”
Lei’s voice was husky with longing. “Or we can find a place to hide in this mansion, and I can finally make love to you.”
“We have to survive.”
“Or we can truly live.”
I hesitated, my heart torn between the urgency of our situation and the need for Lei’s touch.
But before I could make a decision, the door rattled with a force that made the chandeliers tremble.
Lei lifted his shotgun. “Goddamn it. They’re about to come through.”
I raised my machete. “And I don’t think there is another exit.”
“Then, we will have to go through the zombies.”
“Lei, we can’t—”
“We can.” Lei’s gaze went wild as he stared at me. “Monique, since I’ve met you in this godforsaken apocalypse, I’ve realized that I can do anything as long as you are right by my side.”
The sound of breaking wood, accompanied by a gust of cold air, cut through our intimate moment.
Facing the splintering and crumbling door, we readied ourselves for the battle ahead.
The door exploded in bits of wood.
Hundreds of zombies poured in. Their grotesque forms twisted with each step, swarming our way. Their putrid stench filled the air.
Shards of wood on the ballroom floor crunched beneath their rotting feet.
Their fingers clawed at the air.
Closer and closer.
They rushed our way with this unnatural hunger for our flesh.
The first zombie lunged at me its arms outstretched.
With a swift motion, I sliced off its head.
Lei fired the shotgun repeatedly, taking out as many zombies as he could. His bullets always managed to take down more than two at a time, but his ammo was running low, and it was only a matter of time before we were overwhelmed.
Lei shot three in a row. “While I still have the bullets, we need to take the chance now to get through.”
“You’re right.”
“Ready?”
“Always.”
Together, we charged into the sea of undead.
I fought with all my strength, my machete a blur as I hacked at the zombies. But they kept coming, their numbers seeming to increase with each passing moment.