Felicia's breath hitched as the message flickered across her vision.
[Multiple targets located]
Her grip tightened on the mop stick, sweat slicking her palms. She pressed herself further against the cold stairwell wall, heart pounding like a war drum in her chest.
Who?
The distant growls were growing louder, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of hurried footsteps, too fast, too coordinated to be zombies.
Felicia swallowed hard, debating her next move. If they weren't zombies, then maybe
BOOM!
The deafening blast of a shotgun echoed through the building, followed by a wet, sickening thud.
Felicia's eyes widened. "What the hell?"
Another growl, cut short by the sharp shhhing of a blade slicing through flesh. Then, a voice, muffled, but unmistakably human.
She didn't have time to process it. Heavy footsteps pounded against the stairs below, growing closer with each second. Felicia pressed her back against the railing, her muscles tensed, ready to strike if she had to.
Then, she saw them.
First was a guy she recognized, David, Nora's brother, his face slick with sweat, a bloodied machete clenched tightly in his hands. Behind him, a taller figure with a shotgun slung over his shoulder, his expression tense but focused.
And finally,
"Nora," Felicia breathed, her chest tightening with relief and something dangerously close to tears.
Nora skidded to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, eyes locking onto Felicia's with fierce determination. A thin sheen of frost coated her fingertips, and the air around her was unnaturally cold. "Felicia!"
Felicia barely had time to react before Nora raised her hand. A sharp blast of ice shot past her, freezing a zombie mid-lunge just behind Felicia.
Felicia spun, stabbing the mop stick into the frozen corpse's chest, shattering it into brittle pieces. "You have ice powers," she muttered, exhaling shakily.
Nora practically leapt into Felicia's arms. "You're okay!" she cried, holding her tightly. "We've been trying to call you, but you weren't answering!"
Felicia tried to respond, but only managed a wheeze as Nora's newfound strength, likely from her ice powers, turned the hug into a bone-crushing grip. "C-Can't... breathe..." she gasped.
Realizing what she was doing, Nora quickly let go, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "Sorry!"
Felicia coughed a few times before digging through her bag and pulling out her inhaler. She took a long, satisfying breath, the tension in her chest easing.
"You were calling me?" she asked, checking her phone. Her brow furrowed. "I don't have any bars."
Nora frowned, pulling out her own phone and glancing at the screen. "Weird. I had a signal earlier." She tapped at it a few times before sighing in frustration. "Guess it's dead now."
David wiped the blood off his machete against his jeans, his sharp eyes scanning the stairwell behind Felicia. "We need to keep moving," he said, his voice low but urgent. "This place is crawling."
Felicia nodded, sliding her phone back into her pocket. "Yeah, I noticed." She glanced at the frozen remains of the zombie she had just shattered, still scattered across the steps. "Nice timing, by the way."
Nora gave a small, proud smirk. "Well, I couldn't just leave you here."
"So, do you want to explain what's going on?" Felicia asked.
Nora frowned. "You didn't hear the voice?"
Felicia's expression shifted to confusion. "What voice?"
The guy with the shotgun, Felicia vaguely remembered his name was Connor, shifted the weapon in his hands, his gaze wary. "Less talking, more walking." He jerked his chin toward the exit. "The ground floor's clear for now, but it won't stay that way."
Felicia took a deep breath and nodded. "Right. Let's go."
They moved quickly but carefully, descending the stairs with silent urgency. The air was thick with the stench of rotting flesh and gunpowder, and every distant groan sent a fresh wave of unease down Felicia's spine.
As they reached the final landing, David held up a hand, signaling them to stop. He peeked around the corner, then nodded. "Coast is clear."
Felicia exhaled in relief, but it was short-lived.
A sudden, sharp clatter echoed through the stairwell above them, something moving fast. Too fast.
"Shit," Nora hissed.
David didn't hesitate. "Move!"
Felicia bolted after them, feet pounding against the tiled floor as they burst through the stairwell doors and into the dimly lit hallway beyond. The emergency lights flickered weakly, casting eerie shadows along the walls.
Connor took the lead, his shotgun raised, while Nora and Felicia stuck close together.
"Where are we going?" Felicia panted, clutching her mop stick tightly.
"The parking garage," David answered. "We parked near the south exit. If we can make it there, we'll be safe. Some guys have already set up a perimeter by the south gate. They've got a few trucks, and they're waiting for us."
Felicia nodded, gripping her mop stick tighter. "Alright, let's move."
They moved quickly through the hallway, the dim lights flickering above them. David led the way, Connor right behind him with his shotgun ready. Nora stayed close to Felicia, her breath steady but tense.
Felicia glanced at her. "So, what did the voice say?"
Nora hesitated. "Time to prove our worth. And to survive. It was... in my head."
Felicia frowned but didn't press. There wasn't time.
David suddenly stopped, holding up a hand. "Wait."
Everyone froze.
Soft shuffling came from the hall ahead, slow but deliberate.
"Zombies?" Felicia whispered.
David shook his head. "Not sure."
Connor adjusted his grip. "We don't have time for this."
David nodded. "South exit's close. Stay quiet and keep moving."
Felicia swallowed hard and followed.
Eventually, they reached the garage without any issues and spotted Connor's SUV parked in the corner.
They hurried toward the SUV, their footsteps echoing through the empty garage. Connor scanned the area, shotgun raised, while David jogged ahead to check the vehicle.
Felicia kept close to Nora, her eyes darting around nervously. "So far, so good," she muttered.
David reached the SUV and yanked the door open. "Keys are in." He turned back, waving them over. "Let's go."
Connor nodded and moved to the driver's side. "Get in, fast."
Felicia climbed into the backseat with Nora right behind her. David slammed the passenger door shut while Connor started the engine. The low rumble filled the garage, and for a second, everything seemed fine.
Then came the growls.
Felicia's stomach dropped as shapes emerged from the far end of the garage, shuffling faster than they should.
"Drive!" David barked.
Connor didn't hesitate. Tires screeched against the concrete as the SUV shot forward, heading straight for the exit. Nora turned around, ice creeping along her fingertips.
Felicia swallowed. "This just keeps getting better."
As the SUV swerved and weaved through the scattered zombies, Nora fired blasts of ice at those foolish enough to jump onto the vehicle.
"So, you have powers now?" Felicia asked, her voice barely audible over the roar of the engine.
Nora shot a blast at the ground behind them, causing several zombies to slip and fall, dragging others down with them in a chaotic pile.
"I know, right?" Nora replied, shooting another blast. "It's just like those cartoons you used to watch."
"It's called anime," Felicia grumbled, rolling her eyes.
Nora chuckled, her fingers glowing as she formed a massive block of ice, which she then sent crashing into a group of zombies. They were frozen instantly, their limbs locking up in place as the block rolled over them. "My talent's called Ice Break," she continued, her tone a mix of pride and confusion. "It lets me fully manipulate and create the concept of ice. Don't ask me to explain it, I still don't get what they mean by 'concept.' either."
The SUV roared down the street, the growls of zombies growing fainter as they put more distance between themselves and the garage. But Felicia knew it wasn't over. The feeling of dread in her gut told her that much.
Nora glanced over at her, the ice flickering at her fingertips starting to dissipate. "Are you okay?"
Felicia nodded, though she wasn't sure if she really was. Her heart was still pounding from the rush, her chest tight with the aftereffects of her inhaler. "Yeah, just... need a minute."
David leaned forward from the passenger seat, his eyes scanning the rearview mirror. "Look alive, we're here."