I gazed around letting my eyes adjust to the fog. There was a pond on my right with debris floating all across the surface. I could see that the pond was surrounded by trees. It was surprisingly bright at this time of night, yet I could not see the moon. As I looked around, I noticed in the pond, there were people! It looked like they were holding onto a log.
"Hey! Are you alright!" I yelled at the top of my lungs as I started moving towards them. They didn't even register what I said, as though my voice was as quiet as a whisper. The pond was very shallow, not even up to my knees. I thought this was odd for a pond, but I forgot about it as I looked at the two people in front of me.
They were both women with long sinewy black hair and a frail frame. They were wearing torn tank top shirts and ripped pants. The woman on my left had cuts and gashes all across the back of her arms and legs from what I could see. The woman on my right was angled towards me, but her hair was hanging down in front of her face, so I could only see the cuts on her arms and hands.
The fog around them began to clear and I realized they were not holding onto a log... it was a mans body! I suddenly became very terrified and did not know why. Until I saw the woman on my left violently jerk the mans head back and rip his throat out with her teeth.
As I took a step back, I heard a slurping sound from the woman on my right, as she was pulling violently on the mans leg and ripping pieces of his thigh off with her teeth."They haven't noticed me yet!" I thought to myself. Both of them stopped and slowly turned their heads to look at me, as though they read my mind!
They looked at me with eyes that sunk into their head and were black as night. I could see teeth through their ripped and torn lips. The woman on the left lunged at me with her closest hand. I rolled my left shoulder back to get out of reach. But I jerked so hard that I fell to the ground and had to scramble back to my feet.
Running as fast as I could to get away from them. When I turned around to see where I was going... I was in a log house? I could not stop to think about it, I could hear the women getting closer behind me! There was one door in the room and as I grabbed onto the handle and opened the door. A grotesque, headless, man swung a axe into my neck!

Mark jolted up to a sitting position breathing hard and sweating. He looked around to see where he was at and noticed his two brothers were still asleep in the car with him and that it was still night outside. "It was only a dream" Mark let out in a sigh. It has been four months since the zombie epidemic occurred. Mark, along with his two brothers, his sister and a close friend were the only ones to survive out of the original group.
They have been surviving by living on the streets. Sleeping in cars, abandoned houses, or trailers. Mark, gazing out his window, shifted as he saw a person coming from the alley across the street. He slowly slid down into his seat and shook his brother Craig, who was sleeping next to him in the back seat. Craig is bigger than everyone else in the group and the oldest brother. He is average height with a husky build. He used to always joke, yet these past few months have made him more serious. "What do you want?" Craig said in a groggy voice. Mark motioned for him to be quiet and pointed over his shoulder towards the alley. Craig realized what he meant, they have been living like this for months now. Slowly they pulled out their weapons. Mark had a standard pistol. While Craig had a rifle, with a scope attached. Craig took aim for the alley and waited patiently for a clean shot.
The silhouette stepped out into the moon light and he saw that it was Jarred! "Guys, its me!" Jarred voiced as loud as he dared, but it was loud enough for the others to hear. He looked around to be sure it was safe and then jogged across the street to the car. Mark and Craig both sighed in relief. As Mark rolled down the window Craig said "I almost shot you!" in a harsh whisper. "Well good thing you didn't!" Jarred laughed. Jarred is a bit taller than the rest and has a lithe like figure. He is normally the one to scout for the group and fit through small windows to unlock doors. He is also the first one on watch tonight with Tonya. "Have you seen anything nearby?" Mark asked to Jarred "I did see a group of infected about two blocks east, but thats it." he replied. Mark gestured towards his brother "Craig, wake up Brian and lets get moving. This place is getting more and more dangerous." As Craig shook Brian to wake him up, Mark asked "Where is Tonya?" Jarred looked behind him "She went to the apartment buildings about 3 blocks west. To see if she could find anything to eat for us." Mark nodded "Alright, well lets start heading that way and get her." as he grabbed his back pack and baseball bat.

The small hallway was very dark and there were doors on both sides. She was breathing hard and looking for one that was not locked. Tonya's brown hair was matted to her head by blood and every door she touched left blood stained hand prints. She could hear the infected getting closer. "I gotta get out of here!" she thought as her mind was racing and the adrenaline in her body was pumping. She slammed into every door she passed in this huge apartment building and found herself tripping over things she couldn't see. Her lungs were on fire from all the running and her legs were weak.
As she slammed into the next door, it gave in, and she fell to the ground with a loud thud. She closed the door quickly and locked it. Listening for the footsteps of the infected. As the footsteps got close and passed by. She realized they were not close enough to see her go into the room! She breathed a little easier as she leaned against the wall holding onto her sword. She looked down at the gun strapped across her shoulder and knew that she was out of ammo. It was a nest that she found, a gathering of the infected and she used all her ammo to get away.
Before she could truly rest.. she heard something shift in the room. As though something was being dragged. Thats when she realized it was extremely dark in the room and could barely see her own hand. The adrenaline started pumping again and her heart felt like a hammer in her chest. "I cant go back outside, theres to many." She thought, yet there was something in here with her! The sound grew closer and she smelled it. The putrid stench of dried blood. She swung her sword in front of her wildly, moving forward with every swing! Hoping to hit whatever it was that was getting so close. In the middle of one of her swings, her leg hit something and she tripped onto a glass table that shattered. Pieces of glass stabbed into her arms as she tried to catch herself. She let out a cry of pain and rolled onto her back. Her left arm was almost severed by a piece of glass and she could feel her blood pouring down her arm onto the floor.
As something grabbed onto her leg she realized her mistake! She missed the infected cause it was dragging itself across the floor! It bit into her foot so hard that it tore through her shoe and into flesh.Tonya, Screaming wildly and kicking with all of her strength could not get the zombie off of her. She reached for her sword but could not see it in the dark. So she tried to push herself up with her left hand, but didn't realize how bad it was and her arm folded in half. Mind numbing pain shot through her arm and her head felt heavy.. as she blacked out.

The group was heading in the direction of the apartment building. With Brian in the lead, Mark and Craig taking up the middle, and Jarred in back. Brian had his shotgun pressed to his shoulder, ready to kill anything that came around the corner. His hawk like face very serious and his eyes looking at every shadow like it was an enemy. The alley was tight with huge bushes on both sides. It being in the middle of the night without lights did not help much either.
"Did you guys hear that?" Brian asked as he moved forward. They were at the end of the alley when the bushes on the right shook and Brian opened fire! Sending all 5 rounds into the bush, tearing it in half and making a hole in the fence behind it. Everyone was tense and holding their breath.. waiting to see what would come out. A squirrel ran out the bottom, it had been climbing in the bush and thats what made it shake. Brian sighed in relief "Alright, we are good." he said as he motioned for the others to push up behind him. As he started to pull the shotgun shells out of the pouch on his waist to reload. A zombie lunged at him from the left and grabbed his arms with frightening strength, while biting into his neck and jerking viciously. Brian screamed out in pain and looked like a rag doll in the zombies grip. The infected yanked his head back, tearing out one of the main arteries in Brian's neck.
Still holding Brian's arms out wide, it gulped the flesh and blood down its throat with a sickening slurp sound. As his arms were being held and his blood gushing down the side of his body, Brian was helpless and he slumped to his knees. Mark, yelling at the top of his lungs, was the first to open fire on the infected person. Strafing to his right to get a better angle on the zombie and aiming down his sight, he opened fire. His first couple of shots made the zombie stagger and drop his brother. But none of them were strong enough to kill the zombie. As Mark moved aside, Craig kneeled down and and steadied his gun. Looking through the scope, that he had adjusted for the alley and waiting for the right time to shoot. When he saw the zombie stagger backwards from Marks shots. He knew this was his chance. He slowly squeezed the trigger and the high caliber bullet found its target. Mark heard the loud rifle fire and he watched as the left side of the zombies head blew apart.
By the time the zombie fell over and hit the ground. They were all by Brian's side and realized how much blood was spurting out of his neck onto the ground. "Brian!!" Mark cried, as tears fell down his face and he grabbed his brothers hand. Craig came up close and grabbed his other hand and told him "You know what we have to do." Brian nodded slowly, as he was gasping for breath, and squeezed his brothers hands. "Mark.. Let me see your gun" cracked Craig's voice. Mark, still overcome with emotions and barely able to keep himself up, handed him the gun. Jarred came over with tears in his eyes and said "We have to get moving, I don't know how many more are around." Craig nodded and put the gun to Brian's head and said "I love you bro!" and Mark echoed those same words as Craig pulled the trigger.

After the loss of Brian. They were more eager to find Tonya, but they couldn't help but think the worst had happened to her. They were on a street filled with cars that were burnt and tipped over... all of them looking like they just come from a chop shop. "What if she is already dead!" Jarred said, thinking that it would be bad if they went looking for her and more of them ended up dead. "We are still going to look for her! No matter what you say!" Mark replied in a very angry tone that left no room for argument. "I care for Tonya to. But we can't let one person get us all killed!" Jarred said in a quiet tone. Reminding the others that they are in danger and need to stay alert.
Craig was the only one not speaking. He was staring to his left at something that didn't seem to be a normal shadow. The other voices drowned out of his head as he stared at that shadow... something was there and it was hunting. He knew it was hunting! After months of living on the edge you soon realize whats predator and whats prey... Craig felt like prey right now. "Guys!" Craig said in a whisper, but he didn't get a reply. He looked forward and realized that he was a lot further behind them then he had thought. "How long have i been standing here?" he thought and he looked back over to the shadow. It was no longer there!!
His heart started to pound and his adrenaline was rushing through his body so fast it made his hands shake. Can he make to the others in time? Will they be able to make to him in time? He was out of options, he knew they were being hunted! "RUN!!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. He started to move towards the others when he saw the shadow jump out from behind one of the over turned cars in the street. He put his rifle up in front of him to catch the jaws that would have found his throat. He fell to the ground under the weight of the attack. The beast was so powerful, he heard the wood on the gun crack and it took all of his strength to hold onto the it. He twisted his gun to move the jaws of the beast aside hoping to slide out from under it. He yelled "Run!!" one more time, looking in the direction of his brother and friend. Thats when he knew he was dead, as he saw the second beast lung at his face.

The other two turned around just in time to see something jump on top of Craig. Mark started to run back. But he was so far away. How did he get so far away!! Then another one of those beasts jumped out in the middle of him and his brother. Mark realized that it was a dog, warped and twisted by the infection. He could see its teeth dripping with blood and half of its face was missing. They were truly frightening to be around because they could move at such high speeds and could break bones with their jaws. Again Craig yelled "Run!!" and all Mark could do is feel helpless and distraught as he saw another dog lunge at his brother and crush Craig's face.

Jarred grabbed Mark by the shoulder and yelled at him to run. He only had to ask once. They both ran at full speed. They could also see the apartment! "Its right there Mark! Thats where Tonya went" Jarred panted as they ran. The apartment was to their right, about fifty yards away. Looking back over his shoulder he could see the dog getting closer and that one of the other dogs that was on Craig is now coming after them. "I think is see the door to the stairs!" Mark yelled as they got closer too the building.
As he got closer, Jarred noticed movement on one of the fourth floor balconies. "Is that Tonya? or is it a zombie?" Jarred could not tell from this distance but he told Mark what he saw. "Then we are going to the fourth floor!" Mark said as he veered towards the door. Mark was the first one to the door by a good thirty feet and held the door open for Jarred."Come on man! the dog is right behind you!" Mark yelled to his friend. But as Jarred got closer to the door he saw something else to the right.. a pack of zombies were heading towards corner near the door! He couldn't make it in time.
"Mark close the door! Zombies on your left!" he cried. As soon as he heard what Jarred said. Mark slammed the door and and locked it. "They didn't see Mark." Jarred thought as he veered sharply to his left, in between the apartment complex.
"I will lead them as far away as possible and find a place to hide." is what he planned on doing. But he didn't know that Tonya was here earlier... and that it was a nest of zombies. No more than ten feet to his left, a zombie lurched out of one of the doors and caught Jarred by his left arm. He felt the tear in his arm as the zombie bit down. He kicked with his right foot and yanked his left arm free and fell backwards into a roll. He came back up ready to fight or run.. when his head got yanked back and another zombie bit into his right shoulder. He screamed out in pain and tried to shake him off.
He didn't notice that the first dog caught up and lunged at his throat. Jarred's screams were muffled by the blood filling up in his throat and all that came out was a gurgled moan. The last thing he felt was cold as his eyes closed.

His heart was thumping so loud and hard he felt it in his neck. "How many zombie went by the door after Jarred?" Mark thought. Then he heard his friend scream out in pain and listened as it turned into a gurgled cry. Mark sat there, paralyzed by the fear that he was all alone. "All of them have died! What the hell am i going to do!" then he remember that Tonya is still here! Some where in the building. On the fourth floor! He checked the clip in his gun and saw that it was empty. He slid his back pack off and searched through its contents. There was no more spare ammo. He threw the gun aside "Worthless piece of crap!" and looked into his pack some more. He found a flashlight, not something that he was looking for but it will help. Food, clothing, and a small blanket. Nothing else he can use to help him find his sister. He tosses the back pack aside and picks up the flashlight and his baseball bat. "This will have to do" he grumbled as he worked his way up the stairs to the fourth floor.

"Didn't Jarred say he saw movement on one of the balconies?" he thought as he got close to the door. So he did not open the door right away, for fear of zombies being right outside. As he looked through the window on the door, he noticed that it was a small hallway on the other side. Not seeing any movement, Mark opened the door quietly and stepped into the hall. It was a very dark place and he could smell blood every where. He listened carefully to see if he could hear anything. Nothing... no shuffling feet or deep breathing other than his own. Mark put his bat down beside him and tentatively turned on his flashlight while covering it with his hand at first. He slowly moved his hand away and could not believe what he saw.
There were bodies strewn up and down the hall. Some with their heads ripped off, while others were missing limbs. As he scanned the hallway, he noticed hand prints leading away from him on some of the doors. As he got closer to inspect he saw that they were recent! Someone must have been running and hitting these doors. What if it was Tonya!! He went back and grabbed his baseball bat and started following the hand prints. He got half way down the hall when he saw that the hand prints stopped on one door. He started to reach for the handle but stopped himself. "Whats that sound?" he thought as he moved closer to the door to listen. It was a slurping sound. Much like the same sound he heard when Brian was killed! He steadied himself and gripped his bat tightly. He kicked the door in with his right foot and scanned the room quickly with the flashlight.
There was a book case on his right that was remarkably in tact. Three feet into the room is a couch with a large back to it. To the left he could see a small kitchen and blood all over the counter and floor. He saw a blood trail leading from the kitchen to the couch, but since the couch had such a high back to it, he could not see around it. Then he noticed that is where the noise is coming from. As Mark moved around the couch with his flashlight he saw something. It was Tonya!! Her face was at the very edge of the couch and she was laying in the glass from the table she fell on. As he scanned her with his flashlight he saw her left arm was almost completely severed and that she was in a pool of blood. As he scanned further down her body he saw what had been making the noise. A zombie had been eating its way up her leg! "Ahhhhh!!" He yelled and dropped his flashlight and swung the bat up over his head and dropped it as hard as his muscles would allow on top of the zombies head. He felt the bone crush under the weight of the blow. It sounded like he just crushed a watermelon. He felt the blood splatter all over his body and knew that the zombie was truly dead. But he didn't care. He kept pumping his arms up and down to smash the bat down on its head. Fueled by the rage of seeing his sister being eaten by this thing. By the time his rage played itself out, there not much left of the zombie to even know that it was humanoid.
Mark dropped his bat and fell to his knees cradling his sisters head close to his own and crying. He started to rock back and forth as he spoke "I love you sis! I love you and Brian and Craig and Jarred with all my heart!! What will I do without you!" his tears came down and his shoulders bobbed from the emotional stress.

Mark, drowning in his sorrow, did not realize that Tonya had opened her eyes... until she bit into his neck.


Death By Design: Fictional Story
Submitted by Design for the Zombie Fiction Contest

Originally Posted by Design What part did you like the most?

Left 4 Dead Forums!

Join us! -- Win Left 4 Dead! -- The Latest L4D News!

Originally Posted by Design Thanks for taking the time to read my story!

Left 4 Dead Forums!

Join us! -- Win Left 4 Dead! -- The Latest L4D News!

Originally Posted by ac3death Great, so great it made me delete the one i was working on becuz i have no chance

Left 4 Dead Forums!

Join us! -- Win Left 4 Dead! -- The Latest L4D News!

Originally Posted by ac3death Great, so great it made me delete the one i was working on becuz i have no chance