no way out

Intro.

In the heart of Charlotte, North Carolina, a city known for its vibrant culture and bustling streets, an unthinkable nightmare was about to unfold. The once-thriving streets now lay shrouded in darkness, as an eerie silence replaced the lively hum of the city.

Kara, a 19-year-old girl with determination etched into her every step, held the hand of her 5-year-old brother, Connor. Fear had set in, as they navigated the desolate streets, seeking refuge from the terror that had taken over their hometown.

The night had fallen, and with it came a chilling rain that drenched the siblings. The soft pattering of the raindrops was their only company, an eerie contrast to the horrors they had encountered earlier. The sky was heavy with ominous clouds, hinting at an impending storm that would rival the tempest brewing within the city itself.

Kara's heart raced with every distant scream that pierced the air, a gruesome symphony that played on the outskirts of her consciousness. These weren't ordinary screams. They were the agonized cries of those who had fallen victim to the nightmare that had gripped the city.

As they turned a corner, Kara's grip on Connor tightened. She could see the signs now, the bloodied handprints, the shattered glass, and the scattered belongings left in the wake of chaos. The unrelenting terror that had stalked the streets was inching closer, and their only hope was to find shelter.

In a dimly lit alley, they stumbled upon a small convenience store. The flickering neon sign above the entrance added an eerie glow to the scene. Desperation compelled Kara to push open the door, revealing a dimly lit interior filled with abandoned shelves and shattered merchandise.

As they cautiously ventured deeper into the store, the oppressive stench of decay became unbearable. The room was punctuated with the lifeless gaze of several creatures, their eyes vacant, and their limbs contorted into grotesque angles. These were not the living; they were the undead.

Kara knew they needed to find a safer haven, and fast. She grabbed Connor's hand, intent on leading him back outside. But the world had become a place of nightmares, and the odds were stacked against them. In a harrowing instant, they were surrounded by the relentless undead, and the horror of their reality was inescapable.

With the relentless fervor of the unnatural, the undead closed in, and in that sinister moment, Kara would witness a nightmare from which there was no awakening. She held Connor close, the final echoes of his innocent laughter forever etched in her memory, for in the heart of the apocalypse, not even the innocence of a 5-year-old could escape the relentless clutches of the undead.

Connor's life was extinguished, and a new chapter in Kara's harrowing journey had just begun.