Chapter 1

The heavy snarls of the zombies blended perfectly with the black rain currently holding us in here.

"That door isn't going to hold for long," Jason muttered, his eyes fixed on the glass door of the shopping mall we were currently hiding in. "They'll find us if we run too."

"Not if we leave something for them to keep busy with." Maya's broken, terrified voice came through the sounds.

"What are you guys saying? It doesn't even matter if we get out, because the black rain is still there. The radiation from that alone will kill us before the zombies do," I pointed out, gesturing toward the broken window where droplets of rain seeped in.

"So what? We just stay here and die? You can do that if you want to, but Maya and I want to live."

I sucked in a breath, glancing between them. Maya stood behind him, trembling while holding onto his bicep tightly.

The sight felt like a hand squeezing my throat. Still, I forced myself to ignore it.

Maya and Jason were close, even with him being my boyfriend, but that didn't mean anything.

The zombies pounded on the door harder, hungrier and desperate for our flesh.

Maya pointed to the window, where a car stood unscratched across the road. "We can't wait this storm out here. They'll break through. We have to run to the car."

"Are you insane? You'll get radiation burns!"

She glared at me, pulling off Jason's jacket. "The leather will take most of the damage. Besides, what's a few scars compared to becoming zombie food?"

"Don't be a coward, Arya. Take off your jacket and let's just do this."

My heart raced, but I did as he asked, pulling off mine.

Maya had lost hers over a week ago, when the apocalypse had first fallen and everything had gone to chaos. Now, her gaze was fixed hungrily on mine.

She finally noticed me staring and forced a smile. "Oh, it's fine, Arya. I'll just share with Jason. You know he'll protect me."

Something in her voice was taunting me. Regardless of what choice I made, I'd still lose something.

My reply was cold and sharp, shocking both of them. "Fine, share with him."

Their eyes widened, shocked that I hadn't given in and lunged at the chance to be with Jason.

I stepped toward the door, turning back one final time to look at the zombies. The glass doors were already cracking, nearly pushed off their hinges by the massive weight pressing against them.

"Alright then. Let's go," Jason muttered, lifting his jacket over his head.

He climbed out first, his body barely covered from the acid rain by the roof overhang. "Come out. Hurry."

Maya climbed out next, a few drops of the rain dripping onto her brow and burning through her shirt.

Just as I was about to join, Maya stretched out her hand, smiling sweetly. "Come on. Hurry up and let me help you out."

My shoulders drew in, my eyes fixed on her cracked fingernails stretched out to me.

But then the sound of death behind me strengthened my resolve, and I took her hand, waiting for her to pull me out.

Instead, she lunged, snatching the jacket off my back and shoving me back into the shopping mall.

"Maya!" Jason called, his voice shocked.

My body ached from the floor, barely able to sit up and stare at the girl I'd called my best friend since middle school.

"No hard feelings, Arya, but that car has only two seats, and there isn't one for you."

My gaze shifted to Jason, eyes wide. "Jason... you can't do this to me."

He hesitated, and for a brief moment, I believed he would save me.

But he simply turned his back to me, the jacket sweeping over his head. "Sorry, Arya, but if you come with us, there'll be no one for the zombies to feed on here. We'll all die if you come."

His words felt like glass, tearing through the fragile illusion I'd built over the years. "Don't do this, Jason... Jason!"

He turned and ran, right through the rain to the car, with Maya right behind him.

The acid rain tore through their jackets, but they still made it.

I watched the car come alive and the engine rev, the sound swallowed by the heavy crash that came from behind me.

The zombies had broken through the door, piling over each other to get to their next meal. Me.

I curled up, backing away toward the wall. My back hit the concrete just as the first one lunged for me.

His claws dug into my skin, tearing it away. The pain threatened to swallow my whole body.

The first zombie sank his teeth into me, holding me down while the others joined in on the feast.

I lay there, helpless, as my body became food for the undead. The only thing fueling my weak efforts to escape was my anger and thirst for revenge.

My body shifted onto my hands and knees, struggling to reach the window that suddenly felt so far away.

Eventually, the fight left me, and my body crashed back to the floor, lifeless.

The last thing I saw before taking my final breath was Maya's discarded water bottle, lying on the floor until the bright pink color faded to black.

My body shot up, heart racing. The pain was gone. The room was empty too.

[Congratulations, host. You have been upgraded past level 1: Survive]