Day 3 after the outbreak.
Jaxon slowly opened his eyes, squinting at the sunlight streaming through the window. He'd only meant to rest for a few hours, but he'd somehow slept all night. He must have been more exhausted than he thought after everything that happened yesterday.
His stomach growled, reminding him that he'd skipped dinner. He stretched, took a quick shower, and headed downstairs.
In the kitchen, he saw his mom already making breakfast. The smell of warm soup and eggs filled the air.
"Jaxon, you're awake," Isabel said quietly when she saw him. "You didn't eat with us yesterday. Everything okay?"
"Sorry, I was just too tired and fell asleep," he said. They were both talking in hushed tones, like they'd gotten used to whispering to avoid attracting zombies.
"Don't push yourself too hard with all that training," Isabel said, her voice gentle but concerned.
"Yeah, I know, Mom," he replied, scratching the back of his head and giving her a small smile.
A few minutes later, Natasha and Cindy came down from their rooms.
"Everyone's here," Isabel said, her voice still low. "Food's ready. Come on, let's eat."
While they were eating quietly, Natasha kept glancing at Jaxon. She was barely touching her soup, her eyes fixed on him.
"What's up, Sis? You look like you want to say something," Jaxon asked, noticing her staring.
"You were right yesterday," Natasha said softly. "That group that went after the guns... I saw what happened. They didn't make it."
The table went silent. Even Cindy stopped eating.
"That's how dangerous it is out there," Jaxon said, his voice firm. "We need to be careful and not go out unless we absolutely have to."
The three women nodded.
"But..." Natasha hesitated, frowning. "Something's weird."
"What is it?" He asked.
"When you went upstairs, that sniper showed up right after. Are you..."
Thud.
The sound of something heavy hitting metal cut her off.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
It came again, louder this time. Everyone froze, their eyes darting towards the direction of the noise.
"What's that sound? It's coming from the gate," Cindy whispered, her voice shaky.
Jaxon immediately stood up and went to the reinforced window. He leaned in close, peering through the small gap.
He saw it, one infected slamming its body against their gate, trying to break through.
"A zombie..." Jaxon muttered, frowning.
As soon as he said it, the whole atmosphere changed. Fear and tension filled the room.
"Why's it here? We didn't make any noise, did we?" Cindy asked, her voice anxious.
"The sound's gonna attract more of them. We need to take care of it, fast," Natasha said. She tightened her grip on the small knife she was holding. Fear was clear in her eyes, but she tried her best to hide it.
Jaxon was confused too. He was certain they hadn't done anything to draw an infected near. He was about to head upstairs and take a shot from the second floor when suddenly...
They all froze. The zombie's pale hand reached through the bars, its fingers wrapping around the gate's latch. A faint click echoed, and slowly, the gate started to creak open.
"What the hell..." Jaxon muttered, his eyes wide. "It opened the gate?"
He stood there, frozen, his mind racing. The image of that weird, huge zombie from yesterday flashed in his head. 'Another mutation? No... this isn't just mutation. It's like they're remembering how to do things.'
He looked back at the others. Their faces were pale, their mouths slightly open, all staring at the same horrifying sight.
"Th... that zombie, how could it just..." Natasha whispered, unable to finish the sentence.
"Mom. Cindy. Natasha," Jaxon said sharply, snapping them out of their daze. "Go upstairs and lock yourselves in your rooms."
"What are you going to do?" Natasha asked, her voice trembling.
Before Jaxon could answer...
Bam!
A loud crash echoed through the house. This time, it wasn't the gate. The sound was coming from the front door. The furniture they'd piled against it rattled and shifted with every hit.
"It's already here..." Isabel whispered, her hands shaking.
" Upstairs. Now!" Jaxon said firmly, pushing them towards Isabel's room.
"Wait for me here. Mom, lock the door," he added quickly before turning away.
"Brother, wait! Where are you going?" Cindy called out, but Jaxon was already heading downstairs…
He pulled up his System window as he moved. Without even thinking, he opened the Store and picked a weapon.
(20 coins spent. Fire Axe successfully purchased.)
A moment later, the red-handled axe appeared in his hand. It felt solid and heavy, way better than a kitchen knife.
From the way the door was positioned, sniping wasn't an option. The thing was too close, and the rifle wouldn't work. He had no choice but to face it head-on.
'Good thing I took out a bunch of those things yesterday,' he thought, tightening his grip on the axe. 'But I need to end this quick, before more of them show up.'
He took a deep breath, walked towards the door, and started moving the furniture that was blocking it.
'Can I really do this?' Jaxon thought, staring at the doorknob, which was shaking from the force of the hits. His heart was pounding in his chest. 'I can't hesitate now. If I screw this up... Mom and my sisters...'
He gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the axe handle. The wood felt slick against his sweaty hands.
He swallowed hard, stepped closer, and slowly unlatched the lock. He took a step back, raised the axe, and got ready.
'Just like in the movies,' he told himself. 'Swing when it comes.'
The next second, the door burst open with a loud bang! The infected lunged in, its jaw hanging open, drool dripping from its mouth. Its cloudy eyes were locked right on him.
Jaxon didn't wait. He swung the axe with everything he had, aiming for its head...
...but the blade just sliced through empty air. The zombie had ducked at the last second, like a normal person would, instead of just mindlessly charging forward.
"Shit...!" Jaxon hissed, his eyes wide.