Tallahassee, United States
6:48 a.m.
— August 26, 2010
When the sun rose the following morning, the city looked completely different.
There were no longer people running through the streets, ordinary cars on the road, pedestrians on the sidewalks, or children heading to school.
Only the dead remained.
Some walked slowly along the avenue.
Others staggered between abandoned vehicles, while a few simply stood motionless, as though waiting for a sound to guide them.
Jason had already been awake for some time.
Once again, he occupied the guard post, the binoculars resting on his lap as he carefully watched the surrounding area.
Then he heard an engine.
Low.
Heavy.
Very different from an ordinary car.
Instinctively, Jason raised the binoculars to his eyes.
A few seconds later, a military vehicle appeared at the end of the street.
A National Guard Humvee.
At least four soldiers were inside, two of them carefully watching both sides of the street with their rifles ready.
A chill ran down Jason’s spine.
Without hesitation, he crouched behind the guard post wall.
Not even the white armor could be allowed to appear above it.
He held his breath and remained completely still as the rumble of the engine drew closer.
The Humvee slowly passed in front of the warehouse.
Jason resisted the urge to look.
He knew that a flash of metal, a sudden movement, or a silhouette above the wall would be enough to reveal that survivors were hiding inside.
At that moment, he had no idea what orders those soldiers had received.
He didn’t know whether they were rescuing civilians or sealing off entire areas.
He couldn’t take that risk.
Only when the sound of the engine began to fade did Jason slowly raise his head.
The Humvee was already turning the corner at the end of the street and continued onward until it disappeared completely from view.
Jason slowly released his breath and continued watching the street for several more seconds.
The patrol hadn’t stopped, but its presence meant the military was still active.
The question was…
For how long?
When Jason climbed down from the guard post, he found nearly the entire group gathered inside the former conference room.
The portable radio sat on the table, while Robert stood beside it, slowly adjusting the frequency.
Suddenly, the static weakened, and a man’s voice emerged through the interference.
“…Attention…
attention…
This is a National Guard broadcast…”
Everyone fell silent.
“…Survivors are instructed to proceed to the safe zone established at Tallahassee State University…”
James’s eyes widened, and Donald stepped forward as the transmission continued.
“…The perimeter is protected by military forces.
Medical care, food distribution, and shelter are available for civilians…”
Melody felt her heart begin to race.
The university.
That was exactly where her mother worked.
The voice on the radio repeated the message twice before dissolving back into static.
For several seconds, no one spoke.
Dennis finally broke the silence.
“Maybe we should go.”
Peter agreed.
“If the military is still organizing a safe zone, it may be the safest place in the city.”
Others began agreeing with him.
Angela.
Olivia.
Even James appeared to be considering the idea.
Then Jason spoke.
“We’re not going.”
The conversations stopped immediately.
Dennis looked at him.
“What do you mean?
The military is still there.
They have doctors and food.”
Jason shook his head.
“It’s a trap.”
Peter frowned.
“A trap?
Why?”
Before Jason could answer, another voice spoke first.
“Because it will gather too many people in one place.”
Everyone looked toward Melody.
Her eyes remained fixed on the radio.
“The more people there are…” She took a deep breath.
“The more noise they’ll make.”
No one interrupted her.
“More cars arriving.
More engines running.
More people shouting.
More children crying.
More desperate families searching for their relatives.” Melody slowly raised her eyes.
“And all that noise will attract more and more of the dead.”
Silence filled the room, but Melody continued.
“And it won’t only be people from Tallahassee.” She pointed toward the radio.
“That transmission is being broadcast throughout the entire region.
People from farms, rural properties, and smaller towns nearby will all try to reach the same place.”
James began to understand the scale of the problem.
“The more people arrive, the more cars will block the entrances, and the harder it will become to control the crowd,” Melody continued.
“And all it would take is one infected person getting inside or a single dead person breaking through the barrier.”
Her voice became quieter.
“With thousands of people packed together, panic would spread within seconds.
People would trample one another trying to escape, and the exits would become blocked by the crowd itself.”
Melody looked toward Jason.
“The place created to save people would become the largest trap in the city.”
Jason held her gaze for a moment before slowly nodding.
“Exactly.”
He stepped forward.
“The greater the concentration of survivors, the greater the concentration of dead people surrounding them.
They don’t think.
They follow sound, and a safe zone filled with thousands of people will make more noise than anywhere else in the city.”
Jason looked at everyone before concluding.
“If that university is really accepting survivors from the entire region, it won’t be long before tens of thousands of the dead find their way there too.”
The room fell silent.
For the first time, the idea of a safe zone no longer sounded like a refuge.
It sounded like the most dangerous place in all of Tallahassee.
Later that same morning, Jason asked several people to meet him in the former conference room.
Robert.
Donald.
James.
Melody.
Jennifer.
When everyone arrived, Jason closed the door.
A simple map of the neighborhood, drawn by him the previous night, lay on the table.
Jason pointed toward a location only a few blocks from the warehouse.
“Here.”
“The orphanage.”
Jason nodded.
“It’s two streets away.”
He took a deep breath before continuing.
“During the night, while I was in the guard post, I heard children crying from that direction.”
The room fell silent.
Jennifer slowly raised a hand to her mouth.
“I didn’t hear it only once,” Jason continued.
“It happened several times.”
He paused.
“Then it stopped.”
Tears filled Jennifer’s eyes.
“The children…” Her voice faltered.
“They’re still there.”
Jason merely nodded.
Robert immediately understood what his son intended to do.
Before Jason could say anything else, he turned toward Jennifer.
“You know that building better than any of us.”
She nodded.
“I worked there for years.
I know every room, the dormitories, the kitchen, and all the entrances.
There’s even a service exit in the back.”
Jennifer took a deep breath and looked at her son.
“Jason…
we have to get them.”
Desperation filled her voice.
Jason wanted to do it too, more than anyone else in that room, but he remained calm.
“We will.”
Jennifer stepped forward.
“Then let’s go now!”
Jason shook his head.
“No.”
She stared at him in surprise.
“Not without a plan.”
The answer stopped her.
Jason moved closer to the map.
“We don’t know how many dead are between the warehouse and the orphanage.
We don’t know how many employees survived or how many children are still alive.”
He looked at each person in the room.
“If we rush in there because we’re desperate, we could die before we even reach them.”
Silence returned to the room.
James crossed his arms in agreement, and so did Donald.
Jennifer closed her eyes for a moment.
She hated admitting it, but Jason was right.
“I want to bring all of those children back,” Jason continued.
“I don’t want to return with only half of them, and I don’t want anyone else to die because we went in unprepared.”
He pointed toward the map again.
“First, we study the route.
We decide who is going and how we’ll enter.”
His finger stopped over the mark representing the orphanage.
“And, most importantly, how we’ll get all of them out safely.”
Jennifer took a deep breath.
Tears still ran down her face, but this time, she merely nodded.
For the first time since the apocalypse began, she didn’t see only her son standing before her.
She saw the leader of their group.
And as difficult as it was to accept, she knew he was thinking the way a leader needed to think.
Jason spread the neighborhood map across the table and used a pencil to draw a route between the warehouse and the orphanage.
“The plan will happen in two stages.”
Everyone remained silent.
“First, a reconnaissance team will go ahead.” Jason traced the route with his finger.
“Me, my father, and Melody.”
“No.”
Donald answered immediately.
Everyone turned toward him.
Donald was looking at Jason, but his gaze quickly shifted to his daughter.
“Melody isn’t going.”
She frowned.
“Dad…”
Donald shook his head.
“Your mother is already trapped inside that hospital.
I’m not sending you into another place filled with those monsters.”
Melody took a deep breath.
“Dad, I can do this.”
“No.
You’re staying here.”
She stepped forward.
“I was inside Central Hospital.
I saw those things up close, and I made it back out.
I spent years in the Scouts with Jason.”
Melody pointed toward the crossbow resting on the table.
“I know how to use that weapon.
I know how to move quietly, and I want to help.”
Donald remained silent.
“There are still children trapped inside that orphanage,” Melody continued.
“If I were trapped there…”
Her voice became quieter.
“You would want someone to come for me.”
Donald closed his eyes for a moment.
Her words struck him deeply.
Jason remained silent.
He knew the decision needed to be made between father and daughter.
After several seconds, Donald sighed.
“Promise me one thing.”
Melody nodded.
“If Jason tells you to retreat, you retreat.
No arguing.”
She answered immediately.
“I promise.”
Donald approached his daughter and placed his hands on her shoulders.
“I’m proud of the woman you’re becoming.”
His voice trembled with emotion.
“But never forget…
you’re still my daughter.”
Melody gave him a faint smile and embraced him.
Donald returned the hug for several seconds.
When they separated, he looked toward Jason.
“Bring my daughter back.”
Jason answered without hesitation.
“I’ll bring everyone back.”
Donald merely nodded.
Jason returned his attention to the map.
“As I was saying, the three of us will go on foot.
A vehicle would attract too much attention.
He pointed toward the warehouse.
“Everyone else will wait here.”
Then he marked a corner near the orphanage.
“Once we confirm that the route is safe and find a way to evacuate the children, I’ll give the signal.”
Dennis frowned.
“What signal?”
Jason pulled a small mirror from his pocket.
“A mirror.
Part of this street can be seen from a second-floor window in the orphanage.”
He marked the position on the map.
“If everything is safe, I’ll reflect the sunlight toward the warehouse three times in quick succession.”
Robert smiled faintly.
It was simple.
Silent.
And effective.
“Only then will the motorhome leave,” Jason continued before looking at Dennis.
“You’ll drive.”
Dennis nodded.
“Jennifer will go with you.”
Jennifer raised her head.
Jason gave her a faint smile.
“You know all the children.
They trust you.
If they see me, they might be frightened, but if they see you, it will be much easier to keep them calm.”
Jennifer agreed.
Jason turned toward Donald.
“As soon as the motorhome arrives, you’ll handle anyone who needs medical attention.”
Donald nodded.
“The motorhome won’t stop directly in front of the gate,” Jason continued.
“It will stop one street away.”
Dennis looked at him.
“Why?”
“If there are too many dead near the building, you’ll still have enough room to turn around and retreat quickly.”
Robert immediately agreed.
Jason then assigned the remaining roles.
“Jennifer will enter first and gather the children.
My father will secure the entrance, and Melody will cover the hallways with her crossbow.”
A faint smile appeared on her face.
“I hope I don’t have to fire it.”
Jason returned her smile.
“So do I.”
Then he lightly tapped the kukri attached to his waist.
“I’ll cover the rear.
I’ll be the last person inside the motorhome.”
Finally, Jason looked at everyone.
“Our objective isn’t to fight.
Our objective is to get inside, find the children, and come back.”
He traced the return route toward the warehouse with his finger.
“If the situation gets out of control, we retreat immediately.
No heroes.
No chasing anything.”
Jason’s expression hardened.
“Everyone comes back alive.”
Jason and Robert silently cleared the path.
The plan was simple.
Reach the orphanage without attracting attention.
But even across such a short distance, the city seemed to have changed completely.
Two dead men emerged from between the abandoned cars.
Robert took care of the first with his combat knife, while Jason brought down the second with his kukri.
No gunshots.
No screaming.
Only quick, precise, silent movements.
Melody followed several steps behind them, gripping her crossbow far too tightly.
Her fingers were stiff, and her eyes watched every shadow moving through the fog.
When they were only one street away from the orphanage, one final dead man appeared.
He was tall and staggered through the middle of the road, his head tilted to one side and his arms hanging at unnatural angles.
Robert prepared to move forward, but Jason raised one hand.
“Wait.”
Robert looked at him.
Jason turned toward Melody.
“He’s yours.”
She froze.
“What?”
“You have to do this eventually.”
Melody stared at the approaching corpse.
The crossbow suddenly seemed heavier in her hands.
“Jason…”
“I’m right here,” he assured her, his voice low but firm.
“Aim for the head.”
Melody took a deep breath and raised the crossbow.
The first bolt passed beside the dead man.
She held her breath, but he continued approaching.
Melody pulled out another bolt with trembling hands and fired.
She missed again.
This time, the sound of the projectile striking the pavement seemed far too loud.
The dead man turned completely toward her and continued advancing.
Melody stepped backward.
Then again.
Her breathing became rapid.
Jason remained close, but he didn’t interfere.
Robert watched with his jaw clenched.
“Melody,” Jason called without raising his voice.
“Breathe.”
She tried.
The dead man was getting closer.
Too close.
Melody raised the crossbow for the third time.
Her hands were still trembling, but her eyes became steady.
She pulled the trigger.
The bolt struck its target directly.
The creature collapsed onto the pavement and didn’t move again.
Melody remained still, staring at the body.
For a moment, she seemed unable to believe she had done it.
Jason slowly approached her.
“You did it.”
She didn’t answer.
Still pale, she merely nodded.
Robert briefly placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Good shot.”
Melody took a deep breath.
Then the three of them continued onward.
I’m using AI to translate this story.
English is not my native language.
If you would prefer to read it without an AI translation, you can find the original Portuguese version on this same profile.