The town ahead was a graveyard of movement—hundreds of zombies aimlessly shuffling through the streets, their decayed bodies twitching at the slightest sound. The sight sent a chill down my spine.

  “There isn’t a road going around it. We have to go straight through,” Ellie said, gripping the steering wheel tighter. Her knuckles turned white, but her voice remained steady.

  I exhaled sharply. “That’s a death trap.”

  “Then give me a better idea,” she shot back.

  I scanned the area. Abandoned cars cluttered the streets, creating a maze of obstacles. Some were still intact, while others were burned-out husks. The buildings lining the road were eerily silent—windows shattered, doors left hanging open. I could already imagine the horrors lurking inside.

  “We floor it,” I finally said. “Fast, no stopping. Hit anything in the way, but don’t slow down.”

  Ellie nodded. “Good. Because I wasn’t planning on stopping.”

  She shifted into gear and pressed down on the gas. The truck roared forward, kicking up dust as it sped toward the horde.

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  The first zombie barely had time to turn before we slammed into it, sending it flying over the hood. The next few crumpled under the tires with sickening thuds. The windshield cracked as a rotting corpse tumbled across it, leaving behind a smear of blood.

  “Shit—hold on!” Ellie swerved around a wrecked sedan, narrowly avoiding a pile-up of abandoned vehicles. I gripped the dashboard as the truck tilted dangerously to one side before crashing back down onto all four wheels.

  A loud bang echoed through the truck.

  “What was that?!” I shouted.

  Ellie gritted her teeth. “Tire’s blown.”

  “Keep going!”

  “I am!”

  The truck lurched forward, dragging itself across the pavement. But the loss of speed was a problem. The zombies were catching on—some sprinting, others clawing at the sides. One of them managed to grab onto the side mirror, its grotesque face pressing against my window.

  Without thinking, I grabbed my gun and fired. The glass shattered, and the zombie’s head snapped back as blood sprayed across the road.

  “Less shooting, more surviving!” Ellie yelled.

  The truck jerked as she slammed into another car, scraping against it to dislodge the creatures clinging to us. The smell of burning rubber filled the air.

  Then I saw it.

  An overturned semi blocked most of the road ahead, with only a narrow gap left to squeeze through.

  “Ellie—”

  “I see it!”

  She clenched her jaw and aimed straight for the opening. The truck barreled forward, metal screeching as we barely scraped past. A few zombies weren’t so lucky—their bodies crushed between the truck and the wreckage.

  And then—

  Silence.

  Ellie didn’t slow down until we were miles away from the town. The only sound was the heavy breathing between us.

  Then she started laughing. A dry, exhausted laugh.

  I let out a breathless chuckle. “What’s so funny?”

  She glanced at me, eyes still wild with adrenaline. “We just drove through hell—and survived.”

  I leaned back against the seat, wiping sweat from my forehead. “Yeah. But we need a new plan. Because next time, we might not be so lucky.”

  She nodded, her smile fading. “Agreed. We find a place to rest, patch up the truck, and stock up.”

  I looked ahead at the empty road stretching before us. The world was still falling apart, but for now, we had made it through.

  And that was enough.