Free Gamers' Challenge by George Ivanoff Page A

us?’
    ‘I don’t know.’
    A pained, bloodcurdling scream echoed m the distance.
    ‘I don’t think I like this place,’ said Hope.
    The sound of things falling and smashing pierced the air. Gunshots and more frantic screaming followed this.
    ‘What exactly were you thinking about when we jumped?’ asked Hope.
    ‘I don’t thinks we shoulds be standin’ out heres inthe open,’ said Zyra, deflecting the question. ‘We is too vulnerable.’
    Zyra headed for the nearest doorway and stood under the awning in the shadows.
    ‘Now you’re just trying to distract me with that stupid gutter speak,’ said Hope, coming to join her.
    ‘Which means whatever you thought of, it wasn’t good.’
    ‘I was trying to get us to the Ultimate Gamer,’ said Zyra. ‘I was rushing because of the VIs and thinking of garners and then, well, I remembered what you called garners and -’
    A loud moan from inside the shop made both the girls jump out from the doorway.
    ‘Oh no,’ said Hope. ‘You didn’t.’
    The door smashed open and someone came shuffling out. Actually, it was more of a something
    - something that had once been human, but was no more. It had wide, bloodshot eyes and thin, peeling lips drawn back from blackened, rotting teeth. It drooled a foul-smelling ichor as it made a horrible moaning sound. Lank, filthy hair hung down around its face. Its flesh was stretched tight around its skull, with strips hanging loose and flapping about as it lurched forward.
    ‘You’ve got to be kidding!’ shouted Hope. ‘You thought about zombies. Of all the stupid, ridiculous things to-’
    ‘Hey, don’t blame me,’ Zyra yelled back. ‘You is the one who first mentioned them!’
    More creatures came lurching out from the shop, staggering between the girls like a line of lemmings, and heading down the street. In the distance they saw someone duck out from another shop, look towards them, and take off in the opposite direction.
    ‘Brains!’
    Zyra and Hope whirled back to the doorway. As the row of zombies stumbled along, one of them stepped out of line towards Zyra. It held a dismembered, human arm in its hand, blood still dripping from the end. And it was looking straight at her.
    ‘One of ‘em is looking at me,’ called Zyra.
    ‘It can’t see you,’ shouted Hope over the top of the shuffling undead. She tried to calm her voice.
    ‘It’s just looking at the street behind you, that’s all. It can’t see you. It doesn’t know we’re here. We are not playing the game.’
    ‘Are you trying to convince me?’ Zyra’s voice wasa bit shaky, although more controlled than Hope’s.
    ‘Or yourself?’
    ‘Brains!’ The zombie smiled a revolting, blackened, rotting grin, and tossed the arm at Zyra. It landed at her feet. ‘Fresh, brains,’ it moaned, reaching out towards her.
    Zyra unhooked the crossbow from her belt. Within seconds it was loaded and aimed at the approaching monstrosity.
    Hope tried to get through the column of moving corpses. But they were part of the game and she was not, and she could not touch them, let alone push through them.
    ‘Girl brains,’ intoned the solo zombie, as it lurchedtowards Zyra.
    ‘It can definitely see me,’ yelled Zyra, firing her crossbow at point-blank range. The bolt thudded into the creature’s forehead, right between the eyes. Blood trickled down its nose as it staggered back. Regaining its footing, it reeled forward, making a grab for Zyra.
    ‘Run,’ cried Hope.
    Zyra threw the crossbow at it and took off. The weapon thudded into its chest and fell to the ground as the creature gave chase with a surprisingly speedy shuffling run.
    The last of the undead came out of the shop and
    Hope was finally able to get past, sprinting after Zyra and her pursuer.
    Zyra turned a corner and found herself in a dead end alley. Turning back, she saw the creature closing in. Hope appeared behind it, firing her pistol. Little blooms of red blossomed on the zombie’s tattered clothing.