Ethan turned to Lily, his face etched with sorrow. He knelt down beside her, searching for the right words to convey the harsh reality. "Lily, he's... he's gone," he said gently, his voice tinged with sadness.
Lily's eyes welled up with tears, her small frame shaking with the weight of understanding. "But... we tried to help him," she whispered, her voice quivering.
Milana, who had been silent, her face a mask of grief and exhaustion, placed a comforting hand on Ethan's shoulder. "We did everything we could, Ethan," she reassured him, her voice soft yet firm. "Sometimes, even our best isn't enough in situations like these."
Ethan nodded, feeling a mix of frustration and helplessness. He stood up, taking a deep breath, trying to compose himself. They needed to move on, to keep surviving, but the toll of what happened still affected him.
As they started to turn away from the body, a sudden, unexpected groan stopped them in their tracks. The man's eyes suddenly snapped open, startling them. His gaze was vacant, his movements erratic and unnatural.
Ethan and Milana froze, their eyes widening in shock and horror. "He... he wasn't bitten, right?" Ethan stammered, his voice laced with disbelief. "He died from the blood loss, didn't he?"
Milana backed away slowly, her eyes locked on the man who was now struggling to move. "Ethan, we need to go, now," she urged, her voice trembling with fear.
Ethan's mind raced as he watched the man's grotesque transformation unfold. Instinct and survival suddenly kicked in. He knew what had to be done. With a firm resolve, he reached into his pocket and wrapped his fingers tightly around the handle of his screwdriver.
The creature that was once a man made a guttural sound, its movements becoming even more pronounced as it attempted to rise. Its eyes, devoid of any humanity, fixed on Ethan and Milana with a haunting emptiness.
Lily, witnessing this harrowing scene, let out a small whimper, her eyes wide with fear. Milana, standing a safe distance away, kept a protective stance near Lily, her eyes focused on Ethan, silently urging him to act quickly.
Ethan stepped forward, his heart pounding in his chest. This was a moment of truth, a line he was about to cross. There was no going back. With a steady hand, he raised the screwdriver. The creature's movements were clumsy and slow, yet there was an unsettling determination in its efforts to stand.
As it finally managed to pull itself up, with his own heartbeat thundering in his ears, Ethan closed the distance between them.
In one swift, decisive motion, Ethan plunged the screwdriver into the zombie's skull. The force of his action was fueled by fear and desperation. The zombie's body stiffened momentarily before collapsing back to the ground, now truly lifeless.
Ethan stood there for a moment, his breathing heavy, the screwdriver still in his hand. Milana approached him slowly, her expression a mix of relief and sorrow. "You did what you had to do," she said quietly, her voice filled with empathy. She understood the burden of the choice he had made, the necessity of it in their fight for survival.
Ethan, still clutching the screwdriver, turned away from the lifeless body, his mind a whirlwind of emotions. He felt Milana's hand on his back, guiding him away from the scene. They walked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, back to where they had parked their car.
As they approached the car, Lily climbed into the back seat without a word, her small face pressed against the window, her eyes distant and reflective. Ethan and Milana settled in the front, and Ethan started the engine.
Milana broke the silence, her voice steady yet tinged with concern. "We need to figure out a new route, Ethan. The highway's blocked, and we can't risk getting stuck."
Ethan nodded, his mind racing with possibilities. "We could try the old forest road," he suggested, his eyes focused on the rearview mirror as if expecting trouble. "It's longer and more dangerous, but it might be our only option to reach my sister's house."
The car rolled forward, its tires rolling over the road. Milana glanced at their map, her fingers tracing the possible paths. "The forest road... it's risky, Ethan. It's isolated, and we don't know what we might encounter there," she said, her voice laced with worry.
Ethan's grip tightened on the steering wheel, his resolve firm. "It's a risk we'll have to take. With the highways blocked it's the only way to get there," he replied, his voice carrying a determination that belied his inner turmoil. Milana looked at him, her eyes reflecting a mix of admiration and fear. "Okay, Ethan. We'll follow the forest road. But we need to be cautious, especially with Lily in the car."
Lily, overhearing their conversation, remained silent, her eyes still fixed on the passing scenery outside that was a blur of greens and browns.
After driving for some time, Ethan flicked on the turn signal, as he guided the car off the highway. The sound of the tires rolling onto the gravel road marked their transition into the forest road. The forest road, winding and narrow, was enveloped by the dense embrace of the trees. It was a road that was less traveled, and fraught with unpredictability.
As they left the openness of the highway, the world seemed to shrink around them. The wide sky and distant horizons were replaced by the close press of the forest. Trees, like silent sentinels, lined the path, their branches forming a canopy overhead. The light of the setting sun struggled to pierce through the dense foliage, creating a mosaic of light and shadow that danced across the car's path.
The road itself was rougher, and more uneven, compared to the smooth asphalt of the highway. Every jolt and swerve brought with it an undercurrent of apprehension: What unknown dangers could this less-traveled path hold? The thickening darkness of the surrounding forest seemed to accentuate the sense of uncertainty, with each shifting shadow potentially concealing unforeseen danger.
