Horrific Shorts: Zombie Edition

Zara stared, frozen, as the apparition of her mother stood before her. The white void around them felt suffocating in its stillness, but her mother's face—serene and untouched by the horrors of the apocalypse—seemed impossibly real.

"Mom?" Zara's voice wavered, barely above a whisper.

Her mother smiled gently, the kind of smile that once lit up their tiny home before the world had turned dark. "You've carried so much, my Zara. Too much. But now, it's time to face what you've buried deep inside."

Zara's grip on the mask tightened as her heart hammered against her ribs. "This isn't real. You're not real." Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire

The figure stepped closer, her presence warm yet overwhelming. "I'm as real as the pain you've carried. You've built walls to survive, but every lie you've told yourself has trapped you further. Let go, my love."

"No!" Zara snapped, stepping back, her boots scraping against the void's invisible floor. "I've fought to survive. I've done what I had to. None of this is a lie!"

Her mother's expression softened, but her eyes darkened with a knowing sadness. "Haven't you? Think, Zara. Why did you really leave me and your father that night? Why didn't you come back?"

The air seemed to thicken, pressing against Zara's chest as memories she had long buried clawed their way to the surface. The night she ran—shouts of anger, her father's booming voice, the smashed lamp on the floor, and her mother's tear-filled eyes.

"I didn't have a choice," Zara whispered, her voice breaking. "I... I thought I could protect you. I thought I'd come back with help, but... but then the outbreak happened."

"And you told yourself it was the only way," her mother said softly, stepping closer. "But the truth, Zara, is that you ran because you were scared. Scared of facing your father, scared of losing me, scared of failing."

Tears pricked at Zara's eyes as she shook her head. "I wanted to fix everything... but I couldn't. And then it was too late. I lost you both."

Her mother reached out, her hand brushing Zara's cheek with a warmth that felt painfully real. "You've been carrying that guilt ever since. It's time to let it go. Forgive yourself."

The void around them began to shift, cracks forming in the whiteness as the memory dissolved. The mask pulsed in Zara's hand, its surface growing hot.

"I don't know if I can," Zara admitted, her voice trembling.

"You already have the strength," her mother said, her form beginning to fade. "The only thing left is to believe it. Trust yourself, my brave girl."

As the apparition vanished, Zara felt a surge of emotion break free, tears streaming down her face. The void shattered, and she found herself back in the fortress, the mask in her hand glowing faintly.

Callum's voice broke through the haze. "Zara! Are you okay?"

She looked up at him, her vision still blurred. "I saw her, Callum. I saw my mom... and I know what I have to do."

The Keeper of Lies chuckled from the throne, its voice cold and mocking. "You've faced one truth, but the journey is far from over, Zara Kincaid. Are you ready for what comes next?"

Zara stood, her resolve hardening. "Bring it on."