Horrific Shorts: Zombie Edition

The ZETU squad was back in the field. Reports had flooded in about a cluster of mutated zombies appearing near the industrial district. Witnesses described them as larger, faster, and eerily intelligent, but it was the glowing, hollow eyes that sent chills through even the most seasoned officers.

"ZETU, you're on site. Proceed with extreme caution," came Command's voice through their comms.

The team stood before the decaying ruins of a once-bustling warehouse. A thick fog rolled across the ground, carrying the unmistakable stench of rot. Inside, low guttural snarls echoed through the rusted corridors.

Marcus "Iron Will" Kane motioned for the team to move forward. "No one takes a shot unless necessary. Riley, find high ground. Derek, stay close. Blaze, cover our six. We're walking into the belly of the beast here."

As they advanced, Ethan's tablet pinged with strange readings. "Something's not right. These signatures aren't consistent with normal zombies. Their energy levels are… off the charts."

The first encounter came swiftly. A hulking figure, half-decayed yet terrifyingly alive, emerged from the mist. Its glowing eyes locked onto the team, and its snarl erupted into a feral roar.

Riley fired the first shot, her bullet striking true. But instead of dropping, the creature jerked violently and charged faster. Derek stepped forward, planting his shield as it collided with an earth-shattering force.

"Blaze, now!" Marcus shouted.

Blaze ignited her flamethrower, engulfing the beast in a torrent of fire. It let out an ear-piercing scream as its body disintegrated into ash. But the team barely had time to catch their breath before more glowing eyes appeared in the fog—dozens of them.

"Fall back! Form a perimeter!" Marcus commanded, his voice cutting through the chaos.

The team retreated to a defensible position as the horde surged forward. These weren't the slow, shambling zombies they'd faced before. They were coordinated, moving with a predatory cunning that defied logic.

"This isn't natural," Lila "Huntress" Navarro said, her pistols blazing. "They're acting like… like they're being controlled."

Ethan's fingers flew over his tablet as he tried to make sense of the situation. "There's some kind of signal emanating from deep within the warehouse. It's like a beacon, calling them here."

"We need to shut it down," Marcus said, blasting a zombie off its feet. "Ethan, can you trace it?"

"Already on it!" Ethan replied.

As the team pushed deeper into the warehouse, the fog thickened, and the growls grew louder. They finally reached a cavernous room where the source of the signal pulsed with a sickly green glow. At its center stood a towering zombie unlike anything they'd seen before—its body twisted and grotesque, with glowing eyes that burned with malevolent intelligence.

"That's the one," Marcus said grimly. "Take it down!"

The team opened fire, but the creature moved with unnatural speed, dodging their attacks. It let out a roar that sent shockwaves through the room, momentarily stunning them.

As the beast closed in, Marcus shouted, "Ethan, shut that thing off, now!"

Ethan raced to the console controlling the beacon, his hands trembling as he worked. The creature lunged for him, but Derek threw himself in its path, blocking the attack with his shield.

With a final keystroke, Ethan disabled the signal. The green glow faded, and the creature let out a final, deafening roar before collapsing into a heap.

The remaining zombies fell lifeless to the ground.

Marcus helped Ethan to his feet. "Good work. But something tells me this isn't the last of it."

From the shadows, unseen eyes watched as the team exited the warehouse. The fight was far from over.