My Sniper System in a Zombie Apocalypse World-Chapter 89: Even Monsters Remember

As Jaxon and Natasha worked, a shadow moved at the base of the watchtower.

Jaxon froze, his eyes narrowing. Something or someone was down there.

He aimed carefully and spotted a teenage boy, maybe seventeen or eighteen, staring up at them. His eyes were completely black, locked on them.

Jaxon’s grip tightened on the rifle. ’Why do these eerie ones always stare?’

He squeezed the trigger, but the boy bolted just as the bullets left the barrel. Concrete splintered where the shots struck, sending shards clattering around.

Natasha’s eyes widened. "Jaxon..." she whispered, following the sudden movement.

He didn’t answer. He just reset his aim, scanning for any other movement.

"What’s wrong?" She asked quietly, raising her pistol and swept her gaze across the area.

"I saw a strange infected kid," Jaxon said, his brow tightening.

"Then we should leave, now," Natasha said without hesitation.

Jaxon stayed still for a moment. "Do you think they have some kind of awareness? Or some kind of network?"

She glanced at him. "What do you mean?"

"Maybe I’m overthinking it," he said, eyes still on the prison below. "But something about that kid felt wrong. I don’t like leaving it alive."

Natasha frowned as she looked toward the prison building below. "What if it’s trying to lead us into a trap?"

"I don’t know..." Jaxon hesitated, thinking it over. Then he nodded slowly. "We’ll do it carefully. If anything feels off inside, we pull back right away."

Natasha hesitated, then gave a short nod. Together, they finished securing the fireworks. Once everything was in place, they moved quietly toward the prison building, following the path where the infected kid had disappeared.

.....

Meanwhile, the teenage infected moved silently through the prison corridors.

The floor was littered with corpses. One lay with its neck torn open, flies buzzing around the gruesome wound. Another had been infected but now was nothing more than a lifeless body, a bullet still lodged in its head. More corpses were scattered across the cell block, the stench of decay so thick it burned the nose and made breathing difficult.

The boy walked past them without hesitation, his steps slow until he stopped in front of a single cell.

Inside, a young girl curled on the cold concrete floor.

Excrement, urine, empty cans, and scraps of food surrounded her. A few tattered blankets clung to her frail body, stained with dried black blood.

Pinned to her shirt was a small name tag: Sumiko.

Her eyes fluttered open as she sensed him.

"Jun... you’re back..." she whispered, her voice trembling.

In the chaos of the outbreak, she remembered the nightmare vividly. Their parents lost, devoured by monsters. Jun, her brother, had carried her through the darkness, shielding her from the horrors outside until they had arrived here.

"Did you bring food?" she asked weakly, hunger gnawing at her stomach.

The boy stared at her through the bars, his expression empty. Then, unnervingly, his mouth opened wide, as if to devour her.

Sumiko flinched.

He slammed against the iron bars of the cell, again and again, the chains and padlock rattling violently. But the door held firm, keeping him from reaching her.

"Brother... please stop," Sumiko whispered, tears streaming down her hollow cheeks. "I still haven’t forgiven you for locking me here, and now... you’re scaring me."

She turned away, sobbing quietly. At first, she had been terrified when Jun locked her inside, telling her it was to protect her. She had thought he had abandoned her. But he never truly left her side. He would disappear for a while, then return with food, sometimes even bringing her favorite candies. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Days had passed, and now he was... different and acted strange. At times, he seemed to lose himself, as he did now.

"Jun... why won’t you talk to me? Are you angry? I’ll be good, I promise. Just... just smile at me again, like you used to," she pleaded.

Her voice seemed to reach him. The boy froze, his movements halting as he stared at her for a long moment.

Sumiko tried to rise, but her body was weak, too frail from days of near-starvation. She forced herself upright, but collapsed almost immediately, gasping. Then slowly crawled toward him, forcing herself forward.

"Brother... you’re alright, right? I’m here," she whispered, extending her trembling hand toward him.

The boy hesitated, then slowly stretched a trembling hand toward hers.

Sumiko’s lips curved into a faint smile, a small thread of hope in the darkness, binding them together.

"Brother, don’t leave me here again, alright? You don’t have to bring me food anymore... just stay with me here."

Sumiko’s voice was barely a whisper, her body weakening day by day from lack of food. But seeing her brother always come back for her, that was all that mattered.

Suddenly, the young boy’s body convulsed, his movements rabid as he slammed himself again against the iron bars.

"Brother! Brother!" Sumiko cried, panic rising in her chest. But her fear only seemed to fuel the boy’s frenzy.

"Natasha, wait!" Jaxon’s voice rang out sharply.

Bullets pierced through the air, striking the boy in the back and neck. He collapsed onto the cold concrete floor, black blood spilling from his mouth.

Inside the cell, Sumiko froze, staring at her brother in horror.

"Brother? Brother!" she screamed, dragging herself forward, weak hands stretching toward him.

Her fingers brushed his cold cheek. "Jun... wake up," she pleaded, her voice a mere breath.

"Hey, kid, get away from him!" shouted unfamiliar voices, but she ignored them. Her eyes were fixed only on her brother.

Her vision blurred, darkness creeping in as her strength faded.

The unfamiliar voices behind grew louder and closer. Rough hands pulled her away, but she resisted with all her remaining strength. "No! Let me go! I need to be with him!" she cried, her voice cracking with desperation.

But they were too strong. They lifted her, carried her away from the cell, away from her brother.

"Jun..." she whispered.

Her eyes fluttered open just once more, catching sight of him lying on the floor. Even through the pool of blood, she saw it once more, the familiar warm smile. The same smile he always gave her, even in the darkest moments. A smile that said everything would be okay. A smile that promised her safety.

For a moment, comfort washed over her. Then her vision blackened, as she lost consciousness, carried away by strangers she didn’t know. But for that moment, all she felt was the warmth of her brother’s reassurance.