Zombie Exodus: Side Stories, Brody & Madison 5

Continued from scene 4

Brody and Madison surveyed the barricade in front of them, realizing that there was no way they could continue driving to their Uncle Nate's house. The towering barrier of vehicles and debris seemed impassable, leaving them no option but to proceed on foot.

"Alright, Maddie," Brody said, determination in his voice. "We'll leave the car and find a way around this barricade. We can't risk making too much noise and drawing more crazies here."

Madison nodded, her blue eyes scanning the area for potential threats. "Just stay close and stay quiet. Check with me before you do anything. I mean it."

The twins cautiously exited the Mercedes-Benz, doing their best to avoid making any sudden movements or sounds. As they crept toward the barricade, they noticed a narrow gap between two vehicles. Once they cleared the barrier, they found themselves in a manicured greenway that snaked between the luxurious homes and the pristine golf course. Given the circumstances, the 400-foot journey to Uncle Nate's house seemed much farther. The twins moved quickly, keeping their eyes peeled for any potential obstacles.

"Wouldn't it be great if Uncle Nate was home?" Brody asked.

"He's not. Get that out of your head. Look up there."

Walking through the once-idyllic neighborhood, they encountered a small pack of infected huddled around a corpse. They were intent on feasting on the remains but blocked the twins' path.

"Brody, we've got company," Madison whispered urgently, her heart pounding.

Brody's eyes widened. "We can sneak past them. If they spot us, I'll take care of them."

Madison looked at her brother, her face a mixture of fear and admiration. "Alright, go slow."

The twins crept along the greenway, doing their best to avoid detection, using the sculpted hedges and trees as cover to obscure their movement from the pack of zombies. They crouched low, their hearts pounding as they darted from one hiding spot to another, careful not to rustle the leaves or snap any branches. The twins exchanged tense glances, their breaths shallow and silent, as they inched closer to their destination, praying the zombies wouldn't detect their presence.

They were just a few yards from the safety of Uncle Nate's home when they encountered another challenge: the once-secure entrance was now blocked by a padlocked metal gate.

"Why did he lock the gate before he left? He never locks the gate," Madison said, shaking her head.

Brody looked around the area. "We could try to climb it or break the padlock, but either way, we'll make noise and attract more zombies. If one of us climbs over, they may be able to unlock it from the other side. If we break the lock, we can run inside fast and lock the door."

"If the front of the house is even unlocked. Uncle Nate used to keep that spare key under the plant by the front door." Madison's eyes darted between the zombies and the locked gate. "We can look around the back. Maybe there's a way in."

"And maybe there are more of those crazies."

Continue to scene 6