Vessa’s eyes were locked on the brunette agent’s back, the blond agent behind her, all three of them in the middle as the group ran down hallway after hallway. Those ahead checking the intersections and staying until the entire group passed.

  But Vessa barely paid attention to what the rest of the group were doing, as her main focus was not falling behind. She’d be damned if she had to be carried. Even so, her body hurt, her breath ran ragged. Vessa swore she was running faster than when the undead were chasing after her.

  They passed a door that thudded with people banging on them, except no numbers were on the other side of the door. How many undead were there? Instinctively, Vessa reached out to learn, but her mind came back with nothing. Door after door, they ran past. No numbers behind any and the brunette agent kept running.

  They didn’t stop until suddenly they did and Vessa nearly ran into the brunette with the blond, grabbing Vessa shoulder. She looked past the brunette agent to green laser light shooting at undead. These were worse for wear than any she’d seen so far.

  The undead were all down before Vessa had to do anything with the numbers. Then they were clearing through the unmoving bodies before running again. She almost wished the fight had lasted longer.

  It didn’t take long to hear the thud of boots. Vessa tried to convince herself it was the group, but the sound was new, and she could hear moaning and heavy breathing. And she was the only one making that much noise.

  There were only twenty-four people in the group besides her. What happened when they hit another hoard of undead? She guessed that was how many had died, getting trapped in between two groups. And where she would come in. Keeping them alive long enough to take out both groups.

  But that would just keep happening with a larger and larger group behind them until Vessa found the necromancer. Or she died from running, which Vessa felt might happen at any moment.

  They stopped again and Vessa was again caught by the blond agent before she could slam into the brunette and throw off his aim. The blond and those behind turned to face the rear. Vessa in the middle, everyone’s back to her.

  She was catching her breath while looking between the two groups, their numbers lightly in her grip as Vessa waited. Dreading the exhaustion that would come with holding others at 100%. She was already straining not to fall behind.

  Green light was now lighting up both sides of the hall and the undead were getting closer and closer. Finally, the front group turned to help the rear. As the undead reached her group, Vessa fell to the floor. Her mind consumed with keeping them all alive.

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  If she was panting before now, every breath took focus. There had to be a better way. Her number began dropping, but the surrounding noise said the fight wasn’t over. Vessa felt something switch, one door closing as another opened.

  And it was easy to hold the group at 100%.

  Vessa wondered what would happen if she got shot by green lasers while being bitten by the undead. She didn’t know and her number felt far away and almost unreachable. Perhaps because of how the undead affected her ability to see. The battle ended before Vessa could test the idea out, and she felt almost sad at the missed opportunity.

  As she ran, Vessa wondered what would happen if she stopped and grabbed for the blond agent’s gun. Would he shoot her immediately? Maybe she should do that. Vessa shook her head as she powered through the pain in her sides and legs as to not be left behind. Although if she stopped running, maybe the undead would kill her this time.

  What was happening? Why would she want to do that? Either she’d died or she’d be bitten again and again until the undead moved on. Neither were good options, but then why did they now feel like they were?

  The blond agent caught her again as the group had stopped, already shooting at the undead coming towards them. The blond turning to watch behind them, waiting for the other group to arrive. How many times had they done this that it was so automatic? How many had died by getting caught between two hoards?

  Vessa wondered and watched as she fought not to do anything stupid like run past either group to test which would kill her first, the undead or the lasers. This time the front group couldn’t hold back the hoard and Vessa had to hold them at 100%. She watched an undead bite an agent only for the bite mark to heal when it was thrown off. The bitten agent switched from gun to baton, as had the others, with some choosing knives.

  Vessa sat down as she looked at the group of agents facing the rear. Their hoard of dead hadn’t reached them yet, and the agents were still using guns. Vessa spotted the knives secured by straps. She could take one in the chaos and slit her throat.

  It was that thought that made Vessa realize what the closing and opening doors in her mind had been. She was back on the other side of her curse. The other hoard of undead finally reached them. Guns were put away and knives and batons were brought out. Curiously enough Vessa suicidal mind wasn’t tempted by the guns.

  Running to hug an undead or attack an agent and so many other ideas, but very few suggested taking a gun. Vessa closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall she had her back to and wondered if she would survive this fight. Her lack of practice resisting the suicidal side of her curse making itself known.