Horrific Shorts: Zombie Edition

In Blackout City, every alley had a story.

But this one had a voice.

Juno and Shade emerged from the bunker at dawn, alive—but only barely. The Feeders hadn't followed. Not physically. But something clung to them now. An echo, a presence that made the shadows feel thicker. Hungrier.

They made their way toward the edge of Sector Nine, where rumors said an old Resistance drop point still remained. But between them and safety lay a narrow corridor of collapsed buildings known only as the Alley of Screams.

It wasn't marked on maps. No one remembered when it appeared. But every survivor had heard it—an alley where voices cried out long after their owners had gone quiet.

As they approached, the air grew colder.

"Turn back," Shade muttered. "We can circle around Sector Twelve—"

"We don't have time," Juno said, clutching the VIREX black box tighter. "It's broadcasting again. Sector Twelve's awake."

They stepped into the alley.

It was narrower than expected—just wide enough for two people to walk shoulder to shoulder. Walls leaned inward, and the sky above disappeared behind rusted fire escapes.

It started with a whisper.

"Juno…"

She froze.

Shade looked at her. "You heard that?"

She nodded.

Then it called again—same voice, but from the opposite side.

"Juno… help me…"

She looked around, panic rising. That was her brother's voice. But he'd died two months ago in the Redgate collapse.

She pressed forward.

Around them, the alley twisted, stretching impossibly long, the buildings warping. Windows became eyes. Bricks formed mouths, open in silent howls.

Then the screaming began.

Thousands of voices. Male. Female. Children. Whispering. Wailing. Pleading.

None visible.

Juno dropped to her knees, gripping her ears.

Shade pulled her up. "They're not real! It's the signal! The alley amplifies trauma frequencies! That's what it feeds on!"

But Juno was trembling. "He was right there, Shade. My brother…"

She turned. A boy stood behind her—bloodied, eyes wide, hands out.

"Juno… I waited…"

She reached for him—

Shade shoved her forward.

The boy opened his mouth, and a scream erupted—physical, weaponized.

Windows shattered. Blood burst from Juno's ears.

Shade dragged her through the final stretch as the walls around them cracked and warped, mouths screaming from every crevice.

At the alley's end, the sound stopped.

Instantly.

Light returned.

They collapsed on the street, panting, bleeding, but alive.

Behind them, the alley was gone.

Just a brick wall now.

Juno looked down at the black box. A new screen blinked:

"SECTOR NINE: TRAUMA NODE CONFIRMED. SIGNAL PURGED."

Shade read it aloud. "It was testing us."

Juno stood, wiping blood from her face. "Then it's afraid of what we're carrying."

They walked on in silence.

Behind them, the wall of the vanished alley whispered, one last time:

"Come back… we're still screaming…"