The Apocalypse Took Everything, This Time I Hoard It All First
Chapter 27: Kramer Family

Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Kramer Family

The black fence was an openwork design, a little over one meter but not quite two meters tall, offering a faint glimpse of the yard inside.

Behind them stood a three-story, European-style villa, its elegant lines shrouded in dust from the meteorite explosion.

A middle-aged female zombie was wandering in the yard. Seemingly having heard the car, it slowly shambled toward the gate.

The thick stench of blood wafted through the air, carried by the wind into their nostrils, turning their stomachs.

After Evan Olson parked the car, everyone exited the vehicle, holding their breath.

Luna Dawson and Evan Olson stood at the front. Miles Dawson was just behind his sister, his left hand tightly gripping the hem of her shirt as he quietly watched the zombie approach from inside the yard.

As for the Kramer sisters, they hid behind Mrs. Dawson the moment they got out of the car.

Mrs. Dawson herself was incredibly nervous, the hand holding her compound bow trembling slightly.

Wayne Dawson, however, was forcing a calm facade. His eyes were bloodshot, and his knuckles had turned white from how tightly he gripped his knife.

Luna Dawson walked forward, gripping a Triangular Bayonet. She rapped it hard on the fence, the sharp BANG BANG BANG attracting a zombie that then burst through the unlatched front door of the villa.

Two zombies, one male and one female, charged the group with low growls of "Hhhh... Hhhh..." They slammed into the sturdy fence, making it clang loudly.

The male zombie’s face was hideous, its neck a bloody, mangled mess. It looked like a demon that had clawed its way out of hell.

"Dad..."

"It’s Dad..."

Behind the group, the two sisters stared at the figure before them, covering their mouths as they began to sob.

Luna Dawson pulled on gloves and a mask, then motioned for the others to do the same.

Then, her Triangular Bayonet shot through a gap in the fence and stabbed precisely into the male zombie’s eye socket, killing it in one blow.

"Just like that. All you have to do is destroy the brain. You try it!" Luna Dawson said, looking at Miles and holding the bayonet out to him.

"Sis... I still can’t... I can’t do it... He used to be a person..."

Miles took the bayonet, his face pale. The overpowering stench of blood hit him, and a wave of nausea washed over him.

The female zombie stared with dull, gray-white eyes, its hands stretching forward desperately. Its nose had been gnawed away, leaving two empty black holes. Its lips were gone, revealing dark red flesh and yellow-white teeth.

Luna Dawson watched him quietly. "Brace yourself. You have to learn to get your hands dirty to survive this apocalypse."

Miles looked at the bayonet in his hand, then at the zombie. His grip tightened, but his hand wouldn’t stop shaking.

He stood frozen for a long time, unable to take a single step forward.

Luna’s patience finally snapped. She cursed at him, "Open your eyes and look! Is that a person anymore?! Mom and Uncle are right behind you! What if Brother Evan and I aren’t here? Who are you going to let this thing kill?! Hector is just a kid! Are you going to make him protect you?!"

The color drained from Miles’s face. Evan Olson sighed and gave him a gentle nudge.

As if snapping back to his senses, Miles strode forward and thrust the bayonet at the zombie with all his might!

CRACK!

Miles had used considerable force. The zombie’s head split open, and whitish brain matter mixed with filthy blood splattered all over his glove and sleeve.

He mechanically pulled the bayonet free and stood there stunned, staring wordlessly at the gore covering his hand.

Evan Olson patted his shoulder comfortingly.

Luna Dawson encouraged him, too. "Good job!"

Mrs. Dawson and the Kramer sisters couldn’t hold it in any longer. They turned away and began to vomit.

Luna Dawson helped the puffy-faced Yolanda Kramer up and told her to open the gate.

The moment she unlocked it and stepped into the yard, she collapsed to the ground. She crawled toward the male zombie’s corpse and threw herself onto it, wailing inconsolably.

Shay Kramer, on the other hand, simply stood there watching in silence, letting her tears stream down her face.

After closing the yard gate, Luna paid the sisters no mind. She led her family into the villa, using the same tactic of making noise to attract zombies.

Hearing the noise, two zombies charged out of the basement, roaring.

Luna’s reflexes were lightning-fast. She dragged over a small sofa from the entryway and jammed it against the door, blocking their path.

She turned to Mrs. Dawson and yelled, "Mom, use your bow! Shoot it!"

Mrs. Dawson’s lips trembled violently and her face was ghastly pale, but she gritted her teeth and raised the compound bow. With taut fingers, she loosed an arrow that flew through the air and embedded itself squarely in one of the zombie’s foreheads.

The zombie fell to the ground. Mrs. Dawson, from a mix of lingering fear and terror, felt her legs give way. She collapsed to the floor, panting heavily.

The other zombie was still frantically slamming itself against the sofa. Wayne Dawson’s eyes narrowed. Before Luna could say a word, he tightened his grip on his long knife, took a large step forward, and swung it fiercely at the zombie’s neck.

With a wet SQUELCH, the blade bit into flesh. The zombie’s head rolled off its shoulders and bumped down the entryway steps with a series of dull thuds.

Luna stepped up and banged on the door again. After confirming that no more zombies were coming out, she advanced with her Triangular Bayonet in hand. With Evan Olson covering their rear, the group proceeded cautiously into the villa.

The moment they descended to the basement level, a thick stench of blood hit them.

The scene was so gruesome that neither Miles nor Mrs. Dawson could stomach it. They turned, leaned against the wall, and vomited violently.

Wayne Dawson covered his mouth, managing only suppressed, dry heaves. His face was paler than a sheet of paper.

Even the usually composed Evan Olson frowned, his expression grave.

Only Luna’s expression remained unchanged. She walked over and, with a clean swing of her bayonet, finished off the woman who was still faintly twitching. Then she strode onward.

A dark red drag mark of blood snaked out from under the woman’s body. The group followed the trail toward the wine cellar but saw no other signs of zombies along the way.

Just as they reached the entrance to the wine cellar, they saw the woman’s lower half. Beside it sat a relatively intact male zombie.

Its neck had been completely bitten through, and its head was bent at a grotesque angle. Its mangled trachea was exposed, a shocking and grisly sight.

"One left."

Luna muttered under her breath, tightened her grip on the bayonet, and stepped into the wine cellar.

She scanned her surroundings warily. Just as she moved past a tall wine rack, a face caked with shredded flesh suddenly appeared before her.

Its vacant, gray-white eyes locked with hers, gleaming with bloodthirsty excitement as blackish-red saliva dripped from the corners of its mouth.

Luna’s heart leaped. She instinctively took a hasty half-step back, dodging the sharp claws that shot toward her through a gap in the wine rack.

Before the zombie could retract its arm, Luna flicked her wrist. The Triangular Bayonet shot out with precision, pinning the creature’s hand to the heavy, solid wood of the wine rack.

The zombie let out a frustrated shriek and began to struggle wildly, actually ripping its hand in two against the bayonet as blood sprayed everywhere.

Luna’s eyes went cold. As she yanked the bayonet free, she kicked the heavy wooden wine rack with all her might.

CRASH!

With a whistling sound, the wine rack toppled over and slammed down onto the zombie.

SMASH!

The sound of shattering bottles immediately followed. Red wine and shards of glass sprayed everywhere, the noise echoing throughout the cellar.

Pinned beneath the wine rack, the zombie twitched and struggled in vain.

Luna strode forward, planted one foot on the rack to steady herself, bent down, and plunged her bayonet deep into the zombie’s skull.

The creature’s piercing shriek cut off abruptly. It went limp and lay still.

Luna pulled her bayonet free, straightened up, and turned to look behind her. Mrs. Dawson and the others were already ashen-faced, trembling from head to toe.

"It’s over."

she said, her voice calm and reassuring.

Afterward, Evan Olson took out a dagger and went around knocking on surfaces in every corner of the basement. Once he confirmed there were no more hidden zombies, he signaled for the group to follow him toward the stairs.

When they reached the front door of the villa, they saw the Kramer sisters peering in from the doorway, too afraid to come inside.