Trespasser
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A Man on the Run
The man's name was David Carter.
A week ago, he had been a survivor. A scavenger. A man with a plan.
Now?
Now he was prey.
His lungs burned as he ran, his boots pounding against the damp earth.
Branches whipped against his face, cutting into his skin, but he didn't slow down. He couldn't.
Behind him, in the thick shadows of the forest, something was following.
Something that should have been dead.
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A Survivor's Gamble
David had been with a group.
✔ Six people. A mix of fighters, scavengers, and desperate souls.
✔ They moved at night, avoided roads, stuck to the woods.
✔ Always running, always searching.
They had heard rumors.
"There's land up north. Somewhere untouched. A place where the infection hasn't spread yet."
So they had gone looking.
And they had found this mountain.
But the rumors were wrong.
Something was here.
Something worse than the infected.
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The Ambush
The first attack came at dusk.
David had been setting up a perimeter, making sure the group was hidden.
Then the screaming started.
✔ One of the scouts—ripped apart. His body still moving, even after his throat was gone.
✔ A second man tried to run—something tackled him into the trees.
✔ The gunfire started, but it didn't stop them.
David had seen zombies before.
But these?
These were different.
They were faster. Smarter.
They didn't just charge blindly.
They stalked. They hunted.
And they enjoyed it.
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The Escape
David had fired every round he had.
He saw three of his people die before he even knew what was happening.
✔ The creatures moved through the trees, using the shadows like predators.
✔ Their bodies weren't just decayed—they were evolving.
✔ They were mimicking human movement, learning from their prey.
David ran.
✔ He didn't grab supplies.
✔ He didn't check on the others.
✔ He didn't look back.
Something slashed his arm as he fled.
A sharp claw, a jagged bone—he didn't know.
All he knew was that he had to get away.
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Alone in the Wild
He had been running ever since.
✔ No food. No water.
✔ The infection spreading slowly beneath his skin.
✔ A burning fever creeping through his body.
But he wasn't giving up.
If this mountain was the last place untouched by the infection, then he'd find a way to live here.
Even if he had to kill for it.
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Stepping Into the Wrong Territory
David moved carefully through the trees, rifle shaking in his hands.
✔ He had been a hunter once. A man who knew how to track and move unseen.
✔ He knew how to tell when a place was dangerous.
And this place?
This place wasn't right.
There were traps here.
Snares. Tripwires. Spiked pits.
Someone had built this land into a fortress.
"There's someone else out here."
Maybe that meant hope.
Or maybe it meant something worse.
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The First Warning
David was so focused on the traps that he didn't hear the man step out behind him.
"Don't."
David froze.
His fingers twitched toward his rifle, but the voice stopped him cold.
Low. Controlled.
Not a desperate survivor.
Not a scavenger.
Someone who wasn't afraid of him.
Slowly, David turned.
And what he saw made his stomach drop.
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The Wolf of the Mountain
The man standing before him wasn't normal.
✔ Tall. Strong. Built like something carved from stone.
✔ Golden eyes that glowed faintly, watching him without emotion.
✔ A thick beard, dark and wild, matching his presence.
✔ A wolf at his side, silent, massive, waiting for a command.
This wasn't just another survivor.
David knew a predator when he saw one.
And this man?
This man owned the mountain.
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The Warning
Brian stepped forward, his rifle steady.
"This is my land," he said. "Turn around. Leave."
David opened his mouth, tried to speak—but no words came.
The way this man moved. The way he looked at him.
David had spent his life tracking, hunting.
He knew what it meant when a predator locked eyes with prey.
"He's going to kill me."
Not because he wants to.
Because he doesn't see another option.
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Desperation
David raised his hands slightly.
"I—I don't mean no trouble," he said, voice hoarse. "I—I just—"
Then he saw Brian's expression change.
The golden eyes narrowed.
The rifle tensed.
"You're infected."
David's breath hitched.
"N-No—no, I swear, it's just a scratch! I haven't turned! I—"
Brian stepped forward.
Ghost growled.
David stumbled back.
"You're already changing," Brian said.
His voice was flat. Certain. Final.
And that was when David realized there was no mercy here.
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A Predator's Choice
Brian said nothing else.
No sympathy.
No chance for negotiation.
David could feel the weight of his presence.
There was no saving this.
"I have to run."
And so he did.
David turned and sprinted into the trees, ignoring the burning in his arm.
Ignoring the fact that his lungs were failing.
Ignoring the fact that he had just been marked.
He wasn't just running from the infected anymore.
He was running from the man who had become something else.
And if he ever set foot in these woods again…
He knew he wouldn't run fast enough next time.
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The Mountain Belongs to Him
Brian watched the trespasser disappear into the woods.
Ghost growled low, pacing at his side.
He had let the man go.
For now.
But if he came back?
If he threatened what was his?
There wouldn't be a second warning.
Because Brian wasn't just a survivor anymore.
This was his territory.
And he would protect it.
At any cost.
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