Jay, Simon and Beth followed the stranger as he made his way through the park. Seabrook Park was a vast green space, one of the few areas the state had protected from the persistent urban sprawl. Vlad was leading them through the park toward Brookside, Seabrook’s sister city.

Jay gripped his spade and anxiously scanned the area for zombies. They had run into three of them since joining up with Vlad — Jay was ready to get some blood on his spade, but each time Vlad had cooly dispatched the shambler with detached and deadly efficiency. Beth was visibly more relaxed now, and she followed along at Vlad’s heels like an adoring puppy while Simon tried to impress him with tales of their harrowing escapes.

Something’s not right. Jay tried to dismiss the nagging doubt, but it kept resurfacing. He couldn’t stop thinking about the zombies that lost their arms to an unknown attacker. Who or what could have done that? There was something else out there, Jay was sure.

They froze at the sound of a terrified scream.