The house was eerily silent, save for the sounds of their hurried movements as they worked to secure every possible entry point. The night outside had settled into a stillness, but the sense of impending danger was undeniable. Lena could hear the faint shuffle of footsteps just beyond the walls, and the distant groans of the undead that seemed to come from every direction.
 Rafael had already taken position by the window, peering through the cracked blinds with a tense expression. Kai, her back pressed against the door, was checking her weapons, ensuring everything was in order. Lena couldn’t help but feel the weight of the responsibility pressing down on her—this was their moment. They had to survive tonight. They couldn’t afford to make mistakes.
 “There’s a lot of them,” Rafael muttered, not taking his eyes off the street outside. “And they’re getting closer.”
 Lena stepped forward, her feet light despite the heaviness in her chest. She peered over Rafael’s shoulder, her gaze following the dark shapes moving in the distance. The shadows seemed to dance with the flickering light from the streetlamps, the figures constantly shifting as they moved toward the house.
 “I don’t see a way out of this one,” Kai said, her voice tinged with the familiar edge of fear. “We’re surrounded.”
 Lena looked at the barricade they had hastily put up in front of the door—an old bookshelf, a sofa, and whatever other heavy furniture they could drag into place. It would hold for now, but how long? The constant shuffling of the undead outside was growing louder, and they all knew that if the barricade fell, there was no escape.
 “Stay calm,” Lena said, her voice firm despite the anxiety swirling inside her. “We’ve been through worse. We just need to hold them off for as long as we can. The house is sturdy. We can do this.”
 But even as she said the words, she wasn’t sure she believed them. In the world they now lived in, it was a rare thing to actually survive a night like this. Even the most prepared groups often met their end in the most unexpected of ways.
 They had no backup, no reinforcements. They were alone. And even though the house was relatively safe for now, the world outside was a different story. The undead were relentless—they didn’t need food or water. They didn’t get tired. They just kept coming.
 Kai shifted nervously, her eyes darting to the front door. “If we don’t act soon, they’ll find us. There’s no way we can fight off that many.”
 “We don’t have to fight them all,” Rafael replied, his voice calm despite the situation. “We just need to survive until morning. That’s our goal. Just make sure we don’t let them breach the barricade. If we can hold them off until daylight, we have a chance.”
 Lena nodded, trying to steady her breath. She knew Rafael was right. They didn’t have to kill every last one of them. They just needed to survive.
 She turned away from the window, pacing toward the back of the house. The kitchen was sparse, with only a few cans of food left from their earlier scavenging. There was no more water. No fresh supplies. They had to ration what little they had left if they were going to make it through the night. Lena opened a can of beans and handed it to Kai, who took it with a silent nod.
 “What if we don’t make it?” Kai asked, her voice small.
 Lena froze for a moment, her back turned to Kai. She wanted to say something reassuring. Something that would ease the fear she could hear in Kai’s voice. But the truth was, Lena didn’t know if they would make it. There was no way to predict the future in this world.
 All they could do was try. That’s what kept her going—just taking it one moment at a time. But even then, the reality was hard to ignore.
 “We’re going to make it,” Lena said, her voice a little shaky. “We just need to keep fighting. For each other. For all of us.”
 Kai didn’t respond. But the way she nodded, the slight tightening of her grip on her weapon, was enough. They were all in this together. They had to be.
 The sounds outside were growing more intense. The groans and moans of the undead were louder now, and Lena could see the faint outline of the horde through the window. There was no more time to waste. They had to act.
 “I’m going to check the barricade,” Rafael said. He moved swiftly toward the door, checking the furniture they had stacked up. The bookshelf was starting to creak under the pressure. They couldn’t wait much longer before the zombies tried to force their way through.
 Lena joined him by the door, her weapon ready. “We’re not letting them in.”
 Rafael didn’t reply, but his look said everything. They were on the same page. This wasn’t just about surviving. It was about defending their lives.
 The first zombie slammed against the barricade, sending a jolt through the door. The force of it rattled the walls, making the shelves shake. Lena tensed, her muscles coiling as she prepared herself for what was to come. The others heard the impact and quickly moved into position.
 The sound of more zombies closing in grew louder with each passing second. There were more than they had anticipated. Dozens, maybe hundreds, all drawn to the house like moths to a flame.
 And then, with a loud bang, the door finally gave way.
 It wasn’t a clean break. The force of the impact sent the bookshelf tumbling, knocking over the nearby table in the process. For a moment, there was a blur of motion—shadows dancing in the faint moonlight, bodies pressing against each other, their low, guttural growls filling the room.
 Lena fired her gun without hesitation, taking down the first zombie that lunged toward her. Its body crumpled to the floor with a sickening thud. She didn’t look back. She couldn’t. There were more of them. There would always be more.
 “Keep pushing!” Rafael shouted, his voice fierce as he took down another zombie with his knife. “Don’t stop!”
 Lena and Kai worked together to push the others back, taking down any zombie that got too close. The house was quickly filling with the stench of death as they fought for their lives. Each shot, each strike, was a desperate attempt to survive.
 Time seemed to stretch, as if the night was mocking them. The noise, the chaos, it all blurred together until it was hard to tell where one moment ended and the next began. They were in the fight of their lives, and they knew it.
 The sound of breaking glass filled the air as another zombie came crashing through the window. Kai was on it in an instant, swinging her weapon with precision. The zombie’s head split open with a sickening crunch.
 “Watch the windows!” Lena shouted, scanning the room for any other threats. They couldn’t let them surround them. They had to keep moving. Keep fighting.
 For what felt like hours, they held their ground. The zombies continued to pour in, one after another, but they didn’t stop. They couldn’t afford to stop.
 Finally, as the first rays of dawn began to creep over the horizon, the undead outside started to slow. The remaining zombies wandered aimlessly, their movements sluggish now that the sun was rising. Lena knew they couldn’t stop for long, but the worst of it was over. They had made it through the night.
 But as they stood there, breathing heavily, their bodies sore and exhausted, Lena couldn’t help but wonder—what was next?
 The night had tested them. And now, they would have to face whatever came next.