The noise was barely audible above the sound of pouring rain. It came from outside, some distant part of the night. To Mike, it sounded like a distant drumming, or maybe just the low rumble of thunder. He had heard it before, on storms like this one, but never for so long.

He stood in his bedroom, watching the rain roll down the windowpane. He was alone, as he had been for weeks, living alone in this old farmhouse in rural America. The sound of the rain was soothing, and Mike was almost lulled to sleep until the noise returned, louder now. He could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, and he shivered despite the warmth of the night.

Something was out there, something dangerous. He was sure of it.

He grabbed his flashlight from the bedside table, the only weapon he had in the house. He hurried to the door, his heart racing in his chest. He had to find out what was out there. He had to know.

He opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. The rain was coming down hard, drenching him in an instant. He shielded his eyes and scanned the yard, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He took another few steps and the noise got louder, like a deep humming. He stopped in his tracks and listened, his heart pounding in his ears.

There, in the shadows, he saw something. It was too far away to make out, but it seemed to be coming closer. He held his breath and waited, his flashlight ready in his trembling hand.

The creature stepped into the light of the porch. It was tall and thin, with long, thin limbs. Its flesh was a pale grey, its eyes dark and empty. It was a zombie.

Mike stumbled backward, the flashlight falling from his grip. He had always known the zombie apocalypse was coming, but he had never expected to confront one of them in his own backyard. He ran back into the house, fear coursing through his veins. He slammed the door shut and leaned against it, panting.

He was safe, for the moment. But he knew he couldn’t stay here forever. He had to find a way to survive the zombie apocalypse. He just had to.

He did what he always did when he was feeling scared and helpless: he opened his laptop and started researching. He read articles on survival tactics, zombie anatomy, weaponry, and more. He read stories of other survivors, and their tales of courage and hope in the face of the undead. He read until the dawn came, and the rain stopped.

When the light of day finally came, Mike had a plan. He had his own way to survive the zombie apocalypse, and he was ready to put it into action. He just had to survive long enough to do it.

CONTD