The porch light throws a pale strip over the sunrise as the front door shudders. Outside, the undead press harder, drawn by the noise and the scent of blood. Inside, the packed house is ready to burst.
Louis
They are not going to stop, Ben. We move now, or we get pinned in here.
Jenny
I have the front. Give me the word, and I cover the door.
Julian stands at the porch rail, thin and steady, watching the brightening street. The map lies open on the kitchen table, marked with the route toward Old Orleans and the safest exits Benjamin has found.
Julian
He keeps his eyes on the sunrise, breathing slow, like he is trying to memorize it.
Elias
The route is ugly, but it is a route. If you are going, take the radio and the kit. Leave nothing useful behind.
A hard удар rattles the frame, then another. Dust shakes loose from the door latch. The group is already in motion, waiting on Benjamin to make the last call.
“Open fire on the undead around us. Defend the house”
SUCCESS (Legendary Melee Combat, rolled -2)
Benjamin snaps the bat up and drives into the first undead at the barricade line, crushing bone and shoving it back into the press.
The front door rattles under the impact, but the weight behind it falters. One more staggering body slumps off the porch step.
Benjamin
The line holds.
Jenny
I have the opening, keep them off the frame!
Jenny fires into the crowd at the threshold, forcing the nearest shapes to recoil from the doorway.
Louis
Move, move, the street is clearing!
Louis yanks a packed bag off the table and shoves it toward the door as the pounding outside thins into scattered knocks.
Julian lowers their chin, sunlight on their face, while Elias gathers the radio gear with a grim, steady hand.
For one breath, the house is quieter than it has been in days, held together by blood, smoke, and timing.
Louis
Say the word, Ben. We move now.
Benjamin
Now. Grab what you can and stay tight.
Jenny
Door's clear. I'm covering us.
Elias
Route's marked. If we keep moving west, we have a chance.
On the porch, Julian looked into the sunrise without speaking, the first light washing the blood and smoke thin and pale.
Benjamin led the survivors out from the house before the dead could finish breaking it open. They left behind the walls, the silence, and the idea that safety could ever be permanent here. In the hard new morning, they moved as one, carrying only the map, the gear, and the stubborn fact that they were still alive.