Horrific Shorts: Zombie Edition

The train screeched to a halt.

Outside, the world was wrong.

A thick yellow fog rolled across the wasteland, rising from cracked earth littered with bones. The sky was a sickly green, swirling with black clouds that didn't move naturally. Twisted, half-rotten structures stretched into the distance—remnants of a city that had died long ago.

The Ghoul Trainmaster tipped his hat. "End of the line, friends. Welcome to the kingdom of the Rotting King."

Mira stepped forward cautiously, her grip tightening on the cursed book. "And where do we find him?"

The Trainmaster grinned. "Oh, he'll find you."

Then, the train vanished.

The second the survivors stepped off, the train faded into mist, leaving them stranded. The wind howled, carrying the sound of moaning voices.

Zara turned, machete drawn. "I hate this already."

Elias adjusted his coat, scanning the horizon. "Keep your guard up. Nothing about this place feels real."

The Forsaken Girl stood still, her hollow eyes locked on something in the distance. "He's watching."

Then, the ground moved.

At first, it seemed like the wind shifting dust—but then the earth buckled, and rotting hands burst from below.

Dozens of corpses dragged themselves free, their flesh sloughing off in thick, wet chunks. Their empty eye sockets turned toward the group in eerie unison.

Mira's heart pounded. "We run. Now."

They bolted, weaving through the ruined city as the dead swarmed. Their hungry wails echoed through the crumbling streets. The cursed book at Mira's side burned hot, as if sensing something ancient and powerful lurking ahead.

Then—

A throne of corpses.

At the center of the ruined square, a massive figure sat upon a twisted throne made of fused bodies. His skin was gray and bloated, his crown rusted and dripping with black ichor. He breathed in the air like it was alive, his jagged teeth clicking together.

The Rotting King.

Elias skidded to a halt. "Shit."

The undead froze, standing still as statues. A silence thicker than death settled.

The Rotting King opened his eyes. Maggots spilled from his sockets.

His voice was like the breaking of old bones. "You bring the book… to me."

Mira clutched the tome tighter. "This isn't yours."

A deep, wet chuckle rumbled from his chest. "Oh, but it is. And now… so are you."

The ground split apart, revealing an abyss of writhing bodies beneath them. The city trembled. The dead lurched forward once more.

The Forsaken Girl's voice was eerily calm. "We're already inside his trap."

Zara raised her machete. "Then let's cut our way out."

The Rotting King smiled.

And the city collapsed.