Zarah as usual was working late night. "Zarah don't strain yourself!" shouted a worker. Zarah continued setting up, remodeled and everything to save her business. "How nice of it if I could fetch some beer, too bad there's none here" Zarah added a short while after they left. 

She went home with her head down feeling tired, her hair is a mess, her tie was in her hand. She had dark bags under her eyes, her lipstick was smeared off. After opening the door, Zarah took off her heels. Went over for a cup of water and sit for a while on a couch. She lets her hair down and decided to take a nap in the meantime. 

Zarah opened her eyes after hearing noises and sighed "I must have overslept, I have to get ready for work now" Zarah washed her face, brushed her teeth before going out. She grabs her coat, wearing her heels, and heads off with her bag. "Ugh I should have left some tools at home, it's too heavy" Zarah complained as she stops by a mall. "I should grab some coffee here"

As Zarah went to a cafe, she bought the usual black coffee "That should keep me awake" Zarah continued after sipping her coffee. Zarah grabs her bag and notices a paper flew over to her table. "What is this? A poster" Zarah question herself in thought. 

Her eyes were wide shocked, she rolls the paper and threw it in the bin as she closed her mouth with her hand. "How could this be, it's one of the recent nightmares?" She bit her nails as she thinks deeply. "This could also be for the upcoming Halloween, right? In a couple months from now, there's no way" Zarah took her bag and went out of the cafe. As she walks by, a guy is running away

"What the, what's up with that guy!? Is he stealing something or what??" She focused her eyes on where he was running from. There's a mother? With her child holding her hand. The child seems to be wanting her mother's attention but each person could realize that

The mother was covered with bloodstains on her clothes. A man asks her if she's fine, what's with the blood and so. 
Until she twisted her head and dark veins began to show, Zarah, get the feeling of something worse than her nightmare is bound to happen and the appearance the mother showed was something strange.

Just as she realized it was something far worse from suicide, far worse than guns

"SIR PLEASE GET AWAY FROM H-" as Zarah yelled, the mother bit the man. Blood splattered the floor as the mall was filled with screams, the security guards came by.

The man who was bitten began to twist their ankles to move began to get up despite having his cheeks. A security guard shout "SIR AND MAAM PLEASE DO NOT MOVE OR I WILL NOT HESITATE TO SHOOT YOU". Despite that tough talk, Zarah could see his hand shaking while holding the gun, the sweat on his face.

Zarah got frozen for a second, with visions running through her head.

"What is this image?! WHERE HAVE I RECALLED THIS?! Wait no, no no no this isn't from my memories,

This is from my nightmares,

ZARAH POV

Scream was heard across the mall seeing the guards got eaten, I tried to figure out what happened in the dream. All I got is a question
How is this possible? Where did the zombies first appear? Why did I forget about this?
But not like I wanted to remember my nightmares, I keep looking around. Identifying each person. 

"I can assume that this is from the nightmares of the undead, but what happened during this?" 
I thought.

The number of zombies began increasing while I was hiding in the toilet and before I knew it, the mall was filled with the undead. I took a peek to see what's happening, 

Oh god! I quietly closed the door of the toilet and lock it. I couldn't believe what I saw, the numbers of the undead and bodies everywhere. I even saw soldiers eaten by them. How could I possibly escape from here? And where can I go after escaping? 

"Calm down Zarah, calm down. Remember what mom used to say when having anxiety? I will never be beaten by it as I am the strongest."

I repeated those words again and again
I will never be beaten by it as I am the strongest, I will never be beaten by it as I..... I will never...

I fell asleep considering how awful today is. What could come tomorrow? I must rely on instinct and luck for now. I woke up carefully wash my face and I felt thirsty. I looked back at the sink.
What could be worse than dying in the hands of zombies? 

I drank the water from the sink with all refresh, I spent days watching and gathering data of them. My stomach was growling, I was very hungry, thankfully I know their actions now, I decided to go to the toys store. I grab my coat which I used as a blanket during the nights. I rip the arms of it. I wrap it around my hands. I opened the doors.

As expected, an undead can't survive on its own they all stick together. I ran to each pillar to avoid zombie's sight. After all those time, I arrived at the store but it was closed off with metal. I got in through the back door using the hallway connecting with the other toilets. 

I could survive like this, I went in and I found a child crying. Was this a part of the dream? Those visions are very blurry. I looked for the kid as I found him crying behind a giant teddy bear that's bigger than me. I almost laughed after seeing its hideous face but I kept it in my heart to avoid attention.

I grabbed the kid's hand and ask him the stupidest question. 

Where are your parents, kid? Are you fine?

"Mommy is gone to protect countwy and daddy disappeared after weaving me here alone. I am scar-ed. There are monsters from the show daddy always love."

Looks like his mother is a soldier and his father probably got.. caught in the crowd and the monsters are... 

"Don't worry, I am here and I'll protect you" I comforted him with those words. "Now, here some water drink it slowly. We don't want those monsters to catch us" I continued as holding a water bottle I had in my bag.

Fin

Words count - 1102