Perkatory: Coffee, Zombies, and the Brewmaster System

The distant echo of groans reached Matthew and Jake as they crouched on the rooftop of a crumbling office building. Below them, Boston's once-bustling streets were now a churning mass of undead. Zombies packed the narrow alleys, their decayed forms lurching and swaying as if drawn by an unseen force. The sight was enough to chill down even the most hardened survivor's spine.

"This city…" Matthew whispered, scanning the horizon with a pair of binoculars. His hands trembled slightly though he tried to steady them. "I've never seen so many in one place."

Jake crouched beside him, adjusting the strap of his pack. His jaw was tight, and his eyes darted nervously over the sea of undead. "Makes sense. It is a big city with lots of people. Now it's a zombie buffet." He grimaced, forcing a half-hearted attempt at humor, but his voice was strained. "We need to stick to the rooftops. We're not getting through that mess on the ground."

Matthew nodded, but as he stood, a familiar tingling sensation crept up the back of his neck. His body stiffened instinctively, and his hand shot up to stop Jake from moving. "Wait."

Jake frowned, his breath catching. "What is it?"

Matthew's eyes darted around, scanning the area below. He couldn't see them yet, but he felt it—that gut-deep warning he'd learned to trust. "They're close. Too close. Stay low and move quietly."

The duo crouched lower, carefully creeping toward the building's edge. Moments later, a pack of zombies shuffled into view, their groans echoing to the rooftops. Jake's eyes widened. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the edge of the rooftop. "That is a large group."

Matthew's stomach twisted. "We want to avoid fighting in this city," he said, his voice low and tight. "If we don't keep moving, Zoe…" He didn't finish the sentence, but the implication hung heavily.

Jake's expression darkened. "We can't waste time. Let's go."

After deciding to avoid the streets for as long as possible, Matthew spotted a series of adjacent apartment blocks connected by fire escapes. "If we climb across those, we can bypass the crowds below and maybe get a better view of the area."

The first two buildings offered no surprises, but Matthew's sense of danger flared again as they reached the third. His pulse quickened, and he grabbed Jake's arm. "Something's wrong. Be ready."

Seconds later, muffled banging came from within the building. Jake stopped mid-step on the fire escape. His face paled as he gripped the railing. "What is that?"

Matthew gestured for silence as they edged closer to a shattered window. They saw a group of zombies trapped inside a utility room. A makeshift barricade of furniture kept them from escaping, but the growling and pounding reverberated through the walls. Worse, the fire escape ended at the room's window, forcing them to climb through to continue.

"Great," Jake muttered, his voice shaky. "What now?"

"We move quietly," Matthew whispered, though his heart hammered in his chest. "They haven't noticed us. Let's not give them a reason to."

Creeping through the window, they found themselves in a dimly lit hallway strewn with debris. The zombies in the utility room grew more agitated as the duo moved past, their snarls intensifying. At the far end of the hall, a collapsed ceiling blocked their exit to the next building.

"Looks like we're taking the long way," Matthew said, pointing to a staircase leading down. He swallowed hard, his mouth dry. Every delay felt like a weight pressing on his chest.

They descended cautiously, the creaking steps threatening to betray them. Halfway down, Matthew's danger sense prickled again, sharper this time. He froze. "Something's moving below us," he whispered.

As they reached the ground floor, a burst of movement confirmed his instincts. A stray zombie stumbled out from a side room, its milky eyes locking onto them. Jake acted quickly, plunging his knife into its temple before it could alert the others.

"Let's get out of here," Jake hissed, his voice trembling. They emerged into an alley, their nerves frayed but relieved to be outside again. "We're wasting too much time. Zoe… she doesn't have time for us to screw up."

Matthew clenched his fists. "I know. Let's move."

Further into the city, their route brought them to a grand building with a domed roof and shattered columns. A faded sign read "Boston History Museum."

"We should avoid this," Jake said. "Big places like this? Too many hiding spots."

Matthew hesitated, then pointed to a signboard near the entrance. "Wait. Look. If there's a directory inside, it might have a detailed map of the area."

Jake groaned but followed as Matthew pushed through the broken doors. Inside, the museum was a haunting sight. Dusty exhibits and overturned displays lined the vast hall, and shafts of light filtered through broken skylights, casting eerie patterns on the floor.

"Stay sharp," Matthew murmured. His sense of danger was quiet for now, but the tension in the air kept him on edge. He couldn't stop imagining Zoe's pale face, her life slipping away with every wasted second.

They reached the central atrium, where a large city map was mounted on a display board. As Matthew studied it, Jake's gaze drifted to the shadows. The tingling in Matthew's neck flared just as Jake whispered, "We're not alone."

Two zombies emerged from the darkness, their movements eerily deliberate. Jake lunged forward, dispatching one with a swift strike. The second lunged at Matthew, who sidestepped instinctively, his blade sinking into its neck. The zombie collapsed with a gurgle.

"Got what we needed?" Jake asked, breathing heavily.

Matthew nodded, his hands trembling slightly. "I think so. Let's move before we attract more company."

The duo's progress led them to another series of rooftops. This time, the gaps were more expansive, and some buildings showed signs of structural instability. As they prepared to cross, Matthew's danger sense flickered faintly.

"Something feels off," he said, scanning the area. "We need to move carefully."

Jake raised an eyebrow but nodded. They made their way across the first few rooftops without incident. Then, as Matthew landed on a cracked rooftop, the surface beneath him groaned ominously. He froze, motioning for Jake to stop.

The sound drew attention. A lone zombie emerged from a stairwell on the rooftop ahead, but before Jake could react, the floor beneath it gave way. The creature disappeared with a horrifying crash, its groans fading into the building below.

"This place is falling apart," Jake muttered. "We're sitting ducks if we linger."

Matthew nodded, carefully making his way toward the next building. But as they crossed, his danger sense flared to full alert. Without hesitation, he shoved Jake forward just as another rooftop section collapsed behind them, taking two zombies with it.

Panting, Jake looked back at the destruction. "Remind me to trust your ability more often."

They pressed on, the reminder of the city's dangers fresh in their minds. The path ahead grew quieter, and after what felt like hours of navigating the rooftops and occasionally descending to street level, the hospital finally came into view.

Its once-sterile facade was now grimy and battered, with vines creeping up its sides. The symbol of a red cross was barely visible through the grime.

"We made it," Matthew said, crouching behind an air conditioning unit to catch his breath. He scanned the area for movement. "No immediate threats, but we'll have to get down to street level to reach the entrance."

Jake nodded. "Let's hope the staff here are as eager to survive as we are."

But both knew the weight of time pressing down on them. Zoe's life was slipping away, and every second lost in the city felt like a blow to their chances of saving her.