Hanson batted aside a young faun with half of its neck torn out as it lunged towards him. "This way Randal, I think I see the path up ahead!" he called out to a man in a green outfit and brown jacket as he stomped the dead deer's brains in. "I'm coming, just keep an eye out!" came the reply as Randal smashed the butt of his hunting rifle against the skull of a stray raccoon with its guts torn out.
It had only been a day at the most, but the undead creatures infesting the nature preserved seemed to grow thicker by the hour. Hanson hadn't even intended to come here, but when he witnessed a stray dog getting run over by a car on his way home he decided he had to stop and help. To his surprise the creature immediately got up as if nothing was wrong and attacked him and the driver.
At first Hanson thought that it had become hysterical from the pain and lashed out in confusion, but after it tried to bite his hand he noticed a deep fang wound on its neck as well as its glowing red eyes. Reasoning that it couldn't be saved he put the dog out of its misery with a single stomp to the head. After that he joined the driver when he drove to the nearby nature preserve to report what had happened and show them the carcass in hopes of finding out what was going on.
Unfortunately, the preserve was in the middle of its own crisis as several wild animals had suddenly begun to attack anything that dared to enter their domain, leaving the nearby campgrounds in a state of panic as park rangers scrambled to control the disaster before it could spread.
Hanson and the driver ran into Randal at the main station as he was preparing to head out and check on his buddies who had gotten cut off from the radio shortly beforehand. It was there that the full weight of the situation hit them as a bear covered in bloody wounds attacked the driver when he stepped outside to take a piss before the trio left. Randal managed to put the bear down with a few shotgun slugs to the head, but the driver passed away from his wounds shortly afterwards...and reanimated minutes later while the two men were bringing him back inside.
Hanson and Randal managed to avoid getting hurt, but the driver departed the same way as the bear had, leaving the two men to head out alone. The event had shaken Randal, but he hid it well as they made contact with a group of campers hiding in their RVs about three miles from the nearby ranger station. It was late and starting to snow very heavily when they arrived so the two ended up spending the night there to rest and recuperate from the nightmarish events of the previous day.
The next morning arrived with a fresh layer of snow and a continued flurry of small while flakes drifting down from the heavens. Taking the park truck back to the station would be impossible in the current conditions so Hanson proposed leaving the campers most of the guns and supplies while they set out on foot. Randal agreed with the plan and the two men set out on their journey to the ranger station to contact help.
That was roughly three hours ago and now that noon approached with even more ice and frost the whole situation began to look more and more hopeless. It was too late to just turn back now though, as Randal had found a path onto the hiking trail that would lead them right to the ranger station and cliffside overlook.
"It's not far now, just be careful. We're going uphill and this snow is making it hard to walk." Randal says as he catches up to Hanson near the base of a large tree. "How is your handgun holding out?" Hanson popped the clip and took a look at it before putting it back in. "Nine bullets in the mag, two more full clips after this one. Yourself?" Randal checked his own gun and let out a sigh. "I've got four shots. Maybe I should have taken an extra box of bullets."
Hanson paused for a moment and put a hand over his forehead as he scanned the clearing up ahead. Through the thick flurry of snowflakes he could make out a small brown building with a tall thin tower next to it. "I think we found the station." Hanson mumbles as he looks around to make sure the coast is clear. "Thank god." Randal replies as he wipes a bead of sweat from his brow. "Let's hurry and get inside before this weather gets any worse."
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