Katsuko Ai woke up with a start. Her forehead was laced with sweat. Something is not right. She is a disciplined woman who will never oversleep! Yet she did today.
Worried, Ai stood up and rushed to her balcony. She opened the door and immediately smelled blood. One by one, she witnessed an ambulance riding through the streets crash. Suddenly screams can be heard all across the Exurb. Every single building plunged into chaos on one summer morning.
She stared absentmindedly at the scene. She watched a nurse run out of the ambulance before a human. No, a zombie bit her arms. Pedestrians watched in horror before screaming as the zombie attacked them next. Large teardrops formed at the outer corners of her almond-shaped eyes. She slowly stepped backward and back to her bed she goes.
Tears finally fell on her cheeks. Ai hurriedly wiped her tears and looked for her phone. No! This can't happen! Not when her family is so far from her reach!!
Suddenly a bang sounded and more growls of zombies could be heard from her balcony. Then suddenly, the sound of the door opening captured her attention. That's right! She's not alone. Ai shares this 3 bedroom apartment with a woman called Takara Nagi. She clutched her phone in hand and walked nervously to her door.
She locked her door as softly as she could before putting her ear to its surface. Outside she can hear someone crying and locking the door after a struggle. Ai was unsure if the person outside really was her roommate and thus left the door locked. She grabbed a chair and silently dragged it to her door as a little bit of protection.
She anxiously searched for her mother's number. Before she can call her, someone calls her first. It's her brother. She quickly answered. "Have you reached Mom and Dad?" she anxiously asked. "Yes, they are cooped up in the house. How are you? Where are you? Are you OK? Do you need help?" Ai's head buzzed with all of the questions. "Yes, I'm fine. I don't need help. I am at my apartment. How about you? Do you know what is happening?"
"No, but I'm sure everything will be fine in the end. I'll try and rescue Mom and Dad first." "You're abandoning your mission?!" her hands shaking. She knows her brother's character. If he is abandoning the mission then it must mean that the virus is not only in this city but also everywhere. "Ai. There are no more orders from the upper ranks. It's been a few days since our last communication. Seems like they knew the gist of it and left us here to rot."
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHH CORAL AAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHH!" someone shouted repeatedly. Ai Froze in fear, looked at the call screen in front of her. "Brother? Bro! HEY! ARE YOU OK?! REPLY TO ME!" the call ended. NO NO NO! Ai's face is red with frustration. She threw it as tears filled her eyes again.
Ai grabbed her hair and started pulling it aggressively as if punishing herself. She looked at herself in her vanity mirror. Face distorted with hatred. She doesn't even know why. Count to ten.
'One' she took a deep breath. I'm fine, he's fine, Mom and Dad will be fine.
'Two' Exhale. Her clenched hands slowly let go of her hair. Will my anger solve the problem? No.
Slowly but surely. Ai counted to 8 finally calming down from her stress and anger. When she reached number 9, she heard a soft thud. Ai was stupefied with fear. WHY NOW?!. Her eyes locked on the door, waiting for another sound.
Thud.
Thud.
"ROAAAR!" the zombie outside her room banged its claw as hard as it could. Ai flinched at the roar and looked around her. Calm down. Me vs. Him. Fair and square and suitable for a first-timer at killing zombies.
Weapon... A hairbrush? No. A box cutter? Risky but worth trying. She set it aside and started searching in her cabinets. In the last drawer of her cabinet, a shine attracted her eye. She looked at the folder, then at the door. Huff the door can stand the attacks. For now, she needs to know what is inside the folder.
Once she opened it, the glow faded quickly. She frowned but since she started it, she needed to finish it. Plus the contents of the essay attracted her attention. 'How To Survive in The Apocalypse: Beginners Guide'. It seems useful now. However, I do not recall buying or receiving this essay from anyone. She started reading the essay from start to finish. Books are Ai's world and so, she eventually just tuned out the zombie noises just outside her door.
'Impressive~' she thought. 'The person who wrote this essay sure did put a lot of effort into this huh?' she thought at the 100-page printed essay. The essay wrote about things to buy, and prepare before the apocalypse. Information on types of zombies, their weaknesses, how to kill them, and their evolution progress. The essay also mentions plant and animal mutations. Crystal cores and most interestingly, human mutation. Not to a zombie but to an esper. Espers have a unique reaction to the virus and will not turn after being bitten but materialize into its crystal core earning a superpower. Her head swirled into a mess. Ai stood up to pace and think. But before she can do that. She fainted directly to her bed. Her last thought is ' I forgot about breakfast '.