Outside of the apartment, small thin wisps of dark energy continued to rise from the earth's crust. People who managed to survive the first attack of the infected are now in hiding. Fear and tension can be felt all across the world. Everyone wishes that they can be nonexistent as they try to make themselves smaller to not attract the zombie's attention. All you can hear are muffled cries and continuous growls from the undead.
Ai's long and thin eyelashes slowly fluttered open. She held her head in confusion as she looked around her room. What happened? Her head is spinning and her stomach growling. She fainted from hunger! She forgot to eat! She immersed herself too much in the essay she was reading. She shakes her head lightly to shake off the spinning feeling.
Her eyes fell on her bedroom door. I think that the door is not gonna make it. She slowly stood up and took 3 granola bars from her drawer. She eats it while watching the door very closely. Having the box cutter close to her makes her feel safe in case the zombie breaks through her door.
After a few minutes, Ai finally relaxed. She reached for her phone and opened messages. Immediately, missed calls and 100 messages from her parents showed. Ai softly smiled at that and quickly called them back.
*Ringg*
*Ringg*
*The number you dialed is currently out of the coverage area. Please try again later*
Ai froze. No more signal... The effects of the apocalypse are too soon Noh?! Why?! She ran her hand through her hair. No need to use up her battery. What she needs to do now is get to her parents. Brother said that they are cooped inside the house. That is our main objective. And she can't die before that.
Seemingly injected with adrenaline, Ai stood up and started to pack. She used the essay as a guide on what to pack. Unfortunately for her, she doesn't have unlimited space so she has to make do with one bag.
Food? Later, most of the food is in the kitchen. Medicine? A small first aid kit with essentials and pills for various things in small amounts.
Hygiene kit? Toothbrush, Small portable shampoo, and soap. Razor and a pack of sanitary napkins. Damn, my bag is half-filled already. Looking at her bag on her packing list, she sighed in resignation. Guess she has to cut out half of it (╥﹏╥).
A flashlight and emergency batteries. For clothes, she chose Three thin tracksuits so she can move more freely. Ok, the rest can be scavenged later after having a permanent place to stay. Now onto the zombie in her apartment.
She looked at the essay in hand and took a deep breath. This is it, Just a strike at the head and dead. Attending those survival courses paid off now huh? Ai tucked the essay in her bag. Stretching her arms, she gripped the box cutter and walked to the door.
Opening the door swiftly, she was stunned. The zombie is nowhere. Suddenly on her left, the zombie pounced on her, growling loudly. Surprised, the zombie tackled on the floor as its rancid mouth tried to take a bite of her flesh.
Scared shitless, Ai immediately held the zombie's shoulder. The zombie is a woman in her twenties. The originally gentle beautiful look of the woman now turned ashen and ragged. It's Shou's Girlfriend, Favrena who also has the apartment keys! Favrena's irises had already turned white. Her body smelled of rot.
Pushing its head nearer to Ai's face, she muttered all of her strength to throw the zombie to the side. Immediately, she reached for the box cutter and held it in front of her. The zombie recovered quickly and pounced on her once again, heading head first to Ai. Without thinking, Ai shouted, raised her blade, and lowered it down with full force once the zombie's head came close.
The zombie's body fell with a thud on Ai's Body. She released her grip on the box cutter and looked at her ceiling. All of the adrenaline left her body in an instant. The pain of being tackled, the fear, and the consensus of killing something filled her. Ai shakingly pushed the zombie's body off of her. Stumbling to get up, she looked in horror at Favrena.
It's no longer a zombie but Favrena. She ran to the sink and washed her hands that has splashes of blood. I killed her. No, no... I killed a monster. That's one thing I need to get used to. She splashed some water on her face and fell into a deep thought. What do I do with Favrena's body? What do I tell Nagi... If I ever meet her again? Can I kill more zombies?
Ai stared at her reflection in the sink and shook her head. For now, she needs to pack. She doesn't need anything fancy in the apocalypse. Ai just needs ready-to-go food, a pot, and Nagi's 2-liter water bottle. Walking away and out of the apartment was a big relief to her. Her house is 3 small towns away. In a normal situation, this journey would just take 3 hours. This journey would be a breeze, right?
Taking a deep breath Ai tied her long cream-colored hair into a bun. Food in her mouth, she started filling her bag with non-perishable foods. Cans and instant noodles. She also took a small plate, spoon, and fork that can be disassembled to lessen the space they take in her bag. Batteries, rope, and lastly a weapon. Hmm, a weapon huh?
She glanced briefly at Favrena's dead body before quickly looking away. "I can't fight with a box cutter" she mumbled looking at the bedroom of the dead woman's boyfriend.
She started searching through Shou's room. Under the bed, on his closet, and even on her roommate's balcony.
"Where the hell is that man's Baseball Bat?"
That thing is always everywhere when not needed now that she's searching for it, she can't find it anywhere! She closed the balcony door shut. She walked to the bathroom door putting her hand on the handle when she suddenly stopped.
Well... It can't hurt to be more cautious now. She slowly walked to the door and put her ear against it. Closely listening for any sign of someone being inside.
After some minutes she opened the bathroom door and found the baseball bat leaning against the toilet. Her lips twitched at this bizarre placement.
She took the baseball bat, Shou's thick glove, his gears {Knee pad, and Elbow pad with bicycle helmet}. For Defensive measures, she also wrapped a magazine on both of her forearms. She would do so to her whole body if she did not have anymore more magazines.
Wearing her quite heavy bag and baseball bat in her hand she is finally ready to face those monsters and find her parents. She can make it within a week... Surely they will still be in the house. Right?
She leaned at the door, listening for any signs of a zombie. Welp, she was not disappointed. Ai can hear at least 4 different growls just outside her door, maybe more in the hallway. She honestly would like to take a look outside. To analyze her situation. If only she decided to have a peephole.
Ai shook those thoughts and focused more on the situation at hand. I can't just open my door and start swinging, can I? What If I get overwhelmed?! I also can't just lure them here... What if she gets stuck in her bedroom again? How conflicting...
Ai frowned and fell into a deep thought. After a while, she opened her door as softly as she could. She held her breath and the bat as tightly as she could. Thankfully, her door did not creak even just a little. She silently praised her past self for the condition of the door.
Her apartment was at the very end of the hallway, something she requested from the owners. She quietly walked out of the room. Now standing in the hallway, her eyes shrank at the sight. 7 zombies are out in the hallway.
One of them immediately noticed her gaze and ran towards her with a growl. She took an offensive position, both hands holding the bat. She swung the bat as hard as she could when the zombie got close. Just right after taking down that zombie, another one pounced at her.
She took a step back and swung the bat once again hitting the 2nd zombie on its head but not enough to keep him dead. Ai gritted her teeth as she started gathering her strength as the zombie slowly rose. With a hard hit, he fell.
Not taking a break she raised the bat and hit the 3rd small lady zombie on the head. Ai makes sure she can see all of the coming zombies.
She sidestepped on her left as another (4th) zombie tried to claw her. With a swing, she managed to hit its body to the side. She focused on the (5th) big zombie in front of her swinging her bat as high as she could.
She could feel it. The soreness on her arms and the redding of her hands. She can't die here! Not yet! The zombie she hit staggered to the left as the 4th zombie tried to attack her again. She swung her bat taking it down.
The big zombie now back in action tried to claw her. She ducked and stepped back now her back against the wall. She once again raised her bat high and struck the zombie's head as hard as she could.
This time the zombie fell down with a thud.