Mikhail stumbled to the ground, terror coursing through him. How could these things be happening? A virus? How? Through contact or the air? His heart raced, and his mind swirled with fear and confusion.
In a moment of clarity, he hastily reached for a gas mask from his storage, his hands trembling as he donned it, taking slow, calming breaths beneath its protection. Luckily, he had one which is he used in when he tried to cosplay German soldier in WW1. Despite the gas mask's reassurance, unanswered questions continued to churn in his mind, urging him to turn on the TV for news, his anxiety mounting with each passing second.
However, the channels were filled with static, save for one that displayed a critical message:
"Attention: This is an Emergency Alert System message. We urge all residents to remain indoors and stay safe. Reports have been received regarding unexplained instances of individuals attacking others without apparent reason. Law enforcement and emergency services are actively responding to the situation. Please lock your doors, stay away from windows, and refrain from engaging with any suspicious activity. Stay tuned to local news sources for further information and instructions. Your safety is our priority."
The realization of the dire situation slowly sank in as Mikhail grappled with the unfolding chaos and uncertainty that had descended upon his world. With the emergency message repeating on all active news channels, Mikhail decided to turn to social media in search of more information.
As he scrolled through various platforms, the word "zombie" emerged as the most frequently mentioned term. He attempted to find updates from government agencies, the police, the military, and even international sources, only to discover that the nightmare was spreading rapidly across all regions and nations. Panic began to grip him as he tried to reach out to relatives and friends, but their phones were out of service, and the internet signal suddenly vanished just a few seconds ago.
The inability to contact his loved ones left him feeling increasingly anxious, and a sense of despair settled in. In the distance, he noticed helicopters in constant motion, and then a sudden explosion erupted on the horizon. Regret weighed heavily on him for choosing to reside in the bustling urban environment, now facing the unfolding chaos and uncertainty that had consumed this city.
What should he do? Should he move out, look for his family, relatives, or friends? No. No. No... Seeing what was unfolding below this building, that would be a stupid idea. Then he remembered the old lady from moments ago, and his dread intensified. Without further ado, he pushed the sofa against the back door, barricading it. Seeing it was barricaded, he felt a little bit safer. Holding his phone, he suddenly thought about the radio, so he looked for the earphones and put them on the phone. A few channels were still broadcasting.
Static crackled, followed by an authoritative voice:
"This is an emergency alert. This is not a test. A catastrophic outbreak of an unknown virus has resulted in widespread infection and loss of life. Do not leave your homes. I repeat, do not leave your homes. The virus has caused individuals to become violent and cannibalistic. Stay indoors and away from any potential threat.
If you are currently outside, seek shelter immediately. Lock all doors and windows. Bar any entrance that poses a risk. Refrain from using loud noises and lights that could attract attention. Maintain silence and minimize any activity visible from outside.
Stay tuned to official channels for updates. Authorities are working to contain the situation, but the outbreak is spreading rapidly. Do not trust unfamiliar individuals. If you encounter anyone exhibiting aggressive behavior, stay away and report it if possible.
We understand the severity of this situation. We are working to establish safe zones for survivors. Do not attempt to travel unless instructed by authorized personnel. Follow guidelines for personal hygiene and sanitation to reduce the risk of infection.
This is a dire situation, and your safety is paramount. Stay vigilant, stay informed, and stay inside. We will continue to provide updates as the situation unfolds."
The transmission ended with static. The new information didn't lessen Mikhail's anxiety; grim thoughts consumed him again as he remembered his family, parents, grandparents, and siblings. He surveyed his room, his gaze lingering on the door. Going outside meant venturing into the unknown and dangerous territory. The most rational choice was to wait for help or until the situation outside subsided. So, it meant he was going to wait here for a few days or even weeks. Mikhail must secure supplies. He immediately looked in the kitchen. After taking out everything, he estimated it would only last for him almost three days. He sighed, regretting not storing more food since he lived in the city and usually had food delivered.
Looking at the open refrigerator, he remembered every zombie movie where electricity and other basic necessities would be gone soon. He quickly charged all of his devices and then started filling every bottle or container he had with water. After that, he started separating things he would need, like medicines. He looked back at the television, which was still playing the alert message, and then he walked to the window and looked down at the street. The situation had calmed down slightly, but the chaos and hellish scene were still ongoing. Mikhail was scared that a zombie had spotted him and started rushing towards his location.
As Mikhail's thoughts raced, he recognized the need for a weapon. Guns were not permitted in his building, so he quickly improvised, fashioning a makeshift spear by attaching a knife to a curtain rod with adhesive tape. It might not be ideal, but it was better than nothing.
With his makeshift weapon in hand, he hurriedly gathered essential supplies – food, medicine, and other necessities – and packed them into a bag, preparing for the worst.
Without anything else to do, he listened to the radio again. Mikhail changed to another channel. The radio crackled to life, and a tense voice spoke.
"Hey... this is Jane, your voice in all of this. It's bad out there. People, they're attacking, not themselves anymore. Stay hidden, stay quiet. Lock everything you can. We're in survival mode now. Keep your supplies close, and don't let your guard down. We're facing something we never imagined. But we can get through this. Remember, we're strong, and we're not alone in this fight. Stay strong, stay safe. This is Jane, signing off." The transmission ended abruptly.
His contemplation was abruptly interrupted by a loud banging on his door through the intercom. Once again, the elderly woman was trying to break in, her eyes filled with zealous insanity. "Why won't this damn old zombie lady find another victim?" he grumbled, retreating and sitting on the couch, his eyes fixed on the door's direction.
As time passed, planes and helicopters intermittently passed through the city, some crashing down. Fortunately, his building remained distant from those incidents. The heavy rain had finally stopped, but outside, some areas were illuminated by burning cars and buildings. Gunshots, screams, howls, and explosions occasionally punctuated the eerie silence. Mikhail constantly checked for updates, finding some solace in the messages of hope.
Hours later, Mikhail suddenly stood up, alarmed by loud gunshots in the hallway. Peering through the intercom, he saw the silhouette of a woman. She seemed to stop for a bit but immediately ran up the stairs. Mikhail had the urge to help the woman, but his fear overcame him. He lay on the corner, holding his makeshift spear with his nearby backpack, ready to run away if things got out of control. He didn't trust this building for his safety.
As more hours passed, the darkness of the night became suffocatingly
dreadful. The howling and constant screams made Mikhail sleepless. Moments ago, the electricity had died out. He could hear passing helicopters, but none of them stopped to help. He inwardly cursed the government and the military's incompetence. How could they forget the citizens? What were all those bragging about plans they had to counter every dangerous scenario? Where were they? He was mad but still hopeful. Even if they couldn't save him, he hoped they could save his family. His body urged him to sleep, but his mind couldn't stop thinking about his family's safety.
Mikhail looked outside of the window, where the burning fires of vehicles lit up the street. He could see a dozen or more mutilated bodies and some still acting like zombies, gnawing on their poor victims' flesh. There were a few things he realized, but he wasn't totally sure about them. Being bitten by a zombie didn't make you infected, and they literally ate their victims' heads. So, it meant that the virus was really airborne... but this made things difficult to fight against.
As he observed, one zombie that was quite tall and had long arms that almost reached the ground suddenly turned in his direction. Mikhail immediately hid in fear. All of his body was standing on end, scared by this bizarre and scary zombie. Humans never had that kind of body, which made it more dreadful to think about. He slowly peeked again to see that freakish zombie, but it was gone. Mikhail was even more scared. He immediately held the spear as he distanced himself from the window. He was thinking that the freak zombie would come to him, but after an hour passed and it never came, he assumed those zombies were attracted by the gunshots and explosions nearby. So, he was still safe, he thought.
It was 11:37 PM when Mikhail turned on the radio on his phone, looking for still-active channels. The radio on his phone crackled to life again.
"...things are getting difficult here. The nearest Military fort promised to send soldiers, but they never came... (cough).. (cough) we are not safe anymore here; those monsters began climbing into our building... Lorraine... (cry).. (cry) she was dragged away... Oh god,…everyone for those still hearing, don't ever go outside; it's probably an airborne virus... it's affecting everything... this virus is probably caused by China or Russia or even both of them. The only thing we can do is to survive and wait for a government response; that's the only thing we can do. God bless America, but it feels like America has abandoned us."
It was bad news again, and his hope began to diminish again.
November 15, 2019, 3:43 AM. Mikhail immediately jolted as he heard helicopters flying just above nearby. He could hear the loud sounds through the microphone.
"This is the military; please stay inside your homes. We're doing cleanup operations; please stay indoors." Then, after a few seconds, he heard the thundering sounds of machine guns firing constantly. But after a few seconds, he saw a distant attack helicopter spinning uncontrollably in the sky, then crashing on the ground. The other attack helicopters immediately increased their altitude, but some were attacked and started crashing down on the city.
"Oh god...," that's the only thing he could say.
Mikhail slowly peeked out of the window to see if someone was trying to climb into the building. Fortunately, his floor was on the 8th. Hours passed away, and it was already morning, but the smoke and cloudy skies blocked the sunlight. He frequently heard screams, howls, explosions, and gunshots until Mikhail became numb to it. Until he heard a hard knock on his door, as if someone were trying to get inside his apartment. Mikhail looked at the intercom, and it was the old lady from yesterday, but her body had changed. She looked bulkier, with her face covered in dried blood and disheveled hair. She kept banging her arms into the door, trying to break in. The old lady looked back at him through the intercom, her red eyes seeming to discern her prey. Then she smiled, a smile that almost reached his ears. What was most terrifying was that he could see sharp teeth in her mouth, like a shark's teeth, which was hard to believe for her age.
Mikhail immediately held the door. He was afraid that the old lady monster would get inside his apartment. After dozens of minutes of struggling, the old lady lost interest in him, and her attempts ceased. He breathed a sigh of relief, as sweat dripped from his face.
To be honest, Mikhail was already tired of all of this. He had the urge to end himself, but his family; he couldn't bear to die without knowing his family's status. He drank water, refueling his body. Then suddenly, he heard a sound of something heavy falling in the storage section. Mikhail jerked in sudden realization; he remembered the access panel on the ceiling. He held his spear, his breathing quickened. The storage room was just ahead, next to the kitchen. So he decided to hide on the wall overlooking the living room, next to the corridor, waiting for whatever it was to pass through. He would then attack it with the spear, though he wasn't sure if it was a zombie or a person.
The door of the storage room creaked, and he heard the sound of footsteps slowly approaching the living room. Seconds felt like hours to Mikhail. The footsteps grew louder, and the first thing he saw was bare, dirty feet. Like instinct, his body moved instantly as he thrust the spear directly into the neck of the target. It screamed in agony, a painful sound that echoed in his ears. The spear managed to pierce through the throat. The target stumbled down, and with a clear view, he saw that it was the old lady. Seeing her in person, dread washed over him, but just a few seconds later, the old lady immediately charged at him. But Mikhail was already on his second attack. He thrust the spear towards the target's eyes, and she stumbled to the ground as she tried to reach him. It seemed she was trying to get to him but couldn't. Mikhail took this opportunity to thrust the spear even deeper, pushing her against the wall. He knew he couldn't penetrate her skull. He pushed her against the wall, then pulled the spear out and quickly thrust it into her neck, hoping to sever her head. After minutes of struggle, he wasn't able to sever the head completely, but he saw that she was already dead. He sighed in relief, but he double-checked by piercing her other eye.
After confirming she was dead, he relaxed, looking at the lifeless body of the old lady zombie. He felt the urge to puke. In the midst of the action minutes ago, he had just acted on auto-pilot. He had stopped thinking and had done what he needed to do at the time. Now, seeing the results, it felt unnatural. He felt like it wasn't him who had done this. His breathing was difficult as he started to remove his face mask, but he remembered that the virus was airborne. This zombie's body was probably infected with the virus. He immediately stopped removing his face mask and put on gloves as he dragged the body. With difficulty, he was able to throw the body out of the window, then he started cleaning the room and himself. He had already blocked the access panel.
With a tired body, he dropped himself onto the bed, recalling what had just happened. This was the first time he had killed someone. Fortunately, it was not human anymore. For some reason, he felt sleepy. His eyes started to close. Without having slept through his stressful situations and his body exhausted, he started falling asleep.