Dead Serve

Part 3~Wildfire

Three days after the wall was added, Kodvre-12 got out of the hospital. It spread like a wildfire. Those still alive hid inside, not daring to open a window in case they got in. If you didn’t have contact with anyone, they were assumed dead. It wasn’t long until they were cut off from electricity and water and the people were fending for themselves.

The team hulled up in the gym. The high gates surrounding the school made it one of the safest places however its placement in the city made it a prime target for the infected to circle around.

Early on, the team was able to get some food and hide it inside but it wasn't going to last long and they will have to figure a way out. Right now, they were sitting in the gym, trying to ignore the aching in their stomachs.

Ennoshita watched the group, his eyes clouded in worry. Everyone was trying to be careful, even if they don't ever get infected, there were only so many non-perishable resources in the city and the water they stockpiled will only last so long. It didn't help that they were a big group. While they have a strength in numbers, their resources will run out faster.

"Enno? Are you alright?" Kinoshita gently tapped Ennoshita, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just going for a walk." Ennoshita spun around, trying to leave but his path was blocked by Narita.

"You don't have to lie to us," he stated calmly. "We're coming with you."

Ennoshita paled at the thought. "I have no idea what you are talking about," he stated carefully.

"Don't worry, we've been planning." Kinoshita gave a reassuring smile to his friend before they dragged him away. "Ukai's shop isn't that far from here. We think the infected lose their mental abilities so as long as they don't see or smell us, they won't realise we have left," Kinoshita started explaining.

"We went looking around the stocks and found some stuff that can disguise our smells. Then we will walk around in an upturned bin until we get to the shop. If all goes well, we will be back before the others realise we left," Narita finished with a smirk.

Ennoshita still didn't like this. So many things could go wrong, it was better to go on his own. Ennoshita looked up at his friends, their proud smiles and hopeful eyes cut through him like butter. Could he really take that away? "Fine... but if anything goes wrong you return immediately."

Their cheers of joy felt so strange in this place. So, cold. Those cheers should be because they won the nationals, not because they are getting to risk their lives in a full-hearted attempt to get food. This was so wrong.

Once they were covered in the strangely not unpleasant liquid, they jumped over the fence, making sure to use the least infected populated part to get over. Kinoshita ducked into his bin, laughing a little at how stupid he looked. If the situation was different, Ennoshita might have laughed with him, but with his mind focused on the task at hand, he didn't give himself that luxury.

They tiptoed their way to the street. The infected lined it like mould on an old sandwich. They were everywhere. Ennoshita held his breath as he climbed out of the bush and carefully walked forward. Every groan coming for the family and friends that used to live with him was a fresh reminder of what would happen if he messed up.

Ennoshita as he bumped into something. Groaning came from above, the foul creature that he refused to call human anymore, reached down, clutching at the bin. Ennoshita closed his eyes and prayed to every deity who could name to save him. He didn't want to die here. He didn't want to leave the others to die.

The creature pulled at the bin, pulling it at an angle and making it hard for Ennoshita to hide. This was it! This was where it ended.

Crash!

The creature lost interest in Ennoshita as a large truck came crashing down the road, the people aboard, hitting each creature while laughing. Ennoshita didn't know who they were, but he wasn't going to complain. Using the distraction to stand up and run, Ennoshita made it down the road, Kinoshita and Narita chasing after him. Once they were sufficiently away, they let themselves catch their breaths from within their little disguises.

"That was too close for comfort," Kinoshita gasped. "I thought you were a gonna. I don't know what we would have done if that zombie had eaten you."

Ennoshita and Narita froze. The too familiar word dancing in their minds. Zombie. That's what was, wasn't it? They didn't want to accept it, that everyone they knew had been reduced to flesh-eating zombies.

Kinoshita seemed to realise his mistake, backtracking with impressive speed. "Uh, sorry, I didn't mean it like that! It just slipped out! I-I just meant..." Kinoshita didn't know what to say. That seemed a theme these days. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Ennoshita decided with a sigh. "We had to accept it eventually." An uneasy silence fell over the bin, only broken with the sounds of birds, the wind and the rest of humanity slowly decaying one street away. "We should get going."

Ennoshita lifted up his bin, shuffling along the street with broken steps. Ennoshita kept thinking about his family, his friends. They were all out there somewhere, slowly being eaten from the inside by a parasite that cannot be stopped. If he had stayed, would they be safe? Maybe they would have tried climbing over the wall- has someone tried climbing over the wall? Ennoshita shook his head, there was no point thinking about it now. They just needed to survive each day as it comes and goes.

When they got to the store, it was locked and boarded. Not willing to give up, Kinoshita broke down, instantly abandoning the bin as Ennoshita and Narita pushed a shelf to block the entrance.

"We should hurry, the infected likely heard that," Ennoshita started to run about, using the bags they brought to gather the food.

"Ennoshita!" Narita barely warned Ennoshita in time as the knife embedded itself in the wall.

They had company.