Outbreak | Yoonseok

two

Two

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Home. He needed to get home.

He needed to get home, and fast. He wasn't sure if he could keep going like this. He was exhausted. But he needed to get home. Fast.

Home was safe. Nothing could possibly hurt him there.

Not yet.

Home was not safe as he haphazardly stumbled through the front door, calling out for his family — his mum, his dad, his sister. He needed to know they were safe from all the madness taking place outside. He wondered if he should switch on the news, see how bad it really was. Or maybe the world had yet to descend into madness. Maybe things would be okay. But first his family. If they were okay, then everything else would be okay too.

Home was not safe as he tripped over his father's lifeless body. He let out a horrifying cry as he stumbled backwards, landing against the tile floor with a heavy thud. He choked, staring down at the thing that had once been his father. He too, looked like Lee, but not as grotesque; almost as if the process had been interrupted before it could do more harm. Judging by the plethora of murky blue ooze that was spilling out of his father's chest cavity, caused by the rather large knife that was resting not too far away, that's exactly what had happened.

Home was not safe as he sat and cried over his father's body, stupid enough to risk the possibility of being bitten or attacked if his father was not actually dead dead, begging through his sobs for him to wake up; to 'pretty please dad wake up, wake up!'. But it was no use. His father was gone, the only thing remaining was a shell of who he once was, lying in a pool of his own blood.

Home was not safe for Hoseok as he scooped the knife off the ground, gripping it tightly in his hands to the point that his knuckles had begun to turn white. He bolted up the stairs, ready to fight anything that came near him. He had to find his mother, and his sister. It didn't take him long to find them, huddled up in his parents room. They were tucked away in the corner, with his mother cradling his younger sister in his arms. She seemed to be conscious enough, smiling pitifully up at Hoseok when she saw him standing there, but was beginning to appear more and more like their Father. Like Lee. He could see the fear in both their eyes as he stood there stupidly, his own eyes widening as the panic began to set in. Things were not okay.

His mother gently propped his sister up against the wall, and scrambled towards him. Hoseok stumbled back in fear, afraid that she was already gone, but she wasn't. She was still his mother as she gripped his arm and pushed him towards the closet, pulling out a decently sized backpack. She whispered to him in a hushed voice to go and pack only a few items - some canned food and a canopener, matches, a sweater, a map even. He did so with shaking hands, running around his house in search of these items. When he had found everything, he returned to his mother, ready to leave with her. But when he found her still standing there, with nothing in her hands, the panic once more began to sink in.

"Mum?"

"You have to go now," she told him, pushing him back out the door.

"B-But mum, what about you,"

"Forget about me Hoseok, you need to leave, now!"

"Come with me," he begged. He didn't want to be alone. "Mum please,"

"Hobi, I can't leave her, she needs me,"

"I need you too," he whimpered. "You can't leave me,"