The Infected ⬩ (G)I-DLE

Two

Shuhua laughed. No way Yuqi, top in the school, would believe the crap. She chuckled half-heartedly.

"Yuqi-unnie, did you drink today?" She questioned the older girl through the other line.

"Are you crazy? I'm still a minor! Shuhua-ah! Check the news!" Yuqi stammered, frantically creating rattling noises.
"Unnie..what are you doing? Why's it so loud...?"

"Packing. I'm going somewhere safe, somewhere safe to research." Yuqi stated clearly, she wasn't taking any chances to lose her life. Shuhua scrolled through the news on her small device.

"No way..." Shuhua gasped, staring at the news report. 'Angry rioters have been cannibalistic to bystanders. We think that the angry rioter 'issue' is contagious as many have been turned into one of them. They have been attacking passersby.'

"Unnie..isn't this Wikipedia?" She questioned, gesturing to the article. Not that Yuqi could see her gesticulation. She heard heavy breathing from the other line. A pause of breath. The inhale of air.

"Seriously, Shuhua. You don't trust the news but trust some random ass website for biology answers?" Yuqi sighed, tapping the phone screen. Tap. Tap. Tap. Shuhua stayed silent, she could hear quarreling outside of her room. The argument got more heated, Shuhua can hear it clearly now.

"I believe you, Yuqi-unnie. Gotta go!" She quickly ended the call before Yuqi could utter a reply.

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"Aish, what a rude girl." Yuqi muttered, remembering how Shuhua also ended the call quickly earlier. She flipped back quickly, staring at the window. She scanned the doorway, hoping there were no zombies in the dormitory building yet. Yuqi carefully cracked the door open, small enough to look through. She peered through the tiny crack, only seeing the flickering light in the hallway. Dangling, attached to the white ceiling. The lights flickered on and off forever, Yuqi knew. The bulb has burned out. She squinted her brown orbs, scanning the end of the hallway. She saw nothing, no motion, at least for now.

"Now or never." Yuqi muttered to herself. She slid her arms into the straps of the backpack, securing it in place. Yuqi looked back at the window once more. Checking, no shadow. Then, she turned back and flung the door open. Almost causing the door to fall off its rusty hinge. She ran.

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Yuqi finally made it to her white car, the other students had been giving Yuqi a side-eye when she was running from the hallways. Had they seen the attack? Yuqi turned back as she saw a limp figure slumping toward her. She quickly opened her car with the key, knowing that loud noises would attract the figure. Gosh, I'm so sorry..I should have made an announcement. But, she remembered, wouldn't that have attracted more attention? She cranked the gear, completely running over the figure.

"Sorry." She whispered to herself, crossing her fingers as they were resting on the leather steering wheel. The university started to shrink in the distance as Yuqi could see more limp figures with bloodied, tattered clothes. Her eyes glued to the road, driving toward Shuhua's home. Her best friend. She needed her anyway. Yuqi waited for the traffic lights to shine green before she took a sharp turn into Shuhua's quiet neighborhood. Too quiet.

"Where is that?" Yuqi fumbled through her glove box to find some useful weapons. She dug her hand through, pulling out wads of crumbled tissue and graded paperwork. Finally, after digging through almost all of the shambles, Yuqi raised a small bright orange pocket knife. She glared at the disturbing color, too bright. At least it works, Yuqi nodded as she dragged the button, revealing a sharp, shiny blade.
"Now," Yuqi started as she opened her backpack and pulled out books. She taped the hardcovers around her limbs, preventing bites. Yuqi looked back, toward the rear seats, glad when she saw a motorcycle helmet. So glad she forgot to drop it back at home. Yuqi wiggled the heavy plaster onto her head. She tried to be soundless as she opened the car door and crept near Shuhua's front door. She knocked once, twice, waiting for a reply. The light knocks echoed back to her.

"Shuhua! Yeh Shuhua!" She called quietly, placing her hand on the cold knob. The knob twisted, revealing a messy hallway. Yuqi gasped, pointing the blade toward the front. She advanced forward, shocked. Decorations were clattered on the floor, plants spilled their rich, nutritious soil. Yuqi could see blood on the floor. No, NO! Yuqi quickened her pace, moving past rooms. She reached the kitchen and could see two people in tattered clothing, a body near the floor. The figures and body all have crimson liquid on their clothing, near limbs, a fresh wound. A bite mark no less..

"Please," A voice sobbed near the corner of the counters. Yuqi calculated the distance, wielding her blade closer. The blade glistened as she charged for one of the zombies. Blood sprayed Shuhua's cowering body as Yuqi nailed the masculine figure, perhaps Shuhua's father, on its head. She couldn't recognize the figure, maybe it was Shuhua's father. The other figure, a woman, snarled and snarled. When the woman came closer, Yuqi could see her charcoal pupils. It widened, revealing veins circling around it. Yuqi twisted her knife, thrusting it toward the woman's face–Shuhua's mother. But she was faster, Yuqi was tackled down onto the floor.

"UGH!" She screamed as she continuously stabbed the woman's face, trying to prevent her from biting Yuqi. Her back could feel the sharp pain. Harsh landing. Yuqi decided. The woman dipped her head close, snarling and spitting bloody saliva. Yuqi panicked as the woman's head fell forward. Her blood spilling on Yuqi's clean pastel sweater. She tossed the body off her.

"I'm.." Shuhua stood there, shaking. She dropped the kitchen knife onto the tiles. The tiles were now dyed with mahogany substance. Yuqi stood up, snatching Shuhua's wrist. She dragged Shuhua, but only felt her standing in one place.

"We have to go, Shuhua." She suggested, glad Shuhua recognized her deep voice.

"I should have trusted you, Yuqi." Shuhua let a tear drop, mixing with the blood.

"C'mon, we could have been bitten." Yuqi opened the refrigerator and cupboards, taking out its contents and placing it into her backpack. "Get a bag or something, we need food. Oh, and also get all the knives or anything sharp," ordered Yuqi. She turned back and started to put more canned food into her bag, the pile growing taller.

"Ok.." Shuhua murmured, shuddering as she looked at her bare hands. She quickly left to get a bag and the supplies Yuqi mentioned.

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"Alright." Yuqi sighed, glad there were no other zombies in Shuhua's home as they both exited through the wide door. She gestured toward the passenger door and Shuhua entered. Shuhua placed her belongings and their resources on the rear seats. Yuqi patted the trunk as she slammed it close. She re-entered the driver's seat and pressed the brakes. They were halfway through the road toward Yuqi's safezone. Not for long.

"Ugh, lousy traffic." Yuqi complained, changing directions and moving toward the smaller roads. She looked at Shuhua, who was fidgeting with her fingers nervously. Staring at the hands that killed her mother–her infected mother. Shuhua looked up, slowly. Her dull expression was filled with worry fast.

"UNNIE! LOOK OUT!" She shouted, pointing to the front. Yuqi turned her head, realizing that they were about to hit a girl.

"AIAH!" Yuqi spun the steering wheel and slammed on the brakes hard, she looked at the girl. The girl was unharmed and glared at her. She flicked the cigar in her mouth and blew the air out. Yuqi lowered the window, smelling the cherry-flavored air.

"Are you oka–?" Shuhua pushed Yuqi out of the way.

"Seo Soojin?"