Plague 2023 (Plague 2022 Season 2)

Episode 14

A GRIM RETURN

The air fluttered their hair as they sped down the desolate streets. This normalcy was disgusting for them. The gentle breeze, the rhythmic hum of the engine, it all felt wrong. The silence between them was heavy, laden with unspoken thoughts and shared trauma.

They didn't speak with each other. It felt strangely like a trip to Jeju Island or some other peaceful getaway, and they didn't like it one bit. The juxtaposition of their grim reality with the semblance of a normal road trip was unsettling. They didn't want to feel relieved. They had been trapped, they had been fooled. The hatred was too much to simply push aside.

Sae Joon Hyun drove silently, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel. Eunhye and Yuri sat behind him, equally silent, lost in their thoughts. They didn't even know where they were. Their eyes scanned the streets, searching for any signs, any landmarks that could tell them where they had been taken.

Then, Sae Joon Hyun saw a familiar store. His eyes widened in recognition. "We are in Seoul. We were never not in Seoul," he muttered, his voice filled with a mix of realization and anger. Every road, every corner was imprinted in his mind. Seoul was his home. He couldn't forget it even if he wanted to.

Yuri and Eunhye looked around, recognizing the streets as well. Relief mixed with their anger. They weren't held far away. They had been deceived in their own city.

Sae Joon Hyun drove with renewed purpose, navigating the streets with ease. It took him a while, but he finally reached the road to the base. The familiar landmarks, the turns, everything fell into place. They were getting closer.

Finally, they reached the underbridge base. The sight of it brought a wave of memories and emotions. Eunhye and Yuri hopped out of the van, their eyes scanning for any signs of danger. Surprisingly, there were no zombies in sight.

Sae Joon Hyun drove the Jeep into the base, and Eunhye and Yuri followed. The metal door was thrashed, just as they remembered. The sight of the damaged entrance reminded them of the chaos that had erupted when they were last there.

Inside the base, the air was thick with silence and tension. They moved cautiously, their makeshift weapons ready. The base was a shadow of its former self, but it was still their refuge.

The three of them looked around, their eyes moving over the remnants of their once-safe haven. They checked every corner, every nook, their senses heightened by the fear of what might still be lurking. The familiar layout brought back memories, both good and bad.Eunhye gestured toward a trapdoor in the floor. "Let's check the basement," she said quietly. They nodded in agreement, knowing they couldn't leave any place unexplored.

As they descended into the basement, Yuri couldn't help but recall the last time she had been down there. The memory was vivid, filled with terror and confusion. She remembered how she and some of the others had been kidnapped by the crazy man with the zombie cages. His eyes had been wild, his intentions dark and twisted. They had fought to escape, the fear of being used as bait for the zombies driving them to desperate measures.

The basement was dark and musty, the air thick with the scent of decay. They moved cautiously, their eyes adjusting to the dim light. Some empty cages were still there, a haunting reminder of their captivity. They checked every inch of the space, ensuring there were no hidden threats.Satisfied that the basement was clear, they climbed back up to the main floor. The weight of their memories pressed heavily upon them. They sat on the floor, their backs against the cold, hard walls. The silence was broken only by the sound of their breathing, each of them lost in their own thoughts.

There was no way to check the time, but Sae Joon Hyun could tell it was past four in the afternoon. The sun's angle and the long shadows it cast across the ruins of the city gave him a rough estimate. They had already left the ominous building behind. Now, all they had to do was find their missing friends and hunt down the woman who had brought hell upon them.

"Okay, listen," Sae Joon Hyun began, breaking the heavy silence. "We have many things we need answers for. But we must remember that the world is still overrun by zombies. We can't only focus on the woman and forget that our lives are in danger here as well."

"We are used to fighting zombies, Joon-ah," Yuri responded, her voice steady but tinged with frustration. "But we are not used to being trapped by our own kind in cells."

"I know it is hard, Yuri Seonsangnim. But right now all we can do is defend ourselves. I mean, where do we even find answers? We left that place because it terrifies us. We are finally free from the clutches of whoever they were. I think we should be happy about that... and... let it go..." Sae Joon Hyun said, his voice trailing off.

"What? Are you serious? Don't you want to save the rest of our friends?" Yuri snapped at him, her eyes blazing with anger. Eunhye sat silently, listening as the conversation unfolded into an argument.

"Do you think they can be saved?" Sae Joon Hyun retorted. "Their bodies were twisted and weird. They had this bloodthirsty aura about them. They are zombies now, Yuri—"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP, SAE JOON HYUN! THEY ARE NOT ZOMBIES, OKAY? THEY ARE NOT!!"

"YOU CAN'T BE IN DENIAL FOREVER, YURI SEONSANGNIM! THEY ARE NOT HUMAN ANYMORE—"

"HOW CAN YOU BE SO HEARTLESS, SAE JOON HYUN?!"

"HEARTLESS? I'M BEING LOGICAL HERE! WHAT'S THE POINT OF GOING BACK THERE WHEN WE KNOW THEY ARE BEYOND SAVING?"

"YOU—" Before Yuri could speak, a sudden snarl broke their argument. Eunhye stood up immediately, her senses on high alert, and turned to look towards the entry of the base that was doorless as it was. Their loud, echoing voices in the empty base had attracted some of the undead. Their drool and snarl, bloodshot eyes and twisted bodies were all too familiar. They sighed together.

"I guess this argument can wait?" Eunhye asked, glancing at the two simultaneously. They nodded bitterly.