Dead Land: A Zombie Apocalyptic Fiction(JeongTae SS)

Chapter 13

Chapter 12

The sound of a crash jolted me awake from my light sleep. I was in the same corner, sprawled out on the ground, away from the others in the room. My hand had been wiped clean; it was free of the flesh and blood of the infected that I had previously attacked. It appears clean, as if I had not viciously attacked anyone. But I know I did it, in the most cruel way possible. 

I heard another crash and looked around the room. I can not tell if it is night or not because of the shielding cover, but the clock in the room reads 2.35 a.m. How long did I sleep then?

Anyway, returning to the room, I see a mess, a large mess. The child I previously saved has turned into a monster. He was bound to the chair, the saloon's only chair. And it continued to shake when the child moved aggressively. The mother and father sat in front of him, sobbing and crying. Others sat aside, unsure what to do. Their expressions were filled with fear and agony. This young child will die as a result of this fatal disease, for which there is no cure. A child having to die before their parents is every parent's worst nightmare. I can feel my eyes welling up with tears, unknowingly. That is how I would react if something happened to my child, my brother.

Yeontan sensed my awakening and hopped over to me. 

“Good boy” My voice came out raspy. 
Most likely because I just awoke or because my throat is now clogged with a lump of tears.

How come he is not barking in response to the infected child's aggressive movements? Maybe he understood, perhaps more so than humans.
I cradled him in my arms and caressed him. By this point, I could feel other people's eyes on me. Then I felt someone approach and sit next to me. I looked up and noticed Kookie. He leaned against my shoulder, closing his eyes and ears.

I looked at Dahyun, who was sitting opposite me, and Taehyung, who was staring at nothing in particular. She appeared paler than before. With a sinking feeling, I knew what was going to happen, but I could not accept it.

The chair creaked as the child moved more. I tried not to notice it and ignored it as if it did not exist at all. As if the child was not present, and as if the mother and father did not look at me as if I were about to kill them.

I looked around for the two troublemakers who had remained silent up until now. Oh, they were seated beside Kookie. They appear to have become overly attached to him. I motioned for them to come to my vision in the center, and they complied. Jimin, who was sitting and cautiously looking at the kid, also moved to the side. It has now formed a circle, which is ideal for a lengthy discussion. 

"Will you start speaking or...?" I left the sentence open for them to imagine whatever they wanted. 

And thus they began. 

"What we said about ourselves is true; I am an office worker, specifically a translator; I do the desk job, and he is a college student." Namjoon began just as I expected. This Yoongi appears to be slightly introverted. 

"We met after his college became a refugee camp. Yoongi has a brother in high school. His name is Min Junki. Completely different from this guy over here." He gestured towards Yoongi. That is brand new information. 

I looked at Yoongi, and he looked defeated. His fresh wound has been bandaged once more. 

I focused my attention back on Namjoon. 

"When I arrived as a refugee, I had no idea whether my parents were still alive or not. The little boy gave me comfort. They have no parents because theirs died when they were young. But the boy was very positive despite the negativity around him." Namjoon chuckled, as if recalling the events. 

“Then a bunch of people showed up, claiming to be the world's next leaders. They were merciless; those who did not follow their rules were executed without hesitation. Yoongi was extremely rebellious; he could not stop cursing and provoking them. Well, I would have done the same thing if I had the courage.

"The guy you killed, Soojin, he deserved it. When he first arrived at the camp, he pretended to be a good Samaritan, convincing people to believe him before tricking them into death. He treated it like a game. Yoongi became enraged and raised his voice against him. He took Yoongi's brother as a hostage. That is when the infected invaded the area. We really thought it was a good thing and that we would be safe, but they took his brother with them. Yoongi followed, and so did I. We went with them to this large area where there are so many people, and none of them are good. We attempted to flee, but they always caught up with us. They eventually agreed to a deal. If we find something significant for them, they will allow us to leave. We kept looking and looking. We were attacked on the way, and it was then that we noticed the house, which was clean and neat. When Jungkook saw us, he was kind enough to take us in. We did not want to do it, but it was for the sake of the brother..." He choked on his own words. 

It is truly unfortunate. A person held hostage by the monsters known as humans. Very, very bad. Nobody said anything. 

"Where is the base?" I heard Kookie inquire. 

Namjoon lifted his head, tears in his eyes. 

"They established their base in Wausan Athletic Park."

"That is close to this street," Jimin exclaimed. I exhaled. Surprisingly, it will only take five or ten minutes. 

It feels like I needed to delve into something else. 

"If this is a trap, I will kill you mercilessly," I told the two and carefully placed Yeontan on the ground. 

"Where're you going?" Jimin inquired as I stood up. 

"We are already neck-deep in the water. Let's take a dip and shower,” I announced. 

Jimin got up right away, possibly because he wanted to do the same thing. Taehyung attempted to rise without saying anything, but I stopped him. 

"You stay here; it is best if you stay here," I said, looking at Dahyun and his family. 

"You should stay here as well," I told Kookie, who was about to join me. 

"And you get up," I told Namjoon, who happily got up. 

So it is decided that Jimin, Namjoon, and I will go find the little brother who is stuck in the base. I hope he is still alive.

________

💚💜