SHOOT 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘬

o12

Frozen in place, I couldn't find myself moving at all, my body was paralyzed in its place.

The girl before me looked gaunt in appearance and aghast as her gun had not even been steadied properly in its aim, at that moment, I could not fathom on what could be done to prevent her from shooting me. To call Changkyun and Hoseok? But that would be even more alarming and could cause a reaction.

I look directly at her, into her eyes, and they border on panic as tears are incessant when running, even having the dried blood rush in rivulets.  Does she think I'm a zombie?

Not knowing what else to do, my hands come back to my head, the moistness within my mouth and throat is gone and remaining dry whilst my eyes intensely focus on the girl who as I gingerly start to place my bag down to floor. A the darkness within the gun mouth is what captivated me at that time briefly, as I peer at it, the black within its inside seemed endless.

My bag is finally settled to the ground and when raising my eyes to meet the girl's, I try to speak up. "Please, put the gun down." She is hardly breathing it looked like, as I steady myself up. "I'm... I wasn't bitten."

Attempting to take a step forward, testing the waters, even then, she doesn't lower the gun nor does the girl move from her place. "It's okay, I'm here with a group."

"Don't move."

The gun in her hands is now frozen into a position, and I can't find myself breathing because it is exactly aimed at my head.

"... Changkyun..." I whisper, voice trembling, bordering on the want to scream. "... Hoseok."

Just then, I pick up on the sound of hustling behind me. Just like before, I turn to look over my shoulder quickly to scan what had been behind me and only to locks eyes with hollow, lifeless and frozen ones.

Its face is up so close to mine, I can't help but to lose all my physical strength and almost by some inner instinct, the back of my hand swung up and met its pale green face, feeling the coldness the skin held and how it missed a human feeling to it.

The zombie falls to one of the standing shelves and ducking down, I pick my bag, muffling my own scream when hearing the gun shooting out. Only after two shots, do I snap my head up and not wasting anymore time, I run toward the girl who still looked as horrified as I remember looking when having faced her.

Letting our bodies collide whilst I grip the doorknob in my hand and pulling it along to shut it, we fall to the ground with a thud! and mixed grunts. It takes a while, we lay there on the ground as my heart starts to come back to life, fiercely and my strength also starts to rush into my body. Raising my body from hers, the girl beneath me is still crying and its only her sobs that resonate in mind whilst only faintly, do I hear footsteps running towards us.

"Lisa!" I heard Changkyun call out and at the same momentum, Hoseok had been the one to yank me up and away from the girl. His gun was aimed at her as he took steps back and Changkyun had done the same, both of them looking alarmed but only Hoseok looking stolid as he stared at the female. "Are you alright?" I heard the latter ask as my thoughts are panicking that he will shoot the one who'd just saved my life.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," I almost plead as my hands reach for his arms, but I'm failing attempts on pulling it down. "I'm fine! Don't shoot at her, she just saved my life!"

    My words earned a prudent glance from Changkyun before he looks back at the frozen female on the floor, "she saved your life? From that zombie?"

"She was the one who shot it down — please, Changkyun, don't shoot." My voice is diffident, and I feel faint as I speak and stand there, my hands still grasping onto the material Hoseok's arm that was still anchored to the air. Silence trailed by if it hadn't been for the trembling gasp that left the panicking girl on the floor and my own when hearing the trigger of Hoseok's gun, until I blew out into another cry. "Please!" I begged and turned to Changkyun.

"Hyung!"

It was near an instant that the boy across from us lowered his gun and only kept his hand raised instead, a judicious expression taking over and it seemed to have an effect on the latter whose arm I still clung to. And slowly, he bang to lower his gun but still keeping his tense stance as I stepped away from him and almost threw myself onto the floor; and beside the girl who now cried freely as she hugged herself.

I cooed words of comfort that it would be alright, we wouldn't hurt her in any way and that it was safe with us around. Glancing up at Changkyun, I thank him with trembling lips as my arms were still thrown around the girl who then had been crying onto my shoulder with convulsive sobs. He simply smiled kindly in return before he gave signs for Hoseok and him to head inside the room we'd just walked out of.

Their feet shuffle into the room, and whilst they're still in there, I pull away from the female. "... It's okay, we'll be safe from now on." She cast me a dubious look and I continued to smile as if my strength hadn't all been gone. "What's your name?"

".... Chae... Chaeyoung."

   My smile widens with the relief of having an answer. "Mine is Lisa, and the two boys in there are Changkyun and Hoseok. I assure you they won't harm you." That's all I can say, and in a way not really assure her because I can't even be sure myself they won't harm her. Well, at least Hoseok.

   She doesn't speak back and simply looks away, still looking shaken up by the events, as much as I wished let myself look feeble in front of her — I couldn't. Not until we went back to our shelter.