Apocalypse Awakening

In Sean's small room, the only sound was his mother cleaning outside, the sweeping sound of the broom on the floor, accompanied by her continuous nagging. Her voice was just loud enough for Sean, curled up in his bedroom, to hear but not loud enough to bother the neighbors. “You’re grown up, yet all you do is play games all day!” “Such a mess in this room, utterly useless!” “Just like your heartless father...” “Living in your own world, accomplishing nothing!” Sean curled up, hands over his ears, his body involuntarily trembling. He couldn't remember when this life began, only feeling an excruciating headache as if someone was torturing his brain. Four years ago, this severe headache and dizziness started, distorting his world, stretching and deforming everything. His heartbeat was like the sound of a drum, each beat seeming to last an eternity. In these moments, his thoughts were like shattered mirrors, reflecting a complex array of light, hard to focus. He tried to accept and control it, but clearly, his family could no longer accept him. Suddenly, a faint vibration of his phone broke the silence, slightly bringing Sean back to reality. “Don’t forget the reunion, Meadow Hotel, second floor private room.” The message was from John, a high school classmate. Sean hadn’t contacted his old classmates for a long time. In these four years, he barely left the house. But this message made him decide to go out, even just having had a headache. He yearned to escape, even if only temporarily. “Not staying at home properly, where do you want to go now?” “Go ahead, leave!” “If you dare not to come back, then never return!” Sean hurriedly grabbed a hoodie and rushed out the door, his mother’s angry shouts intensifying as he left. Every action of Sean seemed to trigger her rage. “Chop chop chop…” In the kitchen, his mother was furiously chopping some unidentified meat, her eyes glaring menacingly at Sean as if she would turn the knife on him next. Chilled by her gaze, Sean quickly fled the house. Night had fallen, and the narrow streets were unlit. Escaping the sound of chopping, Sean still felt as if something was watching him, like a massive creature lurking in the shadows. “Grrr…” The neighbor's fierce dogs growled threateningly, their chains stretched taut, creaking under the strain. Their red eyes fixated on Sean, drool dripping from their fangs. Sean walked close to the walls, suddenly hearing the eerie melody of an old record player from above. An invisible tension quickened his pace, only to be drawn by the grating sound of a saw. Through a grimy window, he saw a tall butcher working with a chainsaw. “Swoosh!” The butcher and his ‘work’ suddenly turned to look at Sean. Filled with terror, Sean stumbled back and started to run, not stopping until he reached the lit street, gasping for air. He looked up at the busy street, neon lights surging like lava, the honking of cars like roaring steel beasts. The searchlights on the rooftops tried to illuminate the night but couldn’t reach the dark corners of the city. The newspapers on the ground spoke of serial killers and bombings, their black and white text blending with the city's aura. “Have I been indoors too long?” Sean inhaled the cold, damp air, forcing himself to calm down. Looking up at the unfamiliar city, he felt an unexplained oppression. Despite this, he wrapped his coat tighter and slowly made his way to the reunion. As Sean entered the private room, a wave of familiar voices greeted him. “Sean’s here?” “Today’s gathering is really something, bringing out Sean, who hasn't stepped out in years, and Layla, who hasn’t contacted any classmates for so long…” “It’s a big deal to get Sean out of his house…” Inside the room, the smiling faces of his classmates brought Sean back to the sunny days of four years ago. These smiles overlapped with the vibrant faces from his memories, offering him a moment of tranquility. Over these four years, they had all graduated from college and started new chapters in their lives. But Sean's life had been stagnant due to severe headaches, as if he had been caged. Despite feeling somewhat alienated, Sean was genuinely happy – this felt normal, these were normal friends. “What are you guys talking about?” Suddenly, a cheerful voice interrupted the conversation. A stylishly dressed girl entered the room. Her tall figure and delicate features immediately drew everyone's attention. The classmates' faces lit up with new smiles as they asked, “Nothing much, Layla. Are you planning to stay this time?” Layla was undoubtedly the center of attention at the reunion, recognized by everyone as the most beautiful girl. In Sean's memory, she was always the radiant girl from high school, not only beautiful but also academically brilliant and athletically talented. She possessed an indescribable aura of mystery. Rumor had it she was from a prominent family in a major northern city and had transferred to their school under special circumstances, only to leave after a semester. “I’ll be here for a while,” Layla responded with a smile, though she was unsure for how long. She always had this demeanor that was approachable yet distant, inadvertently becoming the focus of everyone’s attention. “She seems different from others…” Sean didn’t know when he started feeling attracted to Layla. It wasn’t just her beauty, but something real and indescribable about her. Only when looking at her did his unrealistic dizziness and tension seem to fade away. Perhaps the previous discomfort and panic were just side effects of his headache, just over-anxiousness on his part. “Sean, what are you looking at?” Suddenly, a cold voice snapped Sean back to reality. He looked up to see John staring at him with a sinister gaze, a forced smile on his lips but a chilling light in his eyes. Another classmate, gripping a dinner knife, was repeatedly stabbing meat on his plate while staring intently at Sean. Suddenly, someone pulled a chair harshly, creating a jarring noise, then leaned back nonchalantly, giving Sean a mocking smile. At that moment, Sean felt as if he had become the target of everyone’s hostility. His heart started to beat uncontrollably, slower and slower, his nerves tensing, and cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. The dizzy sensation returned, making everything around him seem unreal. He could almost feel these people about to violently attack him with their knives. “They all want to harm me…” The thought shocked Sean himself. He got up in a panic, “I’m going to the restroom!” and fled the room, feeling the cold stares on his back. “What’s wrong with me?” Splashing cold water on his face, Sean closed his eyes in anguish. Whether it was his mother at home, passersby on the street, or even his familiar classmates, they all seemed to harbor a deadly animosity towards him at times. Was he really sick? His headaches, which started four years ago, had twisted his world. He thought he was getting better after secluding himself for four years, but were his symptoms actually worsening? While Sean was wrestling with pain and confusion, a calm voice interrupted his thoughts. “How long have you been awake?” Startled, Sean turned around to find Layla, who had quietly appeared behind him. She leaned against the wall, a slim cigarette between her fingers, her gaze indifferent yet fixed on him. “I…” Sean hesitated, about to explain his earlier comment about going to the restroom. But Layla cut him off, “I’m asking how long you’ve been awake, and why you’ve attracted so much hatred?” “Hatred?” Sean was even more baffled, looking at Layla with a puzzled expression. “Haven’t you noticed?” Layla's voice carried a hint of mystery, the smoke tinged with a faint mint scent. “This city is a façade... We are surrounded by malevolent spirits…”