Mutation

Chapter 10: Beyond the Gates: The Dark Descent

Outside the community gates, a throng of zombies piled up, their rotting bodies slamming against the heavy metal door, driven by an insatiable hunger for flesh. I could hear their frenzied growls echoing in the night, a haunting reminder of the chaos that had become our reality.

From somewhere below, a man’s voice cut through the tension, “Get lost! Get the hell away! If you come any closer, I’ll take you all on!” His bravado only seemed to spur the zombies on, their relentless assault growing louder and more desperate.

I quickly dialed the property management office. “Please, inform the residents to remain calm. If we stay inside, they can’t get in,” I urged, my heart racing. There was no response from the man outside, but the crashing continued until, at last, the undead lost interest and turned their attention to a few unfortunate souls darting through the streets.

For now, the immediate threat had passed, but I knew it was only a matter of time before it returned. Many in the complex had likely stocked little in the way of supplies, and desperation would drive them out into the streets, risking everything for food. Not to mention those families with members still outside, who would undoubtedly be tempted to seek them out.

This was precisely why I had refused to join the residents’ group chats. With my stash of supplies, I’d become a target if anyone discovered what I had. I couldn’t afford to put my mother or myself at risk.

The days dragged on like this, with the streets devoid of life except for the shambling corpses roaming aimlessly. Each day, the zombies would hurl themselves against our gates, the relentless thud-thud-thud of their bodies making my skin crawl. Across the way, the Liang family was facing their own horrors. One night, I watched in horror as a family of three from a high floor succumbed to the undead and leapt from the building, their screams chillingly cut short as their bodies hit the pavement.

The zombies swarmed over the bloody remains, quickly animating them into a grotesque dance of death.

Meanwhile, the Liang family remained miraculously alive, cooking instant noodles and frying eggs in a semblance of normalcy, though their shouts—particularly from the overly dramatic Luo Lili—echoed through the halls, grating on my nerves.

“Mom! You only bought this much food? It’ll barely last us a few days!” Liang Zhiyong complained, staring at their empty pantry.

Luo Lili chimed in, “Yeah, Auntie! Look at everyone else; they’re hauling in bags of rice!”

I couldn’t help but chuckle from my spot behind the screen. Did they really expect the elegant Liang matriarch, who’d always had a staff to manage her needs, to carry fifty-pound bags of rice?

The ensuing argument was predictably comical. “If you’re so capable, why don’t you go buy it yourself?” Liang’s mother shot back, her patience wearing thin.

Luo Lili pouted, “I never said that! You’re overreacting, Zhiyong!”

The next day, aside from a glass of milk for the toddler, they had nothing left to eat. Luo Lili paced anxiously around the apartment before making a covert phone call in the bedroom.

By the afternoon, she slipped out of their apartment, and I grabbed my binoculars, tracking her to the twenty-second floor where she had been renting.

Moments later, a stocky man on a motorcycle roared into the complex, heading straight for her apartment. My curiosity piqued; I maneuvered my drone closer, peering through the window to capture the scene.

“Lili, I risked everything to bring you food! Aren’t you going to let me see Maomao?” he insisted.

“We’re divorced! The kid stays with me!” she shot back, defiant.

“B*tch, are you bringing him or not?” he demanded, grabbing her by the hair.

“Do you think I want him to have a loser for a father?” she screamed, struggling against him.

What they didn’t realize was that their loud argument had drawn the attention of a solitary zombie lurking in the hallway. It lurched toward them, a grotesque shadow in the dim light.

Luo Lili caught a glimpse of the approaching horror just as the man turned away. With a burst of adrenaline, she shoved him toward the zombie, instinctively pushing him into the path of danger as she made her escape.

“Lili, wait!” he shouted, but it was too late.

I could hardly believe my eyes as the zombie lunged at him, teeth bared, ready to consume. The chaotic scene played out like a macabre play, showcasing the depths of human desperation and instinct.

As I pulled back, heart racing, I couldn’t shake the feeling that their fate was a mirror of our own; the struggle to survive, the choices we make in times of crisis, and the haunting reality that each decision could lead to salvation or doom.

With the world outside crumbling, I returned to my refuge, grappling with the reality of survival, the weight of my own supplies, and the looming question of how long we could endure this nightmare. Would we, too, be forced to confront the monstrous echoes of our own humanity?