Chapter 2 : Survival Instinct or Selfishness?
1024 Words
Eli woke up in his bed. It was a sunny day.
He walked downstairs and saw his biological father standing alone.
Eli: “Good morning, Dad. Did you sleep well?”
No answer.
Eli: “Dad? Are you okay?”
Suddenly, his father turned around and screamed in rage.
Father (in the nightmare):
“IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!
IF YOU HAD JUST KEPT YOUR MOUTH SHUT, NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED!”
"SELFISH!"
"TRAITOR!"
"TRAITOR!!!"
Shocked, Eli collapsed to the ground — then woke up.
It was just a nightmare...
He and Min-Ji were lying on the shore.
Their bodies were scraped and bruised, clothes soaked. The waves lapped quietly behind them.
Eli jolted upright.
Eli: “Min-Ji! Are you okay? Are you hurt? We can’t stay here — we need to find Jun-Ho and Soo-Jin!”
Min-Ji (scared): “Eli… I’m scared. What’s happening? Why are people attacking each other? I hope Jun-Ho and Soo-Jin are okay…”
Eli: “I hope so too…”
He grabbed his phone.
Eli: “Let me try calling them... Damn. It’s dead. Completely soaked.”
He looked around at the empty beach.
Eli: “At least it’s quiet here. We were lucky… Come on. We have to move.”
They walked along the coastline.
Smoke rose in the distance. Buildings were on fire. The screams were constant.
Eli: “Oh my god… All of this in just two hours? What the hell is going on?”
Min-Ji: “Eli, look out!!”
A man, maybe in his 30s, stumbled toward them.
Man: “Wait — please! I’m not infected! I swear, I’m still me!”
Eli grabbed Min-Ji’s hand, ready to run.
Eli: “You scared us…”
He noticed the gun at the man’s hip.
Eli: “Okay, talk. What’s going on?”
Man: “A virus. It’s spreading like wildfire. Seoul’s falling apart.”
Eli: “You sure you’re not infected?”
Man: “I swear. There’s a survivor camp… but it’s far. The city’s lost already. The camp is in… Chuncheon.”
Eli: “Chuncheon?! That’s so far…”
Min-Ji broke down and cried.
Eli knelt beside her.
Eli: “Hey… don’t cry. We’ll reach the camp. You and me — remember? I promised to protect you.”
He hugged her.
The man looked at them — silent for a moment.
Man: “Do you know where your parents are?”
Min-Ji: “Our foster parents… maybe they’re still at home. We want to check. It’s only twenty minutes away.”
Eli (serious): “It won’t be easy. Seoul’s crawling with infected…”
Man: “I can help. I have a car. But it’s in the parking garage. We’ll have to get there first.”
Eli (eyeing the gun): “Your gun might help.”
Man: “Don’t worry. I’m not here to hurt anyone. I promise.”
Min-Ji: “If you say so…”
Eli: “What’s your name?”
Man: “Tae-Woo. And you?”
Eli: “I’m Eli. She’s my little sister, Min-Ji.”
Tae-Woo: “Nice to meet you both. Come on. My car’s not far.”
He reached into his pocket.
Tae-Woo: “Here. Take this knife. Just in case you need to defend yourselves.”
Eli hesitated, then took it — trying to hide how afraid he was.
They moved slowly, carefully.
Tension and fear hung over them like fog.
But they kept going — determined.
Tae-Woo: “Almost there… Be careful. There might be infected nearby.”
Eli: “Min-Ji, hold my hand.”
Min-Ji: “I’m with you, Eli.”
They entered the dark, half-destroyed parking structure.
It was freezing, and deadly quiet.
Their footsteps echoed like gunshots.
Suddenly, a woman screamed.
They all froze. Shocked. Hidden in the shadows.
A woman was being chased by three infected.
She wasn’t bitten yet.
Min-Ji (panicked): “We have to help her! She’s not infected! It’s only three of them — we can save her! Please!!”
Min-Ji started to run toward her — but Eli grabbed her arm.
A cold silence fell.
Min-Ji stared at her brother, shocked, confused.
Before she could speak, Tae-Woo stepped in.
Tae-Woo (firm): “No. We can’t. My car’s just ahead. If we try to save her, we’ll attract even more. This is our only chance. We have to go.”
Eli (quietly): “…He’s right.”
Eli: “Come on, Min-Ji. Let’s go.”
Min-Ji’s eyes filled with tears as she followed them, broken-hearted.
They reached the car.
Tae-Woo started the engine.
A chilling silence filled the car.
None of them spoke.
They exited the garage.
Outside, the city was a nightmare.
Screams. Fire. The infected running wild.
Tae-Woo: “This is your neighborhood, right?”
Min-Ji: “Yes…”
Eli: “Thanks for everything. Without you, we would’ve never made it.
We have food at home. I just hope our foster parents are there…”
Tae-Woo nodded.
They arrived.
Eli and Min-Ji ran to the door, desperate.
Min-Ji (shouting): “Jun-Ho! Soo-Jin! Are you here?! Someone?!”
Eli stood still behind her, his expression hollow.
Eli: “Min-Ji… they’re not here.”
Min-Ji broke down in tears.
Eli pulled her into his arms.
Min-Ji: “Why… Why aren’t they here…?”
Eli: “I don’t know. Maybe… maybe they went to the survivor camp too. Let’s hope they’re safe.”
They hugged tightly.
Tae-Woo stood nearby, watching silently.
Eli: “We should stay here tonight. It’s too dangerous to go back out.”
Tae-Woo: “Yeah. But first, we need to barricade everything. Just in case.”
The three of them worked together.
Barricading windows. Locking doors. Securing the house.
Night fell.
Eli and Min-Ji lay in bed together.
Eli: “Hey, Min-Ji… are you asleep?”
No answer.
Eli: “You must be. Alright… I’m just going to get some water.”
He stepped out of bed quietly.
Min-Ji opened her eyes — she hadn’t been sleeping.
Eli walked down the stairs…
Then — a sudden, deafening gunshot.
He ran down.
Stopped dead in his tracks.
His eyes widened in horror.
To be continued..
- Writer
