3:Chased by zombies
2062 Words
Bark and the remaining members of his group were down to just five, some of whom were already injured, their fates uncertain.
After narrowly escaping death, they gazed up at the man who had just saved them.
He had a stern expression, clad in camouflage, with a submachine gun slung across his chest. An aura of danger surrounded him, making it clear he was not to be trifled with.
His armored vehicle looked capable of carrying a large amount of supplies, and most importantly, he had a gun!
In this day and age, possessing firearms and resources made one a king. If this man could serve as their protector, they wouldn’t have to worry about survival anymore!
Bark quickly suppressed his earlier arrogance, approaching with a conciliatory smile. “Thank you so much for saving us! Are you military?”
Abraham remembered that the hospital stored many medical supplies. After gathering weapons over the past few days, he had come to collect medication.
When the apocalypse struck, he had been in prison, and the first thing he did upon his release was look for his brother, Nicholas.
Nicholas was his only family left.
But there were no survivors at the school, and New York was vast; he didn’t know where to begin searching.
However, stockpiling supplies was always wise. Without food and resources, they would soon be devoured by zombies.
In the past three days, he had saved others, but this was the first time he had to use his firearm; the sheer number of zombies surrounding the hospital was overwhelming.
Though he had faced many threats in his life, recalling his days as a special forces soldier, he could only maintain a cold demeanor in the face of these ordinary civilians’ pleas. “I’m sorry, but I’m not.”
His words hung heavily in the air, leaving the group to ponder their next move in a world where trust was a rare commodity.
Bark realized that the man wasn’t planning to take them along, but he still pleaded, “We’re all students from New York University. After the incident, we banded together. We may not have guns, but we won’t slow you down. Please, take us with you!”
The others quickly gathered around Abraham, treating him as their new leader.
Abraham narrowed his eyes. “You’re all from New York University? Physics students, are you all at the school?”
As soon as they heard the question, they chimed in, “Classes should be in session, so yes, they’re probably there!”
“Not quite. There are a few teams from the physics department that were supposed to head to the Pacific for a research project! I heard my professor mention it a few days ago! The funding was all from the government!”
“Right! I heard about that too. It was a top-secret project; we didn’t know the specifics.”
Listening to them, Abraham felt a slight relief wash over him. Before he returned to the U.S., he had spoken with Nicholas, who had mentioned the project. In this apocalypse, if he couldn’t find him in New York, it was possible he had gone to the Pacific.
Without saying a word, Abraham retrieved several guns and some ammunition from the back seat of the armored vehicle and handed them to Bark. “I’m sorry; I have someone I need to find, and I can’t take you with me. Take these.”
Bark was distraught. Watching the man casually pull out firearms made it clear he had more weapons at his disposal. He wasn’t satisfied with just a few!
Meanwhile, Emilia lay on the ground, drooling in boredom.
Were these people ever going to leave? If they didn’t hurry, the zombies would be upon them again.
There was a delicious corpse lying nearby, and not being able to eat it was maddening!
As expected, Abraham refused Bark again. “You should go.”
With that, he closed the vehicle door and started the engine, driving back toward the hospital.
Emilia’s heart raced with a mix of frustration and hunger, a desperate longing for the blood she could almost taste. Would she ever get a chance to feast?
Emilia kept her eyes wide open, watching as the vehicle's tires rolled past, splashing a mixture of blood and water all around.
Abraham glanced down as he drove, and the first thing that caught his eye was the white coat Emilia wore.
He surmised that she must have been a doctor at the hospital; in this apocalyptic world, medical professionals were among the rarest of resources.
Those bitten by zombies would quickly turn, and he couldn't help but wonder when a vaccine would ever be developed.
As he drove further into the hospital, Emilia overheard a few people anxiously asking Bark, “What do we do now, Bark?”
Bark’s previously calm demeanor vanished in an instant. “You ask me? Who am I supposed to ask? We can’t stay here; we need to move quickly!”
With the gun in his hands, he thought he might still be able to recruit others to fight for him.
Once everyone had left, Emilia slowly pushed herself up from the ground.
The corpse nearby still radiated warmth; if she didn’t eat soon, it would grow cold.
Her previously askew eyeball was now back in place, and gripping the shining surgical knife, she slashed at the man’s artery.
Sure enough, blood erupted forth.
Emilia savored the moment, feasting with unrestrained joy. It felt as though the decaying depths within her were suddenly revitalized, filled with a surge of life that spread through her very being.
But just as she had taken a few bites, a sudden explosion rocked the area!
Emilia turned in surprise, her face smeared with blood, the surgical knife still gripped tightly in her hand.
Was that the man from earlier blowing up the warehouse?
Such a loud noise—he must have wanted to get himself killed! It would surely attract all the nearby zombies!
This was the city center; there were at least tens of thousands of them around!
Having had her fill, Emilia decided to leave before the horde arrived.
The zombies only knew how to charge forward recklessly, and if they blocked her path, she might never make it to the Bronx.
Reluctantly, she wiped the blood from her surgical knife and tucked it back into her pocket. Then, she slowly stood up and began her trek toward the Bronx.
Sure enough, as the deafening sound echoed, other zombies began to converge on the source, while Emilia walked in the opposite direction.
Meanwhile, Abraham, with his goggles on, began to gather the most critical supplies after the explosion.
He knew that if he didn’t take these medical instruments, he might never find them again in the future.
Glancing at the time, he took a deep breath and got to work.
The number of zombies was increasing, and the metallic scent of blood grew heavier in the air.
He gave himself ten minutes. After that, no matter how vital the medication was, he would have to retreat.
Fortunately, he managed to grab the emergency supplies he needed. Restarting the vehicle, he charged toward the gathering horde of zombies.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Some zombies didn’t even flinch, crashing directly into the front of his vehicle.
With his foot pressed firmly on the accelerator, Abraham didn’t blink. He had already scouted the terrain; the only way out toward the Bronx was clear. If he wanted to escape the city, he had to head in that direction.
As Abraham turned the corner past the hospital, he spotted a zombie in a white coat ahead.
He frowned, puzzled. Had he misremembered? Just moments ago, he thought he had seen a similar zombie lying on the ground near the entrance.
Perhaps there were just too many doctors who had turned into zombies.
With that thought, he shifted his gaze away, and soon, the armored vehicle whizzed past Emilia.
She looked up, watching the vehicle disappear into the distance, thinking to herself, You foolish humans, attracting so many zombies—where do you think you can run to now?
Hours passed as she walked from day into night, encountering hardly any living souls along the way.
Only the endless tide of zombies surrounded her. Their hollow eyes and decaying bodies wandered aimlessly through the streets.
Has all of New York become a dead city?
For some reason, a tightness gripped Emilia’s heart as a sense of danger washed over her.
This feeling wasn’t like the threat posed by humans; it felt as though more zombies were closing in!
She scanned her surroundings, noting that she was now quite far from the hospital.
There was a large shopping mall nearby, but on the night of the outbreak, it had been mostly deserted, lacking the dangers present in residential areas.
Finding a decrepit structure, she slipped inside to hide.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before she spotted a zombie approaching.
This one was much taller than her, moving faster as it walked. Its limbs were more agile, though its neck was stiff, causing its head to tilt awkwardly to one side.
Emilia’s pulse quickened. This could be a problem. She would need to tread carefully.
Emilia realized that her body was undergoing some changes. Now, she could cover twenty meters in just ten minutes! This was a significant improvement compared to before!
Could it be because she had consumed human blood?
After all, no one could conduct further tests on her, so she pushed her curiosity aside.
The towering zombie before her looked incredibly strong; she knew she stood no chance against it.
In her mind, she fervently hoped that it wouldn’t come after her.
But fate had other plans. When she opened her eyes, she was met with an enormous zombie face looming right in front of her!
Oh no, its drool was splattering on her face! How disgusting!
Emilia turned to run, but to her horror, the zombie grasped the back of her collar, tugging at her neck!
She finally understood: it wasn't just humans who wanted to kill her; some zombies were fiercely territorial and would defend their turf!
The apocalypse had only begun a few days ago, and already these zombies displayed a sense of territory. What would this world become?
Emilia refused to let herself die at the hands of this zombie; she still had to reach the Bronx!
Using the momentum of the zombie’s lunge, she threw herself onto a nearby stone slab, causing the zombie’s head to crash into the stone before it could regain its balance.
With a loud thud, its neck twisted even further!
Seeing this, Emilia quickly rolled over and pinned the massive zombie beneath her.
Seizing the moment, she drew her surgical knife, relieved that the zombie was not much faster than her. With the knife pressed against its neck, she followed the joint down, and with a swift motion, she severed its already twisted head!
With the giant zombie finally lifeless beneath her, Emilia let out a long breath of relief.
But before she could relax, her hair stood on end again as she sensed even more zombies nearby!
It seemed they were all converging on her, as if to say, "Intruder, meet your end!"
She felt like crying; how could they think she was an invader? She was merely passing through!
One zombie she could handle, but seeing a dark mass of them approaching, she knew she couldn’t manage that!
If she tried to explain that she had no intention of taking their territory, would they believe her? Not a chance! She needed to run!
With every ounce of strength, Emilia pushed her stiff legs to move faster down the darkened road, but the horde was closing in on her!
We are all from the same roots; why must the undead turn on each other so quickly? Spare me, zombie warriors!
Of course, the zombies couldn’t hear her desperate thoughts. Just as Emilia felt cornered, she spotted the vehicle she had seen at the hospital!
The back door was still open, and the engine was running; she had no idea where that man had gone.
At this point, she couldn’t worry about that. She dove into the vehicle, hiding behind a pile of boxes.
- Writer
