"How long has it been? Since I've been stuck in here?"

The young man, sitting in the corner of the candle lit room was staring up to the ceiling.

The walls smeared reddish brown turned his stomach although it wasn't the first time he saw them.

He was supposed to get used to it by now.. But the smell. It reeked of iron mixed in with rotten flesh, it wasn't easy to get used to.

The boy been living in that filth for a week now, coming and going only to scavenge what he could from nearby shops and houses.

His last run was only two days ago, he had ran to the pharmacy hoping to find something, anything that he could stock as medical necessity. Unfortunately for him, everything of value to this world had already been savaged, the rest was unusable.

This was not enough to discourage him thought, he had just started his new box of protein bars and although it was enough for a few more days, he needed to find something else.

He still didn't have a fix source of water as most sinks stopped running water. He previously thought of filling his bottle with toilet water but quickly decided otherwise. Desperation hadn't set in yet enough for him to drink from such a questionable source.

After much thinking he decided to venture to the Seven eleven he had seen across the street. It was still only 4 pm and had more than enough time to get some supplies and come back before nighttime.

He reached the convenience store without much problems, there wasn't much of hostility outside yet.

The lights outside the building were flickering and the glass doors were destroyed, probably an aftermath of the mass panic created by the recent events. Recent maybe wasn't the right word but he didn't count the days since it all started.

He walked in silently with his trusty machete firm in his grip. His goal was water and maybe another box of protein bars, but really anything would do. 

Jungkook looked through every shelf, corner, drawer, any nook and cranny he could find but all he could spot was a chocolate candybar, an expired carton of milk and some torn magazines. The initial survivors swept this place through before him, luck didn't seem to be on his side today.

In the midst of his search, he heard it. Slow feet dragged across the glass covered floor, raspy wet groans echoed against the walls.

He crouched behind a shelf, moved to the corner and slowly peaked out to see the shadow of the creature stopped. It moved only it's limbs with enormous effort, as if they were dead weight before it started to drag itself around the room once more. Clearly hunger was present in it's behavior, searching silently for a prey to sink it's teeth in.

Jungkook really didn't want an altercation but the thing blocked the way to the outside. A risk had to be taken, he would have to take it down.

He couldn't figure out who or what the thing looked like, but guessed it was a woman by the torn skirt it seemed to be wearing. She must've died at the very start of the apocalypse, the stench gave that away, so did the chunks of rotten meat falling behind her at every step.

It was probably her end, she was expiring but that didn't mean she was any weaker.

It was from experience that he learned it, them falling apart, rotting, melting, none of it meant anything. They looked slower, weaker but it was a trick or so he believed. It gave survivors the confidence to kill them, seeing the thing weak and slow made them cocky, they would attack first and think later, that always meant they would die.

He watched her shadow, it tuned in his direction. The thing knew Jungkook was there, or felt something else. Whatever it was, the black haired man needed to finish it off.

"Straight to the head.. Just, get it straight to the head." His whisper was low, almost inaudible for a human, but not to her.

She sprinted towards him at full speed. Her arms, barely able to stay attached to her body swung back and forth at every step.

Jungkook stood ready, both his hands were now gripping the handle of the blade. He swung the weapon at her when she was close enough.

The machete hit the side of her head. It wasn't enough to kill her but the force made her stagger and fall to the ground.

Before she could get up, he swung again, this time he aimed for her neck. The blade cut right through the flesh and bones and her head rolled next to Jungkook's foot.

Only then he realized, her profile was familiar. He could only see the side but that was enough for him to recognize it. With a gentle push, he rolled it to reveal the entire face. He knew her, yes, he did. 

The soft cheeks, although eaten through were easy to discern and her eyes, they were the same sharp cat like eyes he used to admire...

As if someone had punched him right in the guts, he curled over himself. Jungkook wanted to throw up, he couldn't even breath anymore. Tears followed right after and with it the guilt, the awful feeling of having killed someone he loved.

Although this was no place to mourn, nor the time, how was he supposed to react in such a situation? He believed she was safe, with her family, exactly how he left her and yet... Here she was. Her face and body cruelly consumed and detached from each other. 

He reached for the head with trembling hands and gripped it tightly with his fingers. They sunk right through the putrid tissue, he didn't let go.

"Ye-ji..." He brought it closer to his chest whispering her name. " I'm sorry..I'm so, so sorry."

He clung to it, sobbing silently. His shirt was now covered in brownish fluid but he did not care, it didn't matter right now. 

If it hadn't been for the sound of his digital watch ringing, alerting him that the night was coming, he would've stayed there more.

He briefly composed himself, spending the night here was not going to be safe. The revenants were much stronger in the dark so, with the head still in his arms, he got up and ran back to his safe house.

The way home was exhausting, the tears blurred his vision and the nervous feeling weighting on his chest and stomach made him feel weak and clumsy. He tripped too many times for his liking and stepped on her head twice by accident after dropping her. There already wasn't much of her left and with each step, a precious piece  of her was getting lost.

As soon as he arrived in the apartment, he went straight for his little corner not even bothering to take off his shoes like he's been doing everyday. It was somewhat like a ritual to make him feel like he was still living in the old world.

He curled up there with Ye-ji's head in his arms.

Jungkook couldn't forgive himself for chopping her head off, it was already hard enough surviving alone but now? It became much more difficult. He really didn't need to feel guilt too.

For the first time in years he cried without end, bawled until his body couldn't take the pain of his lungs closing shut and his throat tightening. He felt isolated, desperate. The only thing that was driving him to survive was gone. He looked forward to finding her alive, to reunite, hug her and kiss her.

Deep down he must've known she wasn't going to make it but he wished that wasn't true. That night, when it all started, he had fought with her and ran off without hearing what she had to say. He accused her, slammed the door in her face and even called her names. She probably cried then and went to search for him. 

The skirt she had on in the convenience store was the same as the one from that night.

"It's my fault.." he whispered thinking back. "Ye-ji..It was all my fault." 

The black haired man held the head in front of his face. With nothing left on the skull but a few chunks here and there, it didn't look anything like her anymore. Her beauty was.. gone.

"I shouldn't have walked away that day." he continued to whine painfully.

He waited a few second as if he was expecting her to say something. Anything that could comfort him, he would've accepted even just a groan.

"You must've suffered so much" 

Jungkook mourned for hours till no more tears came out of him anymore.

By the end of it, his head was pulsing intensely and his eyes were so puffy he had a hard time focusing his vision.

He looked at Ye-ji's head, the little pieces that were previously left on her skull were now smeared on his shirt. There was nothing left but a bloody skull.

"What's the point Ye-ji?" He asked with a hiccup. "How am I supposed to go on without you?"

What was the point in continuing to survive if no one was out there? If the woman he loved died and rotted alone before he could give her the finishing blow?

He placed her head on the floor carefully and searched frantically in his bag.

Ye-ji wouldn't want me to give up, he thought. Though he desperately wanted to stop his futile attempts at surviving, he knew that his girlfriend wouldn't let him.

"I'm not going to die here. I'll fight…" He bit his lip miserably trying to convince himself that he could make it.  "I'll get both of us out of here Ye-ji."

The long haired man knew what he was saying didn't really make sense and truly, he didn't fully believe it either but giving up was no longer an option he could consider.

He pulled a rope out of his bag and grabbed the skull.

"I'll find a way sweetie."  He smiled sadly before passing the rope through the skull's eye holes. "You may not be alive anymore but... you are still with me"

He attached the skull to the backpack. Ye-ji will keep me safe, he told himself before putting on the backpack.

He sat up and looked out the window, it was night time still and the revenants were screaming outside but there was something different from usual. A light beamed not too far away. It was the first time he noticed it, Ye-ji was showing him the way.

His hand touched the window. Finally, there was someone alive other than him.

Even tho it came from the hospital, the place he had been avoiding for the longest time, he decided to go and see. This was clearly a sign and he had to follow it.

He previously had the perception that such buildings would be filled with revenants but the glow said otherwise. It was probably safe.

"Ye-ji…" He sighed relieved. "Thanks you, for giving me new hope."

He grabbed all the things he had in the room, it wasn't much but there was probably something he could trade if he needed to gain their trust.

The young man opened the window and looked down, there were too many hunters massed up in the streets. Going through there was suicide.

"Roof it is then." he said as if communicating it with the severed head attached to him.

He sat on the window sill and looked up, reaching the roof was not going to be a problem even though the hunger and thirst were overtaking his body.

The building was old and not as tall as other new ones. He grabbed the ledge and pulled himself up, with his legs he pushed his body to stand up on the window sill and climbed higher.

Fortunately for him, the different buildings were close enough to each other. It would require some climbing and reckless jumping but he had confidence he could do it.

It didn't take him long to reach the building next to the hospital, he sat on the roof panting heavily and studying the surroundings. His stomach was growling, muscles were aching, he desperately needed a meal and a nap but more importantly he needed to get in unharmed.

He looked at the window gleaming from the inside. Half way through his run there he had seen a few shadows walk back and forth. They didn't move like hunters, they were more lively and seemed to be carrying guns.

They were potentially hostile but that wasn't certain, the only way for him to find out was by getting in contact with them.

"We did it Ye-ji.." He patted her dangling head with a hand praising her for her good job and continued to search for a way to get in. "We are almost there."

A fence circled the hospital, most of the top had barbed wire but a few spots were safe for him to jump through. Probably the same spots they used to get in or out.

Additionally the revenants didn't seem to stick around much. It was surprising that they didn't pool around like they did in front of his safe houses. He didn't think much of it though.

Without hesitating, he made his way down to the streets then ran towards the fence and jumped over.

He didn't see anyone patrolling so he decided to just make his way up the room with the light. It was the 14th floor, he counted the windows underneath previously.

Climbing 14 flight of stairs wasn't easy when exhausted but he pushed through, excited and worried to finally meet living humans, like him.

The exhaustion he felt preciously disappeared as soon as he reached the floor. The light peeked through under the closed door, tempting him to waltz inside.

Humanity was there, just a door away. 

Jungkook shut his eyes, breathing deeply to calm his nerves. He had thought it was weird no one was patrolling outside or in between the floors but there was no time for him to think too much of it and he trusted Ye-ji, she was guiding him to a safe place, he was sure of it.

After mustering the courage, he pushed the door open. An overwhelming smell of disinfectant overwhelmed his nose but it was refreshing. No more rotten meat smell, no more...

The walls around him were white, so clean he had forgotten how beautiful this colour was. He dragged his tired feet to a wall and placed his hand on it. It was cold, but he missed it. As he lifted his hand a bloody hand print was left on it. The contrast was so drastic, had he been living in a completely different world this whole time? It sure felt like it.

He looked around, there was not a sound but a machine. It sounded like one of those that helped patients breath but, that was all. There was nothing else he could hear nor see.

No one was here at the moment.

Jungkook held the rail attached to the wall to help him stand properly, teh excitement was sipping away and fatigue was overwhelming. He made his way towards the noise. It came from a room just a few doors away.

He stopped next to the door and peeked inside, there were a lot of questions floating through his mind. Who was in there? How were they still alive? And who was taking care of them?

The room was just like the corridors, white, sterile and in the middle was a bed. It was occupied by a skinny man.

He made his way inside. The man looked a bit older than him. He was attached to a few machines and an IV.

"How are you still alive?" he whispered pulling the stool that was near the bed to him.

He was too tired to stay on his feet anymore, he had to rest before he would colapse on the floor.

He studied the man's face. Clear skin, thick lips, his features were stunning and Jungkook was mesmerized by him. In some ways, he reminded him of Ye-ji even though there was not much resemblance.

The black haired man inhaled a shaky breath, he felt full of hope. A human was here, someone was alive even if he looked like he was in a coma, this man was still alive.

"Wow.." he leaned his elbows on his knees. "You were here this whole time? I could've met you earlier."

He regretted not coming in this area before today as it was certain this man was stuck here for a while. This felt like another clue that without Ye-ji, he never would've come here and probably would've died alone.

"I hope your friends are peaceful." he continued to talk to the man. "I'm in need of company."

He looked at the man lying next to him, the sound of the breathing machine was strangely relaxing him. He felt exactly like sitting next to a sleeping person. 

"Let's be friends.." he whispered before letting his head fall down.

He stared at the floor for a bit thinking of when the caretakers would come. How would they react to him sitting here? Covered in hunter junk and with a skull strapped to his backpack.

Were they going to pity him for looking so pathetic? Kill him before he could react or explain why he was here?

The man sighed at the thought. He truly didn't think through the whole thing but he trusted his girlfriends skull. 

He took off his backpack and placed it on the ground making sure Ye-ji would face him. The man felt dumb, he truly thought that meeting Ye-ji as a revenant was destiny and that thanks to her he was here.

"What do you think sweetie?" he looked at the lifeless eye sockets as if she was looking at him through them. "Will they kill me on sight? or not?"

Not a word came from the skull and Jungkook sighed.

"I guess we'll find out.." he rubbed the back of his neck with his dirty hand. "If they kill me I'll get to see you sooner than expected."

With a light chuckle he closed his eyes and waited for his fate to unravel.

Hello people!!

I am glad you stayed and read the first new chapter of "Will we Survive?"!!

I am proud of the new chapter and feel like this is much better than before. I'm hoping to stick with it for a long him and finish it completely like I planned to in 2015!

It's been 5 year since then and my writing has improved a bit, I hope hahaha. You guys are the judge of that.

I'll be greatful if you guys could give me some constructive critism and if you guys have any questions about the story or anything else, I am available to answer them unless there are spoilers! :D

Thank you again for everyone's support!