Oh Hayoung was munching on her share of crackers Namjoo happened to have in her bag,keeping guard at the entrance of the store where the other girls were sleeping,when the crash sounded.She was so startled she dropped her knife.What she heard was colossal,deafening,even.She tensed up involuntarily,then gripped her knife tightly.Hayoung put away the food,then nudged Bomi,who was closest to her,and somehow still slept through that noise.The others were awokened,of course.

 

"What was that?"Naeun asked,looking very scared.  

 

"Let's go check it out,"Chorong declared.

 

"Oh my god,what if it's like a thousand of those infected outside there?"Namjoo shrieked,looking like she was gonna cry.

 

"I thought that sound was from my dream,"Bomi groaned as she stretched."And is that smoke I smell?"

 

"Namjoo,Naeun,you two stay here.We'll call for you if we need help."Chorong instructed,getting up.They nodded,expressions uneasy.

 

The four made their way down and out of the mall to the source of the smoke with Eunji and Hayoung leading,and Bomi and Chorong behind them.They only had to come out of the entrance to see what had caused the sound and smoke.It was a sleek and modern aircraft that was hit,and it landed onto the road so hard it created a crater of some sort.The aircraft was on fire,and thick black smoke was billowing.They exchanged looks,and then saw a girl about their age emerge from the plane,her forehead had a gash and she was stumbling,as if she was about to faint.They immediately rushed towards her,and just as she was about to collapse,Hayoung caught her and laid her gently onto the ground.

 

"We need to get her inside!"she exclaimed.

 

"Look,she has crates,a backpack,and a suitcase in there!It must be important to her,"Chorong pointed out,then hurriedly went in the aircraft to retrieve the items.Eunji followed suit while Bomi and Hayoung carried the girl to the entrance.

 

"Guys!A little help here!"Bomi shouted at Namjoo and Naeun,who were anxiously waiting at the top of the escalator.The two ran down to help carry the girl into the mall.Hayoung glanced back to see that Chorong was carrying the backpack and lifting a crate with Eunji,nearing the entrance.

 

"These ain't light,you know!"Chorong shouted.

 

Hayoung rushed to the airplane to get the suitcase,then ran the short 10 metres or so to the entrance but as she glanced to her right,she could see one of the infected closing in on them,crawling on all fours,tongue lolling out its mouth,skin translucent enough to see veins.The sight was disturbing.

 

"Guys!We have company!"Hayoung warned.Namjoo shuddered.

 

"Oh for s sake,"Eunji muttered."I'll take care of it." "I'll be behind you!"Bomi said.

 

She picked up her axe,and approached the thing slowly.Meanwhile,Chorong and Hayoung ran to get the last crate,coughing violently due to the smoke.The thing lunged for Eunji,but she managed to dodge and then lay a blow onto its deformed back.There was a sickening crunch and one of the girls screamed.The crate had arrived at last,safe,while the aircraft was in raging flames.Eunji then lifted her axe up and was about to throw down another blow but the creature was too fast and it pounced onto her.

 

"Aargh!"Eunji hit the ground and struggled wildly as the creature attempted to bite her.Thankfully,Bomi kicked it off,then hit it hard on the head,blood and spittle coming out.A snarl came from the creature and it paused for awhile to nurse its wounds,but Bomi bashed it on the head relentlessly,the brain hit to a pulp.The creauture then stopped moving.It was too gory for the eyes."Let's get out of here!"Bomi screamed,as another one was in the far distance,then helped Eunji up and into the mall.

 

All that time,Hayoung stood frozen watching the fight,and didn't even think of helping.She ushered everyone into the mall,but not before seeing more of the infected in the other direction.Her fingers were trembling as she attempted to lock the big glass doors.Glass!It could easily be broken down.For the first time in her life,Hayoung wanted to cry.Badly.She wanted her grandmother.It was like she was 10 years old all over again.

 

There were several moments of silence,except for Bomi's panting.

 

"Let's find something to barricade these doors,"Chorong suggested,her voice shaky.

 

"You guys okay?"she asked Eunji and Bomi.

 

"Yep,"Eunji gave a small smile.They used some tables and chairs to block the entrance,but Hayoung knew that it wasn't much use.But she was too tired to say anything,and there wasn't any other solution for it.They carried the items and the girl up to the convenience store.

 

"Look at her stuff,"Namjoo said.The suitcase and bag were silver and had simple logo that spelled 'E'."I wonder what it represents?Should we open the suitcase?"

 

"I don't know,it feels like we are intruding her privacy,"Chorong objected."Maybe we should wait until she wakes up."

 

"But I need a first aid kit for this wound,"Naeun said,looking at the girl who was currently unconscious and lying on the ground.

 

"Fine,we'll search for one,but let's not intentionally look through her things"Chorong relented.

 

Bomi opened the suitcase while Chorong checked through her backpack.There was a thin smartphone,water bottle,and other small items inside.

 

"Found it!"Bomi exclaimed,producing a small silver case with the first aid sign on it from the suitcase,and handed it to Naeun."And I'm not intentionally looking,but wow.."she was referring to the array of weapons inside the case.

 

"Jesus christ,those could come in handy,"Eunji commented.Everyone was in awe.There were legitimate big guns inside there,swords and other useful weapons.Hayoung was thrilled about the prospect of having guns.Everyone knew that guns were needed to survive apocalypses like this.However,she was pretty sure none of them had ever handled a real gun before.And would the girl lend them some weapons?Was she dangerous herself?They all exchanged looks of apprehension.No words were needed-they couldn't trust this girl just yet.

 

"It's done!"Naeun announced.The girl's injuries were taken care of already.Naeun then went on to help Eunji put on some plasters for when she fell earlier.

 

"We shall interrogate her when she wakes up,"Chorong declared firmly."Meanwhile,the rest of you girls get some sleep.I'll keep guard for today."Hayoung was about to protest that she only guarded for five minutes,but Chorong told her to sleep.

 

"It's important to get plenty of rest,Hayoung.I'll wake you all up at 5.30 in the morning."

 

"Please,let me guard too.From 3 to 5.30?You need to get some sleep too."

 

"Alright."

 

Hayoung tried to sleep,but the ground was so cold and hard and she couldn't get the image of that monster out of her mind.She could sense that Eunji,who was next to her,wasn't sleeping as well,but just lying down.Hayoung sighed a little.She was one that always liked a challenge,but this was her worst nightmare yet.And she couldn't help but ponder about the infected that attacked them just now.It was oddly different from the rest.It was ten times faster,scarier,less...human.Was it possible that they could adapt and change?That meant that they could get even more powerful.

 

Furthermore,there were literally no one in the area they were in,but somehow the infected started coming...which meant that they could have been attracted to the sound.Or maybe they could smell their blood?Ugh!!!All this thinking and still there wasn't a way to confirm it.Hayoung shut her eyes tightly,begging her mind to stop running for once as she desperately needed sleep.

----

 

 

Yuto was getting ready to sleep when a crisp loud knock sounded on his door.There was only one person who would do that-knock instead of ringing the bell.He opened the door to reveal Toshio Tazaki,dressed in his usual dark grey suit.

 

"Yes,uncle?What brings you here?I was going to retire for the night."

 

His uncle eyed him warily for a moment,then went inside to sit on one of the plush sofas that offered a beautiful landscape of pure night sky,freckled with some stars."Well,I supposed you've heard of Hong Youngjin's daughter running away already?"

 

"Of course,"Yuto said nonchalantly,pouring his uncle some sparkling water.I was part of it.

 

"I'm just here to check up on you,making sure you won't do such a foolish thing that will get you killed,of course."

 

 

Yuto scoffed in reply."You know I wouldn't."

 

"Well what I do know is that you have been hanging out with this girl,"Toshio said,his tone heavy.Yuto froze in his seat.He thought they were rather low key."I hope you haven't been influenced by her."his uncle finished,then finished his drink in one gulp.

 

"Of course not,"Yuto assured his uncle."By the way,how's Project Alice coming along?"

 

Toshio Tazaki looked very proud."It's going great.It's estimated that in 10 days,we will reach our goal of wiping out 4.75 billion people.That's how fast it's spreading.And the governments are too slow to do anything about it.Their knowledge of Alice is too little,too meagre."

 

"Wow,ten days huh."

 

"And I'm only telling you this since you're my nephew,but the infected go through different stages.They evolve to become more dangerous."

 

Yuto perked up at the new information,and made a mental note to send Yookyung all of it to help her,but at this point,he wasn't even sure if she was alive.