[V]
The Dead Wayfarers-A week before the apocalypse-
Seungho was sitting on the chess-designed rug that was laid out over the healthy grasses. He had his nose pointed inward to an opened novel book in his hands. The bright and warm sun shone over a tree which shaded him. He was waiting for his family, who had gone off to join the other citizens at the celebration, and killing time reading "Why We Hate Us" by Meyer. The book was written in English and English was one of Seungho's favorite subject, he had always wanted to visit America or Canada one day. And through novels he was slowly improving his English.
A body plopped beside him on the rug and placed an arm around him. "Yo Seungho!" The man called with much enthusiasm in which earned a smile from Seungho. He dropped his book and looked at the man.
"Having fun partying?" He asked the older man who chuckled before answering.
"Why not? You should join us, why are you always reading? It's Spring Break, take a break will ya?"
"Hey, Yoo Yesung, what's wrong with reading? You used to read all the time too-" Seungho's argument was cut off when the man ruffled his hair.
"Oh my, you're so adorable my baby brother." Yesung said and Seungho slapped his hand away and angrily shouted.
"What are you doing?!"
Yesung laughed after seeing an annoyance expression on Seungho's face, then he reached his arm around Seungho's shoulder again and pulled him in, messing his hair up again. Seungho broke free some time later but his hair was really all over the place. "Hey! Yesung!"
Yesung chortled again and Seungho shut his eyes tightly after drawing in his breath sharply. His oldest brother was really ticking him off, but he couldn't do anything about it. Then finally the project that was assigned at school for him this coming up week popped up.
"Yesung." He said in a serious tone and Yesung quiet down, but he kept a smile on his face. He was listening while crossing his arms and sitting with his legs crossed beside Seungho. "Do, do you believe that a worldwide outbreak can happen?"
Yesung scoffed off his silly question at first, "You mean like the moon dies or the sun explodes and everyone is pretty much doomed?" He asked sarcastically. Yesung wasn't the man to discuss this with, Seungho knew but all-in-all his whole family wasn't a very political or social-issue family. His parents had always raised them believing that the world was really the only place one can have fun and celebrate, that global issues aren't global, and no major issue will kill the human race.
But Seungho believed differently. He even earned himself the nickname "Black Sheep" within his family, especially when they found out that he read more books than have fun. But it wasn't that he wasn't having fun, his definition of fun was just something slightly different from his family.
Until he joined the program, WWIV, at his university.
That was when everything went wrong and Seungho was beginning to change.
For himself.
Seungho could hear the s and groanings below him as he opened his eyes. The blood on his hands were still fresh and wet, as he let them dripped onto the hard cement below his feet, he felt a gaze coming from behind him.
A zombie was making its way over to Seungho and without budging he attacked the zombie head to head.
The zombie's body dropped beside the other one and more blood dirtied Seungho's hands. Seungho dropped the kitchen knife beside the dead's’ bodies.
Then some time later he slowly turned around and noticed Yongguk's stare. His eyes were wide and his mouth slightly opened. Yongguk couldn't uttered a word, most likely he was confused and needed answers, but Seungho stood his ground. Until he turned around and exhaled, "What are you doing?" He asked and Yongguk jumped a little.
"Uh I-I thought I should c-check on you. T-the rest are sleeping. S-so." Yongguk cursed himself in his mind for stuttering.
Seungho peered behind him once more to make sure the dead were really dead. Then he glanced back toward Yongguk's direction, "And how am I doing?" Seungho asked which threw Yongguk off guard.
"Uh...." Yongguk wasn't sure if that was a question directed to him or not, but he had to admit, it was a strange question. "You're doing good...." Yongguk said with wandering eyes. "But why are you out here?" Yongguk asked without realizing.
It wasn't very strange that Seungho was out there alone, but Yongguk found it odd that Seungho's hands were marked with blood. "Y-you didn't kill them? Did you?" He asked again when Seungho had no intention of answering him earlier. This time Seungho turned his back to Yongguk and looked up toward the bright sky.
"They're already dead." He reminded Yongguk and with a fast-pacing heart Yongguk shut the door and slowly moved to stand beside Seungho. Because Yongguk was a little taller, he could see Seungho's face quite clearly, even though the latter was facing up.
"Seungho. I've been meaning to ask you this-" Yongguk started and waited for Seungho to give him a hint that he was listening. Seungho's words still ring in the back of Yongguk's head. "I'll make the decisions from here on out, if your party go against me, I won't hesitate to turn you into one of them."
He cleared his throat and slowly Seungho looked down and turned to him, wearing a pokerface. "What is it?"
Yongguk was surprised at the question, was he giving him permission to ask? He's not going to attack right? Were the thoughts that ran through Yongguk's mind. "You.... What is your motivation for killing?" He asked too bluntly but Seungho just stared ahead. When Yongguk thought it didn't came out right, he started to lend reasons, "Like since I've been part of the gang culture for so long, killing may come off as easy for me.... But you, you don't have that aura around you. Even your brother doesn't seem-"
"Heartless?" Seungho asked and Yongguk froze. Then their gaze finally met when Seungho spun his head toward the bigger man. "Was that the word you were looking for?"
"I was about to say he didn't seem like a bad person. I mean it's not that you're bad but.... He's really caring and he has a good heart is what I'm saying." Yongguk chuckled to ease the mood. It wasn't exactly what he wanted to ask but he figured, it was still too early to ask. Afterall, Seungho is only an acquaintance.
Yongguk shut the door to the back and leaned against it, with a hand clutching his chest. Thoughts of Seungho being crazy, weird, and psychopathic ran through his head, but eventually he shook it off. Then he made his way to the second floor and lie on the ground near Zelo, who slept on the couch.
Jun Gyu on the other hand was snoring and would laugh a few times to himself.
Kyungsoo was covered in cold sweat as he sat up after having a nightmare. Then his empty stomach growled and he sighed, getting off the cot. While making his way to the kitchen in the first floor, he heard the water running.
Downstairs Seungho was washing his hands and was drying them on the rag as Kyungsoo popped out from around the corner. "You're up already?" Seungho asked and Kyungsoo nodded. Then he moved toward the refrigerator and opened up. Since the power has been out for some time, the food was rotten and the smell flood over Kyungsoo, resulted in him quickly slamming the fridge shut and coughed after breathing in the killing smell.
Seungho watched from the side and after a few coughs Kyungsoo noticed his gaze.
"W-why didn't you stop me?" Kyungsoo asked as he coughed a few more times.
"The food is on the table." Seungho replied and Kyungsoo turned to look behind him. He wanted to slap himself across the face, of course, how could he forget? Yongguk specifically said those were the only food that was consumable.
At the table Kyungsoo begin digging through the variety of options, not that there were a lot to choose from, but Kyungsoo was allergic to a lot of food. While Kyungsoo was making a ruckus Seungho head over and shoved his hand to the middle of the pile and pulled out a plastic cup. "Here, eat this." Seungho said holding a cup of coconut flavored jelly.
"Oh. Thank you." Kyungsoo said and reached for it but Seungho turned to his side, avoiding Kyungsoo's hand. Seungho removed the plastic over the cup before returning it over to his brother again.
"Here." He said, Kyungsoo appreciated Seungho opening the jelly for him, because again his wound on his arm made him useless. Kyungsoo reached for it again and on the juice quietly before eating the jelly.
Seungho departed from Kyungsoo when the girl came down the stairs and their eyes met. The girl was the first to break the gaze as she headed over to the kitchen, besides Kyungsoo. Seungho's eyes were still on her but it apparently averted when she was hidden behind Kyungsoo.
"May I take something for my dad?" She asked looking at Kyungsoo who was still chewing on jelly. His eyes widen when he finally noticed her and restlessly nodded.
"Absolutely, take anything you want." Kyungsoo invited and earned a shy, grateful smile from her. From behind Kyungsoo she peeked back to see if Seungho was still there, but he wasn't. She was a little disappointed but returned to searching for something to eat. "What was your name again?" Kyungsoo asked and her smile widens.
"Yoo Jung, Kim Yoo Jung."
In the bathroom Seungho wet his face with the freezing cold water. He looked up at the cracked mirror and looked at himself without much expression.
"They will come for you."
"And when they do, even your family won't be safe."
"So whatever happen, protect them."
"Or you will be alone."
"When they find you."
Seungho stood up tall and exhaled sharply. Then he exit the restroom and headed back downstairs.
Shortly after night approached the sleeping party. Seungho remained on the lookout as everyone else was knocked out. Even Kyungsoo, who was back in the cot after filling his tummy.
Seungho was back outside through the back door. The sound of a motorcycle was near but the sound of the dead was also growing. It was pitch black outside, except for the light given by the moon. Luckily tonight was it was another full moon; however, it will be a long night.
Seungho stepped back into the building and looked at the door. Was it deja vu? He left the back door open and made his way to the front door, and one by one, he begin removing the furniture and objects Yongguk had stacked against the door.
It was time.
To go.
To move.
Again.
End of chapter 5.
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