[CONTENTID1] CHAPTER TWENTY - ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST[/CONTENTID1]
[CONTENTID2]

Sorry, long chap ahead >.<

The world is fading in and out. Lights are flashing and I feel blinded and disorientated. I want to move, to sit up, but my body is heavy and my neck feels paralysed. Even though my eyes are open, they still feel closed. My lids are heavy and hard to lift, my view is obstructed by them. I feel as though I'm in a carnival house with strobe lights and weird mirrors, the room is spinning and I'm dizzy. I flutter my eyes and wiggle my fingers, slowly moving onto my toes and my facial features. I start to regain feeling in my body but not enough to sit or stand up.

"We've gotta...Now's the chance...evacuation...." Someone is speaking but I can't make out all of their words or even bend to look at them.

Another voice rings through. "But she's unstable...dangerous...BamBam." My chest constructs and I feel my heart rate soar. My breathing becomes erratic and I feel as if I'm suffocating. My muscles begin to spasm and saliva is building up in the back of my throat. "Quick, she's...!" The two people rush over and stand over me, one of them rolling me onto my side to help regulate my blood flow. The other rubs my back to calm my breathing.

"You're okay..." Something else is said but I don't quite catch it. "She's pro...dizzy. The lights aren't hel...sit her up?" I'm then lifted and sat upright. One of them supports my back which I'm thankful for because otherwise I'd probably fall over. Although this all feels surreal, I try to concentrate. On what, though, I'm not exactly sure. There's only one thing going through my mind, one thing keeping me on the verge of a mental breakdown - BamBam. The thought of him sends my body into a panic. 

"Should we...again?" 

"No, we...to go." I close my eyes and take deep breaths, desperate to calm myself down. I don't want to think about him right now, I can't afford to. Whatever is going on, wherever I am, it can't be good. If I fall apart now, what then? I open my eyes again and look at the two people standing on either side of me. Their faces are blurry but they're beginning to resolve a bit. I recognise them: Youngjae and Jongin. Hatred churns in my stomach but also guilt: I know they didn't mean harm, they didn't want BamBam dead but they had to think of the rest of the team. However, I can't help but resent them - along with the others - for leaving behind one of our own. I also can't help but hate myself for not trying harder. Maybe if I thought faster, acted earlier, I could've saved him. I feel like I'm fourteen again with no strength or skill or courage to do something worthwhile. If I can't save one of my best friends, what the hell am I worth? 

"Hyerim, can you hear me? Can you understand me?" Youngjae asks and I nod. Sentences are now reaching my ears in full but my eyesight must still be malfunctioning because the walls seem to be vibrating and the lights are flashing frantically. "I need you to look at me." I meet his eyes and he flashes a flashlight in my face. "Follow the light." I do as I'm told and succeed. "Good. Now say your name, your age and your date of birth."

"Choi Hyerim, nineteen years old, January 24th 2010." My birthday will be upon us in less than a fortnight. I'm beginning to think that that day is an omen for misfortune and devastation. Youngjae nods and cups my face, looking me in the eye. 

"I need you to listen carefully," he says. "What do you hear?" Upon hearing his question, I finally acknowledge the blaring sirens that match the flashing emergency lights. "You hear it. You see it. Do you know what's happening?"

"Evacuation?" I offer and he nods firmly. "How long have I been out?" 

"Just a couple of hours," Jongin answers, speaking up for the first time since I've been able to hear properly. "But in those short hours, a lot has happened. The military is unleashing hell on the city but it's like the bullets aren't doing any damage." 

"Are they aiming for the head?" I ask and they both their heads to the side. I sigh. "BamBam...BamBam loves...loved zombie movies. We watched them often and the characters always aimed for the head."

"These aren't actors, this isn't a movie."

"Yes, I think I know that considering my friend is dead!" I snap at him. The admission sends a rocketing pain in my chest and I choke up but will myself not to cry. Now is not the time. But if it isn't, when will be? Will there ever be a chance for me to grieve? Am I fated to never be able to mourn the loss of my loved ones? "I'm just saying...the brain is the powerhouse of the body. It's a safer bet than the heart." 

"Noted," Youngjae says. "The plane is ready and supplies and weapons have been collected. We just need you and we can get the hell out of here." I lower my eyes, my mind going right back to BamBam. I hate knowing that he's still in that car, either dead from loss of blood or from being torn to shreds by the infected citizens. I know I can't have him back but I hope his death wasn't painful. I hope he died instantly from the car crash.  "Do you think you can get us out of here, commander?" Then, it clicks. Yes, my best friend died but I need to do whatever I can to make sure no one else does. I need to be the leader my team needs. 

"Let's go." They help me to my feet and I take a minute or two to find my balance. Jongin goes to the bedside table and picks up a Glock 17, a Smith & Wesson model 59, an AK-47, a trench knife and a kukri. Youngjae hands me a utility belt and I fasten my weapons on but keep my glock in one hand in case I need it. We leave the room and enter the hallway. Immediately, the sounds of screams and growls fill my ears, mixing with the sirens. I can hardly hear myself think. 

". I think they've reached this area," Jongin mutters. 

Youngjae scoffs. "You think?" We make our way down the corridor with quiet precision, not wanting to draw any attention to ourselves. We reach a junction and I peak around one corner, Jongin doing the same around the other. I beckon them to follow. "Hyerim-ah, that's the wrong way."

"Not to the east wing," I reply, keeping my eyes forward. "We need Taekwoon and Hongbin if we're to get out of here alive. All of us." 

Jongin objects. "But it's dangerous--"

"Everything we do is and will be dangerous but we don't have a choice, do we?" I snap and he shuts his mouth, nodding curtly. "You two go back to the team, tell them to wait twenty minutes. I'll be there."

"But--"

"That's an order, soldier." Youngjae sighs but obliges. He nudges Jongin and the two reluctantly but obediently disappear around the opposite corner. I take a deep breath, have my trench knife ready to use and raise my gun. I inch around the corner and slowly make my way down the corridor. As I near the east wing, the growling noises get louder but only by a smidgen. After all, this is the least occupied area in the building. I reach the reception area and stop when I spot three of infected people feasting on a dead, bloodied body. I hide behind the desk but keep my eyes locked on them. 

They raise their heads and start to sniff the air. I gulp, my heart pounding in my chest. Their heads then snap in my direction and they slowly get to their feet, twitching and spasming. I tuck my gun back into its sheath and retrieve my kukri. From the movies BamBam showed me, the zombies were attracted to loud noises. If these things are any similar, I don't want more of them upon me. Three are more than enough. An idea springs to mind and I look around for something soft. On the desk chair, I see a seat cushion. I grab it and take my Glock out again. With a deep breath, I rise to my feet and slide over the desk. Before the thing closest to me can react, I shove the cushion in his face and pull the trigger, firing a silenced bullet through his skull. I do not wait to see the damage done and whip around to shoot the other in the face. The last one jumps onto my back and I react on instinct, reaching for my kukri and lodging it in my attacker's forehead. It goes through with odd ease and I pull it out, the infected person slumping to the round. 

I decide inspecting them is as safe as any bet. Sure, it'll take some time off my minutes but in the end it'll be worth it because we don't know much about these creatures. It's weird calling them that because they were once, probably only a few hours ago, human. I get down on one knee and examine the one I just killed. I run my fingers over its face and frown at how soft his skin is. I press his cheek and it dents slightly. It seems the virus also results in very low bone density which means these things are more susceptible to fractures or, alternatively, being stabbed in the head. Or any part of their body, for that matter. Does that mean the virus is self-inflicting? Why or how else could their bones get so soft/thin? 

I move over to the person that was being eaten and check her pulse. Nothing. I sigh, shaking my head. I decide to be safe rather than sorry and stab the blade through her skull. As expected, it takes a lot more effort to get through the bone. Getting up again, I clean the blade on my combat pants and take a look around. I try not to dwell on the fact that I'm wearing different clothes to the ones I had on before I awoke. It was probably Hyoyeon or Jessica that changed me. I wish they'd given me long sleeves though, this tank top is hardly going to protect me from bites.

I carefully make my way through the recepti