t/w - gore, blood, child death

I was watching Mina and Sohye play an intense game of rock, paper, scissor, shoot when I heard Somi and Jieqiong bickering from the other room, voices light and cheery.

“Nobody cares if you don’t shave your legs.” Somi giggled. Jieqiong’s voice rang back without missing a beat.

“I care.” The older girl defended herself before more laughs could be heard.

Of course, even in the apocalypse, the group of girls I had managed to gather still cared about their looks. I let them be, of course - I’d like to give them peace during moments where they’d act as if we weren’t surviving the end of the world. It made everyone a bit happier, even if it was just for a few moments.

I stood from my seat on the bed with a smile on my face, walking out into the hallway and into the living room where the majority of the girls were minus Chungha and Sejeong. As expected, the girls were all giggling as Jieqiong sat with her leg outstretched and a shaver in her hand, shaving cream in the other. I sat next to Somi who hugged my arm as soon as my bottom hit the ground, a giggle still coming from her lips at Jieqiong’s actions.

It made my heart warm up when I saw their smiles and heard their laughs.

“Tell Jieqiong no one cares if she shaves or not.” Somi pointed to the girl sitting across from her in the group circle. Jieqiong seemed very focused on shaving her legs and I found the whole situation very amusing.

“If it makes her happy then let her be.” I said with a little laugh at the end of my sentence. Somi gently shoved my shoulder and let go of me.

“Boo. Where’s Chungha when I need her?”

Jieqiong scowled. “Nayoung’s a nice person. She doesn’t make fun of me.”

“I’m not making fun of you.” Somi shot back with a laugh and Jieqiong just grumbled something under her breath.

It wasn’t long until all the girls were sitting on the living room floor, the circle expanding with the additional people. Conversation picked up between the girls and I took the chance to ask about Somi’s injury. I tapped her knee. “How’s your ankle?”

“It’s better.” Somi answered back. “It still hurts but it’s better.” She then tapped my wrist. “How are your knuckles?”

I smiled at her. “It still hurts but it’s better.” She shoved me gently at my repetition of her words and laughed.

“So, when do we plan on moving again?” A voice caught all of our attentions. Leave it to Yeonjung to bring up survival when we finally just got a few moments of peace. The thought made my smile grow just a tiny bit more.

“When we’re ready.” Sejeong replied from next to me, nudging my shoulder with hers.

“Any of you have toothpaste?” Chungha mumbled, eyelids drooping. I looked over to her and saw that she most certainly just woke up from a nap, her hair messy. That’s probably why Sejeong and her were missing; she had gone to wake her up.

“I have gum.” Sejeong said and Chungha looked over to her expectantly. Everyone began to giggle when Sejeong stuck out the gum she already had in through her teeth. Chungha rolled her eyes and we were most certainly not expecting Chungha to lean forward and take it straight from Sejeong’s mouth.

It wasn’t even two seconds later until Somi whooped loudly and Jieqiong quickly joining in. Even I couldn’t help but laugh, more at Sejeong’s look of disbelief than anything else.

“Thanks.” Chungha grinned tiredly before leaning her head on Sejeong’s shoulder.

The chaos probably attracted a few undead but I didn’t want to let the mood die down. I stood quietly whilst the conversation continued and walked to the window, looking through the curtains and seeing only a few of them walking towards the building.

I looked over my shoulder and saw Jieqiong the only one not involved in the conversation, seeing her eyes set on me. I gave her a small smile before quickly walking to the room in which the machete was settled in and walking back out to the living room, only to be stopped in the hallway by Jieqiong.

“How many?” She asked.

“Two, maybe three.” I answered.

“Be safe?” She spoke gently. The way she looked at me made my heart flutter and I averted my eyes.

“I’ll go out the backdoor.” I said, clearing my throat. “I don’t want the girls to worry.”

Jieqiong patted my hand and lifted the corner of her lips just a little. “Okay.”

I slipped past her and was silent as I slipped out the back door, not wanting any of the girls to get too worried about me. I jogged to the gateway of the fence lining the large backyard and opened it with a bit of a struggle before quickly making my way to the front. I wanted to make it before one of them could start banging on the door. I want their happiness to last longer - just a little longer.

I stabbed one of them through the back of its skull just as it reached the front porch and shoved another one back just as I ripped the machete out of the other’s skull. I let out a grunt as I swung my hand and stabbed the growling one in the neck, kicking it to the ground and gritting my teeth as the spewing blood splattered across my cheek.

The last one was slower than the rest, a large chunk of its thigh missing. I took a deep breath and lifted the machete before cleaning slicing off the thing’s head. I looked around the street and saw that the rest of them hadn’t really noticed me and were all feasting on some dead roadkill a few ways down.

I walked to the backyard and saw Jieqiong standing at the back door, gesturing for me to enter. My heart skipped a beat as I closed the gate behind me and hurried inside.

Jieqiong’s warm hands were immediately on my face as soon as the door shut behind me. “You’re not hurt?” She asked me. I shook my head. “I’m fine.” I said as she wiped the rotten blood off of my skin.

She took hold of my free hand and tugged me deeper into the house, passing by the living room where the girls were still laughing. The mood was still light and happy. Mission accomplished.

Jieqiong pulled me into the room where she kept her stuff along with Chaeyeon and Yeonjung’s closing the door.

“That’s a lot of blood on you.” She pressed her thumb onto my cheek and swiped. I recoiled.

“I mean - I did just kill three of them.”

Jieqiong rolled her eyes and took the machete from me before digging into her bag and pulling out an old rag. She wiped the machete clean and tossed the rag back into her back, leaning the machete on the wall.

“You’re a good leader.” She stepped back and crossed her arms. “Going out there just to keep the girls happy? I’d say it’s plain stupid but…”

“But…?” I quirked an eyebrow. She shook her head.

“But nothing. You’re plain stupid.”

A laugh left my mouth before I could even think about stopping it and Jieqiong smiled at me.

“Do you even have any extra clothes?” Jieqiong then asked amusedly. The question took me off guard because no, I did not have any other clothes besides the one I was wearing. I haven’t changed since we had left the original house which was… a week ago? A little longer? A little shorter? I don’t know.

“I’ll take your silence as a no.” Jieqiong drawled and kneeled down to open up her bag. She tossed me a pair of torn jean shorts and a plaid shirt that looked awfully familiar.

After staring at the article of clothing for a minute, I raised an eyebrow “Isn’t this my shirt?” I asked in surprised, holding it up next to me as I stared at Jieqiong who gave a sheepish smile.

“You never asked for it back.” She said. A natural smile grew on my face as I shook my head in disbelief but also in adoration. She really kept my shirt with her after all this time.

Jieqiong’s cheeks grew pink as I continued to stare at her. She soon grew irritated.

“Just change, you jerk. You smell.”

“If you insist.” I smiled and stripped out of my clothing, leaving me in my undergarments. I peeked a glance to Jieqiong and saw her distracting herself by staring at the ceiling. I slipped on the fresh pair of clothing and held the dirtied clothes in my hands. “Thanks.”

Jieqiong hummed. She looked back over at me and I saw her scan my body before releasing a scowl. “You and your hairless body. It’s no fair.” Another laugh escaped me at her innocent envy.

I shook my head and opened the door, waiting for her to walk out before I did. She walked past me with a playful roll of her eyes and I followed her out. She and I sat next to each other on the couch as we joined the rest of the group.

“I used to have a dog.” Sejeong leaned her head on Chungha’s. “Luckily, he passed before any of this happened.”

“What kind of dog was he?” Sohye asked with her chin resting on her bent knees.

Mina answered for Sejeong. “A Jack Russell Terrier.” She grinned. “He liked me more than he liked her.”

“You fed him too many treats.” Sejeong gave a forced frown before breaking her playful facade and smiling. “He loved both of us, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Mina replied. I felt Jieqiong’s leg brush against mine as she bent them sideways, her left arm on the back of the couch as she stared down at the rest of the girls. I looked over to her and she shot me a quick smile before I looked away.

Too pretty.

-

The moon soon came out and the girls dispersed to their rooms after receiving their rations. Jieqiong was still sat next to me even as Doyeon and Yoojung, who were the last two, left the living room.

“You aren’t leaving?” I asked her before taking a sip from my water bottle.

“You aren’t?” She replied.

I looked over to her with a raised eyebrow and she countered me by raising her own right back. I scoffed and stood up. Jieqiong did the same.

“I’m glad we’re okay.” She said quietly. My eyes snapped over to her and saw her looking at me with a soft gaze. I nodded. “Me, too.”

She smiled and followed me down the hall. I peeked into each room as Jieqiong entered hers. When I looked into the room with Doyeon, I stuck my hand into her purple bag and pulled out my journal with the pen sticking out of it. Doyeon was staring at me and I raised my eyebrow slightly. She shook her head and I nodded, giving a knowing look to Yoojung indicating for her to watch her taller friend. Yoojung gave firm nod and a determined frown. I closed the door and entered the room Sejeong was in.

I plopped down next to Sejeong on the edge of the bed and opened my journal, writing whatever came to my mind. Sejeong watched with curious eyes as Mina and Sohye laid on the bed behind us, asleep.  

I was doodling a very messy, mutant-looking dog when I heard some thuds from up above. I looked up at the ceiling where it was heard and furrowed my eyebrows.

“Probably just birds.” Sejeong whispered - but I knew there was more to it.

I set the journal to the side and stood, getting a flashlight from one of the bags and clicking it on.

I held my breath and heard a few more thuds but they were lighter than before, like whatever was up there was trying to be quiet.

“Is there an attic opening? Have you seen one?” I asked her.

“In the closet.”

I went to walk to the closet but Sejeong stood and walked in front of me, eyes wide. She placed a hand on my chest to keep me from going any further. “Nayoung, just leave whatever it is alone.”

“It’ll be quick.” I assured her.

“Whatever it is up there will have the advantage on you because it is up above.” Sejeong spoke shakily through her teeth and it sent a chill down my spine as she acted like this. “Please. Don’t.”

My eyes flickered between hers and I could tell she was being serious. I really didn’t like seeing her like that.

So, I switched the flashlight off and sighed. “Okay.”

She let out a breath of relief and took a step closer. She circled her arms around my waist, hugging me tightly. It was then that I noticed the girl was trembling, shoulders shaking and fingers tightening on my waist. “I won’t. I won’t.” I whispered, wrapping my arms around her shoulders.

What we wouldn’t expect was the thing in the attic, in all its bloody glory, coming down to meet us the next morning.

-

They didn’t expect a power outage as they were walking to Somi’s house. Chaeyeon turned to look at the couple with wide eyes as the street lamps shut off entirely, drowning them in the dark night. Somi whistled slightly to calm down the nerves of the two girls next to her, knowing that they weren’t fond of the dark. “This town has always been poor.” She tried to lighten the eerie atmosphere.

Chaeyeon sighed and used her phone as a flashlight only to find her notifications blowing up. Her mom had called her ten times and her father, twelve. Her ringer had been off so she hadn’t heard it but seeing the amount of missed calls worried her to no end.

She stopped walking which made her two friends stop and called her mom.

It rang only once before the call picked up.

“Chaeyeon! Where are you!?” Her mom screamed. Chaeyeon flinched at the shrill scream that ensued afterwards. She began to shake at the panic in her mom’s voice. “Mom? Mom? What’s wrong? What happened?”

Somi gave her a worried look and Chaeyeon shook her head, showing that she was just as confused as she was.

“No! Don’t-!” Her mother stopped talking and the line cut off after another scream.

“Holy .” Dani whispered as she scrolled through her own phone. She tightened her hold on Somi’s hand. “We have to go. Right now.”

“I have to get home.” Chaeyeon gulped and tried to recall her mom.

“It’s not safe.” Dani let go of Somi and grabbed Chaeyeon’s arm. “Somi’s house is closer.”

Somi grabbed Dani’s phone to look at what she was looking at and saw the news articles and videos being posted. She gasped audibly. “Let’s go.”

“My parents…” Dani tugged on Chaeyeon’s hand. Chaeyeon’s call to her dad went through and it connected only for Chaeyeon to hear noises she never wanted to hear. Noises that didn’t sound humane in any way.

“Don’t come home!” Her dad screamed. The loud volume shocked Chaeyeon because her father had always been soft spoken. His voice was raspy as she heard loud thuds and screams in the background.

“Dad?” Chaeyeon whispered, phone barely held in her hand with shaky fingers. The line cut off and Chaeyeon tried desperately to call him again.

Dani tugged on her. “Chae, please.”

“What the hell is that?” Somi whispered as she saw a figure limp out from the side of her neighbor’s house.

“Somi. Your house. Now.” Dani gritted her teeth and began to drag a stunned and very confused Chaeyeon down the street. Somi saw her neighbor - or what used to be her neighbor - limping towards her. Even in the dim lighting, she can see what seemed like intestines dangling out if the hole in the side of his stomach. Somi nearly puked at that sight and she rushed to catch up with the girls, eyes glancing behind her with each step to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating. She gently pushed the two girls from behind as she neared them.

“Run.” She ordered shakily and took off in a full sprint towards her house with the two girls following behind her.

She saw her father in the driveway with his jeep.

When he saw her, he ran to her and kissed her forehead. “I was so worried.” He breathed out.

“Dad, what’s happening?” She asked softly and saw her mother in the car with her little sister on her lap.

“A lot, honey.” He whispered before his eyes looked over to Dani and Chaeyeon. “Help me get the other bags in the house. We have to pack the rest and then we can go. We have to move quickly.” He nodded to the three girls who all rushed into the house and grabbed all the bags they could, leaving everything else behind.

-

They didn’t last long. The highways were packed and infected were walking up and down between the spaces of the cars stuck in traffic. Her father cursed and Chaeyeon closed her eyes tightly. Somi clutched onto Dani’s hand with both of hers.

They all jumped when there was a bang on the front passenger window. Blood smeared across the glass and Somi’s mother held the youngest child’s head against her chest as the toddler whimpered. The thing continued to bang against the glass and Somi’s father put the car in reverse and crashed into all the other cars behind him. With the jeep’s large size, it barely put a dent in it.

He ran over the thing that had scared his girls and then turned to look at the three teenagers in the back.

“Grab a bag. Two if you can still run while carrying it. We’re stuck and we have to go on foot.”

“Dad, that’s not-”

“I know.” He interrupted, trying hard not to show that he was panicking. “Let’s go.”

-

It all happened too fast. Somi couldn’t believe it all happened right in front of her. Her mother grabbed by the arm, her father rushing to push the thing off. He ended up getting bit and her mother… her mother did, too. Her little sister screamed out for her and she tried to reach back but the thing bit into her tiny hand, snatching it clean off of the rest of her body.

She felt something grab her but felt two arms grab her and pull her away at the same time. She was running without thinking, crying without noise.

If it weren’t for Chaeyeon and Dani dragging her away then she’d be as dead as the rest of her family.

The sun soon rose and Somi still had silent tears rolling down her cheeks.

Just yesterday she had dinner with her family, her sister clumsily tipping over her glass of milk and her father laughing whilst her mother scolded the two of them. She just laughed.

And they had just died in front of her.

“Somi.” Dani patted her cheeks as they sat down on the top tower of a rundown playground. It was the safest place they could be. Besides, the playground was practically in the forest. Nobody would go there. “Babe, look at me.”

Somi shook her head and closed her eyes before immediately opening them because when she closed her eyes, she saw her little sister yelling out for her. She saw her dad crying as he ripped that monster’s hand away from his mother. She saw herself do nothing but stand there and stare.

Chaeyeon looked away from her friends and bit her lip to keep it from trembling. So much had happened and she was sure that her parents had died - sure that the rest of her loved ones had died.

She looked towards Dani, who was now hugging Somi in her arms, and was glad that she was there. She snapped them out of their daze whenever something would get too much. She was the one who gave out the warm hugs and whispers of comfort.

Dani was their rock.

And then she crumbled.

-

“Dani!”

The scream made Chaeyeon wake up instantly and she jumped up from the couch and ran to the room she heard it from. Her bestfriend’s girlfriend was standing by the doorway as Dani - what was left of her - stood from the bed with a faraway look in her eyes. Something inside Chaeyeon snapped and she pulled Somi back harshly, slamming the door closed.

“Somi, pack your things.” She ordered the girl as she ran to the living room to gather things.

“No… no, no, no, no.” Somi shook her head, trembling as she walked to Chaeyeon. “No, she was all I had left - no.” The words jabbed at Chaeyeon’s heart and she took a deep breath, flinching as she heard a bang on the door.

“We have to go.”

-

They had only ever been close because of Dani, she was their connection.

Had it not been for Dani, Chaeyeon would’ve never met Somi.

But now, Somi was all that she had.

As they walked down the dirty street riddled with dead bodies side-by-side, Chaeyeon realized that.

Somi was all that she had.

Somi had gone back to her regular self despite the she had experienced. Chaeyeon worried that she was faking it but Somi would give genuine smiles and genuine laughs to her.

They climbed up a treehouse when they heard an incoming zombie horde, the same one they had ran away from days earlier. The treehouse was small and they sat side-by-side.

“What’s your favorite color?” Somi asked randomly as the noise of the horde groaning and growling in the background grew louder and louder with each pasing second. Chaeyeon turned her head to the side to look at the girl.

“Pink.” She answered. “You?”

“I don’t have a specific favorite.” Somi shrugged. She had a leaf in her hand and seemed to examine it with intense curiosity. “You know, an animal called the mantis shrimp can see more colors than we do?”

Chaeyeon couldn’t hold back her giggle at the topic change.

Somi looked at her, confused. “What? It’s true. They have, like, a bunch of other spectrums in their eyes - or something.”

“Really?” Chaeyeon asked, more in amusement than genuine curiosity. Somi nodded excitedly, reminding Chaeyeon of a beagle.

“Yeah, that’s why I don’t have one specific favorite color because what if your pink is different than my pink? Like we have different color receptors - or something.” Somi was rambling at this point and Chaeyeon let her. The girl had been through a lot and yet she still hadn’t lost an ounce of her brightness. Maybe she had for just a few days, but she always bounced back up.

“What about your favorite food?” Somi asked after ending her ramble about color receptors.

Chaeyeon smiled. “Are you gonna tell me we don’t have similar taste buds?”

Somi opened to speak before closing it. Chaeyeon was right.

Chaeyeon let out another giggle and Somi crossed her arms.

“Some people have less taste buds than others.”

And as Chaeyeon let Somi transition into a bunch of other ‘What is your favorite ____?’ questions, she had one thought in her mind.

Jeon Somi was really easy to fall for.

otl i’ve been so busy but also so sick and bleh bleh bleh but hopefully this chapter didn’t rly make up for my absence as it was sorta lackluster yikes. I’M TRYING it’ll pick up next chapter bc :o the attic!! (also did y’all see chungha and sejeong dancing on each other at the debut showcase odg) more and more will be revealed about each character and if you think one of the girls havent been really talked about, don’t worry! they all have a purpose in this story!!! :D as always, votes and comments are appreciated! (i’ll try to reply to all of them as soon as i get the time!!)

-dd.