Act 6 “Despair”

Stepping in haste, he let the water beneath him splashed around his shoes. He could care less his whole clothes were ruined; he just wanted to stay alive and get out safely. Fear overcame his sweat and rapid heartbeat as hoarse screams after him from behind. He didn’t dare to look back because he knew it would only made things worse than they already were.

Throwing his last grenade, he blew every zombie behind him into balloon as dead blood splashed over his clothes and faces. He ran as fast as he could as he found broken barrels and hid behind them. He loaded his bullet and shot his machinegun crazily over the path he just taken, killing as much as the monster he could. Just when he thought things couldn’t get worse, he spotted two big figures coming from that direction. It was no other but the same kind of monster they fought in the lift before.

“Damn!” Changmin cursed as he shot the monsters’ head, he hit one on the eyes. Seeing his attack fruitless, he got up and ran again. Fighting his hard breathe, he just prayed he could somehow get out from the tunnel; he hoped this passage would lead him to the way out. It wasn’t long till he realized his hope vanished as he found himself in a dead end. The room was big enough for him to find hiding place but he knew he couldn’t fool the monsters long.

Hiding behind a huge pipe, he thought for any idea he could think of and he got none. Changmin tried to breathe evenly as he shot the first zombies he spotted. It wasn’t so long till he ran out of bullet and used his last stock of bullet to reload. Then, the two huge monsters appeared, making his tremor worse than ever.

“Is this the end? Damn it!” Changmin cursed over his breathe as he kept firing. His other hand was busy taking stuff from his pockets; he got one flash bomb, one smoke bomb, but no grenade. Just when he would lose all his hope, he found something he might be able to use. Actually, he didn’t even realized this, he still got one last bomb he got from Jaejoong when they’re blowing up the passage to the other wing of the hospital; it was fruitless struggle though, proved they couldn’t save anyone.

 “Grrrrr!!!” one of the huge monsters spotted Changmin and rushed to his side, attacking him with his body weight. Didn’t want to be turned into pancake by the monster attack, Changmin jumped up as he kept firing. He knew his weapon would only less than a minute. In high distance between the grounds, Changmin saw a leaking huge pipe; he knew it was the drain system from whole hospital in a blink eye. He knew what he should do.

“Arrggg!!!” Changmin hissed as he was thrown away by the other monster. Hitting his head on the ground, he could feel he began to lose his consciousness. No, he wouldn’t give up now! Shouting at his body, Changmin managed to get up and ran toward the draining pipe. He threw flash bomb to make the zombies went mad for a few seconds; blinded by the light. Changmin jumped and climbed toward the huge pipe, he threw his last smoke bomb for another try to get the zombies more confused. He did it, at least he thought so, till he was thrown on the floor again, with the same attack as before.

Cursing, Changmin could feel his sight blurred. He didn’t want to give up, he didn’t want to die!!! He wanted to live, please, if there’s God, please let him see sunlight one more time. He hated being in this dark tunnel, alone, dying, and scared.

Before he closed his eyes, Changmin could see blurry vision that the monster was ready to crush him into pieces. Changmin began to lose all sense of his body. He waited, yet, the pain never struck him. It was a few minutes later that he opened his eyes once again, just to discover he was hidden behind some barrels and Jaejoong was right beside him.

“Hyung?” Changmin weakly muttered.

“Changmin ah! Thank God, you’re okay!” Jaejoong managed to speak between his struggle to keep his gun loaded and kill the zombies. Changmin peeked as he saw one of the huge monsters was dead; it had to be Jaejoong.

“My gun won’t last long,” Jaejoong spoke as he cursed himself to not get more bullets from Yunho. Yes, he didn’t want to leave Changmin and that’s why he told Yunho to get Yoochun and Junsu out first. He knew Yunho didn’t like or maybe wanted to drag him out from this nightmare, but the man didn’t have any right to tell him what to do. At least Yunho though so; it’s easy to understand the man’s thought, Jaejoong had to admit.

“Don’t worry, I have an idea,” Changmin finally able to get up as he continued,” See the water pipe there? It’s from the hospital and if we blow it, massive flood will attack these zombies, including us. It might be suicide plan but that’s the only plan we have.”

Jaejoong nodded, giving his approval,” I’ll blow it up, meanwhile, cover me.”

“But, hyung! Your leg!” Changmin wanted to protest but he couldn’t. He knew no way he could be the bait; he could barely stand.

“Don’t worry, I can run,” Jaejoong smiled one last time before he gave his guns to Changmin and rushed toward the pipe, which was few meters away. It was weird, Jaejoong knew, he was supposed to be so weak right now, especially because he was infected by the virus from Yoochun’s blood. But he felt better and better as time passed, even his broken leg seemed to heal magically.

Meanwhile, in the other side of the tunnel, Yunho was struggling to use his bullet wisely because he had to admit, he gave Jaejoong too much his. He’s lucky, Junsu and Yoochun still got enough bullet and they could storm bunch of zombies in their way out. Yunho got no idea where those zombies came from; he thought he should have eliminated them before, but they just kept coming.

“Hurry up!” Yunho called as he let the two men walked in front of him. Taking the back cover, Yunho walked backward and couldn’t see the front. He cursed when he slipped over someone. Getting up fast, Yunho threw a grenade to the zombies and some flash bomb. That would buy them some time.

“Yunho hyung,” Junsu’s voice was dead worried and soon Yunho knew why. Yoochun was curling up like a ball as the man shivered, in deep cold. Yunho got Yoochun on his back as he told Junsu to run fast. Yoochun was beginning to lose his temperature again, like before.

“Is he going to be okay?” Junsu asked.

“He’ll if he gets out from here before he transforms and gets the meds,” Yunho answered the obvious question. They kept running till they’re out of breathe but they didn’t stop. They’re dead worried, especially Yunho because he wanted to turn back that moment to save Jaejoong and Changmin, but he couldn’t.

“Grrrrrrrr!!!” a hoarse deep scream came after them from behind as Yunho fastened the speed. He told Junsu to not look back and kept running. They managed to do so, at least before a huge monster broke the ground beneath them.

“Take Yoochun and go!!!” Yunho shouted to Junsu,” The exit isn’t far; I’ll take care of them.”

Junsu wanted to protest but he couldn’t. He got Yoochun as he jumped from the broken ground, heading toward the exit. He was so scared; he was alone with Yoochun unconscious and they could encounter those monsters again. Moreover, he almost ran out of bullet. Breathing hard, Junsu did his best to keep running but his legs betrayed him as he slipped and hit the ground.

Getting up as fast as he could, he spotted some zombies near Yoochun as he madly shot them. Junsu got Yoochun back as he was on feet, heading for some light he spotted few meters away. Yet, he lost his balance once again as the ground vibrated in tremor, sending him to hit the ground again.

“Junsu…” Yoochun mumbled as he opened his eyes hardly,” Are you…okay?”

“I’m…fine!” Junsu faked a smile as he coughed up blood. Damn, he had to break a rib or two as he felt some deep pain on his chest. Ignoring his pain, Junsu once again got up as he helped Yoochun. Both of them struggle to get into the light. The journey seemed like forever as they seemed to not move even closer to the light. Yet, they didn’t give up.

Their consciousness began to betray them as the light began to hypnotize their sanity. They wanted out but could this really a way out? There’s no zombie near them, yet, the pain and fear still didn’t leave them alone. Junsu coughed once again as he felt his breathe began to shorten. He felt like drowning all of the sudden as he realized what’s really happening. His broken ribs had to stab his lungs and filling them with blood.

“Junsu…” Yoochun could blurry saw his childhood friend bleed out from his nose and mouth,” Please…tell me you’re okay…”

“I’m---“ Junsu felt on the ground flat and so was Yoochun. Terrified, Yoochun fought his coldness, numbness, and weak muscles to get up and move toward Junsu. He could see Junsu was barely breathing.

“Please hang in there, Junsu ah!” Yoochun cried out; he suddenly had his strength back as he got up and took Junsu. He ran toward the light and this time it seemed the light began to blind them. Yoochun kept running till he was out of the tunnel and weapons were pointed to his head by the black-clothed army.

“Please save him! I beg you, please!” Yoochun screamed,” He’s drowning in his lungs of blood! Please!!!”

I didn’t take long before the army realized they’re indeed human and called paramedic. Yoochun wanted to fight when they took Junsu away from him but his consciousness betrayed him. He lost the strength as he almost fell on the ground. Luckily, one of the soldiers caught him.

Yoochun could feel his numbness and coldness all over his body once again. He felt like dying from the pain that just got back to his body. Blurry, before he lost his consciousness, he spotted Junsu with some paramedic team tried to save him. Yoochun closed his eyes; hoping Junsu would be okay and if there’s miracle, he wanted to be alive as human being when he woke up.

Deep down in the tunnel, Yunho was still busy shooting his last bullets. He knew Yoochun and Junsu should make it out now and he wanted to get back to save Jaejoong and Changmin, yet, he needed to get more ammunition. That meant he had to get out first before returning in. Cursing, Yunho knew something was wrong from the unknown tremor that hit the ground few minutes ago. His hunch was soon answered as he saw massive water flew toward him.

Getting up and running as fast as he could, Yunho rushed toward the exits as he could hear the zombies’ scream behind him because they’re drowned. Yunho cursed over and over again as kept his legs moved faster and faster. He eventually reached the exit and spotted his army waited for him. All of them splashed by the water that eventually hanging on the tunnel surface.

“Are you okay, Yunho?” one of the soldiers asked but Yunho could care less. He didn’t answer as terror hit him. The tunnel was full of water and no way was he going in, except diving. That meant, he couldn’t imagine but the worst possibility of Jaejoong and Changmin were still being alive and drown somewhere inside the tunnel.

“Damn it!” Yunho cursed,” Get me diving equipment, fast!!!”

The soldiers did his order as he tried to get some breath. Yunho got up on his feet fast as he reloaded his weapons. He felt so tired and his muscles began to give up; he knew it. Fighting his body with undying spirit and mind, Yunho managed to get his ammunition and diving suit ready in three minutes. He brought more stuff on his waterproof bag. He had to be ready for everything.

One of Yunho’s comrades wasn’t sure whether Yunho should go back to the tunnel. The man said Yunho had to reach his limit already but Yunho didn’t give up. Then, he got an idea; it’s the only way he could have his strength back.

“Where’re they taking Yoochun? I mean the infected one?” Yunho asked as he rushed to the tent his comrade pointed to. He needed blood, the infected one blood.