In a corroded basement, Yoo Seungho rested on a torn and rusty couch. His height outran the furniture, and his feet hung beyond the arms of the old furniture. Footsteps began approaching him head-first. "Are you sleeping again?" A calm voice mumbled beside him. "After all these months, how you manage to sleep so peacefully through all those soulless cries still amazes me."

Soulless cries. That's right. Coming from above the basement's ceiling, the eerie gibberish was heard. The owners of the outlandish language were zombies; their whole family had been killed, so they turned and were out to kill. All four of them—Seungho’s parents, his twenty-six year-old brother, and his five year-old nephew—had been locked up there. Kyungsoo was his only remaining family and his living, older brother.

Kyungsoo took only enough steps to reach his destination. Across from Seungho, now before Kyungsoo, were five mounted shelves on the wall for storing canned food and water bottles. He sighed at the depressing sight. "We'll have to go on a diet again.... There’s only a week's worth of food left." The owl-eyed man lost his appetite at the thought of a single verb: gathering.

The slumberous Seungho sat upright, eyes remaining stationary under his eyelids. Four fingers gently stabbed the outer skin of his eyes and stretched them open. Kyungsoo smiled at Seungho, revealing his straight white teeth, while he held Seungho's eyes open. "Wakey, wakey," he called with tenderness.

The younger slapped his brother's hands away using the back of his right hand and shut his eyes again. On the side Kyungsoo chuckled happily as if he were a happy virus. "Seungho, I'm going out to gather some more supplies. I'll be back later, okay?"

Seungho pretended he hadn’t heard and sat quietly. Seconds later, his older brother motioned to leave, and he couldn't help but grab his forearm. "I'll go." He reached under the cushion, supporting his legs, and slowly extracted a 357 Magnum. The younger fellow scanned the gun and checked that everything was in place. Kyungsoo objected to his proclamation.

"You have been gathering for the last two months; let me go this time. I need some exercise anyway." Kyungsoo argued, and his younger brother eyed him once before facing forward again.

"You can do that in here,"

"Seungho...,"

"Day by day," Seungho raised his voice to confirm that Kyungsoo would listen, "Day by day their numbers are growing. In addition the chances of surviving are dropping. I've seen it. The conditions two months ago are nothing compared to this day, hour, and minute." There was a long pause before he got off the couch and stood beside his brother, who was two inches shorter. "I'll be back. I won't let you starve." Seungho took a few steps to the side when Kyungsoo stopped him.

"Th-then, g-grab me a candy bar too...." Kyungsoo requested shyly.

"I know," Seungho answered and headed over to grab the stretched-out brown backpack on the counter.

Seungho's heavy boots clicked against the stone and wooden tiles as he made his way toward the only exit: the one beside the door that lead up to the house. He turned to face his older brother, who was now standing behind the door made up of even silver bars. When he was positive that Kyungsoo was safe, he got his gun ready and reached for the doorknob. Lifeless moans and groans could be heard behind the door; he took deep breath before pushing it open with all his strength.

He shut the door and saw three zombies lying on top of one another, their dried flesh reeking and their gray, rotten skin peeling. When one, who appeared to be a woman, tried to get up, Seungho kicked her in the head, detaching it from her body. More attacked him from the right side near the top of the staircase. Two zombies were visible and slowly made their way to him. With perfect aim he blew off their heads with two bullets.

Kyungsoo jumped up from his seat, beads of sweat forming on his temple. His owl-like eyes widened, and he bit on his thumb's nail to control his racing, nervous heartbeat. Silently he prayed for Seungho's safe return.

A crowd of more than ten zombies were after Seungho, but his targets were those standing in his way. Luckily for him, zombies dragged their feet and walked at a pace that a human being would normally walk while texting or reading.

The bloody teenage girl in a high school uniform approached him from the side and was instantly killed when he shot her in the head. Her already dead body fell to the ground with a thump. Without having to look back he knew the gap between him and the dead ones was growing rapidly.

At the front entrance of a bar, he kicked the door open, and dust polluted the entrance, fogging his vision of what was inside. When he could clearly see the whole tiny building, he stepped inside and shut the door behind him. Below the broken and dusty register was the candy section; he bent over an inch and grabbed Kyungsoo's favorite: Hershey bars.

He heard the floor creak and pointed his gun directly to an old man's forehead. The man flinched and held up his hands in surrender. "Wait, don’t shoot!" Seungho squinted, then cautiously returned his arm to his side. It was another human being. The last humans he’d seen besides Kyungsoo were his whole family on the night before they were attacked and turned. The old man chuckled nervously. "Th-thank you."

Seungho noticed that the man's face was covered with a mixture of dirt and sweat. His hygiene in general was horrible. He ignored greetings from the man, ripped the backpack off his back and began packing canned foods, beverages, and more goods until he could barely find any space left for it. He eyed the man and realized the man had been talking to him. "Okay?" The man asked.

"Were you talking to me?" he zipped the backpack and tested its weight with one hand by lifting it up and down a few times.

The old man's jaw dropped, and he found himself confused. "Ah, yeah...."

When Seungho was satisfied with the result of his trip, he tossed the knapsack over his back and carried it with one arm. "When you leave be sure to lock the doors."

"What?"

Without waiting to hear the man's story, Seungho walked over to the door. Walking towards him a zombie was seen, and he quickly shot it in the head. The man chased after Seungho, and before he could say another word, Seungho was already making his way down the sidewalk. The old man struggled to lock the doors and kept his eye on Seungho. This was his only chance to escape loneliness.

While trying to stop himself from running into Seungho, he stomped across the cement. "Excuse me," the old man started, but he was cut off when Seungho stopped in his tracks and faced the man. "I-I locked the door like you've asked." He began.

"Why are you following me?"

Such an emotionless question made the elder uncomfortable. He cleared his throat before answering. "I, uh.... I, hmm.... I wanted to tag along with you.... It's scary and lonely out here." The man rubbed his dirty hands together. He let out a chuckle to ease the gloomy atmosphere. "O-of course I'd help get supplies and other items too that you may need. I can even build you a car. I worked as an engineering mechanic for two decades so I have experience in that. My wife used to nag me to build our children's cars and--" Seungho began walking again when the old man's negotiation transitioned into a life story. "Hey, y-young man! Please wait up," the man called after him.

At the entrance to the basement the old man gasped at the sight of the pile of three zombies. Without anyone willing to remove the motionless top body, the two zombies at the bottom were bound to remain lying in that stack.

Seungho despised the sight of them trying to reach for human flesh and their soundless cries. His gaze met the man’s, and Seungho pulled away first to finish off the last two. Pointing directly to the face of the top zombie, he pulled the trigger. One bullet killed the two instantly, their waving arms dropping against the stairs. The old man's attention was fixed on the three zombies, and before he knew it, Seungho shut the door behind him and locked the man out. "Kid!" He cried, slowly maneuvering around the stinky pile.

Kyungsoo shot up from his seat and took a few steps to welcome Seungho back. Beside Seungho, the banging and calling of the old man could be heard. The younger lad fished for the Hershey bar within his jacket pocket and handed it to Kyungsoo.

"Seungho, is that a man I hear?" Kyungsoo asked, still focusing on the door across the short hall. Seungho pulled the door of bars shut and made his way to the shelves. He emptied the bag as he stocked the supplies. "Seungho?" Kyungsoo called once more to get an answer.

"The bar is running low on equipments and supplies, so from now on cut down on your meals. Seems like other people use that place as well." Seungho explained and quickly wrapped up his stocking. He turned around when Kyungsoo didn't answer and saw Kyungsoo letting the old man inside. The two quietly shut the door and froze when they realized they had been caught. Seungho folded his arms over his chest in disappointment.

Seungho sat alone on the couch while Kyungsoo and the man faced him. "So because you saw Seungho, you followed him to the bar, then back here to take refuge?" Kyungsoo asked, making sure he was updated on what happened. The man nodded, and Seungho avoided their gazes.

"My name is Park Jun Gyu. I've been out and alone for at least a month.... Please let me stay here." He begged, and Kyungsoo easily agreed.

"It's not good to be out and about all alone anyway. We can take you in--" Kyungsoo explained, but Seungho interfered.

"We'll give you what you need and you'll be on your way," Seungho stated without blinking. Jun Gyu's face grew sour, and he turned to Kyungsoo, begging him with his eyes to lend him a hand. Kyungsoo got the hint and quickly asked Jun Gyu to stand by the stairway while he persuaded his younger brother. Jun Gyu did as he was told and stood by the staircase that lead to the living center of the house.

Kyungsoo sat beside Seungho. "Seungho, let's have him stay with us. It's bad enough that he's out and alone, especially at his age." Kyungsoo pushed for Seungho to reconsider, but Seungho was stubborn and firmly retorted.

"More people mean more supplies. More supplies mean more time outside the basement and it's not easy to clean up places that will have enough food to feed us,"

"Seungho, think about it again. What if that was one of us? What if we lost one another and found another group with supplies; wouldn't it be bad if they declined to take us in?"

Seungho drew in a heavy sigh, and when Kyungsoo thought he had agreed, Seungho stared him in the eyes. "That won't happen. I wouldn't ask anyone to take me or us in. I'll protect you, so just give the man what he needs and push him out." Kyungsoo's pale face was washed with disappointment when he finished. He wasn't sure how to tell the poor, old man straight up. Before he could reason some more, they heard Jun Gyu's loud screech. Seungho quickly got up and readied his gun as Kyungsoo's eyes widened with fear.

Seungho saw that the door that separated the basement from their family was open. Jun Gyu ran for his life to the door and then down the stairs to Seungho.

"ZOMBIES!" He cried. Seungho's eyes filled with both rage and anxiety as he readied his gun. Jun Gyu jumped onto Kyungsoo, and with his unexpectedly large weight Kyungsoo was pushed into the center of the room. Kyungsoo tried to calm the old man down, and then they heard Seungho fire his gun. Seungho walked up the stairs and fired some more, bodies of their dead family members rolling down the steps and onto the cement of the basement. Kyungsoo winced at every gunshot Seungho fired. On the ground Kyungsoo saw his lifeless mother's eyes staring into his. As much as he wanted to embrace his mother again, her appearance was destroyed. Seungho ceased fire, ran down the steps, and eyed them.

"Get in there!" He shouted at them and pointed to the short hallway located between the door and the exit Seungho came in earlier. Kyungsoo and Jun Gyu do as ordered before Seungho got in after them and shut the door of bars. Kyungsoo stood a little behind Seungho when a crowd of zombies pushed their way down the stairs and into the basement. Kyungsoo's eyes showed pure horror.

The three stayed in the hall with the zombies pushing against the doors, their hands and arms reaching for the three shamelessly. Kyungsoo rubbed his face with his palms out of frustration. He sat in between his younger brother and the old man, who had caused the mess. They sat in silence until an idea hit Seungho.

"Let's clean the house and stay up there for the time being."

"W-what?" Kyungsoo asked, still shaking from the number of zombies that had been living in their home.

"Old man, since you caused this, you'll help me instead. Kyungsoo, stay here until I come back for you." Seungho stood up, and Kyungsoo grabbed the leg of his pants.

"No, I'm coming too."

"No, we need someone to distract them here. Plus it's too dangerous--"

"Seungho!" Kyungsoo angrily pulled himself up to his own feet, "Why can't you ever listen to me for once? I'm older than you, so it's my job to protect you," Kyungsoo stated. Seungho didn't reply, instead grabbing Jun Gyu by the sleeve.

"Stay close." he warned and then exited the basement with him, leaving Kyungsoo alone.

Seungho took the first step onto the porch, and the broken floor cried at his steps. Without worrying about Jun Gyu he walked through the opened front door and scanned the smelly and dusty house. He clutched his gun before fully entering the middle of the house. Jun Gyu's footsteps were heard following his tracks. When they were sure all the zombies were downstairs, Seungho shut the door and locked it.

He checked the kitchen for any leftover canned food, and upon opening the sink's cabinet the zombie of his nephew grabbed his forearm. The boy quickly went for the bite, but Seungho placed his palm against the raw forehead of the boy after dropping his gun. Behind Seungho, Jun Gyu stabbed the boy's head with a kitchen knife, and when the boy dropped against the wood, they sighed in relief. Seungho looked up and saw Jun Gyu panting. He turned to Seungho and smiled.

Regaining his composure, Seungho shut the cabinet's doors and grabbed his gun before standing up. Jun Gyu chuckled. "That was close...." he mumbles, and Seungho eyes him with a serious glare, silencing him. "D-did you know the boy?" Jun Gyu suddenly asked. Seungho looked up, then quickly down at his gun. He loaded the gun with bullets from his pockets.

"Jonghyuk was his name; he was my nephew," Seungho answered without looking at Jun Gyu. "I'll check the whole house on my own to see if there's anything we can take with us." Seungho orders before disappearing into the hallway. Jun Gyu's lower lip protruded into a sulky pout; then he got to work. Since Seungho was slowly answering him and giving him orders, it must have meant he'd been accepted for the time being. That was all Jun Gyu had wanted.

Seungho kicked down the door to the room that was once his. His bed was still made, covered with his black blanket, and his computer hadn't moved an inch since he had last touched it. He sighed deeply and left without looking back. He cleared the rooms one by one and ended up in the last room: his parents'. He placed his hand gently on the doorknob and regretted the past; if his parents had closed the door to their room that night they would be alive. If they hadn't screamed when they were attacked, his oldest brother wouldn't have run to see what was happening. Then he wouldn't have left the door open for the dead to get his nephew. If Kyungsoo wasn't listening to music while he was sleeping, he probably would have opened his door as well. As for Seungho, he didn't want to think about it. It was too painful.

The younger entered the living room to find the old man admiring a hairpin belonging to his mother. He smiled as he turned the green ornament in his dirty hands. He quickly hid it behind his back when he sensed Seungho's presence. He slowly eyed Seungho, hoping the younger wasn't going to make fun of him, and to his surprise he didn't. "I'll go get Kyungsoo. He might want some time in here before we leave," is all he said before exiting the house. Jun Gyu waited for him to fully disappear from his sight before taking out the hairpin and admiring it some more.

"It's exactly like the one you wanted, my Yoo Jung." Slowly a zombie made its way to the front of the house.

Seungho opened the door and couldn't see Kyungsoo. "Kyungsoo, Kyungsoo!" He hurried into the room, and the only attention he received was from the zombies. They began gathering behind the door of bars again, trying to get to him. "Kyungsoo!" Seungho's face was flushed with worry. He quickly shut the door and took a look around the house. The cracking of broken sticks and dried leaves was the only sound he was making; he was too worried to even breathe.

The old man had his back turned to the entrance as he lifted the ornament over his head and let the light bounce off it. He released satisfied noise through his throat, and the zombie came closer as it was already inside the house, making its way across the living room. When the zombie was ready to attack, it's cries and groans caught the old man's attention. He spun on his heels, his face washed with horror. A metal stick stabbed into the zombie's head from behind, and it fell to its knees before dropping over. Jun Gyu’s heart stopped for a few seconds until his breathing picked up. "Th-thank you for saving me." He said under his breath. Across from him Kyungsoo was panting as well.

"You're welcome."

Seungho's breathing finally picked up. "Kyungsoo!" He glanced around for any signs of Kyungsoo, but all he could see was a few zombies sensing his call and slowly heading his way. On the brink of breaking down, Seungho decided to head back and have Jun Gyu help him look. While heading toward the hall he saw the dead zombie and heard laughter coming from the room. He hurried in and stopped his in steps when he spotted Kyungsoo and Jun Gyu discussing the owl-eyed man’s collection of anime and manga.

"This is Prince of Tennis" Kyungsoo pointed to the cover of the manga in his hand. Jun Gyu took a good look at it and nodded.

"Oh, the cartoon is handsome." He commented, making them laugh. It pissed Seungho off how Kyungsoo didn't stay behind like he had been ordered to, and the fact that the two were laughing comfortably in here without worry angered him.

"You're laughing?" Seungho asked, directing the question to Kyungsoo but making both of them jump. Kyungsoo dropped the manga to the ground and stood up. Jun Gyu, who had been sitting on his knees, got up as well. Seungho scoffed in disbelief. He turned away when they got up onto their own feet. Then, finally, he locked eyes with Kyungsoo's. "You were here? When I went back and you weren't in the basement, do you have any idea how worried I was? The thought alone of you, of you turning into one of them, and you were here laughing?"

"Seungho, I’m sorry... I thought, I thought I should follow on my own since I heard the door to the basement being shut. So I thought it was alright if I came in... I'm sorry." Kyungsoo couldn't find any more excuses; he had wanted to come because he hadn't wanted to wait all the time. He was always waiting. He was tired of waiting.

He'd been locked in the same basement for over two months, and he had had enough, mostly because he had wanted to prove to Seungho that he was not afraid to stand beside his brother or to go out on his own without his brother always worrying about him.

"I'll keep watch. Pack what you want; we're moving." Seungho toned down when he realized Kyungsoo already felt bad for what had happened. Seungho left them alone and headed into the living space.

"M-move?" Jun Gyu asked and turned to Kyungsoo, "I thought we were going to stay here, no?" Kyungsoo turned around and looked at all the items in his room.

"Since this was once home, he probably doesn't want to stay here." Kyungsoo said weakly as Jun Gyu nodded, and quickly he helped Kyungsoo pack what he wanted.

Seungho had his arms folded across his stomach, his gun poorly shoved into his concealed carry belt around his waist. It was sunset, the sun beating against the horizon causing an explosion of orange and red colors. It was almost night time, the living’s worst nightmare and Seungho's only nightmare.

End of Chapter 1