Mean Streets:
Road rage isn't the only rage to worry about.
Mugi watched Sawako stare listlessly at her television. When it was clear that Sawako wasn't up to the task of packing a bag, Mugi sent Sumire off to pack one for her. It was as much to give Sumire something to take her mind off of what they'd been through, as it was to help Sawako.
There were screams, and the crash of breaking furniture, coming from the apartment next door.
"We should've parked closer," Sawako said, clutching her belly.
"We'd have been mobbed getting in," Mugi replied, pouring a cup of tea. Her hands shook, and she fought to hold them steady. She tried to push the horrors to the back of her mind ... to focus on the simple, cleansing, act.
"Here you go, Sawako-sensei," she said. "Maybe this will settle your belly."
"Thank you, Mugi-chan," Sawako said, gingerly accepting the cup.
"Sumire-chan, tea," Mugi said, looking over her shoulder. Sumire looked up from the suitcase she'd placed on Sawako's bed. The look of disbelief, Mugi thought, was adorable.
The screaming next door stopped. There was the sound of a door being flung open, and someone staggering down the walkway. Sawako, Sumire, and Mugi froze, and listened in silence.
"I feel terrible," Sawako finally said, staring into her teacup.
She looks terrible, Mugi thought, with a quick glance toward her keyboard bag. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head violently. What was she becoming? She'd killed one monster, and now she was seeing them everywhere.
"Mugi-chan, are you alright?"
"I'm sorry!" Mugi replied. "I ... uh ... I was just thinking of how we're going to get to the school, that's all."
"Leave that to me, girls," Sawako said, pulling herself upright. "There's some side-streets I'm sure aren't jammed up."
"Okay," Mugi replied. "Just a moment please, I'm going to try again to reach the others."
She excused herself, making the short trip into Sawako's kitchenette. She took out her cellphone and thought for a moment. Who was she most worried about? Yui? No ... Ui would be there, so Yui would be okay. Mio? The quiet, sensible, girl surely wouldn't do anything that would get her into danger. That explanation applied double to Azusa.
Ritsu it would be, then.
Mugi pressed 'Send,' and prepared to repeat the exercise as many times as it took to get an answer.
"H-hello?"
"Ricchan, it's me, Mugi."
"Mu ... Mugi?"
Mugi frowned. "Ricchan, are you alright?"
"I'm fine!" Ritsu replied, but Mugi could sense how forced her sudden cheerfulness really was. "Really ... say, have you met any ... um ... zombies?"
"Zombies," Mugi echoed. The unfamiliar syllables stuck unpleasantly in her mouth.
"You haven't," somehow Ritsu sounded very, very disappointed. "I'm sorry to have ... "
"No, no, no!" Mugi abruptly cut her off. "I just ... I don't know that word."
"Oh," Ritsu replied. "Probably should've seen that coming. Anyway ... zombies ... y'know ... anyone sick with the flu turning into bloodthirsty, undead, killing machines?"
"That's what they are?" Mugi replied. "Ritsu! Did you ... "
"Y-yeah, you could say that. I guess you did too."
"Yes," Mugi replied, turning the new word over in her head. Zombie. "Listen, are you guys headed to the school?"
"The school? Why would we go there?"
"I'm at Sawa-chan's apartment," Mugi replied. "She said the government's made the school an evacuation zone ... I thought you guys knew ..."
"It's been a bad day, and I haven't been out much," Ritsu replied. "Mio didn't say anything about the school ... she's with me now."
Mugi swallowed. "Are the others with you too?"
"No," Ritsu replied. "Just Mio, my baby brother, and me."
"Where are you?"
"We're going to Mio's house ... her parents, and a whole bunch of others, tried to get a head start on evacuating. They must've run into a whole bunch of zombies, 'cuz she got separated from them. We're hoping her parents made back home okay."
"When you get there, stay there," Mugi replied. "We'll come to you, and we'll go to the school together."
"Are you sure? If you're at Sawa-chan's place, that's going to be a long way out of your way just to get to us ... and Sawa-chan's car won't fit all of us."
Mugi blinked. She hadn't thought of that.
"We'll think of something, I'm sure," she replied. "And I would feel better with you guys with us."
"We'd just be a bigger target," Ritsu said.
"No!" Mugi replied. "We can protect you! I will protect you!"
"You and what army?"
"Well ... um ... " Okay, how to go about telling Ritsu this? "How about two shotguns and a couple hundred shells?"
Mugi heard something crash to the floor on Ritsu's end. She took a deep, shuddering breath; honesty had never done her wrong before.
"I ... wow ... guess I should've seen that coming too," Ritsu finally replied. "You and your ... uh ... guns are welcome anytime, Mugi-chan. Just, uh, bring 'em on over. We'll be waiting."
"Okay. We'll be there as soon as we can," Mugi said. "Be safe, Ricchan."
"Same to you, Mugi. Doubly so."
The line went dead.
Ritsu frowned at her phone, and then picked up the baseball bat from where it had fallen. It had impacted on a glass coffee table, somehow, not cracking it. Mugi was going to bring guns? That must mean that she must've actually had to kill zombies. She had the momentary thought of trying to call her back, just to ask her if the zombies needed to be shot in the head ... but the thought of her dead parents, still locked in their room, told her all she needed to know.
The tears threatened to overtake her once more, and she angrily stomped her foot into the carpet until her ankle hurt and the urge went away once more. She would not cry! Too much was riding on Ritsu remaining strong, somehow, until her baby brother and her best friend was safe.
"Ritsu," Mio said, standing at the doorway. "What happened?"
"I-I just dropped my bat," Ritsu replied, turning to face Mio. "Actually, Mugi just called. She's at Sawa-chan's right now. Just told me the military's gonna start evacuating people at the school; and she wants to meet up with us at your house."
"But, Sawako-sensei's apartment is on the opposite side of the school from where we are."
"That's what I said," Ritsu replied. "But Mugi-chan insisted. And ... " she walked right up to Mio, and whispered into her ear. "She's got guns!"
"Eeek!" Mio's squeal struck Ritsu like an icepick to the temple. When Ritsu opened her eyes, Mio had already turtled-up, crouched down with her hands over her head.
"I ... I ... I'm not letting an ar ... ar ... armed madman into my house!"
"Mio! It's Mugi who has the guns! You know, our Mugi. Sweet, gentle, richer-than-God, Mugi," Ritsu said, her cheeks burning. She just had to do it ... to try to get predictably hilarious reaction out of Mio. Only now it wasn't funny.
"Mio," Ritsu said, kneeling next to Mio, gently leaning on her shoulder. "I'm sorry for telling you in the way that I did, but it's true. Mugi-chan wants us to wait at your house for her, she's bringing guns because it's gotten bad outside, and she wants to protect us."
"You should be sorry for telling me like that," Mio replied. "But g ... g ... guns, Ritsu? Are we going to start shooting people just because they're sick now?"
"Hey," Ritsu said. "I'm all for letting Mugi do the shooting. That girl's stronger than an ox! I'm sure a shotgun would knock me on my butt, just like in the American movies."
"Ritsu!"
"Sorry, sorry," Ritsu replied. "Mio, listen to me. This 'flu' is different. At some point, those sick people stop being 'sick,' and start being super-aggressive zombies, driven by a hunger ... a hunger for human flesh! "
Mio squealed again.
Thwack!
And then it was Ritsu's turn to squeal. Mio's blow to the top of her head was hardly telling, but Ritsu sprawled, just the same. This time, the tears did come.
"Mio, I'm sorry," she said, staring up at the ceiling. "I am so sorry," she repeated, sniffling. "I-I'm trying to get us all ready to stick together, and what the hell do I do? Some leader I'm making ... how the hell did we even stay friends?"
"Stupid Ritsu," Mio said, crawling over to look down on Ritsu. She stroked her forehead, and then wiped the tears from Ritsu's cheeks. "We're friends because nobody understands us like we do. Even if you don't always use your powers for good. Y-you don't have to explain zombies to me ... I've seen them, I can almost believe what you're saying. I ... I ... I'm just not sure I could murder someone, zombie or not. But ... but that's why you have to lead. You're strong where I'm not!"
Ritsu sniffled and smiled up at Mio. "You're certain I could kill zombies ... which qualifies me to be the leader. That's the most backhanded compliment I think I've ever heard, Mio-san." She exhaled sharply, reaching up to touch Mio's shoulder. "Don't sell yourself short. You're plenty strong too, Mio. Even if you don't think so." She hoisted herself into a sitting position, looking into Mio's eyes. "But, I really am sorry, Mio. I'm sorry that I don't use my 'powers' for good. I'm going to try to be good from now on. I promise you that."
Mio shook her head. "Don't be ... too good, Ritsu," she said. "Ritsu is Ritsu, and it would feel weird if she weren't."
"Did you get hit on the head on the way over, or something," Ritsu replied. "I could've sworn you just talked like Yui."
"Yui understands way more than she lets on," Mio said. "Regardless of what the rest of us might say about her."
Ritsu regarded Mio with a speculative look, but then shook it off.
"Yeah," she replied. "Well, it's time we got going." Stay here too long, and there'll probably be a whole horde of frickin' zombies between us and your house, Ritsu thought, not daring to say it.
"Yeah, okay," Mio said, rising to her feet and offering a hand to Ritsu.
"Thanks, Mio," Ritsu replied. "Let's see if Satoshi wants to come out of his room."
"Maybe it would help if we did something for your parents," Mio suggested, almost immediately blanching.
"Like what?" Ritsu replied. Mio winced at her tone of voice. Ritsu smiled weakly. "I'm sorry, Mio ... but seriously, what can we do right now? Can't get through to emergency services, and even if we could, I can't imagine collecting the dead will be high on their list of things to do."
"You could ... you could wash them," Mio replied, her voice small. Ritsu noted that there was no "we" anywhere in there. She shook her head, sadly.
"I'm not ready to see my parents like that yet, Mio. I don't think Satoshi is either. The best we can do is leave a note on the front of the house ... for when we can go home." If we go home.
Mio nodded solemnly, still looking very pale. Ritsu extended her hand to her childhood friend. "Let's go get Satoshi."
"Leave me alone!" Satoshi yelled from behind his door.
"But Satoshi, we have to go. It's not safe here anymore," Ritsu replied, patiently.
"Because of you!"
Ritsu stared at the door, not sure what to try next. She felt Mio's hand on her shoulder.
"Satoshi," Mio said. "Listen to me. Your sister's right. If we stay here, there may be a lot of bad people coming over."
"I'll protect the house. I'll protect Mommy and Daddy!"
"Satoshi, do you think your parents would want you to get killed? I think that would make them very sad if they knew you were going to get hurt just because you didn't want to leave."
"I'm not going to get killed."
Mio looked back at Ritsu, and then at the door. "How about you prove it, then? I need to go back to my own house, and your sister has to come with me ... but ... it'll be just us two girls. Out on the streets. Alone. With the," she paused and swallowed, "zombies."
The door unlocked and swung open. Satoshi looked up at Ritsu and Mio. His eyes were red and puffy, and Ritsu wanted nothing more than to sweep her baby brother up in her arms, but a look from Mio stopped her.
"Yo," she managed.
"I'll ... I'll go with you," Satoshi said. "But only to protect Mio-senpai!"
Ritsu half-smiled. "Well, I guess you'll be needing this, then," she said, offering the baseball bat. Her brother snatched it out of her hand.
"Thanks," he said. "It was mine anyway." He backed into his room. "Just ... l-let me know when you're ready." The door clicked shut, leaving Ritsu to stare at Mio.
"How did you ... " Ritsu started to say.
"Men. Are. Animals," Mio mouthed silently.
"Okay," Ritsu said, turning away from Satosh's door. "Satoshi, we'll be waiting for you down in the kitchen."
Mio and Ritsu made their way downstairs and into the kitchen. Ritsu opened the cabinet, and hefted a frying pan.
"Mio, take something," she said.
"No! I ... I ... I just told you I'm not ready to murder!"
"Mio," Ritsu said, reaching up to put her hand on Mio's shoulder. "I'm not asking you to do that. I just want you to have something to, you know, maybe push them out of the way."
"I said no!"
"Mio, do you know what happens when a zombie bites you? You become one too. Do you really want to end your days as a ravenous, bloodthirsty, flesh-craving ... "
Crash!
Mio was clutching another skillet. Everything that was stored on top of it was now scattered all over the floor.
"Mio!" Ritsu said.
"Don't 'Mio' me! That wasn't very nice, Ritsu," Mio said, shaking the skillet at Ritsu.
They heard the sound of feet dashing down stairs. Satoshi appeared a moment later, holding the baseball bat with white-knuckled grip.
Ritsu looked at Mio, and then at Satoshi. She hefted her own frying pan and grinned.
"I guess this means we're ready to go."
Tap, tap, tap.
That was the sound of Ritsu hammering a note to the door of her house. The note that announced that her parents were inside, dead, from the flu. It seemed like such an impersonal, cold, thing to do ... "my parents are dead and my whole world is coming apart at the seams ... let's leave a note so that, maybe, someone not running for their lives will have the time to take care of their bodies?" Why?
Yeah, why? Was it because Ritsu didn't think she'd be coming back? She gripped the handle of her frying pan and tried to stop thinking.
"Okay, guys, let's stick together, okay?" She said.
"Hey!" Satoshi said, waving his baseball bat. "I-I'm the man here!"
Ritsu smiled. "Well then, Tainaka Satoshi-san. What are your directions?"
"Umm ... "Satoshi stared at the ground for several moments. "Uh ... everybody stick together?"
"Okay!" Ritsu replied, forcing some cheerfulness into her voice. She exchanged a glance with Mio, who then regarded her own skillet with a distasteful look. The sun was setting, and light filtered through drawn curtains of the windows of some houses. Many more were dark ... she'd heard the sounds of vehicles pulling out, and concerned voices in the hours after Satoshi had locked himself in his room.
She wrapped her scarf tighter around herself, eyes darting to and fro.
"Aiyee!" Mio screamed. Ritsu wheeled on her, bringing her pan up.
"Mio! What's wrong!"
With a trembling hand, Mio motioned a little off to the side. "D ... d ... d ... de ... "
"It's a dead body!" Satoshi said, his eyes growing wide. Ritsu followed their gaze, and felt her bile rise in her throat. Lying face-down, just off the street, was the body of a man. Beaten and bloody.
"R ... R ... Ritsu ... " Mio whispered.
"Not now, Mio," Ritsu replied. "We've barely made it ten meters down the street. You can't freak out yet. You hear me. No freaking out!"
"I ... I ... " Mio swallowed, her face pale. "I'll try," she squeaked.
"Let's be respectful," Ritsu suggested. "Don't stare."
They hurried across the street, yet none of them could take their eyes off the dead man. Ritsu noticed scratch marks, and bite-marks. Just like on Dad, came the uninvited thought. She took a shuddering breath … that meant that while they were fighting their little family drama, there were zombies outside.
Sirens howled in the distance as they picked their way down the residential street. There were houses with doors flung open that stood darkly against the fading sunlight. In the lengthening shadows, Ritsu could see still forms. Human forms, with trickles of deep red running from them, down driveways, and onto sidewalks.
There was the wet, heavy, sound of a day's meal being thrown up onto cold pavement. Mio coughed miserably.
"Ritsu," she said. "Wait, please?"
Ritsu slowly turned around. Mio had her hands on her knees, her vomit splattered on the pavement.
"Oh Mio," she said, swallowing hard. "Do you want some water?"
Mio spat, and wiped her lips.
"I want to get out of here, that's what I want."
"I-I'm with you on that," Satoshi echoed, his voice small and weak. He gripped his bat tightly, holding it out like a talisman against some ancient evil. Ritsu tightened the grip on her frying pan. They hurried down the street, focusing on the pavement in front of them.
"Oh hell," Ritsu said, skidding to a halt. She just happened to look up, as they were approaching the first main road heading towards Sakuragaoka. The street was snarled with a number of cars. Cars that were still running. Cars surrounded by broken glass, with doors pulled open ... and their occupants lying dead in the road. Men, women, and even children, were scattered among the automotive carnage. Pools of blood gleamed in the glow of the afternoon sun and of car headlights.
Ritsu's stomach rebelled, and what little she'd eaten came up. She fell into a violent coughing fit as her stomach kept heaving, though there was nothing left to give.
There were several low growls. Ritsu forced herself to look up. Scattered among the carnage, she could now see there were several figures still upright. Some staggered between the cars. Others leaned against them, or were propped against them, or just sitting in the street. Slowly, they started to unfold themselves from their positions of misery, facing Ritsu, Mio, and Satoshi.
There was more growling and snarling, as the undead began to stagger toward them. A couple of them screamed, and began sprinting toward them. That scream spread, faster than even the flu, with individual zombies howling, groaning, moaning, and screaming. The screams came together into a howl that seemed to come from everywhere at once. Ritsu's stomach suddenly felt as though it'd gone into freefall, with every hair on her body standing on end.
"Oh no," Ritsu moaned. From the trees and bushes, and from dark "empty" houses, they came. From up the street, down the street, and over the walls, they came. Human-shaped things, wearing human clothing, human bodies, but bearing psychotic, murderous, bloodthirsty animal minds.
"Run! " Ritsu screamed. Behind her, Mio screamed. Even Satoshi screamed. She turned in the direction she knew Mio's house to be, and she ran.
Out of the corners of her eyes, she saw lurching, galloping, figures encroach on her field of view. Zombies … closing in on her, her brother, and her best friend. Behind them, other zombies raced in, all eagerly reaching out with dirty, bloodstained hands.
"No!" Ritsu screamed, swinging wildly with her pan.
Wham! The pan made contact with something. A zombie staggered back, but another was already taking her place.
Crack! And that zombie went down, but Ritsu gained another precious meter.
Thud! The sound of a baseball bat impacting on a zombie's fleshy midsection.
Ping! The edge of Ritsu's pan clipped a zombie's skull, sending it sprawling. There was a solid-sounding thump, as Satoshi swung at another zombie with everything in him.
"Keep moving!" Ritsu screamed, batting down a claw-like hand with her pan. Rough hands clutched at her jacket, and she swung wildly in their direction.
Mio screamed, and screamed. With each scream came the whistle of a skillet shoving air out of its way.
A hand seized Ritsu's wrist, trying to yank her arm with it. Ritsu screamed, striking out with her free hand, her feet, anything to free her from the zombie's grasp. She saw a flash of wood, heard the crack of a bone being broken by the force of a bat, and felt the grip slacken. She yanked her arm free, and swung her frying pan into the zombie's face. Something hot and wet splattered her face, but she didn't dare stop.
Behind her, the hollow metallic note of a skillet hitting flesh rang out ... Mio's first blood. Ritsu grabbed the edge of her pan with her other hand, shoving forward. She'd always excelled at P.E. and at sports, and it showed, as she sent a couple zombies stumbling back out of her way. A wild, two-handed, swing connected solidly with another zombie's face, and Ritsu heard the sickening crunch of bone as the zombie dropped, like a puppet with its strings cut. The meaty, wooden, sound of a solid chunk of wood meeting not-so-solid flesh thudded in behind her, and she brought the narrow edge of the pan down on the arms of another zombie.
And, in the very last rays of sunlight, she saw an opening in the horde.
"This way!" She screamed, lunging forward, charging into the gap like one of those American football players she'd seen on television. And then she was free. A quick glance behind told her that Satoshi and even Mio had emerged with her ... with a mob of zombies now at their heels.
"Run! Run! Run!" She charged ahead, down the street. Her heart hammered the inside of her chest, accompanied by the sounds of thudding footsteps echoed behind her, and the beastly panting, grunting, and groaning of the newly undead.
"Satoshi!"
"Behind you!"
"Mio!"
Mio half-screamed and half-sobbed, and Ritsu took it as encouragement. Somewhere behind them, sirens wailed, and the thunderous footfalls of the horde slackened, and lessened. But still, they ran, each breath Ritsu took filled her mouth with a bitter metallic tang. Her legs burned with every step. Her hand and arm hurt with every jolting step, threatening to undo her white-knuckled grip on her blood-spattered pan.
There! The Akiyama house! They ran for it with all they had left. They staggered up the walkway. They slammed into the front door.
"M ... M ... Mio ... k ... k ... keys," Ritsu gasped. Mio's skillet clattered to the concrete and she thrust her hand into her pocket, coming up with her keys. Her hand shook violently, and behind them, several zombies snarled, dashing up the street.
"Hurry!" Ritsu cried, as Mio struggled her keys. Satoshi dashed down the walkway, back toward the street, screaming and swinging his bat.
"Satoshi!" Ritsu screamed, dashing after him. A zombie grabbed his bat, and yanked it from his hands. Another yanked at his hair and he screamed, stumbling backward into the fists of another zombie.
"No!" Ritsu screamed, charging into the middle, swinging violently. Metal impacted against flesh, but was met by the sharp, stabbing pain of zombies kicking at her shins. Stars exploded at the edges of her vision and she staggered forward from a fist delivered to the back of her skull.
"It's open!" Mio screamed. Ritsu frantically swung her pan in a broad arc, forcing the zombies back just far enough for her to snatch up Satoshi's wrist in her free hand, and for the two of them to stumble toward Mio's door. She threw her frying pan away, and with strength she didn't know she had, picked up Satoshi with both hands and bodily threw him through the doorway, staggering inside a split second later.
Somehow, she slammed the door, turning every lock she could find. She collapsed against it, just as it jolted with the pounding of angry fists and feet. She shut her eyes tightly, leaning back against that door, pushing against it. She heard sobbing somewhere, but she pushed it aside, bracing herself against the kicking and beating. Her thighs and calves burned, and her back, and her head throbbed. Just as it felt like it was going to be too much, the kicking and beating subsided, and then, as suddenly as it'd come, the onslaught was over.
Ritsu leaned back against of that door, panting heavily. When she looked back down, she saw Satoshi on his hands and knees, his own lunch now part of the Akiyama household carpeting. And Mio ...
"Oh no, Mio," Ritsu said, pushing herself off the door, crawling to her best friend's side. Only then did it strike Ritsu how dark it was inside the Akiyama house. How quiet and still it was. Mio's tears flowed uncontrollably, for they had made it, but they'd made it alone.
"You can't go that way, ma'am," the police officer told Sawako. He was dressed in a bulky police overcoat, and he wore a surgical mask under his broad policeman's cap. Mugi frowned from her position in the front seat. They'd stowed Mugi's keyboard bag, and the rest of their bags, in the seat next to Sumire's.
"Why not?" Sawako replied, staring at the officer.
"There were reports of riots that way, ma'am. And that's not going toward the evac center. Everyone needs to head to the evac center ... the JSDF has already airlifted in troops."
Riots? Mugi thought, her heart sinking. Immediately, she bowed her head forward, clasping her hands tightly together. Mio and Ritsu were in the direction of the so-called 'riots.'
"But we have family that way," Sawako said. "We can't just leave them behind!"
"I'm sorry," the officer replied, "but it's too dangerous that way. I cannot let you through."
"I'm begging you," Sawako said, blinking fiercely. "My Oba-chan lives there. She's 93 years old, and she can barely walk. If we can't get to her I ... I ... I don't know what's going to happen."
The police officer looked at her, and then at Mugi and Sumire.
"Well," he finally said. "Look, pull off to the side of the road, in front of my police car. Let me wave this next group of vehicles through to the evac point. When they're out of sight, I will let you through ... but just know that you'll be on your own. We're just not equipped to handle violence like this. I'm terribly sorry."
"We deeply appreciate it, sir," Sawako replied, bowing her head as best she could.
As they pulled in front of the policeman's squad car, Sawako dropped her forehead against the steering wheel. Mugi stared at her ... Sawako looked very tired.
"Are you feeling all right, Sensei?"
Sawako looked up at Mugi, her eyes red and bloodshot. "I'll be fine, Mugi-chan," she replied. "Do you think better of me now?"
Mugi smiled. "I've always thought the very best of you, Sawako-sensei."
Sawako managed a chuckle. "Enough to let me dress Sumire-chan in a camo bikini?"
Mugi's smile froze on her face. They had to reveal their guns to Sawako, to convince her to let them bring Mugi's Korg bag with them. To Mugi's astonishment, Sawako seemed unfazed by the appearance of a pair of shotguns in her apartment. If anything, her eyes light up with that old Sawako mischief as she eyed Sumire and then exclaimed "I've got the perfect accessory! I will make you two sexy action heroines!"
"When we can have tea again, I promise you the very best tea and treats," Mugi finally replied. "Your choice."
"But I so wanted to see Sumire-chan in a cute li'l two-piece bikini," Sawako replied miserably. Sumire shot Mugi a look that said How do you put up with that?
"Anything's open to negotiation, Sawako-sensei," Mugi replied, running a hand through her hair and puffing out her chest.
"Ma'am," the police officer interrupted. "I don't see anyone else coming, so you can go on through now. Just remember, you're on your own."
Sawako thanked the officer and carefully threaded her car through the small gap. Mugi looked into the encroaching twilight. Some houses had lights on, filtering through gaps in blinds. Most were dark. As they turned a corner, Mugi was dazzled by headlights, just as Sawako slammed on the brakes, throwing Mugi against her seatbelt. Sumire screamed as Mugi looked up again ... the headlights were closer, brighter, and bigger.
"Damn it," Sawako snarled, cranking the steering wheel over hard, driving the gas pedal to the floor. The box truck weaved drunkenly down the street, sparks exploding from its sides as it sideswiped the few parked cars that remained at the curbs.
There was a loud bang as Sawako's car slammed into the curb. Mugi barely had time to register the event as the truck smashed into the back of the car, spinning them around and whipping Mugi against her seatbelt, bouncing her off the car door and her seat. There was the horrible sound of rending metal as the box truck scraped against Sawako's car, before swerving off down the road.
"Is ... is ... everybody okay?" Sawako was the first to speak.
Mugi gingerly unbuckled herself. Her body protested the move, but nothing felt broken.
"I am, Sawako-sensei," Mugi replied. "Sumire?"
"I ... " Sumire gasped. "I'll keep, Onee-chan."
Mugi looked back at Sawako, who stared down at her dashboard.
"Sawa ... "
"My car," Sawako moaned. "My beautiful car."
"Sawa-chan," Mugi reached over to put her hand on Sawako's shoulder. Sawako's head snapped up at Mugi and a sound like low growl came from her throat.
"Don't. Touch. Me," Sawako growled, causing Mugi to yank her hand back. Her eyes then met Mugi's, and she looked away.
"Mugi-chan, I'm sorry ... I don't know what got into me there," she said, after a few more moments.
"It's okay, Sawako-sensei," Mugi replied. "This isn't the best situation."
"No, I guess not." Sawako said. "What do we do now?"
"I guess we walk the rest of the way," Mugi replied, unbuckling her seatbelt. She pulled on the door handle, and there was a loud pop as the door flipped open. "Sumire-chan," she called out. "Would you be so kind as to unzip my case?"
"Of course, Onee-chan," Sumire replied. She unzipped the bag, and the two shotguns glinted in the twilight.
"Is that a good idea?" Sawako asked, looking into her rear view mirror, as Mugi opened the back door.
"If we get jumped, I'd rather have them in-hand," Mugi replied, taking her shotgun, slinging it over her shoulder, and then accepting her bag from Sumire. Sumire slid over, and carefully extracted herself form Sawako's car. Hesitantly, she took the other shotgun, and did her best to mirror Mugi; as Mugi loaded hers up.
"Fair enough," Sawako finally replied as she opened her door. Mugi and Sumire exchanged a look.
"Hold on," Mugi said, catching the car door, staring out into the thickening darkness.
"I hear something," Sumire added. Their encounter with the truck hadn't gone unnoticed. Emerging from the shadows were a handful of ... people?
No!
The figures emerging from dark houses and behind bushes growled at them, and began to sprint toward Sawako's car. Mugi pushed Sawako's door shut and hesitated ... most of them still looked like people. Not bloodthirsty monsters.
"Onee-chan?" Sumire said, eyes wide as she stared out at the rushing zombies.
The figures rushing at them looked like people ... but so did that first zombie ... the one that nearly killed Sumire.
KA-BOOM! Mugi's shotgun went off, almost on its own accord, only a zombie dropped in response. The others kept coming.
KA-BOOM! She fired again, catching two, sending them staggering.
Thunder spoke next to Mugi as Sumire followed her lead. Mugi reached into her pocket for a couple more shells, feeding them into her shotgun. A zombie reared up in front of her, blood staining its lips and teeth. Mugi screamed in surprise, her shotgun firing twice in quick succession. Sumire fired again, and again. And then there was a click when she pulled the trigger on an empty chamber.
"Onee-chan! What do I do!" Sumire shouted.
"Reload!" Mugi replied, cutting down a zombie making a lunge at Sumire. "Just like I showed you! Hurry!"
Sumire struggled to fish shells out of her pocket, Mugi shoved several zombies who were trying to jump her, and then felt cold hands grip her arm tightly, trying to pull her away from Sumire.
"No ... Nooo!" Mugi was hauled back as two other zombies grabbed her. Sharp pain exploded from her ankle as one kicked at her.
"Onee-chan!" Shotgun shells clattered to the pavement as Sumire dropped them and swung her shotgun like a club. The swing connected, and one of the zombies holding Mugi slackened its grip, letting her twist free and drive her elbow into its gut. Quickly, she got a grip on her shotgun and drove the butt into the face of another one of her attackers.
"Sumire! Reload, reload, reload!" Mugi cried out, clubbing a third zombie, knocking it off its feet. A fourth swung at her, its fist catching her square in a breast. Her eyes watered and the zombie drove its other fist into her gut, knocking the wind out of her and driving her up against Sawako's car. Somehow she managed to recover enough to bring her knee up into its groin and then shove it back with her shotgun.
KA-BOOM! The zombie's face became a horror show of shredded tissue as Sumire shot it. Mugi pushed herself off Sawako's car, reaching into her pocket for more shotgun shells. Sumire's shotgun spoke again, sending another zombie sprawling before it could reach Mugi.
"Watch out!" Sawako screamed from inside her car. That scream came at the same time as another one somewhere off to Mugi's side. She barely had the time to look to the sound before ... flying ...
Mugi's breath exploded out of her, sharp pain radiated from the back of her skull, and she saw stars as she and her zombie assailant crashed to the unyielding ground. Somewhere she heard the clatter of her shotgun hitting the ground. The zombie recovered first, straddling her, making ready to pummel her with its fists.
KA-BOOM! Blood splashed on Mugi's face, and the zombie collapsed on top of her.
"Onee-chan!"
"Mugi-chan!"
Swimming into her vision, she saw Sumire, and then Sawako, looming over her.
"Onee-chan! Are you okay?"
"Z-zombies," Mugi murmured.
"They're gone," Sawako said, somehow getting her arms under Mugi, lifting her to a sitting position as Sumire struggled to push the dead zombie off her. Mugi shook her head.
"Sawako-sensei, Sumire-chan, thank you," she managed, reaching up to feel the back of her head. There was no blood, but it sure did smart.
"Onee-chan," Sumire replied tearfully.
"Sumire-chan," Mugi smiled. "You did good. You'll be a … a combat maid in no time," she added. It was Sumire, after all, who introduced her to the wonderful world of manga.
"I like the sound of that," Sawako added.
"No," Sumire replied, looking down at the shotgun in her hands. "But I'll do anything," she squeezed her eyes shut, "anything to protect my Onee-chan and serve my Tsumugi-ojousama."
"Sumire ... "
"Let's get you up," Sawako said. "We should get to Mio-chan's house."
"Right," Mugi replied, as Sawako and Sumire helped her to her feet. "It's this way, I think," she added. "Sumire-chan, did you happen to see where my shotgun landed?"
"I did," Sumire replied. "I will fetch it for you." Mugi frowned at the suddenly hollow, distant, tone of Sumire's voice. She wanted to go comfort her, even cry with her. She blinked the tears away; there'd be time for that later, right? They just had to make it Mio and Ritsu, and they'd all go to the school and get evacuated somewhere safe. Surely, there'd be time to mourn innocence lost.
Sumire returned, holding out Mugi's shotgun. Mugi forced a smile to her face and accepted the gun, reloading it and slinging it onto her back.
"Let's go," she said.
Somehow, the rest of the walk to Mio's house went without fanfare. They passed a tangle of cars and dead bodies. Somewhere off in the distance they could hear the sound of gunfire and the sounds of sirens wailing. There were screams and shouts in the distance as well, and Mugi wondered just how fast people were turning.
There was retching and splattering behind her, and Mugi stopped, turning to look at Sawako. Her hands were on her knees, and she was hunched over a puddle of something oily-black and smelling of death and decay.
"Ugh," Sawako groaned, coughing. "I-I guess I just can't hold anything down. I'm sorry, girls."
"It's all right," Mugi replied. "We'll be at Mio-chan's home soon, and you can rest."
"Rest," Sawako echoed. "Yeah ... rest sounds good. Yeah ... it's just a stomach bug. I'll rest and I'll be good to get you girls to the school in the morning."
"You will," Mugi replied. She caught herself gripping her shotgun just that much tighter. This was their Sawako-sensei ... their Sawa-chan! She sternly told herself that, if she, Sumire, Mio, and Ritsu were immune, then surely that meant that not everyone who was sick with something was going to become a zombie.
"Come on, let's go. Mio-chan's home is at the end of this block."
They crossed those last few meters in silence, save the occasional soft moan of misery from Sawako, and the odd gasp from Sumire as she began to sound distinctly winded. Mugi had to force another pleasant smile onto her face as she knocked firmly on Mio's door.
"Guys," she said. "It's me, Mugi! We're here."
She waited. Moments passed, stretching out into the silence. And then, there was the sound of a deadbolt being retracted and the lock being undone. Very slowly, the door opened, and Mugi found herself looking down at a pale, terrified-looking boy.
"Hello, Satoshi," she said, the name of Ritsu's brother coming to her just in time.
"Um, hi," Satoshi replied sounding very tired.
"May we come in?"
Satoshi looked blankly at Mugi, and then nodded jerkily. "Sure," he said, stepping out of the way. Mugi closed her eyes, and then stepped into the Akiyama household.
"Mugi," she heard Ritsu say. Ritsu, too, sounded very tired. She opened her eyes, and saw Mio and Ritsu. Mio was curled up on her couch, and Ritsu sat next to her, rubbing her shoulder.
"I'm glad you could make it," she said.
Mugi nodded. Her eyes swept the scene before her, as she heard the door being closed and locked behind her.
"I will go start tea," she finally said.
Author's Notes:
- Yui's group will return in Chapter Five.
- The girls finally fight their first zombie hordes. Guess the Director isn't fooling around anymore.
- Japanese police really aren't very well equipped. For instance, unlike American police officers, Japanese police still carry .38 Special revolvers (and not when off-duty.) Japanese riot police make it a point not to carry firearms at all, and the Japanese version of SWAT teams are all controlled on a national level, as opposed to the American model, where individual departments frequently have SWAT teams.
- This chapter has been revised from its original version. Things have been cleaned up a bit.
- Comments and reviews would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!