"Run and fight now and cry later, or you'll fall prey to the basic fact of life."
(A/N)Before we start, let me clarify that the current COVID thing is not a zombie virus. I wrote this to entertain, not freak you guys out. And also, this is a work of fiction- so of course there will be scientific inaccuracies. I apologize, but I've never been one for science, so excuse my lazy writing dear readers.
-Sincerely, JJ.
At first she just heard rumors about it, it seemed small at the time. It started by some kid from the Netherlands getting a bad cough. It blew up since he then started to show symptoms of rabies, then it mutated from there. Conspiracy theorists came out saying the sickness started from the outbreak of a bio-terrorist weapon. They called it the "Reaper Virus".
The news over exaggerated the facts, people swarmed the cities.
They all had an odd fascination with toilet paper though, I could never figure out why that was their thought process at the time. Humans are indeed strange creatures. It wasn't long until martial law was put in effect. People became cooped up inside their homes, and then suddenly it all just stopped.
The world… just stopped. Those things invaded the streets, and nothing mattered anymore. Nothing mattered but survival in that situation.
I lived in a very strict Christian household. My mother died in a car accident a few years before the outbreak. My father soon abandoned his side of God and became an addict to the local bar. Some nights in particular he liked to be abusive. All during that I still believed in God.
My elder cousin lived with us at the time, her parents were sent to prison after they were found in the possession of drugs, in which they even drugged her a little bit too.
My cousin knew many things, particularly on how to survive. This was because she had been kidnapped by a deranged killer before since she fit his criteria. She miraculously was saved nearly three months later. She made sure to drill all that she knew into me, it seemed like she knew something was going to happen.
I still remember that day clearly, despite the lock-down we foolishly decided to go to the park. We had been cooped up for too long and needed fresh air. That fresh air is the reason why my cousin is not here with me today.
"Haruka, are you sure we should be leaving like this? Aren't we under a lock-down from the "Reaper"?" I asked her nervously, I felt like I was committing a grave offence just going on a walk. In nervousness I grasped my cross tightly, which made my red-headed cousin roll her sky blue eyes.
"We're only going out on a walk Yui, we won't get in trouble for it." She stated flatly, which did little to calm my nerves.
We were walking in the local park, which felt so nice after staying inside for so long. Nonetheless, it was still a mistake. As we admired the nature around us, a strange sound plagued my ears.
"What's that sound?" I asked Haruka, confused. She narrowed her eyes, the freckles on her skin scrunched up with her face as she thought about it.
I was taken aback as Haruka's eyes widened, and she grabbed my hand hard.
"Haru?!" I called out in confusion. Soon she was dragging me along with her as she ran like the devils were on her heels.
"The "Reaper" is here, we need to go now!" Was all she told me as we ran for our lives.
What most expect from zombie films and movies is slow, groaning monsters. They move slowly and are easy to kill.
Oh boy were they wrong by a long shot.
They came screaming, screeching, howling. The opposite of what they were supposed to sound like. They sounded like true monsters as they came as a whole hoard. They climbed over each other to reach whatever human they could find, and they were faster than any human could ever imagine. Their bones were the hardest things to man, and they killed mercilessly.
Worst of all, those boney bastards had intelligence- well, at least some. So basically, if they saw you- you had to run like hell. Because if you didn't, they would smile devilishly as they leaped to where you were and ripped you limb from limb simply because they find it fun to do so. They had the memory of a 500-year old grandma though, so they shared that trait with the original versions of them. They also couldn't speak, and often forgot what they were doing so they can be shaken off with enough effort.
They hunted for sport, they didn't hunt out of instinct- they hunted out of sheer pleasure. They were the wolves and humans became the tiny, helpless rabbits.
Humanity didn't have a chance.
I estimated nearly 97% of the world's population had been killed. It was more of a theory though, since I never really saw the casualty numbers myself (it's not like there's anyone to document them anymore). With how difficult those monsters were though, it makes sense that that many people would die.
Haruka had been infected not long after the arrival of the Reapers,as I like to call them. It was because of me she was bit, she was bit saving me. She taught me how to survive the best she could. And once it was time for her to turn, as it varies per person (from three days to three weeks, it depends). I had to kill her in the one place that you can kill those things.
In order to kill them, you of course need to destroy the brain. But tell me, how do you do that when their skulls are harder than iron?
You grab a long weapon and jam it into their skull from under their jaw. Several times. Until they stop moving completely.
Most people just don't kill them though, since it's just too much of a hasle. They like to immobilize them by cutting off their arms and legs.
Because lo and behold, they can move even after decapitation. Oh dear heavens why hath thou punished us so? Did we take too much of thy holy toilet paper?
I carefully stepped on the rooftop of the local clinic. I was running a supply run, since I had cut myself badly the other day. A reaper jumped me, and I hit the side of a house in the scuffle. I was thankfully not bitten, but left with a large gash on my left arm. The house had a pipe protruding from it for whatever cursed reason.
Those things thankfully can't smell, if only that was the same for every other sense those things have. I shook my head at the delusion, if life were that kind then those things would've been easier to kill.
In order to have the highest avoidance rate, one usually had to travel by rooftop. Thankfully past survivors picked up that common fact, and were nice enough to leave boards and ladders about for fellow survivors.
"Thank you for the help, may luck be with you." I whispered as I placed a metal board on the side of the building as quietly as possible. I always said so, in case they were in trouble, it was a type of prayer I suppose.
I quickly made my way home, the bandaids on my arm getting more red by the second. My arm was dripping blood as I made it home, which was a convenient place. I had stumbled upon a house a few months back, it seems like it used to belong to one of those let's player guys. Which was good for me, mostly because of one thing- sound-proof walls. It was my saving grace in that city.
I zoomed into the room in record speed and planted my arm on the table in the back of the room. I pulled out the acetaminophen pills (Tylenol) and plopped a few in my mouth, I would need them for what I was about to do. I pulled out a bottle of alcohol.
With little hesitation I opened the bottle and spread it over my arm, which made me hiss out in pain, but bit my lip to stay quiet. Even with soundproof walls I had to be careful.
It was a painful process, closing my own wound.
"Reminds me of that one scene from that zombie game… I wonder if I'll get jumpscared trying to grab the bandages too?" I mumbled to myself as soon as I finished the stitches, it was mostly to distract me of the pain and the tears that threatened to fall.
And this, dear kids, is why you never jinx yourself.
I reached for the bandages, but flinched as I moved my arm, causing them to fall next to the door. I began to get a bad feeling.
"That was just a game… just a game…" I mumbled to reassure myself. I kneeled down to pick up the bandages and it was then bad luck struck.
One of the reapers broke through the door, I had been too loud. How could I had not heard it outside. Thankfully. It was a quieter one, so it was only that one. It snarled as its claws sank into my large red jacket. I took off the jacket faster than any human and threw it into the monster's face to temporarily blind it. I then took my handmade knife machete, a bunch of knives taped together to be long enough to hit the brain, and jabbed it through the bottom of it's jaw. The reaper stopped moving, and I grabbed my jacket from it.
"Gross." I hissed as I saw the reaper had dirtied my jacket. I hesitantly put it on and finally bandaged my arm.
I looked at my clothes from the earlier scuffle, I needed a change of wardrobe. My current clothes were bothersome and unethical for survival. I wore the same clothes as the day of the outbreak. A red varsity jacket from my cousin, along with a short-sleeved light pink shirt. The tan shorts didn't help either. At least the boots had been helpful.
Just as I pushed the body away and opened the door I was greeted with three more reapers.
"Crap!" I shouted as they pounced at me, I quickly shut the door. They tried to pry their way through the hole where the first reaper appeared, and it wouldn't be long until they got it.
"Think, think, think Yui! There has to be a way out of this!" I thought to myself desperately. I searched the room, but there was no window to go through, no vent to crawl out of. Nothing. Not even a weapon or piece of furniture to hold them off.
There was absolutely no way out of it.
"Am I… going to die here? Is this really how it ends?" I asked myself internally, knowing the answer. I was foolish, and it was the end of me. Tears threatened to fall, and I bit my lip.
"Remember what Haru said… "Don't cry for those grimy bastards, grit your teeth and fight it out till the end, don't give them that satisfaction of seeing their prey fear them. Give them the most annoying and bothersome prey of their lives, and make sure you help them remember it." Fight till the end.." I told myself, and backed up with my weapons. I pulled the table in front of me and readied myself for my end.
"Bring it you boney monsters, I'm not scared at all." My legs shook, and my teeth chattered. I was terrified. But that was ok, because Yui Komori was going to take them down with her.
The door fell down and they all pounced at once and I shouted at them as I pulled my machete up with my last stand. I shoved my machete up the jaw of one and used a keyboard from the desk as a shield to another one. The third one jumped under the table, and I attempted to kick it back.
"This is it…" I resigned myself as soon as the jaws on the third one opened to take a chunk out of my leg, and the second one ripped through the keyboard to nearly scratch my face.
But then two shot rang out. They were silenced, but put a quick end to what I thought to be my killers. I stood bewildered, and stared my pink orbs into red ones. A man stood at the door with snow white hair, and blood red eyes. He wore a black coat, and a necklace that wrapped around his neck, he wore an ordinary grey shirt, and black jeans with sneakers.
That man is the man who saved my life that day. And that day is also when the red string of fate united us together.
Chapter 1- end
(A/N:) Oh boy! That was a long chapter! You guys still there through that? If so please leave some reviews on if you want to see more! I also appreciate constructive criticism! Chapter two will be coming out tomorrow, so stay tuned!
-Sincerely, JJ