A.N.: I'm back! I've basically been absent for…. Over 1 year. But, man…. 2019… what a year. I've had a lot of things happen to me. 1st time taken to a hospital with an ambulance (heart condition that's stress related, nothing I can do about it, just try to live healthier), rejected from a PhD program due to a technicality, fought with a coworker (several times and ended with me quitting because that bastard ain't going nowhere), etc…. What a year, ain't it? Anyway, I'm starting a new venture and I bring news that might be controversial with you… I decided that I will create an account in a certain coffee purchasing platfrom for creators and a ptrn (add vowels here) account to help sustain myself with my writing.
The main reason is because I quit my job to start my own company, but at the same time I still need to supplement my income as being an entrepreneur isn't that easy to start. In addition, I will also aim to create a series of original content that I will publish in the ptrn. I apologize for this decision, but this way I hope to be able to update way way more frequently and stably. I will publish a short update when I start both the beverage purchasing and vowel deficient accounts; hopefully with another new chapter.
Before we start with the new chapter, let's answer the reviews.
Eating Upside Down: thank you for the information. It's quite fascinating that different species act differently in regards to their offspring. Hope you enjoy the new chapter.
River king: Thank you
Tracenix: thank you for the well wishes. To answer the question, in short: yes. It'll be a bit of a slow development, but I'm still hoping to follow the canon until a certain point. The main diverging point will hopefully be in the next couple of chapters.
HOTD Lover: I'm hoping to create a redemption arc for her, but yea… I know how it's a bit of a controversial choice. For the other stories, yes I will. I actually have a writing schedule now, but for some reason I keep going back to this story so I hope to be able to finish the next chapter in 2 weeks. Sorry about that.
Oddballzebra: I apologize, I don't know whether to take that as a praise or criticism. I might have accidentally hammed it up too much I admit; I'll try to tone it down to a more believable level.
NoNNer3Harley-D: That's a good suggestion. I'll try to include more of that.
rbear1231: Thank you
FheQo: Sorry I don't understand what you wrote, but thank you nonetheless.
Melancholy Reade: I completely forgot about that scene in chapter 6. It's in chapter 7 though.
Lawrence HBain: Indeed, this is part of what I was aiming for. Hopefully it'll be more believable when it's unraveled.
Boomer14: Thank you! Well, hope you enjoy the new chapter
Chapter 11: The Running Dead
Takashi and Kouta ran to the sound of distress. They didn't know who it was, but they'd be damned if it were one of their companions. Both teenagers followed the voice to a furniture store where they found one of the mall-dwellers who had pushed Shizuka down on a bed. It didn't take a genius to figure out what he had in mind.
With their guns hidden away, Takashi rummaged through his pockets for anything he could throw to distract and hopefully injure the mall-dweller. Finding a small knife, he flicked it open and threw it to his shoulder.
Shouting in pain, he didn't even realize Takashi was not the only threat. From behind, Kouta looped a length of fishing wire around his neck and pulled. The garrotte might had been improvised, but it was effective. Gasping for air, clawing at his neck… his life was in Kouta's hands and he was not feeling merciful today.
"Are you OK, sensei?" Kouta asked. His grip on the garrote was not slacking in the least even as the mall-dweller was struggling and flailing his limbs.
"I… I'm fine. He didn't do anything to me yet… Thank you." She stood up shakily and almost lost her balance before Takashi offered to carry her.
His prey finally slackened, but Kouta was not taking any risks and made sure to tie him up with some torn sheets. They still needed to take shelter in the mall for now and making enemies here would not be in their best interests.
Xxxx
Back in the lingerie shop
"I saw them here." A teenage girl whispered to her companion. They both wore the uniform of Fujimi High School and had been staying in the mall since the 2nd day of the outbreak. They had tried to find people willing to bring them to their families and if needed, to rescue them. However, not a single one of them were able to nor interested.
Their best bet was the police officers, but it seemed even they had their hands tied. The weapons hidden by Kouta and Takashi gave them some hope… if they could convince the other group to help them, they could reunite with their families. If not, they would steal the guns and do it themselves.
"Don't tell anyone. Now come on, we gotta follow them."
Xxxx
At the group's base, sports store
"We'll have to go soon." Saya declared. She had heard the boys' explanation and now she was sure that this mall was far less safe than expected. Not only would they have to protect themselves against the possible incoming Them, they will also have to deal with potential human threats.
"This was only a pitstop anyway, so we might as well prep our escape. Let's get our guns back and see if we can get some supplies for the road. We're leaving tomorrow right before sunrise." She continued.
"Ca… Can you take us with you?" a girl asked from the storefront.
"Ichijou-san and Niki-san?" Shizuka recognized the two of them as Ichijou Misuzu and Niki Toshimi; both students in Fujimi High School. The question was, how did they manage to get here?
"Can we go with you? We want to look for our families, but we can't survive out there. We have no fighting experience and I don't think we'll last very long against those… things." Misuzu said.
"We… we promise to help out where we can, we're not asking for handouts. We can help you with cooking or repairs or whatever. We'll even learn how to fight so we won't be burdens. So..." Toshimi pleaded.
"Can I talk to them first?" Kouta asked. Seeing his group's nod, he pointed to a slightly far corner of the store and signed them to follow him.
"First of all… did you see what happened at the furniture store?" he started.
"We did…"
"...and we also saw that you have guns."
"Did you tell anyone?"
"No, but we were going to take them if you won't help."
While not quite happy with the answers, Kouta was not going to let paranoia blind him. He needed to be sure they would not be deadweights or worse, liabilities. In the post-apocalypse of Tokonosu, staying with a group is vital for one's survival, but that meant both mutual trust and added values were indispensable.
"So you saw that the dangers are not only the undead, but also people right? If push comes to shove, if the shit hit the fan, can you fight, hurt, or even kill other people?"
"We hope it wouldn't come to that, but if we have to, we'll do it." both of them answered.
"Alright, then I'll vouch for you." He then pointed to where the group was and followed behind them. If they planned on crossing them, he won't hesitate to shoot them. Their long guns may be hidden in the pile of bras, but he still had a pistol under his gakuran.
"I think we they can join us. We need all the help we can get, right?" Kouta said.
"Takashi?" Saya threw the final decision to him. He was the leader and the final decision maker, at least until they came up with a system for the future.
"All in favor?" he raised his hand and looked towards the others, noting that all of them had raised their hands as well.
"Then we agree. Let's get ready to go. Get guns, food, drinks, and whatever else that might be useful. Stay in groups of 3. Let's go."
Xxxx
In the mall atrium
"This is bullshit! Those kids almost killed my bro!" a thug-ish looking man yelled to the gathering mall dwellers. He pointed towards his "bro" who had attacked Shizuka earlier in the furniture shop. For all purposes, none of the other mall-dwellers can know what they had done or risk their own safety. If they were kicked out of the mall, it was only a matter of time before they were undead-chow.
His friend on the other hand still had wire marks on his neck and bruises on his limbs from his cloth shackles. He coughed a bit to sell the impression of his suffering, but didn't say anything. Even breathing was a problem and talking would be an almost impossible task for now.
"I don't think normal people would do that without a good reason..." Matsushima tried to calm them down.
"Well what the fuck do I know? Those kids could be criminal psychos for all I know."
"Alright. We'll talk to them."
"Ta… talk? TALK?! I want you to arrest those punks!"
Matsushima Ayaka ignored the thug's frantic yelling and her partner followed. While Nakaoka Asami was a rookie, she was still a police officer. She hadn't found her confidence yet, but hopefully the badge or at worst, the gun would help with the discussion.
As they left, they realized the thug was still not finished and continued to rant and air out his perceived injustices. While a majority of the other mall-dwellers didn't seem to care, some of the more… eccentric ones seems to be preparing for something.
Xxxx
Neither of them knew where the teenagers were, but they had patrolled around the mall enough times to make an educated guess. Along the way, they were stopped by the elderly couple whose names escaped them. They haven't had the chance to ask their names and at this point it seemed just rude.
"Excuse me, officers?" the husband called.
"Yes sir, how can we help?" Even in the undead apocalypse, both Ayaka and Asami were still police officers and if this would become an active case, she could not divulge too much information.
"Those folks in there are asking about the new kids right?"
"Only for a brief interview."
"Well, I wouldn't stop you there… but do you know where they are?"
"Do you have business with them?"
"I do. So does my grandson." he pointed to a tall young man with a shaved head behind him.
Xxxx
"Excuse me, is Miyamoto-san here?" Ayaka had hitched a ride with them, but the only person she personally knew from the group was her boss' daughter, Miyamoto Rei. She figured if she needed an "in", she was it.
"Rei-nee-chan is a bit busy, so you might wanna wait a bit." Alice replied as she sorted through their newly received supplies. Unfortunately they could not find food, but water was still plentiful along with other, more overlooked supplies; especially warm clothing with autumn approaching.
"Then do you mind if we wait here?"
Alice nodded and figured the four newcomers; two police officers and two elderly couple were harmless enough. Saeko was also nearby and she would step in if a fight were to break out. Some other members of their group were also around and they should help in an emergency.
"You seem busy… are you going somewhere?"
"Well…dunno yet."
The floor was full of strewn objects; most obvious were the numerous open bags and containers, all containing many types of items that did not seem to belong together. Baseballs and bicycle chains? Socks and padlocks? Shopping bags and batteries? The two police officers then seemed to realize that these were supplies for long term survival. They were preparing to leave and potentially fight their way out.
Sleeping in a pile of hats was little Zeke who seemed beyond content where he was. His ears perked up, there was something or someone nearby and it's not going away. He stood from his makeshift bed and barked loudly.
Everyone looked at the door as a tall man with a shaved head walked in with his hands raised. He was unarmed, but his thick jacket could hide something and nobody wanted the risk.
"Yo, Ane-san." he looked at Saeko and waved.
"Tamaru-san… what a coincidence."
"Yea… my folks just followed these 2 coppers so it got me a bit worried. Don't suppose waka is with you?"
Tamaru Hiro had followed the four from behind while keeping his distance. He did not know who he would meet, but hearing of a couple of fearless youngsters who were ruthless enough to choke someone half to death… to him that was a more reliable ally than whoever else was in the mall. It was completely coincidental that the one he was looking for was his boss' only son; who was currently out.
"Rei-onee-chan, you have guests!" Alice called out as she saw her coming out from her treatment.
Xxxx
"I can't." Rei stated. She could not speak for anyone in the group, let alone the group itself.
"If you're talking about the same group of punks I'm thinking about, you have to know one of them almost raped Shizuka-sensei." Rei continued. In her mind, it was a no-brainer between the scum and her own friends.
"I understand, but you have to understand that they are basically the loudest voice here. It might be best for you to leave the mall soon."
"We are preparing to go right now actually."
"Actually that's what we're here for." the older man, Tamaru Kosuke finally said.
"I really hate to be a bother, but unfortunately we don't seem to have a choice." his wife continued.
"Waka is an understanding guy, I'm sure he wouldn't mind."
"It's not whether he minds or not, Hiro-chan. We're still bothering people and at our age, we don't know when we can repay that favor."
"What's everyone looking all serious about?" Takashi walked in with Kouta, Toshimi, and Misuzu. The guns were placed on a shopping cart that had also had a couple of cash registers in it.
"Waka, it's nice to see you again!" Hiro immediately stood up and bowed. While the Komuro-gumi were not strict with traditions, they were still a yakuza family.
"Takashi-kun, we have a favor to ask." Kosuke said as he bowed his head.
"Sure. What is it?" he did not hesitate at all. He had known the couple and their grandson for years and they had been friends with his own family.
"Umeko… she needs her plasma transfusion soon and of course… they don't have anything like that here. We need to go to a clinic not far from here, but we really can't do anything to get there."
"I… I'm really, really sorry for the trouble, Takashi-kun."
"Do you guys have a problem if we make a short detour?" Takashi turned to his comrades with the question. While they had not set a formal system for decision making, a vote and tie breaker seemed to be one that made sense.
"Please, help my gramma!" Hiro pleaded with them. While he was sure the young master would agree, he didn't know if the others would.
"Well, we have to go from this mall anyway, right?" Saeko commented.
"If it's a clinic, they should have medicine and other stuff we'll need for our journey. I say, let's go for it." Saya said.
"If this clinic is the one I'm thinking of, it will be in our route. Besides, I think I don't wanna stay here too long..." Shizuka answered.
"If it were my grandma, I wouldn't even think twice. Let's help them!" Kouta said.
"Yup! We gotta help the elderly right?" Alice was ready to go. Even Zeke was barking in agreement.
Xxxx
In the Lobby
The lobby had grown empty as people had shuffled away to their corners of the mall. While the entire complex was too big to properly secure, they were fortifying a small section of the mall to fall back on. Several days had passed since Z-day began, but thankfully the electricity was still running and they didn't need to worry about food for the near future. A rough estimate put their food stores to last at least another couple of weeks if they rationed themselves properly.
However, this estimate was only true if the number of people stayed the same. Without knowing just how long they would need until they were rescued, maintaining the number of mouths to feed or even reducing it was the most effective and efficient way to improve their survival chances. The entire episode with the newcomer group was certainly unexpected, but not unwelcome in their minds. They'll immediately judge the newcomers guilty, kick them out and possibly confiscate their stuff with the officers' authority. Of course, this was cruel to an unbelievable degree, but they had to look out for themselves.
When one of the assigned patrollers saw a bus rolling into the outdoors parking lot, he already had a bad feeling. It was one thing if they just needed shelter, but sharing supplies was off the table. Even worse, if the newcomers were armed and had more people than them, they would be the ones getting kicked out of the relative safety of the mall.
He grew more worried when he saw some highschoolers in dirty clothes exited the bus. They also wore traditional style uniforms of gakuran and sailor suits like the previous group that got in, but he was far less interested in their history than he was in their intent. The sentry's concern turned into confusion when the students hurriedly got back on the bus and drove away to the opposite direction, but couldn't figure out why.
He had not heard the sound of screeching tires for days, but now he was hearing another one clearly and it was getting louder. From one of the entrance gates, he saw another bus swerving dangerously sideways and even as it got nearer, it did not slow down. The swerving got wilder as its movement became far more pronounced and erratic until he saw the dark windows with splotches of color.
"We got company!" He shouted. He ran while hitting a pan and ladle as a makeshift alarm, alerting the others of the incoming danger.
The bus showed no signs of stopping and it continued to careen onto the glass window. In desperation, he dove away, hoping that the rushing vehicle would miss him. If anything, the bus seemed to accelerate into the glass walls and shattered them into oblivion. While the sentry did survive, what he saw inside the bus made him doubt if it was a good thing.
Inside it were dozens of Them with parts of their bodies missing; faces and bodies covered in rotten blood. Without a functioning seat belt to pull him back, the driver's head sank onto the horn and alerted all of Them in the vicinity. Shambling forward, the undead outside centered in on the mall and soon it was feeding time.
Xxxx
Unknown location
He heard a beat from his heart after inactivity. His last memory was being torn apart by the undead horde. He had felt Them eat his arms while he was still alive and finally. After his body had turned cold with death, They left him be; off to look for more flesh of the living. He didn't know what had happened since then and he didn't know what he did, who he was, what he was doing, or where he was. All he could feel was the hunger. No memories remained, only the desire to eat.
From afar he heard loud noises; a crash, then a long car horn. He didn't know why, but he needed to go to that sound, everything else could wait. He could only shuffle awkwardly at first despite still having both of his legs and annoyance welled up in him. He needed to go faster, there were still a ways to go and he wanted to be the first one there! Slowly, his movements turned... faster, more articulate, more… human. FInally he could walk again.
In a few minutes, he could start jogging, faster than the other losers around him. Then he looked around as a few of Them regained Their gait and They too started walking. Posers! He was jogging now… he could go faster, faster, FASTER! He needed to RUN! All of those tasty fleshbags were waiting for him!
Post Chapter AN: And we have special zombie runners now. A bit short, but yea… I'm gonna cut it here. Basically I'm gonna try to update 1 story every month. Next up, I'm going to update My Nine Tailed Son (next week) and TakaTora Monogatari (in 2 weeks). Hopefully I can do one chapter of 1 story in 1 week. See you next chapter!