First Encounter
I'm in a car, driving home from work, and suddenly there's people on the road. They walk and act so slow, like they're dead.
After a while, I heard someone screaming, I rolled down the window to look at her. A man was biting or more accurate, eating her. She then got up and walk like nothing happen. She looked deceased and her guts were falling but no expression on her face.
I rushed home, and my mom asked me to go to my father's workplace, afraid of him being in danger.
I was almost there but the car's fuel is empty. I had to walk with a metal bat that I kept in my car. After a few blocks, the undead start becoming more and more. Upon arriving at his workplace, I knocked the door that slightly open, and saw nothing that alive, only undead that still roaming inside the office. I called my father's phone but it was sent to voicemail. Not even a ringing could be hear inside, instead it was loud of groaning from the undead. I tried my best not to make a sound and closed the door. The scene on the road replayed on my mind. Making me dizzy and almost fall the steps. I tried calling his phone for the last time before giving up.
My father was nowhere to be seen. I crouched, tired and disappointed that my father wasn't where I hoped he would be. My mother is in a safe place, but my father might be in danger. I cried, as I slumped on the steps.
"Hey, you! Come up here! Hurry!" a voice shocked me. I looked around and saw a young man on the roof top of a building. " Take that stairs and watch your back!" he pointed the stairs near me. I ran up the roof and asked "Who are you?" "Someone who just saved your ass! What are you thinking? Sitting there while there's undeads around?" His word are harsh, almost make me tear up again.
After I explained my situation, he sighed " For now, just follow me. Stay here for awhile until morning, then go home. The rain won't calm for the next few hours." He said as he laid down a wooden plank that strong enough for me to jump on the other roof.
I'm tired, but still had to follow him as parkour-ing on the roof is faster and safer.
Once we arrived at his home, we got in using the back door, quietly . I've just put my feet in his house, yet he yelled at me "Duck!" as he throw a firecracker at an undead right behind me. Fortunately, the firecracker did blow its head off but I didn't know I was afraid of fire. I bended, and covered my head.
He closed the door and touched my shoulder. He might have felt me trembling so hard, that he had to hug me to console me. "Shush, it's okay now, no more fire. You're safe here." My energy was completely depleted. I couldn't even try to get up. His voice are fading and my vision blurs, I fainted as he try to put my head on his shoulder.
12am
I woke up and felt a heavy blanket on me. It felt hot and I'm sweating like crazy. At the same time, my head feels cool. I looked around and saw him sleeping on a chair besides the bed I'm laying on. I'm still shivering even though it's feels hot, and couldn't help coughing till I saw drops of blood on the palm that I used to cover my mouth. " Ah you're awake, how are you feeling?" he spoke. Was I too loud? I can't even think, I'm dizzy. I recalled the news I saw on TV that undead started spreading in this town, but the situation was controllable. It made me regret coming back to this town. "You know, you should thank me for letting you rest on the bed, even though I was about to let you sleep on the floor when you passed out."
My mouth is too dry, I couldn't speak or lift a finger, I could only stare at him. "You're noisy, you know that? And did you have a nightmare or something?" He rubbed my cheeks, his fingers feels warm. So the waters on my face was tears, not from the wet towel.
"Drink this and eat that pills." he said as he help me sit and handed a cup of water. "I'm sorry.. I will leave as soon as the sun rises." I said. There's no way I'm staying at a stranger's house for too long. I couldn't eat the medicine, its too bitter. I thought I could just hide it but he's too quick to notice. "Open your mouth. Swallow it." I shut my mouth as tight as I could, my chapped lips start bleeding. I want to rest more, but he's holding my mouth. *cough* "There you go. Easy. Drink slowly. I don't want a corpse on my bed." "Why do you care for me, you didn't need to give me these pills or let me rest here. I'm only burdening y-" my stomach grumbled, interrupting my speech.
" Don't act like you're tough enough to handle those things out there. Wait here, I'll warm up some soup. I'm starving" he said. I'm used to being independent since I live apart from my parents but having someone to care for me is unexpectedly nice too.
It's been 15 minutes and he's still not done. I got up and slowly walk to the kitchen, using the wall as something to hold on. Shockingly, he's aggressively scrolling on his phone, cursing the Internet. "What's wrong? Did anything happen?" I asked. "Why are you walking around? You need to rest, you're still burning up. Give me a few minutes, I'll be done." he flustered and lifted me up. "Hey put me down! I can still walk" I shout in a low voice. I guess he doesn't know how to cook. He sat me on the kitchen counter, and said " I've never cook for others before. There's only instant foods here but I don't think you'd prefer them."
I wonder why he treat me so kindly since we just met today. I offered to help by picking out the groceries and list the recipe. After a while, the meal is done, and he set the table, we ate for 30 minutes. While eating, we talked about ourself. "I'm 24, was a psychiatrist, then I quit to start my own gym." he said. "That's why he's so fit" , I mumbled. " I heard that, and I've met you before, a few years back. How's your anxiety?" I'm too stunned to speak. He was my doctor? "After weeks of going to that hospital, I didn't think I was getting better, so I moved and isolate myself. Things got more rough, and I moved back here last month." I don't know if it was the pills or the atmosphere, I was dozing off and finally I fell asleep on the table.
