Chapter 0 Prologue

Chapter 0: Prologue

(This work is a work of fiction. It has no relation to any specific events, persons, religions, or organizations.)

The pre-dawn gloom.

Careful not to even breathe too loudly, I crouched beside the door, listening intently.

No sound reached me, yet I knew it was out there, just beyond the door.

After sitting still for a long time, a foul, stale stench wafted up.

God knows how long it’s been since it last washed.

The smell was putrid, conjuring images of matted hair and a greasy face oozing an unpleasant oil.

My tightly clenched hands felt clammy, so I rubbed them against my clothes.

How much longer do I have to stay like this?

Surely it’s gone by now?

If I open this door, there’ll just be an empty living room. I wonder if I’m just shadowboxing with myself.

‘What did Assistant Manager Choi say before… Schneider’s Cat?’

He said it was a cat owned by some soccer player, didn’t he?

He said sometimes when you open the door, it surprises you, or you think it’s there but it’s not.

Cats are truly incomprehensible.

With my vision blocked and unable to sleep, just sitting still brought all sorts of random thoughts to mind.

Shaking off the distracting thoughts, I cautiously moved my body, trying to loosen my stiff muscles.

Swoosh!

Tap, tap, tat-tat-tat-tat-tap!

‘I’m saved.’

No wonder it felt so hot and humid.

The sudden drizzle had quickly intensified into a heavy downpour, accompanied by a cacophony of sounds.

With the welcome sound of the rain as a backdrop, I cheered inwardly and carefully turned the doorknob. The rain would mask any ordinary sounds of movement.

This was my chance.

Remaining acutely aware of my surroundings, I cautiously stepped into the living room.

It was a night so dark, not even moonlight pierced through.

‘The sofa should be around here, and the window is over there…’

Recalling the layout of the house, I focused all my senses on my hearing.

Grrr…

It definitely came from the kitchen.

A low, guttural growl, similar to a phlegmy cough.

I re-gripped the weapon in my hand and crept forward.

I needed to finish it in one blow, but the darkness worried me.

Should I have waited until dawn?

I regretted rushing out.

Zombies have one major weakness: their heads. Beyond that, they lack the various vital points a human possesses.

That’s why the current dark conditions felt so daunting.

Flash!

As I took a tense step, a blinding flash of light suddenly erupted.

Startled, I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut.

Goosebumps erupted all over my body, and I felt a presence lunging at me, accompanied by a horrific sound.

Groooaaargh!

Focusing on the approaching sound, I estimated the position of its head and swung my weapon.

‘Please hit it.’

Whoosh! Thwack!

I think I hit it squarely.

At least, that’s what the impact felt like in my hand.

My vision hadn’t returned yet.

Frozen, I focused on the sounds.

The pounding of my own pulse, the drumming rain outside.

Aside from these background noises, silence reigned.

Pat-pat, pat-pat.

I remained frozen, listening intently for a moment.

Light footsteps sounded, then ceased.

It had stopped.

‘Haaah. This kid.’

A complex mix of relief that I seemed to have dealt with the zombie (though I couldn’t be certain) and irritation washed over me.

But the kid wasn’t what mattered right now.

“Let’s stop this. It’s raining. We need to get ready quickly. I don’t have time for this standoff with you.”

My vision returned, and after muttering to myself, I moved.

I had to hurry.

First, I checked the head of the creature lying before me.

Its head was definitely smashed, and it wasn’t moving.

‘Done.’

After confirming, I stepped out into the yard.

Climbing through the broken window, I felt the rain begin to soak my entire body.

Rustle, rustle.

Looking back towards the house, I began to shed my clothes, piece by piece.

Finally, completely naked down to my underwear, I sensed movement from inside the house.

I busily moved my hands, and, making sure my voice sounded kind to the kid who had entered my sight, I spoke.

“You should wash up quickly too. You must have been uncomfortable, wearing so many layers. Uncle’s busy, so don’t worry about me, just do your thing. Ugh, the smell.”

“…”

No answer came, but the tense atmosphere seemed to ease slightly.

Well, of course it would be funny. I’d dropped my weapon and was talking to them while washing naked in the yard.

Given that kid has survived this long, they’ll know to start moving on their own.

Rather than the kid, I focused on the rainwater soaking my body.

With the world having changed so much, and after such a long time, the rain made me feel inexplicably elated.

Even though I’d mostly been talking to myself, I had spoken to another person.

I wasn’t sure how many days had passed since that day, but I was still alive.