Chapter 10

Day Two of the zombie outbreak.

Water, electricity, and internet were still functioning. Amazingly, news crews were still reporting from the front lines.

But the horrific scenes chilled everyone to the bone.

Footage, likely shot from a helicopter, showed a multi-vehicle pileup on the highway. Everyone was gridlocked, and the zombies had caught up! Someone thrown from a car lay on the ground, reaching towards the vehicle. The next second, zombies swarmed over him! Layer upon layer piled on. They – no, it – tore with terrifying speed. Barely three minutes later, only unrecognizable chunks of meat remained. Blood and viscera smeared the zombies. I spat out my mouthwash.

The broadcast quickly blurred the feed.

Zombies, tracking human scent, mobbed car after car. Hordes numbering in the hundreds even flipped smaller vehicles! Some made the snap decision to abandon their cars and flee. A woman clutching a child dashed out only to be surrounded by zombies drawn by the commotion. Even the child's cries were silenced.

News from overseas was equally grim. Explosions, accidental shootings... Their governments had lost control. This was a global cataclysm.

Through my own observations and online summaries, we pieced together the following:

​​The Infected:​​ Zombified individuals aren't dead. They seem puppeted by an unseen force, driven by instinctual hunger for fresh flesh/energy (Estimated initial infection rate: ~70% global population).

​​Transmission:​​ Via saliva, bodily fluids. Scratches can transmit. ​​Kill Method:​​ Only complete destruction of the brain. Fire is also effective. They move slower at night. Some show greenish skin tinge; may utilize sunlight for energy?

​​Infection Outcome:​​ Not everyone turns. A small percentage die immediately (consumed). Most become infected/zombified.

​​Senses:​​ Zombies possess heightened senses – particularly hearing and smell, far surpassing living humans.

​​Strength:​​ Some exhibit significant physical strength.

More to be added later...

If we didn't get into shape, we might genuinely not outrun them.

Dad practiced swinging the pry bar daily. He wanted muscle memory. He wanted to be capable of a single, fatal strike. Mom and I did low-impact cardio. We needed to maintain fitness without expending too much energy. Life was truly difficult now.

"Sigh."

I heard Mom sigh softly.

"What is it?"

"Look at the group chat."

To conserve power, the three of us shared one phone.

The group chat was exploding.

A woman with a selfie avatar said: "Who locked the security door on the first floor of Building 16? Please, please open it."

"My child boards at Junxiao Elementary. The teacher just said the school can't hold. I need to get my child home."