𝐆𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 | 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝

𝟏𝟏 | 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦

"That's why we have to stop them."

Nam-Ra releases your arm with a nod and follows, the two of you rounding on the group still tussling in the barren parking lot.

Wu-Jin brandishes a hefty ligneous stick, rearing it over his head prior to swinging it down stiffly at Mrs. Lee, sending her sprawling as the wood splinters, Joon-Yeong mimicking his actions with the rod cell Dae-Su left behind.

Eventually, Dae-Su succeeds in heaving Cheong-San to the gravel, Su-Hyeok dashing over to hold him back in case he goes into a rampage again.

"That's enough!" you pull Wu-Jin away whilst Nam-Ra advances to impede Joon-Yeong, Mrs. Lee too weak of a zombie to retaliate as she convulses facedown from the recurrent blows. Wu-Jin looks down at your hold on his arm before flitting his eyes back up, confused. "Shouldn't we be attacking these creatures, not letting them go?"

"She's not—"

You don't get a chance to finish explaining as On-Jo drags you along over to where Su-Hyeok is tightening his restricting grip around Cheong-San.

"Let go!" Cheong-San roars furiously, thrashing against Su-Hyeok with all his might. "Get the fuck off me!" Even when he elbows the taller boy, it's useless.

The group gradually gathers around just as you and On-Jo flock to Cheong-San's side when he sinks to his knees, repeatedly calling out to his mom, nothing but a lost child.

You catch Nam-Ra's eyes and she understands the indication, leading the other girls and boys to the neighboring hill afore coming back to stand guard, listening for even the barest sign of trouble.

"We can't stay here," Su-Hyeok says resolutely, eyes shifting around in the dark, surveying the surroundings.

"Cheong-San, come on, please. Let's not give up here," you implore, heart heavy as you see him hurting. For as long as you've known him, he's never broken down like this, always shouldering the burdens for others.

On-Jo is hanging onto his limp arm, tearful alongside him, even in the midst of her sympathetically heartening words. Despite your combined efforts however, Cheong-San remains blank, eyes having glossed over.

Su-Hyeok grabs him by the shoulders and shakes roughly, anticipating to get through by force where tough love doesn't. "Get yourself together!"

Nam-Ra whips her head to look at you, shaking it in dismay. "We're running out of time."

"Come with us," On-Jo prods gently, so soft that you might have missed it entirely if you weren't so close. "Come with me," she adds. "We'll leave and forget everything."

Su-Hyeok supports his left side while On-Jo takes his right hand tightly in hers, and sluggishly, he allows them to lift him up as they wish.

You see Nam-Ra swaying on her feet, hands to her head and you run over, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, sprinting alongside her as the two of you trail behind Su-Hyeok, Cheong-San, and On-Jo.

Cheong-San swivels his head around even as his feet move forward, staring back at his mom far ahead of the flock of creatures gaining on the group. "Eomma!" He screams the word with so much pain and love, but as you hear it, also with so much finality, for the very last time.

You don't notice the other half of the group in front if it wasn't for Dae-Su's booming voice rejoicing in everyone else's presence. "You're all here!" he exclaims in relief, before yelling back down, "Hurry!"

Your friends aren't the only ones having trouble trekking the steep hills, since as Wu-Jin trips on a tree root, so too, do the zombies below, collapsing onto one another.