All Of Us Are Dead - Su Hyeok

9

"God help us!" Dae-su screams, his voice echoing through the room as a zombie lunges towards him. Its grotesque hand reaches out, clawing at his face, leaving a trail of blood as it grips his hair. His eyes are wide with terror, his breath hitching in his throat as he struggles against the monstrous creature.

In the blink of an eye, Joon-yeong springs into action. He leaps towards the broken windows, his heart pounding in his chest. With a fire extinguisher in his hands, he fights off the zombies trying to climb inside. He swings the extinguisher with all his might, hitting a zombie that has managed to get half its body inside the room. The impact sends the creature flying back, its guttural growl filling the air.

"Watch your hands, guys!" I shout, my voice barely audible over the sounds of the zombies.

In the heat of the moment, Joon-yeong swings the fire extinguisher with all his might, aiming for the grotesque faces of the zombies. Each hit lands with a sickening thud, the impact reverberating through the room. But in his desperation, he miscalculates. The fire extinguisher slams into the next window, shattering the glass into a thousand pieces. The sound is deafening, a sharp contrast to the eerie silence that follows.

Suddenly, the room is filled with an icy draft, the broken window now a gaping hole that provides the zombies with even more access to the room. The realization hits Joon-yeong like a punch to the gut. He freezes, the fire extinguisher slipping from his grasp and clattering to the floor.

It's at this moment that I step in. I  move with a speed and agility that the fear in my eyes is not barely there. With a swift kick, I send a zombie tumbling back through the broken window. Then, with a strength born of desperation, I pull a heavy cabinet across the room, barricading the broken window feeling stronger and my eyes slightly going red.

As I work, I glance back at Joon-yeong, my gaze steady despite the chaos around them. "Snap out of it, Joon-yeong!" I shouts, my voice barely audible over the growls of the zombies. "We need you!"

"Get a desk!" Cheong-san's voice cuts through the chaos, his command echoing in the room as he stands guard at the window, his eyes scanning the horde of zombies outside.

Without missing a beat, Dae-su and Wujin spring into action. They rush towards the nearest table, their muscles straining as they lift it. With a shared look of determination, they maneuver the table towards the broken window, their movements synchronized as if they've done this a thousand times before. They prop the table against the window, creating a makeshift barricade. But the zombies are relentless. Their gnarled hands claw at the table, nearly toppling it over. But Dae-su and Wujin hold firm, their resolve unwavering as they climb up the cabinets for a better vantage point.

"Block it!" The suggestion comes from the others, their voices filled with urgency. I find myself standing on a table, my heart pounding in my chest as I balance precariously. Cheong-san is there, his hands steadying my legs as I start to stack chairs on top of the table. The metal clinks against the wood, the sound almost drowned out by the growls of the zombies.

Next, I turn my attention to the other tables. With the help of Gyeong-su and Jeyong-su, we start to push them towards the window. Each table adds another layer to our barricade, another barrier between us and the zombies.

Suddenly, Cheong-san’s voice breaks through my concentration. "Are you fine?" He asks, his tone laced with confusion. He’s standing beside the table now, his hands holding it steady to prevent me from falling. I can’t help but smile at his concern.

The tension in the room is palpable as Nayeon's voice rings out, her accusation directed at Onjo. "How dare you lose the phone?!" she yells, her voice echoing off the walls. But I'm too preoccupied with helping to barricade the room to pay her any mind.

Gyeong-su, ever the pragmatist, shrugs off the accusation. "Who cares? We've got a secured room now," he retorts, his focus on gathering more tables to fortify our makeshift barricade.

Ji min snaps back, her words dripping with sarcasm. "Like you can talk," she retorts, her gaze fixed on Gyeong-su.

Gyeong-su halts his movements, his attention now fully on Ji min. Dae-su, sensing the escalating tension, moves to stand between them, ready to intervene if things get worse.

Ji min doesn't back down. "It's because you didn't lock the door! If you had done that, the gym teacher wouldn't have gotten to us! We almost died because of you!" she accuses, her words cutting through the air like a knife.

The accusation is too much for me and Cheong-san. We can't hold back our anger anymore. "Really, Ji min? You're one to talk. If you hadn't been so unpleasant before, Gyeong-su might have just carried on securing the door. But no, you had to let your tongue wag when it's only spewing venom!" I retort, my words laced with frustration and directed squarely at Nayeon. Yet, even Cheong-san shoots her a scathing look.

"He was supposed to be the guardian of the entrance, but he couldn't even fulfill his duty properly!" Ji min retorts, her voice echoing in the room.

"And why didn't you intervene earlier?" he shoots back, turning his back to her, his conscience preventing him from physically harming a woman.

"You're such a nuisance," Ji min scoffs at him, her eyes filled with disdain.

Suddenly, Gyeong-su, unable to contain his anger, flips the table. "Gyeong-su, stop, stop, stop!" Dae-su pleads, rushing towards him in an attempt to calm him down.

"You bitc-" Gyeong-su growls, his teeth clenched as he roughly grabs Ji min by the shoulders.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on me!" Ji min screams, shoving Gyeong-su away with all her might.

In the heat of the moment, I, unable to suppress my frustration, reach out and grab the first thing my hand could find - a knife. Without thinking, I hurl it in Nayeon's direction. The knife whizzes past her, grazing the side of her head before embedding itself in the wall. The room falls silent, the only sound being the echo of the knife hitting the wall. The tension is palpable as everyone stares at the knife, a chilling reminder of how quickly things can escalate.

Ji min quickly turns her head in my direction, her eyes wide with shock. Cheong-san swiftly moves to her side, one arm wrapping around her protectively while the other holds up a chair as a makeshift shield. I stare back at her, my face devoid of any emotion, tilting my head slightly as if to signal that I could potentially harm her.

Sensing the tension escalating, Na yeon decides to intervene, "Enough! We can settle this after we've moved these items. Now is not the time for a fight."

"She's right. Everyone, just stop it," Hyo-ryeong and Dae-su chime in, their voices firm and commanding.

"Let's finish our tasks first, then you can continue your argument," Na yeon voice adds, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Ugh, this is so infuriating!" Ji min exclaims in frustration, ripping the ribbon from her neck and tossing it onto the ground. She kicks a few chairs out of her way, her actions mirroring her turbulent emotions.

After a few moments of tense silence, On-jo finally speaks up, "Where is Su-hyeok?" Her voice cuts through the silence like a knife, "Has anyone seen him?" Her question hangs in the air, adding another layer of uncertainty to the already charged atmosphere.