I remember starting that morning with my usual cup of hot chocolate and existential crisis… Who knew it would escalate to this? From greeting the apocalypse while serving a brief ( a day ) prison sentence, to finally realizing I’m not cut out for driving, to almost getting killed (twice, I know… how incredibly lucky right?) and now…
“There’s probably twenty of them outside.”
“Probably Chaeng...probably. There could be more, who knows.” I’ve realized my girlfriend has developed a habit of running her fingers over the holster strapped onto her dainty waist.
Jennie was pacing back and forth again and my eyes were too, as it followed her around. You see, all that shouting, screaming, grunts, and you know… all that chaos inside the convenience store had attracted the stupid things from what we think were within a 20 meter radius. It was a real bummer, actually.
“So, what’s our exit strategy?” Jisoo was breathing hard from shuffling around the empty stalls to barricade the only entrance and exit. (or there’s probably another one at the back, but irrelevant at this point)
“Our what?” Chaeng was a couple of feet away from us, look-out and all.
“Our exit strategy… You know, how we plan to leave this place. I don't plan on sharing living, breathing space with these... “ Jisoo made it a huge point of walking over one of the things on the floor to get to her backpack.
“Things.” I offered, they don’t deserve a fancier name to be honest.
“Yes, thank you. These things.”
We looked around at each other. Just looking, assessing how each one’s taking it so far. Jisoo was incredibly calm, I expect nothing less. My baby was focused on thinking about exit strategies...probably. Chaeng was looking outside, maybe … wanting to drive that huge bat of hers against their faces, she’s like that when stressed. Me? I was tired… and sleepy, and wanted nothing more than a cup of hot chocolate with those little marshmallows and a huge serving of whipped cream on top. Which reminds me… The next idea that pops out of my mouth is brought to you by years of playing Left for Dead (great game, miss playing it actually)
“I have a solution.”
“Thank goodness.” Chaeyoung walked back over to where we were huddled, and sat unceremoniously beside Jisoo.
“It involves fire…” I added
“Absolutely fucking not”
“Why? You have anything better in mind Chu?”
“Why don’t we hear her out this time?” Jennie stopped with her pacing and smiled at me, uwu
“Thank you babe.”
“Uhh Lisa and fire don’t mix well together, remember second year when she almost set fire to the kitchen?”
Gee, Jisoo. Now wasn’t the time to go dig up funny anecdotes that would’ve been a great topic during camping.
“Almost, Jisoo, almost…” I countered
“Still, I don’t trust you with fire.”
“C’mon babe, we have nothing else at the moment, unless of course you have anything in mind?” Chaeng kissed her on the cheek to make her change her mind, sneaky lol
“Fine… what do you have in mind?”
“Okay, great. Now here’s the plan. I saw a couple of propane tanks at the back… I used to play this game, and one of the characters would attach this makeshift wick to the canister, ignite that and throw it over to the unsuspecting, brainless zombies and they’d blow up and stuff and you know, just die.” I said matter-of-factly, as if I’ve done this thing my whole life.
Jisoo took one look at me and burst out laughing.
Did I say anything funny?
“Oh my god, we're all going to die.” She finds the weirdest things funny.
“This way is more efficient.”
“No Lisa, this way is going to get us all killed. Right babe?” She turned towards Chaeyoung whose forehead was creased in deep thought.
“I’d agree with you, but then we'd both be wrong.”
“See, your girlfriend makes sense.” I give her a smile.
Seeing Jisoo’s shocked face was… rewarding in a way.
“Alright then, we can try this out. The only real downside here is that they’re a bit scattered. If we throw one out at a group it’ll generate too much noise, who knows how many of them will swarm us then? We need one good shot that’ll take care of most if not all of them, just enough for us to sprint over to the car and leave this damn place.” Jennie spoke with much confidence -- something I’ll never have. One of the things I admire about her.
“Fine, we’ll see if this works.” Jisoo rolled her eyes, but I could see the smile.
“Okay… why don’t we have one who’ll be the distraction?” Chaeyoung added with a weird looking smile.
We looked at each other and burst out laughing, why? I have no clue. They were laughing so I was laughing.
“Who’s it gonna be then? And how exactly is this distracting going to go?” I ask the best questions, that’s a fact.
“I was joking.”
Or maybe not…
“No, but seriously how are we going to execute all of this?”
“Maybe… Chaeng has a point.” Jennie sat beside me and played with my bangs, I can’t see shit except for her delicate fingers and palm in front of my face (I’m not complaining -- don’t tell anyone I love it when does this)
“It can’t be me though, I have… like, the shortest legs.” She’s funny, I love her.
“Neither can it be me. I have the heaviest bag and I’m beginning to regret offering to bring all this food.”
Jennie stopped doing whatever it was she was doing with my bangs (it was lowkey making me feel sleepy too) and gave me a kiss on the cheek instead before working on her gun.
I looked at Chaeyoung and she looked back at me. I have the best idea.
“Rock, paper scissors?” I mused.
“Oh hell no! I might as well volunteer myself if that’s the case!”
Chaeyoung sucked at that game (it’s a well-known fact), and I was … hoping I could bank at that particular weakness… but,
“How do we choose who gets to do it then?”
“Chaeyoung, you’re the faster runner.”
“I’m clumsy!”
“So am I!”
“Okay, both of you stop. I think I know what to do.”
Jennie, IS THE BEST. I tell you, she is.
____________
Okay, here’s the lowdown so far…
Jisoo: runs as fast as she can with that heavy ass bag over to the car. (VERY IMPORTANT, she has the food and water)
Jennie: covers Jisoo’s back for any stray zombie that comes their way and start the car.
Chaeyoung: In charge of igniting the wick of this makeshift propane bomb and, rolling it over to a huge cluster of zombies away, like far far away from the car and run as fast as she can to the car too.
Lisa: Well… I guess you know by now what my role is… distraction. Yup, get their fucking attention and survive the run, the explosion, possibility of a zombie attack out of nowhere and you know … run as fast as I can towards the car and be the designated driver. FUN.
“I’m beginning to question my chances of living to a ripe old age.”
“You really have to decide being a pessimist at this exact opportune moment?” Jennie hugs me tight and kisses me, the kind that makes me think of ice cream sundaes and warm evening huddled under blankets watching a Netflix series. “Be careful, okay?”
“I’ll try…”
She hits me on the head and we both chuckle.
“I love you,”
I am really starting to love this apocalypse shit.
“I love you…so much.” i do, very very much
“Alright Jen, ready.”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
I glance at Chaeyoung and signals I’m ready too. Oh god, let me do this one thing right, please…
We push the shelves away and slowly open the doors. Most of the things outside that were closer were still oblivious.Perfect. I mean it’s ideal, for now. Jisoo walks out first, careful not to make any sound as she holds on to her makeshift rod-knife or whatever it is, wait… it’s a fucking spear (why have I just realized that now). If she can walk her way to the car without making any noise and probably surviving that along with Jennie then hallelujah!
Jennie followed not long after, police baton in hand.
Great… everything’s turning out well and according to plan.
Jisoo’s almost to the car when… you get the point when the narrator goes “when…” or “until... “. What happens next ain’t going to be lovely.
Fate really likes to play with us. I mean Jisoo was already trying to open the door when she had to sneeze. She had to choose that moment to fucking sneeze.
She scrambles inside and Jennie runs, hitting one zombie on the side of the head that went after Jisoo, Chaeyoung almost screamed to which I have to cover her mouth for. Jennie ducks to avoid one lunging after her and I do what I was tasked to do, to make it more bad-ass … What I was born to do… okay, anyways…
“Hey! Over here you suckers!” I press on the air horn as hard as I can and sprint off into the other direction. Please don’t trip Lisa… please don’t. I see the majority of them running after me and I’m finding myself thanking physical education class I have good cardio.
I take a quick look back to see if Jennie has turned the car on and saw her struggling with a thing by the passenger door. Watched how she landed a kick against its abdomen and swung so hard against its head her police baton went flying off. She hesitated for a bit before deciding not to go after it and get in the car instead. Smart, very smart decision.
I see all of them running after me now, given how noisy the horn is.
“Chaeyoung! Light it up!”
I run faster and threw the horn away, seeing it bounce off a brainless thing. I took my phone out and play the first song on my playlist, I leave it on the ground and ran as fast as I could. Sacrifices must be made, I’ll miss you selfies and 1000+ pictures of Jennie.
I take a right to circle back towards the car and see the propane tank rolling off towards the horde, see Chaeyoung enter the backseat and Jisoo waving at me frantically. Oh god. My leg muscles were slowly shaking from the short, intense burst of sudden activity.
“Run Manoban!”
I grunt and heard the explosion, felt the heat on my back and almost tripped on a fucking rock. I was a long ways away before it exploded because if not, who knows I would’ve been toast too. I feel something slick hit me in the back and I didn’t want to know what it was. Not now.
I slide over to the open drivers door and hit on the gas like a maniac.
“That was insane.”
I could barely understand what that meant, and couldn’t tell who made the comment either.
I take a quick glance at the side view mirror and see a lot of the other things come our from everywhere, attracted by the explosion and saw some of the others catch fire and run around aimlessly. Idiots, well of course they were brainless, but still, idiots.
“Well, that could’ve gone better” Jennie said under her breath as she grabbed my hand and kissed it, calming me down.
I looked at her and then at the rear-view mirror at Jisoo who was being crushed into a tight hug by Chaeyoung and looked back at Jennie. I see worry, relief, and love in her eyes and leaned in for a kiss.
“When this is all over I want my sanity back, and maybe my peaceful hot choco mornings too”
Jennie chuckled and it was enough to give me hope and peace of mind for now.
NEXT DESTINATION: GUN STORE.