DS Chapter 3

We listened intently to the voice coming from the radio, surprisingly calm.

Words like “acute virus,” “state of emergency,” “military,” and “quarantine” floated through my mind.

“Let’s keep driving. If we reach the blockade, we can get directions to a shelter from the soldiers.”

I looked at the situation optimistically.

With the city’s bustling areas overrun by monsters, going back would be dangerous.

We would just keep driving straight down the road until we hit the blockade. Then, with the military’s guidance, we could wait at a shelter until we could return home.

I believed that with the government and military involved, the chaos in the city would be resolved quickly.

“Logan?”

I turned to look at him. He was staring blankly ahead, his gaze dark and unfocused.

Feeling a chill from his profile, I inhaled deeply, and Logan finally spoke in a low voice.

“Let’s go somewhere away from people. There’s a gas station not far from here. We can grab fuel and food there and hide in a quiet place.”

“You don’t want to evacuate? Where are we supposed to hide?”

“For now… it might be better to observe how things unfold.”

As soon as he finished speaking, an eerie howl erupted from behind the car, sounding like neither a beast nor a human.

Logan immediately started the engine and turned off the headlights.

I gripped my seatbelt tightly, feeling anxious and confused by his actions.

“Why? Why do we have to do that? The soldiers aren’t going to attack us. Following the government’s orders should be the safest thing to do…”

“The monster that jumped out at the crash site. It was wearing a government lab jumpsuit.”

“…So what?”

“It was from a government lab. The source of the acute virus could be there.”

Was the radio lying? Was the government hiding the true origin of the acute virus from us?

Even if that were the case, they wouldn’t just wipe out all the citizens of Camden. They would surely rescue us once the virus was dealt with…

“Fine. Let’s do it your way.”

Reluctantly, I nodded. There was no point in getting into a power struggle with Logan.

The citizens of Camden would evacuate, a way to stop the virus would be found, and soon enough, this situation would be resolved.

For now, we would hide in a secluded place and monitor the situation through the radio. I was sure that once we heard news that things had settled down, Logan’s worries would ease.

I believed that it wouldn’t be long before a broadcast would announce that the situation was under control. I hoped this chaotic mess would be resolved before my college entrance date.

‘But what about Mom? If she got infected with the virus… who will take care of her?’

I could have asked Logan, and it might have resolved my curiosity, but I decided to wait a little longer. I thought he would tell me soon.

Thinking about my mom filled me with an inexplicable fear that surged from my feet to the top of my head. I had a sinking feeling that knowing the truth would be unbearable, so I turned away from reality and twisted my thoughts.

It would be okay. Mom must have found a good hiding spot.

But why was Logan running? What was happening to those people on the road, the ones biting others?

Had that homeless man died? Surely he was taken to the hospital. I had seen the ambulance abandoned on the road; how would they transport an injured homeless person to the hospital?

‘It’ll be resolved somehow…’

I brushed those thoughts aside, holding on to a vague belief that the military would handle the situation well.

My mind felt so cluttered and chaotic that it was as if my rational thinking had been paralyzed.

* * *

Not far away, a gas station came into view.

The flickering lights of an old gas station stood solitary against the quiet expanse of the fields.

There was already a customer at the gas station, a blue sports car parked in front of the pump. Since the roads were blocked, it was clear they had fled the city.

We pulled up in front of an empty pump. Logan held up his palm, signaling me to stay quiet and seated.

He exited the car first.

Logan glanced toward the convenience store attached to the gas station as he grabbed the gas nozzle, seemingly intent on fueling up first.

The convenience store was dark, but the entrance was wide open. No, the glass door had been shattered to pieces.

The owner of the blue sports car was definitely inside the convenience store; I could hear loud thuds reverberating from within.

“⋯⋯.”

Logan and I exchanged glances simultaneously. He raised an eyebrow, and I nodded.

Let’s go inside.

To protect his back, I climbed out of the passenger seat as well. Logan led the way, while I followed closely behind, keeping an eye on our surroundings.

“Fuck! This is so persistent!”

I flinched at the curse coming from inside the convenience store, my body instinctively tensing.

A man in a suit was smashing something in the chaotic interior of the store. The overwhelming stench of dirty engine oil mixed with the sickening, metallic scent of blood wafted toward us.

Clothes and a pale, indistinct mass rolled across the cold tiles of the convenience store.

“Ugh—”

Nausea rose within me. Was he insane? Shouldn’t we run away? I instinctively tugged at Logan’s collar.

At the sound of our presence, the man in the suit raised a wrench and looked up sharply.

“…Are you a person?”

Instead of me, Logan answered him.

“Yes.”

“Hah.”

The man sighed and swaggered closer. Logan watched him closely, gripping the handle of the gun tucked in his back pocket.

“I thought another zombie had appeared. Planning to head to another city? The roads are blocked. It’s better to turn back. I was heading back too…”

When the man stepped within five paces, Logan aimed the gun at him. The sight of the weapon froze the man’s expression in fear.

“Back off.”

“…Why are you overreacting? I was just going to grab some gas and food. Then a zombie showed up, and I was fighting it.”

“I get it. Just grab what you need and get out. Leave our stuff alone.”

The man raised his chin, eyes widening in response to Logan’s icy demeanor. There was a dangerous glimmer in his reddened eyes.

But the man didn’t have a weapon, and Logan did. The advantage was clear, so the man began to stuff food into his bag and exited the convenience store.

He didn’t forget to spit as he left.

As soon as the man stepped out, I started grabbing food myself, glancing over at Logan, who was standing still, staring at the corpse.

Why was he reacting so strongly? Logan’s behavior made me uneasy. Trying to sound casual, I asked, “Why did you rush him out? He seemed like he knew something.”

The man had likely been to the quarantine zone. He had referred to those acting strangely as “zombies,” as if he knew something about the acute virus.

While his boorish demeanor was uncomfortable and threatening, I felt it might have been worthwhile to engage him in conversation.

Logan shrugged and replied, “He was killing someone.”

“…But didn’t you just call him a zombie?”

“He’s a person. Zombies don’t run away. They charge to eat.”

I swallowed hard and glanced down at the floor.

Broken tiles, splattered blood, and the body lying face down. Just as he said, the fallen body seemed to be in a position as if trying to escape.

With its dark plaid shirt and brown pants, and the graying hair, it could only belong to the owner of the gas station.

So they hadn’t been fighting against a monster that was charging to eat people…

I trembled at the unsettling realization and turned my gaze away. I hastily filled the basket with food without even checking what was on the shelves.

Snacks, chocolate bars, nuts, cookies, water, energy drinks… even a stack of lottery tickets at the register.

Struggling to carry the now-heavy basket, I carefully asked, “But how do you know so much about this?”

“I caught one charging at me. Barely managed to escape and got back home.”

I was taken aback. Had Logan already killed a zombie before? I didn’t ask how many; the more I learned, the more frightening he became.

His expressionless face, fiercely narrowed eyes, taut lips, and the bulging veins in his neck made me uneasy. Most troubling of all was the bloodstain on his pant leg, something I had chosen to ignore until now.

Any normal person would be shocked and paralyzed with fear in a situation like this.

It was still unclear whether the crazed people in the city were true zombies like in movies or just slightly deranged individuals.

How could they kill? What was the difference between the man a moment ago and Logan?

I didn’t know yet. Perhaps I was still thinking this way because I hadn’t been attacked by a zombie.

I clenched my mouth shut and busied myself gathering food, feeling like a diligent ant.

Logan stood with his gun, vigilant for any signs of danger. He seemed worried the man might return.

It was ironic; we had to be cautious of both zombies and people. In this lawless world, both were equally dangerous.

But surely, things would return to normal someday.

Was it alright not to report a murder to the police? What if we ended up being accused of being the culprits? My fingerprints would be all over the convenience store.

If there were security cameras in the store, they could prove our innocence. No, we could end up being charged with accessory to murder or theft.

As someone who aspired to be a lawyer, I shouldn’t commit a crime.