Sirens echoed throughout the entire city—alarms setting off at every turn. Law enforcement was on watch duty.

A system emergency broadcast appeared on all forms of media, threads created by the Internet, and expressions filled with dire panic.

---

A figure could be seen, pitch black hair, dark brown eyes that could be easily mistaken as black, a normal black T-shirt, and a pair of jeans, watching the television.

The television rang, and a voice could be heard.

"Emergency broadcast system, 9:24 am. This alert will be on all electronics, including sirens. Due to incident reports near this district, we've discovered a serious problem. We have initiated research on this matter, but there is yet to be a cure."

"If you encounter individuals appearing slightly greenish or showing flu-like symptoms, please avoid contact and report their location. These individuals will exhibit aggressive behavior and will not hesitate to attack you."

"First, we advise you to stay indoors. Do not heed our warning lightly. Second, secure your home and ensure you have supplies to defend yourself. Finally, if we give further instructions, make sure to listen."

The figure seemed perplexed but still followed the instructions. He was quite nervous, evident as he lunged to the kitchen.

The structure of his house wasn't too bad. Enough to fit a single-small family. The front door opened into a small hallway, where he hung his coat and tossed his shoes on the rack. Beyond the hallway, the living room stretched out before him, with its familiar sofa and coffee table facing the television that now displayed the emergency broadcast. Large windows overlooked the quiet street outside, their curtains partially drawn.

In the kitchen, he packed the food inside his duffle bag, which had a large main compartment and a few extra pockets.

He opened up the cabinet and found knives. He packed them as well, just in case. They were sharp but had many disadvantages in combat. For now, he was going to use a baseball bat as his main weapon.

That aside, he checked his phone. Realizing that the Internet was still available, he was in no haste.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Scrolling through the emergency broadcast system texts he'd received, there was another one from his friend, Zen.

(Zen: Roge, you have to be careful. These individuals are practically zombies. One of them is in my district. I've already placed a report, but I'm not sure if the authorities will send somebody out to help. They're probably receiving lots of calls from other places.)

The figure's name was Roge. Roge began typing,

(Roge: You seem too calm in this situation? I'm really concerned for your safety. Make sure to get yourself a weapon. In the meantime, we'll have to converse through text. I'll try finding any information on the web regarding these zombies, in case worse comes to worst.)

Zen's reply was quite late, taking a few minutes.

(Zen: I've already done research. I'm also already equipped with a weapon. You should be more concerned about yourself. I don't know how long the Internet will be stable, so eventually, we'll need to find a new way to communicate. My other messages didn't load, so the Internet isn't reliable. For now, I'll share some information. They emit growling sounds, pretty loud as well. By the looks of it, they're slow but tend to walk in groups. I've witnessed all of this firsthand, so there's no need for clarification.)

Roge was terrified. Never had he experienced a situation like this. He wasn't quite in reality at first, still in denial. But that didn't stop him from thinking.

*It's practically a zombie apocalypse. I need to save up on food supplies, and at the moment, even my house isn't safe. There's no saying a zombie can't break in. I doubt they have high levels of intelligence, but perhaps that of a baby's—they do. If they move in groups and are slow, they are likely weak.*

Roge gave it some thought, and that was his final conclusion. He didn't fully rely on it, though, as it wasn't fully confirmed and was only a theory.

---

Meanwhile, in the convenience store, Zen was well aware of the impending danger. He looked around the store, trying to find anything that could be used as a weapon. Aside from the mop, there wasn't much, but it would have to do. After a while, he started to observe the outside through the transparent wall. 

*They're still growling. They repeat the same attacks everytime. The same pattern.. I doubt the authorities will actually make it in time here. At best, they'll arrive after we get attacked.* Zen was very much absorbed in his thoughts. Though, he soon snapped back. 

There were other people—a child, a mother, a man, and an old lady. The man was the cashier.

Realizing they needed to act, Zen instructed everyone to help barricade the entrance, it wasn't that he didn't think of this before but he wanted to observe first. They moved shelves, stacked heavy items against the doors, and used anything they could find to fortify their position. It was a desperate attempt to buy themselves some time.

They all hid around the corner, hoping not to attract the zombies' attention. However, the transparent walls made hiding almost futile.

Zen was well aware of this but didn’t want to come off as uncooperative. He was sure the rest knew and that they were just shielding behind hope.

Zombies were coming and it was only a matter of time.