A Brief Rest

I bent forward, and the contents of my stomach surged into my mouth. I spat out a mouthful of yellow bile, while the little zom

bie lay twisted at my

feet. Her contorted face stared straight up at me. A hole the size of a rice bowl gaped in the top of her head, and thick fluid slowly

oozed from it...

I froze.

But the world did not revolve around me...

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The repeated pounding jolted me out of my stupor. Fortunately, I had climbed into the passenger seat.

I looked away from the little zom

bie at my feet, but the car's owner came to mind: the woman whose ankle had been completely twisted out of shape.

"I never thought...you'd both die by my hand!"

I shoved the key into the ignition and turned it hard. Sorrow welled up inside me as I spoke.

"Rrrr...vroom..."

"You were mother and daughter, weren't you?" I glanced at the little zombie lying in the blood and gore. The steering wheel, gearshift,

and seats were covered in it, but right then

I could not worry about that.

"Vroom...vroom...vroom..."

I revved the engine three times, then slammed the car into reverse! At the same moment, I instinctively glanced in the rearview

mirror. Right there in the mirror, a

zombie stood directly behind me!

"Die!"

I gritted my teeth and floored the accelerator. A force pressed against my back as the car lurched backward!

Bang!

I heard the impact clearly, and the jolt traveled through the car. But I did not

stop. I kept the accelerator pressed down

hard!

Vroom!

The engine roared as I sent the car racing backward. After hitting several more zombies,

I hurriedly shifted gears, then

floored it again. The car shot forward!

"Screeeech!"

Even inside the car, I heard the tires squeal and the engine roar. A sickening stench filled the cabin,

and a whole horde of zombies waited outside. I was

covered in blood and gore, with sticky, revolting slime even in my hair.

Still, this was the only luxury car I had ever driven in my life!

It was a...Land Rover!

Vroom!

The car surged forward, and I felt the seat push against my back. Maybe it was because I hardly ever

drove, but at least I

knew how, even if I did not have a license...

That bastard Long Tianfeng had occasionally tried to get me to learn to drive, but an author's job was to sit at home

and write. As far as I

was concerned, driving was completely unnecessary...

I absolutely refused to admit it was because I could not afford a car!

"Never!"

While my mind wandered through all sorts of nonsense, I drove on!

After sending those dozen-odd zombies flying, I followed the street toward the intersection ahead. I planned to circle around

and head home. I had a car now,

so there was no rush.

Besides, entering that state earlier had left me exhausted. I wanted to find somewhere to sleep for a while. Once I passed the intersection

ahead, I would turn toward home...

For people of Hua Nation, home...was everything.

As I drove, I pressed the window switch. With a mechanical whir, wind rushed into the car,

carrying away the nauseating stench

and letting me see...

Zombies packed across almost the entire street!

"Holy shit!"

I cried out and jerked the steering wheel. Somehow, despite my mind going almost

blank, the Land Rover did not flip! It swung

sideways and stopped right in the middle of the intersection!

I had approached the intersection from the west. Only when the car faced the street to the north did I realize

where all those zombies had gone!

They packed the street, a dark mass stretching beyond sight. Nothing but zombies. I could not say a word. Almost

mechanically, I turned the wheel. The Land Rover

swung around and sped back the way I had come...

"Forget circling around...I'm going straight home."

I had been driving for a little over a minute and was nearing another intersection, but I still had not recovered.

The sheer number of them filled me with

terror. Even if someone handed me a Gatling gun, I would die against a horde that size!

Luckily, I saw no horde at the next intersection. My taut nerves finally began to

relax. When I passed the hospital intersection, I had looked around carefully. In the building across from the hospital's back

entrance, I spotted an open door. Beside it

lay a fresh bread wrapper...

"Looks like the little girl got away safely. That wrapper...must be from the bread I gave Bai Xiaoxiao."

I could clearly make out the Taoli brand on it. I had my strangely sharp eyesight to thank for that, but I still did not know

whether I should be grateful for this strange condition

or resent it...

After all, it might be one of the reasons this hellish world existed. Was it the virus at work?

Lost in thought, I drove toward those familiar streets...

Home...was not far now.

A Brief Rest

When the familiar five-story building with no elevator slowly came into view, I finally let out a long breath.

I knew the streets around here so well I

could walk them with my eyes closed. I knew where zombies might hide, where people might be, and where to find food.

I had lived here for nine years.

My old home had vanished during a demolition and redevelopment project. But that was long ago. Ever since

my parents died in that car accident,

I had lived here alone. I rarely saw my neighbors, but at least we knew one another by sight.

For example, the moment I drove into the residential complex, a zombie...staggered after me.

Her face was all too familiar, its wrinkles piled deep. Her rolled-back eyes completely hid her blood-red

pupils, leaving her unable to see

anything. She shuffled along, her back still hunched even after becoming a zombie. Her calloused hands reached slowly forward...

"Is that...Grandma Wang from next door?"

I stepped on the brake without thinking. The tires screeched as the SUV rolled to a stop. The moment

it stopped, I saw a puff of smoke rise from the front of the car. At the same time, the engine went "putter...putter

putter..." before...

"Did it stall?"

Puzzled, I opened the door, paying Grandma Wang's zombie form no mind. As I was now, her sluggish

movements could not pose any

threat, and she was still over thirty meters away.

When I got out, I saw thick, foul-smelling blood smeared across the bodywork above the wheel. At the same

time, a sharp odor

reached my nose.

I walked around the wheel to the hood. I had battered the entire front of the Land Rover out of shape. The

bumper had bent and twisted completely, with only

a few screws still holding it on. It looked as though a gentle tug would pull it free.

I could get by without a car right now, but I would need transportation for the journey ahead. This

one would do nicely.

The front bumper could be repaired. I should mention that I had once worked as a temp at an auto repair shop,

so simple bodywork would be no problem.

Those had been miserable days.