Chapter 18. Trust (11)
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Camila and Leticia are stacking up equipment and preparing it in the yard. Cassandra decided to watch us from the rooftop and see if there was any danger.
“John. Did you get stung by a bug? “It was swollen.”
Camilla pointed towards my lips. She muttered something along the lines of ‘I don’t know, but I think so.’ Although it was to soothe Cassandra’s symptoms of addiction, I felt a little embarrassed because she seemed to be playing alone inside while the two women were getting ready outside.
“What? I can not hear well. “Tell me straight.”
“No, if you’re ready, let’s get started. Leticia, are you ready? Good.”
The three of us rode an electric bicycle with a basket and rode out the main gate of the research center. As I went around the village shaking the bell, zombies crawled out from all over.
“To the end of the road!”
The three of us rode down the road on our bicycles side by side. The zombies, with their instinct to chase revived, chased after us.
– I think I need to ride my bike faster. It’s a bit dangerous at this rate.
What Cassandra said is correct. The road is subtly narrow for three bicycles to ride side by side. It’s difficult to speed up properly because there are so many miscellaneous things scattered around. On the other hand, the zombies behind them ran ahead without any regard.
I rode my bike toward the field. Camilla and Leticia followed a little later. The road was rough, but I still gained quite a bit of speed. Enough that the zombies had to sprint at full speed, so the chase line was long.
“Let’s go now!”
I continued moving forward, while Camilla and Leticia reversed course. I threw the noose I had prepared in advance at the approaching zombies.
No matter how good the two people were athletically, it was difficult to just use hunting tools they had never used before. Moreover, it’s not just hunting, it’s tying zombie legs. If you are already infected and get bitten or scratched, acute symptoms will occur.
“Then why don’t you just throw it away while riding your bike?”
It was a proposal that was made with half an empty head, but the two people took it more seriously than expected. And, it seemed to work pretty well.
The two women took a large circle around the group of zombies. If they saw one that had separated from the group, they would throw a hunting rock without hesitation. If he missed, he threw the nylon net without hesitation. The very angry zombies fell one by one.
The field was full of zombies with their legs tied to hunting stones and caught in nets. However, the four guys designated as ‘leading guys’ were the exception. As expected, the one standing at the front of the group was a military police zombie.
Camilla and Leticia are standing a little distance away, taking out their respective weapons and pointing them in this direction. I stood with my back to the wind and opened a can of Cybele.
“Do you want to eat?”
As the familiar smell wafts out, the guys start drooling out of their mouths. His interest in me has already disappeared, and he only shows interest in the food in my hand. It seems like all the training I’ve done so far wasn’t in vain.
I put the can on the floor and stepped back. The four drooling zombies got closer and closer. Holding a pistol in my right hand and a spray gun in my left, the wind whooshed passed from my back to my front.
Chiik – .
I sprayed it on their faces.
Is it because something cold touched my face? The four zombies seemed to flinch slightly. But even for a moment. It takes a big step forward, as if trying to compensate for its slow pace.
“Stop.”
I aimed the M1911 pistol. It might be difficult to kill those guys with this pistol at once. But at least you can shoot them in the legs and feet and then ride away on your bike.
“Stop!”
I’m sure the zombies will hear it too. I just don’t care. The guys came steadily, just as they had been walking so far. Toward the opened can of food in front of me. Nothing seems to have changed much from before.
While I was wondering whether I should spray it one more time, I touched it lightly. “Urg.” It gushes slightly in my direction. I felt like I had a kkosunnae.
So, this is the smell that comes from my body. It feels as unfamiliar as hearing my own voice in a recording file….
“Huh?”
I suddenly looked towards the zombies. The zombies stopped in front of the can and looked at me blankly. I wondered if my ‘stop’ order had worked.
“Crup.”
Immediately one of the guys lifted the can and started eating the contents with his fingers. Like people who have forgotten dining etiquette, they ate everything around their mouths and fingers. However, something felt different.
What is it? What has changed? It’s snow. Their eyes aren’t looking at me.
One guy is eating a canned food, the other guy is eating a canned food. The military police guy looks at me closely, then turns his head away.
“Huh?”
He doesn’t seem to be very interested in me, to the point where I feel a little embarrassed that he’s pointing a pistol.
Camilla’s loud hand gestures can be seen from a little distance away. What I’m saying is, don’t do anything foolish, keep a safe distance and stay away. Leticia aimed her rifle in this direction.
But she didn’t even seem to need to be so hostile.
Why are zombies so bizarre? By moving from the dead? Because I don’t feel pain and emotions as much as normal people? No.
The zombie doesn’t take his eyes off her. There are times when I wonder, ‘What is this, is it a challenge?’ When an animal stares at me, especially if it is a zombie that was once a human but has now become a human-eating monster.
It keeps looking at you and runs towards you to eat you. No matter what obstacle there is, even if half of her body is blown away, even if only her forearms, chest, and head remain, she will come closer, dragging the rest of her body with her.
Because it was made that way. Those guys have now turned their eyes on me.
“Kruk.”
The zombies’ heads turned. They are all in the same direction. Camila and Leticia seemed to be unable to hold back any longer and were coming towards us on bicycles.
Excited.
My heart is racing. Sudden excitement. Breath. The zombies’ breathing became faster. In order to jump forward, he bends his body forward and glares at the two women with his eyes.
Their excitement transfers to me.
I knew that zombies had emotions.
There is no reason for these guys to be rational. All you have to do is leave the bare minimum for survival. However, they know how to be angry, they know how to be hungry, and they even get angry when provoked. But that wasn’t everything.
Anxiety. Fret. Anger. Fear. Various emotions arose within my heart. Most of them are negative. I could feel what those four zombies were feeling.
Then a possibility occurred to me.
I opened all the remaining canned food and put it on the floor. I escaped from the zombies on my bike before they got close.
“John, are you now?!”
Camila approached while pedaling comfortably. I got off the bike. Camila came down, almost throwing her bike away.
“Are you okay? Where was it scratched… Ugh?!”
He immediately hugged her and kissed her. Camilla struggled at the sudden action, but she quickly hugged me tightly. Her lips, which had been sucked by Cassandra for a while, became hot again. I’m sure it won’t be crushed.
I smelled rotten. They are zombies. He had already finished eating the canned food and was approaching. Crash. Leticia was seen aiming her rifle.
“Do whatever you want. “I’ll just be here stupidly pulling the trigger.”
Leticia seemed very displeased. She held Camilla’s shoulder tightly and then walked up to Leticia’s side.
“What are you doing, it’s dangerous! “This thing is loaded!”
Of course, she didn’t jump in headfirst. Instead she lined up next to her and pressed her body against her.
“Can’t you see the zombies coming? Are you doing this right now, wow?!”
As soon as I lightly kissed him, Leticia raised her muzzle upward. She was seen desperately turning her body and squinting to avoid her misfire. She didn’t want to embarrass her so she quickly removed her mouth.
“Now… After kissing that woman, she immediately… Without even wiping it….”
Leticia seemed dazed. She seemed equally embarrassed by Camilla. But I had fun. Ridiculous situation. The two women hesitated, embarrassed.
And the zombies standing.
“Why are they like that?”
It seemed like they had a breakdown. He stood there in confusion, looking at me, Camilla, and Leticia.
“I think I understand.”
I don’t know if these words can reassure the two people. But I just kept walking towards the zombies. This time, he didn’t take his eyes off me.
The zombies were agitated.
I remember the time I saw a flock of zombie birds. To avoid the small, fierce predators that covered the sky black, the human zombies hid in the forest.
I thought zombies felt fear too. Feeling fear means that you have at least some survival instinct. And humans and most animals live in groups and groups.
But there is not just one method of communication. Dolphins communicate using ultrasonic waves, and birds communicate using squeaks. It is also said that trees communicate with each other by emitting a specific type of scent.
In particular, human communication methods are diverse. Writing. Word. Gesture. And emotions. Humans know how to read and feel other people’s emotions.
And zombies are humans that have changed.
Zombies communicate through emotions.