The basement

Chapter 8

A person is sitting calmly on the sofa while looking at his phone.

On the screen of the phone is the schematic diagram of a diesel generator, Marc Lee carefully studied it while nibbling on some food. He was too engrossed in learning its operation and structure. Then after half a day, a satisfied smile crept on his face. Today he didn't do anything but just read and analyze things from his phone.

As a shut-in, one of Marc Lee's hobbies is to collect information about machines and stuff. He didn't have money to go to shops at that time and just learn on his own on fixing things. Hence he always keeps those things on his phone. In short, if someone would search his phone they would find a lot of different documents about a lot of things.

This time what surprised Marc Lee the most is his brain function, as it seems that he can clearly remember anything that he just read and his mind seems to have a photographic memory now.

"I guess this is my power, the power of the mind…" Marc Lee thought scoffing himself.

"Who am I kidding… in this time I guess all people have the same ability as I have. Even Miss Wayne is smart enough to remember things that have happened a few months ago." He thought.

"Well, I need to go down the basement and check if the diesel generator can still work…" he thought as he started a plan in his mind.

"Okay, let's start with this…" he said as he raises an arms-length metal pole.

"I can use this as a spear if I can sharpen the tip…"

Then after nodding with his idea he started working on it. Not long later, he is now holding an improvised spear weapon. Then he also takes a cleaver from the kitchen in the other flat.

"Okay, I need to clear the zombies in the fire exit staircase first."

Going out of his apartment, Marc Lee carefully traverses the stairs down and luckily he found no zombies. Reaching the first floor, he carefully leans on the door and tries to listen. He heard nothing as it seems that there are no movements on the other side, so he decided to take a small peek.

Creek!

The door makes a small but eerie sound which made the hair on Marc Lee's arm stand up. Then he carefully looks outside and saw… nothing.

"I guess the zombies are trapped in the rooms, or they have gone to another place." he thought.

He then opens the door and carefully walks out, preparing himself for anything. When he has just taken a few steps away from the emergency exit, he suddenly saw a figure in the hallway… it was a figure of an old man.

He knows the old man as he had already seen him many times in this building. It was the old security guard who is very polite to everyone and very kind. The old man's smiling and amicable face would always warm the tenants of this building including Marc Lee.

But now, the eye of the old man is crimson red, his figure bloody and there is something missing from his empty stomach. It seems that he had died miserably which made Marc Lee feel pity for the old guy. Right now the zombified old man has found him and is looking at him with his blood shut eyes. It suddenly opens its mouth and growled angrily at him, making him feel speechless.

"What is this? Pfft…" Marc Lee snickered as he held himself from laughing.

The old man's mouth is devoid of teeth making him a toothless zombie, so Marc Lee felt relaxed. But before he can heave a sigh of relief, he discovers something which made him break out in cold sweat. The old man hunched back while spreading his arms, then from the tip of his fingers, long black claws suddenly appear.

"Holy crap!" he shouted as he quickly turns towards the door of the emergency exit.

But before he could reach it he found another zombie who may have sneaked in from somewhere blocking the door. The face of Marc Lee became sweaty and he began to panic, as he didn't expect this situation.

Without a choice he immediately ran down the hall, his goal now is to find a way to reach the security room because the entrance to the basement is near that place.

The two zombies began chasing him and their speed is very fast. He can almost feel their foul breath nearing his neck, which made him, ran as fast as he could. But then before he could turn in the corner, he discovered another zombie blocking the path.

"Shit! Why!" he cursed in frustration inside his mind.

Without a choice, he decided to gauge the zombie as he approaches. Then he discovers that the zombie lacks one arm and is thinner than the two who are chasing after him. So he immediately decided to kill the zombie in front of him. He grabs the cleaver from his belt and swung it towards the zombie's head.

Upon doing this he discovers something strange… everything is in slow motion.

Then before he knew it the zombie has been decapitated with its head flying through the air. He was stunned at what had happened and looked at the cleaver in his hand. But before he could react, he suddenly noticed the two chasing zombies.

With a quick pounce, the zombie near him opened its mouth and bit his shoulder. This action is fast, but to Marc Lee, everything is still in slow motion.

He quickly brandishes the cleaver and accurately strikes the neck of the zombie, making it separate from its body as it falls on the ground unmoving. Marc Lee didn't dawdle as he knows that there is still the old security guard with long claws.

Before he could turn his head towards the old man, he suddenly felt a sharp pang of pain on his side, and then warm blood suddenly dyed his shirt.

"Damn I didn't expect this zombie to do a sneak attack. You might be a good man but you are a bad zombie!" he cursed in his heart.

He gritted his teeth and tried to suppress the pain coming from his side. As the two face-offs, Marc Lee can suddenly hear some growling sound from afar, which means that there are zombies approaching this area.

"I have to finish this or else I'm dead." He thought.

Then the old man suddenly dashed towards him, making his eyes widen. With this, everything suddenly once again became sluggish. This time he knows that might be his hidden ability making him feel happy.

Without wasting another time he quickly moves forward and this time used the sharp spear to directly pierce the old man's head. With that attack, the zombified old man slumps to the floor and died. But this time he would never get up again, and in his right eye, a hole could be seen going through to the back of the zombie's head.

Marc Lee wanted to take a breather but then he discovers that the sound is getting closer, so he immediately takes out the spear from the old man's head and ran towards a particular door. At the top of that door, a word that says 'basement' is written.

"This is it, this is the place…" Marc Lee thought.

Marc Lee slowly grab the handle of the door and slowly twisted the knob. Then utter darkness greeted him which made him flinch. He wanted to turn back as he felt that something was off in this basement, but he doesn't have a choice as right now he can hear many running footsteps. This means that there is a horde of zombies behind chasing after him. He quickly steeled his heart and enters the gaping mouth of the void.

"Shit! Shit! Shit! I'm not going to die here… I'm not going to die here…" Marc Lee muttered as he carefully walks forward through the darkness.

He had already locked the door behind him and found that when he entered the dark basement he can actually see a little as his eyes have already adjusted themselves in the dark. But because of his anxiety and nervousness, he didn't notice a lot of changes that are happening in his body.

"There might be a switch somewhere in here." he suddenly thought.

He remembers that in this basement there is a backup emergency light that can be turned on in case of any emergency. Then he quietly walks towards an area where the switch might be. After a while, he noticed something strange.

"Is... is something... fo... following me?" he thought as he slowly turns his head.

Although it was dark he actually saw a huge figure not too far from him. Its eyes are glowing red and sharp fangs are showing as it snarled at him.

Grrr!!!

This sound made Marc Lee's spine tingle as he found himself frozen in fear. Behind him stood a dog the size of a lion. It is devoid of fur and patches of dried blood are all over its body which makes it looks like scales. Marc Lee slowly approached the wall where he found a red switch in the corner of his eyes.

"If I fight this thing blindly I'm at a disadvantage." he thought as he carefully approached the switch while walking back.

But before he can go near it the dog suddenly rushed forward, with its mouth wide open. Then it quickly jumps directly towards his neck. But its speed became sluggish once again as his heartbeat became faster.

With this, he quickly ducks down and the huge dog missed him and actually hit the red switch accidentally. Then a low light was turned on, but in this place devoid of lights it is the brightest object. This made the dog whimper as its eyes were blinded. It's been months since it has mutated and has already adapted its physique and vision to the dark basement.

Seeing the dog's condition, he didn't think twice and immediately stab towards the dog's head. But the dog's instinct kicks in and was able to evade the fatal strike from the spear. But its neck was hit, making it cry in pain. He wanted to take out the spear but the dog immediately bit on it with its powerful teeth.

Seeing this action from the mutated dog, he didn't hesitate and pushed the spear further until it came out at the other side of the dog's neck. he felt elated, but he didn't expect that the huge dog would suddenly use its paw with long claws and slash it towards his chest.

Four long gashes made him winched in pain as he let go of the spear and fall back. Then he saw the dog staggered as it stood up. The spear is still lodged in its neck, but the dog has the strength to move. His eyes widen in disbelief but something dawned on him.

"Crap! I'm stupid! I should have never pushed the spear further. But if I can take it out this dog will bleed to its death." he thought while he grits his teeth in pain.

As the dog angrily looks at Marc Lee, he slowly stood up. The cleaver is still in his hand and has never let it go even after being attacked by the dog. So he prepares himself to face the dog using it.

"Come dog!" Marc Lee angrily said as they circle around.

Then the dog suddenly leaps toward him. Upon seeing this, he expected that he can see the dog in slow motion once again, but to his surprise, it didn't happen. It was too late for him to react, as the dog's mouth has already bitten his shoulder. And at the same time, its claws have dug themselves into both of his arms and legs.

Arrgghhh!!!

Marc Lee shouted in pain as he can hear some cracking sound from his shoulder. It didn't take long before the dog released its bite from his shoulder.

"It is going for the kill... No, I can't die here!" That's what enters his mind at that time.

He didn't know where he got the strength and the courage, but he forcefully moves his hand and grabs the spear on the dog's neck and with all his might yanked it out.

The dog cried out as it suddenly felt the pain with its warm blood gushing out like a fountain. Marc Lee is already bleeding profusely from the wounds on his body, but he gritted his teeth and immediately stuck the spear into the stunned dog's stomach.

Then it immediately stopped moving as it slumps down, falling into Marc Lee's body.