Chapter 9: Crying

The mournful cries resonated through the desolate hallway, stemming from the room downstairs where a female zombie resided. This room, now her haunting ground, was once her living space in her previous life as a human.

A sliver of light peeked through the slightly opened door, from which the sounds of grief emerged. Lin, upon hearing these cries, cautiously pushed the door open. Inside, he found the female zombie on her knees in the living room, her back facing him, her body convulsing with sobs.

The female zombie, possessing acute hearing, was instantly alerted by the faint noise of the door. She whirled around, her neck twisting in an unnatural 180 degrees. Her face, initially twisted in aggression, seemed ready to launch an attack. But upon recognizing Lin, her hostile expression quickly softened into a fawning, almost pitiful demeanor.

Her wails, filled with sorrow, seemed to convey a message. Lin interpreted her cries as expressions of hunger, though he was puzzled. He had already fed her along with his other undead minions that day; she was the only one still lamenting.

"Wooooooo," she continued, her cries a mix of pleading and grief.

Without much concern, Lin casually threw her the corpse of a gangster he had killed earlier. The sight of fresh blood and flesh ignited a spark in the female zombie. Her demeanor shifted dramatically as she let out a bizarre, haunting laugh, lunging towards the corpse with ravenous speed. Her laughter, even more unnerving than her cries, echoed as she tore into the flesh.

This grotesque display of feeding was a scene of horror, one that would leave any ordinary person aghast. Lin, however, seemed more bothered by the prospect of the fishy odor clinging to him, especially after just having taken a shower.

In the next room, the doctor zombie and the fitness instructor zombie, Lin's other minions, remained relatively still. Lin had not felt the need to feed them as urgently.

Back in his room, Lin pondered their survival strategy. The reserves of blood and meat wouldn't last indefinitely, and he knew that in a world quickly depleting its resources, it was imperative to secure more supplies soon.

Checking his phone, Lin discovered numerous messages and missed calls from Linda. Her texts were filled with worry and urgency, pleading for his safety and begging him to bring supplies. Responding at last, Lin informed her of his plans to visit her the next day, a slight cruel smile playing on his lips as he remembered his past life as a zombie, unable to communicate with Linda except through incoherent noises, and eventually being killed by three boys. The irony of their hostility towards him, regardless of his human or zombie state, was not lost on him.

The following morning, Lin dressed in a clean sweatshirt, his face devoid of any expression, reflecting his transformation into a zombie with human sanity but an emotionally detached demeanor. He headed downstairs to his medium-sized box truck, signaling to his zombie minions to prepare for a hunting expedition. The female zombie was the first to respond, energetically leaping into the truck, followed by the fitness trainer zombie, now a hulking figure of muscle and strength. Lin nicknamed this imposing creature 'Tank'.

The doctor zombie, calm and methodical, joined them last. Lin then set off, his vehicle crashing through any obstacle, whether zombies or debris, in its path. Their journey was a testament to their unwavering resolve to survive in a world now overrun by the undead.

Upon reaching university, Lin and his minions disembarked. Tank, bewildered by the sudden change in scenery, emitted a thunderous roar, causing nearby windows to shatter and instilling fear among the lesser zombies. Lin, taken aback by Tank's confusion, reflected on the situation with a mix of frustration and bemusement.

Their arrival at the university marked a pivotal moment in their quest for survival, a constant struggle in a world where the line between life and death had blurred beyond recognition.