Sacrifice

The scene outside the gym was no better. The hallways were flooded with students and teachers all trying to escape the building. Some were yelling for help, while others simply ran, their faces pale with terror.

"Move!" someone yelled, shoving past us. "I think we should leave the school," I said, grabbing them and pulling them toward the nearest exit. My mind raced through our options.

The main gate would be our best bet, but with everyone heading that way, it was bound to be clogged. Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from behind us. There were so many infected coming out from the gym, trying to chase the people.

"Damn, this is so bad!" Eunwoo said, his voice trembling. "Mom, hurry, we need to get inside the car!"

We sprinted down the hallway, dodging other students who were just beginning to notice the new threat. My legs burned, and my chest felt tight, but the adrenaline coursing through me kept me moving. Behind us, the sound of snarling and desperate cries grew louder.

As we rounded a corner, a girl from our class suddenly appeared in front of us. Her face was pale, and her arm was covered in what looked like bite marks. "Help me!" she cried, reaching out to us.

Eunwoo hesitated, his instincts to help kicking in, but I grabbed his wrist. "No! She's bitten!" I yelled, pulling him away from her.

The girl's expression twisted from desperation to something darker. She lunged at us, her movements quick and erratic. We barely managed to dodge her as she slammed into the wall where we had just been standing. "We can't let them get us!" I said, my voice shaking. 

We hurried through the dim hallways, the chaos around us a blur of screaming students and echoing snarls. The main exit was blocked, a crush of panicked people all fighting to escape.

"This way!" I called, pointing toward an emergency stairwell. It was less crowded, and I prayed it would lead us to the back gate.

Mrs. Nam was struggling, her steps growing slower with each passing second. Eunwoo held onto her arm, practically dragging her along. "Mom, come on! We're almost there!" he urged, his voice laced with fear.

"I… I'm trying," she gasped, her breath coming in shallow bursts.

As we turned the corner, an infected teacher staggered into view, its bloodied mouth twisted into a grotesque snarl. It locked eyes on us and let out a guttural growl before charging.

"Stay back!" I shouted, grabbing a fire extinguisher from the wall. I swung it with all my strength, hitting the creature square in the chest. It stumbled but didn't fall, its pale, lifeless eyes fixated on us.

Eunwoo pulled Mrs. Nam behind him, panic flashing in his eyes. "We don't have time for this!"

The zombie lunged again, its claws swiping wildly. I managed to knock it back with another swing, but the extinguisher slipped from my hands. "Eunwoo, get her out of here!" I yelled.

We started backing toward the stairwell, but in the chaos, Mrs. Nam tripped on the edge of a broken tile. She fell hard, crying out as she hit the ground. Eunwoo crouched to help her up, but the infected teacher was already closing the distance.

"No!" Mrs. Nam screamed as the zombie lunged at her son. Without thinking, she shoved Eunwoo out of the way, placing herself between him and the creature. The zombie tackled her, its weight pinning her to the floor.

"Mom!" Eunwoo shouted, his voice breaking as he grabbed a broken broomstick lying nearby. He swung it with all his might, the sharp end stabbing into the zombie's side. It howled but didn't stop, its jaws snapping inches from Mrs. Nam's face.

"Get off her!" Eunwoo cried, tears streaming down his face as he pulled the broomstick free and struck again. This time, the sharp end pierced the creature's skull, and it collapsed onto Mrs. Nam with a sickening thud.

Panting, Eunwoo tossed the broomstick aside and helped his mother sit up. "Mom, are you okay? Did it hurt you?"

Mrs. Nam's face was pale, her hands trembling as she clutched her arm. At first, she didn't respond. Then, slowly, she pulled her hand away, revealing a deep, bloody bite mark on her forearm.

Eunwoo's breath hitched. "No… No, this can't be happening."

Mrs. Nam looked at him, her eyes filled with sorrow and fear. "Eunwoo… I'm so sorry."

He shook his head frantically. "We'll fix this! We'll find someone who can help—there has to be a way!"

I stood frozen, the weight of the situation sinking in like a lead weight in my chest. There was no cure, no going back from a bite. We all knew what it meant, even if none of us wanted to say it.

Mrs. Nam placed a trembling hand on Eunwoo's cheek, forcing a small, sad smile. "You need to go. You have to keep going, Eunwoo."

"I'm not leaving you!" he yelled, tears streaming down his face.

"You have to," she said firmly, her voice breaking. "I won't let you stay here. I won't let you die."

The sound of snarls echoed down the hallway, closer now. More were coming. We didn't have much time.

I grabbed Eunwoo's shoulder. "We have to go. Now."

Eunwoo looked at his mother, his face crumpling in anguish. "I can't… I can't leave her…"

Mrs. Nam pulled him into a tight embrace. "You're strong, my son. You'll survive. For me."

She pushed him toward me, her eyes glistening with tears. "Take him, Eunsu I know I can count on you because you are also my son" she said, her voice resolute and she smiled.

Mrs. Nam's words echoed in my mind, like a weight pressing down on my chest. "Take him, Eunsu. I know I can count on you because you are also my son."

I clenched my fists, heart hammering in my chest. Her smile, filled with so much love and pain, was the last thing I wanted to see, and yet it was all I had left of her. I could feel the sting of my own tears, but I couldn't stop myself. She had asked me to protect Eunwoo, to keep him safe, and that was all that mattered now.

But leaving her behind? I couldn't imagine it. Not like this. Not when she was sacrificing herself for us.

"Eunsu…" Eunwoo's voice broke through my thoughts, raw and panicked. He tugged at my arm, shaking with fear. "I can't leave her! We can't just leave her here!"

I tightened my grip on his shoulder, pulling him along with me as I forced myself to look away from Mrs. Nam. "We don't have a choice, Eunwoo! We need to go. It's the only way we'll survive."

The sudden surge of infected pouring through the hallway hit us like a wave, and for a split second, I froze. The screams of the monsters—those twisted versions of people we once knew—filled the air, their hungry groans echoing off the walls. My heart pounded in my chest as I turned to Mrs. Nam one last time.

She stood there, facing the oncoming horde, her body trembling but her resolve unwavering. Her hands were raised, ready to fend them off, but I could see the exhaustion in her eyes. She knew what was coming, but she wasn't backing down.

"Go, boys, survive," she called, her voice breaking as she looked at us with tears shining in her eyes. "I love you guys, and I'm always proud of you."

I could barely breathe. The weight of her words crashed down on me, but there was no time to stop. Not now. Not when the infected were already closing in.

"Mom!" Eunwoo screamed, his voice cracking with desperation. But I knew, deep down, there was no way to save her. She had made her choice, and it was up to us to live.

I yanked Eunwoo's arm again, pulling him toward the stairwell, urging him to run. His eyes were wide with terror, his face pale with disbelief, but I couldn't stop. We had to get out of here. We had to survive.

As we reached the door, I heard the first screams—the first sounds of Mrs. Nam's struggle—and my stomach twisted with guilt and sorrow. But there was no time to mourn. There was only time to survive.

I slammed the door behind us, cutting off the horrific sounds. But they would stay with me, etched into my memory forever: Mrs. Nam's sacrifice, her love, and the final look in her eyes as she gave everything to save us.

Eunwoo collapsed to his knees, his body trembling, and I joined him, trying to hold it together. "We have to keep going," I said, my voice hoarse. "For her. We can't let her sacrifice be for nothing."

Eunwoo nodded slowly, wiping away his tears, but I could see the pain in his eyes. The same pain I felt in my heart. This wasn't over, and we had to keep moving.