ZOMBIE

The entire city of Alexandria descended into chaos. Arya and his friends were trapped in a large mall in Iskandariah, doing their best to secure themselves along with other local survivors.

"Disini gak ada signyal." Fadli complained.

"Beruntung tempat ini punya solar panel, listrik kota sepertinya padam." Amar added.

"Mahluk apa mereka." Arya asked, whispering, though his words were still clearly audible to those around him.

Hundreds of people sought refuge inside, with many elderly, women, children, toddlers, and adult men like Arya, Fadli, and Amar scattered in various corners. Some were crying softly, trembling in fear, while others kept themselves busy, trying to calm their anxiety by praying. Arya himself sat lost in thought in a corner of the supermarket, holding a bottle of mineral water. His head was bowed, tense, amidst his friends.

The mall consisted of three floors, two basements, and a flat roof designed like a modern building, accessible only by stairs. The first floor was a supermarket, while the second floor housed clothing stores, and the third floor was filled with restaurants and children's play areas. The basements were used for parking, but they had intentionally been closed off to prevent the monstrous creatures, resembling the undead, from entering the mall. This was a blessing for Arya and the others who had taken refuge there. However, the building had an upper floor that led directly outside, and this was the only access point for the refugees to observe the surroundings after all the doors and windows were securely shut.

"Ya'juj Ma'juj." Amar replied quietly, answering Arya's question, followed by Arya's neutral expression, indicating his reaction to Amar's answer.

"Mustahil! Ya'juj Ma'juj itu terdiri dari dua bangsa berakal, bukan mayat hidup seperti mereka." Arya retorted, while Fadli just listened in silence.

"Kita pasti sepakat, bahwa sosok Ya'juj Ma'juj ini sangat misteri, bisa berarti apa saja. Bahkan Al qur'anpun hanya menggambarkannya sekilas, itupun gak secara spesifik. Inimah Cuma dugaan, tapi kalo ini benar, mereka gak akan bisa dikalahkan." Amar replied firmly but calmly.

"Entah mereka Ya'juj Ma'juj atau bukan, agama kita mengatakan bahwa Ya'juj Ma'juj hanya bisa mati oleh ulat. Mereka ini mayat hidup, mereka zombie. Dan yang namanya mayat, cepat atau lambat pasti berbelatung atau berulat." Amar continued.

"Kalo benar mereka Ya'juj Ma'juj, lantas kenapa gak dari dulu mereka mati karena ulat?" Fadli asked, curious.

"Walllahu a'lam. Tapi kita tentu tau, ada beberapa tempat dibelahan bumi ini yang tidak akan bisa membuat mayat jadi busuk, apalagi berulat. Lagian Allahkan maha berkehendak. Tapi bukan berarti memastikan, inimah Cuma perkiraan." Amar said, answering Arya and Fadli's curiosity.

Arya and Fadli fell silent, reflecting on Amar's words while watching the mall's entrance, which was barricaded with various items to prevent the zombies from entering.

The mall had a steel rolling door, which prevented the zombies from getting in. Additionally, behind the rolling door was a 1 cm thick glass wall, providing further security and making everyone sheltered inside feel safe. The stairs leading to the basement were also blocked off with various heavy items like chairs, cabinets, tables, refrigerators, and other available furniture, ensuring the basement remained free from zombies.

"Kriiiiiiiiing…" Amar's phone suddenly rang, drawing everyone's attention instantly.

"Apa? Signyal?" Arya whispered in surprise.

Quickly, Amar pulled his phone out of his black jeans pocket, looking confused. Arya and Fadli stared at him with the same confused expression. Amar was just as bewildered, especially since there was suddenly signal when there had been none before. This strange occurrence made others around them also check their phones, and sure enough, there was signal. In an instant, people were taking advantage of the moment, trying to call family members, friends, or anyone who might be able to help—or simply to check on the condition of the people they were calling. Some smiled with relief when their calls were answered, while others showed disappointment as their calls went unanswered.

Without much thought, Amar immediately answered the call after seeing that the number calling was from Indonesia, none other than Bramantio, their boss.

"Ha.. Hallo pak…!" Amar answered with a trembling voice, the tension clearly visible on his face.

"Ahirnya tersambung juga. Kalian ada dimana? Apa kalian aman?" asked Mr. Bram, sounding worried.

"Kami bertiga selamat pak, sebenarnya apa yang terjadi?" Amar replied, asking the question again.

"Kalian ada di sana, kalau kalian saja gak tau apa yang terjadi, apalagi saya yang jauh. Di Indonesia aman, apa kalian bisa mengusahakan pulang?"

"Kami terkepung, disini ada beberapa ratus orang yang sedang sama-sama berlindung di mall Iskandariah. Menurut orang sini, seluruh kota sudah hancur, tak terkecuali bandara. Kami gak bisa kemana-mana pak."

"Berarti kalian masih ada di Alexsandria?" Mr. Bram asked, confirming.

"Iya pak…"

"Kebetulan. Saya akan jemput kalian, tapi gak di mall. Disitu terlalu bahaya buat halikopter turun. Gini aja, disekitar situ ada Kastil Qaitbay Citadel 8, tepat di pesisir laut Alexandria. Usahakan besok kalian tiba disana, tunggu kami tepat di atas salah satu menaranya. Ketika kami tiba, beri tanda. Kalau kalian gak ada pas kita tiba, kami anggap kalian gak selamat. Rekam sebanyak-banyaknya semua kejadian, buat kami bangga akan kedatangan kalian! Dan jangan jadikan misi penyelamatan ini sia-sia. Besok jam satu siang. Faham?" Bramantio explained in great detail, to which Amar replied, "Iya pak, kami faham." Suddenly, the call ended.

"Mar, disini kita aman. Fasilitaspun lengkap. Apa kamu yakin bertaruh nyawa demi jemputan? Jarak antara kita dengan Qaitbay gak dekat, dan lagi belum tentu disana aman." Fadli said, trying to convince him with doubt.

"Seaman-amannya kita di sini, di Indonesia jauh lebih aman. Kita gak kan pernah tau kondisi Qaitbay, sama halnya kita gak kan tau kondisi kita kalau tetap bertahan dalam waktu lama disini. Kita tau, mahluk-mahluk itu bukan zombie biasa yang kita lihat di film. Mereka cepat, kuat, dan kalau benar mereka adalah Ya'juj Ma'juj, merekapun pasti memiliki akal. Hanya saja akal mereka beda dengan akal kita. Cepat atau lambat, mereka pasti bisa masuk kesini." Amar said, trying to convince them.

"Benar kata Amar, kita harus ngambil resiko." Arya said, standing up and shooting a serious glare at his two friends, signaling his determination.

Amar stood up firmly, "Saya tau, Bapak Bram gak sepenuhnya iklas menyelamatkan kita. Dia mau menyelamatkan kita, karena kita satu-satunya reporter Indonesia yang ada di Mesir dan masih bisa dihubungi. Dengan kepulangan kita, akan menambah pundi-pundi emas buat dia. Tapi apapun alasannya, ini mungkin satu-satunya kesempatan kita selamat, kita gak boleh nyia-nyian ini."

"Oke, untuk ke Qaitbay Citadel, kita harus menyebrangi jalan utama menuju gurun. Kita harus perhitangkan ini dengan sangat matang, kita harus punya pengalih agar zombie-zombi itu focus ke hal lain. Dengan begitu, kita bisa melangkah dengan aman menuju pantai, lalu bila beruntung kita bisa ke kastil dengan aman. Masalahnya, saya ragu kita akan beruntung." Fadli said.

Together, Arya, Fadli, and Amar's eyes immediately shifted toward the barricade, which was not far from their position. []