My Undead System

Ch. 15 - Supplies

A cloud of dust obstructed visibility in the rear-view mirror as Kroll sped away from the Juvenile Detention Facility. Meanwhile, Jin held on to the hood of the Jeep with every ounce of strength he could muster. With every vibration, he lost his grip slightly each time.

Once they had created plenty of distance between them and the undead, Kroll brought the vehicle to a halt. Jin’s fingers were stiff and bled profusely. His restoration skill got to work fast, and his wounds healed after a while.

He chose not to disclose this information, therefore he didn’t mention this to anyone and let them wrap his hands with a piece of cloth. He considered himself lucky that the nerves got damaged when he died, or he’d be writhing in pain by now.

While Rena mended Jin’s injuries, Kroll stayed in his seat and checked the conditions of their passengers. He couldn’t help but think that more kids in there could be alive or that their life hanged by a threat. He slammed his hands on the wheel in irritation.

Jin noticed his reaction. “When we get back, we can organize a bigger group and come back… if there are more survivors, we’ll surely bring them to safety…”

Kroll appreciated the sentiment, but he knew in his heart it was an impossible thing to do. They barely escaped with only a few people. It was pretty apparent that being locked up in a cell for so long dehydrated the kids. The teenagers were lucky they got to them when they did. He sighed in his heart and turned to look at his son. His worries washed away. He was at least able to save his son.

Rena lifted her head after she wrapped Jin’s hands. She looked around and scanned the area. “There’s a grocery store around here somewhere, where the guards used to shop from. We can restock our supplies and maybe carry some back.”

Both Jin and Kroll liked the idea and nodded. They returned to the jeep and drove according to Rena’s directions. As she instructed, they reached the grocery store.

The three of them went inside cautiously. Jin pushed the store’s door and bells tied on top rang. The chimes startled them at first and as if from a reflex, Rena and Kroll pulled their guns. Jin whispered the moment he saw them. “I thought you ran out of bullets?!”

Kroll coughed and whispered. “They don’t know that…”

Jin looked at him, confused. “You don’t mean the undead, right?”

“R-Right…”

Rena, who stood next to them, whispered aggressively. “Focus!”

Jin and Kroll looked at each other and chuckled. After that, deafening silence took over the place. As if they tiptoed, their steps were soundless. Their focus was at its peak.

They moved together as one entity. The entire time, Rena and Kroll stuck by Jin’s side. He was the only one carrying a weapon. They moved deeper into the store when they heard a lonesome growl coming from behind a door. Their gazes fixated on it.

Jin stepped forward and signaled for them to open the door for him with a swift wave of his hand. Kroll grabbed the doorknob and gently unlocked the door. The undead pushed out, knocked down Kroll and just as it was about to bite him, Jin smashed its head with his trusted baseball bat.

Blood showered Kroll while the undead body fell on top of him. With the help of Rena, he shoved it off him. Kroll stood up and wiped the blood off his face. He turned to Jin and uttered in a somewhat muddled voice. “Thank you!”

Jin simply nodded. A thought crossed his mind at that moment. When they first met with Kroll, he came so close to blowing his brains out that even his mother, Coral, had gotten involved and slapped him. A painted smile on Jin’s face irritated Kroll. “Don’t get used to it…”

He later spat a few droplets that went into his mouth. “Blegh. Nasty…”

The young man remained silent. They finished checking the store and once they made sure it was safe; they relaxed and began gathering supplies to feed their new guests and take back to the hospital for the other survivors.

As he searched, Jin noticed a shelf at the bottom with backpacks. He ran enthusiastically towards it and emptied his hands in one. He grabbed a few more and gave them to Kroll and Rena. With the same enthusiasm, they took one each and filled it to the brim.

They grabbed a few fruits to enjoy in their ride over, plenty of water bottles, canned food, and whatever medicine they could scourge. They ignored anything that needed a fridge or had a short lifespan with low nutritional value, such as snacks.

After having soothed their thirst and filled their bellies, they picked up the backpacks and headed out, only to see their vehicle speeding away. The four teens were on the side of the road with scratches on their arms, meaning whoever stole their car also dragged the kids out forcefully.

Without a way to chase after them, they first attended to Krish and the others. The grocery store had bandages and disinfectants they could use. Jin and the others helped them inside, since getting their vehicle stolen, forced them to spend the night and travel the next day or the one after.

Like before, during the night, they took turns keeping watch. The night went by uneventfully. Once the morning came, Krish and the rest were feeling much better. Going that long without food and water took its toll on bodies for sure, since they still appeared to be weak.

That didn’t stop Kroll and Jin from thinking they had a few extra hands, so they filled a couple more backpacks and shared them between themselves. Right after Jin and the others stepped outside, the dangerous vastness that surrounded them brought fear into their hearts.

Rena ran back inside without uttering a word and came out with a gun. Jin and Kroll looked at her, surprised. She shrugged her shoulders and uttered. “My dad gave this to the owner a few years back when they had multiple robberies…”

Kroll looked deep into her eyes. “No matter what, don’t use it until we find the jackass that stole my Jeep! I want to empty the entire clip on his face!”

Jin intervened in a serious tone. “Or you can use it to protect his son…”

Kroll’s demeanor instantly changed. “That… Definitely!”

Rena tossed it to Kroll. “You can do that yourself. You are a better shot than I, anyway.”

Right after they decided who would hold on to the pistol, they set out.