July 1 | DAY 7
12 : 37 pm

All they had were sleepless nights, stuck in the cold bathroom of an abandoned supermarket, while the undead lurked outside, claiming the world to be theirs.

They survived on water alone for two days and they were tired, both their minds and bodies, tired of being stuck, tired of hiding.

Nights and days blended in together, they didn't seem any different for them. The only thing which marked the difference between the days and the nights were the bright rays of sunlight, which sneaked into the cold bathroom through a small closed awning window located near the ceiling.

They were now used to the god awful stench and every time they breathed in, it's taste lasted in the back of their throats, reminding them that the world was not theirs anymore.

Seokjin couldn't put a stopper to all the thoughts that seeped into his mind and each thought made him lose his last bit of hope, little by little. He couldn't speak properly, his tongue was dry and his lips were chapped and the only thing that kept him alive was that last bit of hope.

Fear and hunger ate them alive, but they still persevered, they were not ready to accept defeat.

His thought process was suddenly broken when Taehyung stood up and Seokjin's focus quickly veered onto him.

Taehyung slowly walked up to the sink and looked into the foggy mirror. He wiped the mirror clean with his hands to reveal his pale and fatigued face. He stared at his reflection and the reflection stared at him back, indifferently. He sighed and twisted the tap, but no water came out, not even a drop.

They had ran out of water, the only thing, other than that last bit of hope, that kept them alive.

Taehyung quickly moved onto another sink and twisted the tap, again and again, only to face the fact that the water reservoir had run out.

Now what?

"I think we've run out of water...", Taehyung turned to Seokjin, his voice so dry that it hurt those who heard it.

Seokjin sighed closing his eyes, he knew that this would happen someday.

"What are we supposed to do?", Yoongi stared at Seokjin, hoping for a solution.

"I don't know...", Seokjin finally spoke, his voice too, hoarse and dry.

"What if we...", Hoseok started speaking hesitantly. "... try to go out, get something to eat too."

Hoseok slowly looked at Seokjin's face, to see what his reaction was to his idea. They had all unconsciously given the leader position of their group to Seokjin. They felt like he could always be depended on, but that was not how Seokjin felt.

Seokjin couldn't even imagine getting out and facing one of those things again. He tried to stay tough, but inside he was what everybody was, afraid.

"Go out?", Seokjin contemplated on the fact for a while. When Jungkook saw that Seokjin was not saying anything, he overlapped.

"I don't wanna starve to death in here. I'm going out."

Jungkook's gaze was fixed on Seokjin's head, which was hung low now, as he waited for a reply. Seokjin lifted his head and looked back at Jungkook, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but nothing audible came out.

Jungkook sighed, he stood up and walked towards the door. He flinched a little when his skin touched the cold metal handle of the door. He turned his head around to look at other's faces, fear written in everybody's eyes. He slowly twisted it and pulled the door open to see nothing.

There were no creatures in sight, neither did he hear anything. He stepped out of the bathroom slowly and looked all around, still nothing.

He quickly stepped back inside the bathroom.

"There's nothing out there. I didn't see anything.", he whispered, closing the door slowly and quietly.

"I guess they're all gone.", he said. "I hope they're all gone."

Yes, hope was a very important factor.

"Okay, come on then... Let's go get something to eat.", Seokjin declared and the rest of them stared at him. He had made up his mind. He couldn't let fear take over. He had already faced them once, he could do it again, or at least he hoped.

Hope.

He quickly stood up and started putting his shoes on, putting extra effort into tying his shoelace, you might never know when you have to run.

"Wait... We're going now?", Hoseok asked, surprised, his eyes as big as they could get.

"Yes... If not now, then when?", Seokjin said, his focus still on tying his shoelace.

"I think Hoseok, Jungkook and I should go.", Seokjin suggested, after making sure that his shoelaces were tied taut ready to go.

"What about me?", Taehyung furrowed his eyebrows, his lips in a small pout.

"You can stay here with me. Won't you?", Yoongi suddenly held onto Taehyung's hand, which made Taehyung change his mind.

Yoongi was afraid, his recent near-death experience with one of the creatures was not something you could forget in a blink and Taehyung knew it.

Hoseok stood up and stretched his body, his muscles felt stiff and weak. He looked up to the ceiling as if he was praying something and then sighed.

"Come on! Let's go!"

The three of them quietly stepped out of the bathroom into the dim atmosphere of the supermarket. Taehyung wished them luck and locked the door from inside. They were to knock on the door three times when they returned, only then Taehyung would open it.

Seokjin looked straight ahead and saw the place where he had assaulted that creature last time, with a frying pan. The frying pan was still there but the creature was not, but some residue of the dark red discharge from its mouth still remained.

The odour was revolting, but they managed to move through with their shirts pulled up to their faces. They had to get food and water quickly and get back inside before something undesired happened. So, they decided to check in the supermarket staff's kitchen, which was quite near to the bathroom.

Seokjin found water bottles on the way and crouched down on the floor to pick as many as he can, while Jungkook kept a watch on the surroundings about them. Hoseok had gone into the kitchen to find food.

A few minutes passed by and Hoseok was still not coming out.

"What in the hell is taking him so long?", Jungkook whispered, biting his lips. Seokjin shrugged his shoulders.

"You go in, I'll stay watch.", Seokjin sighed after waiting a few more minutes and Jungkook slowly walked towards the huge grey kitchen doors.

The doors were closed, but the two big glass-covered openings on them revealed what was inside and he could see Hoseok standing in the farthest corner from the doors.

But something was not right.

Hoseok was standing perfectly still, his eyes fixated on something inside the kitchen.

Jungkook slowed down his steps and slowly pushed open one of the doors.

"Hoseok?", he whispered.

Hoseok suddenly snapped his head to Jungkook and signalled with his hand to stop walking. Jungkook noticed how tense Hoseok looked, the veins popping out his forehead, he was barely breathing.

Hoseok turned his head back to his front and gulped slowly and that's when Jungkook saw them.

Two of those creatures standing right in front of Hoseok, a few feet away, turned away from him, leaning onto the wall.

"Oh fuck."

~~~

Hey guys, how's the story till here? As I said earlier, this book's gonna have like 26 chapters and I'm almost done writing it. I hope you're liking the book and I love all of your comments.

Today is a very important day for me cuz my results are coming out, it decides my future. I'm really tensed, I hope I'll get a good rank. I really need all of your prayers. Thank you.

Anyhoo, next chapter will be out on 1 October, 2020.

Love,
PAPRIKA 💜