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Domesday

Page 17

by Kei Urahama


  “Maki! Look out!”

  Yuji yelled and left his father, still lying on the ground. He rushed to the girl gazing at the sky, grabbing the zombie just behind her.

  Yuji saw that angels had descended all over the square. One after another, each of them discharging a new hungry monster. The later the undead appeared, the more malformed they became. Whether crushed in the rubble or damaged when dragged out by the angel, many of the later zombies were missing body parts or were growing limbs from odd places.

  A chaotic flock of angels filled the air returning to the wall after delivering their hideous packages. Victims began to appear amongst the survivors, those who ran blindly, finding themselves cornered in a cul-de-sac.

  One teen, still wearing headphones, in front of the pyramid lighting in the square, laughing out loud without even trying to pull free of a freshly revived zombie lying at his feet.

  In the back of the pyramid, some terrified youths with long hair and make-up, of indeterminate gender, stumbled wildly, caught between the wall of the Dome and three zombies.

  Ishida’s sightline on the scene was suddenly blocked by spheres flying to and fro and zombies passing in the near distance. He gave up trying to focus on anyone as everything declined into chaos.

  Run! Don’t stop! Before they remember how to walk… Ishida ordered his body to act, but it refused to move. At that moment, someone laid hands on his back. Spinning around screaming, he saw a familiar face there.

  The one who was digging his nails into Ishida’s shoulders was Kosuke Mazaki, ex-guru of the Apostles. The former religious leader no longer sought God’s relief, was free from his esoteric interpretations of the Bible, and now acted solely on the pure imperative of extreme hunger trying to bite Ishida’s neck.

  Ishida desperately tried to shake himself loose from the zombie guru but the monster bit hard into a portion of Ishida’s skin and hair with its first bite and wouldn’t let go.

  “Mazaki! Get off me! Shit, Mazaki!”

  Ishida cried out but it had no effect on his attacker.

  It wasn’t Mazaki any longer. It was a hungry immortal fiend that could make no distinction between people and food, between believer and guru.

  Chapter 39

  It took six minutes for Kyoko and Ami to get down the stairs from the thirteenth floor, relying on the light of a single flashlight to finally reach the B-2 level. Kyoko’s strength had radically deteriorated during the time she’d been bedridden.

  While Ami cast about for Fukazawa’s car in the impenetrable darkness, Kyoko didn’t breathe for so long that she almost fainted and fell to her knees. Her heart was beating so quickly it felt it might rupture at any moment. Sweat flowed constantly from her pores. Scanning the darkness, Kyoko could only see phantoms of bright motes of light flickering before her eyes.

  “Found it! Over here!”

  Ami’s yell echoed through the deserted parking lot. She’s four or five years my senior. How can she be so strong? I thought a rock singer needed more stamina than an actress, right? I’m still an active person… Kyoko awkwardly rose to her feet, extended her trembling knees, and walked toward the beam of Ami’s flashlight.

  “Will you please hurry!”

  She passed the car-park machines, which held vehicles in two tiers to either side. She then passed into the level parking lot for larger vehicles. Ami stood beside a minivan, waiting with the door already open.

  Kyoko was relieved that Fukazawa’s car was not a small one such as those on the parking machine. If it had been on the machine, it would be impossible to get down unless the generator power was running.

  “Here!” Ami shoved the car keys into Kyoko’s hands.

  Kyoko turned toward the driver’s seat but suddenly noticed something and shined her light on the floor. There was a gasoline stain on the floor near the back of the car tire. Under the light, the lid of the gas tank was still open. What is this? No way! Did someone syphon out the gas? She closed the lid and opened the driver’s side door. When she looked at the gauge, sure enough, the gauge needle was pointing to the red.

  “Let’s go!” Ami said from the front passenger seat, trying to fasten her seat belt. She suddenly noticed where Kyoko was looking and stopped. Ami couldn’t dare to say there was no more fuel. It’s okay, Kyoko thought, we’re not going to drive far. It will make it somehow.

  As she got in, the seat’s position was higher than she’d thought. It was the first time Kyoko had ever driven a minivan, but she quickly shook off such trivial anxiety. She inserted the key, prayed, and then turned the starter. It worked instantly.

  “Let’s go. But just in case, put your seatbelt on.”

  Kyoko moved the van forward, piercing the darkness with the headlights.

  Chapter 40

  Yuji took Maki Kato’s hands, ran a short distance, stopped, changed direction to move cautiously, then ran again. In this way he passed through the maze of slow zombies finally reaching the steep stairs in the corner of the square.

  After the appearance of the Dome there remained only two sets of stairs, the south side set leading to the department store and the north side ones in front of Park Building where Yuji had just arrived. Other than this there was only the slope from the square to the apartment building where the truck had once tumbled and burned, where now there was a deep crater. In the south side of the square, four or five Neverlanders were taking refuge, including John and Yang. A few others had arrived on the opposite stairs before Yuji and Maki, including Todo, his lover Ryoko, Kaneko and Tominaga, who had left the apartment building with Yuji before, and finally the basket worm Neverlander who had greeted them on the first day.

  They all clustered together in the middle of the stairs, looking down with bated breath at the pyramid square that was now a hellhole.

  Yuji now understood why it had been so difficult to make it up the stairs. The angels had dropped the revived not only in the square but all over the Dome.

  When he looked up he could see a few zombie heads moving above the handrail overlooking the square. This truly shook him. The newly born zombies were not coordinated enough yet to climb the stairs, but what about going down them? They wouldn’t go down one step at a time like a normal person, and gravity would be on their side. Yuji finally understood why Todo was crouching and breathing as quietly as possible.

  At least twenty zombies were moving on the slope of the square. Every one of them wore white clothes or some shred of it on their torsos, once having been Mazaki’s believers. There were also five or so former Neverlanders who had been unable to escape the falling building milling around amongst the white-clothed monsters. They were too easy to pick out in their dark attire.

  But… Yuji’s father was nowhere to be seen. When he had glanced back once during the time he was getting Maki to safety, there was a figure getting up and running toward the slope…

  Now at that same slope, two Neverlanders were mobbed by a handful of follower zombies. Their terrified screaming sounded much closer than they looked, on the slope about to be eaten alive. How could my wounded father get through that hell? But I can’t see him anywhere.

  In the square below, four black-clothed figures were being set upon by multiple white-clad zombies. They were being attacked in the vicinity of the Dome wall – probably Suzuki and the transsexual called Mikarin by his friends. Both were already overcome on the ground, zombies crawling over them like stray dogs fighting over scraps of meat. There was no hope for them. The angels would soon take them.

  There were another two friends of Yuji, surrounded by zombies in a separate clump in the square. One was a chubby Filipino who had been nicknamed Jabba by everyone. The other was the woman wearing zombie make-up who had startled Yuji on his first day amongst the Neverlanders in Park Building.

  Also in the square was Ishida, who was being hugged from behind by a zombie in a suit and who was desperately trying to shake it off. Yuji wanted to help him, but Ishida was near the stairs on the opposite side of the s
quare and there were too many obstacles between them now. As Yuji held still, another zombie whose body was oddly twisted so it could only crawl, grasped Ishida’s foot. Oh, too late. There was no way to rescue him now. Yuji couldn’t bear watching, but just before he averted his eyes someone came rushing from the stairs on the opposite side. It was Yang. At the same moment, John began blowing a fire extinguisher at the zombies around Ishida from the top of the stairs.

  Yang ran up to Ishida and began to pry the attacker off his back. Then he grabbed the zombie’s hair with one hand and pummeled its back with the other again and again. The monster held on stubbornly, but after a round of punches from Yang it finally fell away from Ishida.

  “This way! Get up here now!” The Neverlanders on the stairs yelled out to Ishida who staggered toward them, holding his neck.

  John stepped down in front of Ishida and sprayed a nearby zombie with the extinguisher foam. He yelled for Yang to get back but Yang was going to the rescue of some others deeper in the square. John gave up and ran back up the stairs. The woman in the zombie make-up and Jabba were now completely obscured by zombies swarming over their bodies.

  In less than a minute, four angels descended and went back to heaven, taking food from the hungry.

  Another five minutes before the number of undead in the square would increase for sure.

  Chapter 41

  “No, I can’t open it up. There are too many zombies out there.”

  Now in front of the barricade built around the ground level exit of the parking lot, Kyoko was being blocked by Chikama and Mikami from passing.

  “No! There’s still so many people left in the square! My husband isn’t back yet, right?” Ami yelled back at Mikami. On their side of the barricade only one youth with crested punk hair, a Park Building resident, had made it inside. There was no sign of Ishida or Fukazawa.

  “If I go in by car we can’t be attacked. Are you going to abandon everyone in the square?” As Kyoko said this, Mikami turned away, saying nothing more.

  “Hey! Answer me! What are you going to do? If we don’t hurry then there’ll be more undead out there.”

  Chikama stepped in front of Mikami.

  “I understand. But we’ll go,” Chikama said.

  “What…!” Ami was cut off by Kyoko’s upheld hand. “We have no choice. Let these people help,” Kyoko said, facing Ami, but gave her a silent wink unseen by Chikama. Ami saw it and immediately fell silent. A former actress indeed. What a stunning performance.

  “But…” Kyoko looked back at Chikama, “Let us help. I’ll move this car into the barricade so you can drive that.” She gestured toward the moving truck that blocked the exit of the barricade with her chin. “We’ll change drivers in front of the barricade.”

  “Well…” Chikama studied Kyoko warily, “Make sure you stop and change right in front,” he stressed.

  “Of course, do you think we’re idiots? If all four of us ride in this car then there’s no space to put the people we rescue. Hurry! There’s no time!”

  Even after Kyoko said this, Chikama still looked doubtful.

  “I understand but even if you can’t see any zombies up close, do not open the door until we get there.” After saying this he looked toward Mikami, who was staring back wide-eyed. “Then let’s go. Please drive the truck. After we move it, they will move the car in front of the barricade, then we’ll get out and take turns driving them back. Once they’re back inside, close the gate immediately and come to my car.” Once again he said to Kyoko, “I’m serious, even if you don’t see any zombies up close, under no circumstances do you open the gate until we’re ready. Are we clear?”

  “Yes!” I’m sorry Chikama…

  “Well let’s go!”

  Chikama ran to the driver’s seat of the truck with the apprehensive Mikami.

  When the truck pulled slowly forward, opening the barricade just enough, Kyoko stepped down on the accelerator.

  Of course she didn’t stop in front of the barricade but shot straight out from the apartment and aimed for the square of Orion Garden where Ishida was. The figures of a few resurrected already appeared before them. Some not far away at all. The area was filled with dozens of the revived.

  “What? When I was watching, there weren’t so many…” Ami spoke out in a shocked voice.

  “Kyoko wondered whether to keep pushing on the accelerator or to hit the brakes. As she tried to decide, the first zombie stepped out in front of the car.

  Next to Kyoko the horror actress screamed.

  Chapter 42

  “Don’t worry, it’s not serious. Keep pressure on it with this.”

  His savior spoke from behind Ishida. Looking back, Yang handed him a neatly folded handkerchief.

  “Thank you. I’m Ishida. And you?” He asked as he gingerly pressed the handkerchief against the wound on the back of his head and neck.

  “I’m Yang Jong-Ok. That’s John Weinberg.”

  Yang pointed to the big American sitting below Ishida.

  “Pleased to meet you.” He switched hands covering the wound and shook with Yang first before holding out his hand to John. “Pleased to meet you.” John removed his own hand from the nozzle of the extinguisher he was holding and quickly shook Ishida’s without looking back. Ishida noticed for the first time there was a wound on the American’s left arm, like a chunk had been scooped out. Yet the skin on the inside of the wound was completely regenerated and its color looked even more healthy than the rest of the man’s body.

  “You’ll be fine. Your wound will get better like that. It took less than three days for John’s wound to heal,” Yang said behind Ishida.

  Also thanks to nanotechnology in my body. Thinking this, Ishida looked around the square, his eyes searching for Ohizumi. Where could he be? I can’t see him anywhere. Did he manage to get somewhere safe? Or was he completely consumed by zombies, now just chunks in their stomachs? This is probably more likely.

  Back at the base of the stairs, the zombie Mazaki was lingering. The guru and his suit were now frothy all over, covered in fire extinguisher foam thanks to John. It was oddly comical, like a delinquent office worker who’d just gotten back from a pie throwing contest. But this cartoon monster had tried to eat Ishida.

  “Oh! Those guys over there are in trouble!”

  A Park Building survivor said this from near the top of the stairs. Looking across the square, Ishida could see one zombie standing at the top of the stairs where Yuji was. It was obviously Yuji even from a distance.

  The zombie seemed to be deciding whether or not to venture down the staircase where the boy sat trembling. It was…or used to be…the cop Nagaoka.

  Chapter 43

  It wore the uniform of a policeman. No way! But it’s definitely Nagaoka.

  Before he’d stopped directly above on the stairs, Yuji had glimpsed his profile. There was no back to his head. The front half of his face was his normal face but it was as thin as a mask. It was so bizarre that Yuji could almost believe an invisible man was wearing a Nagaoka mask. If he’s lost so much of his brain, how can he still walk?

  Nagaoka, now transformed from Mad Cop into zombie, was just standing there, looking down silently at Yuji. Is he really looking down or is his neck just tilted at that angle and he simply can’t raise it anymore?

  As if reading Yuji’s mind, the eyes of Nagaoka shifted and glared directly at him. Like a mouth yawning, his body doubled over, collapsing forward, his face slapping against the stairs and sliding downward. The highest survivor up the stairs was the basket worm, small toys and dolls dangling all over his body. He screamed in a woman’s high pitch and tried to scoot to the side away from Nagoaka but failed and made a pratfall downward. He fell into Tominaga who then fell against Todo.

  In this way the human avalanche on the stairs began. Yuji and Maki were also struck, and Yuji fell forward, hands flailing out in front of him.

  A horde of hungry zombies was waiting below. At first they had gathered together almost
in a huddle as if to come up with a plan to ascend the stairs. Then they had begun to eat each other. Yuji and Maki fell into the midst of this survival-of-the-fittest bloodbath.

  Chapter 44

  I have to help those kids. Ishida stood up on the steps and tried to pass to the side of John below him. Somehow his body moved obediently and he had no worries about becoming paralyzed with fear as before. It was as if he’d passed beyond some critical point. Mazaki still stood at the bottom looking up. Ishida hardly felt scared at all looking at him there. He is only a zombie. Nothing more, nothing less.

  “What are you planning to do?” Yang asked from behind.

  “I have to help those kids,” came from Ishida’s mouth as he thought it. “I’m not afraid of anything anymore.”

  Mazaki’s reanimated corpse tried to take one step up the stairs as if in answer to Ishida’s challenge. Then the body was unexpectedly thrown to the side. A nearby zombie had grasped on to Mazaki’s foot and overturned him. It was an old looking creature whose body was twisted at the hips. The mouth that bit into Mazaki’s foot was from the face of Goro Onuki, the former company chairman.

  Now is my chance. The time to help those kids who fell into that herd of zombies is now or never. But how? I’ll just have to figure it out when I get to them.

  John grabbed Ishida’s arm trying to restrain him. Ishida shook it off with all his strength. “Don’t try and stop me!” He jumped four stairs to land at the bottom. Mazaki and Onuki were literally devouring each other in a clutch like two lovers, side by side.

 

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