Chapter 5: 1.5 Tom Rhee

Grandma lifts her skirt revealing a scabbing bite mark. From its shape, it is easy to deduce that it was from human teeth. “This was yesterday… I was doing the groceries yesterday when a hobo suddenly attacked me. I was lucky a cop was nearby, so I got help.”

“Then, why can you not come?” Mom is on the brink of tears. She tries not to look at her dead sister’s corpse, but her instinct is acting against her.

The bite mark on aunt’s throat is bloody, but it wasn’t deadly enough to cause death in milliseconds. Even if there was some sort of infection, it should take some time before the swelling begins, but instead… Aunt just kicks the bucket, turns into undead, and then goes on her merry way to try taking a bit off mom.

“Bite infection,” In this situation, I can only speak facts. “Grandma thinks she will also turn because of the bite… I checked on Trevor’s corpse, mom, he too have a human bite on him… Whatever it is… This bites will turn people into that!” I point my finger at the dead Trevor.

“Mom, we saw what happened… Aunt also turned…”

Grandpa pushes his shotgun to his daughter, “Do you still remember how to shoot?”

Mom meekly nods.

“Good,” My grandpa hugs mom. “Use that gun to protect your son all through the way. Be strong for your son…”

Mom looks at grandpa with her glazed eyes. “I will…”

Grandpa approaches grandma “Hee-won, I love you…” They share a hug, and then one long passionate kiss. “I’ll come back… We have too much food anyways… I am pretty sure you’d be able to last for some time. After all, you are a strong woman…”

“I love you too, In-jung… I’ll wait for you… If not in this life, then the next life…”

If the bite was just a false alarm, then grandpa could just return back and get grandma. Grandpa is a very optimistic person. Hope is something that I was able to learn only through grandpa. This hope, I won’t let it just die away… Though it may be false hope, I will still cling to it.

“Don’t worry, grandpa, I am with you all the way!”

Grandpa smiles at my bravado. With one last look, he closes the door of our old house.

The way to Detroit Arsenal might be much easier than I could imagine. The streets are quite normal. Not much is happening. I realize August 25 isn’t the exact day the outbreak will begin… August 25 is when just things start to get visibly gory.

From grandma’s accounts, there have been sightings already of the infected. It is safe to assume that there might already be more walkers than I could anticipate.

Mom was driving the car with a certain hurriedness, but no matter how tempting it is to step on the accelerator, she is not reckless enough to risk us in a car crash.

I shouldn’t waste time like this. There must be something I can do.

With a thought, I activate my system.

<Walking Dead Title System: Honest, Crazy, Audience>

<Honest: You are an honest person. You always speak the truth. 99% chance for people to believe your words with certainty. You can't lie verbally.>

<Crazy: You are perceived as a crazy individual. You are unpredictable. 99% chance for people to misinterpret you. Be careful of your words.>

<Audience: Every birthday, you’ll receive a portion of your past life’s memories specifically related to The Walking Dead series.>

The first title is understandable, the second title is crazy hard to understand, and the third title is… within expectations. “Audience huh? So, this is the culprit…”

I feel my neck hurting. I think it wouldn’t hurt to have a quick nap. I am sleep-deprived since last night, so I really need this sleep. I have the whole backseat on my own, so all good! I lie in the comfiest position I can get. Quickly, I fall asleep.

ZzzzZzzzzzz…

Detroit Arsenal. 9:00 am.

“Wake up! Hey, wake up!”

I don’t know how long I was asleep, but I see my mom dragging me from the car. I was half conscious. I hear this series of gunshots. I slap my cheeks forcing myself awake. We are just beside the car. Grandpa is exchanging fire with some baddies. I sneak a peek only for mom to pull me.

“Get behind me, and stay there!” She tells me. Carrying the shotgun, she makes a quick peek, and BANG! A walker just near our vehicles falls unceremoniously to our side.

Ratatatatata~~! The sound of guns is deafening to the ears. Grandpa is very chill on returning fire. The first day of the apocalypse and the most intense situation I find myself in is this? I mean… This early in the apocalypse, and we are already having human-to-human conflict?

I ain’t ready for this!

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What can a freaking ice pick do?

“AAaaaggGhH!” I hear the screaming left and right. I am in a state of panic but I didn’t let it show on my face. I know sleeping is good for the body, and I didn’t regret every second of my sleep, but I am dying of curiosity here.

“Grandpa, what is happening!?” I shout at my grandpa the loudest I can as I fear he might not hear me.

“I had a friend here. I hope we can ask him for help, but it looks like he is in more trouble than we do…” He answers without looking back, he gets another magazine, loads his rifle, and then restarts firing back.

With the car covering us, we were able to stay safe from the gunfire but not for so long. Lying flat on the ground, I see the feet of several people approaching us with awkward languid steps. These are walkers!

“Grandpa, a bunch of undead is coming at us!”

A deep frown etches itself into grandpa’s forehead. With one look, I can see that our situation is pessimistic. Grandpa takes something behind him, and gives it to me… It was a handgun… “For someone your age and build, a 9mm won’t do much harm. This is a Walther PPQ 22 M2 5, a handgun with a 12-round capacity.

“This is a quick lesson on how to use guns. First, the safety lever. When the safety is ON, you cannot see the red dot. When the safety is taken OFF, there is a red dot, which means the firearm is now ready to fire. Safety ON means NO KILL. Safety OFF means KILL.

“Grab the gun’s handle with your middle and ring finger using your dominant hand. Relax your pinky. Don’t lock your elbows. Just relax your arms in anticipation of recoil.

“Next, use your non-dominant hand to steady the gun. Your non-dominant hand should be held underneath the handgun providing support for the weight of the gun. Your index finger must be either on the bottom of the trigger guard or its front.

“Last reminder, be careful not to put your hand on the ‘sliding hammer’ because if you do, it would scrape off the skin from your palm. You don’t want that.”

Grandpa has so expectations of me, but I can only try. I grab the handgun according to his instructions, switch off the safety, and aim at the nearest walker where I peek. BANG!

It was less than 10 meters. The walker flops down to the ground, its head with a bloody gunshot.

Grandpa pulls me suddenly. Bullets almost hit me, as I almost forget that it wasn’t just walkers that are around. That was immature of me. I nervously start sweating.

“Tom, you have only one life… Do you understand?”

I nod at him, finally waking myself from the freezing fear. I thought walkers are plenty scary enough, but guns? I know people are as terrible as or maybe even more terrible than walkers, but I think guns are a much larger contributor to this terribleness.

“You protect your mom, okay?”

Grandpa puts his forehead into mine, this is too dramatic to my liking, but this speaks of how grave our situation is…

“Sam,” Grandpa calls to my mom. “Here, get my bag! There is a walkie-talkie in there! I want you to go back to the car and circle around, find a secluded place! I will cover fire for you!”

“But!” My mom is usually a very obedient daughter, but not this time… “What are you going to do? Head into that?”

I tilt my head, barely having a look over. There were a bunch of walkers crowding at the gate. Soldiers are trying their best to fight off the horde… I look around… I notice the soldiers are on the losing side as one by one, they are being picked off by people in dark military uniforms.

My eyesight is a perfect 20/20 and I take confidence in my observation skills so, I am certain of what I am seeing. “Grandpa, a bunch of people in black armor is cooperating with the undead… Look, some of those guys are literally weaving amongst the undead but they are fine!”

This time, it was my mom who suddenly pulls me. A bullet almost grazes me this time again. “You brat, take care of yourself, damn it! Don’t try your luck! And stop peeking around the corners, will you?” My mom who is usually gentle and soft-spoken scolds me harshly. I understand her overprotectiveness.

For all I care, all I want is to see what is happening behind this dumbass cover so that I can make accurate decisions on what we should do next... But I am just a kid. To mom and grandpa, I am someone who is in need of protection. 

“I was barely looking!” I weakly complain to mom. “But mom, how did you do that?” This is my real life now, it isn't like the movies or the comics. I was really lucky to survive those close bullet shots. Or maybe, it was just me imagining that maybe mom and grandpa have superpowers.

It was grandpa who answers me this time. “Intuition… A Rhee family specialty… Call it an oriental secret…” He says it jokingly, but I feel this sense of dread from grandpa. "Tom, remember this one thing about bullets. We are not certain where they will hit... What we know though is that they 'will' hit. It is a matter of when and not where. So, if you can... Don't go peeking in corners unless you want to get shot... Do you understand?"

I... I don't know what to say to grandpa.

“What are you doing, Sam? Get back in the car! I will cover fire!” Grandpa bolts out from his hiding spot and starts shooting wildly.

Mom grabs me and drags me to the car. She puts the key in the car, and after a couple of turning the keys, the car finally groans in its wake. Mom drives off immediately away from the firing of guns.

I was seating just beside mom. I see grandpa using the walkers as a man-shield as he steps by step approach the gate.

I can only pray for grandpa's safety.