EATERS

CHAPTER 6: TOO LATE!

"Where are they?" I whispered to Hyunjin.

"We can't wait for them. Let's get inside the lab and start searching for the items." Mr. Jeong and I looked at each other and although I couldn't see his face, I knew he was worried. We slowly followed Hyunjin inside the lab. It was empty, but felt uncomfortable at the same time. We just wanted to quickly collect what items my grandfather requested and get back to our vehicles where our driver remained. This is supposed to be an in and out mission. Mr. Wu walked further into the room, his gun ready to take out any Eater that attacks. Mr. Jeong nodded at me as we both headed towards another door inside the room.

"You open the door and I will go in," Mr. Wu said through our earpiece. I only nodded and placed my hand on the door handle. Hyunjin stood behind Mr. Wu as backup. I tried to open it, but it was locked from the inside. Then we heard a few voices. Mr. Wu knocked on the door. "Hello? Any survivors in there?" The voices stopped. It felt like hours, but eventually we heard the lock open then the door. A woman, covered in blood appeared before us. She was disheveled and I could tell, malnourished.

"Are you here to rescue us?" Her pleading eyes held hope.

"Us?" I asked her. She turned to look at me and I could tell relieved to hear a female voice. She nodded and turned back into the room. Mr. Wu and I followed her in. It was a breakroom. Both vending machine glass were shattered on the floor. There was another woman, also covered in blood, but she looked like she was in shock and just sat on the floor hugging her legs. "How long have the two of you been in here?"

"I think about two weeks?" She answered with a question, unsure herself.

"How did you get past the Eaters?" Hyunjin asked suspiciously.

The woman pointed to her clothes. "We noticed that the Eaters won't attack if they smell one of their own and if you walk slowly," she walked over to the other woman.

"Who are you? Do you work here in the hospital?" Hyunjin asked, still on his guard.

"My name is Lee Ahnjong. I work in this hospital." She then glanced at the other woman. "I don't know who she is. She was already in here when I came in to hide. She hasn't spoken a word."

"I know you weren't stuck in this room all this time since the pandemic," Mr. Jeong eyed her. "Where did you come from?"

"My house," she whispered. "I killed an Eater, doused myself in its blood, then came here to find medicine before heading out to Jeju Island." She began to fidget a little. "I worked along with the doctors in this lab and was here the day everything went to shit. Anyway, while I was barricaded with my family, I noticed that the Eaters no longer take time to turn once infected. They have mutated somehow and now once infected, the victim will begin the transition immediately." Her voice cracked. "I know this because my mother and ten year old daughter were infected and they turned immediately."

Abby closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before opening her eyes again to look at Ms. Lee. "I'm so sorry about your family." Ms. Lee's head dropped, then she lifted her hand to wipe away her silent tears.

"And that was two weeks ago, correct?" Ji-Hun asked. The woman dropped her head in defeat. She knew the chances of both her mother and daughter of still living was slim to none. "How did your mother and daughter get sick?"

"Th...they were bitten...but I can save them...I," she stopped talking, then slumped on the floor. She realized that she was just depending on her own hopes. Her mother and daughter were dead or Eaters themselves. With her head hanging low, she silently cried.

"Ms. Lee, we're here to get medicine. Can you please tell us where it is?" I asked her softly.

Ms.Lee Ahnjong reached into her pocket and gave me her key card. "Here," she then pointed to another door. "There is what you will find, but there are Eaters present." She shook her head.