The deluge of rain obscured the world. Sewage system was flooded, unable to cope up with the heavy downpour.
In that heavy downpour, Art exited the garden. Stopping in his tracks as soon as his vision peered the veil of rain, and saw what lies ahead. A little further, between him and the convenience store, a limp body of a woman was sprawl. Red coloured water flowing near her. Further from her, parents were frozen in horror. A look of terror etched into their faces. They were covering their child's eyes or blocking their view with their own bodies.
Above the seemingly dead woman's body, a little child was towering her. Then, he moved in a hugging gesture. When the little child's head was raised...
"W-wh--" Art could not finish his sentence. His eyes opened wide.
...a horrifying face came into view.
Blood trickled down from his lips. Mouth chewed something fleshy. White eyes without a hint of black pupils stared down at the woman's corpse in extreme hunger.
Art felt a cold chill run down his back. He staggered back a few steps. His eyes focused on the bloody child. No. Not a child, but a Bloody Imp.
A guttural sound of a starved beast came frome the Bloody Imp. He ravished his meal with fervour. But, he was not fulfilled.
He turned his head backward. Slowly. Smeared with human blood. His eyes shining with extreme frenzy.
'No! He was going to attack.' Surprised by the bloody sight, he lost his composure for a moment. Becoming vulnerable. Open to attacks.
But, no attack came.
The Bloody Imp suddenly lunged like a maniac. In the frenzy of unimaginable sights, Art did not considered a possibility or... could not get the time to think about it.
The possibility of little monster attacking the kids.
'How can I miss?!' He glanced towards the kids. His eyes subconsciously searching for someone.
"Get into the convenience store!" Atleast, there they could hide.
Bloody Imp was fast, but not faster than Art, a young man. Afterall, before, Bloody Imp was a small boy of around Eight years.
Art catched up with him in a few fast steps and imitated a professional kick seen in action movies. 'Hope this work!' striking the Imp on the side of his small head. The little body of Bloody Imp was thrown away like a broken doll.
Ouch!
Pain blossomed in Art's lower right leg indicating his rookie skills in martial arts. He ignored the pain. There was a more pressing issue tormenting him.
"
He could either escape to safety in convenience store or destroy the source of the terror. A do or die condition.
He had a fraction of seconds to decide before the little imp would recover himself.
"Argh! Let it be this way!" On a normal day, Art would had chosen to escape to security, but after a series of events and betrayal, his good mood was worse. Filled with hatred.
He ran towards the sprawled body of little Imp and jumped to build momentum. Delivering a crushing blow to the small head.
Crack!
A sickening sound of something cracking came. Art didn't look downwards in the fear of seeing a small child's face. He felt uneasy and horrible. But he didn't stop. Kick after kick. He delivered it like a machine. 'Die! Just die! Monster!'
"Ha! Ha! Ha... " his breathing became ragged. He only stopped when he saw golden letters appearing before his eyes.
[You have slain an Orderless, Zombie Imp.]
Art stumbled backward. Realising what he had done. 'I-I killed someone... '
He stood there motionless for a few moments. When a little sound attracted his attention. He glanced towards the source. "Damn! Can't they die?" The corpse of the lady killed by little imp was trembling. Art wanted to kill her to, but he did not have any weapon.
'It seems their bite is contagious.' Art did not want to take any unnecessary risk. So, he ran towards the convenience store. Catching up with the group of parents and childrens who were in front of the store, standing. They had not entered the store.
Art frowned a little.
"Why are you all not entering?"
Their was fear on all of their faces as if they were afraid of... something. Something in the convenience store. Art searched their faces for some answer. When he turned hi--
"Big Brother, look!" Kaya shouted in horror.
Art flinched and turned back abruptly. He was sure the child--turned into monster--was dead. Then, what was the danger? He concentrated on the location pointed by little Kaya.
"Wh-what?" Art was surprised beyond horror. A look of terror flashed on his face. A little further away from them at the entrance of garden. A figure stood. The figure resembled to an adult woman. However, she was far from a normal human. She took her first step.
Art's eyes trembled.
"Get inside the store! Now!" He clutched Kaya's small hand and hurried others--five women and six children--to enter the store.
When all entered the store safely, he hurriedly closed the door. And for precaution blocked the gate with whatever he got near him.
"This should stop her for sometime." In all this happening, he forgot the reason why mothers and their childrens were standing at the front of the gate.
The convenience store was filled with stark light. Not a single soul was visible around them. A strange quietness filled the store. And in that quietness, Art heard the reason of their fear of entering.
'Please... Not her... ' Art focused his mind on the source of sound. Fear blooming inside him. His heart quickened its pace.
He worked in this same convenience store as a part timer. So, he was well aware of the arrangement and inside out of this store as well as the people working here. Among them, the owner of this store--a Grandma --who treated him well was his favourite person.
The dragging sound came closer and then, in front of Art, two shelves away a figure came into view. First came her thin hands, then her body. It looked like she was taking a stroll around the store, inspecting the goods. But for Art...
"N-no... " Art knew her kind Grandma. He knew her figure so well, as well as her way of walking. But the figure in front of him beared the image of her Grandma, but her walking style was foreign to him. Art could not see her face because her back was facing him. He didn't need to see to confirm his suspicion.
A small soft hand grabbed his pale hand. Art looked towards the owner of the hand. He didn't know, but his eyes were brimming with tears on the verge of spilling.
On this cursed day, Art lost his friends. And, now, he lost his one of the people close to his heart--a stranger who was like a real grandma to him.