If you ignored the gray-white eyes in her wide sockets, the bloodstains on her sky-blue dress, and the mangled flesh of her right hand, she really did look like a cute little girl—the kind who would turn heads on the street, whose words could melt hearts.
One of the four survivors stumbled, scrambling backward on hands and feet. Too slow. The zombie girl dropped to all fours and lunged, her blackened hand inches from his face.
At the last moment, she froze. Suspended midair, as if bound by a spell. The fallen man wasted no time, scrambling to the farthest corner.
My mental grip held her only briefly. She broke free within seconds, landed, and turned her gaze directly toward me. The others followed her eyes.
Before they could see me, I crouched behind the railing. It was clumsy concealment. The girl knew I was there. Whether the humans did or not didn't matter—as long as they hadn't seen my face.
Through thought, I tracked their every move. The girl didn't leave the kindergarten gate. She wouldn't abandon her prey. She guarded the exit, wary of me, determined to keep the four trapped.
Fear eased slightly. If I were her, I would retreat to the room I came from. Forget the food—survive first. There would always be more.
But if she thought like that, she would be far more terrifying.
Enemy unmoving, I unmoving. Enemy attacking, I still unmoving. I let her fight them. Unless crisis struck, I would not intervene.
After several clashes, both sides learned my rhythm. The girl grew cautious, frustrated, her advantage slipping. The humans, emboldened by unseen aid, shifted from defense to offense, fighting with growing coordination.
Twice, I tried to pierce her skull, reaching for the crystal inside. Twice, she fought me off violently. They knew the importance of that place. Guarding it was their first instinct.
When one froze her foot and another slashed her shoulder, I seized the chance. My thought invaded her skull, wrapped the crystal, tore it free. She collapsed instantly, like a machine unplugged.
I slumped against the railing, too weak to stand. If another zombie appeared, I would die. Slowly, I drew the fruit knife from my back—the only weapon I carried. Next time, I needed a cleaver.
I didn't know how the four fared. They weren't wounded. Later, I heard faint thanks, whispered but loud enough for nearby buildings.
Thanks to whom? To me? To a zombie? If they knew, would they still thank me? More likely, they would strike me down while I was weak.
Darkness fell. I couldn't stay. The descent was as exhausting as the climb, but I managed.
More zombies gathered around the girl's body. Perhaps her aura still lingered, keeping them at bay.
I could dig into adult skulls without flinching. But a child? Even knowing she was a zombie, knowing she had harmed many, I couldn't.
Let others take the crystal? Impossible.
I hesitated, then pushed her body into deeper shadow. The others swarmed.
Soon, I snatched the broad bean-sized crystal from one's mouth, washed it in a pool, and held it. I sighed: hypocritical humans—or hypocritical zombies.
On the way back, I met the follower again.
…
Take him along? I wavered. The backseat was cluttered. No. I tossed him a piece of cured meat—an inferior cut, but still precious.
That was enough. I couldn't raise a zombie.
At home, night fully settled. Wandering figures drifted away. I sorted supplies, left food and grain at my family's tricycle, scattered others at neighbors' doors.
The gasoline I hid under my aunt's bed. No one would think to look there. Clever, I thought.
Absorbing the girl's crystal, recovering along the way, I felt strong. In human terms: refreshed, vigorous, brimming with energy.
So I didn't rest. My home had to be secured.
For the first time, I spread thought like a net, found the nearest zombie, sprinted, and struck. My thought pierced his brain. No crystal. I severed the nerve running from skull to spine. He fell, lifeless, without visible wounds.
Again. And again. One, two, three, four…
I lost count. By the time I realized, I was far from home. Dawn approached.
Perhaps because I absorbed several corn-sized crystals along the way, fatigue was light. My control sharpened. Strength, speed, vision, hearing—all enhanced.
What mutation was this? Heading toward Superman?