After my rapid flurry of questions, I calmed her down by telling her my name and she told me hers. She seemed to lower her guard somewhat after this.

Her name is Yui Tachibana and she was a third year middle school student before all of this. She escaped from a large horde of infected with her parents two months ago and until a few days ago, she lived with them in a shelter dozens of kilometres away from here. There were many hunters with guns at this shelter and it was as safe a place as you can find in this world.

However, this shelter was overrun by a sizeable horde only a few days ago. The survivors there had grown used to the relative safety they lived in and let their guard down, allowing the infected to attack them unawares. Most of the survivors were killed or infected while the rest fled in any direction they could.

Yui lost her parents in all of the confusion and was at a loss as to what she should do. Returning to the shelter was out of the question now that it was overrun with infected, but there was no other way of finding her parents. With no idea what to do next, she just ran east. She ran and ran with no plan of what to do until she arrived at this town this morning.

Because of the suddenness of the attack, Yui was unable to bring much of anything with her when she fled. She decided to enter this store only out of desperation for food and water.

“You’re really by yourself?”

“How many times do I have to tell you?”

Yui suddenly responded with an attitude unfitting of someone younger than me. If I continue this one-sided questioning, she’s going to grow suspicious of me.

“I’ve been living alone here for a few weeks now….”

Yui looked surprised to hear this, but I was more surprised to hear that she ran all the way here without getting caught.

“Well, I’ve stayed indoors most of the time, so I’m not exactly sure if I’d call that living.”

“So you must live near here?”

For a moment, I was at a loss as to how to answer. If I tell her yes, she’ll ask for my protection. While I consider the apartment building I live in safe, the risk of living there grows as more people are brought in. There’s also the obvious increase of supplies that comes with living with a second person. I can’t afford that increase right now.

Just as I was about to give her my answer, I heard a noise coming from the entrance. I instinctively got down in a crouch and whispered to Yui to do the same. She crouched down and moved behind the counter as well, but I was unsure if she heard the noise or not.

I carefully took out a telescopic pointer from my bag with a mirror attached to the end. I stuck it out from around the counter and angled it toward the entrance. It may be something I made with my limited skills but it’s proved to be incredibly useful so far.

If we make any sound right now or try to move, the infected will hear us for sure. That is an outcome I want to avoid at all costs.

The unsettling guttural sounds emitted by the infected filled the supermarket. As long as they have no prey (humans) in sight, they’re relatively docile, but as soon as it spots a living human, it will chase down its prey like a lion chasing down a gazelle. This is how the hundreds of millions of people that tried to outrun them ended up dead or as a part of the ever growing infected horde.

Just hurry up and leave. There’s nothing here that interests you. I could probably handle it on its own but it would come with considerable risk.

The groans of the infected passed through a few aisles for a few minutes before it began to lose interest and headed back to the entrance. I was relieved at the thought that we were safe for the time being, when I could hear the strange sound of metal scraping against the ground. The sound came from the direction of Yui.

I was so focused on the infected that I forgot about Yui entirely. There were countless coins strewn across the floor near the register, but that’s not the issue. The problem is the sound.

Yui and I held our breath as I returned my vision to the mirror.

The silent prayer I said in my mind fell on deaf ears as the infected turned toward the direction of the sound. It looked around for a few moments before taking a step closer to us.

The face of the infected grew larger in my mirror as it slowly made its way toward us. It was a high school boy still dressed in his school uniform. Because the athletic ability of the infected is based on state their body was in when they became infected, a high school student is potentially one of the worst ones to run into. They hold a near unlimited potential and when the infected turn, this potential unlocks. This is just plain bad luck.

Please stop! Don’t come over here, just stop! But the infected ignored my desperate pleas and continued his slow march toward us.

And –

“Nooooooo~!”

Yui finally gave into her fear and fled towards the back of the supermarket. The infected immediately gave chase and it was clear that hiding no longer made any sense.

“Run, just run!”

I stood up and screamed while clutching my crowbar in both hands. The infected quickly changed his target from Yui to me and began a dead sprint straight at me. The distance between us shrank in an instant and as the infected grew closer, I could see a mixture of blood and saliva dripping from its mouth.

I suppressed the overwhelming desire within me to run and held my ground while measuring out the distance between us. It took less than a second for the infected to get within one metre of me.

As soon as it reached this distance, I swung down hard with the crowbar aiming for its left temple. There was a sickening crunch as I felt the infected’s skull give way beneath the metal of my weapon. The momentum of the infected sent its lifeless body hurtling onto the nearby counter where it collided with one of the registers. Its body collapsed off the counter and finally came to a rest on the floor of the supermarket. 

Since the infected are just hyper aggressive humans, damaging their vital organs is enough to kill them, but the same could be said for a grizzly bear and that doesn’t make them easy to kill.

After confirming the infected boy was dead, I grabbed my bag and ran in the same direction as Yui toward the rear exit. I only took a moment to look back and see a large group of infected swarming the main entrance like ants emerging from an anthill.

Infected let out a distinctive howl when they spot their prey and other infected head toward the direction of this howl. If we’re spotted by new infected, they’ll howl and an endless chain of infected will gather toward us.

The infected chasing us entered through the front door and shattered windows and ran down the aisles of the supermarket. The smart thing to do would’ve been to circle around toward the back so that Yui and I would have no chance of escaping, but the infected don’t think like this. They may resemble humans but they don’t possess the intelligence of even a young child. Their thoughts are consumed by the desire to pursue their prey and they will always choose the most straightforward way of catching their prey, even if this isn’t the fastest. Shortcuts nor encircling your prey doesn’t exist in the mind of the infected.

It’s a useful flaw to exploit when trying to run from them.

There were a few different roads that branched off from the main street so I just ran as fast as I could to the first corner in an attempt to break line of sight. As expected, I reunited with Yui as soon as I turned the corner, but she was on the ground and her knee was bleeding.

“Are you okay?”

“Aah….”

Yui was holding her injured knee as she tried to stand, but she let out a small scream before collapsing back to the ground. She must have also injured her ankle when she fell.

“Damn it!”

All I could think to do was curse. If she can’t run the infected will eventually catch us.

The idea of leaving Yui behind quickly flashed through my mind. After all, it was her fault to begin with that the infected heard us and I’m under no obligation to help her in the first place. Frankly speaking, we’re complete strangers and I’d be putting my own life at risk just to help —

“Please, help me.”

This remorseless idea that was forming in my mind was quickly swept to the side by Yui’s desperate pleas for help. There was no way I could abandon an injured girl looking up at me through tears in her eyes.

I can’t say for sure why I felt this way. Maybe it was due to Yui being the first person I’d seen in weeks and I’d immediately formed an attachment to this person. Or maybe this is just the type of person I am, no matter how much I try to suppress that fact. Whatever the reason, I couldn’t abandon her.

I could hear the howls of the infected growing closer with each passing second. I only have a few moments before they round the corner and spot us. I won’t have time to hide in a nearby house before they make it around the corner.

I’ll have to carry Yui in the so-called ‘princess carry’ while also carrying my full backpack. With a pack on my back and a third year middle schooler in my arms, my body became heavy and, naturally, my ability to run was also hampered. No matter how hard I dug my feet into the ground, I felt as if I was barely moving.

I considered dropping my bag for a moment, but I don’t have the time to set Yui down nor can I afford to lose my supplies. Now that such a large group of infected are aware there are living humans in the area, I won’t be able to return to the apartment or the supermarket. This may be the only supplies I’ll have for several days. I can’t toss it aside without knowing when or where I’ll next be able to find food or water.

“They’re coming!”

Yui was looking over my shoulder as I held her against my chest. She shouted this just as the howling of the infected rose to a crescendo. I can’t afford to look back myself, but I know we need to find somewhere to hide soon…!

I’ve been living in this town for a few weeks, but I’ve only left my apartment when necessary and took the same general route to the market every time. I’m not all that familiar with the layout of the streets, but I spent hours studying the map and looking out over the city through my binoculars. 

There should be a gas station not far from here. If we can make it there, we might stand a chance. I pictured the map in my head and matched the street names to the street signs and planned out my route.

I ran as fast as my body would allow while carrying so much extra weight. Yui’s entire body trembled in my arms as the howling of the infected grew louder. The howling and Yui’s trembling pushed me forward.

It wasn’t long before the gas station came into view. Many modern gas stations are attached to a convenience store, but this one must have been privately owned as there was only a public restroom and small break area for the employees. Still, there must be somewhere for us to hide. I have to believe that.

However, my body was reaching its limits. My arms felt heavy, the straps of my backpack were digging into my shoulders, and my mouth was dry. I was gasping for air as my lungs demanded oxygen and the sound of my pounding heart was slowly beginning to drown out the howling infected.

We were within fifty metres of the station at this point. I forced myself to continue running as I used every last bit of my strength to push me forward toward safety. There was a car that had crashed into the side of the station. It had shattered the glass on the front door and was now partially blocking off the entrance, but there was a small gap between the roof of the car and the top of the doorway. I climbed onto the roof of the car, still carrying Yui before we both slid in through the small opening.

In the break room, there was nothing but a few chairs, a sofa, and some tables, but in the corner of the room was a locker used to store cleaning tools. This was our only option.

I set Yui down on the sofa before tossing my bag to the floor and emptying the locker of everything inside. Even with everything being removed, there was barely enough room for two people to hide. With no other place to hide, we weren’t left with much choice. If we don’t hide, we’ll just be accepting death.

“Get in.”

I grabbed Yui by the arm and dragged her into the locker with me. I could hear her say something but couldn’t quite make it out and ignored her as I closed the door.

The locker was even smaller than I originally thought. Yui and I were so close that are faces nearly touched. I had one hand stuck between the door of the locker and Yui’s body while the other was covering her mouth. It might look like we’re embracing, but my hand was only on her body due to the cramped space we were in while I was purposefully covering her mouth with my other hand. We’ll be killed for sure if she panics and screams this time.

I could clearly feel a soft sensation brushing my left hand but let’s not worry about that right now. I can probably guess what this sensation is but this is an emergency so it can’t be helped. Still, I thought they’d be bigger.

Yui tried to say something, but I just said, “Shh!” and pressed harder over her mouth. Obviously, I avoided covering her nose so she’d still be able to breathe.

I listened for the sound of any infected that followed us. There was a tiny slit at the top of the locker’s door that allowed me to see a small glimpse of the break room. 

It was only a few seconds after we entered the locker that the first infected came in through the space above the crashed car. One after another, they made their way into the room and began searching for us. I could feel Yui gasp beneath my hand as her body started to tremble. I unconsciously pressed my body against hers in the hopes of calming her down.

The infected continued pouring into the room and howling as they searched for us. Even if my bag and the cleaning supplies are all thrown on the floor in front of the locker, this won’t mean anything to the infected. As long as we didn’t make any noise, this locker was of no interest to them.

They passed in front of the locker several times, each time they did, Yui would tremble as if a jolt of electricity ran through her body. She seemed to be engulfed by her fear as she believed we had no chance to escape. If I didn’t feel the need to protect Yui, I may have fallen into despair just like her.

Several minutes passed before the infected finally gave up their search. With no sign of us in the break room, one-by-one they slowly climbed out over the car in search of their next meal.

As a precaution, we still waited for nearly ten minutes after the last infected left before finally exiting the locker. Due to us being in such close contact with each other in that cramped space, we were both drenched in sweat and it was quite the relief to finally get out.

I made sure to carefully check outside before finally giving myself a moment to relax. There were no infected in sight outside. After running for so long carrying an awkward load and then hiding in a hot box for over ten minutes, my mouth was completely dry. I took a bottle of water out from my bag as soon as I confirmed we were safe.

“Do you want some?”

I held out the bottle to Yui who quickly snatched it up and began greedily drinking. She finished the bottle off before wiping her mouth and saying,

“You touched my chest…!”

She noticed.

“That was just due to the circumstances. It was cramped in there so I didn’t have much choice.”

“So there was nowhere else you could have put your hand!?”

“Well, it’s small so at first I didn’t even notice I was touching it….”

An empty bottle suddenly hit my head. It hurt, but I was so relieved to have survived that I couldn’t help but laugh. Yui was, at first, angry about my comment about her small chest, but my laughter proved infectious as she slowly joined in.

It was only a little while ago that I would’ve called this girl a nuisance, but now I feel a closeness to her that I haven’t felt for anyone in a long time.

This was also the first time in a while that I thought it was nice being alive.

“…so, what are we going to do now?”

Yui timidly asked this as she watched me gather my bag and get to my feet. I took out some rubbing alcohol and cleaned the wound on her knee and wrapped her ankle in a wet towel to reduce the swelling. It will be hard for her to walk, let alone run, for at least a day.

“I can’t go back to my shelter now and I can’t afford to stay here for long. My best bet is to go to a new town and find somewhere safe to stay.”

“W-Wow, you’ve already got a plan for yourself.”

Yui glanced up at me through upturned eyes. I could tell what she was hinting at, but it was embarrassing to ask it outright or maybe my pride just wouldn’t allow me to.

…I guess it’s too late now.

“I-It might be nice to have a friend to travel with and I’m worried about your foot too.”

The friends thing may not be entirely true, but I am worried about her injury. I’d be sentencing her to death if I just left her here.

I smiled before continuing,

“Do you want to come with me?”

Yui’s face lit up and her eyes started shining.

“Of course!”

….more importantly,

“Can you stop calling me ‘you?’ I already told you my name.”

“Oh, right, I think you said your name was Hentai?”

“I don’t remember ever saying that was my name.”

“But only a pure hentai would take advantage of a situation like that to grope my chest.”

“Like I said, it was so small I didn’t even notic– oi, oi, why are you reaching for the crowbar!?”

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The post Never Stop Running Volume 1 Chapter 4 appeared first on Rhex's Translations.

The first thing I did after emerging from the apartment building was to check the street. I wasn’t checking to make sure there were no cars before crossing, but rather, to be sure there were no infected in sight. I don’t think I’ve seen a car running in nearly a month.

If there were any around, I could easily hide inside and wait until it’s clear or exit the building through a different door. The most important thing to remember is that the infected will pursue you as long as they know where you are. If spotted, the first thing you should do is try to find a corner that you can take to break line of sight. Which is why, when I move through the city, I approach any intersection by hugging the wall and moving towards the corner.

The obvious risk with this tactic is that I can’t see if there are any infected around the corner which is why I remain as quiet as possible. There’s no foolproof way of avoiding detection. All you can do is minimize the risk.

Reminiscent of a special forces unit from a movie, I carefully crept towards the corner with my body pressed against the wall. I peeked around the corner to make sure the coast was clear. This is how I’ve managed to survive the last three months.

I moved forward after confirming there were no infected in sight. Still trying to remain silent, I made my way across the street to the next corner I spotted. The infected have the same level of hearing as a human, so it’s unlikely that any of them would be able to hear me unless I made a lot of noise, but I can’t know if there are any lurking in a nearby building or around the next corner, so it’s best to assume they’re everywhere.

Running also isn’t an option. It would obviously make more noise, but it would also tire me out faster. Assuming I don’t draw the attention of any of the infected while running to my destination, I may have made it there quickly, but I’ll be exhausted and easy prey for them.

My destination was a supermarket located not far from the area I saw that woman being eaten. It’s across a main road, which means there are plenty of long, unobstructed sightlines from which the infected could easily spot me. These areas are one of the few times I’ll break my rule and sprint across them as quickly as possible.

I checked both sides of the street before finally making my decision to sprint out from my hiding place behind a flipped over car. I ran full force with the speed of a high schooler that ran a six second fifty metre dash. The total distance I needed to run was only around thirty metres or so, but it felt like over a hundred. I was certain I’d be spotted as I made my dash to my next cover, a crashed semi-trailer.

The trailer was only a few feet from the entrance to the supermarket. It had tipped over off the side of the road and now lie partially on the sidewalk, blocking off one side of the front doors. I carefully stepped through the shattered glass doors and made my way inside.

The interior of the market resembled the open apartments I’d passed earlier. Most of the shelves had been cleared while cans and bottles covered the floor. There was a surprising amount of products left considering the place had obviously been looted. My best guess is some of the infected interrupted whoever was here before me. This town is all but deserted now, so even with there being relatively few infected remaining here, it’s not likely that any survivors would come to grab the remaining supplies.

However, the supplies were beginning to dwindle with me making several trips here over the last two weeks. There’s potentially a few weeks left of supplies here before I’ll need to find a new source of food. The apartment I’ve been living in is an ideal shelter so I’d hate to leave it unless necessary.

The shelf containing all of the food was barren. The first time I came here I moved anything useful out of sight so other survivors wouldn’t take anything I need. There’s too little food here to be split up.

I made my way to the back counter and reached underneath cash register six and pulled out the plastic bag of supplies. There were several cans of food and bottles of water. From what I can tell, there’s no sign of anything missing. I took out a week’s worth of supplies before returning the bag to my hiding place. 

Several of the registers had been broken into and loose change was scattered across the counter and floor. Whatever survivor was here cleared out most of the registers, but I don’t understand what purpose they would have for money at this point in time. Supplies are more important than even gold and your life’s most important. What purpose does risking your life for money serve?

I heard reports from the Japanese government that they’d guarantee the value of any cash once the outbreak was contained, but that same government is now in ruins. The few communities that do exist exchange goods rather than using any currency.

I guess it’s true that if mankind makes it through this and everything returns to normal, the people that stole and hoarded cash will become rich, but I don’t see such a peaceful future ever happening.

I wrapped everything in a towel to reduce noise before placing it in my bag. Just as I was getting ready to pick up my bag and leave, a hint of movement near the entrance caught my attention. I got down low behind the counter and locked my eyes on the entrance.

There’s someone in here with me. From what I can tell, there was only one figure, but due to the light flooding in from outside hitting them from behind, I couldn’t make out their face. Is it an infected or a survivor? If it’s just one, I should be able to handle them.

I grabbed my crowbar and maglite and readied myself. The maglite can be used as a baton, but it’s too light to be used to beat someone over and over. The crowbar is my go to weapon for that. It’s long and reasonably heavy, but it’s also easy to carry when I need to run at full sprint.

The figure appeared to be carefully checking the shelves. If they were infected they’d have no reason to do this nor would they possess the intelligence to confirm what they’re looking at anyway. It has to be a survivor.

Just because they’re human doesn’t mean I can let my guard down. In this new world, there are plenty of people that will kill other survivors just for fun. 

The person slowly made their way toward the direction of the food aisle. The only way for them to get there was to pass straight by the sixth register. I waited for them to pass in front before springing out to confront them.

“Who’s there!?”

I kept my voice low while speaking clearly enough for them to hear me. I stood up while shining the light in their eyes. I heard, “Kya!” before seeing the figure fall to the ground.

The person searching the market looked to be a high school girl. She had short black hair and wore a sailor uniform that must have belonged to the school she attended. When she fell to the ground, her skirt flipped up but I was unable to see her panties due to the shorts she wore underneath.

…it’s not like I was disappointed or anything!

“W-Who are you…?”

Her voice trembled as she spoke. I checked both of her hands for a weapon before lowering my maglite. It’s unlikely that she’s a threat, but I still kept my crowbar at the ready.

“I asked you first. Do you live here? Are there other survivors?”

“I-I only recently fled a refugee zone. We were attacked and overrun by them….”

“You’re alone?”

The girl quickly nodded in response to my question. I noticed how her eyes were constantly shifting from side-to-side as if she were looking for a means of escape. She’s scared of me and I can understand why. I surprised her and started interrogating her without ever giving her a chance to ask anything herself.

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The post Never Stop Running Volume 1 Chapter 3 appeared first on Rhex's Translations.

Two weeks had passed since I barricaded myself on the top floor of an apartment building.

I carefully cracked open the front door and winced as the hinges creaked slightly. After being locked in a pitch black room with all of the windows covered, the sudden rays of sunlight hitting my eyes from the corridor partially blinded me for a moment. I closed my eyes in anticipation of this, but it still wasn’t enough to prevent it entirely.

My vision returned to normal after a few seconds and I was able to see out into the hallway through the crack in the door. I couldn’t see much, so it’s possible there could be something hiding in the shadows further down the hall.

I sat in silence for a minute as I waited to see if anything had noticed me. After confirming that nothing was moving in the hall, I opened the door the rest of the way and quickly emerged out from the doorway before closing it behind me. I was alone.

I let out a sigh of relief and removed my hand from the hilt of the axe hanging from my waist. I didn’t even remember putting my hand there, but there were many reasons that I may need to use it.

In this new world, it’s rare to see anyone not carrying a weapon. Without a weapon, you’re welcoming death and with a weapon you’re only postponing it. My axe has seen plenty of use and the wooden handle has been dyed red.

It was a weekday — not that the day of the week mattered anymore — yet the town was eerily quiet. There were no cars driving on the streets and no neighbours idly chattering away. The only sound I occasionally heard were the caws of the countless crows circling the buffet beneath them.

I moved to the end of the hall nearest the staircase and took my binoculars out to look out the window. This vantage point gave me a good chance to survey the utter devastation that had overtaken the town.

There was a burnt out truck that had crashed full-speed into a block of houses. 

An overturned car that had crashed.

The charred remains of a home that had burned to the ground.

Two trains had collided head-on at some point with the wreckage now lying sprawled out across the silent city streets.

…and the countless crows perched along the power lines.

This scene has been the norm since around three months ago. Civilizations across the world have all fallen into ruin. 

I looked toward the direction of main street where a small amount of movement caught my eye.

Through the lens of the binoculars I could see several humanoid figures moving through the streets. At a quick glance, they appeared to be normal humans, but the skin around their mouth was stained red and a stringy object was grasped in its hand. If I looked closer, I could see that it was something like the intestines of another human.

There was a small group of these creatures huddled around something on the ground. It reminded me of a group of old ladies swarming to the market when there was a good sale on, but, in this case, the object they were swarming to was a dead body. And they were devouring it.

The body was once a young woman. It was as if she were being assaulted by a group of men, but through the gaps in their arms and in between them I could see she was covered in blood with huge chunks of flesh being ripped away while the creatures swarming her gorged themselves on her organs.

Bits of dangling flesh and the white of bone could be seen where her left arm had been ripped off below the shoulder. Her right arm was shaking about in response to the creatures tearing at her flesh.

It was a horrific scene, but I didn’t look away. I used to get squeamish watching horror movies and even when there were clips of doctors operating in documentaries, but I’ve grown used to this. I’ve seen corpses in worse condition and I’ve lost count of the number of people I’ve seen eaten alive. Their screams, however, will forever haunt my dreams.

A man wearing a suit that was probably on his way to work the day the outbreak started, turned to me as if he knew I was watching him. A piece of meat dangled from his teeth. The shirt on his right arm was torn off completely and the skin of his arm was almost as mangled as the body he was feasting on. He quickly returned his attention to the meal on the ground causing me to lose sight of the young woman’s body.

I lowered my binoculars and turned away from the nightmare on the street. I’ve grown accustomed to seeing people eat other people over the last few months. I no longer think about why it’s happening or what caused them to become like this. Thinking about that is meaningless. All that matters in this new world is action.

Those people — the infected, they attack people on sight and eat them. I don’t know exactly why, but they seem to be motivated by an uncontrollable hunger and increased aggression. They’re constantly starving and angry. Just the sight of a human is enough to send them into a frenzy.

I remember hearing reports before when the TV and radio were still working that the cause was some type of virus. If you become infected by the virus, you’ll lose your humanity within a few hours and turn into a creature motivated purely by rage and hunger.

The infected view humans as enemies (or maybe simply as meals), but they either consider other infected as allies or they merely have no interest in them.

All the memories they held and everything that made them human is gone. They become pure beasts that only resemble humans.

When the infected become frenzied at the sight of a human it’s as if the limiter in their bodies has been turned off. They use their full strength and feel no pain. They still remain human, however, and a mortal injury can kill them. They could lose an arm or two and keep coming at you, but the blood loss would eventually take them down.

They clearly resemble zombies from movies or games, but these infected never died before resurrecting. They were just normal humans that have been infected by a strange virus that makes them violent. This hasn’t stopped many people from referring to them as zombies and it’s honestly understandable considering the infected will continue chasing a human even if both of their arms and legs are broken.

Well, it’s not like there are many people left to call them anything.

The virus originated in Africa before quickly spreading throughout every country on the planet. The saliva of an infected possesses the ability to transmit the virus near instantly. A single bite from one of the infected will transform a human into one of them in only a few hours.

The number of infected increased dramatically with no real way to control it. Governments across the world collapsed one after another. The police and military fought valiantly against the growing horde, but in the end, all they did was add to their numbers. When your opponent is something capable of running as fast as an Olympic sprinter and can continue moving even when their limbs are cut off, there isn’t much hope for anyone. In addition to this, with each ally that falls a new enemy is born.

In Japan just like many other countries, the infected soon become the dominant species. Before the final radio broadcasts ended, there were reports that nearly ninety percent of Japan’s population had become infected or died. Public transport ended and people hid within their homes as the electricity and other infrastructure fell into ruin.

People fled from the cities to more remote areas in order to hide from the infected. But the infected were unrelenting in their pursuit and this only served to spread the infection across all reaches of Japan.

The government fell. I’ve heard rumours here and there that the SDF and whatever remains of the police have set up a base somewhere in an attempt to rebuild. I’ve also heard rumours that the base was overrun. The latter seems more likely.

I was just a normal high school student only a few months ago. After the outbreak started and we lost electricity, my family moved into a refugee camp not far from our home. Within a week of living their a large horde attacked the camp. I managed to escape but lost sight of my parents in the panic. 

I met countless survivors after that day, but they’ve all either died or we became separated during an attack.

And today is the first day in a while where I’ve decided to venture out into this hellscape. I’m not doing this out of choice either but by necessity. My stores of food and water are beginning to run low.

The infected attack humans on sight, but if you remain out of sight you’ll be safe. The infected have no limiter when it comes to their physical abilities which means they can run as fast as an Olympian, but this doesn’t apply to their senses except for when it comes to no longer being able to feel any pain. They can’t see in the dark and they won’t be able to smell you unless you’re creating or emitting a particularly strong smell. If you were to drive a car or make a loud noise, they’d be able to find you based off of the sound. As long as you remain quiet, they can’t find you.

And so, after a few days of wandering alone, I found a suitable shelter for me to temporarily call home. I lived with the curtains drawn all day and night and only lighting candles when I absolutely needed to. I lived like that in relative silence for two weeks. The room itself wasn’t anything special; I simply settled on it because it was left unlocked and on the sixth-floor. The fact that I could get away with making a few small sounds without attracting attention was the main appeal of this place. Not to mention that keeping the infected out was as simple as blocking the stairway.

The infected won’t stop chasing a living human as long as they can locate them, either by sound or sight. If you hide well enough, they’ll eventually give up. It may be impossible to outrun them entirely, but if you can run fast enough and turn a corner, it’s possible for them to lose track of you. They’ll linger in the area where they last spotted you, paying attention to the slightest sound or smell, but they will always eventually lose interest. I’ve been attacked on several occasions, but I’ve always managed to escape by hiding in some manner.

The reason I’ve survived for so long comes down to two simple factors: luck and speed. I’ve loved playing outside since I was a child and tag, in particular, was my favourite game to play. This led to me being in good shape when I entered middle school and also led to me deciding to join the track and field club where I was able to set several school records for short distance sprinting.

But one of the biggest hindrances you can create is overburdening yourself. A large bag swinging back and forth on your hip can slow down even the fastest runners. There’s a convenience store not far from here that still has some supplies remaining. I’m not sure if the people here were evacuated early, or if the infected overran this area before it could be looted. Whatever, the reason it’s good for me.

However, the amount left there was more than what I was willing to carry at once. It may seem prudent to bring in as much food and water as possible, but if I got caught out in the open with a heavy bag strapped to my back, I’d either be killed or end up tossing the bag to the ground as I fled.

I decided that I’d play it safe and only take supplies with me that I could carry while still being able to run comfortably. I brought enough with me each time to last a few days and would head out again whenever I started to run low. I never starved myself. I needed to keep myself near full strength in case I were to ever be attacked while outside.

I made sure I had my weapon and a small amount of food and water in my bag before heading out. If I’m spotted by any infected, I plan on running or hiding, but a weapon is necessary in case I’m forced to fight.

I had the hatchet and crowbar I could use as a weapon and I could even use my maglight as a baton if I needed to. I didn’t own any of these before the outbreak. They were all just a few of the many items I had found in one of the houses or apartments I took shelter in at some point. It would be nice if I could find a gun, but I think the chances of me finding one in a random home are basically nonexistent. If I had survived for this long in America, I’m sure that I could’ve gathered enough weapons and ammo to have a proper arsenal, but this is Japan. The only guns I can think of are the ones possessed by the SDF, US soldiers, and only a small number of hunters. Some gangs own guns illegally, but I doubt I’m lucky enough to randomly stumble upon one of their members that just happened to have a gun on them.

Infected people aren’t like zombies from movies. They don’t have a specific weakness that is the only way to kill them. Admittedly, they are difficult to kill, but if you properly damage their vital organs or mortally wound them in some other way, they’ll die like any other human. It’s not my preferred strategy, but if it comes down to a fight, aiming for the heart will be enough to take one down.

As always, the strategy when encountering any infected is to hide first and only fight as a last resort.

If I run into a single infected, it should be easy enough to take them down with a weapon, but if there are two of them, I’ll observe the situation before deciding what to do. Taking down two is challenging. The first kill is easy, but if the two infected are anywhere near each other, the sound will draw the attention of the second and I’ll only have a split second to take that one down before I enter a foot race against the equivalent of an Olympic sprinter. If there are ever any more than that, the only option is to run. 

If this were a movie, I’d be able to take down an entire room full of infected before any of them even noticed me. Even if things turned for the worse, I’d easily be able to escape, but this is reality. These infected will relentlessly pursue their prey unless they lose sight of them.

Driving a car is a suicidal act. I never got a license before the outbreak, so I’d be likely to crash without the added hazard of the horde of infected chasing after the sound of the engine. Most of the roads are blocked off by crashed vehicles or other debris left over from the chaos that consumed the world three months ago.

There’s still plenty of fuel left over at gas stations, but that’s because most of the remaining population realize the dangers of travelling by car. Hitting any of the infected while driving is also a real concern. The collision could send the body through the windshield, body parts under the tires causing them to slide, or there could be severe damage to the engine.

I remember travelling through the mountains when I was a kid, and we crashed into a wild boar. The car was in such terrible shape that we were stranded there for hours. It may be possible to modify a car to prevent these issues, but I don’t possess the skill, time, or tools necessary.

With my bag strapped to my back, I moved the sofa out from in front of the staircase and got ready for my descent. With the elevator no longer operational, this is the only route I had to worry about any infected coming from. If any did manage to find me, my plan was to escape out through the window of my room and down the fire escape. 

The total weight in my bag was around ten kilograms. This included necessities like clothing, medicine, food, and water. This was the heaviest weight I felt comfortable carrying while still being able to run.

Incidentally, with my supply of food and water running low, I left nothing behind in the apartment. I don’t know what waits for me outside this building, but if everything goes to plan, I’ll be able to return here with enough supplies to last a few more days. If I were discovered and tried to return here, I’d just be leading the infected straight to my home. Even if I managed to hide before returning, they’d still continue roaming around the area they last saw me. The better option would be to hide and find a new shelter.

The only non-infected person in this town is me. I’d check outside infrequently while locked in the apartment, but the only living creatures I ever saw were crows and wild cats and dogs. Even if there are some survivors here, none of them would go out of there way to help me. If I’m spotted while outside, I only have myself to rely on.

I took my binoculars out once more and looked in the direction of the dead woman I spotted earlier. The infected were no longer gathered there and there were none in sight. I wonder if they ate their fill.

The amount of damage done to the woman means she’s without a doubt dead. That’s good. She won’t turn into another infected and I don’t have to worry about her screams drawing any infected my way.

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The post Never Stop Running Volume 1 Chapter 2 appeared first on Rhex's Translations.

I stared into the candle’s red flames as they gently danced in the pitch-black room. It was my lone source of light in my new home.

The lifeline known as electricity that humanity had grown accustomed to had disappeared long ago. It’s not as if I forgot to pay the electricity bill either. The people in charge of running the power plant have long since abandoned their posts. No matter how many times I flip the switch, none of the lights will turn on and the streets will remain dark at night.

I moved closer to the window covered by a blackout curtain and lifted it slightly so I could see outside. The entire city was shrouded in darkness with not a single light on in any of the buildings that I could see, nor were there any headlights from the cars on the streets. The clouds in the sky covered up the only other source of light, making the darkness feel heavy and causing a sense of claustrophobia. 

The wind was picking up and the window was rattling from the force. It had been raining since noon and I was lucky to have found a suitable shelter before it started.

I was in a room on the top floor of an apartment building. It was a rather large apartment complex, but there wasn’t a single soul in sight when I arrived. They’re either all dead now or prowling the streets looking for their next victim. Some of the doors to the apartments were still locked, but the apartments that were left open had all been ravaged. They didn’t look as if they had been looted, no, it was as if a tornado had swept through the room, destroying everything in its path.

I was careful when entering the building and checked the few rooms that were open to be sure that I was alone. After confirming this, I decided to choose a room that had its door closed but was fortunately unlocked.

There was no sign of any devastation in this room. It’s possible the owner of this room forgot to lock the door when they went out, never to return. No matter what the case, their mistake is my fortune.

It’s also fortunate that this room is on the top floor. The infected rarely pay attention to anything high up. As long as I remain quiet and keep my light low, I shouldn’t have to worry about any of them finding me. The door to the staircase leading to the sixth floor is also closed, so this room is as safe a place as any for me to call home.

“Now then….”

I sat down on the floor of the living room facing the window and took out the contents of my backpack. I chose a can of corned beef and a bottle of water as today’s dinner and placed the rest back in my bag.

“Let’s eat.”

I clapped my hands together and opened the canned food. A few months ago I would’ve considered this a poor meal if even a meal at all. But in this world, canned food is more valuable than money. Luxury items are worthless and there are plenty of people alive today willing to kill over a few cans of food. 

I took my time eating the greasy corned beef and savoured every bite in the hopes that it would stave off my hunger for a little longer. I can’t simply eat whenever I get hungry. I don’t know when I’ll find my next meal. I got lucky here and the water tower on top of the building still has water in it. I’ll be able to fill up my water here which means one less thing to worry about for now.

After finishing my meal, I decided to more thoroughly search the room with the use of my candle while chewing on xylitol gum. The gum was more of a dessert rather than a means of preventing tooth decay. It’s likely there’s still something useful here as the entire place still looks like it hadn’t been touched since the outbreak. The reason I’m choosing not to use my flashlight is not only due to it being a waste of batteries, but there’s also a greater risk of the infected seeing the bright light of a flashlight.

My obvious first destination was the kitchen. The food in the refrigerator was rotten due to the electricity being out but there were still several bottles of unopened water.

There were several cans of unopened food in the cabinet and around 500 grams of uncooked rice. There was also plenty of seasoning available and, if I’m careful about the smell, I could actually prepare a halfway decent meal for the first time in a while. 

Most of the necessities have already been covered at this point, but I might as well check the other rooms. I was able to find some tools, batteries, a small amount of medicine, lighters, and a few other useful items. The medicine is especially important now that there are no more doctors. I sorted everything out before placing it in my bag.

There was also a child’s room in the apartment. Everything was relatively standard: a desk and chair, bookshelf, and bed. There was also a school uniform still in a plastic bag from the cleaners hanging from the closet door. It was safe to assume that the boy that lived in this room was studying for exams based on the numerous answer sheets scattered about his desk.

Seeing this undisturbed room reminded me of my own peaceful life, not long ago. I never imagined my future would be in a world overrun by monsters. I’m sure this boy was the same. Going to school every day, struggling with his studies (or maybe that was just me), and spending time with his friends.

That was until a few months ago….

After collecting myself, I returned to the living room and dusted off the sofa before lying down for the night.

I took a portable music player I found in the apartment out of my pocket. That being said, this device isn’t exactly the newest touchscreen model with an internal memory. It was an older device that I’d imagine existed around forty years ago and played cassette tapes. The people that lived here must have valued it for it to still be functioning.

I selected one of the cassette tapes I found, put in my earbuds, and pressed play. The light and vibrant music filled my empty world now that the candles had been blown out.

I couldn’t help but smile after hearing the old-fashioned music. This is the type of song you’d expect to hear in old movies and tv shows. It protested sending troops to Vietnam and conveyed the feelings of the average citizen being shipped off to war. Throughout the song, the word ‘unlucky’ stuck in my mind.

“Was I just unlucky?”

Am I lucky to have survived so long in this world? Or am I nothing more than the unluckiest person alive? I can’t say for sure, but I know many would think the latter. Many people that survived the initial outbreak chose to take their own life rather than living another second in this messed up world, just like that unnamed man in the house. Suicide has become a regular and accepted practice.

There is a common belief that it’s better for you to choose how to die and make peace with yourself rather than being ripped apart and eaten alive, or, even worse, turning into one of the infected and attacking those you care about. Deep down, I think that’s how I feel as well, but I’m too much of a coward to take my own life. I’ve been attacked several times when I’ve been with other survivors, but while so many others have died, I have survived, alone.

“Why did this happen….”

The exhaustion I had been ignoring for some time suddenly hit me all at once. I’ve been constantly on the move since yesterday and even before that I was rarely sleeping. The world I’ve been living in for the last few months may have trained my body in certain ways, but I am still a seventeen-year-old boy. I’m not a trained soldier that’s capable of staying awake for days on end.

The thought of one of the infected finding me while I’m asleep is impossible to ignore, but I reassured myself that I was safe. I’m on the sixth floor and there are no lights on. Any noise I’ve made should have been drowned out by the pounding wind and pouring rain. The stairs leading up to this floor are blocked and I have a means of escape if any of the infected manage to make it to my door.

I’m safe. Immediately after reassuring myself of this once more, sleep finally overtook me as my vision faded to black.

[Good morning. Today is the seventh of March and this is your morning news. There have been reports of several riots breaking out in multiple African countries yesterday evening. The African Union is pleading for assistance from the international community….]

Only a few months ago, the world was at peace. I remember hearing reports on the news that violent riots were erupting all across Africa. To me, and so many others at the time, these events might as well have been in a different world; something happening in a far off country that won’t have any effect on our lives. Either way, I paid as little attention to the news that morning as any other high school student would have.

[The violent riots which originated in Africa have now reached mainland Europe and have even spread to parts of South America. The total number of fatalities from these riots numbers in the tens of thousands….]

When the news reported this a few days later, I’m sure many people still believed that this would never affect them. I remember that’s how I felt. Who had time to worry about the tens of thousands of dead when the stock market was dropping so substantially? My parents and the government reassured me that this would pass and the world would be able to return to peace in no time. I didn’t fully believe them at the time, but I know I never expected it to get this bad.

[The cause of the rioting that has affected Africa, South America, and Europe has finally been discovered. A research institute based out of the United States has found a link between the heightened aggression noted in the rioters and a newly discovered virus….]

[People infected by the virus lose all reason, turning violent and attacking those around them….]

[Today, the President of the United States has ordered that the U.S.-Mexico border be closed in the hopes of preventing the virus currently ravaging South America from spreading to the States….]

[An emergency cabinet meeting was announced today to discuss ways to prevent the virus from reaching Japan….]

I was still calm several days later, even as the news continued to escalate. A few people were voluntarily choosing to evacuate to less populated areas, but many people, including my parents, continued going to work as if nothing was happening. Everyone was going about their lives like normal in a desperate attempt to avoid facing the horrors that were moving closer with each passing day.

The number of flights in and out of the country was practically nonexistent at this point and the economy was the worst it’s ever been. At this point, the government understood how serious the situation had become, they attempted to close schools all across the country, but this all happened around the end of year exams and after a heavy backlash from students and faculty alike, many schools remained open. I was allowed to continue living in blissful ignorance with my friends for a few more days.

Up until the day the world ended, there were people trying to continue their daily routine.

But that all ended when —

“…hah!”

I sat bolt upright on the sofa. At some point, the cassette player had finished playing and now sat silent. A few rays of sunlight were shining in through the gaps in the curtain. I checked my watch before getting up and peered out the window. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky.

My clothes were wet with sweat due to the unpleasant memories haunting my sleep. I had to take a moment to calm myself down. I accept the world that I live in now, but the memories of that day still cause pain in my chest. A pain that I hope someday will heal.

I forced the bad memories of the past out of my mind and regained my focus. There’s a lot that needs to get done today.

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The post Never Stop Running Volume 1 Chapter 1 appeared first on Rhex's Translations.

The infected people in this novel are not necessarily the zombies you may be familiar with from other works of fiction, nor is this a story about an all-powerful main character that is capable of taking down hordes of the infected all on his own. The setting is modern-day Japan and, as such, only weapons available in Japan will appear. “A gun? What is that? Is it delicious?” Guns won’t appear just for the sake of convenience. 

As the title suggests, the hero of this story will be more likely to choose to escape rather than fighting. That’s not to say that the main character is completely useless or a coward.

I hope the above points will give you a better understanding of what to expect from this novel.

A small spider climbed from the leaf onto the tip of his finger and slowly made it up the sleeve of his school uniform. When times were different, he would have screamed and panicked trying to get the small creature off his arm, but now everything had changed. There were more terrifying creatures than spiders lurking the streets, waiting in the shadows for any hint of life so they can spring forth and claim their next meal.

He looked out at the houses from his hiding place in the bushes. It looked like any normal neighbourhood you could find in many countries across the world. The only difference was the eery absence of any life on the streets. It was the middle of the day, yet there was nobody out shopping, no cars on the streets, and no children playing in the park. A silent city seemingly void of humanity.

He reached into his pocket and took out a small stone that fit comfortably in his hand. He had picked it up earlier in anticipation of this moment. His target was a two-story house across the street from his hiding place.

He threw the stone with all of his strength at the brick wall. The stone drew a beautiful arc in the sky before clattering against the wall with a loud thud. The boy got low in the bush and waited as the clattering of the stone reverberated through the streets of the empty city. The bushes had grown so long in the absence of any care that it was easy for a fully grown man to hide in them.

In today’s world, carelessly making noise was akin to suicide, but this was a necessary risk he had to take. He still had enough supplies to last a few days, but it had become clear to him that he was running low and a supply run was inevitable. There would be trouble in his future if he was unable to secure supplies from at least one of these houses. Some risks in this new world were necessary.

Five minutes passed as he lay silently in the bushes. If there were any infected around, that sound would’ve been enough to draw them out, but there was no sign of any movement. If there were survivors in the house he hit with a stone, they may have barricaded the doors in a panic or fled the house in fear of being found by the infected.

He finally left the bushes, silently praying that there was no one and nothing waiting for him inside. The spider had left his arm sometime before.

He approached the house from the front. This way of casually walking around in the open would be suicidal if one of the infected spotted him, but the sound test earlier ensured that he could walk out in the open without fear of being spotted as long as he remained quiet.

The front lawn was overgrown to the point where the weeds were up to his knees and the shudders on the front window were wide open. The shudders would be closed if any survivors occupied this building. It’s safe to assume that this house is uninhabited.

He pressed his body against the wall and peered through the corner of the window. The room that he could see into was empty except for a small table covered in magazines and empty cans.

After confirming this, he reached into his backpack and took out a roll of gummed tape. He first placed four strips of tape around the outer age of a single pane of glass. He then put two more strips across the main body of the glass in order to separate the pane into four sections and the final two strips of tape were placed diagonally to split the pane into eight sections.

He then removed a crowbar from his backpack and began lightly tapping the glass through the gummed tape. After a few small taps, he placed the L-shaped section of the crowbar against the glass and applied force against the window.

Cracks began to spiderweb out across the glass but stopped when it reached the tape. Even if the entire window had shattered, with the gummed tape placed in advance, none of it would have fallen to the ground or made any noise loud enough to attract attention.

He waited for a minute to see if anyone would investigate the faint noise he had made, but, naturally, nobody appeared. 

He slowly peeled off the tape with the shards of glass sticking to it. The tape was carefully laid on the ground before he wrapped it in a cloth and placed it in his bag. He made sure his arm was fully covered before reaching through the small hole in the glass and unlocking the window before opening it and climbing inside.

His actions were reminiscent of a thief breaking into a home, but what he was doing was necessary for him to survive. It may undoubtedly be the actions of a thief, but if anyone alive in this world were to witness his actions, they wouldn’t judge him for it. They would be willing to do the same or potentially worse if it meant they would survive for another day.

He was hit with the overwhelming scent of rot and decay the moment he entered the room. It wasn’t the smell of rotting flesh — of which the boy had become all too familiar — it was the smell of rotten food. There were several empty cans lying in the corner of the room which, the boy assumed, was the source of the rank smell.

He carefully observed his surroundings before reassuring himself that the room was empty. The rest of the house had yet to be searched, however, so he needed to remain quiet until he was sure he was alone.

After a quick search of the rubbish in the corner of the room, the boy confirmed that there was nothing of use excluding a lone flashlight he found and put in his backpack.

After sliding open one of the doors, the stench that was surrounding him changed into something that reminded him of a poorly maintained public restroom. It sent a shiver down his spine and he was forced to cover his mouth as he cautiously made his way toward the origin of the offensive smell.

It didn’t take long for him to find the source. Only a few metres down the hall was a staircase leading to the second floor and the source could be seen dangling from the banister halfway up the stairs.

“Ah….”

A body. A lifeless corpse was all that was left of this man that chose to end his life rather than face the horrors that awaited him outside these walls. And it was hanging from the second floor directly above the young boy. A cord was wrapped tightly around the corpse’s neck and tied to the railing on the second floor. The body’s eyes were bulging out of its skull and its mouth had been forced open by its swollen tongue.

A motionless husk hanging from a banister, smelling of excrement. The boy recalled hearing once before that if you chose to commit suicide by hanging yourself there’s only one way for all of your internal fluids to go. It seems that that story was true.

The boy felt no emotion over this horrific scene. The only thought that ran through his mind after witnessing this was, “Ah, not again.” A few months ago he wouldn’t have known what to do after seeing a dead body, but now, in this new world, this has become an everyday occurrence. In fact, this body could be considered in relatively good condition when compared to the mangled chunks of flesh formerly known as human beings that he’s witnessed countless times before.

The thought of why this man committed suicide never crossed his mind. It’s hard to know why this man chose to end his life in this way for there are countless valid reasons that one would commit such an act in this new world. Perhaps he ran out of food or had merely given up. No matter the reason, the result is the same. In a world where your life is almost guaranteed to end by starvation or being eaten alive, many would say he made a wise choice. 

The boy had seen a myriad of men and women kill themselves and even more join the legion of infected.

Based on the size of this house, it’s doubtful that this man lived alone. It’s possible he had a wife and maybe even children, but he hangs alone. It’s hard to imagine that his family would still be living here, so they either left him after he killed himself or they died out in the world somewhere which led to this situation when he chose to join them.

The boy said a silent prayer to the nameless corpse in place of a proper funeral. The number of deaths over the last few months would’ve lead to the funeral homes holding countless funerals in a normal world, yet the last time the boy attended one was over a month ago. Funerals in this new life are nothing more than a hole in the ground where the bodies are piled up and burned with gasoline.

…the boy quickly regained his focus. He understood how desperately he needed to find food to ensure his own survival. There was no time left to mourn the dead. The vile, rotting corpse was left to hang in his eternal slumber as the boy began searching the house.

The obvious destination for food was the kitchen, but it was completely empty. Even the seasonings were empty. The logical assumption was that the man had eaten everything available to him and left nothing behind. This could be the likely cause for his suicide.

After searching the entire first floor, all the boy had to show for his efforts were a few batteries and tools. This isn’t nearly enough to justify the risks he had taken so far.

This left him no choice but to explore the upstairs. It might not make sense to go to the second-floor considering food isn’t likely to be stored there, but he had no choice but to look. Even a small amount of food or supplies is invaluable.

“Uwaa….”

Just as the boy began to ascend the staircase, the cord holding the corpse suddenly snapped and sent the body tumbling down the stairs. In a sane world, this man would be sent to the hospital, but a corpse has no need for hospitals. The cord must’ve reached its limit and finally snapped at the most inopportune of times.

The boy carefully stepped over the body and made his way up the staircase, avoiding the strange cocktail of human excrement and bodily fluids that now covered most of the stairs. He cautiously searched each of the upstairs rooms until he was sure that he was alone.

As he entered the final room, the putrid stench he had grown accustomed to was suddenly replaced by the smell of incense. Inside the room was a small altar with portraits of the family’s ancestors and a single burning incense stick. 

With a faint thought of how he might be punished in the back of his mind, the boy checked the offering plate to see what was there, but, naturally, it was empty. He briefly considered taking the candles from the altar, but the thought made him uncomfortable. Instead, he lit a stick of incense and placed it on the altar before clapping his hands together and silently praying. 

He picked up a second offering plate and incense stick and made his way downstairs before placing them beside the corpse. He was careful to position the dish in a way in which it wouldn’t start a fire. 

“I hope you found your peace.”

He clapped his hands together once more. The thought that both heaven and hell must be overflowing with the dead briefly flashed through his mind but he did his best to ignore it.

He knew he shouldn’t be wasting time honouring the dead, but the memories of peaceful days, not more than a few months ago, were still fresh in his mind. The custom of treating the dead with respect held no worth in this world. 

In the end, he managed to gain very little after searching the house. He walked boldly out of the front door in stark contrast to how he entered. Just like earlier, there was no sign of any infected in the surrounding streets.

His priority now was finding a place to sleep. The place he had been calling home until recently was now completely overrun by the infected. The houses in this area weren’t an option either. No matter how much the world has changed, people still need to sleep. Any place where the infected can easily stumble upon an unconscious person is a terrible option for a temporary home.

Gray clouds were slowly filling up the sky above. Rain was coming. An umbrella isn’t an option. He can’t sacrifice the use of one of his hands and it would also slow him down. Walking around in the rain isn’t an option either. Doctors don’t exist in this new world and medicine has become a rarity since every drugstore has almost assuredly been looted at this point. Maintaining one’s health is more important than ever. Even a minor illness can become serious in a world void of modern medicine. The boy knew that if he became sick or injured, there would be no one to help him.

He put his backpack on and took off running through the deserted streets.

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The post Never Stop Running Volume 1: A Story of Loss – Prologue appeared first on Rhex's Translations.