[21 November 2021, Sunday]
The small group moved cautiously through the dense forest, their footsteps muffled by a carpet of fallen leaves. The dark canopy overhead swallowed the feeble light of the moon, casting an eerie glow on the uneven path beneath their feet. Hours of traveling in the oppressive silence and pitch-black darkness had left the group both physically exhausted and mentally drained. Every rustle of leaves or snap of a twig sent shivers down their spines, their senses heightened by the unknown lurking in the shadows.
As they trudged on through the silent forest, a sense of isolation enveloped them. The air was thick with an unspoken tension, and each member of the group clutched their makeshift weapons a little tighter. The only sounds that accompanied them were the muted crunch of leaves and the occasional whisper of the wind through the trees.
Many hours later, just as their weariness threatened to overwhelm them, the forest seemed to come alive. Birds chirped overhead, breaking the oppressive silence that had weighed on their shoulders for so long. Warm sunrays began to filter through the dense canopy, casting a golden glow on the once-darkened ground. The sudden burst of life and light lifted their spirits, and the group exchanged relieved glances.
The warmth of the sun's embrace felt like a comforting balm on their cold, tired bodies. They paused, allowing the rejuvenating rays to penetrate their frozen skin. It was then that they realized the true extent of the night's chill. The air had been biting, the temperature dropping to levels that had seeped into their bones, yet the adrenaline-fueled journey had masked the discomfort.
“Phew… How long do you think it has been?” Clara asked her brother.
“Hours,” Adam murmured.
“No, I meant how long do you think it has been since we left the facility? By my count, it should be November 21st…” Clara started counting her with her fingers, “1, 2, 3… 19… Oh whoa… We’ve been out here in the forest for about 19 days?”
“I guess…?”
Adam passed to Clara the waterskin he had been drinking from. As the group had been traveling for hours and it was uncertain of when they would finally rest or set up camp, Clara sipped at the waterskin, hoping to conserve as much water as possible.
“It was really lucky that Brien and Mike were skilled enough to use the skins of the animals they hunted to make these waterskins.”
Adam grunted as he continued to look ahead.
“Are you upset with me or something?”
“No, there’s just nothing to say.”
“Then look at me,” Clara demanded though she had not raised her voice. The rest of the group who were walking in front of them remained oblivious to the potential sibling spat.
Adam sighed softly and stopped to meet Clara’s gaze.
“What is it now?”
Clara raised a brow.
“Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something? Why are you so grumpy this morning?”
“In case you’ve forgotten, none of us got much sleep last night due to the coyotes roaming too close to our campsite. Also, I’m not grumpy. I’m just exhausted. Not everyone can be as cheery as you- apart from those noisy birds you hear in the trees.”
Clara’s expression darkened.
“...Did you just compare me with birds?” she asked in a dangerously low tone.
“I… I was just saying without thinking. I’m sorry.”
“Aww~ I was just teasing you~ Anyway, I’m usually in good spirits around this time of day. I am a morning person, you know. Regardless of everything, the morning is the start of a new day, and it gives me hope that things could get better.”
Adam smiled softly and hugged Clara.
“That’s very lovable and optimistic of you to say that. I’ve always loved that about you.”
“Sheesh. Quieten down, will you?” David called out from behind the siblings, “Did you two forget that I was behind you? I only wished I had popcorn to munch on as I watched this little act you siblings were doing.”
Adam’s cheeks flushed as he stepped away from a giggling Clara.
“Speak for yourself, David. Your pitiful excuse of a complaint is the star attraction of the act!” Mike yelled from the front of the group.
At this point, the group had stopped walking altogether.
Laughter and relief spread among the group as they basked in the newfound warmth. The forest, once a foreboding labyrinth, transformed into a haven of serenity under the gentle touch of sunlight.
Once the group had managed to catch a few minutes' breather, they started prepping to continue their journey.
“How long more before we reach the town?” Clara asked.
“No more than an hour, I think,” Jared replied. After all, the group was heading toward his hometown.
“Oh? Are we that close?”
“Yes, but we need to be careful once we reach the edge of the forest. The hill at the entrance of the forest is a little steep.”
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[About an hour later…]
Almost immediately upon reaching the entrance of the forest, the atmosphere shifted once again. The once vibrant sounds of nature faded away, replaced by an unsettling quietude. It was as if the very air held its breath. The group, now more attuned to their environment, grew wary of the peculiar pattern unfolding around them.
The city loomed in the distance and the forest has returned to a profound silence. The trees seemed to stand sentinel, their branches reaching toward the sky like spectral fingers. The group exchanged uneasy glances, sensing an unspoken tension in the air.
It was understandable that the proximity to the city might bring about a different set of circumstances, but the stark contrast between the vibrant mid-forest and the hushed outskirts of the urban landscape left the group perplexed. The city, once a beacon of civilization, now appeared foreboding against the backdrop of the eerily silent forest.
David clicked his tongue and Mike sighed.
Jared felt his heart sank.
The desolate town and unsettling silence could only mean one thing.
And it was not a good sign.
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[Point of view of an unknown person]
[At the edge of the forest on the Southern side, close to a nearby town…]
A lone survivor emerged from the edge of the dense forest and rubbed at his sensitive blue eyes upon the sudden brightness of the open space. Before him was a small town. Its modest structures peeked out from behind a makeshift wooden wall that encircled the settlement. The sight of the barricade hinted at a community that had learned to adapt and defend itself in the face of whatever challenges had befallen the world.
Despite the relative quietness of the town, the survivor's ears caught the distant sounds of life. Faint murmurs, the occasional clatter of tools, and the muted laughter of children echoed through the air. It was a stark contrast to the solitary journey through the silent forest, and the survivor's heart quickened with a mixture of relief and cautious excitement.
As a breeze blew at his wavy blond hair, a smile touched his lips.
“I can make this work.”
[Jared][21 November 2021, Sunday--- Noon]As the group approached the center of the town, the atmosphere became increasingly eerie. The once lively streets now stood still, devoid of any signs of life. The abandoned buildings loomed over them, casting long shadows that seemed to whisper secrets of the town's mysterious past.Not even Brien, the leader of the former military personnel, could shake off the unsettling feeling that tightened his chest. "This doesn't make any sense," he muttered as he glanced at both Mike and David, who also seemed to be at a loss for words.Everyone in the group exchanged nervous glances but continued on their journey, their curiosity overcoming their apprehension. But as they neared the town square, a heavy silence hung in the air. Unlike earlier, the abandoned buildings and houses looked worn down and vegetation have long started to grow along the structures. In only the course of a few months of the zombie infestation, it contradictorily looked like
The sky was cloudy as the day darkened. There was a distant hoot from an owl as the soft evening breeze rustled the leaves of the trees in the forest. Gentle ripples formed over the lake which laid at the opening of the forest. At that moment, everything was calm and mysteriously beautiful. Then, the peace was broken. "Please! Don't一 mmph!" a terrified girl screamed but her mouth was covered by a big calloused hand. As she struggled to break free, a hard, muscled arm wrapped around her body. The petite girl was no match to the man's strength. Tears streamed down her face as the group of men held her firmly immobile and dragged an unwilling lanky man towards the lake. As the girl continued to struggle, the bald man leaned in and whispered into her ear, "Shush! You know it has to be done. Adam is already doomed. No one can save him now." "Yeah, Clara. Hush now. Unless you want to doom us all!" another man growled lowly at the girl as he helped a tan-looking middle-aged man drag the
“Dude, a twenty minutes drive feels like an eternity. Why are you driving so slowly?” Nic groaned.“What?! How fast do you expect me to drive? There is a speed limit, and look at the road! There are so many cars! If I drive any faster, we will crash into someone!” Omar growled.“Okay. Sheesh! You’re so一”Jared stopped listening halfway and looked out the window. It had been nearly a week since he had last gone out but the streets that he had passed the other day seemed somewhat different. It was a strange feeling, but Jared just could not put a finger on it.“Dude, I wonder what kind of games they have,” Nic said in excitement as he picked up the brochure from the car’s dashboard, though it was also an attempt to change the topic. He was already tired of hearing Omar’s grumbling about how people should learn to be patient and the need to adhere to the law when driving on the road.“Bro, you’re literally holding their brochure. Just r.e.a.d,” Omar spoke bluntly.“I’m not dumb. I did re
The light was blinding and it felt like Jared’s body was floating, or rather, it felt as if his body had been swaying or moving. He felt drained, and his legs ached slightly as his body continued to sway.‘Am I in water? Why do I feel so weightless? How long have I been here?’ Jared thought.Then, after what seemed like an eternity, the bright, white light began to fade, and visuals set in. Fallen leaves crunched under his black sneakers as he sauntered along a pathway.Jared looked around and saw that he was in a park that was very close to the local shopping mall. It was about a thirty minutes walk from his house. Although it was fairly close, Jared had not been to the park in ages due to the pandemic that had started late in the year 2019. As Jared walked, he noticed that the terrain and the cherry-colored benches were exactly as he remembered.Just seeing the jogging pathways and man-made pond brought many fond memories of the fun times Jared had had with his friends and schoolmat
“We…” Omar trailed off.“We thought that you died. We honestly didn’t know what to think,” Nic said.“... Yeah. We are so glad that you weren’t harmed in any way. It is a miracle,” Omar agreed.‘So, the nightmarish experience of countless lightning strikes everywhere was all from the VR world? Whoa... What were the odds of entering such a VR world when there was a horrible lightning storm in reality as well?’“So, I was in this building the whole time?” Jared asked his friends who both gave him a strange look.“Yes, you were wired to the VR game the whole time,” Nic confirmed.“That’s why we were so worried about you,” Omar said.‘That means I was never in reality stuck outside in the nearby park… But it all felt so real... I could feel the wind blowing at my face, the cold rain that beat heavily at me… and all the pain that followed from that experience... Were the electromyography sensors that advanced?’ Jared thought to himself and placed a hand on his hand. ‘I could even feel the
[A couple of days later一 12th June 2021, Saturday...]“Hello, everyone. It’s Jared and welcome back to World Crafter! Whoa! The super chat is already going like crazy here when I have not even entered the game. Thank you so much for the support and let’s get into it.”Jared adjusted his headphones and checked on the audio settings.“Can you guys hear me and the game sounds clearly?” Jared asked and read the upcoming messages. It was difficult for him to read a single sentence as the messages kept flooding in.“Okay, hold up. I can’t read any of the messages here. Let me activate the slow mode for the chat… Ah, there we go,” Jared said as he began to read the messages that were slowly popping in.“Ah, so you guys can hear me. Okay, say hello to Clara from… Nation 3…?” Jared tilted his head at that message in mild confusion and read on only to realize that many of the viewers were saying almost the same thing.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The surrounding air was cold despite the feeling of being covered by something woolen. The pitter-patter of water can be heard although seemingly distant. ‘It has started raining again…’ *Drip* --- *Drip*--- *Drip* ‘Do rain droplets always fall in such a timely manner?’ *Beep* --- *Beep*--- *Beep* ‘Wait… What is that? Why does it sound so… mechanical?’ Jared thought as he forced his eyes to open. The golden rays of the late morning Sun that streamed into the room shone harshly as if he was directly facing the light source. ‘But it’s too white to be the Sun…’ Jared thought as awareness began to set in. Jared gasped as his eyes shot wide open before squinting due to the bright lighting. “W-Where am I?” he croaked as his eyes adjusted. He was in a room that was covered with mint green tiles. The heart monitor machine strapped to him beeped at an elevated pace as Jared began to grasp the situation he was in. He was strapped to what seemed to be a hospital bed. Alarmed, he began
[A little more than three months later--- 19th September 2021, Sunday…]Despite the quiet early morning, the recreational area was fairly noisy. The few patients who did come were either suffering from insomnia or boredom. None of the nurses and doctors were up and about yet. There were only a couple of orderlies who bore the burden of monitoring the interactions amongst patients- in case there was ever a brawl though it was quite unlikely in most cases as everyone seem to be entirely in their own world.‘Then again, only the non-destructive patients are allowed to roam about the facility during most hours of the day,’ Jared thought to himself as he turned to face the barred windows that were about six feet away.‘When will I ever get out of here?’ Jared wondered and sighed as he saw a bird glide effortlessly across the clear blue sky.“Hey! Are you going to daydream over there? We’re in the middle of a game here, you know!” “Ah… Right… I’m sorry, Louis…” Jared answered sheepishly as