Chapter 26—Meeting Point
by Bocchan13
The night was uneventful, but Yu Ci and Song Yu did several shifts to keep watch for zombies. As someone who knew that the forest was completely safe, he still kept guard for other zombified creatures. Song Yu looked at the time and didn’t bother waking Yu Ci up for the next shift.
The sun was coming up soon, so another hour wouldn’t kill him. He ignited the dying fire and took out some stir fried vegetables he had made a while ago from his space. Adding some red peppers to the mix, he polished it off with the remaining rice.
Yu Ci woke up from the smell, just in time to see Song Yu eat the finishing bite.
“Master, is there anything else you would like to trade with me for?”
Song Yu ignored him and started cleaning up much to Yu Ci’s regret.
Yu Ci took out the last of his jerky and gnawed on it with distaste. Although he spent all of yesterday walking, he wasn’t sore or extremely fatigued. He stretched his arms wide and couldn’t help but thank the heavens that he didn’t get a strained back. By the time they were ready to leave, the sun had just crested the mountainous horizon.
Derpy had his fill of purified water and hay from last night, so his body wasn’t tired in the least. Song Yu straddled him and waited for Yu Ci to follow behind.
As uneventful as their journey was, Song Yu was impressed with Yu Ci’s stamina. Despite being a chatterbox, he never once complained, and never asked him for anything besides the meal which was a transaction of equal (not really) value.
Song Yu had met a lot of people in his previous life. Those coquettish beauties who relied on big backers when he was a second generation and those white eyed wolves during the apocalypse. There was a never-ending stream of people who were excessively entitled.
He recalled a man in the beginning of the apocalypse that he had saved. They spent 2 days together, Song Yu sharing all of his food and medicine. When the coast was finally cleared they set out to find their families. When Song Yu found something it was shared, but whenever the man found something, he said he had to save it for his family.
When they reunited with their families, under the cover of darkness, the man and his family had stolen their things and ran away. By the time Song Yu noticed it, it was too late.
He didn’t remember the man’s name or face anymore, but thinking on it now, Song Yu didn’t have the foresight in finding good quality people. Maybe it was his EQ or his innocent nature, but he had forgiven the man in his heart, thinking he stole from them for a reason.
How insanely naïve was he then?
But Yu Ci didn’t do any of that. He knew what his boundaries were, didn’t ask to borrow tools or even a sip of his water, knowing that the things Yu Ci kept precious were also things Song Yu would keep precious. And you never asked for someone’s precious things unless you trusted them from the bottom of your heart. Song Yu had to applaud Yu Ci for that. At least he was a man of principles.
Song Yu turned around to see Yu Ci playing around, picking up a stick and tapping it on the ground. Song Yu realized that Yu Ci might have left behind markings or remembered the route. It gave him another pang in his heart that he was still so careless.
He’s an idiot anyways. If he was trying to make markings or make a mental route, then when I come back, I’ll erase them.
Song Yu nodded his head, and tried his best to stay positive. If all else failed, he would kill the entire group. At least that’s the thought that comforted Song Yu, as they reached the meeting point at nightfall.
Sweat-soaked and tired, Yu Ci trailed farther and farther behind Song Yu. He wanted to rest for the night and continue tomorrow, but it seemed that the forest fairy didn’t want to be in his presence any longer. He could only move his tired legs and sway back and forth. At midday, the forest fairy had given him his own precious water, which had given Yu Ci the strength to carry on, however it wasn’t enough.
Declining to ask for more, Yu Ci wanted to leave a good impression on this man, so he denied another drink when it was offered. He didn’t know how much the forest fairy had left, and would rather not have his death on his conscious if he went back to his secret base and have no water.
Yu Ci smiled when they reached the meeting point.
Likely there would be no one there for the time being. It had been 5 days since he had last seen his friends, so they wouldn’t be in full view of the meeting point, but come during the night time when the zombies were more or less inactive.
Song Yu on the other hand, had a weird feeling come through him. They hadn’t come across any zombies throughout the entire journey. Despite the walking speed, they were in the range where at least one or two popped up. Maybe it was taken care of by Lan Zhou’s group?
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But he also felt something…gross. He couldn’t pinpoint it, but he decided to keep more vigilance. Derpy also sensed the tension and grew cautious, slowing down significantly.
There in the spot was the familiar jeep. Yu Ci was about to go there, but Song Yu blocked him with Derpy, his eyes narrowing on the jeep.
“It’s a trap.”
Yu Ci, after thinking about it also concluded it was as well. His eyes narrowed as he searched the surrounding foliage, looking for a marker. Lan Zhou wouldn’t have abandoned the jeep unless they had no choice to.
Song Yu shivered, feeling predatory eyes prey over him.
“We need to leave. We can find your friends later. For now let’s—“
The ground started rumbling. Song Yu got off Derpy and tightly clung his reigns as the dirt below them crumbled. Before anyone could blink, a large vine shredded through the dirt, enshrouding the car in seconds, not feeling any sign of life before going back under, its tentacle-like vines curling back in, viscous fluid down the sides of the car.
Both Song Yu and Yu Ci gulped as the terrifying zombie plant went back to wait for its new victims.
“Fuck, that’s as big as a bus.”
The range of the zombie plant was not long. Although its tentacles reached 6 meters, it wouldn’t grow nor regenerate. At least…not yet. Its body hidden in the dirt could not move. So they were relatively safe if they kept a 15 meter distance from the car.
“Do you think your friends got eaten?” Song Yu couldn’t see signs of a person, so the zombie plant most likely had acidic spit.
Yu Ci shook his head, “I think they drove here and the zombie plant attacked them, taking their car. I’m sure they will come here tonight. For now, let’s camp here and you can go back home in the morning.”
Song Yu nodded and walked Derpy to a small patch of grass and took out a brush from his backpack. Unsaddling him and brushing him down was done in less than 10 minutes, so Song Yu went to prepare dinner.
Yu Ci on the other hand kept watch over the zombie plant, trying to feel for the zombie’s body. Should he kill it? But, Lan Zhou and the gang didn’t kill it, instead leaving the jeep. What was so special about the plant?
Song Yu thought the same thing and couldn’t help but scan the jeep as well. It had gotten quite dark, so Song Yu and Yu Ci built a fire. After dinner, Yu Ci kept first watch whilst Song Yu took a nap. In the night, he could hear the sounds of cicadas and fireflies. Turning his body against the fire, his slightly closed eyes rested on the jeep again.
“Psst.”
Song Yu’s hackles rose. There were no people in the vicinity besides Yu Ci. He would have heard the group coming…and the voice wasn’t connected to anyone he had heard from in the group.
“Psst…come here, your family is waiting for you.”
That small whisper felt like it was directly in his ear. Song Yu flipped his blanket only to find a small vine, very thin and long, its veiny body leading all the way from the jeep. That…had a mouth attached to the end.