Blood of Doom

The world erupted into chaos as the outbreak of zombies spread like wildfire, and the last place anyone expected to be safe was a graveyard. Surrounded by the undead, I found myself seeking refuge inside a coffin. Little did I know, this unexpected decision would be the key to my survival! It all began on the day of the outbreak, as I browsed through videos of random violence online, watching two men viciously tearing at each other, blood staining their faces. In the back of my mind, I couldn't shake the thought: could zombies actually exist? While rumors had been circulating for months about the impending apocalypse, it wasn't until a violent video surfaced that people began to take notice. The video's authenticity remained uncertain, but the blogger's followers surged nonetheless. "Xiaoou, do you think this is real? It's so terrifying to watch," my colleague Zhang asked, concern etched on her face. She was ten years my senior and often treated me kindly, frequently pulling snacks from her drawer to share with me. "How could it be real? Humanity doesn't just end like that. It's probably just the blogger trying to scare people for more followers. The authorities will debunk it soon," I reassured her. "But it looks so real. If it is, what about my daughter? She's only ten. Xiaoou, what do you think we should do to survive if it's true?" "Based on the movies I've seen, stockpiling supplies would be the first step. Ordinary people don't stand a chance against zombies, so fortifying doors and windows and waiting for rescue would be the best option," I replied, drawing from my movie-watching experience. After hearing my advice, Zhang nodded solemnly and quickly began stocking up on food. Within moments, she had purchased a large quantity of groceries, leaving the supermarket aisles bare. Feeling the urgency, I rushed to gather what I could, but to my surprise, the shelves were nearly empty. Among the few remaining items were some compressed biscuits and instant noodles in sour cabbage flavor. Even in the face of the apocalypse, sour cabbage flavor remained unpopular. I packed the remaining compressed biscuits and the few packets of instant noodles into a bundle. When you have nothing to eat, anything will do. As I headed to the checkout counter, I spotted more than a dozen bottles of mineral water in the recycling bin near the checkout area. I quickly grabbed them and added them to my own shopping cart. The line at the checkout counter was long, and almost everyone was discussing the zombie apocalypse. I listened intently and discovered that, like me, some people believed it was just a hoax. Suddenly, a loud explosion outside shook the supermarket, causing chaos to erupt. A man rushed forward, stuffing the items from his cart into his bag, and dashed out of the supermarket. Following his lead, everyone scrambled to grab supplies. The cashier shouted for order, but was hit in the head by a bottle of water and had to flee. I stood frozen in place, trying to make sense of the situation. Whether or not the zombies were real, I knew I had to get out of the supermarket. I shoved the food from my cart into my backpack and attempted to push through the crowd, only to find the supermarket entrance blocked by more people! People outside wanted to come in, while those inside wanted to escape. Suddenly, a woman's scream pierced through the chaos. A bloodied woman rushed out of the crowd, her hands covered in blood, looking terrified. She stumbled toward me, reaching out for help. "Save me, please," she pleaded. I hesitated for a moment, about to reach out to help her, but suddenly, a group of people rushed past and knocked her over. They trampled over her, completely ignoring her, and continued on their way. In just a minute, a series of events unfolded before my eyes, shaking me to the core. I finally realized that the zombie apocalypse wasn't just a rumor—it was real. I ducked into a corner, forcing myself to calm down. Since the front door was blocked, I had no choice but to find another way out. Facing the riotous crowd, I crouched down and quickly ran along the wall, escaping through the back of the checkout area. The people inside the supermarket were heading in the opposite direction, all trying to get to the door. Some shelves had already collapsed, but after searching for a while, I finally found the supermarket's loading passage. I pushed open the heavy fire door and stepped outside. Not far away, a car was burning in the middle of the road. I watched the chaotic crowd on the street, pondering how to get home. Unbeknownst to me, behind me, a man covered in blood with bulging eyes was slowly approaching me...