Barricade and Blackout
The two men heading downstairs came to a halt on the landing.
From the ninth floor down, it wasn't an open hallway; they had to open the emergency exit door on the landing to access the corridor. The problem was the sounds coming from beyond that door.
Was it because of the hideous screeches from the Infected they'd just taken down?
The chilling noises from beyond the steel door weren't from just one or two.
Beom-sik said,
"No need to go in there. Let's just keep heading down the stairs."
"No, hear me out. Getting down here is fine. But what next?"
"Why ask me? We each go our own way."
Jaejeong stared at the callous response.
"You gotta say it like that...? Anyway, even if we get down, can we actually get out of this building? You saw how many of those things are out there."
Beom-sik fell silent.
"This isn't just about escaping the building. Even if it takes time, we need to hole up inside and wait for rescue."
"Rescue?"
Beom-sik raised an eyebrow.
"You wanna make me repeat myself? Step out there, and you're dead. Takes less than a second. I didn't have a plan either, but after dealing with that one just now, I get it—this ain't simple."
"Never thought it was simple."
"Yeah, sure. You're a goddamn hero. Anyway, if you're going, go alone. I'm finding a convenience store to hide in. Unless the whole world's fucked, rescue will come eventually."
"Convenience store? Where?"
"Somewhere, I guess."
Jaejeong scratched his cheek after blurting it out.
Convenience stores were usually on the ground floor outskirts, in highly exposed spots.
He'd never heard of one on the fifth or seventh floor.
Unless it was some special place like a theater.
Beom-sik let out a small sigh.
"Haa... Fine, I admit I haven't thought past getting out of the building, like you said. But no clue on convenience stores. I did spot something, though."
"What?"
Beom-sik smirked smugly, like he held some grand secret.
"Glanced it on the first floor—fifth floor has a staff cafeteria."
He meant the floor guide by the elevators.
Jaejeong rubbed his growling stomach, eyes lighting up.
"Cafeteria... That'll hold us for a day easy."
"Let's head down. Can't stand those howls anymore."
"Yeah."
They descended the stairs at a brisk pace, as if by mutual agreement.
As expected, the emergency stairs were clear of Infected.
They stayed vigilant all the way, but not a single ant showed up.
The issue was that as they neared the fifth floor, the chorus of Infected from below grew louder.
The noise from the ninth floor seemed tame by comparison.
Jaejeong peeked through the railing.
The first floor looked like a cockroach nest, black masses of Infected piled in chaos.
The hairs on his arm, gripping the rail, stood on end like iron filings to a magnet.
Their scalps were bald, clothes torn, bodies a map of wounds.
The realization that the tiniest sound could spell death choked their breaths.
No, it made breathing impossible.
Terror that they might surge up any second weighed their legs like sandbags.
Creak—
Beom-sik opened the steel door to the fifth floor.
He peeked out cautiously.
Quick scan left and right—no one in the corridor.
It was late night when they entered the building, so empty made sense.
The entire fifth floor was cafeteria and snack shop.
Lights off, it was pitch dark save for glow from neighboring buildings.
Beom-sik nodded toward the door.
He'd opened the stairwell door; Jaejeong should handle the cafeteria.
Unlike others, the cafeteria door had a steel handle. Jaejeong turned it slowly.
But as he twisted and pulled, confusion washed over his face.
The whole handle came off.
The heavy stainless steel clattered loudly.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Roll roll.
Frozen in shock, they stared blankly at the rolling handle.
A sound they'd ignore normally echoed deafeningly.
Gulp.
Jaejeong swallowed dryly.
Beom-sik's head snapped around.
Footsteps.
Not one or two.
Yet they stood rigid, unresponsive.
Just exchanging dubious glances.
By the time doubt turned to certainty, Jaejeong bellowed like thunder.
"Get inside!"
His voice boomed down the hall, overlapping a bursting rupture.
Crash!
Snack shop and lounge doors shattered.
Infected and glass shards surged like a wave.
They tripped over each other, trampled in the frenzy.
Over half couldn't turn in time, smashing into the opposite shop.
Brute strength without control.
Stumbling, crashing everywhere.
Seizing the gap, the two slipped into the cafeteria, realizing no lock on the handle, and hastily dragged tables and chairs over.
Silhouettes charged relentlessly down the corridor beyond the sticker-covered glass.
"Push!"
At Jaejeong's signal, Beom-sik shoved tables and shelves with all his might.
Thud! Thud! Boom boom boom!
Immediate pounding on the door after shoving the shelves.
Razor-thin margin.
A second later, and it'd be breached.
"Not enough!"
Beom-sik yelled, scanning around as the door shuddered with each impact.
Then Jaejeong spotted the industrial fridge.
Silver, four doors, outside the kitchen.
"How the hell we moving th—"
Beom-sik's eyes widened at Jaejeong clinging to the fridge.
It slid as Jaejeong pushed, losing balance.
Unbelievable strength.
Takes several grown men normally.
"Don't just watch!"
Beom-sik snapped to, adding his force amid Jaejeong's grunts.
Thud—
The massive fridge pinned the tables; door sealed shut.
"Whew..."
They sighed in relief.
Inside: water cooler, rows of clean cups.
Infected still pounded, but fridge held firm; no panic.
Steel door, no shatter risk.
Sticker glass: invisible from outside.
Perfect, except no exit.
No exit...
Both thinking the same.
Dozens outside at least.
Escape impossible.
No idea what kept so many on this floor till now, but trapped they were.
No other way, starve to death.
Jaejeong shook his head.
"Fucked. Totally locked in."
"Should've been gentler. Can't control your strength?"
"No, it was broken from the start."
"Broken handle just sitting pretty, huh."
"It... yeah, felt like someone glued it on after it snapped. Fell right off when I turned."
Jaejeong protested, but Beom-sik ignored.
"Sure it was."
"Asshole... But we dodged the crisis."
"Yeah, blaming won't change shit now. Just sayin'. If I'd busted it instead, what would've you said...?"
"I didn't bust it. I'd think, 'You grabbed the broken one,' 'Tough luck.' Done."
Jaejeong crossed arms, eyes darting.
"Bet you'd love that. Whoa, what the—"
Beom-sik, half-listening, opened the fridge and gasped. Sliced veggies, raw patties stacked neat.
"What? What's up?"
"Guessing they planned burgers?"
"Burgers? Lemme see... Oh yeah. Buns here too. Morning delivery, probably."
Jaejeong found a whiteboard schedule nearby, muttering.
Shelves: unopened burger bun packs stacked.
Jaejeong pondered, then ripped one open.
"Gotta grill some patties, make burgers first."
"What're you even thinking of eating now?"
"Dude, gotta eat to smash those fuckers or grind 'em up."
"Eating's fine, but after we sort this. They're still out there—food gonna stay down?"
Beom-sik shook his head, baffled.
Silhouettes roamed the hall, eerie noises.
Not pounding now, but pacing like hunting gaps—unsettling.
"You said no service? Army feeds you regular, even in shit conditions. Skip meals, combat loss— brig time. Energy's key. Sigh, what'm I even telling you?"
BOOM!
"That's why you're built like a ta— what, what?"
Beom-sik, mid-sneer, dropped low.
Jaejeong, plating patties, did too.
Definite explosion.
Shook the whole building.
They bolted to the window.
Something plummeting below.
Countless glass shards, concrete chunks rained down.
They craned necks upward in unison.
Blast from the top floor, where they'd drunk water.
Jaejeong guessed short circuit—equipment-packed floor.
But real problem now.
Tick.
Whole building blacked out.
Not temporary.
Post-explosion in server floor.
Meant stuck here till dawn.
No lights on since entering, but no more possible—different story.
Couldn't risk gas leaks, patties uncooked—burger dreams exploded away.
"Shit, this is really bad."
"...Yeah."
Beom-sik agreed silently; situation dire.
Silver lining: hordes at door vanished.
Neighbor lights revealed empty hall easy.
Beom-sik asked,
"Where'd they go?"
"Dunno. But away from us. They chase bigger stimuli."
"Need to know to escape... Why the face?"
Beom-sik, peeking stickers, noticed Jaejeong at window.
Jaejeong stared entranced.
Rare expression.
Instinct screamed trouble.
"What's up?"
"Cancel that 'bad'—it's worse."
"What?"
Impatient, Beom-sik joined him.
Witnessed it together—blood drained from his body.
"This... this is the real disaster."
Where their gazes locked: thousands, no, tens of thousands of Infected charging the building madly.
Numbers so vast, like alien legions razing Earth.
Infected