Apocalypse: Apparently, I Can See Zombies

Chapter 15- One Little Star, Two Little Star…

A sudden scream pierced through the small family home of the Lee residences. It was that of a small child, and the heart-wrenching pain and anguish heard within it would cause anyone to feel greatly alarmed.

Lee Myung-hee ran into her son's small room in a hurry. Panic was written all over her face as she came to the bedside of her son who had sat up in the bed.

"Jin, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

She asked frantically, however, the seven-year-old Jin-woo seemed even more frantic than her as he hurriedly asked.

"Dad, where's Dad?!"

"Jin, calm down. Today is your father's last day remember, he has to leave to catch an early flight for work."

"No, he can't, he mustn't leave!"

"Jin!"

After yelling that Jin-woo flipped over his covers and rushed out of his room while his mother called for him.

The sound of the old boards creaking beneath Jin-woo's small feet echoed rapidly as he made his way down the hall and the flight stairs, which he skipped over one or two at a time. Surprisingly the steps his little feet landed on did not let out a creak despite looking no different from the floorboard.

As Jin-woo made it to the bottom of the steps, he saw the blurry back of his father who was about to exit through the open door. He was wearing a plain black hat while carrying a large military bag on his back.

"Dad!"

Jin-woo cried out as he rushed up to his father and practically dived forward to wrap his arms around his waist.

Sung-ho had heard the small pitter-patter of footsteps behind him and had turned around just in time to have his son jumping towards him.

"Whoa! Jin-woo, what did I say about running along the hallway and down the stairs without your glasses? They're old and you might trip and hurt yourself."

After catching his son, Sung-ho scolded him, however, upon feeling Jin-woo's tight hug around his waist and his unresponsiveness while burring his head inside his abdomen, a sinking feeling slowly settled in Sung-ho's stomach.

Trying to make his voice sound as calm as possible, Sung-ho patted his son's head and said.

"Jin-woo, remember you have school today so you can't be up so early."

"…"

No response came from Jin-woo and Sung-ho showed a troubled expression to his wife as she came downstairs.

Myung-hee's expression was also filled with worry as she looked at her son holding onto her husband as if he wasn't planning on letting go.

"Jin-woo? Your father is sorry, but I have to leave for work. I won't be able to see you for a while, but I'll be back before you know it."

Sung-ho tried to soothe Jin-woo still patting his head comfortingly.

After staying silent for a moment, Jin-woo's muffled voice was heard asking.

"Dad, can't you stay a bit longer?"

Jin-woo raised his head to look up at his father.

Sung-ho looked down at his son and seeing his pleading expression, he hesitated.

"Jin, your father must leave for work. If he's late it will be very bad so he can't stay any longer. If you behave, I'll allow you to eat your favorite ramen cup noodle before you go to school, okay?"

Myung-hee said gently as she stepped forward to get Jin-woo to let go.

Jin-woo's small face was filled with hesitation, but he still let go of his father.

Both Myung-hee and Sung-ho breathe a sigh of relief in their heart.

Sung-ho then turned to leave, but as Jin-woo watched his father leave through the door tears well up in his eyes.

"Dad, please don't go. You're going to get hurt…. Please, don't go."

Sung-ho and Myung-hee seeing this realized they had felt relief too soon.

"Jin-woo, it's okay your father is fine. Look he's standing right there."

Myung-hee bent down and tried to comfort Jin-woo, but Jin-woo shook his head and said.

"No, he's going to get hurt! Please don't go, stay, please."

"Jin, your father really can't stay, he has to leave."

Jin-woo with tears running down his cheeks looked at his mother kneeling in front of him, and then at his father who was half a foot out the door.

It felt like no matter what he said, his father was still going to leave.

When little Jin-woo realized this more tears spilled from his eyes and sobs escaped his lips.

"Why won't you believe me… *Sobs* Dad… He-He's going to get hurt. I don't want him to get hurt but you won't believe me! *Sobs*"

Jin-woo's sobs got louder and louder, and his words soon became incoherent. He seemed so distraught.

Sung-ho hurried over and knelt in front of his son and said.

"No, Jin-woo, we believe you. Look, I'm fine, I'm not going to get hurt, okay? You don't have to cry."

"That's right, Jin, we believe you, but you have to calm down first and talk to us."

Despite Sung-ho and Myung-hee's words of comfort, Jin-woo only continued to cry while repeating the same words over and over.

"You don't believe me, you never believe me."

After trying and failing to calm down his son, Sung-ho looked at his wife with a frown and asked slightly angry.

"Did you make sure he took the pills last night?"

"Yes, I did."

Myung-hee slightly snapped at her husband, she was a bit upset that he would ask her something like that. How could she have forgotten?

"Really? Then how come this is happening?"

Sung-ho pressed, but Myung-hee's eyes flickered with anger, and she suddenly stood up. She looked down at her husband and spat.

"What are you asking? I was personally there to see Jin take them. Maybe if you were here last night instead of out drinking you would have known that!"

"Stop shouting in front of our son, didn't the Doctor warn us not to lose our temper in front of Jin-woo?"

"Don't use our son's condition to your advantage, that's just despicable!"

Sung-ho suddenly stood up, his face a mixture of anger and annoyance as he retorted.

"I am the one using our son's condition to my advantage? What about you, do you even care about our son? How many times have I gotten a call from the school about Jin-woo not taking his pills because they couldn't get through to you? Are you even human, what kind of mother would ignore her son like that?!"

"Don't you dare accuse me of not being a good mother! Everything I do is for Jin and this family!"

As the argument between Myung-hee and Sung-ho got louder and louder, their screams mixed with Jin-woo's sobs creating a chaotic scene.

Suddenly, a boy who looked to be around seven or eight with a backpack appeared at the gate of the Lee family residence. Upon seeing the scene at the doorway of the house, he hurriedly opened the gate and rushed towards the house.

"Jin!"

He ignored the quarreling couple and ran up to Jin-woo.

"Seong…? *Hiccup*"

Jin-woo looked up and through his slightly blurry vision and misty eyes, he saw Seong. He burst into more tears and jumped to hug Seong.

Seong returned his friend's hug and whispered softly.

"It's okay, it's okay. One little star, two little star…"

Seong began counting while rubbing Jin-woo's back.

"Come on Jin, count with me."

Through his sobbing, Jin-woo counted along with Seong and soon he began to calm down.