How to Raise a Baby in an Apocalypse - Chapter 22 - Go Down Quickly
“Hurry!”
An Ran extended her hand, hastily holding the back of the knife blade, and swiping it lightly on Chen Jiao’s arm. Chen Jiao let out a piercing scream and clung to the rope, curling her entire body above the awning. An Ran, with the knife in her mouth, also climbed onto the windowsill. She sat on the windowsill, gripping the rope with one hand and taking the knife out of her mouth with the other, aiming it haphazardly at Chen Jiao’s head.
She didn’t actually intend to harm Chen Jiao; she just wanted Chen Jiao to descend from the awning, so that she wouldn’t stay in the room and undo the rope.
Forced into a corner, Chen Jiao had no choice but to grip the rope tightly with both hands and clumsily climb down to the awning on the third floor.
Meanwhile, An Ran, still perched on the fourth-floor windowsill, heard the room’s door being banged on again. She turned and looked at bed number 17, where Hu Zhen’s face was filled with fear and concern. An Ran reassured her, “Don’t make a sound. You have enough food to last you for several days. I’ll find help and come back soon. Don’t worry, it won’t take too long, at most an hour or two.”
If rescue didn’t arrive within that time, she would still return. Without help, she would have to save her daughter herself!
In the bright light, Hu Zhen looked at An Ran with tears streaming down her face. She couldn’t move from her bed, so all she could do was to look at An Ran with pleading eyes and nod.
That look was etched into An Ran’s heart, making her feel deeply uneasy. In these chaotic times, even though Hu Zhen had the will, her body was weak. She wanted to leave, while Chen Jiao wanted to stay. But now, it was Chen Jiao who was forced to leave, and Hu Zhen remained behind.
An Ran’s throat inexplicably tightened, and she stopped looking at Hu Zhen. She sheathed the fruit knife, stashing it in her pocket, and grabbed the rope, jumping down from the awning to the third floor. She kicked Chen Jiao, who was crouching on the awning on the third floor, and whispered, “Come on, go down quickly!”
In the darkness, Chen Jiao’s face, illuminated by the faint light from inside the window, displayed sheer terror. She covered her mouth and pointed at the window of the third-floor ward, too afraid to make a sound.
An Ran turned to look, and a zombie’s face appeared at the window. It was deathly pale and swollen, with blue veins on its face, and unidentifiable residue of flesh and blood adorned on its bare, white teeth. It was unclear how long this zombie had been standing on the other side of the window.
An Ran was startled, and before she could react, the zombie stretched out its body through the window, raised its hand, and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her forcefully into the room..
On the awning, An Ran and Chen Jiao screamed in fear together, their cries echoing in the dark night, drawing the attention of the wandering zombies below, who began to gather. The zombies in the hospital room also crowded towards the windowsill. However, due to the small size of the ledge and the presence of another zombie inside, it was challenging for the second zombie to reach out from the window.
As for An Ran, she struggled desperately in the grip of the zombie. In order to prevent herself from falling off the awning, she tightly clung to the rope with one hand.
Just then, An Ran suddenly remembered the fruit knife in her pocket. She used her free hand to retrieve the knife, unsheathed it, and began stabbing wildly at the zombie’s arm that held her, hoping to break free.
Most people would have withdrawn their hand when being stabbed like this, but not this zombie. It remained unresponsive, continuing to pull An Ran closer, its mouth open and fangs bared, ready to bite her face.