bdsm-fiction Chapter 4 Strange Movement
Chapter 4 Strange Movement
Xu Mo woke up at midnight to a series of continuous low growls.
The sound wasn't deafening, but it was unusually persistent, like countless broken drums being struck simultaneously in the distance, breaking the stagnant silence of the night. Xu Mo's heart tightened, and he immediately looked at the watch on his wrist—2:27 AM.
While I could hear zombie activity at night a few days ago, it was mostly sporadic and brief. This is the first time I've heard such a continuous, low growl, clearly composed of multiple sound sources, as I did tonight.
"Something's not right..." Xu Mo was wide awake, a strange chill creeping into his heart. He moved silently to the window, still adhering to his principle of caution, hiding in the shadows of the wall, only revealing half of his face to peek out.
The cool starlight outlined the dilapidated silhouette of the town, and visibility was better than expected. The figures that had been scattered and indistinct on the streets now seemed to have come alive. They were no longer wandering within fixed areas, but... all moving in the same direction—west of the town.
Xu Mo gently shifted to another window angle and confirmed his observation. Sparse zombies were emerging from different alleyways and ruins, merging into the main road, and then, as if pulled by invisible threads, they staggered but with a clear goal, heading towards the mountain path of the desolate mountain to the west.
The number of zombies wasn't large enough to form a "tide," but this unified, abnormal movement was more unsettling than scattered wandering. What were they doing? What on the mountain was attracting them?
Xu Mo held his breath and carefully observed their movements. He wasn't sure if it was the starlight distorting his vision or the night amplifying the details of his perception, but Xu Mo felt that these zombies moved a little more smoothly tonight than during the day. The stiffness and sluggishness in their joints had lessened, and their speed seemed to be slightly faster.
This subtle discovery sent a chill down Xu Mo's spine. If this wasn't an illusion, it meant the danger level of the night needed to be reassessed.
The low growls continued for about half an hour before gradually thinning out and fading into the distance. Most of the zombies disappeared in the direction leading to the western mountain path, and the streets became empty again, leaving only an unsettling silence.
Xu Mo sat down with his back against the wall, his brows furrowed. The physical weakness lingered, but the mental tension was even greater. The collective movement of the zombies and the possible changes loomed over him like a dark cloud.
He dared not sleep any longer, forcing himself to stay awake, and every now and then he would go to the window to observe. Only when a very faint, almost imperceptible gray-white appeared on the horizon, and no more large-scale strange noises came from the mountains to the west of the town, and the streets remained empty, did Xu Mo's highly tense nerves relax a little.
"It seems... it's over for now," Xu Mo muttered to himself, a wave of exhaustion washing over him. He lay back down on the sofa, and the physical weakness and mental exhaustion quickly brought him into a deep sleep, but even in his sleep, Xu Mo's brows remained furrowed.
……
The next morning, when Xu Mo woke up again, the sunlight was already streaming through the window, casting clear spots of light on the dusty floor.
Sitting up, Xu Mo carefully assessed his body. It was indeed better than yesterday; his head was no longer so dizzy, the soreness and weakness in his limbs had lessened considerably, and the dryness and itchiness in his throat had almost disappeared. His body, relying on the advantages of youth and the limited amount of food he consumed, was struggling to fight the inflammation and move towards recovery.
If this had happened yesterday, Xu Mo might have felt a sense of excitement. But at this moment, there was little joy on Xu Mo's face.
The bizarre and uniform westward march of the zombies last night was etched into his mind like a brand. Something unusual must be going on. While he didn't understand the zombies' behavioral logic, Xu Mo understood the most basic principle of risk avoidance—when a familiar environment suddenly undergoes incomprehensible and significant changes, the safest choice is often to leave as quickly as possible.
I can't stay in this town any longer. I must recover my strength as soon as possible and leave. The next time the "door" opens, I not only need to obtain survival supplies, but also prepare for the "transfer".
No one can guarantee that what happened last night won't happen again. Will those lured-away zombies return next time? Or will the thing that attracted them one day turn its attention to the town?
Xu Mo glanced at the countdown in his mind; there was less than a day until the next "opening." This time, the goal had to be even clearer.
He needed supplies to support him on an unknown journey: more water, high-energy and easy-to-carry food, a detailed map, a sturdy backpack... and anything that could improve his chances of survival.
Xu Mo spent the rest of the day in a state of high tension.
The images of the massive zombie outbreak last night lingered in his mind. Xu Mo was afraid that the zombies that had disappeared would return, or worse—driven by some unknown force, they would flood back into the town like a tide, turning his small building into an isolated island.
This anxiety prompted Xu Mo to linger by the window every ten minutes or so, cautiously observing the street and the movements in the distance. Only when he confirmed that it was still empty and deathly silent outside could his tense nerves relax slightly, but they would soon tighten again.
The three-story house facing the street where Xu Mo was staying was a temporary shelter he had carefully chosen after much deliberation in the early stages of his transmigration, when he was suffering from a high fever and extremely weak. Its relatively isolated location, not closely connected to other buildings, reduced the risk of zombies breaking in from the side or roof. Moreover, it was quite inconspicuous.
After selecting this location, Xu Mo's first action was to reinforce the defenses as much as possible. He moved all the heavy furniture in the house to block the entrance on the first floor. While this couldn't withstand a truly organized attack, it could at least delay the intrusion of sporadic zombies and buy him precious time to escape.
However, the view from inside was limited. In order to get a wider view and confirm the true situation of the town, Xu Mo decided to go up to the rooftop to take a look.
He carefully climbed the internal staircase to the third floor, and then climbed to the roof of the third floor.
The afternoon sun was a bit too bright. Xu Mo lowered his body, using the low railing at the edge of the roof as cover as possible, and slowly raised his head to look around.
My vision suddenly opened up.
Most of the town was laid out before us. The crisscrossing streets, the rows of dilapidated buildings, the abandoned vehicles... everything was shrouded in an absolute, chilling silence.
Xu Mo carefully scanned every street and every corner where danger might be lurking.
No.
There wasn't a single zombie.
All the zombies he had previously observed, whether roaming the main streets or hiding in the shadows of the alleys, seemed to have been wiped away from the town overnight by an invisible hand. The streets were deserted, with only the wind whipping up dust and scraps of paper, swirling on the empty sidewalks.
This deathly silence did not make Xu Mo feel at ease; instead, it made the chill even more biting.
Something unusual is bound to happen. Zombies don't just vanish into thin air; their mass departure must be driven by a more powerful force. What is this force? Is it still nearby? Could it one day turn its attention to this town, or... has it already turned its attention here?
He dared not linger on the roof. After confirming that it was temporarily "safe," he quickly and silently retreated to his room on the second floor.