A wave of dizziness crashed against my skull. Pitch darkness surrounded me—nothing visible at all.
This must’ve been my first sensation upon waking.
Groggy, I sat up and felt the soft bedding beneath me. Though blind in the dark, the texture alone told me this wasn’t my old, creaky bed frame or the threadbare sheets I knew.
I raised a hand to my forehead. Dizziness still swirled in my head, ears filled with a buzzing static that set my teeth on edge.
Even in this foggy state, something felt… off.
Was it the silence?
Partly. But also—what was caught between my palm and forehead?
I pinched gently. Silky, slender strands slipped between my fingers. Hair. Long hair. Since when did I have hair this long?
Wait… where was I?
Right. Priorities first.
I’d been… walking down a street.
Yes. I remembered clearly: the sky that day had been choked with storm clouds rolling southward. The scorching sun vanished without notice. Humid, sticky air made every breath a struggle.
*That* day? Before I woke up? Why did my mind latch onto it?
A long-unseen friend had insisted we grab food. He mentioned a restaurant just a ten-minute walk away, so I’d skipped taking a cab and headed out on foot.
I’d been strolling down a snack street… stalls lining both sides. Despite the sweat-drenching heat, crowds milled about, lively and loud.
Ah! It was Sunday. I’d even grumbled, "Why wander out in this sweltering heat on a Sunday?" Only during our meal did my friend remind me of the day.
Time blurred for me. As a web novelist, holidays meant nothing—no updates, no income. I never bothered tracking weekdays.
But that day *was* Sunday. Early August, I think? The exact date…
I shook my head. Dates aside, I needed to figure out how I’d ended up here.
I compared my current hair length to what I recalled… Wait. *Wrong.*
How could my hair be this long?!
My fingers traced from roots to tips—past my waist, nearly brushing my backside! This length was impossible. Unless… I’d been unconscious for a decade. A decade for my old buzz cut to grow into this waist-length cascade.
…I was a guy.
So if it wasn’t mine…
But that made no sense either!
I tugged lightly. A sharp sting shot from my scalp. This hair was undeniably *mine*.
I tugged again, then let the strands fall behind me with a sigh. I scanned the darkness. Only faint shadows hinted at shapes ahead.
This felt like a hotel room? There were beds… two of them?
I stepped off the bed. Dust coated the floor—thin, but gritty under bare feet. Beneath it lay cold tile.
"How long since this place was cleaned?" I muttered toward the invisible floor.
The moment the words left my lips, I froze.
That voice… wasn’t mine.
"I…" A low, feminine voice vibrated in my throat.
"Is this a dream?" My hand flew to my neck…
Gone. My Adam’s apple was *gone*.
I—a man—had no Adam’s apple?!
Unless…
My eyes widened. Though I couldn’t see my chest, the shadowy outline and unfamiliar weight sparked dread.
No hesitation. I clamped both hands over my chest—
*Clamped*, not *touched*. Anyone who’s grappled with a pair too heavy for one hand would understand.
"This can’t be!" My shout echoed through the room. Worse, it acted like a switch. From the hallway outside, guttural growls erupted, followed by frantic crashing and clattering. Inhuman footsteps pounded the corridor.
Ice flooded my veins. I clapped a hand over my mouth, scrambling back onto the bed. I burrowed under the covers, breath held, listening.
Growls continued. Footsteps thundered wildly down the hall—no rhythm, just chaos. Objects smashed and clattered. The silent building roared to life. A terrifying kind of life.
What was happening?
And what had just shuffled past my door? Those dragging steps… that scraping sound…
Darkness swallowed everything. But rooms had windows, right?
Forget the door. My situation was bizarre enough without adding horror. I needed light first. Eyes gathered eighty percent of human information, after all.
I slipped out of bed again, stepping as silently as possible. Bare feet met cool tile. The air hung thick and hot—easily thirty degrees Celsius.
Arms outstretched, I shuffled forward. My hand struck something cold. *Clatter and clang!* I grabbed it instinctively—a metal pole?
Wait…
A pole?
Bed… sheets… a pole standing beside it…
Hospital.
That explained a few things. Like these loose pajamas.
Just as the thought clicked—
*Thud-thud-thud!* Rapid footsteps halted right outside my door.
Something was *there*.
I pivoted, hefting the pole—now recognized as an IV stand. Surprisingly light, but solid. Its smooth, coated surface felt real in my grip.
Silence returned. Eerily absolute. No car horns. No insects. Just oppressive quiet.
***THUD!***
A heavy impact shook the door.
Something was ramming it!
Silence again. I couldn’t see the door, only guess its direction by sound. Then—a slow, ragged breathing. Deep. Human-like. Standing right outside.
I crept forward, IV stand raised, eyes straining at the blackness.
After seven steps, the pole *thunked* against wood.
The door.
I edged along the wall, fingers searching for the handle. Then I looked up—
A shiver ripped through me. Sweat soaked my back despite the heat.
Eye contact.
A pair of blood-red eyes glared through the narrow window in the door. Unblinking. Fixed on me.
Those eyes…
No emotion. Only bloodlust and murder intent that shot up my spine like ice water.
Time froze.
***"GRRRROOOOWWWLLL!!!"***
A roar shattered the stillness. The thing outside slammed against the door—*BAM! BAM! BAM!*—wild, relentless.
I spun and ran. Blind, but the IV stand swept ahead like a cane.
Ten steps. The pole struck glass.
***CRASH! TINKLE!***
The window!
Moonlight flooded in as I yanked the curtains aside. I squeezed my eyes shut against the glare, then opened them—
My city. My streets.
But cars lay abandoned everywhere, haphazard and still.
Figures lurched down the roads, twisted and unsteady.
And not a single light burned in any building.
"Why isn’t a single light on?!" The sight hit me harder than any Hollywood blockbuster. This raw, visceral terror—no movie could replicate it.
I stood frozen, staring at the ruined world.
