Chapter 12

Mother then entered the women's changing room alone.

"Please lock me in here."

Her eyes, which said this, were stronger and sharper than I had ever seen before.

Combined with the gap from her usually gentle demeanor, it felt like there was no room for argument.

Father must have felt the same way, for he did not oppose her suggestion and handed her a blanket and a small amount of food and drink, then led her into the women's changing room.

"Since it opens from the inside, I should be able to get out if I'm okay. Just in case, please put some furniture in front of the door."

Following her words obediently, Father and I placed heavy furniture there.

"I'm sorry. But I'm scared. If I see it, I might lose my mind. More than anything, I'm afraid that if I do, I might do the same to you and Kaede."

"Mom, you'll be fine!"

"Kaede... hehe, you're right, maybe I will... Actually, I should probably go downstairs and stay away from you two. But I'm too scared to do that. I'm sorry, I'm so weak."

"Don't say that..."

Even though Mother and I were talking through the door, I felt the distance between us growing.

I'm sure Father felt the same way.

To dispel this unease, Father and I talked with Mother for a while.

After about an hour, Mother said listlessly,

"I'm a bit tired. Can I rest now?"

"...Okay. I'll keep trying to contact the police, so you can rest easy."

"I'm counting on you. Kaede, please help your father. I'm sorry for leaving everything to you."

"It's okay. Mom, can we talk again tomorrow?"

"Yes, let's talk again tomorrow."

With those words, Father and I left and returned to the staff room.

Even while talking to Mother, we had called the police and fire department multiple times, but still couldn't get through.

We tried to gather information from the TV and our phones to somehow call for help, but eventually, exhausted by the helpless situation, I fell asleep without realizing it.

+++++

When I woke up the next morning, I felt ashamed of myself for falling asleep, seeing the blanket that had been draped over me.

"...Kaede, are you awake? You can go back to sleep if you want."

Father said quietly, noticing that I had woken up.

"Father, were you up all night?"

"...Yeah. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like we can call for help. The phone still isn't working."

Sitting in a chair, Father turned to the TV with the volume turned down, resting his elbows on the office table and holding his head.

"I see... Is Mom awake?"

"I don't know. Should we go wake her up?"

Saying this, I stood up, and Father also got up from his chair.

Turning to Father, I saw the TV screen just in time.

A voice from the TV warned that people should not approach those who have been bitten by infected individuals, as the situation was the same in hospitals across the country.

An indescribable unease rose up, and my heart beat so loudly that I could hear it.

Father and I left the staff room and headed to the women's changing room.

The distance down the dimly lit corridor was only a few meters, but it felt long and eerie.

The door, blocked by furniture, seemed to exude an abnormal atmosphere, and for a moment, I hesitated to speak.

"...Mom, are you awake?"

There was no response to my question.

Instead, a scratching sound, like something being dragged, could be heard.

"Mom...?"

At my second call, the door was suddenly and loudly knocked, making Father and I jump.

The scratching sound turned into a grating noise, and then a terrible, unpleasant sound as if something was being peeled off.

Father and I, unable to speak, could only stand there trembling in response to the reaction.

The door was being pounded with incoherent groans, growing more intense.