Apocalypse
"How long would it take you to get the fruit basket, Kadori?" a female voice shouted urgently, while packing food and water into a sack.
Kadori emerged from his room, dressed in a brown leather jacket and matching trousers, meticulously removing cobwebs from his spiky brown hair.
"Jeez, did you really have to hide this where no one could reach?" Kadori lamented, brushing cobwebs from his body.
"Quit complaining," the lady said, playfully ruffling Kadori's hair as she handed him the sack of provisions. "Don't be late, okay?" She pressed a kiss onto Kadori's hair.
"Alright, Mom. Bye now." Kadori secured his small knife before leaving the house.
Ever since Kadori's father passed away in an accident, his mother had been solely responsible for his care.
They owned a modest farm located in a secluded part of the village, where Kadori would go to pick fruits and gather food grains.
Although they weren't wealthy, they found contentment in their modest means.
Kadori often observed his mother going the extra mile to provide her son with the best, yet he'd always tell her, "You don't have to give me everything, Mom. Just give me you."
Even though the villagers looked down on them, it never dampened their spirits or brought them sorrow.
Arriving at the overgrown farm with tall trees and weeds, Kadori placed his bag of provisions on the ground beside a tree and began to collect the grains and fruits.
After gathering the handful of fruits and grains into his basket, Kadori squatted down to set a trap for any bush animals.
Hours passed, and the trap remained empty, frustrating Kadori.
For three consecutive days, he'd been unable to find any stray animals to hunt.
The area seemed strangely devoid of wildlife.
"Perhaps they're all hiding, waiting for me to leave," Kadori mused, taking out his small knife and gripping it tightly in his right hand.
"I guess I'll have to draw them out myself."
With his knife in hand and eyes scanning cautiously, Kadori ventured into the thick forest.
At the tender age of 10, Kadori had managed to bring down a deer using only his small kitchen knife and his bare hands.
It had been a surprise for his mother, who couldn't help but believe her son was exceptional.
Kadori proceeded deeper into the forest, moving with careful, measured steps to avoid alerting any potential prey.
He navigated through familiar spots where he was certain many animals congregated.
Taking cover behind a rock, Kadori took a deep breath before leaping into the area, his knife poised and ready to strike.
"Huh? What in the world happened here?" Kadori marveled at the scene before him, taking a few steps forward to examine it more closely.
Hundreds of deer lay lifeless on the ground, blood splattered around with gaping wounds on their necks.
"What is this?" Kadori pondered, kneeling beside a deer to scrutinize it thoroughly.
The large wounds on their necks seemed to have been inflicted by sizable fangs, and the wounds were still fresh, indicating a recent occurrence.
"Does this mean whatever killed them is still arou—" Before Kadori could finish his sentence, he started hearing bones cracking and growls.
Swiftly turning around, he witnessed the deer rising back up, their heads and bodies contorting in an eerie manner, and long fangs protruding from their mouths.
Kadori took several steps backward as the deer in front of him stood upright.
With his heart pounding, sweat trickling down, and hands trembling, Kadori stood there, transfixed by the bizarre sight.
After the last deer had risen, the entire group of creatures began charging towards Kadori, emitting guttural noises.
Snapping out of his daze, Kadori pivoted and bolted as fast as his legs could carry him.
Judging by their speed, Kadori could tell they were no longer ordinary deer, but an entirely new kind of creature.
Darting through the forest, Kadori vaulted over fallen tree branches and made rapid turns, hoping to evade them.
After a few minutes of relentless sprinting, Kadori grew weary.
He ascended a tall, massive tree in hopes of hiding there until they passed.
Kadori's strategy worked, and the deer surged past the tree without detecting him. He released a sigh of relief, leaning against a branch to catch his breath.
"What on earth happened to those things?" Kadori wondered aloud, still finding the entire situation baffling.
"Is it some kind of disease? But what kind of ailment causes fangs to grow and enhances speed?"
Kadori couldn't quite grasp the events or the transformation that had overtaken them.
He thought it best to head home by a different route and inform the villagers.
"Hyah!" Kadori grunted as he landed on the ground, surveying the area to ensure they were gone.
He then made his way out of the forest through an alternative path.
After walking for a while, Kadori emerged from the forest.
Instead of finding people going about their activities peacefully, chaos reigned.
Everyone was yelling and rushing about as mysterious creatures attacked them and fed on their prey.
Those who were consumed by the creatures rose up, akin to the deer, and began their own assault.
Kadori couldn't fathom what he was witnessing.
The village had been tranquil just hours earlier; why was there now pandemonium?
While contemplating the situation, one of the creatures charged towards Kadori.
His body froze in terror as the creature pushed him to the ground, its gaping maw poised to strike.
Out of nowhere, a spear impaled the creature's head, lifting it off Kadori. He turned to see a blond-haired man, extracting his spear from the creature's skull.
"Are you okay?" the man inquired, hoisting Kadori to his feet.
"Uncle Duncan?" Kadori exclaimed, embracing the burly figure. "Please, tell me what's happening."
"A plague broke out in the neighboring village earlier, and it has now spread to our village," Uncle Duncan explained, urging Kadori to a safer location. "We have to leave; this village is nearly decimated by the illness."
"My mother," Kadori insisted, pulling his arm away from Uncle Duncan's grasp.
"Listen, Kadori, your mother might have succumbed to the illness. We need to go. Now!" Uncle Duncan pleaded.
"I won't leave without her!" Tears streamed down Kadori's cheeks as he plunged into the chaotic scene, determined to find his mother.