Chapter 1 - happy family

Chapter 1

I gasped hard, trying to hold on to every air that I can take. I coughed when my lungs received unfiltered air. Feeling hot, I opened the curtains to – wait. Curtain? I looked around and it doesn’t feel right. No one uses curtains at this time because of the outbreak, who chooses to decorate at this point and time?

I tried to call my colleague but my voice won’t come out. The hell is going on? And I pause when I realized something strange too, I… can’t hear anything. Did they? I put my hands in my ear to check if it’s still intact… it’s still there!

I tapped the wooden table and there’s no sound. I jump around and throw all things. There’s still nothing. I bang my head at the wall, thinking that it may bring me back to normal, but it’s the opposite

My vision is spinning and my head is throbbing but I still can’t hear anything!

Wait. The demon.

Is this my punishment for defeating the demon? I walk back and forth thinking that it’s all absurd. Well, the outbreak itself is absurd but why should you punish the one who defeated the demon, it should be a reward right?

I hurriedly look for the bathroom to puke. Who the hell told you to bang your head to the wall? I asked myself, feeling regret.

Agh! I hate this feeling. Of all the things that I experienced puking is the worst, it’s a waste of food, and mo – who is this?

I tapped the thing in my front thinking that it might change, who is this… in the mirror, its not my reflection. Who the hell is this girl? Judging her face, it feels like this body is still in teen. Her skin is so flawless, eyelashes that are so long, brown and doe eyes, plump lips, and – I’m not a tomboy. I tried to move thinking that this is all false. I touched my face and realized that it is my reflection!

I stormed out of the bathroom after drowning myself in the water believing that my face will change to its origin, yeah it did not happen. Then I come to the conclusion that it’s a better face, who would not want a pretty face. I’m satisfied with my train of thought until I saw someone in the room.

The man is talking. I want to say that I can’t hear anything and I don’t understand what he’s saying cause my head is also spinning but… how should I tell him? He started to say his words through actions and I tried hard not to laugh because his face is also changing. He bent his head and put his hands forward while slouching, the most hilarious thing is that he let his iris upward, acting like a zombie. Then I laughed.

I saw the man’s reaction. He’s offended. No man, you should feel honored, cause you’re the reason that the almighty Lina laughed. I’m stupefied when he suddenly dragged me to the window and pushed me. Bro, easy. I took a glance at him before looking in the direction he wants me to see. It’s a street that is full of monsters. I looked at the man, remembering that what he have been acting is some kind of zombie. You suck at acting

When he saw my reaction he started shouting. This time, I understand it. I know how to read lips, I just can’t comprehend what he said a while ago because my head hurts. He doesn’t know the pain.

What he’s saying is, we’re in danger but I’m making some loud noise and foolishly idling around. Something like that. When he decided to talk more, I already looked at my fingernails. Wow, I should give this girl an award for keeping her nails clean and with polish.

I just realized that the man burst out of the room angrily and when he returned I felt two person’s footsteps, oh! Did he bring some assistant huh? I ready my genuine smile to meet them. This is the first time I have met someone with this body, you should not be rude Lina!

My smile fade when I realized I know who he bring, I recognize her. Mom

The man is still shouting at me, maybe nagging me or what but all of my attention is on mom. She looks more healthy than the last time I saw her. She’s the only one who visited me in the training camp. She’s my mom!

I looked at the man who’s still yelling and pointing at me, is this person… my dad?

I felt pity for myself thinking that they are the ones who brought me to the world but I did not recognize them. At the age of 4, I live with my uncle they said that they can’t afford my living expenses and decided to bring me to my uncle. They didn’t know that uncle only wants a talented and useful child, so he trained me.

I trained and study hard until I made it through the army. My mom is the only one who sends me letters and regards when I’m on my training. I really do miss her. The fact that she survived the breakout… I calmed myself because I felt my eyes heat up.

I looked at my mom ready to hug her. She’s still warm. The warmth of my mother. I laughed and cried my painful memories without her. I want to tell her all I have been through and let it out for the first time. I felt another warmth and when I looked at the cause of it, it’s the man that I’m laughing at a while ago.

When the touching moment is over, I felt their loving and caring gazes “told you, she is scared. Sherry is just 16 don’t scare her more” as I read my mom’s lip and my forehead creased, Sherry? “I know you’re strong, we can survive this” she smiled at me and hugged me more.

Sherry… who is she? I can’t be wrong. Sherry is so different from Lina, did I read it wrong? And of course, this face is not mine, who would think that I’m Lina? This body is so gorgeous

“we will protect you, of course! You are my daughter” dad said and laugh. They had another daughter. They have Sherry!

I got angry at the fact that they give me to my uncle saying that we are financially unstable but had another more child. Don’t they know family planning?

Calm down, Lina. Maybe you read their lips wrong. Maybe this body isn’t their daughter. Then who is Sherry? They let Sherry live here while me, their daughter, not? My train of thought got cut when someone grabbed the hem of my clothes and gave me water.

I calmed down when I looked at the kid who just gave me water. His chubby cheeks are puffing and he’s just so cute! I pinch his cheek thinking that it’s some kind of stress reliever. What a thoughtful kid! I’m more amazed when he talked to me in sign language. This kid knows how to sign!

Unfortunately, I did not understand some of the signs. I just drank the water because it’s the most obvious sign that I encountered. I laughed when I recognize a sign that saying he would hit me. He seemed angry at my reaction, just like my dad.

I laughed more when he started shouting. Come on, you can attract the monsters with your loud voice, I wanted to voice out but I don’t have a voice. I stop to read his lips, I need to concentrate because he speaks so fast. ‘you shouldn’t be chill like that! Those zombies are waiting for a moment that we will turn our guard down and attack us!’ I laughed loudly, this kid thinking about those things.

‘Sister! Be serious!’ I froze. Sister…

This kid is also their child. They had more kids and left me… they abandoned me and had more kids!