On the dimly lit road, Kevin was hurrying along. Icy rain poured down, and there were hardly any pedestrians on the street. It was only five in the afternoon, supposedly rush hour, but in this torrential downpour, even cars rarely ventured out. After all, the water was so deep that if it got into the exhaust pipe, fixing it would be a nightmare.
Five o'clock in winter is already a bit dark, and with heavy clouds overhead, the last bit of light was gone. It felt like the whole world had suddenly plunged into night.
"Come on, you piece of junk, get moving!" Kevin slapped his e-bike and wiped the rain off his face. The battery had been fully charged, but maybe the rain was messing with it. Halfway through the trip, the bike started acting up, speeding up and slowing down randomly, making Kevin worry it might just quit on him.
He definitely didn’t want to walk all the way back in this weather.
Luckily, Central City Hospital wasn’t far from where he was. After a freezing trip that left his hands and feet numb, he finally spotted the hospital’s doors in the distance. Fallen leaves had clogged the drains, causing the water on the street to rise higher and higher—already past his calves. The hospital entrance was on a small slope, and at the bottom, the water was deep enough to reach his knees.
"Come on, just a little more and we’re home!" Kevin cheered on his e-bike, twisting the throttle for all it was worth. The bike charged straight into the puddle, sending up a wave. Just as he was speeding along, a flash of pale lightning lit up the sky, followed by a deafening boom. Startled by the thunder, Kevin’s hand jerked, and the bike wobbled off course. As he struggled to keep control, suddenly—bump—the wheel hit something.
A jolt and a sideways skid sent Kevin crashing straight into the puddle. He gulped a mouthful of dirty water, cursing his luck, and tried to get up—only to find his leg pinned by the overturned e-bike. Somehow, it was wedged just right, and he couldn’t move at all. Kevin kicked desperately, and in the struggle, the battery connector popped off, leaving the exposed throttle pressed right against his backside.
In an instant, Kevin was electrocuted and collapsed, paralyzed in the puddle.
Unbelievable. Absolutely ridiculous. Just a little electric shock, a shallow puddle, and yet Kevin couldn’t get up no matter how hard he struggled. He thrashed around, eyes wide, staring upward. Through the warped surface of the water, the hospital’s red cross glowed. Right at the hospital entrance, in this place where people fight Death itself, Kevin was drowning.
His oxygen was running out, his eyes bloodshot, and the breath of death was closing in. He couldn’t resist. He stretched his hand upward, out of the water, trying to grab something—anything—but found only emptiness. His hand splayed desperately above the surface, then slowly sank back down.
Just as his hand was about to sink beneath the water, another hand suddenly reached out and grabbed him tightly.
In the middle of despair, hope appeared! Someone hauled Kevin up, dragging his upper body out of the water.
"Aah—!" Kevin gasped for air, coughing as he opened his eyes. The person who’d pulled him out was none other than Wendy. The young medium locked eyes with Kevin for a moment; neither spoke, then they hugged each other tightly. Raindrops streamed down their faces—some rain, some tears.
Meanwhile, the low-lying intersection had turned into a lake. Beneath the churning surface, countless lives—men, women, old and young—were buried. Suddenly, with a splash, a man dragged another man up the slope: Bartley and Jack Young.
Bartley laid Jack Young on the ground, checked his condition, then collapsed himself, gasping for breath. After a moment, Bartley sprang up, hurled the respirator far away, then dropped to his knees by the water, shouting hysterically: "Aaaah—!!!" Tilia was forever buried in those waters.
Raindrops streamed down Bartley’s face—some rain, some tears.
Half an hour later, the survivors regrouped at Central City Hospital. But among the unharmed, Jack Young was missing and Bartley had joined them. Jack Young and Julie became roommates, claiming two hospital beds. Looking at the unconscious Jack Young, the three women and one man felt a shadow over their hearts. Jack Young had always seemed strong and unflappable, as if nothing— not even Death—could beat him.
But now, lying quietly in bed, everyone realized Jack Young was just human after all. Looking closely at his face, you’d see his features weren’t as tough as imagined—there was a softness and delicacy to them.
With a creak, the door swung open and Kevin limped in. Everyone jumped up to greet him. Wendy asked, "You okay?"
"I’m fine. Just a numb butt and a sore throat, everything else is good," Kevin replied. He’d survived a close call, but wasn’t badly hurt. The limp was just leftover from the shock—give it a little time and he’d be back to normal.
There was one more person in the room, but the mood didn’t lighten at all. Looking at Bartley, whose eyes were full of grief, nobody said a word. Everyone knew how awful it was to watch someone you love die right in front of you. So they just patted his shoulder and gave him some quiet space.
An hour later, the rain stopped. Thanks to the emergency city workers, the floodwaters finally drained into the sewers.
Grrr... Julie’s stomach suddenly growled. Everyone looked at her; she gave a shy smile, then tried to sound tough: "What? Aren’t you guys hungry? I haven’t eaten since noon, so yeah, I’m starving."
"True." Femi Foster nodded. "I’m hungry too. And sticky—really need a shower. How about this: Julie, you shower with me. Wendy, you and Kevin go get some food. Bartley, would you mind watching these two? There’s some fruit on the nightstand, so if you’re hungry, help yourself. Sound good?"
This chapter isn’t over yet ^.^—click next page to keep reading!
No one objected, so the five split into three groups and set off.
Let’s start with Wendy’s group. Wendy and Kevin left the hospital, paused quietly on the sloped entrance, exchanged a smile—then Kevin took Wendy’s hand, and she didn’t pull away. As they walked, Kevin said, "I was totally hopeless, thought I was a goner. But right at rock bottom, an angel came to save me." He gently kissed Wendy’s hand. "How did you show up just then? Did you see any omens?"
It was only now that Kevin got to ask what he’d been wondering.
"No, I didn’t see any omens," Wendy shook her head. "I just suddenly felt anxious, couldn’t sit still, like I was about to lose something important. So I ran to the entrance—and saw your hand."
Kevin’s close call had made Wendy rethink a lot. She finally stopped dodging his feelings. She squeezed Kevin’s hand tight, and the two of them strolled along, lost in their own little world. In the post-rain calm, they wandered the city streets and picked a random supermarket. Before going in, they checked for drainage, terrain, stray wires—everything was safe. They shared a smile and went inside.
When it came to fighting Death, they were already a well-matched team.
There wasn’t much to buy, but they didn’t rush. Partly to enjoy their rare alone time, partly because Femi Foster was clearly giving Bartley a chance to let it out. So they took their sweet time shopping, figured enough time had passed, and headed back.
As they walked down the street, Wendy suddenly stopped. "What’s wrong?" Kevin asked, noticing Wendy staring at a neon sign by the roadside. It was an ad for a power bank store. The sign read in bright red bulbs: "Battery dead? No need to worry!"
With a couple of pops, the sign’s “No need to worry!” flickered out, leaving only the glaring red words: “Battery dead.” (Someone told me I should be good at writing smut... After thinking about it, I realized they might be right~~ hehehe~~)