Curfew

Content Warning : Blood, gore, thrill, horror, monsters, zombies

I LOOKED UP TO THE gloomy clouds. The sun was slowly retreating behind the magnificent houses of the riches, glossing the skies with orange and yellow tint - reminding me how it could be of a treat to the eyes, yet also alarming at the same time.

6.30 pm.

"It's almost dark. I have to go back now," I said, pulling my attention off the dusk sky outside the window and back to Ming. Ming stared at me from behind the Biology book with raised brows. I knew that look—the look of annoyance.

"You're kidding me."

I tried my best to ignore her. Instead, I packed my school bag in a hurry. "It's almost curfew. I need to be at home now."

"You are at home now."

"Your home."

"Doesn't mean you can't spend the night. Don't worry, although we have sent all of the maids back to their place early, we can still have last Friday's pasta for dinner. I'll just reheat it. I promise, pig-free." said Ming. I rolled my eyes.

"Do I look like I am worried about dinner? It's almost curfew!"

"But tomorrow is the final test, goddammit!" Ming slammed the table. A beat passed while we stared at each other. Ming finally sighed and leaned closer from across the kitchen aisle. "Dee, you've got to help me. You know how bad I am with science subjects, and if I didn't excel this final term, Pa would kill me. He will send me to a private school, God-knows-where, and I'll be off the radar until he is satisfied and finally let me off the hook. Now, how many years do you think that will take?"

"Forever," I snorted, "You suck at science. Why the hell did you take this course in the first place?"

"Blame it on the doctors in my family."

"Literally everyone then. Except you."

"No freedom is given even in a small community," Ming shrugged while making a face. I let out a small chuckle. It's still hard to be a rich brat, I concluded. The high expectation from all around – no escape even if you have your own ivory tower.

"Fortunately, I befriended Dee, the brain in our class. The top student with top scores. Making the school proud now and then," Ming murmured, stretching her two hands towards me, as if she was presenting me in front of a crowd.

"Is that jealousy I pick up?"

"Who wouldn't be? You literally have an IQ that every student would die for."

"True," sometimes Ming could work her words into you. Sweet like honey. She would throw you high up above the clouds while waiting for you to fall back into the trap that she had prepared.

"So, Dee. Please, help me. Stay for one night. Just help me to remember some points. Don't worry about tonight. My house is totally a fortress at night. Pa had spent a lot on it."

I stared at her for a moment. She stared back with pleading eyes, both her hands clasped together, showing me her desperation. "I can count on you, right, dear friend?"

6.45 pm.

Well, even if I went back, I would not make it home on time.

"Fine, let me ring my mom." I finally raised the white flag. Ming, the cheeky sweet talker, won again. Well, she always did.

As soon as I reached Mak, she was already making a fuss about it. "Delila! Why on earth are you still outside? Look at the time! It's almost curfew!"

"Mak, I'm at Ming's house. We are studying together for the test tomorrow. Apparently, she needs my… smartness." I pressed the last sentence while eyeing her. Giggling, she mouthed, 'I love you.

"Are you sure?" Oh, Mak and her worries.

"Yes, Mak, of course, I'm sure. Say hi, Ming."

"Hello, Auntie! Rest assured. Dee is in good hands, I promise."

"You hear that? Forget about me. It's almost dark now. How's there?" I asked.

"Your brother settled it all. There were complaints, though, because he had to do it all alone." I chuckled. I could almost imagine the groggy face Danish would make as his mouth mumbles away.

Suddenly, Ming's dad, who had just got back from work, showed up in the kitchen. "Ming, it's freaking 7! Close the window in your room!"

"Oh, shoot! Almost forgot," Ming jumped off her stool and ran upstairs to her room.

"Got to go, Mak. Tell Danish to cover everything tightly and re-check again so there will be no leak. Stay safe."

"Stay safe, Delila. See you tomorrow. Assalamualaikum." I returned her salam before I ended the phone call. But the worry still grasped hard on my chest. I have terrible feelings about separating from her tonight. I prayed that nothing bad would happen.

"Hello, Dee. I didn't see you there. You're staying over for the night?"

"Good evening Mr. Gun. Yes, sorry for the late notice. Ming and I have a test tomorrow. Need to, well, burn the midnight oil, I guess."

Mr. Gun opened the two doors fridge and reached for a glass of water. His hands were quick to unfasten his blue tie. He downed the water in seconds, chasing away the weariness from work.

"It's about time now," Mr. Gun glanced at his Rolex.

7.00 pm.

A siren blared through the neighbourhood. It echoed so loud that I could feel it tremble in my body. Then, an announcement was made.

"THIS IS NOT A DRILL. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. THE SEVEN O'CLOCK CURFEW STARTS NOW. PLEASE STAY INSIDE AND LOCK YOUR HOUSE DOWN. TAKE YOUR LAST CAUTION STEPS AND MAKE SURE TO BLOCK ANY SOURCE OF LIGHT THAN LEAKING OUTSIDE. BE SAFE EVERYONE."

Right then, the whirring sound of a machine filled the air. The eerie screeching of metal hit my ears as I winced. I watched how there was something black and solid sliding out of the windowpanes. In just seconds, all the windows – literally every opening in the walls were covered by those steel slabs. They immediately blocked the gloomy dark orange view from outside. The entire building was pitch dark for a while until the lights switched on automatically and lit the whole house.

By 7 pm, the Gun family's fortress had completely locked down.

I was still in awe when Ming had joined us back. "That… was awesome. Back at my house, we only used boxes."

Ming grinned, blooming with pride. "I told you Pa had spent a lot on it."

"Alright, all set and safe. I'm going to my room to take my rest. You girls, however, do not distract yourself with anything except academic books. Please keep an eye on her, Dee. She needs to find her path now. The Gun's path, if you understand what I mean."

"You got it, Mr. Gun."

Right when Mr. Gun disappeared upstairs, Ming made a face. "The Gun's path," she scoffed.

"Dee, mark my words: the moment I become a doctor, kill me."

I laughed, making my way to the fridge for the pasta. "Oh, I can promise you that, dear friend."

***

AFTER DINNER, Ming took me to her room to continue our night study there (we could not finish the pasta because we all know how a two-day-old pasta would taste. The microwave was not much of a help. Hence, Ming brought along the snacks that she had stashed without her dad's knowledge).

The first thing I noticed when I walked in was her window by the bed. There was no steel slab overlay it, like others. Instead, it was covered by only black cloth.

"Come in, what are you doing standing there?" asked Ming before she followed where my attention directed. "Oh, this? Well, the steel inside this wall seemed to have some malfunction three days ago. It got stuck, I guess. Because of the night shift, Papa forgot to call the maintenance guy again, so that's how I resolved for this alternative."

"Is it alright? You know… to use cloth?"

"Meh, it's okay as long as it blocks the lights. The cloth is really thick, you know. I'm still alive, am I not?" Ming motioned at me to come to sit next to her. "Come on now, girl; we don't have all night. I need to at least master all the five chapters."

I obeyed. At least the light did not escape this room. The next few hours were invested mostly in me keeping Ming awake. Ming was the type who would doze off after 5 minutes of opening a book. After several attempts of slapping her face, I gave up. There was no way I could help her. She was bound to fail the paper anyway, like always. 10.50 pm.

A dog's bark suddenly pierced the silence of the night. My reading stopped at a halt. I listened a little bit longer. The dog kept barking, louder than before as if it was giving a warning. A warning to a threat. A threat that was none other than…

"Nightwalkers," whispered Ming. I flinched at her voice.

"Damn you, Ming! I thought you're sleeping!"

"It's the Nightwalkers," Ming straightened up while yawning. "Geez, how long did I sleep?"

I ignored her rhetorical question. "Why is there a dog outside? Aren't pets supposed to be kept inside too?"

"That must be Raja's. They are always like that. Experimental. Yesterday they put out their Bulldog, and it died this morning. Last week, a Chihuahua, which is funny because no dog with that size could survive the Nightwalkers. I wonder what dog becomes their 'lab rat' tonight," Ming's story put me in a state of faze.

"What kind of human being would do that?"

Ming snorted. "The filthy rich ones."

I shivered. Animals!

The dog's barks suddenly changed to whimpers. It whined so painfully that it sent chills running down my spine. Then, a loud, breaking snap. Silence followed. "They got it," uttered Ming, also looking at the blocked window, as if she could predict the situation outside. "Poor one."

I refused to comment on anything. I just swallowed hard. My throat felt dry. That was the first time I listened to a Nightwalker attack. There was almost none in my neighbourhood since we were all rational people, and we know to keep our pets inside.

"Wanna see it?" I frowned at Ming's sudden stupid suggestion. She had that smile put on—the wicked smile.

"Are you mad? They will see us!"

"Don't be a chicken!" Ming rolled her eyes annoyingly that I would be glad to do the honour of slapping it off her face. "They will not! We will just take a small peak. After all, they will be busy feasting on that dog." Before I could stop her, Ming had already climbed on her bed and flipped open the black cloth. She made a hole small enough for only her right eye.

"Good gracious. What a sight! You have to see this, Dee!"

I hesitated because I was too scared to see those creatures with my own eyes, but deep down, my curiousness had peaked. Before I realized it, I was already beside Ming, waiting for my turn.

Ming grinned as she scooted over to the side, giving me the access. I lowered my face closer to the window and peeped through the hole. My breath almost stopped. What. A. Damn. Sight.

The road was supposed to be dark. No light should be switched on at night; that's the rule. But there was this one lamp post, emitting the brightest light I had ever seen, right on where the rendezvous was. Several of them — the Nightwalkers – were circling a German shepherd while tearing the unfortunate dog apart. Pieces of flesh scattered around. Dark red blood tainted the pavement. By now, the shepherd's body was wide open, and I could see the inside. The meat was now almost gone. What's left was the sagging skin and the crushed bones. Indeed, a gruesome scene.

"Brutal, right?" Ming whispered with amusement behind my ears. "Nightwalkers in action. Live." I gasped when one of the monsters tugged on the dead pet's eye and chugged it. "Nothing like what the news showed us."

Yes. It was nothing like what the news or the television had broadcasted. The taped video mostly acquired from the black and white CCTVs or recorded from a distance – the Nightwalkers were assumed to be real-life zombies that are usually found in movies and TV shows. It was unbelievable in the beginning, but they looked just like those fictional beings. Their appearances were similar to humans, only with torn clothes, smashed faces, and crippled body parts, which explained their weird way of walking.

However, the live version was more sickening. The creatures were hideous and dreadful. Merciless and thirsty for blood.

When the Night Walkers were first discovered in Malaysia, no one could figure out why and how they were here. The government military team thought they could terminate the whole colony in an all-kill. The citizens never knew how they would execute the plan since it was supposedly confidential. They just announced that they would return with victory, yet they held a big funeral ceremony for the perished on the day after.

The war with the so-called zombies was still ongoing but not as consistent as before. Thus, before the freedom day finally arrives, we all are cautious of them as we take preventive steps. The only information we received was how the Nightwalkers were drawn to light, although weirdly enough, they only appeared at nightfall. Till today, nobody could fathom that phenomenon. Now, the whole nation has put their defence on.

Protect yourself or get eaten.

"Look at them, licking the blood on the road," I noticed Ming was already at the end of the other side, flipping a new peeping hole for herself. I realized how dangerous our actions could be, but none of us wanted to take our eyes off what was going down there. Not every day we could witness this.

Out of the blue, one of the creatures turned around and shot a look at us. Although it was in the fleet of the moment, I could capture that gory eyes with one of them gaping open, revealing the bloodied socket. I quickly backed away, and nothing should happen after that but –

"HOLY MOTHER-!" Ming threw herself down her bed, pulling along the cloth in her hand.

There before our eyes, the window was bare open, leaking out every light in Ming's room. Shocked and horrified, we both sat there, froze until we heard grunting sounds nearing us.

"T-the light! Switch off the light!!" I shouted. Ming ran and flipped the switch off, and quickly, darkness overtook us. I left the bed and threw my arms in front of me until I got hold of Ming. We both hugged, and I could not figure out which body trembled more.

A thud on the glass. We flinched. The monsters had climbed all the way up here. My eyes quivered but never left the window. Ming cupped her mouth, feared her breathing would give us away. None of us dared to move.

Moments later, the dreading groans slowly died down.

We both sighed in relief.

"What was that noise, girls? Why is it so dark here?" Mr. Gun appeared and flicked on the switch. The whole room was bright again.

And we met eyes to eyes with them. They went berserk.

Ming screamed. I almost gagged. Mr. Gun backed away with a horrified face, realizing his mistake.

The hideous Nightwalkers – about three or four of them, excited seeing their next prey - pounded heavily on the window. When Ming pulled my arm to escape together, I could not help but wonder how they were able to climb up to the second floor.

As we rushed down the flight of stairs, I heard the sound of glasses shattering. Dammit, they made it inside. The thought of them chasing me from behind drove my adrenaline. I forced myself to run faster. Beads of sweat trickled down both my forehead and backside.

"This way!" Ming and I followed Mr. Gun leading the way. By now, we were already running past the kitchen.

"Where are we going?" I questioned. "Shouldn't we get out from the back door?"

"No, a dead end. We have to go to Raja's house," answered Mr. Gun, clutching a baseball bat as soon as we reached the living room. "Safer there."

There was a baseball bat there? I did not realize it before when I first came here.

"What?! So, we're going to cross the main road now? Where there are lots and lots of Nightwalkers wandering around?" I looked at them as if they were mad.

Ming took a sharp turn at me. "Shut the hell up, Dee! Just follow us from behind! We know what to do!"

…know what to do?

I observed Mr. Gun cracked the door open. He took in the surrounding. Heartbeats later, he nodded at us, affirming there was no Nightwalker on sight. We carefully sneaked outside. I almost tiptoed while clenching hard on Ming's pyjama, afraid that I would lose them.

"We're almost there," claimed Mr. Gun from upfront. I braced my heart.

All of a sudden, Ming stopped running. I accidentally hit her back and groaned. "Ouch, what the hell, Ming?"

Ming stood there silently, taking her moments. I stood behind her, panting, waiting, dumbfounded. Then, she began to talk. "Dee, you are a good friend to me."

"Ming, I don't think this is the time to be all sentimental. There are freaking zombies coming for our asses," I harshly whispered while nudging her to keep moving.

Ming turned around, facing me. Her expression was hard to read. "Am I a friend to you?"

"What the hell are you talking about now? We have no time for this!"

"Delila, am I a friend to you?" she repeated – still with the stern expression.

I stared at her. I knew it was serious when she started to call me with that name. "Yes, Ming. Of course, you are. I stayed tonight just to help you for tomorrow's test, didn't I?" I said, and I meant every single word.

"Can I count on you?"

"Duh. Now move before we become those monsters' supper!"

Ming grinned. Uh-oh. That smile again. She was definitely up to something.

Without warning, she shoved me hard that I tumbled to the ground, rolling. I was unsure where I fell, but I realized my head was bleeding when I pushed myself back up.

"GODDAMIT MING! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?" I was mad, but I still managed my tone.

I looked up and realized she was nowhere there. My eyes searched around, but it was too dark. I tried to stand up. My bottom felt so sore because of the fall.

"Ming!" I cried, starting to panic. "Ming!" I tried again.

Then, a light flickered into my eyes. I squinted when I found its source. It was Ming; she was holding a torch, pointing right at me. When she knew I had seen her, she switched it off. Half of me was furious, but another half was relieved. I ran towards her…

…until I bumped into a clear glass standing between us.

I looked at her, puzzled. "Not funny, Ming. Let me in."

Ming frowned. "I don't think I can do that for you, Dee," she said. "After all, this is Raja's house. The decision for you to enter is not up to me. I'm sorry," she pouted. Finally realized she was not joking; I banged endlessly on the glass with fury and frustration.

"But, Delila, there's something you can do."

"What? What is it? Anything! I'll do anything! Just please let me in!" I begged, now falling to my knees. I was scared. I was so scared out here.

"Did you see that baseball bat beside you?" I followed where her finger pointed. "Pick it up." I did as I was told.

"Now, all you have to do is… survive."

"What do you mean?" I did not like the sound of that.

Ming snorted. "I thought you're smart, Dee. Surviving the night, of course!"

I could not believe my ears. "Are you listening to yourself?! There are freaking Nightwalkers out here! How can I survive the night?!"

"That's the point of the bat, babe! You either have to fight them or die!"

Everything inside me was boiling to the core. "DAMN YOU!" I swung the bat and hit the glass. Nothing happened. Of course it would not break. It's Raja's house. They were filthy rich.

Ming laughed hysterically, enjoying my rage show. "You know what, Dee, they all reacted like you. Desperate and pathetic."

I wanted nothing but to curse and kill her so much right now, but I could not suppress my curiosity. "Who…?"

"The maids. The gardeners. They were all weak. They couldn't even last for one hour. We had a hard time burying them with their limbs unattached and organs all over the place, though. When they were all gone, things got boring for a while."

Now that explained everything. Bits by bits, I started to understand; the early leave for the maids, Ming lying about the malfunction, the fake act of fear, and the trap they put up for me. From the very beginning, I was their next 'lab rat'.

"So, this is just a game for you and your dad?"

"No," Ming shook her head and pulled her face closer to the glass, staring at me with a psychopathic look. Her breath fogged up the surface. She smiled, a little too wide, revealing her perfectly lined teeth.

"It's a game for ALL of us."

Mr. Gun showed up behind her. Then came along a boy, a teenage girl, and a middle-aged couple, whom I presumed, was the Raja family. They were all looking down at me with spiteful smirks, clearly pleased that they succeeded in their plan. I was outside, exposed to the danger while they were inside, safe, and sound.

Ming knocked the glass, gaining back my attention.

"Fight well, Dee; the whole neighbourhood is watching. Entertain us well. Remember, I am rooting for you, and I always will," said Ming, making a heart shape with her fingers.

I replied with my middle finger, causing her to burst again. "Good luck, dear friend. I'll see you tomorrow… if you're alive," she said between her laughter.

"Oh, I can promise you that, my dear friend."

Right then, a lamp post behind me turned on - the same one that cast its brilliant light on the remains of the dead German shepherd. Gradually, the hollowed grumbles set off again from afar. They were coming. I took a heavy step forward.

I would not die. Not tonight. I would get through this, so when I meet Ming tomorrow morning, I could slit her mouth and get rid of that smile.

1.00 am.

Six hours until next dawn. Six hours more, Delila.

I tightened my fist on the bat. When one of the monsters closed in, I braced myself, raised the weapon, and swung it as hard as possible.

There, your little entertainment.

Proofread by Ilyana Elisa & Illya-Wardina

Published by Muhammad Hadwan & Aisyah Hanim