Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

"My head is so dizzy... I feel so awful... I was bitten several times... Is there anyone who can help me?"

A weak voice, tinged with desperate sobs, rang out, only to be drowned out by the screams and running of the crowd.

Panic spread rapidly from the rear like wildfire.

People no longer cared about their exhaustion; they cried and pushed each other, trying to escape the seemingly "cursed" land like headless flies.

Some people even knocked down others in their panic, causing more chaos and cursing.

"What is that?" Wang Xiao suddenly stood up, craning his neck to look behind him, but the darkness and the chaotic figures blocked his view.

Xu Xiaoyan and Xie Yingtang also felt a chill. Their positions at the front were not affected yet, but the clamor from behind, which sounded like hell, was clearly audible.

Insects? The word struck a nerve, even though the specific name they heard was "tick" rather than "bee".

However, any unusual swarm of insects in the post-apocalyptic world is enough to raise the highest level of alert!

Who knows if these insects will change their survival habits?

Will it become more aggressive?

"No matter what it is! Protect yourself first!" Xie Yingtang shouted, reacting extremely quickly.

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, the three of them took action.

They quickly zipped their coats up to the top, turned up their collars to tightly cover their necks, tied their cuffs tightly, and tucked their trouser legs into their socks.

Xu Xiaoyan quickly used her backpack as cover to pull out a scarf from her pocket and tightly wrapped her head and face except for her eyes.

Wang Xiao and Xie Yingtang also turned up the hoods of their windbreakers to protect their heads.

They moved swiftly and in perfect unison, covering all exposed skin in a very short time.

Especially key areas such as the mouth, nose, arms, and ankles were hidden under clothing as much as possible.

No matter what strange insects are attacking from behind, reducing the direct contact area is the first element of self-protection!

The three huddled together, their eyes scanning the surrounding ground and the surging crowd, remaining vigilant and not daring to be careless in the slightest.

Before the screams and cries from behind had subsided and before the situation behind them could be clearly seen, a rapid and sharp marching whistle suddenly sounded from the core area of ​​the army ahead!

"Beep—beep beep—!" The whistle came extremely abruptly, completely different from the usual rhythm of rest, carrying an undeniable sense of urgency.

Immediately afterwards, the military vehicles that had already stopped started up again with a dull rumble, their wheels began to turn, and the troops moved forward once more.

"Why are you leaving at this time?!" Wang Xiao was stunned, and subconsciously looked back at the chaotic scene behind him.

"Forget about what's behind us! Keep up!" Xie Yingtang shouted in a low voice, his tone resolute. At this moment, separating from the main group was often a more dangerous choice.

The three of them immediately suppressed their surprise and doubt, and started walking, forced to continue forward with the moving crowd ahead.

However, they hadn't gone far when they clearly felt that the density of the surrounding crowd had decreased significantly.

The once packed and almost impassable queue has now become much sparser; a rough estimate suggests that at least half the number of people are gone!

Those who lagged behind and were plagued by ticks were clearly the vast majority who failed to keep up with the sudden emergency departure.

As Wang Xiao walked quickly, he couldn't help but lower his voice and ask incredulously, "Are those ticks... really that dangerous?"

I remember that in the past, when news reports mentioned being bitten by ticks, the most they would say was to seek medical attention promptly. It didn't seem like a big deal.

"How come now..." His subtext was, "Is it really necessary for the army to abandon so many people without even conducting any reconnaissance?"

Xu Xiaoyan frowned, warily watching her footing and surroundings while quickly thinking. Hearing Wang Xiao's words, she said in a deep voice:

"If you remember correctly, in the past, tick bites themselves were usually not fatal; what was fatal was the pathogens they might carry, such as tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme disease."

But back then, we could get medical treatment in a timely manner, and there was a well-developed medical system with sufficient antibiotics and effective drugs, as well as clean hospitals.

She paused, her tone becoming even more serious. "But what about now? We're in the middle of nowhere, and our only medical resources are the army's medics and the medicines they carry. Look at the army's response..."

She gestured to the rear of the accelerating army ahead. "Too decisive, too fast. Normally, if an anomaly of this scale occurs in the rear, the troops should at least send out scouts to find out what's going on."

Then, the report is quickly relayed to the commander, who then weighs the pros and cons and makes a decision: whether to evacuate, treat, or... abandon. This whole process takes time, no matter how fast it is.

"But now," Xu Xiaoyan's gaze swept over the army ahead, which showed no sign of stopping.

"They omitted everything, not even a symbolic investigation, and directly chose the fastest way—retreat. This can only mean two things:"

Either the team leader is heartless and believes that the value of those behind them is not worth risking and delaying the journey; or...

She lowered her voice, almost whispering, "The troops may have encountered similar problems at the front."

Or perhaps they foresaw, through some unknown channel, the potentially devastating consequences of these ticks in a post-apocalyptic environment—

For example, they caused an uncontrollable epidemic; they're cutting their losses to survive!

Her analysis made Wang Xiao gasp in shock.

Xie Yingtang's eyes also darkened, and whatever the reason, it all pointed to a cruel truth.

The military they rely on operates on a cold and pragmatic logic; in the face of crisis, those who fall behind are sacrificed.

The team sped forward in silence and repression.

Xu Xiaoyan noticed that some people walking on the outermost edge of the group, near the edge of the overgrown road, were also starting to make some unusual movements.

At first, it was just an unconscious scratching of the neck or arm, but soon, the scratching became more frequent and forceful, and an expression of irritability and pain appeared on the face.

Some people even twisted their bodies as they walked, trying to rub off the ubiquitous itching sensation.

These subtle but increasing anomalies deepened Xu Xiaoyan's suspicions.

She immediately slowed her pace, subtly approached Xie Yingtang and Wang Xiao, and reached out her hands to gently but quickly tug at the corners of their clothes.

Xie Yingtang and Wang Xiao immediately turned to look at her with alarm.

Xu Xiaoyan made no extra movements, only using her eyes to signal them to pay attention to both sides of the road, while keeping her voice extremely low to ensure that only the three of them could hear her:

"Look to both sides! Stay away from the edge of the road and the bushes! I see those people walking along the edge... they're already reacting!"

She spoke quickly, but every word was crystal clear: "Whatever it is, avoid it if you can!"