Day 09: Proceed with Caution

“We need to do the humane thing and shoot her already!” Josh replied. Sumiko had been placed in one of the cages in Cell Block C awaiting the group’s determination about her.

“Wait,” Nicole yelled. “She hasn’t shown any signs of infection and the bite appears to be days if not weeks old.”

“And? Last I checked, you didn’t have a medical degree and we all know this virus affects everyone differently,” Josh continued. “We can’t take the chance she’ll infect any of us here.”

“I think we should wait,” James chimed in. “Nicole is right. The girl hasn’t shown any signs she’s sick. For all we know it could have been a dog bite or something.”

Just then, the front door opened and the group was joined by Natalie, Portia, JC and Matthew who was carrying an unconscious Aisha. “What happened to Aisha?” Jeremiah asked, rushing forward. 

“We had an accident,” Portia replied solemnly without looking up.

“Well is she ok?” he continued, watching as Matthew carried her off toward the infirmary with Natalie in tow.

“We don’t know yet, Miah. Natalie is going to look her over and we’ll know more from there. Don’t worry ok? She’s a tough girl. She’ll be fine,” JC replied, hoping to calm the young man. “What’s going on here?” he asked, noticing the tension in the air.

“We found someone in our truck,” Katrina said, as she hobbled over to a chair.

“What do you mean you found someone in the truck? Are they here? Are they hostile?” Matthew asked, hearing the tail end of the conversation.

“We don’t really know. She’s a young girl. Maybe 17. Japanese. Says she became stranded here and separated from her parents when the outbreak occurred,” Nicole said, filling the others in on what they’d learned so far. 

“She’s also been bitten,” Josh added.

“What? Where is she?” Matthew asked. “Why hasn’t she been taken care of? We can’t let her infect anyone else.” Josh threw his hands up in agreement.

“See that’s the thing,” Nicole started. “Her bit is old and she’s not sick. We didn’t want to just take her out without hearing her side of the story. We should figure out what happened first. If she really was bitten then why wasn’t she turned? How is she different than anyone else?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Josh again said. “She’s dangerous and the longer we stand here arguing about it, the greater the risk of her getting out and harming us becomes. We don’t know her or where she came from and we don’t need to know. The facts remain. She’s bitten. She dies.”

“No,” Matthew said. “Nicole is right. We need more information.”

“What? This is crazy!” Josh exclaimed.

“What if there’s a cure or something, Josh? A way to protect ourselves against whatever has infected everyone else? This girl might be the key to stopping it all or maybe shedding some light on how we can keep ourselves safe. We owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to explore that possibility.”

“Fine,” Josh sighed and shook his head. There was no winning the argument and continuing to state his opinion was futile. “You guys do what you want but when you get infected by the Trojan horse, don’t come crying to me.” He stalked off in the direction of his room, leaving the others to handle the fate of their new friend.

“Where is she?” Matthew asked.

“Cellblock C,” James replied.

“JC, can you and Theresa go and give Natalie a hand in the infirmary, please? James, Katrina, Nicole Sophia, and I will go and have a chat with…”

“Sumiko,” Theresa said. 

“Right.”

Sumiko sighed as she was once again tied down to a chair in the center of the day room. “Why don’t we start with your full name?” Matthew began.

“Fujikawa Sumiko,” Sumiko responded.

“And where did you come from? Why did you jump into our truck” he continued.

“I was here on vacation with my parents. I’d just been accepted to Oxford and as a gift, my parents brought me to America to visit the sites on my traveler’s list; places I’d always wanted to see. But something happened. While we were in New York, one of the passengers on our ferry became ill and bit someone.”

“I saw that video!” Nicole said. “Before it was taken down from YouTube!”

“We were taken back to the shore and examined by a physician before being released. Our trip was cut short and we started home with a layover here but…the infection had already spread and the airport was quickly overrun. Everything was chaos. After my parents and I became separated, I found myself alone. I didn’t know anyone here or where I could go for help. I’ve been by myself ever since. Doing whatever I could to survive.” Sumiko said.

“How long ago were you bitten?” Matthew asked, motioning toward the scar on her lower arm.

“I’d gone into a convenience store to try and find some water but, there were three of those dead things in there. I was able to bring down two of them but the third caught me by surprise and before I could hit him, he grabbed my arm and bit me. I managed to escape and get back to my hiding place and care for it,” Sumiko explained. “That was two weeks ago.”

“Are you telling us you were bitten two weeks ago and not turned?” Matthew asked in surprise. “Have you shown any signs of illness? Been sick at all or have some weird symptoms?”

“No,” she replied. “It was just a bite that’s healed over time.”

“How is that possible?” Katrina chimed in.

“I don’t know,” Sumiko said. “This one was two weeks ago, however, the first time I was bitten was on the ferry in New York…three years ago.”

<----Previous -- Continue---->

Continue Reading: "Day 09: Proceed with Caution"

Day 06: Splintered

“We have to go back!” Aisha declared as Portia checked her rearview.

“Hold on,” Portia said, performing a quick U-turn and gunning it back toward the alley.

Matthew pushed at the mob of undead, swinging and slashing with his knife, he severed fingers, ears and even a nose. The blade met true with a few skulls but he hesitated to really reach into the group for fear of being scratched or worse, bitten. Deciding it best to run for cover and wait for help to arrive, he turned up the alley and ran, gaining much needed distance between himself and the horde behind him. The sound of their ravenous moaning fell into sync with the beating of his own heart as his feet pounded the pavement. Turning down another corner of the alley he was abruptly faced by a dead-end as the pack of rancid zombies grew steadily closer behind him.

Continue Reading: "Day 06: Splintered"

Day 02: Scavenging

“Almost out,” Matthew announced as he, JC, Natalie, Aisha and Portia trudged down the murky tunnels beneath the city. In recent days, the group had discovered that the sewers were devoid of undead…well, mostly. And with them running the length of the entire town, they made for easy navigation on scavenging runs. They smelled about as foul as one would expect but, a decent shower once home cleared away the fetid stench and soiled clothing.

Looking down the dark tunnel Matthew could see a smoky silhouette of shadow in a vaguely human-like shape. He appeared stooped over some object in the distance unaware he and JC were approaching. With very little light entering into the compact space, it was difficult to make out much.

Continue Reading: "Day 02: Scavenging"

Prologue: No Escape

“Pick it up, Theresa. We have to keep moving,” Billy said as he lifted his backpack higher on his shoulder.

“I need a break, please,” Theresa huffed and nearly collapsed against the brick wall of the alley. “We’ve been running for three blocks. We had to have lost them by now.”

Billy turned to look at his sister. Her face was flushed and sweat poured down her forehead. If he didn’t agree to let her catch her breath, he’d be forced to carry her until they found a decent place to hide. “Fine. Three minutes, then we need to go.”

As Theresa took a seat on a stack of pallets, Billy paced around the area, keeping watch. He couldn’t relax, not with the horde so close. But they weren’t the only impending danger. “Do you have any water left?” she asked, tossing her bottle into the dumpster behind her.

Continue Reading: "Prologue: No Escape"

Day 31: What Now?

Group: Natalie, David, Amélia, Mike, Edward, Nicole, Josh, Matthew, Liz, Nina, Lucky, Eddie, Elise, Dominic, Mathew, Ryan, Troy, Aisha, Jeremiah, Katrina, Jake, JC
Location: BioCore Safe Zone

“They’re walking into their deaths. We need to stop them!” Elise exclaimed, but Natalie was already running forward.

“MATT!” she shouted, frantically waving her arms as she called his name, “MATT!!” It wasn’t his name that made him freeze, it was the sound of her voice. A voice he thought he’d never hear again.

Matthew glanced towards the cluster of trees. She appeared through the forest, arms outstretched and a smile on her face. Tossing Dominic his weapon, he rushed forward. They met halfway, his arms instantly enclosing her in a warm hug as she bounded into him. “I can’t believe it’s you,” he whispered against her ear before their lips met. He could feel the moisture on her cheeks as her hands slipped around his neck.

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Day 28: Bereavement

Group 4: Matthew, Josh, Liz, Jeremiah, Edward, Nicole, Jake, JC, Nina, Lucky, Mike, Katrina, Troy, Dominic, Mathew, Ryan, Aisha
Location: Barn/Farmhouse

Edward scratched at the bandage on his arm. That damn mongrel really did a number on him and now his skin felt like it was on fire. He eyed the animal as it trotted along beside Nina, playfully nudging her arm making her rub her head. It was bad enough he was forced to wear a dead man’s clothes but now he had to deal with that mutt; and he hated dogs. Five minutes along with that animal and he’d send it to doggy heaven where it belonged. Sensing the man’s eyes on her, Lucky looked back with a happy expression as the group continued down the road.

“It’s just up ahead,” Matthew said. The group had been walking for nearly an hour, heading to the rendezvous. Upon arrival, they could see no one was waiting, but it appeared someone had been here recently. Tire tracks, two distinct treads, were imprinted in the soft dirt. One appeared to belong to a large vehicle of some kind while the other, possibly a truck. The wide wheel base gave Matthew the impression that it could have been one of the pickups from the compound.

Continue Reading: "Day 28: Bereavement"

Day 24: Red-Handed

Group 4: Matthew, Josh, Liz, Jeremiah, Edward, Nicole
Location: Barn/Farmhouse

“I’m telling you, we need to run! We need to get out of here while we still have a chance,” Edward bemoaned, backing away from the door and deeper into the barn.

The door to the outside stood open and Josh took careful aim above Matthew’s head before firing off a shot, sending an approaching zombie to the ground. Matthew immediately got to his feet and shut the door. “No,” he said sternly, eyeing the room as he searched for handy items with which to bar the door. “We’re not going anywhere. It’ll be dark soon and there is no way I’m putting anyone in this group in more danger out there. We’re going to stay and fight. We can defend this place; all of us.”

“That’s suicide!” Edward said, pushing himself once more into the corner.

“Do you ever shut up?” Liz yelled, turning to face Edward. “I’m so sick of your whining! Get up and help or we’ll throw your ass outside as bait while we run!”  

His face turned ashen and he nodded as Liz gave him something to do. With Josh’s arm not at a hundred percent, he, Matthew, and Jeremiah were tasked with rebuilding the barricade. Large crates from inside the barn were once again placed in front of the door. This time, however, they took the extra step of nailing broken boards across the windows and doors, leaving just one area for escape and one, they’d hoped, would be where their visitors would enter.

“I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m hungry,” Jeremiah said once everything was in place. It was almost a simultaneous realization that it had been a while since any of them had eaten. He dropped his bag beside Nicole and started into the kitchen. The place was a health hazard at best. Blood soaked into the linoleum floors as well as stained the walls. Someone had been brutally murdered in this room and the smell was enough to put him off of food for a month.

Jeremiah started to leave when something in the corner of the room caught his eye. Someone else was in the kitchen. They were lying on their back beside the refrigerator. The only visible part of them were their two, booted feet sticking out from near the wall. “Hello?” he called as he slowly approached. The man didn’t move. He just lay there, staring blankly at the ceiling and Jeremiah quickly assumed he had been the source of the bloodshed.

Slowly, Jeremiah leaned closer, lowering his head to get a better look. It didn’t appear as though he was breathing. Blood dripped from his forehead and he was suffering from an apparent bullet wound to the stomach. A gurgling sound emerged from the man’s mouth. Startled, Jeremiah fell backwards—just as the man sputtered blood all over himself. His eyes darted around the room before he lifted his arms, reaching for Jeremiah. “Matt! Liz!” he yelled, quickly scrambling towards the other side of the room.

Matthew was the first to enter, gun at the ready as he moved around the corner. “Are you hurt? Did he touch you?”

“No,” Jeremiah’s swift response made Matthew turn to look at him.

“You sure?”

“Positive. But I don’t think he’s dead…not yet.”

Matthew redirected his attention and called over to the man who was now sitting against the countertop, resting his head on the wall. “Who are you?”

“Help me, please.”

“Who are you?” Matthew repeated, ignoring the man’s plea for help.

“Jason McMann,” he angrily replied. He grabbed hold of a stool nearby and tried to lift himself up, glaring at Matthew as he continued grilling him. Groaning in pain, he placed himself in a seated position, applying pressure to his bleeding abdomen.

“You were with them, weren’t you? Who are they and why are they after us?”

The man laughed, the motion causing him to choke in pain and another mouthful of blood to spill from between his lips. “We were hired for a job. You and everyone in the area were on the list.”

“Start explaining or I will stand here and watch you bleed to death!” Matthew shouted, outwardly frustrated at the man’s half answers.

“BioCore hired us to assassinate anyone we found outside the safe zones.”

“What? The sons of bitches that started this shit is trying to take everyone out? What about the ones who aren’t hurt? Like us. We’re not infected.”

“Doesn’t matter,” the man shrugged, again choking on blood. “We have orders. Anyone in the red zone has to be exterminated.”

Matthew thought for a moment, taking stock of the group and their reaction. Exterminated. The word bounced around his head. The idea that someone would hire a group of mercenaries in a time like this to kill living, breathing humans trying to survive outraged him. He took in a deep breath and transferred that energy back to the man in the kitchen. “Where are these safe zones?” The man smiled but didn’t speak. “WHERE?” Matthew shouted aiming his weapon at his head.

“Go ahead. I’m as good as dead anyway,” he coughed, no longer afraid by the threat of death. A loud crash made them all jump. It took a moment to realize it was the outer barn door. Once again, they were in for a fight.  

Continue---->
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Continue Reading: "Day 24: Red-Handed"

Day 20: Disaster Averted

Group 4: Matthew, Josh, Liz, Jeremiah, Edward, Nicole
Location: Barn/Farmhouse

“Ok, we need a plan,” Liz said, hopping to her feet.

“No. We need to get out of here,” Edward said, cowering deeper into the corner. “You don’t understand, those guys out there…they’re not the warmly and cuddly type. They’re worse than those monsters!”

“Who are they?” Matthew again asked, checking the load on his rifle.

“I—I don’t know! They work for some company.”

Continue Reading: "Day 20: Disaster Averted"

Day 16: Knock, Knock

Group 4: Matthew, Josh, Liz, Jeremiah, Edward, Nicole
Location: Barn/Farmhouse

His heart was pounding as he stared down the barrel of the gun. The desperate beating found its way to his head and the throbbing made it feel as if his ears would explode at any moment. “Matt? What’s…?”

“Welcome back,” Matthew said, lowering his weapon. “I saw you stirring. I just wanted to make sure what woke up was really you,” he explained, dropping to the ground beside him. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine,” Josh replied. Relief overwhelmed him and he placed a hand over his heart as the pace began to slow. The ache, once settled between his temples, traveled south until it reached the wound on his shoulder. With great pain, he reached up and rubbed his chest just beneath. “So how are you doing?”

“I’m fine,” Matthew said with a deep sigh.

Continue Reading: "Day 16: Knock, Knock"

Day 12: Bad Dreams

Group 4: Matthew, Josh, Liz, Jeremiah, Edward, Nicole
Location: Barn/Farmhouse

Matthew approached the door with caution. In his earlier attempts to open it, the damn thing seemed stuck, but now it was practically begging for attention. Nicole stepped into the room behind him. With just a look exchanged, she communicated her plan. She’d open the door, but Matthew had better be ready to kill any non-living thing that moved.

Slowly, she turned the handle. To Matthew’s surprise, it was no longer locked and appeared to turn with ease. Nicole took a step to the side, silently counted down from 3 and swiftly jerked the door open. A man, dressed in only a bathrobe fell through, hitting the floor face first. “Close it! Close it!” he yelled, backing up into the room as he stared down the passageway.

Continue Reading: "Day 12: Bad Dreams"

Day 08: Scared by Vermin

Group 4: Matthew, Josh, Liz, Jeremiah, Edward, Nicole
Location: Barn/Farmhouse

Matthew cocked his weapon and walked into the abandoned farmhouse. Well, almost abandoned. Dust in the air. The smell of sweat. Someone had been here not long ago and for all he knew, they were still inside. The farmhouse roof provided a reprieve from the sun, if not the heat and for that Matthew was grateful. The faint stench of death rode along the stale air that carried throughout the opened space and he could make out a trail of dried blood leading into another room.

His first instinct was to call out for anyone; check in hopes the recently disturbed dust meant there was a living person somewhere inside. But Matthew thought better of that. Even if there was a survivor, judging by the amount of blood and the lingering smell of rot, they were not alone. He blew out a breath and crept towards the other side of the room.

Continue Reading: "Day 08: Scared by Vermin"

Day 04: Separated

Group 4: Matthew, Josh, Liz, Jeremiah, Edward, Nicole
Location: Barn/Farmhouse

“I’m hit, I’m hit,” Josh groaned and fell back to the floor dazed. Blood poured out of his shoulder and onto the floor. Liz moved quickly, placing her hand over his wound to help stanch the bleeding.

More bullets riddled the wall over Matthew’s head and he returned fire, watching the men outside scatter to new positions. “We need to get out of here before one of two things happen: either this building is coming down on our heads or those assholes outside are coming in,” Matthew said, cracking off another round.

“Or, door number 3,” Liz chimed in, applying steady pressure to Josh’s arm. “We run out of ammo.”

“That’s NOT happening,” Matthew replied, throwing his rifle over his shoulder and reaching his hand out for Josh. “Can you stand?”

“Yeah,” Josh groaned, pulling himself to a seated position. Matthew got him to his feet as Liz collected the rest of their weapons. 

“The back is covered but we can probably get out through the utility door beside the kitchen. When we get outside, move as fast as you can for the gate near the pool. With any luck, we may be able to make it over the fence and through the woods before we’re seen. Alright?” he asked, waiting for confirmation from the others. “Alright. I got Josh. Liz, you take lead. Shoot anything that moves,” he said, tossing Josh’s good arm around his neck.

Continue Reading: "Day 04: Separated"

Day 01: Enemy at the Gate

The lights could be seen from the highway. At night, the place lit up like the Rockefeller Center at Christmas. For the last two weeks, he’d been watching and planning. He’d gotten to know the ins and outs of the place rather well and everyone was set in a routine. He shut the walkie-talkie off and retrieved his binoculars from his bag. Adjusting the focus, he gave a look out over the compound, watching as his unknowing prey went about their day.

In three minutes, the two he’d come to know as ‘Spirited Redhead’ and ‘Annoying Jock’ would be making their patrol. They’d pat along the outer edge of the gate, keeping their backs to one another. When they reached the rear of the mountain path they would split up, searching opposite ends of the forest. It would take less than five minutes to make the trek around the compound before they called it and headed back inside.

Continue Reading: "Day 01: Enemy at the Gate"

Day 31: Aftermath

**Warning: Picture heavy. Um...oh and it’s long. (Info dump?)**

It was the gunshots—not the nightmare—that woke her.

Veronica had slept long past it, though not without considerable effort. Her sheets were in a ball around her feet, well below the heavy comforter, and Dominic’s pillow was between her thighs. Raising her head, she inspected the room she was in, barely blinking at the sound of more gunfire.

Continue Reading: "Day 31: Aftermath"

Day 30: No Return

“Hey has anyone seen Fadil?” Liz asked, glancing around the room. Richard screamed and the sound of falling objects exploded from the back room.

“Shit,” Matthew cussed and quickly rushed to the stock room. The door wouldn’t budge. Something had fallen and was blocking it shut. “Give me a hand here,” he said. Josh and Dominic stepped forward and together, the three men forced the door open.

Continue Reading: "Day 30: No Return"

Day 29: Loose Ends

“Looks like we’re not the only ones under attacked,” Troy said, motioning towards the bodies. “This place got wrecked!”

Matthew continued up the stairs, stepping over blood and detached limbs. “Hey! Is there anybody in there? Let us in,” he shouted, banging the shutters fiercely, hoping to get the attention of someone inside.

An odd humming sound was coming from behind them and Natalie glanced back over her shoulder. At least two dozen zombies were heading their way, groaning and hissing as they gathered closer. “Oh my god, they’re coming.”

“Open the door!” Matthew shouted again with Troy and Natalie joining in. The metal began to shake and pretty soon the three of them were staring blankly at a large group of people inside the store. Moving Natalie into the door first, Matthew turned and fired off a couple rounds at the incoming group. Three zombies fell before he jumped backwards inside the store and watched the shutters fall into place. “Thank you,” he said, as JC helped him stand. “The world’s gone to shit. It’s a madhouse out there.”

Continue Reading: "Day 29: Loose Ends"

Day 28: Turn Out the Lights

“Can we run through this one more time?” Troy asked as they stood at the exit of the emergency room.

“Sure,” Matthew sighed, motioning for Natalie to hold her position. “Natalie’s going to remove the automatic timers so that the emergency doors open. You and I are going out there to clear any roamers who may be lurking out back, drive one of those ambulances closer, pile in all of the stuff we’ve collected and get the hell out of here.”

“See, this is where the plan hits a snag for me. Where exactly are we going?”

“I don’t know, Troy. Hopefully we can find a place that’s not…infested.”

“Here we go,” Troy said as Matthew gave Natalie the signal.

Continue Reading: "Day 28: Turn Out the Lights"

Day 24: Incurable

A loud crash echoed through the empty hallway and everyone turned. “What was that?” Natalie asked.

Matthew stepped in front of her, hand clutched on the butt of the guard’s gun, he moved closer towards the door. “Hello?”

“Are you serious? You don’t go shouting ‘hello’ when you’re investigating noises!” Troy groaned. “Are you expecting them to reply? They don’t talk!”

“What is it?” Avery asked as Matthew snatched open the door to the storage locker.

“A stairwell.”

“Wait, you’re not seriously thinking about going down there are you?” Avery asked, watching Matthew check the load on his weapon and step inside the door. “You have no idea what’s down there!”

“Hence the reason I’m going to see,” Matthew sighed and started forward. Troy dropped the crate to the countertop and he and Natalie followed down after him. The stairs led to an employee’s only section of the hospital where the laundry and maintenance rooms were located. At the end of the hallway was an elevator. The lights indicated it was headed to the basement.

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Day 20: Endless Night

“What about him?” Troy asked, motioning towards the guard.

“We need to take care of it,” Matthew replied.

“Take care of him?” Avery asked. “He was conscious and talking a second ago.”

“Yeah and Lorelei was just sitting there complaining about her face. If he’s been bitten, he will turn. It’s as simple as that. I’m not taking any chances with my life.”

“Yeah but…”

“How about this,” Matthew interrupted Avery’s rebuttal, “We put it to a vote. All in favor of seeing if the guard can be saved, raise your hands.” Natalie, Troy and Matthew’s hands remained at their sides and he nodded. “Majority rules.”

Continue Reading: "Day 20: Endless Night"

Day 16: No One Can Hear You Scream

“Did I stop speaking English at some point or is everyone conveniently ignoring the words coming out of my mouth? I’m not going in there and getting myself killed! And I’m sorry, did it fail to grab your attention that there are bloody handprints on the door with even bloodier boot prints leading towards it? You people are insane!”

“YOU’RE NOT GOING TO…” Matthew growled and angrily stepped forward. Natalie placed a calming hand on his shoulder and took lead.

“Lorelei, you have a choice. You can shimmy your narrow hips and bulimic buns through that window or I can take Matt’s knife and put an end to your constant whining. And if you think for one second that I’m bluffing,” Natalie glanced back at Matthew and smiled as he politely offered her his dagger. “Try me.”

Continue Reading: "Day 16: No One Can Hear You Scream"