The following section to Infected Parkside has no ACTUAL place in the original timeline. However, you can assume it is before everyone is dead. Nor will the mapping of the tunnels be entirely accurate. Mostly because I don't go down there enough to know it all that well. Oh yeah, and the dialogue? I want it cliché.
*
"Garrett...we know they are down there." muttered Ryan.
"I like to think that our infected friends are not in the tunnels. If you want to check it out, go on ahead, but I think I'll watch your back." replied Garrett with a dark sarcastic tone.
"Okay then, see you later, or maybe not..." Ryan said as he rose to his feet from the 4th floor landing.
"Damn, I can't let you lumber off alone man...let's go."
Garrett stood up and they walked down the stairs, Ryan slightly ahead of Garrett. Drawing up their weapons: Garrett a shotgun, with a carving knife on his belt and a 9mm pistol tucked in his jeans and hidden by the back of the shirt; Ryan a sawed-off shotgun that he carried at the hip were a hammer and machete were held to his belt by a holster he had crafted himself from leather.
Patches of carpet were stained dark and red smears blazed the walls of the atrium. They looked at each other and began walking towards Molinaro through Ranger Hall's front doors.
Outside, a soft moaning could be heard, they shook the paranoia off of them, and the moans silenced: It's all in your head...isn't it? They swept across the short span of campus with no interruption and peered through Molinaro's glass doors.
Silent, peaceful, a spill of blood, ominous.
Ryan glanced at the crimson on the tiled floor and stared at Garrett, who looked back and said softly,"Creepy."
"Too quiet."
"Almost as if..."
"Everyone was already dead..." finished Ryan.
They entered Molinaro and headed down the hall for a short while and took a sharp left. They faced a large, gray door with a window too small for any real purpose except to show them the smear of blood that thickly coated it.
Ryan put his hand on the handle and pushed the door open slowly and both him and Garrett peered around the corner. Nothing, so they proceeded to go down the stairs to the basement of Parkside, the tunnels. A heavy door away, Ryan paused, grabbed a chair from the corner and went back up the stairs.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Blocking the door, at least for a little while, we don't need things coming at us from behind."
"Good call."
Garrett pulled the final the door behind and stepped into the tunnels. He became extraordinarily aware that this time the moans were not just in his head. Real? You think this is REAL? Still afraid to accept what you have done?
Drawing their shotguns to their favored firing style, Ryan from his hip and Garrett held his chest-high.
The nodded to eachother and closed the door behind them. They heard it lock behind them.
"Has it ever locked before?"
"No. Never."
To their left was nothing. Their right contained a vastly different story. A member of the undead stumbled forward in an attempt to run at them with it's arms in the air. Ryan shot it squarely in the chest and it fell backwards onto its back. It laid there still for a moment and then began to get back to its feet. Growling, it's clothes dripped with fresh blood and it's white t-shirt had torn in several places where his flesh had been ripped from his bone with the teeth of the army he now battled for. It let out a roar just Ryan swung and impaled the zombie squarely in the forehead with the blunt of his hammer. With a squelch, the zombie fell free of the hammer and slumped onto the floor, unmoving and inanimate.
Ryan let out a heavy breath and charged at the three zombies that had just come around the corner. Garrett stood back watching Ryan fight, as planned. The tunnels were far too narrow in some places to have two people battling side by side with blades and bullets. After properly disposing of the zombies it fell quiet. But not silent. The moaning had grown much quieter... Maybe it is just in your head again...ha. Don't kid yourself.
Hisses from gauges on the ceiling shot off at random times. The pipes dripped water and the floor was stained with filth and gore. Garrett took the lead this time and his feet moved silently on the concrete floor. Stepping slowly, they approached another corner. Garrett went around it quickly.
As he turned his head he saw from the corner of his eye, a zombie only two feet away from him, it snapped it's jaws at his neck, he dodged with a fist to the forehead, spun around to the back to the ghoul and plugged a shell into it's skull. It fell. Ryan came around the corner and they continued down the hall without sound, as if nothing happened. They approached a corner, it was wider and 6 undead dwelled in it.
“Together?”
“Yeah.”
They walked quickly toward the zombies. They passed an ope chain-link gate and were now walking on a steel-grate floor meant for ventilation and maintenance to the huge furnace. This change of surface threw them off for the three yards that they had to be on it.
Suddenly, the ceiling broke open and and a body, living, dead or undead fell onto them. It knocked them both to the ground, and Ryan got up first and cut the moaning head off with his machete and kicked it away from them. It rolled down the hall a bit.
Garrett's shotgun was wedged in the fence, totally stuck and unretrievable without risk of it going off. He reached for his pistol which must have fallen out somewhere, as it was not there. He wielded his cleaver and ran after Ryan into the dark corner with six undead, a lamp and 3 empty tool chests. Garrett stabbed a zombie in the neck and the blade snapped on the spinal cord. He swore, he was weaponless. Ryan fired twice, a zombie fell and a zombie cornered him and he started to box it, out of ammunition.
Garrett fought his way across the room and picked up the stand-up lamp, he held it like a staff and flicked it on. He swung at a zombie and the bulb broke, shards stuck into the ghouls neck and it snarled at him. He plunged the broken end into the zombies chest and invisible volts coursed through it's body. It roared as its limbs thrashed around uncontrollably. Blood began to ooze from it's forehead, Garrett at first thought the electricity had destroyed his attacker, until he saw Ryan's machete get pulled from the skull. Ryan had also finished all the other undead beings, a bloodbath.
They walked towards a door, opened it and went upstairs.
*
Like I said, just a fun chapter...no actual purpose except to write some hardcore zombie cliché.
Also, I am not going to bother proof-reading this...so deal with it.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Part 10- Conclusion and Summary
Ashley felt groggy... a lack of sleep and fatigue wore on her. She felt dizzy and began to cough. As she licked her lips, a strange taste entered her mouth. She looked into the mirror and saw her lip had blood on it, but no cut was visible...she passed out and the car swerved from the road.
*
Minutes later, Ashley opened her eyes... Through glazed eyes she watched her hand reach for the door's handle, and she released herself from the vehicle. She slumped into the trees, hungry...
*
This is the final part of "Infected Parkside" It will simply be a quick overview of what happened to each character, just for clarity sake. Not technically an obituary, rather than a summary...so here goes.
Courtney Cornell- She got infected with low grade solanum before the story even began by Garrett. Because this story differs from other zombie accounts, the solanum virus actually began to evolve and transform humans into zombies much faster than the initial infection. This amount of time allowed Courtney to, as an RA to the Ranger Hall, interact with many people before death and reanimation. Originally, she was the first zombie and died in the dead of night while doing RA rounds on the 4th floor, and reanimated just hours later. She happened to follow Avery from the bathroom into his room and then murdered/ infected him. She then went and infected Emily Evenson in Parts 2 and 3. And she also infects her loving boyfriend(hahaha), John Nelson in part 5. Her first appearance is in Part 2 and her character ends in part 8 via fire, she causes the explosion that knocks Garrett into a daze before Ryan dies.
Emily Evenson- She was infected by Courtney in part 2 (which is also her first appearance). She assists in the infection of Alex St. John and flocks with the group of featured zombies. She is last seen in part 8, she is destroyed by a flaming bed post that horseshoes her head and forces her onto the ground.
Sam Schwartz- She first appeared in Part 2 alone in her room. She is either rescued or condemned by Ryan Montross and was infected by a zombie just outside her window. She then went to meet Ryan M. and infected him as well. She also assisted in the assault of Alex St. John and was eventually shot in the head in part 8.
Kyle Weis- Garrett's roommate and initially a main character. He appears in part 1 as a living character but gets bitten after a valiant fight against several of the undead. In an effort to not worsen the scenario he attempts to stab his heart to end his life before death and reanimation. But he misses and punctures his lung, he then tries to
escape by crawling to the elevator (where he bleeds to death) which arrives on the 4th floor after Ryan and Karl leave Garrett and Ashley for a scouting mission in part 7. Garrett then takes the blade from Kyle and later uses it to kill Mike in part 9.
Karl Gfall- Ryan Scanlan's roommate. He carries a classic 8-shot revolver, which leads us to believe that he is a classic fighter...with style. Anyways, he first appears in Part 2 when he arrives in Comm. Arts. He dies in part 7 after many zombies pick him clean. His death scene actually spans over 2 parts after he charges into a heroic attempt of destroying a large mass of the undead. He never reanimates due to the consumption of his brain.
Mike Benson- First appears in part 2 as he has a comedic struggle with coins and a vending machine revolving around a Snickers. He kills Victor Bittorf (a zombie) in part 4. In part 5, Garrett dreams of mauling Mike Benson in his sleep, this is foreshadowing towards Garrett actually killing Mike and going insane by part 9. In part 7 Mike Benson expresses true fear by screaming and thrashing his arms wildly, he also busts his nose by tripping. In Part 8, he is blasted in several pieces by Garrett's shotgun shells and is thought to be dead. Turns out that in part 9 when Garrett is leaning on his stomach to better aim that Mike is still alive and Garrett ends his misery by breaking Kyles steak knife in the inside of his skull.
Ashley Todd- Ashley first appears in part 4 exiting a room with John. She escapes when Emily and Sam attack Alex. She finds Garrett and Ryan on the 4th floor landing and remains there with Garrett. She witnesses a major downfall in Garrett's sanity as he breaks down in his sleep. Her and Garrett's in-story relationship is questionable and open for debate as it is not specified any other way. (I only include this because I got yelled at for a having a love interest in the story which was never my intent). Ashley ends up escaping in Karl's vehicle in part 9. In Part 10, she realizes that she gets infected and slumps into the woods.
Ryan Scanlan- Garrett's neighbor and partner through the story. He enters by saving Garrett's life at the beginning of part 3, but his opening scene is in part 2. He also watches Karl, his roommate, plunge into battle and in to death. Of all characters, Ryan kills the most zombies and gets injured the least before he ends up killing himself after being bitten in the parking lot in part 9.
John Nelson- Appears in part 4 with Ashley and is bitten by Courtney soon after in part 5 at the same time Alex is bitten. He is destroyed by part 8 by a bullet to the head. He is the subject of example when a transformation and inter-workings of a zombie are explained.
Ryan Montross- He first appeared in part 2 while smashing through Sam's window. Sam later bit him in Brickstone Eatery and as he began to reanimate, Karl killed him in part 3.
Alex St. John- Was first introduced in part 4. He was bitten with John in part 5 by Sam and Emily. He was set on fire by a flaming mattress and got pinned under a vehicle which exploded in part 8.
Garrett Radant- Garrett is opening main character first introduced in his dorm room in part 1. Before the story began Garrett slipped Courtney a vial of Solanum in an act of spite of Parkside. He plans on justifying his “murder” by claiming that the undead were killing more people than he was because they were already dead to begin with. Garrett in part 2 robs Guns 'n Gadgets and using the weapons to being his assault on Parkside. Ryan and Garrett first meet in Part 3 when Ryan saves him from a mass of zombies. In part 4 it is only in memory that Garrett appears. In part 5, Garrett meets with Ashley and after Ryan and Karl leave, he has a dream about killing Mike and breaks his hand. In part 6 we start to see that Garrett is psychologically losing it. He is then part of some comical dialogue in part 7. In part 8 he starts the onslaught of zombies in the parking lot and kills Mike. In Part 9, he finishes off the last of the zombies and goes completely insane and blood thirsty during this fight. He then retreats to his room and types a cryptic message to those who find him. He kills a police officer after laughing maniacally and then commits suicide.
*
Here a few allusions that I put into the story...just some interesting things that you may not have noticed:
~In Part 4, ALL of the flashbacks actually happened. Some of them are altered for the sake of literary technique.
~At the same flashbacks in Part 4, The order of events is what happened from first to last in real life and also, the characters that go missing until Garrett is alone typing are the characters that die in that order. Kyle, Karl, Ryan and then Garrett.
~In Part 9, when Garrett touches Ashleys lips, he smears blood on them, Solanum infected blood.
~I really have had a dream where I beat the crap out of Mike, I retold it for this story.
~I apologize to Ashley for infecting her friends and later her, not the common thought that I was going to shoot her before Ryan came back.
~Burning the contents of my room made me quite satisfied. Hence my flaming mattress, I also find that quite funny. Flaming Mattress...Lulz.
Thanks For Reading!
*
Minutes later, Ashley opened her eyes... Through glazed eyes she watched her hand reach for the door's handle, and she released herself from the vehicle. She slumped into the trees, hungry...
*
This is the final part of "Infected Parkside" It will simply be a quick overview of what happened to each character, just for clarity sake. Not technically an obituary, rather than a summary...so here goes.
Courtney Cornell- She got infected with low grade solanum before the story even began by Garrett. Because this story differs from other zombie accounts, the solanum virus actually began to evolve and transform humans into zombies much faster than the initial infection. This amount of time allowed Courtney to, as an RA to the Ranger Hall, interact with many people before death and reanimation. Originally, she was the first zombie and died in the dead of night while doing RA rounds on the 4th floor, and reanimated just hours later. She happened to follow Avery from the bathroom into his room and then murdered/ infected him. She then went and infected Emily Evenson in Parts 2 and 3. And she also infects her loving boyfriend(hahaha), John Nelson in part 5. Her first appearance is in Part 2 and her character ends in part 8 via fire, she causes the explosion that knocks Garrett into a daze before Ryan dies.
Emily Evenson- She was infected by Courtney in part 2 (which is also her first appearance). She assists in the infection of Alex St. John and flocks with the group of featured zombies. She is last seen in part 8, she is destroyed by a flaming bed post that horseshoes her head and forces her onto the ground.
Sam Schwartz- She first appeared in Part 2 alone in her room. She is either rescued or condemned by Ryan Montross and was infected by a zombie just outside her window. She then went to meet Ryan M. and infected him as well. She also assisted in the assault of Alex St. John and was eventually shot in the head in part 8.
Kyle Weis- Garrett's roommate and initially a main character. He appears in part 1 as a living character but gets bitten after a valiant fight against several of the undead. In an effort to not worsen the scenario he attempts to stab his heart to end his life before death and reanimation. But he misses and punctures his lung, he then tries to
escape by crawling to the elevator (where he bleeds to death) which arrives on the 4th floor after Ryan and Karl leave Garrett and Ashley for a scouting mission in part 7. Garrett then takes the blade from Kyle and later uses it to kill Mike in part 9.
Karl Gfall- Ryan Scanlan's roommate. He carries a classic 8-shot revolver, which leads us to believe that he is a classic fighter...with style. Anyways, he first appears in Part 2 when he arrives in Comm. Arts. He dies in part 7 after many zombies pick him clean. His death scene actually spans over 2 parts after he charges into a heroic attempt of destroying a large mass of the undead. He never reanimates due to the consumption of his brain.
Mike Benson- First appears in part 2 as he has a comedic struggle with coins and a vending machine revolving around a Snickers. He kills Victor Bittorf (a zombie) in part 4. In part 5, Garrett dreams of mauling Mike Benson in his sleep, this is foreshadowing towards Garrett actually killing Mike and going insane by part 9. In part 7 Mike Benson expresses true fear by screaming and thrashing his arms wildly, he also busts his nose by tripping. In Part 8, he is blasted in several pieces by Garrett's shotgun shells and is thought to be dead. Turns out that in part 9 when Garrett is leaning on his stomach to better aim that Mike is still alive and Garrett ends his misery by breaking Kyles steak knife in the inside of his skull.
Ashley Todd- Ashley first appears in part 4 exiting a room with John. She escapes when Emily and Sam attack Alex. She finds Garrett and Ryan on the 4th floor landing and remains there with Garrett. She witnesses a major downfall in Garrett's sanity as he breaks down in his sleep. Her and Garrett's in-story relationship is questionable and open for debate as it is not specified any other way. (I only include this because I got yelled at for a having a love interest in the story which was never my intent). Ashley ends up escaping in Karl's vehicle in part 9. In Part 10, she realizes that she gets infected and slumps into the woods.
Ryan Scanlan- Garrett's neighbor and partner through the story. He enters by saving Garrett's life at the beginning of part 3, but his opening scene is in part 2. He also watches Karl, his roommate, plunge into battle and in to death. Of all characters, Ryan kills the most zombies and gets injured the least before he ends up killing himself after being bitten in the parking lot in part 9.
John Nelson- Appears in part 4 with Ashley and is bitten by Courtney soon after in part 5 at the same time Alex is bitten. He is destroyed by part 8 by a bullet to the head. He is the subject of example when a transformation and inter-workings of a zombie are explained.
Ryan Montross- He first appeared in part 2 while smashing through Sam's window. Sam later bit him in Brickstone Eatery and as he began to reanimate, Karl killed him in part 3.
Alex St. John- Was first introduced in part 4. He was bitten with John in part 5 by Sam and Emily. He was set on fire by a flaming mattress and got pinned under a vehicle which exploded in part 8.
Garrett Radant- Garrett is opening main character first introduced in his dorm room in part 1. Before the story began Garrett slipped Courtney a vial of Solanum in an act of spite of Parkside. He plans on justifying his “murder” by claiming that the undead were killing more people than he was because they were already dead to begin with. Garrett in part 2 robs Guns 'n Gadgets and using the weapons to being his assault on Parkside. Ryan and Garrett first meet in Part 3 when Ryan saves him from a mass of zombies. In part 4 it is only in memory that Garrett appears. In part 5, Garrett meets with Ashley and after Ryan and Karl leave, he has a dream about killing Mike and breaks his hand. In part 6 we start to see that Garrett is psychologically losing it. He is then part of some comical dialogue in part 7. In part 8 he starts the onslaught of zombies in the parking lot and kills Mike. In Part 9, he finishes off the last of the zombies and goes completely insane and blood thirsty during this fight. He then retreats to his room and types a cryptic message to those who find him. He kills a police officer after laughing maniacally and then commits suicide.
*
Here a few allusions that I put into the story...just some interesting things that you may not have noticed:
~In Part 4, ALL of the flashbacks actually happened. Some of them are altered for the sake of literary technique.
~At the same flashbacks in Part 4, The order of events is what happened from first to last in real life and also, the characters that go missing until Garrett is alone typing are the characters that die in that order. Kyle, Karl, Ryan and then Garrett.
~In Part 9, when Garrett touches Ashleys lips, he smears blood on them, Solanum infected blood.
~I really have had a dream where I beat the crap out of Mike, I retold it for this story.
~I apologize to Ashley for infecting her friends and later her, not the common thought that I was going to shoot her before Ryan came back.
~Burning the contents of my room made me quite satisfied. Hence my flaming mattress, I also find that quite funny. Flaming Mattress...Lulz.
Thanks For Reading!
Part 9
Bodies flew through the air as a suburban exploded near the rear entrance of the Ranger Hall parking lot. Ablaze figures stumbled past; still searching, still hungry. Sweat dripped down Garrett's face and he swept his dark hair from his eyes. He knelt onto a body to better aim his 9mm. Head shots were the only shots that mattered. The body below him lurched with a blood rising cough. Gore swam out of Mike's mouth and his eyes grew pale as more blood spewed from him, from everywhere. Garrett heard his mouth rattle into a soft, "S-save m-" before he pulled the blade from his belt and rammed it upward through Mike's neck and felt the tip break on the inside of the skull. Mike went still. Eyes blank and open suddenly illuminated with a fire that was far to close for Garrett's liking. He dove just as a nearby Saturn blasted apart. The explosion propelled him backwards through the air so that his back slammed into one of the two brick pillars that held the balcony in place. Feeling his face connect with concrete not only gave him a headache but it also cause a thick flow of blood slide down his face. His cheekbone had a large scratch and his jeans had torn as well and in the fabrics absence blood had begun to pool. He suddenly became aware of the throbbing in his hand. With each pulse of his heart, more crimson oozed from it and puddled in his palm. He looked out in front of him, his pistol lay on the ground a few feet away, spent shotgun to the ground on his left.
*
Ryan had run into the maze of cars. Ghostly and swift he moved and snuck up behind the undead amid the chaos. Shotgun shells littered the ground at his feet whenever he pumped one in the back of the skull. He only moved faster, leaving the ground with bodies in his wake. Breathing heavy, he paused for just a moment. A bare palm shot through the windshield of the car hood that he sat upon. The hand grabbed his throat and the shotgun slipped from his sweaty palm onto the concrete. He tore the hatchet from his belt and cleaved into the arm twice leaving it severed and limp. Without pain the face head butted the windshield twice and smashed through the glass. Roaring, the zombie dove at Ryan and gripped the corner of his jacket with its teeth. Punching it, it released but then it's jaws gripped his ankle and blood poured from him. Ryan stomped on the growling head, crushing it. It rolled silently on the spot. Panting, he loaded the shotgun with shaking hands, he raised it to his temple and fired. No final words, no bullshit.
*
Ashley jumped from the balcony, landing onto the soft grass she ran over to Garrett, made sure he was conscious and spoke to him, "Ryan's dead."
"Impossible, he was just as ready as anyone else."
"I just watched him...he got bit...and-and-" she stuttered to silence as Garret pressed two fingers over her lips to hush her. He handed her a silver key.
"Don't worry, just get out of here, Communication Arts. Green Subaru, it's Karls. Get the hell out." He held her tight for a half second. "Go."
"You're not coming with?"
"I'll be fine. Go."
She ran with only one look back, Garrett was gone.
*
Infuriated, Garrett walked toward the downed police officers. He grabbed their 9mm pistols and surged into the chaos of fire and undead. They charged towards him. Firing, bludgeoning and destroying the zombies, not as they reached him, but the other way around. He charged them, firing multiple bullets into their skulls until he was fairly confident that none remained. He checked himself for wounds beyond scratches and found none. He walked back into Ranger Hall and to his dorm. He sat at his computer and began to type.
*
*The Next Day*
*
The room was 440. Locked. Alright, Al...this is the moment you have been waiting for...all cops want to kick down the door...The officer kicked it open and with triumph that deflated quickly, surged through the door. In a standard chair in front of the laptop sat Garrett Radant, who turned towards the police officer with a maniacal grin on his face. He laughed hysterically at the officer who stared at him awestruck. Suddenly, Garrett jumped to his feet charged the officer, in one swift moment he stripped the officer of his pistol and shot the officer who fell to the ground, Garrett then shot himself square between the eyes.
*
*One day later detectives recovered Garrett Radant's computer*
*
I feel myself losing everything. EVERYTHING. They are all dead...and as much i hate to admit it. It is my fault. On October 27th I contaminated Courtney Cornell's water with an undetectable and rare virus called Solanum. It turned her into a zombie, and as an RA she met and interacted with many people in Ranger Hall. I killed them all. It was me. I meant to escape before it all happened, but I was misinformed...the transformation took only minutes to work. Not a day or more as previously thought...I am alone and nothing but myself can hurt me now...nothing but my thoghuts....but do'nt lte it wrroy uoyu...i cant' ardlyh hitnk nayorem at all!!!!111111 nvblsa dfbqvpkjn asd df paon iahodnf ';;
The rest of the article went on in a similar fashion. Certain parts of the article were removed for content that could not be publicly released. (i.e. gruesome comments, images)
The body of Radant is currently under autopsy and review. Large contusions were found immediately on the brain similar to those of other victimized by insanity.
*
Ryan had run into the maze of cars. Ghostly and swift he moved and snuck up behind the undead amid the chaos. Shotgun shells littered the ground at his feet whenever he pumped one in the back of the skull. He only moved faster, leaving the ground with bodies in his wake. Breathing heavy, he paused for just a moment. A bare palm shot through the windshield of the car hood that he sat upon. The hand grabbed his throat and the shotgun slipped from his sweaty palm onto the concrete. He tore the hatchet from his belt and cleaved into the arm twice leaving it severed and limp. Without pain the face head butted the windshield twice and smashed through the glass. Roaring, the zombie dove at Ryan and gripped the corner of his jacket with its teeth. Punching it, it released but then it's jaws gripped his ankle and blood poured from him. Ryan stomped on the growling head, crushing it. It rolled silently on the spot. Panting, he loaded the shotgun with shaking hands, he raised it to his temple and fired. No final words, no bullshit.
*
Ashley jumped from the balcony, landing onto the soft grass she ran over to Garrett, made sure he was conscious and spoke to him, "Ryan's dead."
"Impossible, he was just as ready as anyone else."
"I just watched him...he got bit...and-and-" she stuttered to silence as Garret pressed two fingers over her lips to hush her. He handed her a silver key.
"Don't worry, just get out of here, Communication Arts. Green Subaru, it's Karls. Get the hell out." He held her tight for a half second. "Go."
"You're not coming with?"
"I'll be fine. Go."
She ran with only one look back, Garrett was gone.
*
Infuriated, Garrett walked toward the downed police officers. He grabbed their 9mm pistols and surged into the chaos of fire and undead. They charged towards him. Firing, bludgeoning and destroying the zombies, not as they reached him, but the other way around. He charged them, firing multiple bullets into their skulls until he was fairly confident that none remained. He checked himself for wounds beyond scratches and found none. He walked back into Ranger Hall and to his dorm. He sat at his computer and began to type.
*
*The Next Day*
*
The room was 440. Locked. Alright, Al...this is the moment you have been waiting for...all cops want to kick down the door...The officer kicked it open and with triumph that deflated quickly, surged through the door. In a standard chair in front of the laptop sat Garrett Radant, who turned towards the police officer with a maniacal grin on his face. He laughed hysterically at the officer who stared at him awestruck. Suddenly, Garrett jumped to his feet charged the officer, in one swift moment he stripped the officer of his pistol and shot the officer who fell to the ground, Garrett then shot himself square between the eyes.
*
*One day later detectives recovered Garrett Radant's computer*
*
I feel myself losing everything. EVERYTHING. They are all dead...and as much i hate to admit it. It is my fault. On October 27th I contaminated Courtney Cornell's water with an undetectable and rare virus called Solanum. It turned her into a zombie, and as an RA she met and interacted with many people in Ranger Hall. I killed them all. It was me. I meant to escape before it all happened, but I was misinformed...the transformation took only minutes to work. Not a day or more as previously thought...I am alone and nothing but myself can hurt me now...nothing but my thoghuts....but do'nt lte it wrroy uoyu...i cant' ardlyh hitnk nayorem at all!!!!111111 nvblsa dfbqvpkjn asd df paon iahodnf ';;
The rest of the article went on in a similar fashion. Certain parts of the article were removed for content that could not be publicly released. (i.e. gruesome comments, images)
The body of Radant is currently under autopsy and review. Large contusions were found immediately on the brain similar to those of other victimized by insanity.
Part 8
The zombies had begun to swarm the parking lot, searching for victims. Smelling flesh they remained stampeding the concrete while Garrett, Ryan and Ashley watched in disgust out the window from the 4th floor. Ryan turned to Garrett suddenly, "Fire." he muttered and Garrett agreed. Flame would douse more zombies at once a lot more effectively than any gunfire could. They raced back to their dorms with Ashley and grabbed everything remotely flammable. (clothes, bed posts, mattresses, batteries, lighters and desk and dresser drawers to name a few)
Breaking off his towel rack bars as a last thought, Ryan walked from his room, down the hall and dropped the last of his supplies into the heap with a clang.
"That's everything." he said.
"Good." replied Garrett. Ashley remained silent. "So....here's the plan..." And Garrett began to brief them.
*
Roughly fifty zombies had now massed in the parking lot. All students of the school. Victims now had become enemies. No blooded, heartless and thoughtless with an unquenchable thirst for flesh. In unison they looked up as overhead glass shattered from Ranger Hall. Two metal bars spiraled through the air and crashed through the windows of two vehicles below.
*
Rushing as planned they moved methodically and fast after tossing the bars through the glass, they placed all their supplies onto the balcony over looking the parking lot and began to douse the clothes in Axe and other perfumes.
*
Alarm sirens pierced the air and awoke the Ranger Police officer who was asleep in his car in the guest parking lot. He fired up his engine and called for back-up to the other two on-campus officers.
*
The undead had begun to crawl over one another to get to the balcony rather than use the shattered doors. Thoughtless. Their moan of hunger grew louder and louder the more they yearned and reached for satisfaction. Through soulless eyes a few glared up as a flaming mattress was heaved out of the window and fell onto them.
"Ashley, now!" Ryan yelled and Ashley began to heave heavily scented clothes onto the arms and heads of the desperate zombies.
"Ryan, another!" Garrett called and they began to hold lighters to another one of their 3 remaining mattresses.
*
Arriving first, he had become willing prey. The first officer opened fire with him 9mm just as the other two officer showed up on the the other side of the lot. they got out and began to fire. Thus, the zombies divided in hunger.
*
The undead Courtney had caught on fire. As it reached her brain she collapsed on the the hood of a red Saturn.
*
John Nelson took a bullet square in the forehead. He fell onto the legs of Sam who had a similar bullet wound in her temple.
*
Alex was trapped under a car just as a light colored t-shirt, which had caught fire and blew in the wind, drifted onto his leg, his torn jeans caught fire.
*
He fumbled with his magazine and it crashed to the congrete, bullets scattered. The lone officer panicked and charged, tried to taze a zombie and was hungrily feasted upon.
*
Another 2 mattresses were heaved over the edge alongside some bed posts and batteries, that if caught on fire would explode.
*
Similar to horseshoes, Emily Evenson had a bed post land around her neck and she collapsed into a small fire that had began to smolder the grass.
*
Hail was not dousing the fire as rain would have done. Garrett's plan was so far perfect, even the police had shown up as he wished. They begged Ashely to stay as they left her. Garrett put a comforting arm around her and looked quickly at her as fire light showed the fear in her eyes. "Stay. Really." And before she could protest, he was gone.
*
As more and more flame began to engulf Alex his empty eyes saw that the entirety of the car was in flames as well. He let out a hungry moan as it left the ground in a fiery explosion. More cars had begun to catch fire.
*
Ryan and Garrett walked quickly and maintained slow, deep breaths to remain calm. They kicked open the basement doors and opened fire on the flaming zombies before them. Mike Benson so disfigured and grotesque in the flame's glow was blown to pieces by bullet fire as he ran towards Garrett, seeking protection.
Breaking off his towel rack bars as a last thought, Ryan walked from his room, down the hall and dropped the last of his supplies into the heap with a clang.
"That's everything." he said.
"Good." replied Garrett. Ashley remained silent. "So....here's the plan..." And Garrett began to brief them.
*
Roughly fifty zombies had now massed in the parking lot. All students of the school. Victims now had become enemies. No blooded, heartless and thoughtless with an unquenchable thirst for flesh. In unison they looked up as overhead glass shattered from Ranger Hall. Two metal bars spiraled through the air and crashed through the windows of two vehicles below.
*
Rushing as planned they moved methodically and fast after tossing the bars through the glass, they placed all their supplies onto the balcony over looking the parking lot and began to douse the clothes in Axe and other perfumes.
*
Alarm sirens pierced the air and awoke the Ranger Police officer who was asleep in his car in the guest parking lot. He fired up his engine and called for back-up to the other two on-campus officers.
*
The undead had begun to crawl over one another to get to the balcony rather than use the shattered doors. Thoughtless. Their moan of hunger grew louder and louder the more they yearned and reached for satisfaction. Through soulless eyes a few glared up as a flaming mattress was heaved out of the window and fell onto them.
"Ashley, now!" Ryan yelled and Ashley began to heave heavily scented clothes onto the arms and heads of the desperate zombies.
"Ryan, another!" Garrett called and they began to hold lighters to another one of their 3 remaining mattresses.
*
Arriving first, he had become willing prey. The first officer opened fire with him 9mm just as the other two officer showed up on the the other side of the lot. they got out and began to fire. Thus, the zombies divided in hunger.
*
The undead Courtney had caught on fire. As it reached her brain she collapsed on the the hood of a red Saturn.
*
John Nelson took a bullet square in the forehead. He fell onto the legs of Sam who had a similar bullet wound in her temple.
*
Alex was trapped under a car just as a light colored t-shirt, which had caught fire and blew in the wind, drifted onto his leg, his torn jeans caught fire.
*
He fumbled with his magazine and it crashed to the congrete, bullets scattered. The lone officer panicked and charged, tried to taze a zombie and was hungrily feasted upon.
*
Another 2 mattresses were heaved over the edge alongside some bed posts and batteries, that if caught on fire would explode.
*
Similar to horseshoes, Emily Evenson had a bed post land around her neck and she collapsed into a small fire that had began to smolder the grass.
*
Hail was not dousing the fire as rain would have done. Garrett's plan was so far perfect, even the police had shown up as he wished. They begged Ashely to stay as they left her. Garrett put a comforting arm around her and looked quickly at her as fire light showed the fear in her eyes. "Stay. Really." And before she could protest, he was gone.
*
As more and more flame began to engulf Alex his empty eyes saw that the entirety of the car was in flames as well. He let out a hungry moan as it left the ground in a fiery explosion. More cars had begun to catch fire.
*
Ryan and Garrett walked quickly and maintained slow, deep breaths to remain calm. They kicked open the basement doors and opened fire on the flaming zombies before them. Mike Benson so disfigured and grotesque in the flame's glow was blown to pieces by bullet fire as he ran towards Garrett, seeking protection.
Part 7
His revolver had fallen to the floor. He gripped the cleaver with both hands and spun on his heel driving the blade through the necks of three undead. Bloodless and emotionless, the zombies fell to the floor around him. Karl continued swinging his weapon wildly, effectively. The closing crowd began to overwhelm him as he fatigued. An arm grabbed his wrist, his throat became throttled by another.. As he choked, he heard his cleaver fall to the ground with a clang. his head spun around to look into the lifeless eyes that meant to destroy him. He stared at the attackers neck where chunks of rotting flesh were missing. He convulsed as the ghouls stench washed over him. He fell to the floor roughly after wriggling free. He clawed for the revolver on the ground...one shot is all he needed after all.
*
Garrett took a step forward, peered around the edge of the door frame. The elevator hung open, dark. Hail pummeled the windows and he continued to glare at the blank entrance. He stepped forward and into the elevator. It was vacant apart from a corpse. Kyle's arm was leaning aloft against the wall of the elevator. By looking over the corpse, he saw that Kyle had intended to puncture his own heart, but instead deflated a lung and still bled to death. He bowed his head in realization of Kyle's intentions, he had tried escaping, but by a sick twist of fate, the power and failed him twice in a row. Once sending him to his death, the second, not allowing him to escape it.
Garrett walked to the lifeless body and gripped the blades handle that was still embedded in Kyle's chest. Pulling it from him with a squelch he muttered, “Steak.”
*
Running, Ryan reached the front door of Ranger Hall, yanked it open, swiped his ID heard the lock click, pulled open the second door and charged up the stairs.
*
Ashley glared at Garrett.
Ryan approached them, “What's going on?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all.” responded Garrett with a grim smile on his face.
“What the hell do you mean nothing is wrong!!! You sit there, tell me you're sorry, make me think you're going to blow my face off! And then you say NOTHING IS WRONG!?!” Ashley screamed hysterically.
“Whoa. Chill ou-” attempted Ryan.
“Chill out? CHILL OUT? Is that even possible? I don't know if you realized this...but our friends are DYING. Dying, Ryan. Do you know what that means?! That means they never come ba-”
“It means that we better stay calm. So that we can live, and tell the world what happened.” Ryan said simply. “It means that we need to stay calm...Garrett? Where'd you get that knife?”
“Kyle gave it to me.” Garrett stated murkily.
“You found Kyle? Is he...?” Ryan began to whisper after realizing how loud they were being.
“Oh yeah. Totally dead. He could be set up in front of a Human Anatomy class, everything is all there.”
“Damn...” Ashley trailed off. “Why didn't you tell me that?” she asked looking at Garrett.
Ryan nodded in agreement.
“Ryan...where's Karl?”
Suddenly reality hit them all. Karl was gone. Ryan bowed his head. Garrett showed Ryan his mangled and disfigured hand and Ryan said nothing. Garrett glanced out the window and saw Mike Benson running away from a pack of zombies. He counted five of them.
*
Mike sprinted and began to weave through the apartment buildings. He kept looking back. How is this possible!? How can they still be here! How can they be gaining ground? He thought frantically. He screamed in terror and through his arms over his head, slipped on a rock and fell flat on his face. He felt his nose break and blood squirt from it onto the ground. He turned to face his predators, his eyes opened wide in sheer fear. He screamed again. Got up and ran towards the parking lot.
*
They moved together, all five of them, towards the Ranger Hall parking lot. Following. Seeking their prey. In the shadows, they remained hidden and met other zombies in the vehicle filled lot.
*
On the floor of Wylie, Karl bled profusely, the zombies clawed and tore at him. He felt teeth scrape his skin and fingers claw at his eyes. He took the pain. Wouldn't let them gain pride from his pain, his struggling. He cocked his arm, swung his fist and connected with a zombie square in the jaw. He looked down at himself, saw the blood, felt lightheaded, and fell limp. The zombies feasted upon his suddenly willing body.
*
Garrett took a step forward, peered around the edge of the door frame. The elevator hung open, dark. Hail pummeled the windows and he continued to glare at the blank entrance. He stepped forward and into the elevator. It was vacant apart from a corpse. Kyle's arm was leaning aloft against the wall of the elevator. By looking over the corpse, he saw that Kyle had intended to puncture his own heart, but instead deflated a lung and still bled to death. He bowed his head in realization of Kyle's intentions, he had tried escaping, but by a sick twist of fate, the power and failed him twice in a row. Once sending him to his death, the second, not allowing him to escape it.
Garrett walked to the lifeless body and gripped the blades handle that was still embedded in Kyle's chest. Pulling it from him with a squelch he muttered, “Steak.”
*
Running, Ryan reached the front door of Ranger Hall, yanked it open, swiped his ID heard the lock click, pulled open the second door and charged up the stairs.
*
Ashley glared at Garrett.
Ryan approached them, “What's going on?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all.” responded Garrett with a grim smile on his face.
“What the hell do you mean nothing is wrong!!! You sit there, tell me you're sorry, make me think you're going to blow my face off! And then you say NOTHING IS WRONG!?!” Ashley screamed hysterically.
“Whoa. Chill ou-” attempted Ryan.
“Chill out? CHILL OUT? Is that even possible? I don't know if you realized this...but our friends are DYING. Dying, Ryan. Do you know what that means?! That means they never come ba-”
“It means that we better stay calm. So that we can live, and tell the world what happened.” Ryan said simply. “It means that we need to stay calm...Garrett? Where'd you get that knife?”
“Kyle gave it to me.” Garrett stated murkily.
“You found Kyle? Is he...?” Ryan began to whisper after realizing how loud they were being.
“Oh yeah. Totally dead. He could be set up in front of a Human Anatomy class, everything is all there.”
“Damn...” Ashley trailed off. “Why didn't you tell me that?” she asked looking at Garrett.
Ryan nodded in agreement.
“Ryan...where's Karl?”
Suddenly reality hit them all. Karl was gone. Ryan bowed his head. Garrett showed Ryan his mangled and disfigured hand and Ryan said nothing. Garrett glanced out the window and saw Mike Benson running away from a pack of zombies. He counted five of them.
*
Mike sprinted and began to weave through the apartment buildings. He kept looking back. How is this possible!? How can they still be here! How can they be gaining ground? He thought frantically. He screamed in terror and through his arms over his head, slipped on a rock and fell flat on his face. He felt his nose break and blood squirt from it onto the ground. He turned to face his predators, his eyes opened wide in sheer fear. He screamed again. Got up and ran towards the parking lot.
*
They moved together, all five of them, towards the Ranger Hall parking lot. Following. Seeking their prey. In the shadows, they remained hidden and met other zombies in the vehicle filled lot.
*
On the floor of Wylie, Karl bled profusely, the zombies clawed and tore at him. He felt teeth scrape his skin and fingers claw at his eyes. He took the pain. Wouldn't let them gain pride from his pain, his struggling. He cocked his arm, swung his fist and connected with a zombie square in the jaw. He looked down at himself, saw the blood, felt lightheaded, and fell limp. The zombies feasted upon his suddenly willing body.
Part 6
He felt pity for her. A wave of it splashed him in the eyes. His hand was broken. He knew that. He looked at the grotesque image before him. The fingers bent rigidly in various directions and the palm had a disfigured look about it. It still bled profusely from the knuckles and he prayed silently that the pale color barely hidden by damp blood was not bone, but merely just another layer of raw skin. He glanced at her, truth hit him square in the face.
"I'm sorry." he muttered.
"Don't be. It's your hand..."
"No...not that." He responded.
"What then?" She insisted
*
They smelled blood in the air. Karl and Ryan investigated the ground. In the 2:30am darkness nothing could be spotted easily. Only sensed. Raising his hand from the concrete to the flickering light, Ryan saw blood drip off of his finger tips. He lowered his head to the ground and stood up, ushered Karl into the shadows near a dumpster. They rested there for a moment in the darkness, in the same bend that Alex had been brutalized and infected. They rose and continued to walk towards Communication Arts.
*
It was dark. Too dark. The generator powered lights continued to flicker providing an inconsistent and scarce illumination that made someone dizzy, rather than helped sight. The generator then proceeded to fail entirely. Death gripped the air when inhaled and rattled when exhaled. Chill had begun to linger as well and clouds blotted out the waning moon that provided a meek glow to the grounds. A soft and dousing rain had begun to cascade from the sky. Cleaning, refreshing, soaking. Wind began to gust and caused a sharp sting as it howled and carried the drops at a severe angle. The rain turned to hail, pummeled the ground and forced Mike Benson to his feet when he heard it against the roof. He stepped over the still corpse of Victor and headed down the hall.
*
Ryan stared in horror when he saw swarms of the undead through the glass of the Wylie hall doors as they peeked around the corner.
"You ready?" Karl suggested.
"What? You mean go charging in there right now? We can't do that. It...certain doom. And then-"
"Listen Ryan. Would you rather pass off what we just saw to Garrett and have everyone panicking. Or would you like to come back- soaked in the blood of victory and a true hero."
It took a small vision in Ryan's mind for him to raise the shotgun to his hip and reposition the hatchet on his belt.
"Alright, now we're talkin'." triumphed Karl. He raised his cleaver.
They barged in.
*
"Garrett, talk to me. What happened?"
"Nothing. Not anything that matters anymore."
*
Gunshots pierced the air and a few bodies fell. Karl rushed into the mass blade held high and revolver drawn. Ryan reached to restrain but missed Karl's charging shoulder.
*
The elevator opened with a *bing* on the fourth floor.
*
"KARL!" roared Ryan as he saw the arm with the blade swing down and Karls body disappear into the mass. Ryan Fired.
*
Garrett swung to the floor, grabbed his 9mm pistol and held his stance pointing at the doorway.
*
He knows what he has to do...I have to get back...I'm sorry Karl. Retreating, Ryan backed through the swinging glass doors while continuing to fire. As the door closed he heard seven gunshots in rapid sequence. Karl's eighth bullet waited for the chance...that would never come.
"I'm sorry." he muttered.
"Don't be. It's your hand..."
"No...not that." He responded.
"What then?" She insisted
*
They smelled blood in the air. Karl and Ryan investigated the ground. In the 2:30am darkness nothing could be spotted easily. Only sensed. Raising his hand from the concrete to the flickering light, Ryan saw blood drip off of his finger tips. He lowered his head to the ground and stood up, ushered Karl into the shadows near a dumpster. They rested there for a moment in the darkness, in the same bend that Alex had been brutalized and infected. They rose and continued to walk towards Communication Arts.
*
It was dark. Too dark. The generator powered lights continued to flicker providing an inconsistent and scarce illumination that made someone dizzy, rather than helped sight. The generator then proceeded to fail entirely. Death gripped the air when inhaled and rattled when exhaled. Chill had begun to linger as well and clouds blotted out the waning moon that provided a meek glow to the grounds. A soft and dousing rain had begun to cascade from the sky. Cleaning, refreshing, soaking. Wind began to gust and caused a sharp sting as it howled and carried the drops at a severe angle. The rain turned to hail, pummeled the ground and forced Mike Benson to his feet when he heard it against the roof. He stepped over the still corpse of Victor and headed down the hall.
*
Ryan stared in horror when he saw swarms of the undead through the glass of the Wylie hall doors as they peeked around the corner.
"You ready?" Karl suggested.
"What? You mean go charging in there right now? We can't do that. It...certain doom. And then-"
"Listen Ryan. Would you rather pass off what we just saw to Garrett and have everyone panicking. Or would you like to come back- soaked in the blood of victory and a true hero."
It took a small vision in Ryan's mind for him to raise the shotgun to his hip and reposition the hatchet on his belt.
"Alright, now we're talkin'." triumphed Karl. He raised his cleaver.
They barged in.
*
"Garrett, talk to me. What happened?"
"Nothing. Not anything that matters anymore."
*
Gunshots pierced the air and a few bodies fell. Karl rushed into the mass blade held high and revolver drawn. Ryan reached to restrain but missed Karl's charging shoulder.
*
The elevator opened with a *bing* on the fourth floor.
*
"KARL!" roared Ryan as he saw the arm with the blade swing down and Karls body disappear into the mass. Ryan Fired.
*
Garrett swung to the floor, grabbed his 9mm pistol and held his stance pointing at the doorway.
*
He knows what he has to do...I have to get back...I'm sorry Karl. Retreating, Ryan backed through the swinging glass doors while continuing to fire. As the door closed he heard seven gunshots in rapid sequence. Karl's eighth bullet waited for the chance...that would never come.
Part 5
Two minutes. The group of six walked together. Emily and Courtney remained quiet. Listening to the others' silence as well. They walked in a pack...no real leader was determined by their footsteps. John hesitated, looked back at the group and let out a sigh.
“Court, mind coming ahead with me a bit? Let's make sure we aren't just walking into a trap or something...”
Courtney said nothing but slumped forward a little ways with John around the corner, headed past Greenquist on the outside route to Communication Arts. She turned towards John with a cold smile on her lips. He looked at her for the first time in the last few minutes...He saw blood on her thigh and rips in her jeans...
“What the-”
A scream pierced the air. John sprinted past Courtney only to see Sam and Emily feasted on the corpse of Alex. Ashley's figure could be seen racing away back towards the dorms in panic. John felt himself pulled to the ground from behind. His head slammed on the pavement and he blacked out.
*
They heard the locked click open. Only a human would bother with locks anymore. Garrett peered over the edge of the 4th floor landing where he, Karl and Ryan currently worked on a plan of action.
“Ashley, get the hell up here.” hissed Garrett.
Spotting Garrett's head over the landing, she sprinted up the stairs, met them and sat down, breathing heavy.
“Are you guys going or what?” Garrett persisted.
“Yeah, let's go Karl, scout mission.” Ryan added.
“Right.” And they started walking down the stairs. Garrett spotted them down the stairs and fell next to Ashley against the wall of the fourth floor landing. Fatigue gripped him at the edges. He glanced down the hall, let his eyes shut. Ashley looked at his head as it slid down the side of the wall.
*
His eyes opened. His throat was tight. His nostrils had plugged with coagulated blood and John Nelson peered at his outstretched hands. Dried blood coated them, he could not feel it...it puzzled him. He reached for his cell phone that had fallen from his pocket. His hand could not grip it...lack of feeling made picking up the smooth exterior impossible. Suddenly, almost without warning himself, he lurched to his feet with no ones help but his own. He glared at the flickering lights. He became aware of a soft moaning that he was making...he tried to stop, he could not, in fact, the desire to stop made him moan louder and more persistently. He had begun walking...again, remaining unaware that he was doing so.
He smelt blood in the air. He followed it's trace blindly. His arms grew light. Lighter than air...they began harder and harder to keep down the more he walked. He still argued this motion and it made him stumble forward. He noticed the sound of night owls diminishing, the footsteps grew louder, his mind focused on a nag in the back of his thoughts. Blood? He felt an intense lack of pain. He felt drugged. Then suddenly...he had no feeling at all. His mind went blank.
*
They were all dead. Blood covered his eyes, in between his teeth and in his nostrils. He could do nothing but become one with the serum of life that poured not only from him, but from everyone he had killed in the process. Quarantine. No one could be trusted to not get infected. No one. The length that he had went to determine his own safety...no one else mattered. Not really. He shot her, square in the face. He aimed his 9mm through the glass and fired twice, their turned backs went rigid as the rush of speeding death claimed them and they fell simultaneously.
He walked down the stairs, killed everyone, living, dead, undead. Nothing would stop him. Mike Benson ran toward him, obviously panicked and still breathing. Before he had a chance to say anything he was being propelled backwards with a sudden barrage of pump shotgun shells. Garrett rapid-fired into his chest, threw the shotgun to the ground and dove on top of him. He punched Mike's face, grabbed and snapped each of the flailing arms over his right knee and continued to bash the defenseless man's skull in. He felt his left hand break and started swinging with his right, breaking Mike's jaw snapped him to reality. He rose up, felt himself being shaken and looked around...his eyes snapped open.
“What the hell?! Wake up!” screamed Ashley.
Panting, he rose back to his feet, he put his hand on the rail and felt it slip off the edge, sweat. Chilled and shivering he looked at his mangled left hand and the blood prints on the wall.
“Court, mind coming ahead with me a bit? Let's make sure we aren't just walking into a trap or something...”
Courtney said nothing but slumped forward a little ways with John around the corner, headed past Greenquist on the outside route to Communication Arts. She turned towards John with a cold smile on her lips. He looked at her for the first time in the last few minutes...He saw blood on her thigh and rips in her jeans...
“What the-”
A scream pierced the air. John sprinted past Courtney only to see Sam and Emily feasted on the corpse of Alex. Ashley's figure could be seen racing away back towards the dorms in panic. John felt himself pulled to the ground from behind. His head slammed on the pavement and he blacked out.
*
They heard the locked click open. Only a human would bother with locks anymore. Garrett peered over the edge of the 4th floor landing where he, Karl and Ryan currently worked on a plan of action.
“Ashley, get the hell up here.” hissed Garrett.
Spotting Garrett's head over the landing, she sprinted up the stairs, met them and sat down, breathing heavy.
“Are you guys going or what?” Garrett persisted.
“Yeah, let's go Karl, scout mission.” Ryan added.
“Right.” And they started walking down the stairs. Garrett spotted them down the stairs and fell next to Ashley against the wall of the fourth floor landing. Fatigue gripped him at the edges. He glanced down the hall, let his eyes shut. Ashley looked at his head as it slid down the side of the wall.
*
His eyes opened. His throat was tight. His nostrils had plugged with coagulated blood and John Nelson peered at his outstretched hands. Dried blood coated them, he could not feel it...it puzzled him. He reached for his cell phone that had fallen from his pocket. His hand could not grip it...lack of feeling made picking up the smooth exterior impossible. Suddenly, almost without warning himself, he lurched to his feet with no ones help but his own. He glared at the flickering lights. He became aware of a soft moaning that he was making...he tried to stop, he could not, in fact, the desire to stop made him moan louder and more persistently. He had begun walking...again, remaining unaware that he was doing so.
He smelt blood in the air. He followed it's trace blindly. His arms grew light. Lighter than air...they began harder and harder to keep down the more he walked. He still argued this motion and it made him stumble forward. He noticed the sound of night owls diminishing, the footsteps grew louder, his mind focused on a nag in the back of his thoughts. Blood? He felt an intense lack of pain. He felt drugged. Then suddenly...he had no feeling at all. His mind went blank.
*
They were all dead. Blood covered his eyes, in between his teeth and in his nostrils. He could do nothing but become one with the serum of life that poured not only from him, but from everyone he had killed in the process. Quarantine. No one could be trusted to not get infected. No one. The length that he had went to determine his own safety...no one else mattered. Not really. He shot her, square in the face. He aimed his 9mm through the glass and fired twice, their turned backs went rigid as the rush of speeding death claimed them and they fell simultaneously.
He walked down the stairs, killed everyone, living, dead, undead. Nothing would stop him. Mike Benson ran toward him, obviously panicked and still breathing. Before he had a chance to say anything he was being propelled backwards with a sudden barrage of pump shotgun shells. Garrett rapid-fired into his chest, threw the shotgun to the ground and dove on top of him. He punched Mike's face, grabbed and snapped each of the flailing arms over his right knee and continued to bash the defenseless man's skull in. He felt his left hand break and started swinging with his right, breaking Mike's jaw snapped him to reality. He rose up, felt himself being shaken and looked around...his eyes snapped open.
“What the hell?! Wake up!” screamed Ashley.
Panting, he rose back to his feet, he put his hand on the rail and felt it slip off the edge, sweat. Chilled and shivering he looked at his mangled left hand and the blood prints on the wall.
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