The car ride was silent with the bald man facing Anwar. And even though he is blind, Anwar feels his eyes observing every action.
"Mr. Everett, what is it that you want to talk about?" Anwar asked, trying to sound less curious. Anwar wanted to know what is in store for him. He might have been the reason for this world-wide catastrophe.
"Anwar would you be so kind s to wait for a few minutes. Another scientist, from a different wing of our research laboratory will be joining us...." he turns to look at Anwar, dead in the eye and said "....shortly."
Anwar shivered but didn't protest. A few minutes later the SUV stopped and the door was opened. A women in her mid-forties, dressed in blackboarded the car. She was dressed formally with little to no makeup and yet she looked stunning with her black attire complimenting her white skin. She has a slender but firm figure and her hair had been recently cut short, which Anwar seems to like most about her. She carried a black handbag of some brand unknown to Anwar. While she was boarding her brown eyes took a quick glance at Anwar which made him skip a beat. 'I was in the same building as this beauty and I didn't know.' thought Anwar.
As the door closed and the Cadillac slowly picked its pace, Anwar dared to look sideways to find the women keeping Anwar at arms-length, which he didn't mind at all.
As if to answer Anwar's question, Mr. Everett began "Anwar, met Betty Valentine."
Through a dimly lit corridor, a man walked, in quick short steps, pushing a stretcher containing a 17 year old boy. Almost a month ago, this boy went through an emergency surgery and all of his internal injuries were stitched up. The doctors were skeptical about the success rate but were able to bring him back from near death. But two weeks later, he felt severe pain in his abdomen region. Afraid that his wounds have reopened the doctors took him to the operation theater once again.
But what they saw was way worser. All of his insides were infected and somehow.... rotten. The boy died shortly after. He is now being taken to the mortuary, to begin his autopsy the next day.
The man who was pushing the stretcher was Kevin Floyd. Kevin always feared the deceased, and zombies from the "Walking Dead" always haunted his dreams. But look what fate had in store for him. At the end of the long hallway, the lights started flickering and some goes off, which scared Kevin. But he was glad that his destination is just beside him as he opened the door to the room of the dead.
"According to the palette here, cell 041 should be empty." he said. Hearing is own voice echo through the room made him a little less frightened.
Kevin was in for a surprise. He pulled back the holding cell to find a corpse lying peacefully, with a white blanket covering his body till the neck.
"Ugh, fuck you Michael, you could have at least told me." He said rubbing his hands due to the cold before pushing the corpse back in. Little did he know that the dead body would move, opening its eyes and growling a little before trying to get out. Kevin was busy grunting and monologuing that he failed to notice this. The corpse slowly extended its arms as Kevin closed the cell, crushing the arm.
"Shit. That's gonna buy me a pay cut. Can't this night get any worser." As if to answer his prayers, the rotten hand twisted a little before pushing against the wall of the cold locker. It growled a little and pushed again. Kevin was scared of corpses and everything that's related to it. That was straight out of a nightmare. He was rooted to the ground unable to move due to the fright.
His eyes still bolted to the key which was lying peacefully on the stretcher. Using his quick thinking, Kevin pushed the cold locker with full force. The broken hand was finally crushed and a part of it fell to the ground, bloodying the white tile. Thoughts of different wavelength flashed through his mind. this was something straight out of a horror movie.
'All I can do is to dart back to the nurse room nearby and call the police, or should I call the administration. Maybe they find this to be a private matter. Shit, what if there are more like these out there. I should just get back home and call the police on the way.'
He thanked God that he had to only deal with one zombie. But the teenager was awake from his deep sleep, and Kevin didn't notice it. He tried to grab the key but a sudden jolt from the previously dead corpse sent Kevin propelling backwards as he tried to grab on the edge of the table to steady himself. The boy had sat up and he looks directly at Kevin, with his dead white eyes gleaming with bloodlust.
'I thanked Him a little too fast.' Kevin thought as he scrambled to the door and closes it behind him in the nick of the time as the corpse collides on the closed door, then repeatedly slamming on the door.
'I don't have the key now, fucking hell.'
Kevin was breathless and afraid. Afraid of what could have happened to him, afraid about what could be happening to his family right now and also afraid of what awaits him outside. The stench of dead reeks the corridor as he walks to the rear exit. He dare not think about the state of other corpses. He shivered as he heard a door open, as slowly as possible and even though it never creaked, Kevin felt the goosebumps start to raise. His heartbeat could now be heard by anyone near him as it quickens and the sweat start to break. He continued to walk as slowly as possible to the door that was only a meter or so from him. He took a sharp intake of breath, loud enough for Kevin to hear a small thud behind him before he was tackled to the ground, soo quick that his scream never escaped his mouth.
The night sky was starless with the lonely moon shining beautifully. A night like this was far too good to be true for Neil. His family was back and even though the trio would have to stay in the quarantine zone, Neil felt relieved. The empty road lit by the street light took Neil and his family straight from the airport. Most of the shops were closed. Neil was on call with Mike, who seems to be making a quick recovery from his seemingly fatal injuries.
Only a black Cadillac cruised through the highway other than Neil's Fiat.
"The police, firefighters and rescue workers are all in 24-hour clock. The city is in complete chaos right now."
Neil looks ahead and his eyes confirmed what Mike said.
"I don't think taking them back home is a good idea." Mike said. "Maybe you should go visit your parents, they live in the outskirts of the city right? They are still unaffected from this ... plague." It seems to be hard for Mike to find the right word to describe what is the source."
"Yeah, I know." He took a glance at the mirror to see his wife and his son sleeping peacefully.
Neil did only lost his sight for a moment, but that was the moment when a man crept to the road, crawling towards the other end. Neil did see this, but it was already too late.
Ashley was in her room scrolling through her phone when Leo video called her.
"Hey!" She said, waving cheerfully at the screen. Leo looks nauseous. There was dark circles around his eyes, 'was it due to lack of sleep? '
"Ash, I want to introduce to my new brother, Alex." Leo said pointing at a boy of 8 with good looks but a hardened face, something that hints that he had outgrown the age he is in.
"About time you introduce us. Hello Alex, nice to meet you. I am Ashley."
"There was Jack too but..." He looks behind as if Jack was hiding in his closet, before turning and said "...I guess not."
"Hi." Alex said, doing just like how Tommy did, which made him look cute to others. Alex found Ashley to be pretty, and they seems to be vide calling each other at night. So putting two-and-two together, he asked "Is she your girlfriend?"
Leo and Ashley were both stunned for a moment, but Ashley was the first to recover as she said "Nah, we are just close friends." While blushing a little.
Alex noticed it and smiled. Leo failed to notice it, and was disappointed by her reaction.
'That was quick, I guess I was friend zoned after all.' He thought.
They talked for a while and Ashley seems to take a liking on Alex, who seems to open up a lot more faster towards Ashley, according to Leo. But then, Leo and Alex noticed something but Alex asked first "I think there is someone behind you."
"What?" Ashley said as she turned. The street light casted a long figure of a man slowly walking towards the backyard of the house.
"I believe that's not your dad?" Leo asked, puzzled by the ridiculously slow movement of the man.
"Leo, my dad is not home." She replied as she ended the call.