[A/N: Hello everyone.
The protagonist will encounter his first zombie.
Comment and donate power stones.]
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At Alex's house, the afternoon passed.
"Breathe in... Ugh... Breathe out... Phew..." I mumbled as I got onto the couch. My dad's call, telling me how close they'd come to becoming zombies, had affected me more than I imagined. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, my head felt like a stone, my ears were ringing, and my breathing was becoming irregular. During the conversation, I tried to remain calm so as not to alarm my father, but when I hung up, all those feelings came flooding back.
"It would be ironic to die of a heart attack, or something like that", I thought with a hint of sarcasm.
"I should call Bryan", I reminded myself, after finding some composure.
Beep... beep.
"It's me again", I exclaimed hurriedly as soon as I heard Bryan answer the call.
"What's going on?", he asked, his more serious-than-usual tone not going unnoticed. "You usually start the call with a joke or something", he added.
"My parents were in danger", I responded bluntly.
"What happened to them?", he inquired, visibly concerned.
"What you've been anticipating, that's what happened", I replied.
"Really?", His astonishment was evident. "It shouldn't have started so soon", he commented, somewhat uneasy.
"Yes, a neighbor died and came back to life, although they just think he had rabies or something", I said with a wry tone. "However, we both know it's not rabies", I added seriously.
"No, what we have is much more dangerous", he affirmed, returning to a serious tone. "Are your parents, okay?", he asked again.
"Yes, they're fine. They're just a little shaken up", I assured Bryan.
"What a relief", he said with a sigh. "Do you know what happened to our neighbors?", I asked.
"I've heard about several cases in the area; maybe it's one of them", he said.
"What will they do with them?", I asked, although I already knew the answer.
"It depends on the condition they find them in", he replied, sounding nonchalant.
"The man turned into a zombie, and the woman was bitten", I told him about our neighbors' situation. "I know what you're going to tell me, but I still need to know if my dreams reflect reality", I thought as I told him what happened to Mr. Ruiz and neighbor Lucy.
"The woman will be under observation, waiting for improvement, while the man will undergo extensive testing, and we'll look for a cure", Bryan explained.
"I don't think there's a cure for this", I muttered softly.
"What do you mean, zombies?", he asked, remembering what I had told him about Mr. Ruiz.
"Bryan, I regret to inform you that Mr. Ruiz has passed away. He struggled with a fever from a dog bite for several days. Yesterday, he collapsed, and today he died. He couldn't breathe for several minutes, his pulse stopped, and then suddenly, he came back to life as if nothing had happened, attacking a neighbor", I explained to Bryan. "What is that but a zombie?", I added.
"We don't know yet, Alex", he replied, shaking his head.
"I'm convinced, Bryan. You must be very careful. Those who have been bitten will begin to develop fever, vomiting, and other symptoms. Then they will die and return among the dead, attacking everything in their path. The only way to stop them is to destroy their brain", I said seriously.
"I don't think what you're saying will happen, but I will take your recommendations into account", he replied firmly.
"Can you take care of our parents?", I asked, remembering the plans the second lieutenant had shared with me.
"I can do that", he stated without hesitation.
"Fuuu… I hope so", I exclaimed, letting out a long sigh.
"See you, Alex", he said goodbye.
"See you later, Private Ryan", I replied, feeling a little relieved and cracking a joke. "Remember my advice", I reminded him before hanging up, without listening to his response.
Talking to Bryan brought me some calm; while my worries didn't completely disappear, knowing he would do everything possible to protect my parents lifted a weight off my shoulders. After the call, I texted him to update him about Mr. Ruiz and neighbor Lucy, though I only offered excuses and a few empty promises about their recovery.
"I don't want to worry them even more", I thought, remembering how alarmed my father had sounded.
"David, it's possible that this has all started, although it's not that serious, at least for now", I texted David after notifying my father. Not even a minute later, I immediately received his call.
"You mean zombies?", he asked when he answered.
"Yes, my parents were around someone who turned", I confirmed, sensing the fear in my voice.
"Are they okay?", he asked, visibly concerned.
"Yes, thanks for asking. They're just a little scared", I replied gratefully.
"Did they tell you how that person turned?", David inquired.
"The man who turned had been bitten by a dog and…" I began to explain when he interrupted me.
"Is it transmitted through dogs? Like in the movie REC?", he asked, alarmed.
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[A/N: It's a good movie by the way, I recommend it.]
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"No, that's not what I meant", I replied with a small chuckle, almost amused by David's imagination. "Mr. Ruiz was bitten by a dog, but he didn't bother going to a doctor to get vaccinated. He said he had, but knowing him as I do, I know better. He had a fever for a couple of days, and today he started vomiting. Finally, he died. Then a neighbor felt him move again and, relieved, thought he'd only had a seizure and had recovered, but he bit her", I explained calmly.
"So, according to what you're saying, it's possible they're zombies like in The Walking Dead, or not?", he asked, processing the information.
"Yes, I think so too", I confirmed. "What happened to them after that?", he probed, trying to get more details.
"The police and a group of army medics arrived—unusually quickly, by the way—and took them away immediately. The man who had turned into a zombie was immobilized and shackled, while the woman's wounds were treated", I replied.
"I see. It seems they were informed", he said thoughtfully. "It seems it's just as you said. Now I understand why they're setting up outposts on the outskirts of the city", David commented.
"Yes, all our fears are coming true", I said in a pessimistic tone.
"Yes, but we're preparing as much as we can… We're going to make it", he said, encouraging me.
"That's true", I said, a little excited, caught by David's personality. "Shall we try to find a zombie on our own?", I asked. "I don't think we can find one. The army seems to be responding quickly to the few cases that arise", he said after analyzing the army's approach. "It's possible we'll find them when they can't control the number of converting cases", he added.
"That's true", I said, thinking the same as him. "I was planning on going out to places where I might find converting people, but with what you've said, it's unlikely I'll find anything. Besides, I won't lie to you, I'm a little scared", I said, a little embarrassed.
"I'm scared too. I try not to let it show, but I'm sure when I'm faced to face with one of those zombies I'll panic", he said in a nervous voice. "I have to go to lunch since I was distracted this morning after our conversation and I haven't eaten anything", David changed the subject.
"Okay, I won't bother you anymore but are you sure you don't want me to help you?", I asked, remembering the conversation from that morning.
"No need, I'll take care of moving everything. Besides, with the attack on your parents, you'll definitely need a break", he said empathetically.
"Thanks", I said.
"See you, Alex. Rest", David said, signing off.
"Goodbye, David", I said, hanging up. "I'll go anyway", I said, not letting him hear this part.
David had given me reasons to rest, but my curiosity was killing me. I needed to see with my own eyes that they had already appeared. Besides, the attack my parents witnessed could have happened in that future I saw in the visions, which would change many things I had assumed about my future.
"Did I start preparing after that call in the future? Or maybe I went to visit my parents, and they weren't in town?", I pondered, analyzing what I remembered from the visions.
3 hours later.
"Fuuu… There weren't any here either", I said, a little frustrated. I spent the previous few hours searching for different hospitals and clinics for patients who had been presented with bites, but I didn't find anything. The military had probably managed to handle all the cases that came in today.
"Where else can I find zombies?", I thought as I walked to my truck.
"I know where I can find people turning into zombies", I thought as I got close to where I had parked the truck.
I had found a homeless man lying on the sidewalk. He was sleeping comfortably in the shade. It was obvious he had been drinking recently, and from the remains scattered around him, I could tell he was an addict.
"I can find them just like they did on Fear TWD", I thought as I looked at the things around the man.
Half an hour later.
"It seems like a dangerous neighborhood, but as long as I don't draw anyone's attention, nothing will happen", I reflected as I looked at a few people lying on both sides of the street.
These people frequented the area in search of drugs; some even lived there. They set up camps made of pieces of cloth or canvas tents, where they spent the night and stored what little they had, and they also used it as a place to consume drugs.
For a few minutes, I couldn't find any zombies or anyone who had been bitten; most of the people I encountered were lying down, resting. I also spoke to some of them to find out if there was a place where young people went to get high. They gave me the location of a nearby park, which was just what I was looking for.
"This must be the place", I said as I approached an abandoned park.
This park was far from the city center and looked like it hadn't been maintained in a long time; there were even some houses made from materials recovered from the garbage. Some areas of the park had people resting, while others, near the houses, cleaned the surroundings, washed their clothes, or brought in some extra materials to use as roofs or walls.
"Their life must be very difficult", I reflected, seeing the lifestyle these people led.
I continued walking without attracting anyone's attention, passing between a few houses, but no one showed any signs of being injured or about to die. I walked deeper into the park; the place looked much gloomier than the outskirts, and I could find fires the homeless used to get through the cold nights.
"Is that what I think it is?", I wondered, seeing a trail of blood coming from one of the dilapidated tents. The blood was heading in a distant direction, and I also saw a few footprints leading in the same direction.
My heart was pounding as I walked along the blood trail. I knew I would find a zombie, or someone bitten by one; it was something I'd already seen from my dreams, but I was still very afraid of facing one. Even though I came armed today to face any danger, these weapons didn't give me any greater security.
"I'll use the knife to defend myself, and if I can't get rid of the zombie with this one, I'll use the gun", I told myself, trying to build up my courage as I touched the gun and knife in their respective holsters.
"That... is... one of them!", I said, my voice cracked with extreme fear.
After advancing a few more meters, I saw two figures on the ground, one on top of the other. The person on top had their head buried in the stomach of the person below them. Every now and then, they would move their head away from that area, tearing off skin and organs, held firmly by their teeth. Their faces and clothes were covered in the blood of their first victim, showing no remorse for the crime, they were committing.
The person below was a woman who trembled and writhed with each bite, but each time they did so with less force. Her body was destroyed, specifically her stomach, but she also had a bite mark on her throat from which blood was oozing. She seemed to sense my approach and slowly turned her face in my direction.
Seeing me, her eyes seemed to show a glimmer of hope, but a bite from the zombie devouring her and the pain she could still feel brought her back to reality. Her face once again showed despair and extreme pain.
"Help... me", she tried to say before the light in her eyes disappeared forever.
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[A/N: CHAPTER COMPLETED
Thanks everyone for reading.
Alex witnesses her first person being attacked.
I actually wanted to spend an entire chapter just describing the attack, but since it's a light novel, I reconsidered and will just keep it short but interesting (that's what she said).
Sorry to leave the chapter like this, by the way.
Read my other novel called Vinland Kingdom: Race Against Time.
You can find it on my profile.]