The universe in which this takes place is not owned by me. I only own the characters.
Chapter 1
It was difficult to hear Sarah over the blaring music. I finished off my drink and nodded as if I could understand what she was saying. She smiled back, and motioned for me to follow her to the backyard. She must have known I couldn't hear her. There were partying teens everywhere throughout the house. We squeezed our way through the other people in the family room to get to the back door.
The outdoors were a relief. The music wasn't nearly as loud, and there weren't as many people. We searched for some place to sit away from the other people, finally settling on the corner of the concrete walls that surrounded the six houses on the street. Sarah took a seat, but before I could sit down, my best friend, Mateo Santiago, came from one of the groups that was talking outside.
"Michael, my man, how you been." He said, giving me one of his famous bear hugs.
"I've been good, and you?" I replied as he pulled away.
"Man, never mind about me, I've got someone you need to meet!" He said with excitement in his voice.
He put his arm around my shoulder and started walking with me. I turned my head back toward Sarah.
"I'll be back." I said to her as Mateo took me along with him.
We walked inside and Mateo yelled for people to move out of our way.
Fortunately Mateo is the one who owns this house, or at least lives in it while his parents are away, usually for weeks at a time, which is why everyone instantly made a path for us to walk through. We all have a significant amount of respect for him because he organizes these parties and doesn't care if people who weren't invited come to the party. I don't even remember how Mateo and I became friends. Back when we met I never got into trouble. I was always a good kid, and I still am. Mateo, however, was getting detentions weekly and was barely passing his classes, which is still how he goes through life. Though ever since we became friends, anyone who knew Mateo but not me personally somehow always knew me as "Mateo's friend" by the time we would meet.
"Man, I think she might be the one for you." Mateo said as we started to climb the stairs.
"Bro, you know already like Sarah a lot." I said almost surprised that Mateo might not know that I like Sarah.
"I know, I'm just playing." He said. "But it's always good to have options."
We both laughed as we made it to the top of the stairs and into his parent's bedroom, which is always an off limits zone for anyone other than Mateo and whoever he brings in there. We walked in, and the person he must have wanted me to meet was a blond haired girl who was looking out of the window.
"Ember, baby, here's the man himself." Mateo said to the girl.
"I told you not to call me baby Mateo." She snapped back.
The girl turned around and looked at me, scanning her eyes up and down my body. She leaned against the windowsill and folded her arms."
"So you're Mateo's friend I've heard so much about." She said.
"I guess that's right." I replied.
The revving of engines and screeching tires coming from the end of the street catches Mateo's attention.
"Why don't you two catch up, I've gotta go check on something." Mateo said.
Mateo ran out of the room and slammed the door behind him, leaving the two of us alone. I took a seat on the bed.
"So, you're Ember?" I asked her.
"Yea, that's right, and you?" She said back.
"Michael Johnson."
"Like the basketball player?"
"Yea, like him. Anyway, how do know Mateo?"
"I work for his brother, you know, Alejandro, leader of The Menaje."
"Yea, I know him, but how old are you?"
"Seventeen. What about you?"
"I'm seventeen too, what do you do for Alejandro?"
"I'm not a prostitute, if that's what you were thinking. But since you're Mateo's friend he talks so highly of, I guess I can trust you. I'm Alejandro's delivery girl, if you know what I mean."
"I get it, but how did you start working for Alejandro?"
Before Ember could answer Mateo burst into the room, breaking the door off of its hinges.
"Alejandro's sick! We need to go!" Mateo said with fear in his voice.
"Oh shit, okay." Ember said, springing up from the windowsill "I'll see you later Michael."
"See ya." I said as she left the room.
"Sorry Michael, I hope you understand." Mateo said leaving right behind her.
I went to the window and watched as the two burst through the front doors and sprinted to the two black cars on the side of the street. The cars screeched as they drove away from the house.
I moved away from the window and left the room. I walked down the stairs and into the foyer. I turned to go down the hallway that leads to the backdoor, but I caught a glimpse of Sarah sitting at the bar in the dining room. I walked into the room, which was filled with people eating and partying.
"Hey." I said to her as I took a seat.
She kept staring ahead with a blank expression.
"Hey, Sarah." I say waving my hand in front of her face, "Are you alright?"
She jumped in surprise of my hand. "Yea, sorry, I was just thinking." She said as her expression turns gloomy.
"You don't look well." I said.
"Is it that obvious?"
I put my hand to her forehead. She was burning up.
"You need some medicine." I said.
"I've already taken some. It doesn't appear to be working very well though." She answered.
"Look, I know you were just outside, but you should get some fresh air. It might help."
"No, not yet. I'm still a little dizzy."
"Okay, but you should get some soon."
"Okay." She said "So who was that person you met?"
"Her name was Ember, she was Mateo's girlfriend" I said, purposely lying because I didn't want Sarah to think I might possibly be interested in someone else. "I didn't get to know her very well. She and Mateo left to see Alejandro because Mateo said that he was sick."
"Seems like everyone's been getting sick these past few days." She replied.
"What do you mean?"
"The news stories that have been on the past few days, the ones about the psychos who eat other people alive."
"The media is saying that they're an extremist cult or something. The FBI said they're investigating this."
"But there's something off about it, something about all of it just isn't right."
"What are you talking about?" I asked her, "Do you think they're sick, like with a virus or something."
"Yes, exactly that. Haven't you noticed that they don't act like people. They stumble and limp towards who they attack. They eat humans alive for Christ's sake." She said, increasing the tone of her voice.
Some of the people in the room looked in our direction.
"Calm down. I've noticed it, but there is literally nothing in this world that could cause someone to go that insane, let alone multiple people doing this around the world." I said.
"What about them getting shot. The video yesterday, the man was shot in the chest with a full clip from a handgun, but only fell when he was shot in the head. How can a normal person survive that without even falling down?"
"To tell you the truth, I have no idea, but I still can't imagine that a simple virus could possibly be responsible for this."
"Michael, listen to me, there is another explanation. I don't think this thing has really started yet, but when it does, there won't be any of us left to fight it, only to survive it." She said, seeming almost paranoid at this point.
"You need to get some fresh air. I'm not kidding." I said while getting out of my chair and helping her get out of hers.
I let go of her, but she stumbled under her own weight. I caught her before she could fall very far, and put her arm over my shoulder as I guided her from the dining room. We walked into the foyer and down the hallway leading to the back door. I felt her weight lighten off of my shoulder and I could see that she was starting to regain some of her strength. We pushed through the groups of people and made it out of the back door.
She moved her arm away from my shoulder as we made it to the patio. I walk next to her as she takes a few steps on her own. She turns to me and smiles. I felt the rush of emotions from her all at once. Her gorgeous black hair and her beautifully smooth lips overtook me. I took my chance, and I leaned in and kissed her. It lasted for what seemed like an eternity of the most pleasurable emotions one could ever feel. I leaned back from her, and we both smiled at each other. I stared into her royal blue eyes as they started to lose all visible signs of life. Her pale skin became even paler and her face lost all of its emotion. She collapsed to the ground completely lifeless.
"Sarah? Sarah!" I screamed.
I dropped to my knees and check her pulse. Nothing. The groups of people around me went silent and I could feel their stares as I looked helplessly into Sarah's eyes.
"Oh God!" I yelled as tears welled up in my eyes. I turned my head and looked straight at the nearest person. "Call 911!"
The boy pulled out his phone and called 911, urging them to come quickly because a girl had fainted and she needed help. Though, I knew that she had no heartbeat and that she wasn't just passed out. She was dead. I leaned over her face and moved her hair as my teardrops fell from my face and rolled down hers.
"I know CPR!" Someone yelled from one of the groups that was watching me.
I turned my head around and wiped the tears from my face. It was Jess Newridge, one of few people in my honors physics class and one of the most popular girls in my school. I move back as Jess fell on her knees and checked Sarah's pulse, then immediately started doing CPR as the silent groups slowly moved forward, creating a crowd around the three of us. I almost felt like it was useless because I knew she had no pulse, but I also knew that there was no chance she could live unless Jess performed CPR.
"Can I get some more light?" Jess said without interrupting her rhythm.
A girl rushed inside and came out incredibly quickly with a flashlight. She shined it on the two girls. The music inside suddenly cut off and the people from inside slowly made their way outside to see what was going on.
The most intense, quietest, and nerve racking five minutes pass before the police sirens were heard in the distance. At this point every person at the party was gathered as one giant mass, completely still and silent in suspense. Jess stopped CPR and stared at Sarah with shock. We held our breath, unsure of what to expect. Jess put her ear to Sarah's chest, and then to her mouth.
"She's alive!" Jess yells joyfully.
I stared in amazement that Sarah was alive. She literally came back from the dead. Jess checked Sarah's pulse and her breathing as her eyes opened slowly.
The crowd all began to cheer and cry tears of joy. Jess started to cry in amazement as well, but quickly wiped away the tears and got back to checking on Sarah. There was a sigh of relief by everyone, especially by Jess. Suddenly, Jess' expression went from joyful to worried as she started to stare into Sarah's eyes ever so deeply.
"Something's wrong!" Jess yelled as terror overcame her worry.
It was too late, I was too late. Sarah lunged at Jess with her teeth. She managed to bite down on her throat as Jess' bloodcurdling scream pierced our souls. The crowd jumped backwards all at once in complete shock.
I lunged at Sarah, attempting to save Jess, but instead of saving her, I just made her death quicker. Sarah took Jess' throat with her as we tumbled to the ground. I looked back at Jess as she went silent, and her eyes became void of all life. She crumpled to the ground, blood spurting from her throat.
I was still on top of Sarah with my arm pinning her neck against the ground. She swallowed Jess' flesh and then proceeded to reach for my face while moaning and repeatedly clasping her teeth down at me. I peered into her eyes. They were grey now, not anything like the royal blue they had been before. She looked dead, but she was alive, and it scared me to my core.
The police cruisers and the ambulances arrived at the scene with their sirens blaring. The crowd dispersed as the police ran to my aid, weapons drawn. They surround me and the first officer points his gun to Sarah's head. Sarah turned her attention to him, trying to claw at his legs, but I kept her pinned.
"Did you know her?" The first officer asked.
"Yea, I did." I said, trying hard to hold back the tears.
"I'm sorry for your loss." The first officer said clearly saddened by the situation.
I squeezed my eyes closed as the first officer fired a round into Sarah's skull. I could feel the warmth of the blood as it splattered across my face and began slowly oozing down. The ringing in my ears stopped me from hearing anything else that was going on. I couldn't hold back anymore; I started to bawl as the officer who shot Sarah helped me to my feet. He carried me to an ambulance that had parked a few feet from the scene while the other officers examine the bodies. The paramedics washed off my face and gave me some water, then they went to check on the other teens. I watch as a different officer fired a round into the Jess' head.
Everybody was in shock, nobody knew what had really happened. I mean Sarah and Jess both died, but no one new what possessed Sarah to do that. I sipped my water as I too much in shock to do anything else. The first officer came over to me with his hat on his chest.
"How are you holding up?" He asked me, crouching to level his face with mine.
I stayed silent, staring directly at the two bodies. The ringing in my ears was still prevalent.
"It's going to be alright son, don't worry." He said to me, putting his hand on my shoulder, "We're going to take care of things."
He removed his hand, stood up, and walked back to the bodies.
The paramedic came over to me next. He was clearly stalling on what he was going to tell me. After a few minutes of awkward silence, the other paramedic came from the side of the ambulance.
"Jim, just get it over with. It's protocol now." The other paramedic said.
"Okay, I will." He said. "I'm sorry, I don't want to be the one to rush you considering the in the state you're in, but I'm need to you to strip...all the way down."
I stared at him, but I knew that there was no getting out of this.
"Trust me, it's in everyone's best interests. And don't worry, you can do in the back of the ambulance." He told me.
I climbed into the back of the ambulance and he came in right after. He closes the doors. I take of my shirt, then my shoes, then my socks, then my pants. I stand in my boxers and look at him asking him with my eyes if he really wants me to completely strip.
"I'm sorry. I haven't had to do this until now, but it's protocol. There's no way around it." Jim said.
I slowly pulled my boxers, making sure to cover my junk with one hand and using my other hand to pull the boxers down the rest of the way.
He grabbed a flashlight from a drawer and came close to me.
"I need you to lift your arms." Jim said.
I lifted my arms, trying to hold in the uneasiness I was feeling. He examined me on all sides of my body. He pulled away and clicked the flashlight off.
"You're clean. We are going to examine you to a further extent at the hospital, we just wanted to make sure you weren't infected." He said relieved.
"Infected?" I asked, quickly putting my clothes back on.
"The reason why that girl attacked you and the other girl. She was infected."
"With what?"
"I'm not supposed to say, hell, I wasn't supposed tell you that there was an infection, to but the world is going to shit, so to hell with it. Anyway, she was infected with the Wildfire Virus. Us paramedics know practically nothing other than that and that it brings you back to life, or at least your body."
"What makes you say the world is going to shit?"
"All of the recent attacks by so called 'cultists' were really by dead people infected with the Wildfire Virus. We don't know how, we don't know why, but it's spreading, and soon there won't be any stopping it."
"Jim, let's head out and get him to Lincoln Medical Center." The other paramedic said, climbing into the driver's seat.
"Okay." Jim said. Then he turned to me. "I'm going to strap you in just to be safe."
I laid down on the stretcher and Jim strapped me in. He sat in the seat right behind me and strapped in just as the ambulance started to move.
"The girl, the one that turned, she said something before she died." I told Jim.
"What did she say?" He asked.
"She said that this infection problem hasn't actually started yet, but when it does, there wouldn't be any of us left to fight it, only to survive it. Do you think she was she talking about the virus?"
"Maybe, but I don't know how she would have known about the virus. I do know that what happened tonight is just the precursor to what's next, and only God knows what's next." Jim said.
I sat back, thinking of how the hell this thing could actually get worse. It was too much to comprehend, that something like this could get worse to the point that we never could have expected it, prepared for it, or even have a cure for it. Though, I know somewhere out there is something that can stop this, a cure we haven't found, and it's only a matter of time before we do. I closed my eyes, hopefully Sarah and Jim were wrong, that this thing isn't going to spread, that we'll be capable of overcoming this like we did with the Bubonic plague and smallpox. My body tensed up as I started connecting the dots. The news stories, the virus, Sarah; they were all connected. I tried to relax, slowly breathing in and out to calm myself, but Sarah's words resonated over and over again in my head:
Michael, listen to me, there is another explanation. I don't think this thing has really started yet, but when it does, there won't be any of us left to fight it, only to survive it.