Chapter 1

You stupid fool

A man running down a dark street,
not knowing where to go, panic written across his face,
looking franticly, from left to right, searching.
Rain pours down on row upon row of buildings all closed off, all dark, lifeless.

3 other figures charging after him, almost lurching, shambling, but still at a pace to keep with him, Blood lust in their eyes.

"get away" he thinks, got to get away from them, they never tire, never stop, wanting his flesh.

the helicopter flew over head hours ago, he knew, the pilot's voice ringing out ove the loudspeaker, telling all to hear, to get to mercy hospital, it had been doing that for a day or so.

"This place has gone to hell" he thought. Glad at the fact that only 3 of them are chasing him,
There, ahead a door, safe room at last. "no weapon to fight with, it's my only chance" he thinks

safety, gotta reach that door, been running for hours now.

"I cant keep this up", he thinks, "they are closing, 100 meters to go, my legs are burning bad now,
I cant stop, i was fit before all this started, but now,
I never knew i could get so fast, being hunted for 2 weeks will do that to you".

50 meters, closing now, but so are they, I can hear their ragged breathing.

30 meters.

20 meters, 10, i can here a gurgling noise, behind me not now i think.
I don't need one of those Fat one's, hurling everywhere, calling in more infected,
I don't need that, not when i'm so close, I put in all my strength in to my legs, door so close.
I dive, turning, slamming the door shut in there faces, scrambling, looking i see the locking bar,
grabbing it as one lunge's his arms through the door at me.

I need this in place I think, slamming it down on the arm, the elbow snaps,
but still he keeps it there, again and again i lay in,
the arm starts to give, one more should do it! The bar shears through the mangled joint in a welter of polluted blood,
The bar is in place, I dive back avoiding the infected blood, stay back,
don't want to end up like them, or worse. Weapons, anything, I look around,
taking in my surroundings i see a bat, no gun, dam! That will have to do for now,another door, broken,not good a dark hole in my safety.

I go in.

Its dark in here, nearly too dark, I wish I had a flashlight,
I don't have time to wait, gotta get out of here, gotta get to the pickup,
at least get to the roof, to get my bearings. But that means going on,
There, a crack of light spilling onto the floor, I move slow, the handle turns in my hand, light bathes me,
an empty bathroom, mirror over sink, toilet, water thats good,
I drink long gulps, amazed there's any in the tanks.

I leave the door open, needing the light, there are stairs, to the roof, long spiral flight straight up,
4 floors, no other doors on them, a distant roof access, that can wait.
Time for the last room. 2 weeks, I think, 2 weeks of living like this, not getting bitten or scratched from anything,
almost smugly, a grin on my face, gone a second later, my friends lost in the first few days, been alone since.

this room should be empty. No, there, on the floor someone asleep, he stirs, rises fast, too fast.
Shit, not asleep at all.
"stay back" I shout just in case.
before the words escape my lips, his mouth clamps onto my arm, teeth sinking through the skin, into the muscle,
blood flows freely covering his jaw, i think, you stupid fool you have done it now.
"nooooooooooo" I scream.
He tears a chunk from my left arm,
in my right, the bat which i swing in a overhead ark, missing his head but connecting with his collar,
crunch, bone gives, he does not,
another swing, a sideways blow to the head,
impact, hard and jarring, his head snaps to the side,
one more! Harder this time! Blood,
bone and lumps of grey splatter the wall and my arm, my wounded arm!
Clean it, clean it, there might be time, still could be time, no time,
i run back to the bathroom, the water still running, I jam my arm under the tap, its to late!

Outside, i think i want to be out side, stairs up, up and up, it's taking to long,
shouldn't be that hard, wheezing i reach the top.
the fire door, open, the roof bare.I lean on it closing it behind me, blood loss and fear grip me,
i tear my shirt at the sleave and tie it round my bite, slowing the blood flow.

my sides start to ache, my head spins, vision greys, is this how it starts?

I try to cry out, but pain fills me.I slide down the door.

Darkness.