Dan

I arrived back to my room without being seen, much to my relief. Shun, despite obviously still being weak from all of the hell he had been through recently, kept up with me fairly well. I knocked on the heavy steel door and said loud enough to be heard on the other side, "Hey, it's Dan! Open up, guys!"

The door then swung open, and Shun and I quickly slipped inside. The moment the door closed behind us, I turned around and saw that the others had already embraced Shun in a hug. "Shun!" they squealed. He stood there for a moment, most likely trying to take in the fact that his once-dead friends really were alive. Julie was the first to break the hug and she asked him, "Surprised to see us?"

Murucho and Runo also broke free and stepped back. Shun continued to stare at them, and slowly nodded to answer Julie's question. "Can somebody please explain to me how you all are alive now?" he asked. Back in the observation room that I had gone into the get Shun, I didn't explain to him how we were all still alive, but gave him the shortest version that I could come up with instead.

So, he deserved to know how his friends were standing in front of him now. I told him, "Why don't you take a seat while we explain what's going on?" He nodded and sat on the edge of a bed. I began to gather up my words and elaborated the recent events to him.

"You see, that mad scientist guy, Layfair, he's been developing a serum to counteract the virus that turned us into zombies," I started. Murucho jumped in and added the more technical details. "It's designed to restore dead, and even lost tissue and muscle. That's how I'm standing here right now. It was actually able to regenerate all of my body."

After Murucho put in his statement, I resumed speaking. "Layfair's also taken more people, or zombies, from both Earth and Vestal to do the same experiments on them as he's done us. Although, until recently, none of his serum's effects have been permanent. Sadly, it's cause of all of the stuff he did to you that it now has a permanent effect," my voice trailed off.

Shun leaned forward a bit and asked me, "What all did they do to me while I was out? I mean, the last thing I remember was passing out in the streets. That's it….." I could see that this blank space in Shun's memory was bothering him, but there was also something else, something deeper that was troubling him.

"Layfair explained it all to me when I first found you. You remember the antidote that you were injected with back on Earth? Well, somehow what was left of it combined with your cells, and Layfair told me that those cells were the only reason you had lasted that long while infected," I paused for a moment to let Shun register what I was saying.

When he nodded, I continued. "So, he decided to take those cells and put them into the serum so the effects may be permanent, but he needed a lot of them, and in order to get the amount he needed, he infected you with the virus God-knows how many times. It would have killed you, but they were also giving you just enough of one of the serums to keep you alive, but not enough for you to heal," I told him sadly.

What they had put Shun through was more than anyone could have possibly handled. Shun narrowed his eyes and adverted his gaze down towards the floor. He muttered under his breath with hostility, "Sick bastards…" I was sure I would have had the same kind of mindset after learning what kind of atrocities had been performed on me.

I then ran a hand through my hair, catching a few knots along the way, and sighed. "But I have a feeling that the worst is about to come." Everyone's eyes were on me, but Shun was the only one that didn't know what I meant by that.

I told him, "Layfair, now that he has his serum perfected, is going to cure all of the people that he had infected, but is now going to turn around and sell the virus as a biological weapon to other worlds, then sell the serum to the victimized worlds. This will be happening everywhere if he does that."

Had I covered it all? Was there anything vital that I left out? Shun crossed his arms over his chest and said flatly, "Then we need to stop him before he has the chance to do any of that."

Murucho raised his hand, as if asking for permission to jump back into the conversation, and said, "Um, I don't think it will be that easy. We should most likely get out of here and regroup, so that way we won't be on their territory and at a disadvantage. In other words, we should get out of here first before we take any plan of action against Layfair."

Shun's expression changed for a moment, and he cast his eyes down. "Hey, what's up, buddy?" I asked, growing concerned. He glanced up at me and said sadly, "I just remembered that Alice and the others were still out there before I was taken here."

So, Alice was still alive when Shun became a lab rat, but who were the others? Runo, as if reading my mind, asked him, "Others?" Shun nodded and said hoarsely, "The Vestals. Mira, Ace, Keith, and Baron. Alice and I met up with them when the second virus was let loose."

It had been smart of Shun to team up with a group; doing things like that could increase your chances of surviving. But at the same time it can backfire and turn against you, I thought bitterly as I remembered the traitor that released to hoard into Murucho's mansion, killing everyone inside except Shun and Alice.

Runo gave a slight smile and said, "Well, I'm sure Shun is going to want to try and find Alice, so we have another reason to get out of here as soon as possible." Shun gave her a single nod to show that he agreed. I walked across the room and looked at the map of the lab that was screwed on the wall, in case of emergencies such as fire, or zombie invasion.

I eventually found our room, and used my finger to trace through the hallways until I found the nearest exit. Behind me, Runo asked, "What in the world are you doing, Dan?" Without turning around, I told her, "Planning our escape route. What's it look like?"

I could tell she rolled her eyes at me, even without seeing it. When I was sure that I could get us out of here without making a wrong turn, I told the others, "Alright, I think I found the quickest way out of here. So, let's get a move on."

Dan

I poked my head out of the door and checked both ways down the hall for anyone passing by. When I was sure that the cost was clear, I motioned for the others to follow me and we hurried out of the room, the heavy steel door clicking closed behind us.

There was no turning back for us now. It was either get out now, or never get out at all. I led our group down several halls, keeping my eyes open for the room numbers that I had paid attention to on the map as landmarks. I felt that we were nearing the exit that I had designated. "It should be just up ahead!"

I shouted back to the others behind me. I was about to round a corner and go down another hallway, when I heard Murucho. He shouted at me, "Dan! Hold up!" I skidded to a halt and turned around, wondering what was so important for us to stop when we were practically at the exit.

It was only when I saw Shun leaning against the wall, struggling to stand, did I realize what was going on. I ran back over to the others, which were crowded around Shun, and pushed past them to reach my friend. Now that I was closer, I saw that the black discoloration was starting to return on his arm with a vengeance.

"Damn. I forgot that the serum I gave you wasn't the one Layfair perfected," I hissed under my breath. Shun was clutching onto his sides, and he slid down the wall and onto to his knees as he was grew weaker. If we didn't do something soon, the serum was going to wear off and he wasn't going to make it.

"We've got to find where Layfair's keeping his new serum and give it to Shun, and quick," I said sternly. I turned back to Shun and asked him, "Do you think you can possibly keep going?" He glanced up at me, the dark circles returning around his eyes. "I don't know," he said breathlessly and cringed as the black decay started to slither back up his arm.

My hands tightened into fists at my sides. What was I to do? I had no idea where Layfair was keeping his serum, and I didn't have time to waste looking for it; Shun needed it now.

I ran a hand through my hair and finally said, "I'm going to go and search for that serum. You guys duck away into a storage room or something and keep an eye on Shun, and for anybody that's looking for us."

They nodded, not even protesting the slightest bit to what I had just told them. Without waiting to see which way they were going, I turned and ran back down the hall, searching for wherever that serum might be.

Keith

We had yet to find another place to hunker down in since being run off from our last hideout. Our group was tired, and it was clear that some of our optimism was fading away. Night had fallen over the remains of Vestal sometime ago, and the last of the electricity finally went out as well, leaving the streets pitch black, minus the light radiating off of Vestal's moons.

This was a dangerous time to be out in the streets; we were unable to see what was coming at us, or even where each other was at times. We were all at a serious disadvantage, and needed to seek shelter as soon as humanly possible. At last, we finally settled on hiding out underneath a bridge as our last resort.

It was open on both sides, giving us an easy escape if need be. As we stayed huddled up as far up under the bridge as we could get, things finally began to set it; this is what we had been reduced to, cowering beneath a bridge when had taken out God-knows how many of those creatures out there.

Then again, that was when our group was stronger, and not cracking under the weight of grief of our lost friends. Now, we were probably at the weakest we had ever been. I found myself looking up at the underside of the bridge above us. It was damp and musty, and water dripped from cracks in the concrete structure.

At this point, Baron, if he were still with us, would have asked how long we would be here at this bridge, and either Ace or I would tell him that we didn't know. It still didn't feel like our young friend was gone, and when I kept telling myself that he was, it felt all the more surreal.

And no matter how much everyone told me to stop blaming myself for what happened up on that roof, I still held myself accountable for Baron's death. Beside me, I could hear the slow breathing patterns of the others, which told me they were asleep now.

After all that we've been through up till now, they deserve to get some rest. I found my own eyes growing heavy with fatigue, and I closed them for what seemed like a minute, but was actually hours, for when I woke up, it was morning.

Although, the way I was pulled from my slumber wasn't the way I wished. I had been jolted awake by a sharp pain in the calf of my leg, and when my eyes flew open and looked to see what was going on, I found that I zombie had crawled up to where we were at, and had bitten down on my leg.

My eyes widened as I stared in shock, knowing full well what fate was to become of me now, but my shock quickly wore off and I kicked the zombie off, causing him to slide back down. "Wake up! We have to leave! Now!" I shouted at the others when I realized that more of the living corpses were making their way towards us.

They held their noses up in the air, sniffing. They smell my blood. I'm why they're coming after us. The others bolted up the moment they saw what was going on. I pointed back towards the city and told them, "Go on! Get out of here!"

As the zombies started to try and crawl back up to get us, I realized that none of us had any weapons to fight back with; they all had been left back at the store. Ace quickly asked me, "What about you? Aren't you coming with us?" It was obvious none of them had noticed the chunk of flesh that had been taken out of my leg.

So, to let them know, I glanced down, and their gaze followed. Their faces turned pale, but none more than Mira's. "If I go with you guys, they'll just track the scent of my blood. Now, just go!" I snapped. Alice and Ace exchanged looks, but didn't budge. "But, Keith," Alice started.

I narrowed my eyes at them and said sternly, "No buts! Get out of here!" The three of them stood there for a bit longer, then reluctantly got out of dodge. Once I was sure that they were gone, I turned and ran in the other direction, the zombies lumbering after me.

I scrambled back up the hill and returned to the streets above, where I was met with several more zombies hunting the scent of my fresh blood. Deciding that I wasn't going to go down without a fight, I began to scour for a weapon.

Eventually, I ran over to one of the flying cars that had plummeted to the streets and crashed, and tore off its windshield wipers. As zombies got near me, I rammed the wipers into their skulls. One had slipped past me and was now behind me, where he sunk his teeth into my shoulder.

I cried out and tried to stab it with the wiper from behind, but was unable to get him. Then, a bullet shot into my attacker's skull and he fell to the ground. When I followed the direction of where it came from, and found Mira standing there, a pistol held tightly in her hands and tears streaking down her face.

She then turned and shot several more rounds, taking out the rest of the zombies that had been drawn by the scent of my blood. I already felt myself growing weak, and I stumbled back and sat down on the ground, leaning my back against the base of a building.

My sister dropped the pistol and ran over to my side. I turned and looked at her. "I thought I told you and the others to go. And where did you get that pistol from?" I asked, glancing back at the weapon that she had dropped. I had thought that we left all of our weapons back in the store, but I was obviously mistaken.

She wiped a tear from her eyes and told me, "It was on my person when we left, but I only had about ten rounds, so I was saving them for an emergency or when we really needed them." Her eyes then went back and forth from the bite wound on my shoulder and leg, and more tears streaked down her face.

"You can't die, Keith. There's already been too much loss, and I don't want to deal with anymore," she said with a sob. I then placed my hand on her shoulder as a means of comfort and told her weakly, "I know, but there's nothing that can be done. Now, you need to get going before I turn, okay?"

I could already feel myself growing weaker every second, and I wondered how Shun had tolerated this kind of suffering for as long as he did before finally succumbing to it. Mira let another sob escape, and she stood up, but instead of walking away and towards the direction of where Alice and Ace had gone, she went over to one of the zombies that she had shot dead.

"Mira? What are you doing?" I asked hoarsely. She gave me a sad smile, and placed her lithe arm towards the mouth of the dead corpse, and applied pressure until the teeth broke her skin, and a thin line of blood trickled down and onto the ground. "Mira! What are you doing!" I shouted at her.

Did she realize what she had just done? Mira walked back over to where I was sitting and knelt down beside me. My eyes fell to the forced bite mark on her arm, and I still didn't believe that she did what she did.

Mira looked me straight in the eyes and said in a surprisingly stern voice, "Keith, we've both lost too much. We lost father years ago, along with our friends in this apocalypse. But I'm not going to lose the last family I have left and be left alone. Do you understand? I don't want to lose anything else, especially not the remainder of my family."

I felt a single tear form and spill over my eye, and I blinked away anymore that may have been trying to form. I then told her, "I don't want to come back as one of those things. Mira, are there any rounds left in that pistol?"

She shook her head, and feeling so defeated, I shut my eyes and allowed the tears to flow freely now. "Alright, then," I said in a shaky voice. "Guess we just wait then." Mira nodded and sat down beside me, and we both waited for our worlds to go black.

yup. that happened. for those that have read Wolf's Howling check out my profile and vote on the poll concerning a possible sequel to the story. (it's looking good so far.) read, review, and other things. ~Copperpelt~