The past 48 hours had been a living nightmare for Evelyn Davis. In the seven years she had worked as a tour guide in the Capitol Building Museum, never had she experienced such horror. There had been bomb threats, fights, robberies, but walking corpses was a whole new level of on the job danger. Of course, she had seen the news stories about these B.O.W.s. She had gasped and made comments to her husband about how terrible it must be, how her heart went out to the victims. Living it, however, was the only way to truly understand the extent of what these viruses can do. The night it happened, Evelyn had volunteered to stay late. There was a new display going up, and she had been happy to assist in getting it tour ready.
The first sign of something being wrong, was the fire alarm going off. Davis had been confused, knowing that no drill had been scheduled.
She looked at her coworker, Frank, who she had been assisting with the display, "You think there's really a fire?"
"You really want to find out?" He dropped his tools next to their project. "C'mon, Lynn. Let's head out to the plaza. Either way, they'll want us out of the building."
"True enough," She sighed and stood up from her crouch, smoothing down her lilac skirt. "Let's go, then."
As they made their way to the nearest exit, a scream could be heard over the alarms. The pair exchanged a look. Without words, they made the decision to check out the source of the cry. Making a left down a corridor, a crowd could be seen ahead. Picking up the pace, they made a beeline for the scene ahead. In the center of the crowd, a woman was on the ground, holding her neck, gurgling out cries of pain. Two more sat on each side of her, attempting to assist with the wound. A little behind the crowd three men were trying to wrestle a fourth to the wall. The man resisted, groaning and spitting, blood dripping down his chin. The crazed look in his eyes sent chills down Evelyn's spine.
"What's going on here?" Evelyn asked, trying to get a handle on the situation.
"That fucker bit her!" A young man in an oversized suit jacket blurted out, eyes wide. Likely a new intern, since Davis didn't recognize him. "He bit her right on the neck!"
Frank circled around the crowd to help subdue the attacker, and Evelyn passed her gaze over the onlookers. They all gaped at the scene before them. One even had her phone out to record the tragedy as it unfolded.
"Has anyone called the police?" The group exchanged blank looks. The woman glared at the girl taking video. "So, you have time to record, but not call a paramedic? Lord, help me…" Davis had left her on cell in her purse, so she snatched the one from the hands of the callous onlooker.
"Yes, hello? I'd like to report an emergency…" she paced the hall as she gave the details to the 911 operator.
"Do you think this is like what happened in D.C.?" The young intern asked nervously. "Like, you know… what are they? Bows?"
"Shut up, Will," another voice answered. "You're not helping."
"I mean it…" Will stammered, "What if it is that? We have to get out of here! It's, like, a virus! It spreads when they bite you!"
"I said shut up!"
Evelyn tried to ignore the exchange as she relayed as much information as she could to the operator, giving them her exact location.
The room got quiet as the victim's screams died out, and her body went still. The only sounds to be heard were the fire alarm, accompanied by the grunts and growls of the struggling attacker. Davis paused to put her eyes on the woman.
"Is she…?" Evelyn paused. The two who had been assisting the woman looked away from what was now a lifeless body. One met her eyes with a look that said everything. Suddenly, that expression changed into one of shock as a rattling sigh escaped the injured woman's lips. Davis forgot she was on the phone as she witnessed the corpse begin to jerk and convulse.
The crowd began to back away, the two makeshift nurses following suit. The bloody woman slowly lifted her body upright. The intern, Will, immediately turned tail and ran just as the walking corpse lunged at the nearest human. The zombie's target was able to dodge, and a man's scream drew everyone's attention. Distracted by the unfolding chaos, the men holding down the first zombie had relaxed their guard. The beast had managed to get a hold of Frank.
"Frank! No!" Evelyn cried, too late. The man's shoulder had already been torn into by gnashing teeth.
There was no time for the woman to mourn her friend. The female zombie rushed forward, snarling, as gore dripped from her throat. Davis was nearly knocked over, as the others rushed passed. The male corpse had lost interest in Frank and had also set it's eyes on the only stationary human in the hallway. Snapping out of her shock-induced stupor, she spun around into a sprint. Her low heels clacking across the floor. Remembering the cell in her hand, she shouted into the receiver.
"There's two now! I think they're infected with that virus!" Evelyn chanced a look over her shoulder. Her pursuers still followed, but fortunately, they didn't travel fast. "We need as many officers as you've got! They're biting people and spreading it!"
Screams and shouts erupted from up ahead. Turning the corner, the tour guide froze in her tracks. The rotunda was teeming with the undead. Her colleges had run right into the thick of it. Some were being feasted on, while others were running back towards Davis.
"It's too late!" sobbed the intern as he limped toward the older woman, blood soaking the left leg of his suit. "They're everywhere!"
The phone slipped out of Evelyn's hand as she took in what she was seeing. It was a waking nightmare, too terrible to be true. She quickly collected herself, and decided to try a different route. Turning back down the hall. She decided on the next closest exit. The alarms continued to blare as she made her way through the building. More screams could be heard from different directions. A series of gunshots sounded from upstairs. The woman rounded another corner only to see a group of monsters pouring through an open set of double doors. The moans crept up from where she had come. Making a snap decision, Evelyn went through a door into an slammed and locked the door. A large cupboard caught her attention. She emptied the storage receptacle, making enough room for her body. Closing the doors over herself, the relative safety of her location allowed her a moment to break down. Her body shook as she sobbed quietly into her hands. She thought of her husband, Derek, wondering if she'd ever see him again. She prayed her hiding place would keep her safe until help could arrive.
It was hard for her to determine how long she hid. It felt like hours, it felt like days. During her stay in the piece of antique furniture all she could occupy herself with was listening. Thumps, screams, gunshots, and the moans and grunts of the shambling undead making their way to new victims. At one point, she heard the sounds of a person stumbling into the room where she hid. The door was slammed shut behind them, as the person scrambled around the room, presumably hiding, or perhaps searching for something. Evelyn contemplated revealing herself, but stopped short, realizing this person could be infected themselves. As she guiltily justified staying still and quiet, the other human's footsteps approached her cabinet. Davis held her breath, hoping the person on the other side of the doors wasn't going to be a danger to her. Better yet, that they would change their mind and move on.
A sudden banging at the door interrupted Evelyn's thoughts. It sounded like a body or bodies slamming against the wood. The human intruder gasped. The sound of a piece of furniture dragging across the floor ended in a thump. Perhaps a chair being placed under the doorknob. A splintering crunch signalled that the measure hadn't helped. The human screamed, revealing that it was female. The moans got louder and hungrier. More cracks and crunches and the woman screamed again, louder and longer. Her cry suddenly sounded strangled and weak, gurgling off to meld with the sounds of feasting monsters.
Evelyn sobbed quietly. Praying her hideout would protect her. The noises penetrating her closet making her stomach turn. There was nowhere for her to go. Nothing to do but listen to the woman she ignored be consumed. Guilt and fear consumed her thoughts. How long would she stay here? Would help even come?
Hours passed, and silence surrounded Davis' hiding place. The woman was out of tears. In fact, she was incredibly dehydrated. Her mouth felt like it was filled with cement. She knew she couldn't stay in hiding forever. Cautiously, she cracked open the door. The room looked different from when she had last viewed it. The furniture was strewn about, the door hanging open, cracked and splintered. The carpet was stained with blood. Unidentifiable gore in place of the body Evelyn had expected to see.
"She must have turned…" The words slipped out of her mouth. Her voice sounded strained and alien.
Listening for sounds of danger, she awkwardly crept out of the cabinet. I just have to get out of here. She thought while peeking out of the room into the hallway. The way looked clear in both directions. She decided to take the direct route to the front of the building, when a shadow moved in that direction. Back way it is.
She decided to take off her heels before making a run for it. Better to be as quiet as possible, she thought. Evidence of the infection was everywhere. Bloody hand and footprints, scattered and broken furniture. A still body sprawled out in her path had been surrounded by a pool of blood. It's middle had been eaten away. Spine was visible in the gore left behind. Evelyn tiptoed around it, trying and failing to avoid the puddle with her feet. Not getting too close to any open doorways, for fear of what might be lurking, Evelyn practically sprinted toward her goal. She slowed as she approached a bend in the hall, afraid she might skid into the wall on her nyloned feet. As she made the turn, she nearly came face to face with an undead nightmare. It appeared to have once been male. It's jaw dangled from one side, with a writhing tongue lolling around restlessly. Upon seeing a fresh meal, it reached it's arms out and sputtered out a cry. Evelyn was unable to hold back a shriek. She frantically twisted around and ran back the way she came. In her panic, she forgot about the body, and found herself slamming a foot into it's wet, cold side. She went flying, landing in the sticky blood puddle and sliding across the tile floor.
As she struggled to pick herself up, she heard the zombie wail as it followed after her. She turned to see how close it was and was greeted by the sight of the half-eaten corpse she had tripped on dragging itself toward her. Scrambling in the slick bloody mess, Evelyn got to her feet. More monsters were appearing up ahead. Creeping out of the rooms she had passed earlier, alerted by her scream. She did the only thing she could think to do, and ran. She could at least be thankful that the creatures moved slowly as she wove around any danger on her way. She had no idea where she was running to at this point. She just knew she needed to move. The sound of a door slamming shut caught her attention, but there was no time to investigate. She continued forward until she reached the end of the hallway. The doors around her were locked. She pounded on them to no avail. Undead crept closer from the way she had come. She knew it was time to make a decision. She knew the windows were too thick for her to break through. The horde ahead of her wasn't tightly packed. If she could somehow break through them, she could try again for the exit.
Prepping herself with a deep breath, she charged forward. To the left of the creature in front, to the right of the one trailing behind it. Arms reached out to grab her, nails biting into flesh. She heard fabric rip as she pushed through the nightmare horde. Miraculously, she made it without becoming lunch. She had no time to celebrate the success of her bravery however. While she had pushed through the heavier part of the crowd, more lingered further down the hall. It seemed every abomination in the building was making a beeline for her. The direction of the front exit was swarming, so she returned to her original plan of taking the closest back way. After what she had been through, she knew she could make it.
She turned the corner where she had met her first obstacle, finding it mostly deserted. The present zombies tried to come for her, but she moved quickly. Continuing forward, the former tour guide did her best to take the shortest path out of the building. What she would do after exiting was another thing entirely. Is it just as bad outside? What if it's worse? What sounded like a person calling out caught Evelyn's attention. Could that be another survivor? Maybe it would be safer to team up? A pang of regret hit her in the pit of her stomach. Maybe that's what that woman thought earlier…
Not allowing doubt to slow her down, Davis made a right, traveling toward what she hoped was another human. A door slammed shut a bit down the hall. Surely zombies don't close doors behind them… She thought as she approached carefully. She had watched a movie or two, and decided it best not to rush in, in case the survivor had a gun and an itchy trigger finger. There was not, however, a whole lot of time to be wasting, as there were several undead making their way toward her from the other direction. She turned the knob, swinging the door outward, keeping her body away from the opening. The lack of any response from within encouraged her to peek inside.
The room was empty. Perplexed, she scanned around the scene beyond the door. Surprisingly, the room seemed to be largely undisturbed in general. The groans to her left were getting closer, and it seemed some new friends had begun to approach from the other direction as well. Snapping back into preservation mode, she stepped inside the empty office, closing the door behind her. She was certain she had seen this room's door close. The room appeared ro be an office of some sort. One she had never had a reason to visit in the past. There was no large furniture to hide inside like she had before. Walking around the desk in the center of the room, she crouched down to peer beneath it. No one. Did I really imagine it? Or… She looked around the room. There were no windows. An air vent was on the back wall, but it was no where near big enough for a person to fit inside. Footsteps echoed from outside the office. A crunch, followed by a soft wheeze. Evelyn stood up, frozen in fear. There was a console table behind the desk, against the wall. Searching for some sort of weapon, she settled on a large vase. She had barely wrapped her hands around it, when the door busted open. Without thinking, she let her fear control her arms, and launched the porcelain at the incoming intruder. She dropped down behind the desk as it shattered against the wall. Peaking over the mahogany, her eyes fell on a handsome man. He had apparently evaded her misguided assault, and was bringing himself to his full height, while regarding her with a concerned expression.
She slowly rose up as well, daring to ask, "Are… you alive?"
o-o-o-o-o-o
Leon waited for the survivor to come around the desk before leading the way forward. He decided to make bringing this woman to safety his priority before continuing with his mission. The barricades weren't far, and he thought he might be able to convince the B.S.A.A. to lend him a few men to help clear the museum, making his job easier.
"My name is Leon Kennedy," He told the woman as he walked. "What's your name?" He hoped a bit of conversation might calm the woman.
"I'm Evelyn," She answered softly. "Evelyn Davis."
"Do you work here, Evelyn?"
"…Yes."
"That's good news," The man said reassuringly. "You can help me pick a good way out of here."
A pair of zombies ambled ahead. Leon fired a shot into the brain of one and ran up and rammed his knife up through the jaw of the second.
Evelyn watched in quiet awe as Kennedy removed his blade from the cadaver and wiped it clean on the monster's shirt. "I don't think there is one," she paused. "I've been trying every way I know, but these… things are everywhere."
The brunette went back into stance as he continued forward, keeping his eyes open for trouble. "Well, I guess we'll just have to take the path with the least amount of 'things'. I know the main entrance is out. Is there a back way that you know of?"
"There is, but when I tried that way before, there were so many of them."
"Give me a number."
She thought for a moment, "I'm not sure at least a dozen."
"Are we talking, big open room, or a narrow hallway?"
Annoyed with all the questions, Davis raised a brow. "A hallway?"
"I can work with that," he decided, confidently. "Tell me which way to go."
Evelyn stopped and shook her head. "Just wait a second. Who are you?"
Leon came to a halt, turning his head, not his body. He crossed his arms impatiently, causing the leather of his black jacket to squeak softly. "I told you. Leon Kennedy."
"You know what I mean. Are you some kind of commando or something? "Cause I'm not following you into that death trap unless you've got some skills to back up this crazy plan of yours."
Kennedy sighed and faced the survivor. "I'm a special agent with the American government. I've been through this before. I know what I'm doing."
On cue, Hunnigan came through the line. "Leon, what is your status?"
The agent looked at Evelyn and tapped his ear to let her know he wasn't talking to her. "I found a survivor. An employee here. I'm going to escort her to the barricade."
"What about your mission? Have you found any clues to what happened?"
"Not yet. This place is crawling with B.O.W.s. Do you think you can put in a request to the B.S.A.A. to prioritize clearing this building?"
"I'll do what I can, Leon."
"Thanks, Hunnigan. Leon out," ending the transmission, he met Evelyn's gaze. "You ready?"
"I swear to god, if you get me killed, I will haunt you," she answered, cocking her head in the direction they needed to travel and beginning to walk.
Leon's mouth curled at the corners. "This might be a first," he thought. Leon Kennedy was not used to women listening to him.
o-o-o-o-o-o