Chapter 1

Michael Elofer let the cool December breeze whip over his left arm as he drove his silver car down a dark highway. He gazed out onto the road nervously, tapping the steering wheel softly with his right hand, letting the left hand dangle out the window. Not many cars on this highway tonight thought Mike. It was as if the highway was bare. Only three other cars could be seen driving, their headlights like stars flashing through the night. "This highway is usually filled" he said to himself. Wonder if Cory's okay he thought. Of course he is. Mike still didn't feel reassured everything was okay in Garden City though after the strange call he had received. He turned on exit 2 and made a right. He drove someway down the road and veered left. From there he went straight down the road and past the train tracks. One more left put him near the local middle school. Kinds of reminds me of my middle school. The structure was basically the same, but very different nonetheless. After all, it was a whole different school. Mike took the time driving by to welcome a rush of cool nostalgia. But after that, when he passed the swim club during another right, he remembered the other memories of his childhood. The nightmares. The whole reason he was coming to see if Cory was alright. The visions flooded his mind as he turned onto the next road, darkened by the trees. The blood, Carnage, Umbrella, the strange creatures in the night. All of this flooded his mind again as he made his final left. He grasped the steering wheel tighter, tighter. He sped down the road some more and slammed the brakes. "Holy shit!" he yelled. He unlocked the doors and flung the door open. Running over towards a strange figure, he pulled out his desert eagle. Holding the gun over near his head, he bent down over a rotting figure sprawled across the ground. Damn! It's a man! He said to himself. Heart racing, he turned the lifeless over on its fleshy side, revealing a ripped shirt. This only revealed his ribcage. a bloody mass of veins and bones. "Uggghhhh" groaned Mike. "What did this?" he said out loud. Wait a minute. Wasn't a new Umbrella laboratory built... Oh god, he thought. "Umbrella!" He quickly got up, gripped his magnum and prayed that Cory was safe. He heard a growling in the bushes a moment later as he was walking towards his car. He turned around and pointed his gun at the bushes. "This is Officer Michael Elofer of the Philadelphia S.T.A.R.S. I demand you show yourself now." Inside Mike knew that if it was one of the creatures, it wouldn't listen. But as an officer of the law it was his duty to look for any survivors. Shut up he said to himself. How many normal humans growl? A moment later a large dog bounded out of the bushes and landed in front of Mike. It looked as if its skin had fallen off, revealing a hulking mass of canine muscle and organs. It let out another threatening growl, and jumped on him, pinning him down to the cool dewy grass. Mike, seeing that the dog was snapping wildly at him, drew his magnum upwards and pulled the trigger, blood and muscle dropping to the ground near him. Now he saw his chance. Mike thrust his legs upwards, kicking the dog onto the grass nearby. "Eat this Lassie!" yelled Mike as he fired three bullets into its chest and one in the face. The mutant dog let out a flat squeal, shook a little, the drowned in it's own blood, the dog's mouth foaming with red death. "What the hell is going on in this city?" Mike said. "Whatever Umbrella did, they will pay as soon as I hunt them down!" He ran to his car and got in. He drove down the road looking around. Everything seemed okay. Well then, everything seems- His thought was cut short as a rotting man, like the one he had just observed, actually moved in front of his car. Mike tried to slam the brakes, but he hit the creature and it burst through the windshield. He yelled and let the wheel run wild. His car veered to the right and he released the lock just in time. He burst through the door as his car slammed into a house near the intersection. His car burst into flames and the whole intersection was inflamed. Mike looked down at his left knee, which seemed in pretty bad shape. As he moved down the street towards Cory's house, he saw more of the "zombies" stumbling over trash-cans and shuffling around the street. He propped up his gun and listened to the faint howling of a dog. Or former dog he said to himself. As he looked down the foggy road, he prepared himself for a rough ride.

***

Cory Vickers looked out into the shadowy road and wondered. Wondered why Mike hadn't arrived yet. Cory walked nervously to his closet. He turned the doorknob and revealed a large store of weapons. He drew out a large assault shotgun and looked at it thoughtfully. It hadn't been to long ago he used this. Cory locked the door and paced around, thinking. Thinking about what had happened to his humble home, Garden City. Mike can make it through these zombies. He is a trained member of the Phillie S.T.A.R.S., after all. Cory heard another low groan outside of his kitchen window. He looked out to see his neighbor, Rick, shuffling around the street, looking for live flesh. Uneasy, he walked back to his living room and sighed. How long will it be before he realizes that the whole city is infected? He will still come looking for me. Will he? The thought of his friend abandoning him like that made him angry. Inside he knew Mike would never do that. Once more he listened to the groans outside, then the blood-curdling scream of a young woman. This last noise echoed through the city of death and made him shiver. "Cory, are you okay?" whispered a small female voice coming down the stairwell. It was only Jen, his best friend and partner. She had stuck with him through Carnage and more. "Yeah, I'm fine," Cory replied meekly. "Just a little shaky, that's all." he said in an even softer tone of voice. "Mike will make it, don't worry." she said in a reassuring voice. "Once he comes, you should go with him while I stay here and investigate." "Your right!" said Cory. "That sounds like the best course of action." Cory and Jen heard more strange noises running down the street. But then. gunfire! "Jen, listen!" shouted Cory, with some actual spirit in his voice. "I hear it!" she said happily and moved towards the door, her pistol loaded and ready. A sudden rasp moved the door on its hinges, and Cory ran to see who it was. "Its Mike!" yelled Cory while unlatching the door. Michael Elofer burst through the door; turned around, slammed it shut, and locked it. The door moved lightly again, the groaning of zombies trying to get inside echoed through the air. "Cory, what the hell is going on in this city?" Mike rasped, panting for breath, and reaching for his left knee. Cory pulled mike to the couch. "Jen, get a medical kit and a bandage. His leg is cut. Mike, sit down and I'll explain the whole thing." Mike laid back and relaxed, letting his tight muscles loosen. He leaned over to Cory and said, "Listen, do you have any fifty cal action express rounds. I drained my two clips on those zombies out in the street." Cory walked over to his closet and pulled out a box. "Yeah, sure." he replied quickly and laid them down on the table. As Mike began loading a clip into his gun, Jen walked in with a green box. Cory opened it and took out some bandages and herb mixes. He sprinkled the herb mixtures on the bandages and wrapped them around Mike's leg. "Thanks." said Mike. "I needed that." "Anytime." Mike fastened the remaining clips (4 total) into his belt and listened as Cory told him how the nightmare of Garden City began.