Chapter Three: Infection

Everyone stood still. The moans of the zombies that seemed to be flooding outside of the Institute were louder than ever. Amber looked outside. A hand had swipe across in front of her, but she was too fast for it. Amber had pulled back and the hand had missed her.

She let out a sigh, "Evan…why don't you keep watch for now?"

Evan nodded. This way he could prove to everyone how cool and unafraid he was, although he knew he deep down he was shaking in fear.

'One bite…one scratch…that could end it all…' He thought to himself as he walked near the broken window.

Shriveled and bloody hands reached up to the window, trying to get to the young man that stood near it. The window was already tainted with blood, but with the zombies crowding around, neatness was out of mind.

Evan walked a little closer to the window. He made sure he was out of reach of the living dead, afraid of what he would become when bitten.

Meanwhile, the others sat down and rested. As long as those things weren't in the mansion, they would be safe for now and could get some sleep. Energy at this point was good to keep store of. No telling when one would need to use it and hopefully when they do, they wont use to much.

There were few footsteps from down the hall. Everyone looked in the directions it could be coming from, but saw nothing. All of a sudden there were more. It was as if people had made it into the Institute safely for shelter, but that alone wouldn't let their guard down.

Everyone kept quiet. Listening to the different footsteps of whatever was making them. Amber was shaking slightly a sixth sense kicking. Telling her something was wrong, that they should get out of there, but she just ignored it and waited. She could hear her breath among the footsteps.

It was shaky from her curiosity and her fear. Adrenaline seemed to want to kick in, it was like her favorite horror movie come to life. Gambit placed a hand on her shoulder and mumbled a few words quietly.

"I have a bad feelin' 'bout this…"

"So do I…" Amber said back, "A part of me wants to get the hell out of here, but the other parts wants to stay and find out whatever it is."

"Yeah, well…I think you should listen to the part that's telling you to get the hell outta here 'cause I don't think they are here for shelter."

Gambit pointed to a stampede of zombies that was heading their way. Everyone that was sitting stood up and ran away; Evan of course was running as well.

Gambit, Amber, Leon and Evan seemed to be using their powers while running to kill at least some of the zombies, but that only seemed to bring more.

"There's too many!" Amber yelled, "Let's just say fuck it and get our sorry asses outta here before we become one of them."

But just as the four were about to turn the corner, they saw the others running the opposite way towards the back door. The four turned the corner and suddenly stopped. A horde of zombies was coming from there to. They quickly turned around and followed the others.

"Open the door!" Leon yelled when the small group of four caught up with everyone else.

"We can't. It…won't…budge…" Jill said trying to kick the door down.

"Here let me try…" Raine said. She went up to the door and punched it slightly, "There you go."

"But it didn't move…"

"That's why you do this…" Raine put her hand on the door and pushed it forward.

The door suddenly fell to the ground, "How did…? Never mind…"

Raine smiled as they ran outside, the other's not far behind. There were zombies out back, but not as many near the front. Raine felt that their was still soul energy in the zombies and began to take that from them, while taking it, she quickly broke their necks so that they wouldn't bite her.

"Now this time stay dead…" She said calmly, enjoy herself.

All of a sudden, out of nowhere, there was a sickening and painful scream. No one turned around or stopped. They couldn't. If they did they would surely get bitten.

When everyone made it to a clearing, where there was no zombies in sight, they did a person count.

"Ok…who's missing?" Gambit asked.

"Um…no one can answer that…since everyone here isn't missing…" Amber said smartly.

"Ok…who's here?"

"Let's see…there's me, you, Leon, Jill, Raine, and…uh…Evan…Ooh…I know who's missing…pick me…pick me…" Amber said cheerfully.

Gambit smile, "Who's missing then?"

"Evan…and soon to be you…bye."

Gambit stood still thinking about what Amber meant, when he finally realized that everyone was gone. He looked in the direction Amber left in and ran up to the group.

"Why'd you leave me?"

"Does you being slow count?" Raine asked.

"Yeah…" Amber said.

"Ok…then that's my answer…"

Gambit frowned, "You know…there's some things we should pick up before we go…"

"Like what…"

Gambit looked around, and spotted something to his liking. A bar whose walls seemed to be covered in blood was nearby. When Amber realized this, she whacked Gambit on the head.

"What's more important…alcohol or your life?"

"The bar of course…"

"Well, then…I guess your life means nothing…and that you hate women…"

"Wait…can I change my answer?"

"Why not?"

"I change it to women…women are more important to me…"

Meanwhile, Evan kept running; the zombies not far behind. He held his arm tightly by his side. His face was wet with sweat and his vision seemed to blur a little, but he kept on running. They had bit him and soon he would be one of them, but he didn't want to. He feared of becoming one and had hoped he would survive.

Evan ran up to a group of survivors. They huddled in a building. All of them holding guns as he walked to them.

"Wait, don't shoot. I'm a survivor." Evan said holding up both arms.

"Have you been bitten or scratched by one of those things?" A deep manly voice had asked.

"I…uh…" Evan started. He couldn't tell them, they would kill him for sure, but that may keep him from changing.

"Have you been bitten or scratched?"

"Yes!" Evan yelled.

"I'm sorry, but we can't let you in. Be gone with you!"

Evan nodded. They probably could bear the fact of killing someone who was still alive. He started walking away, and at a safe distance from the place with the survivors he had stopped. He took one last look at the building before…BANG! A bullet from a shot gun had traveled through his arm. Another fire, but this time the bullet went through his stomach.

Evan continued walking away in pain as his vision blurred, but worse this time. When Evan knew he was away from the building he smiled and fell to the ground. No more gun shots. No more skin being torn from his body. No…more…pain…

Evan's eyes closed and his heart stopped. His body laid still on the ground, blood spilling from his bullet wounds and his bitten arm. Something was wrong. Evan eye's opened but they weren't their normal color of brown they were now a milky white.

End of Chapter 3