Note: I think it's clear by now that the pace of this story is much faster than that in Metamorphosis (that other story of mine) which might be a little bit of a slow burn for some but I'm just experimenting with people (although fictional) and their emotions, that's all! Thank you all so much for the nice words and support, it really warms my heart. I'm immensely grateful! Hope y'all have been having a wonderful day.

Virulent

Chapter 3

A week went by with both Bella and Edward buried deep in their own work. They hadn't made an effort to sleep together in a couple of days and both were growing more and more stressed with each passing night. Edward could only relieve himself in the bathroom, usually thinking of Bella's breasts that would bounce up and down as she rode him.

Bella, on the other hand, used her trusty vibrator. Sometimes she'd joke to Edward that it was even better than him. He'd sulk for the rest of the night.

However, both of them didn't pay any attention to the news. Despite Bella hearing Alice, her next door neighbor in her apartment complex, rant about something that had to do with Halloween and monsters, Bella just went back to her own business.

Similarly, Edward was researching about artificial intelligence and talking to other professors in the philosophy faculty. He also paid no attention to the world around him. His parents, Carlisle and Esme, worked at a hospital in Chicago. They would call up Edward sometimes, but usually Edward would end the call first. Sometimes he wished he wouldn't take his parents for granted so much.

Edward was just the geek Bella had described him as. Whenever he was reading, his dark-framed glasses would sit on his nose, shielding his bright, green eyes. Bella and Edward would sporadically text each other, but apart from the lunch that they'd had a while ago, they hadn't been in contact.

It may have been the biggest mistake for the two, as in some parts of the world, people were saying that the dead were coming back to life. At an alarming rate.

"Tyler, I'm so happy to hear that," Bella said, looking at the man sitting opposite her. Sandy-brown hair and blue eyes marked his features. He was a twenty one year old who was suffering from depression. The bags under his eyes showed his inability to sleep properly at night.

"I've been doing some breathing exercises, as well as meditating," Tyler said, looking down at his hands.

"And how is that working out for you?" asked Bella.

"It's working out quite well," Tyler said, looking up at the psychologist sitting in front of him. Apart from the fact that he heard all sorts of thing about Bella Swan and her occupation as a psychologist, he also found her quite attractive. He looked forward to their sessions every week as the pretty brunette never judged him for what he thought or what he did.

"Should we push appointments to once every two weeks, now that you're feeling much better?" Bella asked gently. Tyler thought for a minute. He probably wouldn't see the lovely brunette all that frequently anymore but in the end, he knew she had patients that were in a worse scenario than him. With her help, he was finding his balance again and recovering steadily. He wanted to look mature and sensible in front of Bella Swan. So he nodded and they booked their next appointment.

Bella looked at her watch and saw that it was nearing half past seven in the evening already. She had had a long day and she could already feel the tension in her neck and shoulders. She would need to book an appointment at the masseur soon. Edward usually gave her back rubs but then he would tickle her and they would end up wrestling on the floor. Needless to say, the wrestling would then transition into kissing and hungrily stripping their clothes off, mimicking wild animals. He would then carry her onto the bed and things just went on from there. Glorious things.

Ping. She looked at her cell phone, seeing that it was reminder that she needed to go shopping this evening as her fridge was quite, dangerously empty. Despite her small figure, she ate quite a large amount. She had typed up a grocery list the previous night which would definitely save some time for her today.

Stepping out to buy a few boxes of sushi near her office, Bella then devoured her dinner while sitting in her dimly lit office. She read through some of the comments she had made about her patients and wrote some additional ones. She also needed to talk to Dr Michael Newton who was a psychiatrist she worked closely with, regarding patients that would benefit from being on medication. She made a mental note to call him first thing tomorrow morning.

Michael had asked her out a few times, but each time she had turned him down politely. His slight pout had always made her feel terrible, but in the end she didn't want to lead him on when she knew that she couldn't be part of such a commitment. Michael had always made it clear that he wanted a steady girlfriend, and to Bella, she wasn't ready to give that. Whether it was just her own insecurities or her belief that she simply didn't have time to be in such a lovey-dovey relationship, Bella never gave Michael the chance to prove her wrong.

Bella always believed that good relationships meant equal devotion and contribution. She didn't want to be in a relationship with someone who she respected dearly but wasn't able to treat and commit to them wholeheartedly. That was why her deal with Edward worked out so perfectly. No strings attached. Friendship above all else. It was the perfect agreement.

Later in the evening, she walked down to her car and drove to the supermarket that was situated near her apartment. She pulled her motor vehicle, a Volvo c70 convertible, into an empty parking space, before grabbing her purse and walking through the sliding doors. The sound of scanners and announcements filled her ears as she headed straight to the bread section. She picked out a loaf of bread and dumped it into her basket before she went to buy some fresh fruit.

She heard an announcement from the intercom of the supermarket, telling all customers that the store would be closed in half an hour.

It took her less than fifteen minutes to get everything on her list before she was in the line waiting to check-out. As she was thinking about whether she should read 'Wuthering Heights' or 'The Great Gatsby' next, Bella found herself coming to the realization that she forgot to grab milk. She made her own cappuccino every morning for breakfast with her dependable coffee machine. Apart from the morning coffee, Bella loved drinking a glass of milk every night.

Jumping out of the queue, Bella went in search for the milk. As it was near the closing time of the supermarket, she found that as she walked towards the back of the store, it was getting more and more deserted. Boxes of cereal were littered on the floor in one of the aisles. Strange, Bella thought. It was as if someone had aggressively shaken the racks and allowed the boxes to tumble onto the floor. Making a big mess.

She went to the cold section where the dairy products sat. Yoghurt, cheese, various dips and milk. She picked up a bottle of milk and checked the expiration date. Placing it in her basket, nearly making her arm drop at the sudden addition of its weight, Bella walked back to the front of the supermarket.

A groaning made Bella stop in her tracks. The voice was near yet far away.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Help..." a feeble voice said. She nearly didn't hear it. Shit, she thought, where is this person...

As she tried to trace the direction of where the faint voice had come from, she found herself peering through the cracks of the racks in the supermarket, trying to see if anyone was behind it, searching with desperation. She was all about efficiency. Good organization and smart planning. This person literally sounded like they were gurgling with blood and dying.

She finally saw a woman lying on the ground with a neck wound. A puddle of blood gathered on the smooth floor of the supermarket as the woman struggled for breath.

"Help," she gasped. "Help me, please."

"It's okay, I'm going to get you help."

Bella looked around, it was completely vacant of people. Should she yell out for help and wait for someone to come? Or should she call the ambulance? Perhaps she could run to the front of the supermarket and make people follow her back to where the injured woman was.

The woman's curly, red hair was tangled around her face as a sheen of sweet coated her smooth skin. Her grey eyes were screaming with terror as she looked at Bella. Except, she wasn't looking at Bella.

She was looking behind Bella.

Bella could hear a deep, growling sound next to her ear. As if it was panting right behind her. She turned around slowly. She felt her heart stop. Her eyes widened like two saucers.

It was definitely not Halloween yet.

P.S Inspirational artworks for stories (located on Pinterest) are linked on profile for any curious souls.

Love, perpetually.