Chapter Two

Scrambling down staircases and over sidewalk was by no means new to me. The dead ones come after just about anything that moves- especially the living, infected or not. To them I looked about as appetizing as apple pie, I've heard them say they prefer uninfected blood- 'else it might be kinda like cannibalism – vampires attacking vampires.

I could outrun them. Those who were on pursuit now were still recovering from the holy water I threw at them. The rest were only just now trying to figure out how to get out of the church. Going through the door was not possible so they had to go back the way they came in – all the better for me. My sneakers pounded against the pavement.

Have to hide, have to hide, my mind raced. There was a fire escape on the building on the corner. That was where I had meant to hide tomorrow- guess that wouldn't be happening.

I rushed up the fire escape and under the second floor window. I had left it open covering the entrance with holy water. I slammed the window shut behind me.

I watched them search in the streets below. They growled and snarled at each other- they couldn't help their brains were rotting, they roamed thoughtlessly with their target out of sight and soon enough out of mind.

Now I'd best introduce myself. You've learned enough about me- but not really. Tonight was a busy night- a normal night, for recent time's standards. Any night where I end up running for my life is relatively normal- not a comfortable norm though I might add. I've been bitten more time than I can count- the stupid ones keep forgetting- you don't like the way I taste! It must be like biting into a piece of apple pie only to find the apples are all rotten. They spit and hiss but just come back for more. I despise them- and I can assume the feeling must be mutual.

I call myself "Lux", L-U-X, and don't forget it. I won't answer to anything else and for all those who ask: it is not my real name. When someone finally decides to make a cure for the infection, I'll likely go back to my real name. Perhaps things will change someday and I won't have to run, or then again, perhaps not.

I stopped believing that things would change the same year I gave up on Santa Claus. I'm getting' old, I sighed.

One of them spotted me looking out the window around three-ish, only four hours before the sun would rise. They swarmed the building as best they could- there weren't too many of them- I'd been in this scenario with more before. I grimaced- what a mess I'd have to deal with tomorrow morning.

They squawked and screeched trying to get into the building. I couldn't get in this building and I spent hours yesterday pulling at the boarded up windows, the long-ago locked door, and just about every entrance I could find. I found a little luck with this window on the second floor- and only this window, which I fixed up nicely enough. I gave this building my seal of approval and a great safety rating.

I felt confident, bordering on cocky. It had been a long night so I searched the room until I found a somewhat comfortable spot to curl up and get a few quick hours of shut-eye. Before collapsing from near exhaustion, I got down on my knees, thanked God I actually survived those last few hours, and then was out like a light. I'd sleep 'til eight, no later- I couldn't afford any later.

Eight rolled around- the sun had already been up for an hour. That meant I only had nine hours 'til the next attack.

Gosh, I hate December.