Outbreak of the Living Dead

by Aaron Guerra

  “I know darling. But we know how to survive, and we’re going to do it again, together,” he told her. He took her hand in his to softly rub it. “Have some faith in me,” he said with a smile. She smiled wide as she held onto him tightly again.

  “I always do, always,” Marilyn said.

  Marilyn and Matthew had jumped onto the gurney that was used moments ago. The flames were hot, but they still made it through to the other side where the stairway was located.

  “We’re going to go down and leave the building through one of the exits,” he said to her. Marilyn tugged onto his cheap gown, almost tearing it off because of how fragile it felt.

  “What if there are survivors, babe? What are we going to do about them?” she asked. The man’s eyes grew cold as he turned away from the woman.

  “We’re the survivors…they’ll just end up like the others if we try to help,” he said in a low cold voice. She knew he meant that, since everyone they had tried to help all last week eventually turned into one of those monsters.

  They made it to the 3rd floor since the stairs that lead to the 2nd floor was completely blocked off by random chairs and desks. The woman kept close to him when they stared at the barricade in their way.

  “Do you think there’s another way out of here?” she had asked him. Marilyn was scared, but she always found comfort when her lover would playfully pet her head.

  “You bet there is, and we’re going to use it to get out of here,” he said to her. It was easier said then done, since this hallway was covered with moving body bags that were set all over the floor in random positions. “Looks like this is where they stored the ones that they were able to put away. Smart at the time, but it’s become our problem now,” he had added.

  The bags started to move more violently after he had finished talking. It was clear to them now. This was going to be a hard thing to get past.

  “So, should we quietly walk around or over them?” she asked. Matthew smiled down at the girl while patting her head again as his eyes trailed off to the black bags.

  “I think I’ll just make it easy for you my love,” said Matthew. He walked over to the closest body bag in their way. Looking at it very carefully, he learned where the head of the creature was within it. The ruthless survivor used all of his strength to shatter it’s skull when he forced his knee down on it. The black long body bag stopped moving after the man stood up. “Now, I will use this to take care of the other ones,” he said.

  Marilyn took a few steps closer into the hallway that reeked with death. She made sure to pay attention for any unusual sound that might come out from behind her.

  “What’re you going to do?” she asked.

  He smiled at her when he lifted the body bag over his shoulder. “Just watch. We’ll be out of here in just a moment,” said Matthew.

  He turned back to face the other bags that were on the floor. They were constantly moving around with their teeth trying to chew through the tough material. Using the heavy bag over his shoulder. He started to smash it down against the others that were in his way. Marilyn couldn’t help but laugh when she heard nothing but bones cracking each time he would bash the bodies against each other. It wasn’t long until they were both standing at the end of the hallway. Stale dark blood oozed out of the bags throughout the floor, which caused the stench of rotting flesh to leak into the open.

  The two survivors within the hospital had found a break room for the Nurses on the 3rd Floor. Food was scattered on the table with bloody handprints smeared on the walls. It seemed as though they were caught off guard when the patients from the attacks of the outbreak came at them.

  “Matthew, do you think there’s anyone left alive in the hospital?” Marilyn asked with wonder. The man was searching through some lockers that were near a restroom door in the corner of the room. He found a pair of black pants and a green shirt for Marilyn to wear.

  “Here, put these on. Wouldn‘t want you to catch a cold in that paper dress,” Matthew said. After receiving the new clothes from him, she turned away and began to change. He turned to give her some privacy, but that’s when something caught his attention. The bathroom’s door slowly started to open with one of those things coming out. It was the same Doctor that was looking after them when the Officer had brought the two in for treatment. Before the creature could make a sound to alert Marilyn, he quickly pushed it back into the dark bathroom and closed the door. The girl had turned to look at him stand by the restroom door.

  “Is something in there?” she curiously asked him. Matthew just waved his hand and shook his head with a fake smile.

  “Oh, it was just a big fat rat. I locked it in there so that you wouldn‘t see it,” he lied to her. She just nodded once and dropped the subject.

  “So, should we look for some survivors, or just try and escape from here on our own?” Marilyn asked. He took a few steps over to the window to look down. It was just like last time. The entire building was surrounded with hundreds of those flesh eaters. But these creatures didn’t make any sounds or move around like the other’s did at Crimson Falls.

  “I have a bad feeling about this. They‘re not like the other ones,” he said. She stood by his side before looking down through the same window. From the distance, she could see more of them walking over to the Hospital that they were in.

  “At least it’s day time! The sun can help us see better, unlike during the night. We lost so many friends at night time,” Marilyn said. She patted his back to comfort him, but it didn’t seem to help.

  “No, you’re wrong. We survived because we used the night to our advantage. Those things have poor eye sight, nearly blind. During the day they can see much better, but at night, that’s when we can walk on by them in the shadows,” Matthew said.

  Marilyn took a step back when she put her hands in the front pockets. She pulled something out which put a smile on her face.

  “Look what I have!” she said in a cheerful manner. He glanced down to see what she had to show, which made his dreary gaze drift away.

  “Are those the Hospital’s Helicopter keys?!” he said in excitement.

  Tristan opened his eyes to see nothing but darkness. “H-Hello? Is anyone there?” he had asked. There was no answer. But he was able to hear something moving in there with him. He tried to move, but it felt like he was tied to a chair. “Well this just sucks. Why is it always me and a damn chair?!” he said to himself. Chains started to rattle after his little outburst. “Is someone in here?! Please, answer me!” he said. Suddenly, the lights filled the entire room. Tristan was blind for the moment when he saw the bright flash. But when his eyes started to focus, he then knew why he didn’t get a response. Chained against the wall in front of him, were three female officers that had been gagged and chained up tight. “What the fuck is going on here?” Tristan said with a confused look on his face. He started to remember what happened before he was knocked out. “Well shit…” he added.

  The only door in the room flew open from a powerful kick. The psychotic woman that knocked him out the other time was standing in front of him. The woman slowly blew more air into the pink bubble before it exploded over her lips. Her hand came down until it collided against his cheek. The slap had echoed throughout the room which caused the female officers to cringe from it.

  “Thought you could get away from us, didn’t you? No one can ever escape from Crystal!” Valerie said with a hearty laugh. He let his head hang down after the hard slap he received. Looking straight at her black boots, he could see his reflection from the shine.

  “Why are you doing this to us? Can’t you see what’s happened to the town? We’ve got much bigger problems then your petty vendetta!” Tristan had said to them.

  Once again, he received a hard smack to the face. “It’s because of you, that Nicole was killed!” Valerie said in anger. That’s right. He forgot that she watched her friend get murdered right in front of her.

  “Listen, I’m sorry about that, but it wasn’t me
who pulled the trigger. Don’t you remember? It was your boss! She could’ve shot me or my friends, instead she shot her!” he said to her. Valerie put her hands to her ears and began to scream to drown him out. The officers started to move around which caught her attention.

  “Alright little piggy’s, who wants to go to the other room to play?!” she said with a vicious smile shown. Tristan watched as the women that were tied up tried to scoot away from the crazy girl that was chewing gum. “Girl Number 2! Come on down!” Valerie had said like a talk show host. The officer in the middle struggled against the chains, but she couldn’t do anything but make low muffled screams.

  Valerie undid the chains and placed a knife to the woman’s neck. The tip of the blade was pressed into the skin, which caused some blood to trickle down the officer‘s shirt.

  “If you try to resist, I’ll slit your throat! Do you understand me?!” she said to the cop. The officer nodded once with tears in her eyes. She had to do what the girl asked, or her life was over. The officer barely took one step, which made the crazy one with the knife, smile. Tristan watched in horror when the crimson color splashed out of the woman‘s throat. The officer’s body had fell over and bled out in seconds. “See?! She tried to run to the door! I told her not to resist, but she did anyway!” she said to them. The woman waved her knife around which only caused the other officers to cry.

  “You son of a bitch! She was petrified! She wasn’t trying to escape from you and you fucking know it!” Tristan had shouted.

  Valerie knelt down to the officer’s body while smiling at the red liquid that was covering the floor around her.

  “But she did try to escape…she did,” the woman told herself. As she said that to him with her cold blue eyes staring into his, the knife had kept going in and out of the fallen officer’s back. Blood kept splashing up and down until her arm got tired. “Oh right! We have your blonde friend in the other room. I was suppose to come and get you but…I guess I forgot when my bubble popped!” Valerie said. She put her knife back into it’s sheath and walked over to him. “Crystal and I have a friend that wants to meet you too. She has so many questions to ask you, since that other bitch of yours isn‘t cooperating,” she said to him.

  She was dragging the chair that Tristan was tied too down the hall. The place seemed pretty big, so they must’ve been in the old factory that the town had closed down nearly ten years ago. He kept a close eye on the surroundings around him. Finally, he could see a door with the Exit Sign above it. That meant that they were on the first floor of the place. All he had to do now was find his companion and escape from their twisted hold. But before he could do any of this, he had to think of a plan to escape from the crazy one that was dragging him. Still in the officer’s uniform, Valerie stopped the chair and sat on his lap. The woman had looked into his eyes with her smile slowly fading.

  “I want you to know, that I can’t wait to see you die. We’re going to torture that little military wannabe in front of your eyes, then your two friends when we find them. We will find them,” Valerie said to him. With that, she licked his lips and suddenly climbed off. Tristan sighed heavily with a smile growing on his face. Kim and Susan haven’t been caught by them, so that means that they were still alive.

  “I’m sorry to get your hopes up darling, but none of that will ever happen. You and your psychotic leader will die,” he said in confidence. She gave out a hearty laugh, but the laugh stopped when she saw the look in his eyes. This look. It was the same as Nicole’s when she was dead serious about something. The man’s eyes stared directly into hers, which gave the woman a cold sinister chill that slithered up her back. She couldn’t help but look away and continue to drag him through the long hallway.

  Rebecca Lee was standing in a small blue room with Crystal by her side. The blonde woman that was with Tristan had been stripped naked and chained to a table. She didn’t say a word or cry out for help. Her cold eyes were staring back at Rebecca’s, which made Crystal feel uncomfortable.

  “I take it that you two know each other?” Crystal had asked to break the silence. She had trailed her fingers down the naked woman’s leg with a deviant smile on her face. “I have to admit, she is pretty cute. So I’m sure you two probably fought for the same man at one time. Am I right? I must be right,” she had said to Rebecca. The blonde had finally started to struggle against the chains, but breaking out on her own wasn’t going to happen. Rebecca placed her hand against the woman’s cheek while smiling down to her.

  “No. We never had a relationship like that. Ours has always been…strictly business. Isn’t that right, Velski?” Rebecca said. The prisoner narrowed her eyes while looking away.

  “Not my name. No call me that. Traitor,” she said to her. Rebecca chuckled from how the woman was talking.

  “I see you still haven’t learned how to speak proper English. That’s cute. But me being traitor? That’s where you’ve got it wrong,” said Rebecca. A few knocks came from the door behind them. It opened with the crazy bubble gum freak coming in with the man behind her. She kicked the chair over with him hitting the floor hard.

  “I’ve brought our guest of honor!” said Valerie.

  Crystal patted the girl on the head like a dog which even made Rebecca’s eye twitch from the sight.

  “This is the guy? He was traveling with you, wasn’t he Velski? Is he your new lover? Maybe a comrade from your little band of military dogs?” Rebecca said to tease the woman. Tristan’s eyes had looked up to see the side of a naked body. He couldn’t help but blush from the sight, but what new woman said had caught his attention. Tristan tried to hold it in, but her name just came out for the four women to hear.

  “Velski…” he said in a light whisper. The girl in the chains heard her name being said by him, which seemed to have pissed her off.

  “I said, no say name! Not till proven worthy! Idiot! Pig!” she yelled out. Rebecca turned away from the girl to give her attention to the man below.

  “I take it that you really don’t know this woman, now do you?” she had asked him.

  Valerie and Crystal slowly brought him back up from the floor. The one in front of him seemed more dangerous than the two he already knew.

  “She saved me from a bunch of red-eyed flesh eating bastards outside. I would’ve been dead if it wasn‘t for her,” Tristan said. Velski turned her head to see the man in the chair. “We were going to search for my friends, but more of those things came after us,” he added. Valerie didn’t slap him this time, it was more of a fist to the back of his head.

  “She didn’t ask about your life’s story! Tell her what she wants to know!” she told the man.

  Tristan did it again. His cold eyes glared up at the one that hit him. Crystal took a step closer which caught his attention. The way he glared at her, was more than enough to bring that vile wicked smile to appear on her face.

  “Well now, it seems as though you’ve changed since the last time we met. Maybe you had blood on your hands before this shit started. Did you take someone’s life in the past? Are you like us? Are you pretending to be a good guy?!” Crystal said in a toying manner. She was breathing heavily while moving in closer. “If I knew you had this kind of evil within, I would’ve had my own fun with you first. It’s so rare to find a man that can do that with their eyes. That look! Please, stare at me like that some more!” she said to him. Rebecca coughed into her fist to break up their strange flirting.

  “If I may continue?” said Rebecca. Crystal and Valerie slowly backed away from the man to give them space. He tried to break free from the chair, but he was tied down pretty good.

  “What do you want from us?!” he said to them. The woman stood up and pointed over to Velski.

  “The people she works for are the reason why the dead have started to attack the living. Did she not tell you that? Yet she claims that I’m the evil traitor here,” Rebecca said with a serious glare. Tristan’s eyes had lit up when he learned about the woman on the table. But Velski shook
her head roughly and denied it all.

  “No! Don’t believe! She lies! We not bad ones!” she said to him from the table. Valerie walked over to the blonde girl to smack her hard across the face.

  “No one told you to talk! Now shut up…or you’ll meet Mr. Blade!” Valerie said. Tristan clenched his fists and closed his eyes when the image of the officer getting her throat slit appeared in his mind. He couldn’t help but see Velski in the same position as that officer.

  “You…will not…lay a hand on her again…or I’ll kill you,” he told girl. His voice was scratchy and deep, but the way he said it made the crazy girl step away from Velski.

  “Crystal! I don’t like the way he’s been talking to me! Can we kill him now?!” she had asked her leader. Crystal turned to face Rebecca, than to him.

  “I don’t think he’s going to cooperate with you anymore. So, can Valerie and I take him away to play?” Crystal asked Rebecca.

  Rebecca waved her hand and allowed them to do whatever they wanted. “I’ll be in here with her still. I’ll get her to spill everything about the creature I’m searching for…one way or another…I will,” she said. Tristan felt his body being dragged again through the hallway by the two women. This time, he could hear his new friend being hit by the one known as Rebecca.

  The young woman woke up in a poorly lit room. She felt pretty banged up when she tried to get up from the bed that she was laying on.

  “W-Where am I?” Kim asked as she noticed that there were no windows in the room, and the door in front of her was closed. “All I can remember was…” she said to herself. The image of the terrible beast smashing her friend into the ground caused her to fall to the floor. While trembling, she tried her best to sit back onto the bed. “Susan,” Kim said with a pout. A clicking sound came from the door in front of her. The girl tried to stand up in a defensive position, but her wounds made it difficult to move like she wanted.