“Traffic was murder.” Nick said.
“It’s fine I guess.” Melissa said half annoyed.
“I’m usually a very punctual person.” Nick said, “You look lovely.”
”Thank you.” Melissa said.
The waiter came around again and handed them both a menu. Nick opened the menu and stared at it for a moment and then lowered it. Melissa looked up from her menu.
“What’s wrong?” Melissa asked.
“Nothing.” Nick said
Melissa lowered her menu.
“Okay,” Nick admitted, “I lied to you.”
“About what?” Melissa asked.
“I wasn’t looking to buy a house.” Nick said, “I can’t afford a house. I live with my mother and I am unemployed. This suit is my prom suit. I’m not successful. I’m a big failure. I’m sorry.”
“Then why did you come to my open house?” Melissa asked.
“I go to open houses for the food.” Nick said, “Again, I am really sorry.”
Melissa stared at him for a moment, not knowing whether she should get up and storm off or stay. He was not honest from the start, but at least he was coming clean – and he was handsome. Maybe she could make an exception. She took a deep breath and decided on the latter.
“I guess I forgive you.” Melissa said, “But no more lies.”
“I promise.” Nick said.
“So you live with your parents?” Melissa asked.
Nick nodded.
“I guess that’s not so bad.” Melissa said, “At least you know them. My mother died a few years ago and my father left when I was ten.”
“I’m sorry.” Nick said.
“Don’t be.” Melissa said, “It’s not like you knew them.”
Melissa took another sip of water and stared at Nick. Though he lied to her and she hated liars, she was still strangely attracted to him for some reason.
“So what do you do with all your time?” Melissa asked, “Just go to open houses?”
Nick smiled foolishly and said, “No. I was actually on my way back from an interview.”
”Oh.” Melissa said nodding approvingly.
“Yeah.” Nick said, “I have a degree in IT and recently lost my job, so now I am out job hunting. I lost my apartment. The bank repossessed my car and I had to move in with my parents.”
Nick lowered his head in shame. Melissa felt really bad for him. He was coming clean and had very good reasons for what he did. She reached out and laid her hand on his arm.
“We all hit hard times sooner or later.” Melissa said, “There’s no need to feel embarrassed. I myself am not doing so good.”
“You seem to be well off.” Nick observed.
“Not really.” Melissa said, “I was really hoping to make a sale with the open house of today. It’s been my fourth one and I haven’t sold one house yet. Maybe I am just not cut out for it.”
“Don’t say that.” Nick said, “The tour you gave me told a different story. If I had the money I would have bought that house.”
Melissa smiled and said, “That’s sweet.”
The waiter came around and asked, “Are we ready to order?”
Nick opened the menu again and hesitated for a moment. Melissa could see he felt out of place and awkward.
“Would you like to grab a burger?” Melissa asked Nick.
Nick blushed and nodded.
“I’m not one for fancy food.” Nick said.
They both handed their menus to the waiter and got up.
“I know this great burger joint down the block.” Melissa said, “We can walk.”
“Great.” Nick said.
Melissa turned to leave.
“I think I just quickly want to use the bathroom.” Nick said.
“Sure.” Melissa nodded, “I’ll wait outside.”
While Nick ran to the bathroom, Melissa left Louigi’s. The air outside was chilly, but bearable. The street was quiet and deserted except for a few cars. The street lights lined the street with polka dot castings and in the shadows behind a street light, Melissa saw the strange man again. She could not make out who he was, only that he was there observing her. She was getting annoyed. It was starting to feel like a stalker.
She looked both ways before crossing the street. The man did not move. He stayed put, watching her. She stopped in the middle of the street and squinted her eyes to get a better look. She could still only see shadows.
“Who are you?” Melissa demanded.
The man did not respond.
“Why are you following me?” Melissa asked, “I have a gun in my purse.”
She hoped he couldn’t hear she was lying from the tone of her voice.
“That’s it.” Melissa said, “I’m calling the cops.”
She reached into her purse and turned to walk back to the restaurant. The man sprinted out of the shadows and grabbed her from behind. Before she could scream, he shoved a cloth of chloroform over her mouth. She didn’t struggle much before she passed out.
The man checked to make sure nobody saw him and then dragged her to his van which was parked a few cars down. He carefully loaded her into the back of the van and waited for Nick to come out of the restaurant.
Present day
They both crouched down in front of the VHS player, uncertain whether they should play the tape or not. Melissa let go of Nick’s arm and he inserted the tape into the VHS player. The tape automatically started playing. Nick and Melissa stood up and took a few steps back to get a better view of the TV. A man came onto the TV screen.
“Hello Melissa.” The man said, “Hello Nick.”
Melissa was stunned.
“Dad?” She asked confused.
Nick stared at her. He was shaken by her statement.
“That’s your dad?” Nick asked confused.
They both stared up at the TV.
The man on the video continued talking; “I know you have a million questions as to where you are and why I have locked you in a morgue. I will answer all your questions, but for everything I am about to tell you I need to start at the beginning – when I walked out on your mom and you. I never meant to hurt either one of you, but I had no choice. I was never a computer repair man. I worked for the department of defense. My department was working on a secret weapon that would change the history of wars forever. They gave me an ultimatum; I either left you behind to work on the project or they would kill you. The General was afraid I would leak out the secrets of the project. I did what I could to keep you alive – I left.
I worked on the project with a team of other scientists for nearly a decade, trying to perfect it, but like everything else in life it was difficult. Four days ago we finally perfected the project, but somehow the formula mutated and took on an awareness of its own.
It was not long before the formula infected everyone in the compound and broke out. It swept across the town and left devastation. I knew it would get to your town within a matter of hours, so I had to track you down and keep you safe. When I found you I observed you from the shadows to get to know you better. All I could think of was keeping you safe from the formula, but when I saw you with your husband, I knew I had to save you both.
That’s why I locked you in the airtight freezers with enough oxygen to make it through the worst. The formula will reach your town within the next ten hours. It will clear the air another eight hours later. By the time you watch this video, it will be safe to go outside … and I will be long dead. I love you.”
The video ended and the TV screen displayed static.
“What the hell?” Nick was confused, “You have a husband?”
Melissa was baffled by Nick’s remark, “That’s what you took from all he said? He was obviously the freak lurking in the shadows. He was referring to you.”
Melissa searched the room for a key to the door.
“What are you doing?” Nick asked.
“I’m looking for a key to the door.” Melissa said.
&nb
sp; They both searched every inch of the morgue and then Melissa finally found the key taped to the inside of her freezer wall. She pulled it free and walked over to the door. She placed the key in the keyhole.
“What do you think is out there?” Nick asked.
“I have no idea.” Melissa whispered.
She turned the key and hesitated a moment before opening the door. What would they find out there? She was not sure that she was ready for whatever awaited them. She stared out into the corridor. It was deserted. A few feet from the door she saw a squirt and smear of blood across the wall.
“Is that blood?” Nick gasped, “Wait.”
Nick turned back and returned for the machetes. He handed one to Melissa.
“I think whatever happened,” Nick said, “Your father knew what would be waiting for us.”
They both stepped out into the corridor and watched their step as they walked. Melissa spotted an Exit sign further down and they walked in that direction. She cautiously pushed open the door and they stepped out into the parking lot.
The lot was abandoned except for a parked car with a bashed in door. There was a bloody hand print against the window of the door.
“What the hell?” Melissa asked herself.
The parking lot and the town beyond it seemed completely abandoned. There were no dogs barking, no emergency sirens, and no birds chirping. It was dead quiet. Too quiet. They stood there for a moment trying to make sense of it all. What happened? Where was everyone? Melissa’s eyes searched for any form of life and then spotted a cripple man approaching them.
“There’s someone.” Melissa said.
She pointed at the man and they started walking in his direction.
“Oh thank goodness.” Nick said, “We’re not alone.”
“Maybe he can tell us what happened.” Melissa said.
The cripple man seemed to be in a lot of pain as he made his way towards them.
“I think he is injured.” Melissa said. “We have to help him.”
Nick noticed the man was covered in blood and his one foot seemed to be amputated at the ankle. Though he plunged his stump into the tar road as he walked he did not seem to feel pain. Something was clearly erroneous with the man.
“He seems more than injured.” Nick said.
Nick grabbed Melissa by the arm and pulled her back. The man was growling like an animal as he approached them. His eyes were white and his mouth was smudged with dry blood.
“Sir,” Melissa asked, “Are you alright?”
“Are you insane?” Nick yelled at her, “A man is growling at you and you want to know if he is alright?”
Nick noticed more growling in the distance and looked up. There were another fifty blood covered people approaching them from the church. They all moved slowly, but as soon as they spotted Nick and Melissa they started to sprint. All the noise they made attracted more and more of the infected. It was not long before the entire town’s infected people were sprinting towards them.
“I think I just figured out what the machetes are for.” Nick said.
Nick raised his machete and embraced his fate as more and more of the undead closed in on them. He did not know whether they were the last people left uninfected. All he knew was he was not about to become one of them. He had to fight for his life.
The End
Morgue of the Living Page 2