Infected

It’s been 6 months since the city was taken over every window boarded up to keep out the hoards, ever since the virus hit the world hasn’t been the same, people called it the zombie virus at first, but they’re not zombies not really, the victim is still alive, they still talk, drive cars, still use guns. They are not zombies, they’re worse, they call themselves the evolved, but anyone not infected would never call it that. The plague was thought to have been started in a lab breach they said it over and over again on the news, but everyone has their theories some say it was made by man for bio-weapons and it back fired horribly. Some say it was the work of God, I don’t believe in God not any more. The infected are aggressive, have no impulse control and typically have other infections and smell like rotting meat, some get infections so bad that the infection eats away at their skin they are known to bite people intentionally infecting them, its mob rule on the streets, the infected hunt human’s who refuse to be infected down, but worst of all are the ones who go cannibalistic they get another disease to boot, and though they can still walk and talk they can’t think straight they are they most aggressive of all they attack anyone not infected. I’ve lost my family, my mom and dad went out to get us supplies and never came back, all I found of my mom was her blood stained clothes and her locket, the gold heart shaped one my dad gave her for the anniversary two months before the plague began. I found my parents wedding rings that’s all that is left of them, my brother is missing, I fear the worst for him.

I live in an apartment 4th floor, with a group of survivors, this was never meant to be a new home only a stopping point on the way out but we got trapped inside for days this building is empty now but the building across the street is full of infected, I hate it here, although the lights are still on we still have power, internet is down and cell towers too, Nothing to watch but the news, on local channels, the infected run so much in the city, they control networks and most news channels, they advertise that all non infected should find a local “evolved” person and ask to be infected some people give in to the pressure, and then act like everything is normal, they say the evolved rule the world they try to control everything, power, gas, other utilities. There are safe areas no infected persons allowed but we need to get out of the city to get there.

“Mia, get away from the window.”

“But I want to see when my mom get back.”

“Mia your mom will be back with supplies soon. And you’re gonna get us caught.” why do I have to babysit this brat?

“Layla, your not the boss of me.” Mia is so annoying she may be the literal death of me yet. she’s defiant at every turn, at 12 years old she is the most annoying person to wield a gun I know.

“Wanna bet?”

“What are you gonna do?”

“I’m gonna beat your butt, is what I’m gonna do.”

“My mom would kill you, and your mom is dead so she can’t protect you.” I’m gonna murder this kid I swear.

“Well this if your mom comes back alive, and the crowd out there is getting bigger.” I said peaking out the window through the whole she had, made in the paper that covers the windows.

“And if she does came back she’ll kill you for making a whole in the paper again.”

“Yeah well I’ll tell her you did it.”

“She won’t believe you.”

“Yes she will she thinks I’m her precious little princess.”

“Doesn’t mean she’ll believe you.”

“Does too.”

“Does not.”

“Does too.”

“Hey knock it off you too.”

“Sorry, Ben.”

“Sorry.” Ben was taking a nap in the other room, we must have woken him up.

“Mia stop getting so close to the window, your mom won’t be happy. And Layla stop arguing with a 12 year old.”

“Sorry Ben.”

“Yeah yeah, I know you’re sorry but you don’t learn.”

“What can I say I’m just a stubborn teen.”

“Gee I wonder where Mia is learning her stubborn behavior from.”

I rolled my eyes at him I’m 19 but Ben always plays the role of dad even though he's only 23.

I sat back to my note pad, I’m always trying to come up with ideas of how to get out of the city without being infected, I stare at my pages as if waiting for they to tell me the answers I need to escape. I give up and stare at pictured on my cell phone, I can’t use it for much else. Mia goes back to sit in front of the tv there are some times reruns of shows on and she's channel surfing again she’ll behave now that Ben is awake. Ben sits down across from me trying to fix a broken clock, before all this Ben was a repair man, now he helps build and fix things for us, a valuable skill some times I watch him work. He needed a shave badly and to fix his hair. His hair pick still stuck in his thick brown hair that escaped his braids, only a few of his corn rolls had come out but he refused to let us touch it of fix it saying something about “white people don’t know how to work with his hair.” In the apartment across the hall I could almost hear Jim’s snoring, I know he was resting to stay away for night watch but I worry he’s snoring will get us caught on of these days, Jim is in his late 40’s he used to be a night shift guard for a hospital near by.

Its getting late Mia’s mom should be here by now, it will be dark soon, the crowds get more restless at night, as the heat of the day cools down the infected and cannibals we call ghouls seem to get more agitated. I start pacing, I’m restless too this time of night always makes me nervous. I keep a machete sheathed and strapped to my leg on a holster at my hip, it was the last thing dad gave me to protect myself, saying I won’t have to worry about running out of bullets, I keep two other knives on me at all times, one strapped to my shin, and one hidden on my clothes as aback up. Ben is done playing with the clock and now pulled out a radio, someone is announcing that they have discovered that ghouls and the infected have taken to dousing themselves in perfume and cologne. I immediately go to the bathroom to see if I can find any, if I spray myself down maybe I can go out with out being caught tomorrow. I let out a disappointed sign when I find none.

“What are you looking for?” Ben asks standing behind me,

“Perfume, maybe we can hide among the infected with makeup and perfume.”

“Yeah that might work, but make up is hard to come by.”

“There is an old drug store a block over that may still have some.”

“If there is any left, you know a lot of infected wear make up by the pound.”

“Well I have to try, I cant sit around waiting to be rescued.”

“I under stand and I won’t stop you, but if you go without my I’ll had to face Mia alone.” I laughed.

“I’ll try not to leave you behind.” I smiled,

“Its late Karen should be back by now, and the crowd is getting thicker every night.”

“I know. but she’d kill us if we went out looking for her.” Ben sighed,

“We should wake Jim up soon.”

“He should already be up its after 8:30”

“I’ll go wake him.” I smiled at Ben, and started hunting in other apartments for any perfume or cologne.

It takes my mind off the hoards outside, I can still hear engines revving up outside yelling and loud music, its like a loud obnoxious party every night on the streets. Most of the apartments have been picked through, but you still find things, paper, to block the windows with, some time clothes, or rags, left behind, valuables for trade, hygiene products, books, stuff like that, 2 hrs into my search and I’ve found a lot of perfume from what was probably a teen girl’s room, all cheep, stuff but if would work some make up too, and one half bottle of cologne, which I bring back to our apartment, only to find Mia crying, she’s worried sick about her mom, I barley said a word before dousing myself in cherry vanilla sent, and applying a bit of make up, I put on my coat, take the perfume bottle in my pocket, I always carry a little backpack style bag with some essential with me just in case, I’m heading out the back door before Ben or Jim can stop me.

This is the first time I’ve felt the fresh air on my face in ages, but that enjoyment is short lived, an infected person is walking up to me, oh no its someone I knew in high school, he had a crush on me big time but I didn’t know until after we graduated.

“Layla is that you?”

“Hey James long time no see.” I could smell him he must and been rotting awhile and sprayed with men’s body spray.

“Layla its so good to see you.”

“You too.” I prayed he didn’t sense I wasn’t infected,

“You look good for an evolved,”

“Newly evolved I lied.”

“Ahh that explains why you still smell so good, come out with me and the boys we got bikes.” oh crap how was I going to get away?

“That sounds like a blast.” James put an arm around me and I flinched I thought for sure I just outed myself, James turned to look at me his eye was cloudy in the left were it seems he was attacked, scratches across the left side of his face, I’m guessing that was how he was infected.

“Still getting used to being evolved I see.”

“Yeah really, listen I’d love to join you but I’m looking for my brother I want him to be evolved with me, but I need to go alone so he wont be afraid.”

“Let me come with you until you find him, for protection, those humans, they can be rough.”

“Sure.” what was I supposed to say? I held mom’s locket with my parents wedding rings in me hands, wishing they could save me. James practically dragged me along into the crowd, a few sniffed at me but moved along. I didn’t intend to leave Ben behind but now I was sure I’d never see him again,

“Hey this looks like a good hiding spot I lied when we came to a building a block away from the edge of the city.”

“I’ll wait here for you while you look.” James pulled me in for a kiss on the cheek that took me by surprise. Oh crap am I infected now? I faked a smile and climbed into the building to find the remains of a half eaten man, and infected little girl sitting next to him, I couldn’t tell if she was a ghoul or not with blood on her mouth she might be, I reached for my machete in-case she ran at me, but she sniffed the air and stood still watching me walk past her, I ran out the back and did not stop running.