It all started three years ago, everything was normal. People went to work and students went to school, unaware of the disaster that was headed their way. At the root of it all was an illegal breeding center, known for producing rare and dangerous canines. Shielded by the mafias, they flourished undetected for years. Yet, in a humorous twist of faith, nature pulled its own practical joke. One of their dogs became infected with a peculiar strain of rabies, or so the people liked to believe. Regular rabies typically results in fever, difficulty in swallowing, excessive drooling, staggering, seizures, and paralysis leading to death. However, this unique variety of rabies causes aggressive behavior, altered perception, and enhanced physical abilities. And just to clarify, when they refer to enhanced physical abilities, they don’t mean infected individuals will suddenly gain superhero-like strength to lift yachts while casually enjoying ice cream. Instead, it simply means that rabies wi

[A/N: This is still the same story. I swear. This chapter is not a mistake.] August 6th, Sunday, 7:21 a.m., Cedar Avenue. A van covered in solar panels stopped under the narra tree just beside the road where few zombies roamed. “Still, you’re really brave, huh, Franklin. I don’t think I’d ever eat meat for the rest of my life.” Said Adara to her oldest brother. They were inside the van, eating. She and Jimmy were having boiled sweet potatoes while Franklin had some rabbit jerky. The three of them had the same shade of auburn hair that they pulled into a low pony and the same hooded, brown eyes. There was definitely no denying they were siblings. “Why? It’s a good source of protein and last time I remember, you were such a bacon fiend.” “Well, eating meat has been fun till you’ve become one of the meat. Plus can’t you see those things outside? They’re all just a walking sack of decaying meat.” “Enough, Adara. Let other people eat.” It was Jimmy, an ex-military, and the middle si

August 6th, Sunday, 11:30 a.m., Eldorado Hospital. Finn got out of the car and limped towards the hospital. ‘What the heck was that thing earlier?’ He wondered. ‘Though I’m grateful and all but that must be the mutation thing, huh.’ Then he paused to catch some breath. ‘Ha! Why must everything be painful? Why must that thing have to end so fast?’ Like he expected, the place was completely vacated. Having been abandoned for almost three years, it had started to slowly deteriorate, becoming an empty and decaying structure. The air hung heavy as he limped through the entrance, carrying the musty scent of neglect. The reception area, once a bustling hub of activity, was now a desolate space filled with overturned chairs and a faded, disheveled reception desk. He limped further into the hall. Rusty gurneys lie discarded in twisted angles, covered in tattered white sheets. His footsteps echoed but rather than wasting time scanning the area, he started searching for painkillers. But ala

Finn screamed in searing pain. He could almost feel his flesh boil as they slowly tore apart. He repeatedly slammed his head against the dirt from the raging headache as though somebody put a wedge in every crack of his skull. All that while his limbs shot in all directions—he was miserable. The opioid stood no match.Zombies started to gather around him but surprisingly enough, they—who normally didn’t hesitate to sink their teeth into somebody else’s flesh—didn’t attack him. They simply stood around him, seemingly confused. Finn was in the middle of transitioning into one of them. At this point, Finn wasn’t quite human. Not quite a zombie either.He shouldn’t be transitioning until the 48-hour mark but for some reason, it happened early.Then amidst it all, a gunshot reverberated. It came from a man at the side of the van—a beefy, tall man. Beside him was a petite woman who was a bit taller than average.“What do you think, Jimmy?” Said the woman. “And that—that person was supposed

August 7th, Monday, 5:00 p.m., Wantuki Forest Camp. Despite the heaviness of his lids, Jimmy tightly gripped on his M16. If Finn showed the slightest sign of aggression, he would shoot instantly. Meanwhile, he could almost see their oldest’s eyes twinkle in excitement though the same couldn’t be said for Adara. She just couldn’t comprehend the purpose behind it all. “Oi, Franklin. Hope you don’t mind but why do you do all these?” She asked. “I mean, if we just maintain what we’ve been doing till now, I think we’ll survive just fine. Are all these even necessary at all?” Jimmy perked his ears—curious. Franklin froze for a moment. Like a kid caught stealing ice cream in the fridge. His grin, his excitement, and the glimmer in his eyes suddenly slipped. Replaced by a seriousness he hadn’t shown in a while but he reverted back almost instantly as he glanced on the radio at the far end of the table. “But you see,” Adara continued. “I’ve been meaning to ask you this for a veeeeery long