Infection: P.O.T.U.S Read online

  He buried his head into the palms of his hands and began to sob.

  ***

  ‘No. No. No,’ Robbie chanted the words over and over, as he sprinted up the stairs. Robbie would be thirteen in a week. His parents had planned to take him camping long before anyone heard about this horrible infection. It had been the one thing he had been looking forward to for months. He couldn’t wait to spend time with his parents, especially his dad. The war veteran had felt so distant in the last few years because of the amount of tours of duty he had done. Months would go by without them being able to see each other. ‘No. No. NO!’ Robbie screamed out, as he heard the heavy thumping of feet on the stairs behind him. He didn’t even dare to look back. Robbie reached the landing, skidded around the banister and charged into his bedroom. Robbie caught sight of his father for one brief moment. Blood was pouring from his eyes, covering his face. Robbie slammed the door and flicked the lock. His dad bounced off the door with a heavy thud, nearly knocking the thing off its hinges. Robbie looked for someplace to hide, but where could he hide from his insane father? Unconsciously, he picked up his baseball bat, but he knew full well he wouldn’t be able to use that on his dad. There was one option and one option only. Robbie opened his bedroom window and climbed out onto the slanted first-floor roof. A loud crack filled the air, as part of the door snapped inwards. ‘What...?’ Robbie glanced up at the undercarriage of a plane at it flew over the top of his house. It felt so low that he honestly believed that if he reached up, he could touch the hull. The plane roared overhead and disappeared beyond the tree line. Robbie could feel the explosion in his bones, as flames billowed onto the not to distance horizon. The force of the crash nearly blew him off the rooftop, but somehow he managed to cling onto the window frame. The manic screaming of his father woke Robbie up. He could see his dad forcing his way between the doorframe and the broken door. Sharp shards of wood were cutting open his arms and torso, but his dad didn’t even seem bothered. It was like the pain wasn’t registering with him. Robbie swung down onto the guttering and climbed down the water pipe. There was no plan that came to mind, but Robbie was going to run. He didn’t know where, he didn’t know for how long, but he was going to run and not look back.

  ***

  Sarah clutched the kitchen knife to her breast, as she approached the front door. ‘Let me in. Please, for the love of god, let me in,’ called a voice from outside, as they banged on the apartment front door. Her children were calling out to her from the bedroom, confused and frightened. Sarah shushed them both, as she approached the front door. She knew who was outside. It was her friend from down the hall, Dawn. The mother of two peered through the peephole at her friend. Dawn’s work uniform had been ripped at the collar, her lip was bleeding, and she had bruises down the side of her face. ‘Sarah, let me in. Please!’ Dawn was looking nervously down the hallway at something just out of sight. Sarah’s hand reached for the latch, but then she paused. Could she let Dawn in? Should she let Dawn in? She had to protect her family. The news networks were telling civilians to stay away from friends or family. It was the bond between people that induced the infection. ‘No!’ Dawn screamed and ran away. A moment later both her husband and teenage son went sprinting after her. Sarah only caught a glimpse of them, but it was more than enough time to see the blood pouring from their eyes. Sarah covered her hands over her ears, as Dawn’s agonising screams echoed through the hallway outside.

  ***

  ‘I think we have support on the way,’ said agent Adam’s, as he looked through the blinds. President Archer and agent Suarez joined him at the window. Chaos consumed the streets outside. Police were attempting to force back the angry mob, but more and more people were turning into mindless animals by the second. Police officers were firing indiscriminately into the crowd. Half the buildings on the other side of the street were engulfed in flames, and the rest were being looted by opportunist criminals.

  ‘Shit,’ cursed agent Suarez, as someone attempted to open the door.

  A young woman looked in through the crack in the door. ‘The President is in here!’

  Suarez and Adam’s rushed over to the door, as the makeshift barricade momentarily held back the dozens of people attempting to force their way into the small room. ‘Mr. President!’ Agent Suarez called, as he pushed a filing cabinet against the door. ‘We need your help!’ The President of the United States didn’t respond. His eyes were fixed firmly on the military helicopter hovering above the burning buildings and rioting crowds. For a long time, it just sat there in the sky, searching for someplace to land. It then turned away and lifted back into the sky. No help was coming for them now. He didn’t even want to think what had happened to the rest of his security team. ‘Mr. President!’ President Archer snapped back to reality, rushed across the room and forced his weight against the blockade.

  ***

  Madness had consumed the streets. On every corner, men and women were brutally assaulted by other men and women. Gang rapes were happening in the middle of the street. The infected showed no mercy or hesitation. Michael watched one woman being raped by a man, as a second infected person wearing a mini-skirt repeatedly stomped on her face with the point of her high heel shoes. The sound of gunshots could be heard coming from every building. A big part of Michael wanted to stop and help the innocent people caught in this nightmare, but he couldn’t. He had to get back to Sarah and the children. They needed him.

  ‘Fuck,’ he cursed, as he pressed his foot down on the brake pedal.

  The road ahead was at a deadlock.

  Michael thought about turning back and finding another route, but it was only a ten minute run to the apartment from here and all the other routes were most likely take longer and there was no way to know if they were blocked off or not. He grabbed his rucksack from the front seat, switched off the engine and climbed out of his car. His handgun was pulled from its holster and hung heavy in his hand. He knew that he shouldn’t pull his gun unless he meant to use it, but could he really use it on innocent people? Yes. These people were violent and dangerous, but that was because they were ill. What if they found a cure for this infection tomorrow? How could he live with himself if he killed someone today? The image of Sarah and the children came to mind. He had to get back there. He had to save his family. He flicked off the safety lock of the handgun and started to run. Infected people trapped within their vehicles banged on the windows, as he ran by. Michael ran straight between the cars, ducking low to stay out of sight, but never slowing down. Running was one of his favourite training methods. Michael could run for fun. He fancied his chances in a foot race. His eyes darted left and right, high and low, searching for danger as he sprinted through the street. Screams and gunshots filled the air, as the manic howling of the insane grew louder by the second. He could feel the heat of the burning buildings and feel the vibrations of distant explosions. It truly felt like the apocalypse had finally come.

  ***

  Robbie reached the tree line at the back of his garden and then stopped. He could hear the bone crunching snap from this far away. The boy knew what had happened without needing to look, but something deep down in the core of his body was compelling him to turn his head. He had to confirm what he suspected. An internal battle raged within his mind, should he or shouldn’t he? Robbie looked back at his crumpled up father. At first glance, it looked like his dad was attempting to do some kind of Yoga position that resembled the crab, but on closer inspection, he could see that his father’s neck was broken. In his moment of madness he had followed Robbie out of the window, but instead of climbing down he had jumped head first. Robbie burst into tears. Pain stabbed at his heart. His legs felt like they were turning to jelly. He could feel gravity pulling him down to the floor, but the manic screams of the infected could be heard from the front of the house. Robbie dug deep, turned and ran into the woodland beyond the back of his home.

  ***

  Eyes full of sadness watched the images on the television scr
een. The power was back on, but she didn’t know how long it would last for this time. The White House was in flames. Images of armed gunmen charging into the oval office kept replaying. Every few seconds new images of chaos and disaster appeared. Mass riots were happening in numerous cities. Protests were turning into something out of a horror movie, as the infected attacked the innocent. Passenger jets were falling out of the sky, as combat jets reigned fire down on city streets. Sarah sat on the edge of the couch, one hand covering her mouth, attempting to muffle her cries. The world was falling apart. Every minute something terrible was happening. There didn’t seem to be an end to the madness. The news screen returned to the two news presenters in the studio. One was an older man in her early fifties, and the other was the cliché blonde with the big eyes and a nice smile. Sarah wasn’t really listening to what they were saying, as he mind was racing with a million and one thoughts. What was she going to do? How could she protect her children? Was there anywhere safe in this world? Where was Michael? Suddenly, the male news report let out a howling scream, as blood poured from his eyes. It was like someone had just sliced a knife across his face. He turned, diving on the female presenter, choking the life out of her as they disappeared under the table. The power to the apartment flickered out once again, relieving Sarah from seeing any more.

  ***

  ‘Get the fuck off me!’ Suarez yelled as he attempted to free his handgun from its holster. Several pairs of hands had grabbed hold of him, forcefully pulling him out of the room. President Archer forced all his weight against the barricade in an attempt to close the doorway, but it was a battle he was losing. The force coming against him was far greater than he could match. Agent Adam stepped back and squeezed off several rounds from his handgun. He fired straight through the door, hoping to deter the violent protestors. Someone cried out in pain, but the frenzy of the crowd didn’t abate. Suarez cursed one more time before being dragged out into the corridor. His painful cries filled the air.

  ‘You have to do something,’ said the President.

  Agent Adam looked around the room.

  There was no other way out.

  They were trapped.

  Thoughts ran through his mind. What could he do? Part of the barricade fell away, as the door was shoved open. A guy holding a machete was starting to squeeze through into the room. Adam put two rounds into the man’s chest, but as he fell another person appeared, and the door opened even more. ‘Do something!’ The president roared, his voice was full of fear. Adam looked at the weapons in the hands of the people coming through the doorway. They were going to cut them to pieces. He shot two more people, as they squeezed into the room, but it wasn’t like he could keep this up. He simply didn’t have enough bullets.

  ‘I’m sorry, Mr. President,’ said the young agent.

  A single gunshot removed the back of the President’s head.

  Brain and gore covered the barricade, as the President’s lifeless body hit the floor.

  The barricade gave way and the protestors charged in.

  Adam turned the gun on himself and squeezed the trigger.

  It was quick and painless, which was a nicer option than the death the protestors would have given them.

  ***

  Michael twisted by an infected old lady. The bloodied face woman reached out for him and gave chase, but age had withered her legs and made her no threat. His eyes scanned the lay of the land ahead of him. More of the infected were gathering at the end of the road. A group of them were pounding away on a helpless young man. Michael couldn’t tell if the guy was alive or dead he was that badly beaten. Cutting to the left, he detoured from the main road, along the sidewalk and headed for the park. He could see the infected trapped within the interior of the shops, banging violently on the windows, as blood poured from their disgusting eyes.

  ‘Fuck...’ he looked at the two infected men at the end of the pavement.

  They were looking straight at him.

  Michael had no choice.

  He raised his gun, took aim and fired.

  The men hit the pavement and stayed down.

  Michael glanced at the mob beating up the young man and instantly regretted it. Every single infected person on the main road was coming his way. The sound of the gunfire had attracted every single one of them like a pack of wild dogs. His legs went into overdrive as he charged into the park. The apartment building was now in view. It was a straight sprint there. The park was nice and wide with trees sporadically placed here and there. He could see dead bodies spread throughout the once peaceful park. A few of the infected were lumbering through the park, but they were so far away that he would be beyond them before they could cause any problems. Darkness began to creep into the heavens above, as the sun finally disappeared beyond the horizon and a strange purple light covered the sky. Michael knew that the streets were not the place to be after dark. That wouldn’t be a problem. He would be home in less than a minute, and then he would be able to protect his family.

  ***

  Cries for help echoed through the shadows of the trees. Robbie tripped, stumbled and fell to his knees on the dry woodland floor. The sun was disappearing, which made the woodland where he loved to play feel like some kind of eerie haunted forest. The young boy lifted his head and looked around him. This forest had been a place of adventure for him, but now he just felt frightened. Those monsters could be anywhere. At any moment one of them could jump out at him. The young boy didn’t consider than this unpopulated place might be the safest place for him right now, fear was dictating his decisions. Robbie picked up his baseball bat, got to his feet and kept running. The painful cries and pleading voices grew louder. A bright orange glow began to shimmer off the trees around him. He could feel the heat of the fire growing with every passing footstep. Robbie burst out of the treeline and stood at the edge of the supermarket car park. The jumbo jet had crashed in the centre of the car park, split into numerous sections and totaled the supermarket. It was like a scene out of a disaster movie. Fires burned here and there. Robbie could see body parts splattered across the car park. Walking wounded could be seen coming out of the supermarket. ‘Help me!’ his eyes lowered to an overturned car that must have been parked in the car park. A young woman was sitting upside down, still strapped to her seat. Blood was dripping from a wound on her head. Robbie could hear the cries of a baby coming from the vehicle. A big part of him wanted to turn and run away. This wasn’t his problem. He was just a kid. He didn’t even know what the first thing to do here. Help would come soon, wouldn’t it? ‘Help me! I don’t know where my baby is.’ Robbie couldn’t help himself. He ran forward without thinking. Beyond the tree line, the infected swarmed towards the sound of the desperate cries.

  ***

  ‘Mommy, I don’t want to stay in here,’ said her daughter.

  ‘I know, baby, but...’ Sarah gasped, as heavy hands thumped on the front door. For a brief moment in time, she actually believed the door would blow off its hinges. Manic screams filled the air, as someone kicked and thumped on the door. ‘No. No. No!’ Sarah got to her feet, clutching the kitchen knife. She was gripping it so hard that her knuckles were turning white.

  ‘I’m scared,’ said her son, opening the bedroom door.

  ‘No!’ She looked down at the beautiful face of her son. Every single fibre of her being was expecting something terrible to happen. Would she turn into a monster and hurt him? Nothing happened. Sarah grabbed her son by the hand and led him into her daughter’s bedroom. The little girl hugged her so tight that Sarah didn’t think she would ever let go. ‘Both of you get on the bed,’ she closed the bedroom door and placed the knife down. For a moment she glanced around the room, thinking of something she could use to protect them. The chest of drawers was the best solution. It took some doing, but Sarah rocked and pushed with all her might, moving the heavy piece of furniture in front of the door. She could hear the monsters outside, breaking down her front door.

  And that was it.

/>   That was all she could do.

  Sarah picked up the knife and climbed onto the bed.

  She sat in the middle with both her children either side, cuddling into her.

  ‘Close your eyes,’ she whispered to them in a soothing voice. They jumped at every insane scream and sobbed continuously. ‘Raindrops keep falling on my head. It doesn’t matter...’ Sarah began to sing the song she had sung to them since the day they were born. All three of them closed their eyes and hugged, as the infected knocked down the front door.

  ***

  ‘My baby, I can’t see my baby,’ said the woman with the gruesome head wound. Robbie was fairly sure he could see bone beneath the flap of skin hanging down her face. He shuffled back and looked into the backseat of the upside down car. The baby was sitting upside down, secured in its car seat. The baby had to be no older than six months old. It was crying, but he could see no physical wounds. ‘Is she okay?’

  ‘She’s okay,’ he told the woman.

  Robbie nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of footsteps thumping off the tarmac behind him. He jumped to his feet and spun around to see the ten-year-old girl sprinting towards him, blood pouring from her eye sockets. Her face was a concoction of madness and anger. The young boy didn’t think. He didn’t have time to. Robbie swung his baseball bat with everything he had. Vibrations shook the bones in his forearm, as a bone-crunching snap filled the air. The young girl hit the floor like an asteroid crashing landing onto the earth. Only then did he see the others. One, two, three, four, there had to be at least two dozen young children charging towards him. Every single one of them had been infected with the virus of madness. Robbie thought about running.