The Virus by Lee, Damien (summer books txt) 📕

farewell. He left the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts. The images her brain replayed were unsettling, and she quickly drained the cup before getting to her feet. She had to take her mind off the carnage. She grabbed her bag and walked out of the room. The hospital seemed empty. She knew it was no longer visiting time, but she wasn’t used to seeing corridors so deserted. Feeling a chill creep up her spine, she hurried down the hallway and went to turn the corner.

She flinched as a gurney raced past, cutting off her path. The elderly man atop it was coated in blood, his limbs twitching. A doctor examined him whilst two nurses and a porter rushed the trolley down the corridor. Amy looked after them until they disappeared around a corner. So many patients had been admitted to the hospital with the same symptoms. Yet, they still could not establish a cause. Even more worrying was how the infected people seemed to deteriorate rapidly until their demise. Although the symptoms were similar, there didn’t appear to be a link between any of the patients. Everyone seemed to be vulnerable.

Amy left through the main entrance and shielded her eyes. The sun shone from a clear blue sky, warming everyone who ventured under its rays. She dug into her handbag and produced a pair of sunglasses as she walked to the car park. Most people strolled around in summer wear. She even saw the porters wearing navy shorts as they went about their work. One of them grinned at Amy as she passed, casting a lecherous eye over her tight-fitting attire. She strode past him, not returning his affection.

“Going home already?” he called after her.

“Sure am.”

“Alright for some, eh? Going to do a little sunbathing?”

He cast another eye over Amy’s white skirt and navy blue T-shirt.

“I highly doubt it.”

She turned her back on the man and made her way over to her car. Sunbathing was the last thing on her mind. After the morning’s events, all she wanted to do was relax in a cool shower and curl up in bed. Even though it was only mid-afternoon, she felt exhausted. Locating her keys, she unlocked her car and pried open the door. She groaned as the suffocating heat billowed out, engulfing her as she slid behind the wheel. She lowered the windows and adjusted the air conditioning as she started the car.

Cool air caressed her face and toyed with her hair as she made her way out of the car park. The roads were empty; a welcome alternative to those that she was used to back home. Minutes passed and Amy only saw four other road users as she left the town and accelerated along the country road. Her home was almost twenty miles from Sunnymoor in the neighbouring town of Cranston. She had considered moving closer to work, but she could never bring herself to part from the beautiful countryside that she could enjoy every day. Yet, there was something about the rural landscape that didn’t feel right today, something that threatened to shadow the serene beauty.

Amy’s eyes narrowed as she tried to determine the source of her unease. Whether it was the cloying feel of the air, the stench that strengthened as she drove further, or the sheer silence that was unusual even for the countryside, she could not tell. She glanced out of her windows at the empty fields on either side of her. Normally filled with grazing sheep, the grassland contained no visible life at all.

A gradual movement in the distance caught Amy’s attention. It looked like two people running across the moors, but with the speed she was travelling, she would have to stop to confirm. She didn’t slow, but kept her eyes rooted on the figures. From the position of the people, it almost looked like the one in the front was fleeing the other. She watched the pair run until they disappeared from view. It was the first time she had seen anybody on the moors other than sheep and cattle.

She looked back to the road and slammed on her brakes. The vehicle screeched as it skidded towards the edge of the road, narrowly missing the animals in the centre. The world seemed to spin as her car lurched to a stop. Amy groaned as she released her grip on the wheel. She blinked hard, trying to clear her distorted vision. She didn’t feel hurt, nor could she identify any visible injuries as she examined herself in the mirror. With her heart hammering in her chest, she turned to look back at what had caused her to swerve.

The fox remained where it was, undaunted by the near-fatal collision. It stared at Amy for a few seconds before burying its head into a sheep’s carcass once more. Tufts of wool littered the road, and a crimson trail showed it had been dragged. Wide areas of ribcage and bone had been exposed. The fox pried a section of the neck away from its prey and looked back at Amy. It chewed the gristly meat, its eyes fixing the car with an unblinking stare. Amy shuddered under the fox’s glare.

The animal didn’t seem to notice her starting the car. It turned back to its meal, tearing off another morsel. Amy drove ahead, giving the fox a wide berth. She kept her eyes fixed on the rear-view mirror as she continued her journey. The fox stared after her, watching the car as it drove into the distance.

6

A metallic clatter echoed around Frank’s cell, rousing him from his slumber. He squinted towards the source of the noise as his eyes tried to adjust to the light. His blurred vision picked up a small bowl left on the floor. He staggered to his feet, wincing as the pain in his arm surfaced. Events of the