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

tall zombie blocking his path. An eager grin creased its face as Glen fumbled with his shotgun.

“Shit, shit, shit.”

The creature emitted a guttural roar, causing Glen to lose his grip. The weapon clattered to the ground as the zombie approached.

“Fuck!” Glen cried. He clenched his fists and swung a punch at his attacker as it drew near. The blow collided with the creature’s jaw, sending it staggering into a pile of boxes. Glen stooped down and grabbed the shotgun.

“Screw you!” he roared as he pulled the trigger. The blast perforated his eardrums, filling his head with a high-pitched ringing.

The shot removed half of the zombie’s forehead. Glen looked on as a pool of blood and brain matter crept out of its shattered skull. He lowered the weapon, his entire body trembling.

 As his senses returned, he became aware of a new sensation. He raised his hand as a single trickle of blood crept down it. He traced the crimson trail to a small gash halfway up his finger. His heart quickened as realisation dawned. He had grazed the zombie’s teeth when he punched it.

“Oh shit.”

He had no idea how fast the virus would spread; but if Ben was correct, it was transmitted from a bite. He jabbed his finger between his lips and sucked hard. The warm, metallic taste filled his mouth. Turning aside, he spat the blood out and sucked the digit again. The sound of hurried footsteps came nearby as he spat more blood aside.

“Glen?” The voice was Amy’s. She sounded close, but still in the main area of the store. He examined the cut. He had no idea whether he was infected, but hoped he had extracted enough tainted blood to keep him alive. He swept his hand behind his back as Amy burst into the room.

“Glen?” she gasped, surveying the area. “What happened?”

“What do you think?”

“Are you okay?”

“Not yet.” He scanned the floor until he found the cigarette that had fallen from his mouth during the attack. He sighed as he retrieved it from the ground. “Now I’m good. Shall we get moving?”

He ushered Amy back into the main store where Elaine stood waiting. Her trolley was overflowing with supplies, as was Amy’s.

“Is everyone okay?” Elaine asked.

“Yeah,” he replied. “Let’s get all this stuff in the lorry and get going.”

He motioned for them to lead the way before grabbing his trolley and following them out of the store.

“Should we bag everything up?” Elaine asked as they passed the checkout area.

“No.”

“I think we should,” Amy countered, “It’ll be easier to get it in and out of the car.”

“Look, I want to get out of here,” Glen said.

“And we do too, but it will take a couple of minutes at the most.”

“Fine.”

The two women quickly packed the shopping into plastic bags while Glen kept watch. Once finished, the trio left the store.

“I’ll take the lorry, you guys can have the car,” Glen said.

Amy looked at him with a furrowed brow.

“I used to work for a haulage company,” he added. “I drove them all the time.”

“Okay, I’ll come with you. That car can only hold one trolley of food.”

She made to follow him but was stopped as Glen blocked her path.

“No, it’s alright. I’ll take your trolley. One of us needs to stay with that car so we can leave in it when we get back.”

Amy looked back at Elaine, who was busy loading the shopping bags into the boot. “Okay, but stay close.”

Glen nodded as he wheeled the two trolleys over to the HGV. He imagined the driver’s corpse lying in the footwell, but he no longer felt afraid. He spun the trolleys as he neared, allowing them to roll sideways the rest of the way. They rattled over the uneven asphalt, before clattering into the wheels of his vehicle.

After a quick scan around him, he pried open the rear doors of the lorry. Rows of packed crates filled the trailer on both sides. Glen snorted as he loaded the contents of their two trolleys. The HGV had enough food to keep them going for months. He glanced down at his finger. A fresh trickle of blood had started to run down his hand once again. He wiped it aside, watching as the line of raw flesh turned crimson once again. The wound throbbed with each beat of his heart; a brutal reminder that the virus could be coursing through his body. Glen sighed dejectedly and slammed the trailer doors. After heading to the front of the cab, he dragged the mutilated body out of the footwell and climbed into the driver’s seat.

He tapped the steering wheel as the two women finished loading the sports car in front of him. Blood continued to flow from his finger. If he was infected, he knew it was only a matter of time before he turned into a zombie. Yet, he felt completely fine. He had no reason to believe his fate was sealed apart from the open wound.

He eyed the cut once again. The fresh trickle of blood ran down the side of his hand, settling on the steering wheel. The wound itself had adopted a purple hue. With a hefty sigh, he looked ahead as the two women disappeared into the car. He started the ignition, conscious that his finger was beginning to itch.

26

“What the fuck do you want?”

One of the hooded thugs stepped forward as Frank and Ben jumped from the van. They approached the store cautiously, holding up their hands, conscious of the four guns aimed at them.

“We’re just trying to survive, friend,” Frank replied.

“Yeah? Well, go survive somewhere else.”

“We need weapons.”

“So do we!” One of the other looters shouted. He was smaller than the rest, his voice