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 ^{(it's beta!)}

Simon had been bed bound for 2 days now, his usually dark skin now stained a pale green, the skin beneath his eyes was bruised and sagged. The sheets around him festering in excrement and blood, the mark on his arm didn't show any sign of healing, infection turning it a host of exotic colours.

The past 48 hours had been a blur of drowse visions, and vomiting. Two days ago Simon had been a fit young man, in the middle of training for a local half marathon. It was on an early morning jog when Simon saw this guy, covered in dried blood, stumbling through the trees, most people would of left him, but Simon's kindly nature and good upbring meant that he couldn't just walk of. It was then the guy lashed out, gouging a scratch line in his face, as Simon fell, the guy was on top of him, trying to bite his face, in reflex Simon raised his arm in protection, taking the bite, and then throeing the guy off.

When Simon got home a spell of dizziness took him, and the rest followed, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, nose bleeds and cramps.

Simon coughed out blood flecked phlegm, chocked for a bit, and died. Only he didn't quite stay dead.

The church bells rang out in the distance, a faint whisper, only just audiable. The darkness was complete. Erin was running, through the country path, brambles and nettles flaying her skin, they were getting closer, groans now making a mokary of the almost tranqual church bells. 10 days ago she had heard of the cities being over run, now it had spread to the villages, the church was holding a vigale, to save themselves from thier christian appocalypse, Erin was now regretting being an athiest, she wish she'd gone.

A stick took her legs from beniether her, throughing her to the ground, smashing open her knee, as Ering forced herself up the first of the creatures was on her, biting and scratching, the rest followed, Erin's world disapeared in an frenzy, feasting and abruptly ended screems added now to the bells.

People had been pouring in for 4 days now, all trying to escape. For four days Captain Thatch had been trying to keep order and deffend the airport, the planes kept leaving and thats all that counted, so far they had managed to hold of the tide, but any that got in through 'bittens' had been delt with, families and friends powerless to do anything.

Tatch had never seen thsi comming, he'd been in the Falklands, and both desert storms,been part of an advisary comitty for Afganistan, but he'd never had to cope with anything like this, his men were getting restless, and he was at a loss of what to do, how can you expect people to shoot family and friends? How can you kill a child infront of his family just because he had a bite? He'd got his hands dirty with his men, he knkew how it felt, words just couldnt describe what he ha dbeen through, four days seemed like four lifetimes, fighting went on day and night, leaving the area around the aiport in a constant half light, as long as the planes kept leaving.

Nicola looked down through the thick metal grating at Leon, his dead, glazed eyes stared up into space. He was half submerged in the mud like water, and his blood stained face looked surprisingly peaceful.

Nicola scared herself at how immune she had become to death, but this was different, she had grown to love Leon, not as a partner, but as a comrade, something that run much deeper. Nicola found it hard to keep back the tears as she slipped the pistol out of it's holster and slowly cocked it. Sobbing she took aim at his forehead and pulled the trigger, she wasn't going to risk him coming back.

It seemed like a life time ago, but Nicola knew it was only two weeks ago, yes it was two weeks ago went he dead walked, in some terrible half life, feasting on human flesh and turning people into them. Zombies. The word seemed silly now, they were from fiction, i childhood fear noting more, but now they were real, killing her friends and family, and by now they far outnumbered the living.

Nicola began to run, dodging pipes and wires as she tried to escape the building, the echo form the shot would of alerted them to her presence. Bursting out of a hole in the wall Nicola was stopped by the chill of the night air, the stars and moon gave ample light for her to see by, and she needed to escape, no use leaving the city, everywhere was stricken, but maybe she could find a safe place to restock and reflect. Perhaps she'd find some survivors? Or maybe the army blockades out of town will still be there, but for now she needed to rest.

Nicola flew down the deserted street, past broken shop windows and crumbling walls. Here and there in the city fires burnt, remnants of fires caused by the panic and confusion in the first few days.

Utter silence, broken by the groans they made. Nicola paid no attention to them, the faint groans stopped having effect on her, she was only scared when they got louder. She took a sharp right and then kept running, towards a gun store she had seen but hadn't been in. She slowed down and entered the shop through it's smashed door, pistol drawn, ready. Nicola did i sweep of the shop with her torch, nothing, all clear.

She ran over tot he counter and smashed the protective glass, all the best weapons were kept here, she picked out a powerful pistol, the barrel was decorated with long tribal marks, Nicola loaded it with a magazine she found and holstered it in an over shoulder holster. She did a quick run of the shop filling up on ammo, a knife,a torch and batteries,a shotgun and some army style rations and camping gear. Nicola stored them all in a back pack and left the shop.

There was somewhere she could go, a place she knew would be safe. A block of flats two blocks away. It took her nearly half and hour as she took back roots.

Nicola entered through the back door and made her way past the broken elevator to the stairs, she took the steps two at a time until she reached the 6th floor. She entered the first room on the right and locked the door behind her.

As the bolt slid into place, Nicola finally let herself of-gaurd, instantly collapsing to the floor, taking in huge breaths, of stale air.

She ran over to the bathroom, and turned the shower on, the water was cold, but buy now she was used to it. She let her clothes slide to the floor and she jumped in, the water felt like a blessed relief, it washed off the worst of the blood, but under her nails dirt and congealed blood still clung. She did her best, but appearance didn't count for much now. She turned the shower off and wrapped herself in a towel, for the first time in days he looked at herself in a mirror, underneath the remnants of dirt was an attractive face, her chin length brown hair was loose, and were the towel was wet it clung to her attractive figure.

She put on her clothes and tuned in the radio to the emergency broadcast channel, still the endless repeat of the recorded message played, no news then. Just constant listings of safe zones, and instructions not to leave your house, these had been playing for 8 days now, ever since the government lost control.

She turned down the radio and ate some tinned soup, unheated. Dimming down the lights she made her way over to the mattress in the corner of the room, sleep didn't come for an age, and when it did come, you could hardly call is sleep.

The sun arose over the city, casting an orangy glow as it was distorted by the clouds of grey smoke, reaching up, in places were the sun didn't reach, fires cast flickering shadows. The city was in ruins, it had been burning constantly for days, bodies littered the streets, some dead, others not dead, just not living, those that could wondered shambolicly, in no direction, here and there mass groupings of them leaned over a dead of dieing human, desperate for food, the screams of the dying mixed with the low moans, and occasional explosion, creating a constant background noise, that disturbed the survivors.

Nicola woke with a jerk, they were In the building, she could hear their moans, and uneven footfalls. Throwing off her covers she gatherd the clothes nearest to her, pulling them on a bit too fast and nearly ripping her jacket.

The pistol under her pillow was already in a holster and around her waist. She collected food, ammo and various essentials and packed them into her rucksack. As an after thought she grabbed the shotgun and quickly checked it was loaded. She had little time, and impressed herself at how quickly she had gone from asleep to ready for action. She shyly opened the door leading to the corridor, sticking her head out good they hadn't reached her floor yet. Fully opening the door she ran out and along the corridor towards the fire escape. A door shattered behind her under the weight of several walking bodies, Nicola stole a glance back, but didn't have time to shoot, she could easily out run them any way. The fire escape door was in sight now and she aloud her self a quick smile. Just 20 metres to go now,17, 15,10, a living dead burst out from the corridor just in front of her, instinctively she aimed her gun and blew its head off, that seemed to be the best way of dealing with them. The door was in reach now and she burst out of it, turning round she slammed the door behind her, stopping them from getting to her for the time being, she bent down, releasing the latch on the ladder, lowering herself down, she half fell, half climbed to the bottom, just as the first of the creatures came into view at the top of the ladder.

Nicola was in a back ally now, several creatures were limping towards her form the main street, she looked round, ready to run of towards the other direction, a wall blocked her off. She was trapped.

The wall was high, hopelessly high, Nicola knew she couldn't get up there, but she tried any way, feebly reaching halfway up the wall with her outstretched hands. She looked back at the fire escape, the creatures there were fighting to get through the doorway, the lack of coordination meant that three were now completely wedged in, she smiled, if this had been under any other situation, it would of been funny.

At the entrance to the alley and heading in her direction were perhaps 15 figures, some with arms outstretched others just stumbling, vacant eyes, and faces distorted in something that would resemble, pain? loss? had they been human.

Nicola pumped the shotgun ready for use and brought it up to her shoulder. Taking aim for she fired, collapsing the left side of one figure and catching another on the right shoulder, sending it spinning. She broke into a run, firring shots to her emediate right and left, the first of the creatures was on her, a swift whip with the stock of her gun took most of it's head of, Nicola fired twice more killing 3 more creatures, the end of the alley.

She skidded into the street, quickly looking right and then left before going left, and then taking a street to the right, at the side of streets and from back allies creatures started to turn, and follow her.

The ski was now i washed out yellow, a few clouds floated by, no birds flew, they had stopped on the third day, even the rats seemed to have abandoned the city, giving it up for dead. Nicola knew vaguely were she was going, a few days ago she had heard of survivors shacked up somewhere near city hall, as gooder place as any she decided.

As with every major world event no one could quite say for sure how or when it started, by the time people realised the danger they really faced it was too late. Governments had prepared for most worst case scenarios, war, terrorism, epidemics, pandemics, inflation, riots, global warming, nuclear holocaust even contact with alien races, but nothing could prepare them for what was coming. Scattered reports filled the airways just days before it hit people in their cities, towns, work places and homes. Countries that where last hit made rushed plans for defence in case they were hit, which of course they were. Armies put up token defences but soon gave up. Survivors turned to looting; they fled large cities for the country side setting up camps and fortifications. Others kept mobile, travelling around, staying on the outskirts of towns until the supplies had been bled dry or they had been compromised.

The human effect was catastrophic, many people just gave up hope, they knew they would never hear new music, read a new book, buy a car, see their friends of families. Millionaires watched as their money became useless, many took their own lives. The survivors were a rag tag mix of people from different back grounds and ethnic groups. Children who just hours before had mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters found themselves alone in the world with no one to help them. Hospitals were abandoned and those too weak to leave were left to survive on their own. Both the worst and best side of human nature was shown. Scientists in underground bunkers or aboard huge navy ships set about trying to find a cure or a vaccine, all in vain. The irony was that while governments and think-tanks couldn’t prepare for what happened, Hollywood had, they had been making films about it for years, these films where called Zombie Movies.

The dead rose, with an unquenchable hunger for human flesh, those bitten were struck with an intense fever, and their skin turned a mottled grey colour before they turned. Nearly all intelligence was lost and motor skills where reduced to basic, shambolic walking, grabbing and biting. As with intelligence speech was almost all lost, replaced by long, mournful moans that served as a battle cry when they sensed their prey. Very little was left to identify them as human.