The Infected Part 1

As Rebecca turned over the calendar to begin the month of November she could heard the start of the music for the 6 o’clock news. She loved watching the news because as an ex-cop she could hear about a murder or stalker case and not have to get involved.
Rebecca hadn’t seen the news last night as Monday was one of the two days where her village had to do without power thanks to the miners strike in place. Her small village had no power on Mondays and Thursdays. The bigger town which was about a 45 minute drive from her little cottage had been divided into town sections A and B. A had no power Tuesday and Saturday and B had no power Wednesday and Sunday. Both sections had power the other days
As the music on the news stopped and the female presenter started talking Rebecca jumped onto the sofa, nearly squashing her cat mojo.
“tonight’s top story. Another “Dark Stalker” victim has come forward” The Female Presenter told the audience.
Rebecca sat up and grabbed her note pad. This case had interested Rebecca from the start. She had made it her own personal project and had been writing notes.
The “Dark Stalker” was this man who had been apparently stalking females and males but only at night and never hurting them, just watching them from the shadows. So far Rebecca had worked out that his 1st four victims had nothing in common. Back when she was a cop she worked as one of the top C.I.D’s and was one of the best but this case even had her fooled.
“the latest victim a Miss Potter work at the local Science lab that has been under fire the last couple of weeks from protesters because even though it is in section A it still had power 7 days a week” as the news reader stopped and waited for a video to play of the events that had happened Rebecca started writing down notes on her pad. She finally had a new link. A place of work for the new victim.
She put down the pad and picked up her dairy. She know she had to pick up Steven (Her 7 year old child and the reason she had quit the force. To stay at home with him) from his father. She had to get him ready because he was finally flying out to see his grandparents in Spain. Rebecca had spent three years saving up for the trip. She didn’t have to pick Steven up till 10am so that gave her time to go to the police station quickly and find out if the other victims worked at the Lab. Maybe that’s what they had in common.
Rebecca had set her alarm the pervious night for 8am but she slept through the buzzing sound of the alarm until 9:45am by this time the batteries had started to go and the buzzing sound was sounding like a dieing animal.
There was no time for breakfast or a shower she was already running late. She jumped into her red mini and floored it to the police station. She lived in one of the 12 houses that surrounded the lake. She still had to pick up her son from his dads in 15 minutes and get him ready for Spain so she wasn‘t paying much detail on the road. She heard a bump so stopped to have a look. At first she only peer out the window. She would have got out if it had been a human but she was lucky this time it was just a squirrel.
As she entered the Police station she was still rushing. she looked at her watch it was 10:30am. She was already running late. She had no time to chat to anyone, Steven’s father would be going crazy. She sneaked in the back way. As that way she wouldn’t bump into anyone she know.
She made a beeline for the computer room. She was hoping in the 4 months she had left they hadn’t changed the place around. She was lucky the place was still the same. It was great in a way being in a small town police station it would never change but on the bad side it did get a bit boring looked at the same wall paper for 7 years. She switched on one the computer and begged it to hurry up but as normal it was taking a life time. Even though her and Steven’s father had broke up she didn’t like being late it was just rude.
The computer finally came on and Rebecca typed in “employees at the science lab”. she had to wait another lifetime for the results but she finally got one step closer to closing the case. It turned out that the other victims had also worked at the lab. So the dark stalker was targeting the employees at the local lab but why?
Rebecca finally arrived at Steven’s father house at 1:00pm. She was fairly shocked that his father hadn’t given her a fight as she was 4 hours late picking Steven up, he just gave her Steven, locked up his house and drove off.
Steven was in a happy mood as he knew that he was going to see his grandparents. It was only the second time he had seen them. He was 5 when he 1st saw them. He was now 10 and couldn’t wait to be spoiled.
“I’ll have to get you a burger at the airport Steven. We are running so late. We need to go straight there or you will miss your plane” Rebecca told Steven.
This was fine by him. He wasn’t going to say no to a burger.
Kissing and Cuddling him before he ran onto the plane was the hardest thing Rebecca had done. It was the first time she had left Steven. She knew deep down he would be fine but like every mother she worried.

Driving back home from the airport in the dark was fairly scary to Rebecca. she hated driving in the dark. She noticed that she was running out of petrol and she could really do with a drink. She kept driving until she came to one of those small run down petrol stations you would see in horror movies. She drew up to one of the pumps but it didn’t seem to be working so she had to reverse the mini back a bit to the 1st pump she had drove past. Once putting about £10 of petrol in she walked into the small shop. There was nobody in sight, she walked over to the drinks and picked up a can of coke. The moment she walked over to the counter and placed the can down an elderly old man popped up scaring her half to death.
“sorry to scare you my dear. I’ve been down there restocking the cigars. Just the coke is it?”
“£10 of a petrol as well please”
As the elderly man opened the cash register a small mouse jumped out and bit him. He didn’t make a noise or anything. It was like it was an everyday thing to him His eyes followed the mouse as it ran into a small hole.
“are you ok?” asked Rebecca
“Yeah I’m fine dear. This place is filled with mice. That isn’t the 1st time I’ve been bitten and I doubt it will be the last. One day I’ll kill the buggers. that’s £10.55 for the petrol and gum please”
As Rebecca thumbed around in her purse for 55p she noticed that something was happening to the old man. His head had started shaking and he couldn’t keep it still. He started looked at his hands the way somebody who had taken some drugs would have, as if they had grown bigger than normal.
His eyes had turned right round in his head. Suddenly the old man leaded forward over the counted and turned to grab her. He wasn’t successfully as Rebecca managed to jump backwards just in time. She was going to say something but something didn‘t seem right. As the top half of his body laid over the count as if it was dead Rebecca went to take her gum. Before she could even touch the gum his lifeless corpse sprung into life. He sniffed around as if he had smelled something nasty and was trying to work out what it was. He ripped at the counter angrily. The counter which was made out of wood and fixed on with metal brackets flew right off and landed 3 feet away next to the hole where the mouse had ran into.
Rebecca dropped her purse and walked as quickly as she could in high heels towards the door as the old man picked up speed towards her. It was weird he was running much faster than Rebecca imaged an old man of his aged could run. Maybe he was young than she though.
Suddenly the bell above the door that told the owner somebody had entered the building rang. A Tall, long black hair down to his neck man entered the shop. He pulled out an industrial size torch and shined it right in the face of the elderly man. It was as if the stranger has set fire to the old man. His skin on his face was burning and melting as the light from the torch touched it. The stranger had only had the torch pointed at the old man for 30 second but it was enough for his head to have completely melted away. The corpse of the elderly man dropped like a sack of potatoes right in front of Rebecca. She couldn’t help but let out a little scream as the blood from where his head had been began making a pool around her legs.
“Come on! Lets get out of here” The Stranger told Rebecca.
She didn’t normally trust strangers but as this one had just saved her life she though she could trust him. She couldn’t help but think she had seen him before but was in so much shock she couldn‘t really think. Why had the old man suddenly tried to attack her and how come light from a torch could have done so much damage? It was only when the stranger stepped outside the petrol station into the powerful lights lighting up the fore court she realised where she had seen him before. It was on the news. He was the “dark stalker”. was she really going to get into a car with a stalker? But he had just saved her life and maybe he could answer some of her questions

Rebecca felt even more uneasy when she enter the car with the dark stalker. It didn’t help that he locked the doors before he had even started the engine. Rebecca felt like a trapped rat. She was still half in shock and how so many unanswered questions.
“You Ok” He asked her
“I think so. What just happened” Rebecca felt like crying but didn’t want to show weakness in front of the dark stalker. He hadn’t kill any of his victim as far as she knew but she could be the first
“That’s the reason the Science Lab outside of town needs power 24 hours”
“what? I though they had power 24 hours? Did you use to work at the lab or something? Is that why you stalk the workers” Rebecca had a lot of questions
“I take it you missed the news today? Some asshole cut the power lines today because the government wouldn’t” he sounded angry
“but why did they need power all the time?”
“because of operation dark enemy. You see after the war the government gave away millions to a group of scientist that came up with a parasite that could only live in the dark. it makes the host wreck and kill everything in site. The moment some kind of light, natural or man made is shined onto the parasite it dies. It was perfect, it could attack the enemy in the dark whilst they where sleeping unprotected” Dark stalker explained
“so that why the old mans skin was burning when you put the torch light on him? He seemed fine until….that mouse bit him. Did the mouse have the parasite?” Rebecca was starting to understand.
“I guess. The lab was testing on everything from cockroaches to cats. I got fired from the lab because we where about to start stage 5 testing” he started up the engine of the car
“what’s stage 5 testing”
“Human testing. I don’t agree with testing on humans. that’s the reason I stalked the workers from the lab to scare them away from work”
“so your not a bad guy after all” Rebecca suddenly felt a lot more save
“the lab needs the power so it has lights to kill the parasite. The asshole who cut the lines may have made everyone happy that the lab now is also effected by the miners strike but some of the smaller animals. The mice, cockroaches, etc escaped the lab during the panic and they couldn’t…” before he could finish Rebecca jumped in
“kill them with light. So until about 7am when the sun comes up its going to be like a zombie flick”
“That’s about right” he floored the car and started driving back down the road Rebecca had just come from
“where are we going? This road goes back to the airport”
“Bingo. We can’t stop this. This country is doomed”
“but surely at 7am the sun will kill all the parasites in animals or humans?”
“Maybe. You have two problems though. 1st it depends how many people get bitten tonight? This parasite spreads fast and the 2nd the parasite is smart than it should be. It get sense the light. So when the sun comes up it will hide. that’s why its best to kill it with torch light” as he told Rebecca this he was flooring her mini so much it was starting to give up on him.
“ok“ Rebecca tried to calm herself down. “So we have to find a radio or something and let people know”
“you can and get kill if you like but I m going straight to America”
“how come you saved me but you won’t save anyone else?” Rebecca felt herself getting angry with the dark stalker. She had lost all sense of fear.
“I needed a car. I saw your mini. I was about to steal it when I saw the old man coming for you. I maybe looking out for myself but I can’t stand by as somebody is being attacked”
“oh great! Thanks a lot. If I wasn’t being attacked you would have just stole my car that’s very nice”
Rebecca could have fought with the dark stalker all day but realised she had to change her shoes from heels to trainers. If she was going to be running she’d need something more comfortable and suitable. She tumbled around the car for her trainers as the dark stalker was fixed on the road.

On Its last legs the red mini drew up to the front entrance of the airport. It was nearly morning. The sun was coming up. Rebecca knew airports could be less busy 1st thing in the morning but this was taking the piss, not a person in site. Although there was nobody in site all their stuff was. Bags and taxis abandoned littered the entrance. Where had everyone gone?
“this doesn’t look good” The Dark Stalker muttered
“It was only less than 2 hours ago I was here” Rebecca replied
Dark Stalker walked towards the front door until Rebecca pulled him back.
“hang on a second. For all you know there could be infected humans in there”
“take a look sweet heart. The lights are on all. No infected people could survive” the dark stalker told Rebecca in a cocky tone
“don’t you dare call me sweet heart. I don’t even know your real name Mr Stalker!. So what’s your great plan than?”
“my name is Mark Terry, I m 32 and I use to be a general porter at the science lab. I grow up with my parents on a farm in Canada until I came here to look after my grandfather 3 years ago. So now you know my live story. The Plan? The plan is to find a pilot
who can fly my ass out of this nightmare. As for you? Well do what you want” Mark wasn’t a people person. He was always looking out for number one. No one else matters
“Can we start again please Mark? We seem to have got off on the wrong foot. You saved my life and I’ll admit it I’m scared”
“Ok we’ll start again. You can tag along. But there is no me and you. No romance or love. I’ve tried that before”
“I m rubbish with romance as well so don’t worry there” Rebecca hated her love life. She had only ever had eyes for one person. Steven’s father. but 2 years ago she found out he was cheating on her.
“not as bad as me! I had everything I ever wanted, life was perfect. But all dreams come to an end. I wanted to much from her. She won’t even talk or look at me she hates me so much and I don‘t blame her” Rebecca was sure she could see a tear in Marks eye but didn’t say anything.
The moment the doors open it didn’t look good. Neither Rebecca or Mark had ever seen a airport so…. Well dead. Not a soul in sight. Everything from vending machine to the baggage machine seem to be working but nobody in sight
“this looks bad. If there’s nobody instead the building with the lights on then they must be in the dark. Infected” Mark told Rebecca
Mark starting walking towards a pay phone. He picked some coins out from his trousers and started to dial a number.
“who are you ringing? The police?” Rebecca quizzed Mark but got no reply
“Damn it!!” Mark slammed the phone down. “nobody is answering. I hope he’s save. He maybe are only help” Mark seem to be talking out loud to himself
“who’s are only help? Do you know more about this parasite?” Rebecca asked”
Mark turned around quickly “Nobody. Forget it. Lets try and find someone”
They started walking towards the security check points
“Maybe everyone is hiding out in duty free?” Rebecca asked
Mark looked at her bright green eyes and nodded his head. He walked straight through a x-ray machine setting the alarm off
“that should wake someone up around here” Mark laughed to Rebecca
Within a heart beat a group of 10 or so people began walking up from the departure lounge. Mark looked back at Rebecca and smiled as if saying he told her someone would come. But it didn’t take long for the smile to be wiped off Marks face. Something was wrong with the group. Their faces where covered in blood. Their arms where also covered in blood and they didn’t seem to be talking.
It happened so quickly. The group didn’t seem to have picked up that Rebecca and Mark where standing by the x-ray machine. So Rebecca shouted at them. All heads turned towards Rebecca and Mark, they opened their mouths and let out a roar that shouted as if a animal was in danger. Mark had never heard this noise in his life it was scary. He was didn’t realise humans couldn’t make that type of noise.
Mark knew something was wrong “lets get back to the car this isn’t right something….oh shit…run” Mark couldn’t even finish his sentence it was like the group had turned into a vicious pack of hunting wolfs. They charged towards Rebecca and Mark still roaring
They only got a few metres but the group had already caught them up. One of the male members of the group jumped into the air and pounced onto Rebecca sending her to the floor. Luckily Mark had seen this and kicked the male in the head allowing Rebecca to jump back up. They where back at the front entrance. Expect this time they where in big trouble. As they looked to their left another group of the infected had come to help the first group.
“hang on a minute I though you said this parasite couldn’t live in the light? Well the lights are on and they aren’t dieing” Rebecca told Mark
“Yeah. I know that’s what I was thinking. Maybe they have evolved? I don’t know. All I do know is we need to get out of here fast”
“Maybe not said” Rebecca added “look at them. Neither group is attacking us. They only attacked us when I shouted for help. Maybe if we move quietly they won’t hear us?”
Mark was willing to go with the plan. So they both made their way slowly towards the doors. The infected where sniffing and moving their heads side to side a bit like a raptor. It was as if they where trying to sniff out Mark and Rebecca.
As they got to the doors Mark placed his foot on the mat to open them. But the noise of the doors opening had alerted the infected. Who as if by magic had all turned their blood stained heads towards the doors.
Mark and Rebecca turned around to run but where greeted by a corpse lying on the road. It was melting away in the sunlight.
Mark pointed to a taxi to which him and Rebecca ran to as fast as they could. Mark kicked the steering wheel so the bottom part broke off and started to hot wire the Taxi.
Rebecca couldn’t help but think that he may not have been a nasty stalker but he was some sort of criminal. He had been fired from the lab for stealing and now he was showing her he knew how to hotwire a car.
Rebecca looked back and was amazed at what she could see. She tapped Mark on the shoulder who was rushing to get the car started.
“I’m going as fast as I can! Just bear with me” Mark snapped at Rebecca
“I don’t think you have to worry anymore. Take a look”
Mark dropped the cables he was holding and looked back. to his amazement as the infected where coming out the front door they where melting away in the sunlight.
“ok that’s just weird. The man who tried to attack you at the petrol station melted the moment I shone the torch at him. But this guys are fine inside a lit building but sunlight melts them? We need some more help and I know where”

As Mark drove Rebecca looked behind her to see some of the infected on the floor melted away to nothing but ashes.
They drove for at least 10 minutes to a save distance then Mark parked the car in a lay by.
“its bright and sunny so none of the infected should attack us. You look tired. You get some sleep. I‘ll keep watch encase something does happens” Mark told Rebecca. She still didn’t really trust him but after seeing the infected in their rage she didn’t know if there was anyone else left in this world she could trust and from what she had seen so far sunlight seem to stop the infected. Mark brought out book
“I got this from the lab before I got fired. I hope it can tell us anything else about the parasite” Mark held the book up to Rebecca as he spoke.
“good luck”
“have a good sleep sweet heart” he didn’t know why he added the sweetheart but he it felt right. He also though about kissing her on the fore head but then realised this wasn’t the time or the place to start a relationship. The world could be ending after all.

As Rebecca woke from her deep sleep she looked around. It was pitch black apart from the taxi lights which where shining bright. She followed them with her eyes. They came to an end at a telephone box. Rebecca could see a figure but wasn’t 100% sure it was Mark. The taxi was parked in a lay by. Nothing but woodland surrounded the taxi now she really hoped the figure was Mark or someone else who had come to help her. She couldn’t take anymore running or fighting today. Rebecca opened the door to the taxi very slow and began walking over to the phone box. She was beyond happy to find Mark by the phone trying to get it to work.
“Good Damn Stupid Piece of crap” Mark shouted out as he slammed the phone down. He turned back towards the vehicle and saw that Rebecca had awaken from her deep sleep
“you alright hunny?”
“Yeah I’m good thanks. That sleep did the world of good for me. Who where you trying to ring?”
“nobody really. Was just trying to get some help or information from someone but the phones dead” Rebecca didn’t buy his answers. Something inside told her he was lying
“I was thinking maybe we should go back to my old work place The police station. Somebody there might know what is going on” Rebecca suggested
“I’d like to start off at the hospital. Maybe they can cure the infected”
“hang on. On the way to the airport you wanted to sod the world and run away on a plane to a nice hot country. Now you want to go to the hospital to find a cure? Something up here. Are you going to tell me?”
“I don’t have to tell you anything” Mark began opening the door to the taxi “I just have this feeling we will found something at the hospital”
“what feeling? Everyone in the world knows if you have a problem you go to the police station for help” Rebecca was kind of mad. She knew deep down Mark had a reason for going to the hospital. All she wanted was for him to tell her what it was.
“Ok. You see that trail over there” Mark pointed the torch into the woods. There was small trail leading somewhere.
“that’s takes you to the Hospital. I’ll take the torch and walk. You can take the taxi and go the police station. If you find help come find me. If I find help I’ll come get you”
Before Rebecca could suggest that splitting up wasn’t a great idea Mark was already running into the wood. She could feel spots of rain coming down and realised that she no option but to go along with his plan.
As she drove the rain came down heavier. Rebecca hated the rain especially the noise it makes as it hit’s the windows. It sounded as if she was being shot by a million small metal balls.
Deep down inside she was still mad that Mark had left her with out telling her his reason for going to the hospital but she had to let it go. Thinking about Mark could get her into danger she had to focus on herself. It was pitch black and the infected would be active. The last thing she needed was to be thinking about Mark forgetting about everything else its when you do things like that danger happens.
She Slammed the brakes on as the headlights caught 3 of the infected. They where climbing all over the “Welcome to Pamper Lake” sign. She could see and hear the skin melting on them as the taxis lights beamed onto them. They began to scream, opening their mouths so wide Rebecca could see right down the back of their throats. They looked like normal humans apart from they had ripped off all their clothes, began to pull out their hair and their eyes had turned inside out which seem to make them blind.
The screaming was getting to Rebecca . She shouted for them to shut up. But instead of shutting up things got worse for Rebecca. The screaming was so loud that just like a opera singer breaking a wine glass the noise managed to break the lights of the taxi. Rebecca just had time to blink before she felt the whole taxi move. She began to panic. What was going on? One minute she was watching three of the infected climbing over a sign the next second the lights had broke and the whole car was moving. She thumbed around for a torch or something. Finally she managed to find a torch. As she shined the torch out the window she jumped from the drivers seat to the passenger. The light from the torch had caught an infected. As she shined the torch around she noticed it was worse than just one infected the whole taxi was now surrounded by the infected.
At least ten of the infected where now around the taxi. They must have been following the noise made by the engine. There probably hadn’t been any cars on the road since the first infected. So once they heard the noise they would have given chase. They must have been lurking in the darkest? Maybe they where working together? Rebecca didn’t have time to think about it. The infected could find away into the taxi. To them it was a big metal shell. They may not be able to get in but Rebecca had to get out or get away. Her first though was to pull herself together, get back into the drivers seat and drive away from the danger but than she had an idea. She could try something out. An experiment. She turned the key to stop the engine. As the engine died the infected started to move their heads in all directions and sniff again. They had lost the noise. It look as if her and Mark theory of the infected being blind was right. She waited for a couple of minutes as the infected walk away from the taxi and back into the darkest. Once they where at a safe distance she turned the engine back on and slammed her foot on the accelerator. As she sped away she could hear the infected scream again. It gave her butterflies in the stomach. What was happening to the world? Was there anyone apart from her and Mark left in the world?
It was lucky that Pamper Lake was a very small town as it wasn’t safe driving a car around with no lights. It would be her lucky she’d run down a survivor. Pamper Lake was a small town that was made up of a couple of houses, a newsagent, a Fire Station and a police station. There was only about 20 people living in Pamper lake but around the lake itself where another 12 houses including Rebecca’s little cottage. At the north outskirts of Pamper Lake was the airport which they had all ready tried. The south side was the hospital. It was a private hospital which was used by the employees of the Labs. The labs that had caused all this trouble where set in the middle of the lake. It was one of these new modern buildings Rebecca would hear about on the news. Make completely out of glass. Employees had to get a boat just to get to the labs. Nobody else was allowed near.
Rebecca wounded how far the infection had spread? Pamper Lake was at least 30 miles away from London. What happens if the Capital gets infected? Maybe she could find a TV or Radio and find out. But 1st she had to go back to her old work place the police station.
Rebecca knew she was only a short walk from the police station so she abandoned the taxi and made a run for it. She was lucky she didn’t bump into any of the infected. They must have been some away. Rebecca though she saw one but it could have easily have been a shadow.
Upon entering the police station things didn’t look good. The power was out. As she looked out the window Rebecca guessed the whole town was out as there was no street lights on and Mr Sky’s house across the road was pitch black.
“hello. Hello. Is anybody here” there was no reply
Normally Rebecca didn’t mind going to work but she felt as if someone or something was watching her. She realised that no one was around. It had been a waste of time coming. She hoped to god that Mark had better luck at the hospital.
As she entered the last room she had to search she realised that maybe it hadn’t been a waste of time. The room was the equipment room which had torches, radios and guns. Rebecca grabbed a back pack from the table and filled it up with torches, battery’s, two guns, bullets and a pair of radios.
She turned away quickly. She had that feeling as if someone had stepped on her grave. Something else was in the police station. She picked up one of the torches, placed battery’s in it and then loaded a gun. Rebecca walked towards the door with the torch in one hand and the gun in the other. She sharply turned the corner the way the police did in the moves. There was nothing. She shook her head. It was another shadow playing tricks with her mind.
Rebecca stood as still as she could. Just as she was about to laugh at the fact she was trying to hunt down a shadow but before she could she felt breathing on her back. She had three opinions. She could turn around and shoot the hell out of whoever it was or she could run or she could turn around to see who it is. Rebecca went with her gut that said “go opinion two hunny” it was as if Mark was with her.
She turned around as quickly as she could. It was so fast she nearly lost her balance but she managed to keep it and let out two shots. Rebecca had carried a gun before but had never had to fire it. It took her by surprise how powerful the gun was. It nearly came right out of her hand. For the second shot she had to drop the torch and use the other hand to support the gun