The Green Flu

Chapter 3 - Alexis

I woke with a start to the banging on my door. And I mean banging. This wasn't just someone knocking too hard on my door, this person was actually attacking my door. Grumbling, I pulled myself out of bed. Normally I'm a morning person, but this was too early. I glanced at my clock and it read 5:45am. Way too early.

"I'm coming!" I yelled through my apartment at whoever was at my door at this unholy hour. I quickly pulled on a sweatshirt and made my way towards the door.

Whoever was at my door really wanted to get in here because I was sure I could hear my front door cracking. Worried for the well being of my door, I quickened my pace. My apartment was pretty small so it didn't take me long to get to my kitchen. Considering how hard some person outside my door is pounding on it, I guessed they won't let me make a quick pot of coffee. Oh well, they'll just have to put up with me without my regular dose of caffeine in the morning.

"Alright, I'm coming! I'm coming!" I shouted louder as I finally got to the front door. I reached for the door knob and without warning a piece of the door flew off towards me. The door broke and I was forced to duck down to the ground. After I heard it fall to the floor behind me, I lifted my head out of my hands. Great, someone broke my door! I was about to glare at whoever was behind my door when a low groan filled my ears. And what I saw beyond my door froze me in my tracks.

It was the figure of a man, but it wasn't a man. I mean, he had a head and arms and legs, but his skin was a sickly pale shade of grey. And his eyes were an unnatural colour, an almost glowing tone of yellow. He was wearing clothes that were covered in spots of blood, whether it was his own or someone's else's I couldn't tell. He looked like he belonged in a coffin, yet he was very much alive. He was moving, breathing, groaning, and still clawing at the door.

I sat there staring at whatever it was outside of my home for only a couple of seconds before he had hit the door one too many times and it gave way, falling off the hinges. I unfroze from my trance and scrambled out of the way. The door hit the ground with a loud thud and soon the grey creature found its way inside my home.

It was growling or mumbling to itself, I'm not sure which. But nothing that came out of its mouth was in English, or any other language I know of. It looked around the room, searching for something. Then it's full gaze fell on me and my heart started beating faster. With a high pitched shriek, it came running at me.

I was wide awake now, and terrified, but I wasn't going to make any stupid moves. I know how to fight people twice my size and I've handled one or two guns before, but I wasn't sure what the creature was planning to do to me. Was it going to tackle me and just beat me to death? Or was it going to eat me? The blood around its mouth suggests that that has happened before. Whatever it was going to do, I wasn't going to let it.

So when it ran at me, I backed up and looked for a weapon. The creature kept running and I kept backing up. Soon I realized that I had backed up into my kitchen, and into a dead end. Before I could try to dodge to the side, the creature bowled into me.

It was fast, faster than I expected. And it was strong. I ducked quickly as it took a swing at my head. The creature seemed ready to claw right through me like it did with my door. As it reared it's arm back for another swing at me, I ducked low and put all my strength into a good kick at its chest. I hit my mark and the creature went stumbling backward. It gave a yelp of surprise, but it didn't seem to feel any pain from the kick.

I was too busy trying to find a weapon to wonder how something can't feel pain. Before long, my eyes fell on my dinner plate from last night. And I was pleased to see that the steak knife was right where I left it. Without hesitation, I made a dash for the knife.

The creature recovered from the kick quickly and started it's annoying shrieking again. It started running at me, oblivious to the knife sitting on the table. I reached the table before the creature reached me and grabbed the utensil. I planted my feet into the ground and readied myself for when the creature attacked me again. I didn't have to wait long.

The grey skinned thing finally caught up to me and tried to claw my head off, but this time I grabbed its shoulder and tried my best to hold it steady. As the creature's jaws snapped animal-like, I pushed the knife into its left temple, the softest part of the head. It's glowing eyes went lifeless and it finally stopped screaming. Then it fell limp and I let it fall to the kitchen floor. And soon, I slumped to the ground as well. I rested my head against the leg of the table and closed my eyes for a moment of hard earned peace and quiet.