dark rain

chapter one

John carson range a customer up at the register. "How are you doing today ma'am is there anything else i can get for you?" John asked politely. "A million dollars would be nice." The woman joked john laughed at the joke as he brought her total up after scanning all her items. "Alright that comes up to 30.25 ma'am the woman nodded and pulled out a check book. "You take checks correct?" She asked. John smiled and nodded to her. "Yes ma'am we do." John answered and she started writing out a check for the balance.
Jason peterson walked through the store pushing a basket of groceries in front of him as he talked on his cell phone. "What brand of cereal do you want me to get you baby?" Jason asked as he looked at the wall of cereals all of them looked the same to him. "You know my favorite brand don't you baby?" His wifes voice came over the phone which crackled with interference.
Carter went through the chip aisle piling chips into his cart he tossed in some dip and a bunch noodle cups and several cans of cheeze whiz while he is checking his facebook but he sees his phone starting to lose signal and the page refusing to load he holds his phone up trying to get a better signal but it just keeps going down.
Meanwhile the clouds outside are getting darker green lightning begins flashing but no thunder is heard as black droplets began falling slowly and far spread at first.
John accepted the check and ran it through the check machine which stopped halfway through jobn tapped the machine a couple times. "Sorry old equipment." John apologized he flipped the top of the machine out and carefully retrieved the check even as the monitor on his register flicker as did the lights for a fraction of a second.
"So while i am here what would you like me to cook you for dinner?" Jason asked but he heard a click on the other end. "Baby?" Jason asked looking at his phone it said no signal.
John tries the check machine two more times but it refuses to accept the check then his register screen goes blank right before the power fails. He pulls out his cellphone to call his manager only to find it without a signal. William stross the manager came out of his office and went to the registers. "What happened to the power?" William demanded. "I don't know the back up generators should have kicked in by now." John said. "Excuse me what about my order?" The woman asked. John gave her a polite smile. "Sorry just give us a second to figure out the problem i am sure its nothing to worry about." John said. Other customers in line were starting to get impatient at the hold up. "Ladies and gentlemen just relax its just a hiccup with the power i am sure it will be back on soon!" William assure he looked to another cashier a young man named franky. "Go to the back and check the generators." William ordered. "Uhm where are they in the back?" Frankie asked. "Outside the back of the building." William said franky ran off to the back to do as he was told.
"Look can you take my check and i take my groceries i have places to be!" The woman demanded. "Just have a little bit more patience ma'am we are trying to fix the problem." John assured. William gestured him over to speak to him james approached the man and William leaned in close to whisper. "What if we cant get the power on because the phones aren't working either?" William asked. "There should be paper transaction forms in the office it'll be slow and it might not turn out even but if need be we can." John was cut off by something hitting the outside door hard he went over to the door and saw dead bird he then saw dozens of birds hit the ground some falling mid flight others just falling off the roof as the rain started coming down but he noticed that a stream of run off from the roof was thick and black like oil as it hit the ground. "Ladies and gentlemen i am sorry but we are closing due to the power issues i am going to ask you all to please calmly leave the building." William called. "I.... I don't think thats a good idea." John said as he saw cars stop in the street some rear ending eachother others swerving out of control he covered his mouth in shock at the chaos as the rain got heavier.
People began to shove past him and started to head outside into the rain but didn't make it half way through parking lot before they started screaming in pain clutching their heads necks waving their arms as if they were burn some managed to make it back inside the store screaming in pain while others tried desperately in vain to get to their vehicles john reached out and pulled a man back before he could get out from under the awning even as the woman john had been helping the mans wife withered in pain screaming the man struggled in john hold trying to go to his wife but john said people getting out of their cars in the streets also begin screaming in agony from the rain hitting them john and jason pulled the man inside and john closed the door.
the man ran to the door screaming for his wife who had collapsed on the ground where she lay as the black oil like rain covered her. John backed away from the door feeling like he was going to vomit as the others watched the chaos outside as dozens of people screamed in agony before slowly it went silent john grabbed a flash light and went to the back he opened the back door where he saw frankie laying dead covered in the black oil like substance. John shook his head in sorrow before going back inside closing the door unknown to john the body on the ground started moving its fingers.
John got to the front where those who had been hit by the rain had stripped out of their cloths that had been contaminated by the black rain john saw wherever the rain had touched the skin it had darkened the skin and now black lines were spreading outward from thr affected spot turning tissue grey almost black. A man a few years younger than john hovered over one of the worst of the victims whose right upper half lower left of his chin were nearly black and his right eyes pupil looked as if it was going blind losing all color. "Whats wrong with them?" John asked the man who shook his head in confusion. "I... I don't know... I'm a doctor but i have never seen anything like this." The man stated fear clear in his voice. John saw the looks of fear and confusion in the peoples eyes and he put a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. "Doc whats your name?" John asked. "Henry... Henry stiles." Henry stated. "Okay henry i need you to take a breath and help me keep people calm." John said. Jason approached and knelt down to henry. "We should get the wounded into a more private place." Jason said. "We can use the office." John stated. Williams grabbed his shoulder making him look at him. "They can't use the office the safe is in there." William stated. John looked at him like he was stupid. "Do any of these people look like they are thinking about stealing and even if they did where are they going to go?" John asked. Jason and henry started escorting the wounded to the back office door waiting for william to unlock the door william stormed to the office door where he unlocked the door and entered the office he opened the safe and took out a 38 revolver which he stuffed in his belt he closed the safe and pointed to the side of the office that henry could use for the hurt.
William walked outside the office looking to john who had gotten a flashlight and was checking to see if it worked. "What about frank?" William asked. John shook his head. "Didnt make it." John said somberly. "Jesus christ he was only a kid." William said wiping his mouth nervously with his hand. "Okay we gotta call someone." William said. John nodded and looked to his phone seeing he had no signal. "Does anyone have a cell phone signal?" John called out to the group everyone pulled out their phones everyone coming up with no service. "What the hell is going on?" William said in disbelief. "I don't know but no one can go out there." John stated. William nodded. "Just make sure that people pay for anything they take." William stated. "Are you serious?" John asked. "This is still a store we still have customers so do your job." William stated.
The man sobbing at the door continued to watch his wifes body in the black rain john came over and offered him a beer which the man accepted. "Thank you." He sobbed john sat next to him with a nod opening his own beer. "I'm sorry for your loss." John said. The man nodded taking a long drink from the bottle. "She always paid with checks i kept telling her we needed to get a card or just carry cash but she had to use her damn check we might have made it home if i had just paid you cash." The man said mournfully. "Hey this wasnt your fault i dont know how or why it happened but its not on you." John said taking a drink from his own beer. "my name is hank" the man said john shook the mans hand but noticed a black spot on hanks arm he gave him a concerned look. "Hey man are you okay?" John asked. "Yeah a drop or two hit me before you pulled me back it burned like a bitch but its fine now." Hank said. John noticed the man was a bit flushed and was sweating but he hadn't paid it any mind since the power was out and they had no air conditioning.
The pair of cops walked in from the inner store and looked to the four remaining beers in johns six pack. "Your not going to give me a ticket or something are you?" John asked the officers laughed amused. "You mind if we have one?" The first officer asked his name tag read jones. John passed them two the man who was named jason entered with a regular in the store named carter walked in and john gave them his last two beers they opened them and looked out to downpour. "Its been going for hours." The second cop his name tag read franco said. "Yeah wonder whats causing it?" Jones said. "What i want to know is why there is no thunder i see lightning but no thunder." Jason noted. John drew his phone and saw he still didn't have a signal. Hank looked out to his wifes body and saw its arm move he looked at it in disbelief as he saw his wife begin to move her limbs as if just waking up she slowly rose from black oil muck all over the ground. "Shes alive!" Hank yelled in disbelief john looked out side and saw more than just hanks wife moving all of those who had fallen in the rain were now starting to get up and move around lumbering around aimlessly.
John stood up and looked out at the sight. Hank opened the front door stepping outside under the awning. "Margaret baby are you okay?" Hank called getting her attention john went to the door and saw the empty look in her eyes as she lumbered toward them her breathing raspy. "Come on baby get inside!" Hank called. "Hank i don't think thats a good idea!" John yelled to him over the roaring down pour hank backed into the door as Margaret came under the awning followed by dozens of others john backed away as jones and franco both drew their pistols out of caution hank cupped Margarets face out of relief tears running down his face as he realized the thing in front of him wasnt his wife anymore but it was too late as she lunged bitting into his throat as two more grabbed his arms sinking their teeth into his flesh. "Holy shit!" Carter yelled as more of the creatures entered through the open door. "Stay back or we will shoot!" Jones warned the approaching creatures jason drew his knife from his belt ready to defend himself. "Holy shit!" Carter yelled. A afflicted man came at john who used his beer holding it by the neck and struck the thing in the skull staggering it back and shattering his beer. Carter kicked a afflicted woman backward sending her to the floor where she struggled to get up jason caught one by the throat and stabbed it in the chest but was shocked to see it had no effect the man didnt even register he had been stabbed jason stabbed him several more times in the heart lungs and stomach but nothing seemed to work and it was strong he could barely hold the thing at bay he stabbed the thing in the temple and the body went lax and fell to the floor he pulled his knife from the skull in shock. Jones fired his pistol three times into a afflicteds chest sending it staggering back but it didn't go down it just kept coming but the discharge of the weapon in such a enclosed space caused all of them to recoil from the noise their ears ringing.
Franco fired off two more rounds into a afflicted only for the rounds to go through it and into the front doors shattering them. "Move inside!" John yelled as jones fired off three more rounds hitting one in the head watching it drop to the floor meanwhile the majority had joined the three devouring hank jason stabbed another creature in the head killing it before kicking it back into another carter pulled him back toward the door as john ushered them in jones fell back to the door. "Franco lets go!" Jones yelled but the man apparently couldnt hear them deafened by the sound of his own weapon discharging Margaret crawled over toward franco who kept firing into the advancing horde panick and fear in his eyes when suddenly Margaret sank her teeth into his ankle franco yelled in pain as two more afflicted fell on him and began tearing into his arms and face jones charged forward shooting Margaret in the head jason stabbed the afflicted biting into francos cheek jones picked up francos dropped pistol and shot the afflicted biting into francos left arm while carter kicked the afflicted off francos right arm which jones finished with a headshot carter and jason dragged the wounded franco through the door and into the store interior john pulled jones inside closing and locking the doors which the afflicted pressed against scratching and biting at the glass.
John ran to the second set of doors locking them as well. "We need to barricade these right now!" John yelled as the crowd of scared and panicked people looked at them like they were crazy. "You just killed those people!" A lady yelled. "Lady are you crazy it was fucking call of duty zombies out there!" Carter yelled. "I need help!" Jones called as franco continued to bleed from the various bite wounds on his arms face and neck henry came out of the office and saw the man. "I need bandages alcohol painkillers and antibiotics if you have them!" Henry yelled as he and jones carried the wounded franco into the office. "What the hell happened in there!?" William demanded at john who shook his head he could barely think straight at all that happened. "I don't know... I don't fucking know but we need to block these doors and we need to get that man medical attention now!" John snapped.
Carter ran and grabbed all the pain medication he could stuff into a basket along with whatever bandages and medical alcohol he could get his hands on before taking it to the office. "That as to be paid for!" William yelled. "Get over it dude!" Carter yelled as jason and others took shelves apart and began to form metal barricades at the doors while john took vinegar papers and magazines and stuck them to the glass to block the afflicted view into the store.
Once it was all done john washed his hands as the black substance that coated the infected had gotten on his hands and sleeves and to his surprise it washed off without leaving a mark. "Whatever it is i am guessing it can't survive in open air for very long." Jason said drying his own hands. "Its a good thing and we got lucky." Jason said. "You were in the military weren't you?" John asked. "Yes i was. A seal captain for ten years i got out just last week." Jason said. John nodded. "We are very lucky to have you." John said. "What about you did you serve?" Jason asked. "I served for two years before i got out and met my wife back in 2005 joined in 03 when i turned eighteen i was angry about nine eleven and the death of my brother in the world trade center saw my first action in 04 i didn't like it and turned in my papers in 05 after i met my wife lora she brought me back from that dark place i found myself in." John explained as he washed his wedding ring. "Why do you work at small grocery store?" Jason asked. Johns expression turned troubled like he recalled a memory he rather forget. "I did something that makes it hard to find work." John stated. Jason nodded his understanding. "I dont think what we did matters much anymore." Jason stated walking away.
John went to the office where henry was inspecting francos wounds. "How is he doing?" John asked. "Not good his bleeding is under control but hes got a hell of a infection his fever is high and i dont like his blood pressure." Henry said. "We gave you ibuprofen and Tylenol cant that break his fever?" John asked. "It will help but it wont fight the infection i need antibotics if hes going to survive." Henry said. "We don't have any antibiotics." John said. Jones shook his head in grief. "There is a pharmacy across the street." A woman said. "We'd never make it there." John said shaking his head. "We have to something!" Jones yelled. "The rain would get us before we made it out of the parking lot!" John yelled. "Not necessarily." Jason stated as he walked over to them. John looked at him as he entered the office. "We just need to keep the rain from hitting our skin if we cover ourselves thoroughly we should be safe from the rain." Jason said. "And what about those things outside?" John asked. "We have guns and they don't seem to move very fast." Jones stated. "We have two guns and not much ammo." John said. "We have back up pieces." Jones said drawing a small revolver from a shoulder holster he drew a smaller pistol from francos. "There are still too many and gunshots will only bring more." John said. Henry passed him a baseball bat from jones drew a police baton. "There is a fire axe in the back." Carter said. "There are two mini vans in the parking lot!" Came a woman dangling keys to him. "We can use those to get out of here and get these people to the hospital." William chimed in. "Those meds will still help me stabilize these people." Henry added. John blew a breath out. "Alright but we are only taking volunteers." John said. Jason carter jones all stood with a woman with brown hair stepping up. "Alright that should be enough." John said they got coats with hoods with gloves they pulled on rubber gloves and then covered them with weather gloves they grabbed goggles using trash bags and duct tape to fully seal themselves from the outside it wouldnt be comfortable but they rather be uncomfortable than risk the rain touching their skin. They got to the back door john turned on a flashlight opening the door they made it two steps out from under the small owning when a drop of black liquid hit the light making it sputter and die he looked at it surprised just as a body on the ground covered in black sludge stirred and slowly rose out of it and john looked remorseful at the thing. "Franky." John said he swung the fire axe and struck the thing in the head killing it he retrieved the axe and backed into the store. "Flashlights dont work." John said. Jason covered his flashlight with a plastic bag and stepped outside to see if the bag helped and it protected the flashlight the others covered their flash lights while john retrieved a new flashlight wrapping it in a bag they started out of the store marching out into the rain they kept their lights off except for brief flashes to the ground to prevent them from tripping on the ground they made it to the parking lot majority of the afflicted were still in the front doors of the store they lumbered around aimlessly groaning they had finished feasting on hank who was just a pile of chunks of meat and bones there were a few outside the store but they hadn't noticed the group he gestured to the vans he and carter headed to them while jones ran for his patrol car jason went to his truck kate the woman went with john as he unlocked the door to the van getting into the driver seat he inserted the key to the ignition but the van refused to turn over and the battery was dead he cursed.
Carter got in the van inserting the key but it refused to start he found a snub nose revolver hidden under the steering wheel john jason jones and kate were the ones who had the firearms he stuffed the pistol into his pocket and got out of the car coming face to face with a afflicted a woman with darkened skin her eyes had gone milky and blue her once blond hair seemed to be slothing off her head black viens covered her pale grey skin it lunged at him mouth open wide showing darkened yellow teeth and black gums behind dark cracked lips. carter brought his boot to the things chest knocking it back from him allowing him to bring his bat up in a upward two handed jab striking the woman in the mouth knocking her to the ground her lips bleed a dark black blood and her front teeth were broken and splintered by the bats wooden tip of the bat but the thing didnt even seem to feel the pain of what was obviously a cracked jaw he swung the bat down as hard as he could connecting the bat to the womans skull cracking her head open she slumped down and didnt get back up he looked seeing another had heard the scuffle but carter had no desire to go through another so quickly as he was breathing heavily his heart racing his tightly packed clothing made him feel catastrophic and he would like nothing more than to strip out of them so he could breath easier but knew doing so was a death sentence john struck the incoming afflicted with the pointed end of his fire axe cracking it through the side of the head ending the thing he managed to retrieve the weapon from the creature as kate struck another with a tire iron knocking it to the ground it thrashed about growling and groaning on its back like a turtle john promptly finished it off with a downward strike to its face ending its existence.
Jason got into his truck seeing the fact the others hadnt managed to get the cars working he opened his glove box fishing out his 1911 he checked its magazine and ensured it had a round chambered. He fished out his hunting rifle the ruger bolt action rifle had decent stopping power and range but was a bit large for what he was needing it for he grabbed a hack saw he had in the back seat and sawed off a good length of the barrel he checked the bolt and ensured it was loaded he also checked the five round magazine it was full four in the clip and one in the chamber he opened the truck and blasted the first afflicted heading toward him the round caught him in the chest and knocked the thing to the ground the shot was loud but muffled by the rain so the sound wouldnt carry as far as it would have in clear weather the thing that had been a rather obese man was flailing about on the ground jason cycled the bolt and put a second round into the things head finishing it off confirming body shots did little to stop the afflicted these werent just sick and crazed individuals they were monsters zombies and it took a head shot to kill them for good he cycled the bolt again retrieving his spare ammo before heading to meet up with john kate and carter he passed the weapon that had been francos to john. "I'm sorry but i need to get back home i hope you get the meds you need." Jason said. "You wont make it in this downpour." John said loud enough to be heard over the rain. "I have no choice my wife is waiting." Jason said. "Good luck." John said. Jason gave a nod and headed off disappearing in the downpour.
Jones popped the trunk to his squad car he grabbed his shotgun from the rack he ran to the back grabbing his M4 rifle and spare magazines he also grabbed the spare shells for the shotgun he turned to the group seeing jason was missing john shook his head. Jones offered john the m4 which he accepted along with a belt to hold the three extra magazines the afflicted began to lumber toward them not wanting to get into a prolonged battle in the rain which would most likely result in them being surrounded and overwhelmed. they started to move across the street between the cars many the black rain formed a black sludge on the cars it made looking inside the vehicles nearly impossible one afflicted lay covered in the sludge between two cars it started shifting in the sludge before trying to stand only for its right leg to be pinned under a car it let out a growling moan they didnt bother killing it as they just avoided it. John saw numerous lumbering figures walking aimlessly around carter started walking similar to them jones looked at him with a cocked head. "It cant hurt." Carter said. "I dont think thats how it works." John said. "It worked in shaun of the dead." Carter said.
They finally made it across the street to the pharmacy they got under the awning john tried to look into the pharmacy but didnt see any lights inside he checked the door but it was locked jones went to smash the glass but john stopped him. " there could be people in there if we break the glass then those things can get in." John warned. "We dont have a choice." Jones hissed. A gun shot rang out from inside the pharmacy the round was joined by two more all three missed them but it alerted every afflicted in the area jones fired a blast from his shotgun shattering the window they heard a man screaming from inside two more men ran out the front door into the rain collapsing in the rain screaming as the black rain hit their bare skin john saw the bags being clutched in the dying mens hand he stepped forward grabbing the bags and tried to wrench them from their hands jones pumped his shotgun and the hands released the bags as the two men succumbed to the black rain the infected at the store were slowed by the cars in the street and for the time there wasn't many on their side of the street jones blasted the front door shattering the glass they then ducked inside seeing a skinny man squirming on the ground clutching his bloody shoulder as john picked up a black revolver he checked the cylinder seeing all five rounds had been expended he stuffed the gun into the bag. "Shit head!" The man screamed he was silenced by jones who smacked him in the forehead with the butt of the shotgun carter looked away from the counter his body language saying he was about to get sick john looked over the counter seeing two pharmacy employees with gunshot wounds to the chest killed by the junkies who had been going to town on the drugs in the store.
The four started filling bags with antibotics sterile bandages bottles of alcohol they finished packing when carter yelled the afflicted were coming in mass instead of risking the front door which had the horde approaching now including the two other junkies who had run into the rain in a drug induced stupor the four of them went to the back door john unlocked the door peaking out side he saw only one afflicted wearing a pharmcist coat blackened by the rain a knife stuck out of the mans shoulder it groaned at them.
He opened the door jones blasted the afflicted in the chest sending it flying across the parking lot a watermelon sized hole in its chest but to everyones surprise it continued to moan and try to get back up they moved through the rain to cross the car packed street they went over the top of cars jones was bring up the rear john lead the way with the m4 kate was behind him carter behind her with jones behind him carter had cleared the last of the cars when a hand thrust out from under a car grabbing jones ankle as he had cleared the car not having any footing he hit the ground hard losing his grip on the shotgun the afflicted that had grabbed him a teenager tried to pull jones to its open maw a second afflicted lumbered toward him jones drew his pistol firing four rounds into the second afflicteds chest he fired fifth that hit the things throat but it kept coming john dropped his bag as he saw the second afflicted fall down on jones who struggled against the thing as he clawed and bit at him he managed to keep its mouth at bay john swung his axe striking the thing in the top side of its head killing the thing jones pushed the thing aside john struck the second afflicted in the face freeing jones leg he helped Jones to his feet he scooped up his shotgun and bag john scooped up his own bag in passing they made it to the back of the store again where the emergency exit door was shut john tried to open the door he banged on the door. "Hey open up!" John yelled. "Get a vehicle!" Came williams voice from the other side of the door. "They arent working open the door we got the meds!" John yelled. "Get one working then you can come back in!" William yelled. "They dont work damn it!" John yelled. "Open the god damn door!" Carter yelled. "Motherfucker!" Jones yelled. "I'm not opening this door unless you have a vehicle!" William yelled. Moans and growls could be heard in all directions. "We can't stay here!" Kate yelled.
Jones jabbed john in the shoulder pointing to a autoparts store john left his flash light on the ground sending a beam of light into the air as the four of them headed to the autoparts store while the afflicted were drawn to the light to johns surprise the front door was unlocked they entered the store locking it behind them it wasn't the store they wanted to be in but it would work they stripped out of the jackets and trash bags john looked to jones who slid to the floor one hand covering the left half of his face john walked over and jones lowered his hand revealing the left half of his face was blackened from his hairline to his temple his left eye was milky and blue like that of the afflicted outside. "That damn thing uncovered my face during the attack if thats not bad enough." Jones said pulled his pant leg up showing a bite wound on his right ankle. "We don't know if thats how this works we have bandages and meds we can treat this." John said. Jones shook his head in refusal. "I can feel it." Jones said. He looked down at johns axe. "Use that so you dont draw more." Jones said. John shook his head he gripped his axe and lead him to the back room that carter had cleared jones knelt down lowering his head john raised his axe and brought it down into jones skull to prevent him from turning when it was done John puked on the floor.
They stayed low sitting behind the counter listening to the rain and moans outside john had nearly gotten to sleep when he heard five shots in rapid succession they looked back to the grocery store seeing the flashes of the gun fire had come from inside as another shot rang out the emergency exit had burst open as people ran out off the store screaming and yelling in panic which quickly turned to pain as their unprotected bodies were exposed to the black rain they saw people clearly afflicted come lumbering out of the store after the fleeing prey william came running out firing his revolver dropping two more he wore a table cover to try to protect against the rain but it clearly wasnt enough as by the time he got to the door of the auto part shop his right hand was almost black he had black splotches on his cheeks forehead and neck one eye had been affected he his legs were also covered in marks from where droplets hit his flesh. "Let me in!" William screamed afflicted were being drawn to the noise john unlocked the door opening it he raised his pistol. "I quit." John said shooting william in between the eyes he used the axe to retrieve williams revolver the afflicted started devouring williams body as john locked the door backing away from the door.
The next day to johns surprise when his eyes opened the sun was shining outside he looked outside to see williams gut was ripped open he was missing a leg and arm and half his face was gone a gruesome reminder that the events of the last six nights were real and not some insane nightmare the afflicted had moved on there were still some moving around outside john opened the front door stepping over williams picked over corpse he was followed by kate and Carter they walked back to the store where carter put down a woman who had fled the inside of the store who had been taken by the rain he crushed her skull with his bat as she raised her head growling kate used the tire iron to do the same for a man who had suffered the same fate.
John got to the emergency exit he saw a afflicted eating a corpse he approached it and struck the thing in the back of the head he saw it was one of the people who had been hit by the black rain on his arms he had succumbed to the infection john heard the wheezing of the body it had been digging into john delivered a swing to the mans head ending him he continued inside seeing all who had been in the managers office had turned and were feeding on bodies or were milling about john shouldered his m4 firing a dozen shots dropping each of the afflicted he saw franco crawling across the ground clearly turned which confirmed that bites turned you just as exposure to the rain he finished franco off with the axe and heard movement in the office the door closed he tested the handle it was locked john kicked the door open and henry recoiled away shaking terrified but he didnt look hurt. "You get bit?" John asked. Henry tried to speak but couldnt get anything out from his chattering teeth and just shook his head no. "What happened?" John asked. "They turned all of them.... The manager said you guys didn't make it." Henry stammered.
John nodded and walked out of the office he started packing food and water into his bag henry came out of the office seeing all the dead kate and carter entered the store kate saw john starting for the door. "Where are you going?" She asked. "Home i have a family to check on." John said. "What about us?" Kate asked. John looked from her to henry then to carter who had entered the back door. "Thats up to you." John said leaving the store.
John saw the afflicted slowly approaching the store growling and moaning as they shambled toward him he debated going for his truck but decided against it as it would be dead like the others he started walking away from the store heading down the street as ignoring the afflicted that lumbered after him he was about a mile down the road and looked back seeing the afflicted had gathered into a group of about ten he turned raising his rifle he emptied his remaining fifteen round clip dropping all ten afflicted three of those rounds had struck two afflicted in the gut and throat he reloaded his rifle turning and kept walking down the road he saw the corpse with a crowbar stuck in its head head it looked like the one jason had retrieved from his truck before he had left he saw a few more killed a little ways away with bullet holes in their head. He hoped jason had made it back to his family safely and hoped his own family was safe he continued on his way he saw the black sludge didn't seem to affect plants but it clung and grew into a black stringy ive on power transformers and on power lines he saw birds had melted in black puddles a deer started to emerge from a pool of black sludge its fur had shedded off its pale white skin its eyes were milky and dead it started to advance on its four shaky legs as if it was trying to figure out how to walk again it continued its advance toward him its antlers slouched on its head and its right one fell off causing its head to be imbalanced and it teetered and fell over back in the muck snapping its remaining antler off and impaled its head on it.
John continued on his way having to put down dogs that had turned like the dear but noticed squirrels and small rodents were pretty much melted away a police officer clearly afflicted bent over the corpse of a woman dug into her stomach shoveling meat into its mouth chewing greedily john hefted his axe and gave it a good swing striking the officer in the back of the head ending its existence he managed to get the axe loose he delivered a similar strike to the dead woman to prevent reanimation. He took the dead officers two spare clips for the pistol that jones had left him.