Feeding Frenzy

Chapter 1

 It was a somewhat typical Saturday morning the first time Evey saw an Infected person.

She woke up fifteen minutes late after sleeping through her alarm. Fortunately, she had packed her bag the night before so she could run out of the apartment as quickly as possible. She promised Lila she would not be late for her birthday party and sped down the highway. She was on alert for the cops because she could not afford another ticket. Sneaking bites of her granola bar, she tried to calm her growling stomach. She blasted her personalized road trip playlist as she tapped her finger on the steering wheel.

She had to stop for gas an hour before arriving at her Mom's house. Stepping out of the car, she stretched her arms over her head. A man at the pump across from her leaned against his SUV with his cell phone pressed to his ear.

Evey hummed to herself as she filled her car with gas. She did not turn around until she saw a cop pull into the station. The cop gave her a small wave before walking into the building.

Evey's heart pounded as she heard a screech. A man was running into the station. Evey could only see him in a flash, but he was frothing with saliva at the mouth. The front of his shirt was covered in blood. The man at the pump looked up too late. The bloody man extended his arms and grabbed the man's shirt before biting into his neck. The man dropped his phone and screamed.

Fear overtook Evey's body, and she froze. Her eyes went wide as she watched the man fight for his life. Blood sprayed as teeth tore his skin. The bloody man let out another shriek before biting the man again.

The cop burst through the doors of the gas station. He pulled his gun from his belt. Evey's heart pounded as she watched him aim at the bloody man.

"Stop or I'll shoot!" the cop shouted.

The bloody man ripped another chunk out of the man's arm. He looked at the cop, and the other man fell to the ground. The attacker tilted his head back and made a noise that Evey had never heard a man make. He charged toward the cop.

Evey's ears rang as the cop fired the gun. The man was shot in the chest but did not stop and continued running. Evey jumped when the cop shot twice, both bullets burying themselves into the man's brain. He collapsed onto the ground at the cop's feet.

Evey's eyes fell on the man that was attacked. The pump blocked his body, and she could only see his legs twitching. Blood was trickling past the car.

I have to help him, Evey thought.

She ran across the station to the man drowning in his blood. He gurgled as crimson spurted from his lips. A gaping wound was on his neck from where he was bitten.

Evey unzipped her sweater as she kneeled next to the man. She pressed it against his neck in an attempt to stop the bleeding. She had spent multiple years in the Emergency Room and could tell that his carotid was severed and he would bleed out.

Before she could pull her phone out to call for help, the man stopped twitching and choking on his blood.

He was dead.

Evey stood. A mixture of blood and dirt was on her knees. She looked over at the cop to see him crouched next to the attacker, inspecting his body. He poked his shoulder with the barrel of his gun.

"They're dead," Evey said.

"What the fuck just happened?" the cop asked. "Bath salts?"

Evey shrugged her shoulders before taking one last look at the dead bodies.

--

The cop took a detailed report from Evey about what she had seen at the gas station. Evey washed the blood off her knees before returning to her car.

She had a tight grip on the steering wheel for the rest of the trip. Her knuckles ached, but she could not let go. Images of the animalistic man played in her mind.

Evey pulled into her mother's driveway. In her shocked state, she forgot to text her family that she would be late. Pulling her bag over her shoulder, she walked toward the house. The front door flew open before she could knock.

Lila was standing in the doorway. She was only six years old but had the attitude of a teenager. Her hand was on her hip, and she was scowling.

"You're late," Lila said.

"Sorry, Kiddo," Evey said.

Evey ruffled Lila's hair, and Lila pushed her hand off her head. Evey chuckled at Lila's sour face.

"I just got home and don't even get a hug?" Evey asked.

Lila rolled her eyes before holding out her arms. Evey chuckled as she bent down to hug her little half-sister.

"I did get you a birthday gift," Evey whispered in Lila's ear.

Lila pulled back. She had a big smile, revealing the gaps from her recently lost baby teeth.

"What is it?" she asked in a harsh whisper. Their mother was very strict about opening gifts in front of everyone at parties.

Evey could hear the radio blasting music in the distance, mixed with the soft sound of voices. She knew her family would gather in the backyard on lawn chairs, drinking beer while Uncle John barbequed.

Evey unzipped her bag and pulled out a present wrapped in purple gift wrap with a gold bow. It was Lila's favourite colour. Lila ripped off the bow and set it on top of her head. Evey smiled as she watched her tear into the gift.

Lila's jaw dropped when she looked down at the fake nursing toys. There was a plastic stethoscope and needles, and there was also a cap. Evey found the hat hilarious because no nurse has worn one since the seventies.

"Help me get it open," Lila said.

Evey took the present out of Lila's hands and entered the kitchen. She could see her family through the window above the sink. They were in a semi-circle in the grass, and most had a drink in their hands. Evey opened the drawer and pulled out a pair of scissors. She cut the package open and handed the toys to Lila, who ran with them into her bedroom.

Evey sat her bag on the kitchen table before stepping outside. Her stepfather, Steven, was the first one to notice her.

"Evey!" he yelled, cutting off the ongoing conversation. The rest of the family turned to look in her direction. "So nice of you to finally join us."

"You won't believe the shit I saw on the way here," she said.

She took a deep breath as she sat in the open lawn chair next to her mother. Her mom, Bailey, reached into the cooler by her feet and pulled out a beer. Twisting the top off, she handed the bottle to Evey.

"Bad accident?" Uncle John asked.

"I wish." Evey took a swig of her beer. "I stopped for gas, and I saw someone eat someone else."

"Excuse me?" Bailey asked. "Are you casually mentioning that you witnessed cannibalism?"

Evey nodded.

"He didn't make it," she said. "Neither did. There was a cop that shot the guy."

"What kind of drugs was he on?" Uncle John asked.

An argument broke out amongst the family about whether bath salts give you the taste for flesh and if meth could lead to superhuman strength. Bailey waved her hands and silenced everyone.

"Quiet," she said. "Lila is coming, and I don't want her to hear about this."

Lila stepped out the back door. She still had the gold bow on the top of her head and the stethoscope in her ears. Bailey clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

"Everett," Bailey said. Evey knew that she was mad because she used her full name. "You gave her a gift already?"

"I couldn't wait," Evey said.

Lila crawled onto Evey's lap and pressed the end of the plastic stethoscope against Evey's chest. Lila pretended to listen to everyone's heartbeat as they drank and laughed.