Infected

Chapter 1

Raja quickened his pace down the dark ally. He could not shake the feeling of eyes poking out from behind the cardboard boxes or peering down at him from the grimy, broken windows. "The Filth is dangerous" everyone said like they even knew what it meant. "The Filth" is what people call the sections of New York where the remaining poor people still live. His thick souled boots sloshed through the dirty puddles of sewer water and trash that muddled the streets in The Filth. Two more blocks and he could climb the loud, metal stairs to his clean apartment. His so called "safe" apartment.

The dog whimpers and sirens in the background all coaxed him to curl up and wait for everything to get better on its own. But that certainly was not going to happen. He pulled his hoodie tighter across his sculpted shoulders and rounded two more turns.

The smell hit him like a wall... City. Not just city... Big city. New York was mostly full of big shot rich and famous people but it still had handfuls of strugglers and make-doers. Raja was one of those. Carefully picking through his lame daily routine watching to make sure he didn't run himself broke by getting involved with or participating in anything too exciting. That's why he watched.

Ever since California he had always been shy. But out here on his own, surrounded by strangers he was born to a life of observation. Not that it didn't have its perks...

The streets were lined with men and women who wore crinkled, sagging faces lined with yellow teeth that blew sour, nicotine smoke. Their dollar 39 lighters sparked every so often as they passed through packs and packs of small white cigarettes. Raja had only tried one once, and it tasted musty and dry. Every scent of perfume or cologne you could think of passed by once or twice each day. It only stayed long enough for a quick sniff and then it faded away.

And then the rain. Raja didn't know how the rotten ally could hide such a strong smell. Even the air was still moist and heavy like a tongue. As a river of people rushed through the streets to their final destinations of the evening, their closed umbrellas caught on any loose fabric or possessions other people had on them. Raja just flowed gently in the pushy crowd watching the dying of the last light of day. New York was home. It was also one of the only states left that hadn't been infected... At least that's what the people think.

5 minutes later

Raja turned the key and the door popped open with a satisfying click. He kicked his boots off while still on the tile and then headed straight for the laundry room. The dryer's rattling and humming stopped as soon as he oped the round white door to throw in his hoodie. He closed it and hit the resume button while walking out to get food.

Raja's apartment is not very big. It had one thin tile hallway to get in. He had installed the tile himself so he could take of his shoes without getting the carpet dirty. That led to a small space about the size of a medium living room. It had a window that looked out on the city, a worn out couch, and a small TV he put back together himself. From there there were two doors on the wall to the right, and the other right wall was replaced by another little expanse of room. This was the kitchen and it was about a 4th the size of the main room.

It had a wall lined with cabinets with a counter below and a fridge. The other side of the kitchen had a pantry and a stove with some more counter beside it. The two doors from the main room led to Raja's bedroom and the laundry room/bathroom. His room consists of a small bed and a desk. The dark green wallpaper curled at the edges revealing the sandy wood beneath. Only one sad lightbulb hung by some wires in the very center of he ceiling. It was one of the three drab lights in the whole flat. One in the bedroom, one in the bathroom, and one in the kitchen.

The laundry room was just a bathroom with a toilet shoved next to a sink in a corner, a ratty shower, and a washer and dryer stacked in the other corner. It was the only other place with tile because the kitchen was wood.

Raja grabbed a glass coke and a half finished sandwich and headed toward the couch. His heavy comforter was bunched up on the floor from last night. He hadn't been sleeping in his bed much these days. In fact, he'd been trying to sell it this past month. He just needed it to stop raining so he could drag it outside and leave a piece of paper with his phone number on it atop the sheets. That's how most of the make-doers trade or sell their items. There is even a designated park that people put things in. It's been empty for most of the Fall because of the excessive rain.

Raja sat on his couch bed and leaned against his only pillow. He pointed the remote at the small flat screen and pushed a few buttons. The routine ding sounded and the screen flashed to life. News. Nothing Raja didn't already know. He flipped the channel to MTH, his favorite channel and ate silently as he watched.

Halfway through the program he heard his computer buzz. Sighing, he balanced his drink in the crook of the couch and threw the extra lettuce of his sandwich away. He slid into his dark room and leaned over the desk. The notification he received was an email so he punched in his password and scrolled down to "unread".

To: rajEllias@newusa.gov.com

From: -this user has chosen to remain anonymous through government authority-

Hello Safe Zone Citizen 3904286. The Government is sending you this email to make sure the USA is secure and safe from The Height.

Sorry Mr. Ellias, mandatory intro. This is an email sent by me on behalf of the government. We need you to meet us at 36 Walker Ave. right now. Now I have to write another idiotic statement the government requires. Forgive me...

This is all the information you need to know concerning this matter. Please send us a reply containing your citizen number ONLY. If we do not get your email in a time period of 30 minutes we will be forced to come to your home. Please know the meaning of this is to keep the USA strong.

Also: Buy you're hotdogs at Walmart for 20% off! -sponsored add-