Veil Of The Undying

Chapter 3

Ava

Being a pediatrician has always been my dream-except today, it's a nightmare beyond anything I could have imagined.

At around 5 p.m., a six-year-old girl was brought in with a high fever. I tried everything to bring it down, but she was getting worse by the minute. I knew this was going to be one of those days when I failed at my job.

I stepped out for a smoke break, leaving a nurse to handle the girl. Five minutes later, I heard a commotion and ran back. What I saw was horrifying: the nurse was bleeding from her neck, and the girl, now with white, vacant eyes and a mouthful of blood, had bitten a large chunk out of her mother's arm.

I tried to move toward the nurse to help her, but before I could take more than a few steps, she started convulsing violently on the floor. Her eyes flickered from red to white, and then she screeched and fell silent. As another nurse tried to approach her, she lunged, tearing into her face.

Everything happened too fast. I sprinted back to my office, locked the door, and started dialing the police. The line was busy at first, then dead. I'm trapped, and I need to stay alive. What good am I to anyone if I become one of those monsters?

Now it's 10 p.m. I look out the window and see the streets swarming with people running and others chasing and devouring them. It's like a twisted horror movie-except it's real.

I'm unprepared. I've never held a weapon, let alone used one. But I need to adapt, and fast. My neighbor Axel, who's obsessed with doomsday scenarios, might be my only chance. I used to mock him, but now I'd do anything to get to his place. It's the only sanctuary I can think of.

I need to find a way out. Luckily, I know this building like the back of my hand-because I own it.

There's a frantic knock on my door. "Dr. Ava, please let me in! I'm not bitten!" It's Jessica. Part of me wants to open the door, but I'm terrified she might be infected. The nurse earlier turned in seconds-what if Jessica's the same?

But I need a partner to escape. I open the door and let her in. "Thank you. You're amazing-you always were," she gushes.

"How did you survive?" I ask, wanting to know if there are other places to hide.

"I was in a closet, but a zombie kid found me, so I ran here," she says, looking panicked.

"Is it clear enough for us to get out?" I ask, my mind racing with escape plans.

"Get out!?" Her voice rises in alarm.

"I have a neighbor with weapons, food, and shelter. If we can reach him, we'll be safe," I say, trying to sound reassuring.

"Oh, that's good. I need to get to my kids. Let's go together," she says, her eyes filled with hope. I nod, but only because I need her for now.

"I think the exit stairs are clear. No one was there when this all started," she says.

"Okay, grab something for defense, and let's move," I order. I grab a metal rod I broke from a chair earlier. She picks up a wooden stick, and we head out.

We move cautiously, but it's nerve-wracking. Just as we reach the exit, an infected lunges at me. Jessica tries to help, but the creature is focused on me. In a moment of cold calculation, I shove the infected at her.

She looks at me, her eyes filled with betrayal and fear. I take one last glance as the infected tears into her neck. Her screams echo in my ears, but I can't afford to be sentimental.

It's me or her, and I chose me. Jessica's weakness was her concern for others-people like her won't survive. I made it easier for her, and for me.