Infected Realms

Chapter 4: The Hunt

Their brief moment of safety in the stairwell was cut short by the rhythmic pounding of fists against the door. The infected participants outside showed no sign of tiring. Each thud reverberated through the steel barrier, a grim reminder that their time was running out.

"We can't stay here," Evelyn said, her voice tight with fear. "They'll break through eventually."

Maya peered down the dark stairwell. "We need to find another exit. There has to be one somewhere."

Dr. Marcos leaned against the wall, his breathing heavy and labored. Sweat trickled down his face as he tried to calm himself. "We should've never started this damn study," he muttered, running his hands through his hair. "What the hell were we thinking?"

"We didn't know this would happen," Evelyn snapped. "Right now, we need to focus on survival. Blame can come later."

Maya began descending the stairs, her steps cautious as the emergency lights cast long, flickering shadows around them. "There's a back exit to the facility, through the service tunnels. It's supposed to be a maintenance route, but it might be our best shot."

Evelyn nodded and motioned for Marcos to follow. "We'll have to move fast. The longer we stay in one place, the more we risk."

As they hurried down the stairwell, the pounding on the door behind them became distant, but the sense of dread lingered in the air. Each step echoed, reminding them how alone they were in this cold, sterile environment.

"Do you think the other security guards made it?" Marcos asked, his voice barely above a whisper. His hands trembled slightly, as if he already knew the answer.

"We have to assume the worst," Maya replied, not breaking her stride. "They would've contacted us by now if they were still alive."

Silence fell between them as they descended deeper into the facility. The walls grew damp, and the temperature dropped, sending a chill down Evelyn's spine. The tunnels ahead, lined with rusted pipes and flickering lights, stretched endlessly into the darkness.

Maya stopped at a fork in the path. "Left leads to the storage rooms. Right goes directly to the exit. We can try to grab supplies, but it'll slow us down."

"We can't afford to waste time," Evelyn said, choosing the right path without hesitation. "If this infection is spreading, we need to get out of here as fast as possible."

Marcos hesitated, glancing back at the shadowy left corridor. "But what if we need something to defend ourselves with?"

Evelyn placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll be dead if we linger too long. We don't know how many more of them are out there."

Marcos nodded reluctantly, and they continued down the right-hand tunnel. The air grew heavier the farther they went, the oppressive darkness closing in on them like a vice.

Suddenly, a faint scraping sound echoed from ahead, sending a jolt of fear through the group.

"Did you hear that?" Maya whispered, her body tensing.

Evelyn froze, her heart pounding in her ears. The sound was unmistakable—something was moving in the shadows ahead, dragging itself along the cold concrete floor.

"Turn off your light," Maya said quickly, extinguishing her own flashlight.

They stood in the darkness, barely breathing, as the scraping grew louder. It was closer now, moving slowly but steadily toward them.

Evelyn strained her eyes, trying to make out any shape in the pitch-black tunnel. And then she saw it—just a faint outline at first, but it quickly became clear.

Another participant. Crawling.

His arms dragged his limp body across the floor, his legs twisted at grotesque angles. His head lolled from side to side as his body spasmed, and his eyes—those wide, vacant eyes—locked onto them.

"We need to move," Maya said through gritted teeth, her hand gripping Evelyn's arm tightly. "Now."

They bolted down the tunnel, the sound of the crawling infected echoing behind them. Evelyn's legs burned as she sprinted, her mind racing with panic. There was no time to think—only to run.

As they rounded a corner, they came upon a thick metal door with a large "Exit" sign above it. Maya skidded to a stop and frantically punched a code into the keypad beside the door.

"Come on, come on," she muttered under her breath as her fingers flew over the buttons.

The sound of the crawling infected grew louder, closer. Evelyn turned, her stomach churning at the sight of more shadows moving toward them from down the tunnel.

"Hurry!" Marcos urged, his voice breaking.

The keypad beeped, and the heavy door creaked open, revealing the dimly lit service exit on the other side.

They rushed through the door, slamming it shut behind them just as the infected reached the threshold. The sound of their bodies hitting the metal echoed through the narrow hallway beyond.

Panting, Evelyn leaned against the door, her heart racing. For a moment, they were safe.

But as she glanced down the new hallway, she knew their escape was far from over.

The hunt had only just begun.