The Contaminated

Chapter 3 - Humankind

As the hours faded into days and days faded into weeks, Joel could feel himself becoming weaker. He wasn't eating much, he wanted to save his food but he also could barely stomach anything as he kept thinking of the brains and the creature. He shudders as the image replays in his mind. 

Suddenly he heard his upper door being pounded on.  It didn't sound like a zombie but he still remained still and held his breath. He was about to relax when the knocking started at the basement door. Joel froze. He slowly got up and walked towards the door. He looked through the eye hole and stifled a sigh of relief as he realized who it was. 

Silently he opened the door and ushered to come inside. In came the girls from down the street. One was a news reporter the other was a famous vlogger. He silently closed the door after them. 

"Thanks, sir. We saw you run into your house after the crash. Since you didn't come out we figured you were hurt so we came to help." The News Reporter said. "I'm Angy Soar, channel 9 news reporter. This is Daisy Ashwood, my partner." She gestured to the other girl.

Joel's voice was scratchy from not speaking but he said to them, "My name is Joel. I'm not hurt, but I am glad to see other humans." He looked them up and down. They both had a bit of blood on them, "You aren't bit. Are you? The emergency Broadcast said to lookout for bites."

This time Daisy spoke. "We aren't bit. We had a good, secure house down the street. We let too many people in and the creeps stormed in. It was horrible. We barely escaped with our lives." She shuddered, thinking of the trauma that caused them to flee.

"I am sorry for your losses. Were you the ones knocking on the front door?" He asked. 

"We didn't try the front door..." Angy said looking at him wide-eyed. She quickly reloaded her pistol and went upstairs with Joel trailing behind. Daisy put her supplies on the floor and followed.

Angy looked through the eye hole squinting as the sunlight hit her eyes. She slowly and silently opened the door seeing a little girl unconscious on the ground. "Oh my god," Angy said. "Quick, Joel, pick her up and take her downstairs, I'll lock the doors again." 

Joel didn't waste any time. He picked her up and ran down the stairs. He laid her on one of the beds across from the bathroom. He felt her head for any sign of fever, but she was normal. He then checked for bites but found none. 

Angy had locked and barricaded the door. She heard the tap running and found Joel putting a cloth on the girl's forehead. It didn't make sense though, where did she come from? She didn't look familiar. Why was she by herself?

Daisy had seen what was going on and was helping Joel tend to her.

"No matter what we need to stick together," Daisy said as she looked up at Joel. Joel sighed, "I admit, being alone here was stressing me out. It'd be nice to have company. Plus it'd be nice to not look after the young one by myself, I don't know anything about kids." 

Daisy smiled, "Well it's a good thing we came when we did then."