October 31

R U N

The shot rings off the buildings around us, pinging back to my ears painfully. Congealed matter sprays from his forehead before he collapses forward.

Then they start pouring out of every building and open area. I grab Cassidy's hand and sprint, jumping over the fallen bodies of the hoard of zombies we'd come through, my heart racing faster than I could run.

My foot catches on the uneven sidewalk and my heart leaps into my throat.

Cassidy's hand tugs me violently to the side and we barrel into an open doorway, slamming the door shut behind us with our weight. Milliseconds later, it jumps with the bodies of the undead hitting it.

I flip the lock and step back cautiously. The door rattles violently, threatening to crash down and let the wave of monsters get to us.

"Let's go," I turn and sprint through the office building to the emergency exit staircase. My little sister and I peek through the little window near the top to see if the coast is clear before very slowly pushing open the metal door. Its hinges squeak a little as I put enough room for my head to poke out and look around. No rotting flesh or familiar pained moaning is evident, and I wave Cassidy through as the door on the other end of the room cracks.

Without a moment's hesitation we bolt up the first three flights of stairs, not slowing down. My mind began to fog over from the previous night's memories when my laboured breathing began to match Cassidy's.

It was her first night Trick-or-Treating without parental supervision. My mom and stepdad had entrusted her in my care for the night and to be home by eleven. It started off perfectly normal; we went around the block with Cassidy dressed as a bumblebee and got nearly a pillowcase full of candy. Then my friend Rebecca showed up in her car, telling me about an awesome neighbourhood further in town that was giving out jumbo-sized chocolate bars. Her little brother, Zeke, was in the back, bouncing up and down in excitement.

The rumours were true; even I was given a large EatMore. But before I could tear into it, a scream came from Rebecca's car. She jumped out, slamming the driver's door shut. Zeke's body smacked violently into the window.

"He bit me!" she shrieked, holding the side of her neck, where I could see from the driveway had blood pumping through her fingers. I pushed Cassidy behind me, being the protective older sister I am, and began to slowly edge back towards the house with the jumbo candy bars.

"Go knock on the door," I whispered to Cassidy just as Rebecca collapsed. My first reaction was to rush to my friend's aid, but some instinct told me this was really wrong.

Cassidy came back. "It's locked. No one opened the door."

That's when I took her hand and ran.

Had the virus spread through the candy bars?