Virus - A Zombie Novel

August 9th 2014 (Same day)

I sit down at the dinner table, Lincoln and Willow next to me, Grey in front. I get handed a bowl, then soup is poured in. I smell chicken and can only just see noodles floating around. The centre of the table is lined with candles and lamps so we could at least see each other's faces. I should worry about the windows not having curtains, or any cover at all - but they Lincoln and Grey said they had never seen a Lurker here.

"So I was thinking, how about we do a Lurker kill of the week?" Beau said shovelling a spoonful of soup into his mouth.

"I'm down for that." Bennett said.

"Yeah, but your down for anything." Beau replied grinning cheekily.

"Sounds good." Willow said. "But we will have to nominate someone for this week seeing as its Sunday."

"What about when Beau stabbed that one in the head?" I said.

"Hardly exciting." Willow said laughing.

"I thought it was pretty cool." Beau says, "Thanks for the nomination though Alex."

"Bennett drove over ones head the other day." Zara said.

"Been there - done that." Lincoln laughed.

"I nominate Grey for saving my life. I was truly screwed and you got that sucker." Bennett said. "I was on the ground and Grey pulled her off me, grabbed the nearest object and made do with it..."

"It was a guitar." He said smiling.

"I think he deserves it." Parker says. A few people nodded, the Parker stood. "To Grey!" he said raising his glass.

"To Grey." Everyone muttered clinking their cups.

"Hey Grey, can I talk to you?" I whispered across the table. He nodded and stood. I walked down the hall until I was standing behind the front door, and he joined me a few seconds later. "I - I just want to make sure that the thing I said didn't offend you."

"Not at all." He said his voice flat.

"You walked off pretty suddenly..."

"I heard my name being called. Look..." he stopped.

"What?"

"Shush." He whispered. I went quiet, listening for what he heard, and then I heard a hiss, coming from the other side of the door. At the said time we both took off down the hall. Everyone was looking in our direction when we entered the dining room. "Lights out." He whispered. Everyone went into a state of panic. People blew out candles and turned off lamps. Once the blackness took over the room, we all just stood there, silent, not breathing.

"Where are our guns?" someone whispered.

"Back room, how many getaway cars do we have?" someone replied.

"3, but 2 are out the front." I heard Willow's familiar voice answer.

"The one in the backyard seats 5."

"It has a tray out the back though."

"Is that safe?"

"It will have to be." I whispered.

"When I say go, we get our guns. Parker, you'll drive." someone said. "Go." I took off grabbing onto the wall and running my hands along it until I got to the doorway to the back room. The back room consisted of all our bags, guns, clothes and food. I picked up several random bags and slung them over my shoulder, before finding my sniper rifle and its box of ammo next to it. Once everyone had grabbed something we quietly made our way to the back door - at which someone silently opened. We stepped out; guns pointed in every direction and made our way to the car. As I stepped out the moaning and wheezing became quiet loud. I was the last one out of the house and the last one back to the car. There was one seat left inside so I put my bags in the back and grabbed the door, but I was pushed out of the way by Bennett.

"I'm sorry. You'll just have to ride in the tray." She said getting in and closing the door. I sighed and walked to the back of the truck, and Beau put his hand out. I grabbed hold and he pulled me up. I sat down next to Grey and Beau stayed standing, guns blazing.

"Spotted." Beau yelled as Parker turned the engine on. Beau raised his gun and shot the first Lurker to come around the corner of the house. The gunshot rang my ears, and the moaning and dragging of limbs became louder and louder. Parker drove through the wooden fence separating the 2 houses and into the neighbour's yard - where he drove along the driveway and out onto the street.

"Shit." I said standing. We were in the middle of a crowd of Lurkers easily over 100, each one realising we were here and grabbing at us. They clawed at the tray and the window. I aimed and fired, shooting some in the head. "Go a bit faster!" I yelled over the moaning. Parker changed gears and took off. Beau tapped me on the shoulder and handed me an automatic rifle. I gave my rifle to Grey, who stood and began shooting. The rifle beau handed me was one of those ones where you only had to press the trigger for a few seconds and hundreds of bullets sprayed out. I aimed and pulled, making multiple holes in the Lurkers causing them to fall to the ground in piles. I thought I was safe but I felt something enclose around my ankle and pull me down, making me slam my head on the metal floor of the tray and drop my gun off the car. The Lurker used me to climb onto the tray. "Beau! Grey!" I screamed. Beau must've not heard me, but Grey did. He walked over to me and kicked it in the head, sending it flying backwards and off the car. He pulled me to me feet and looked me up and down.

"Did it bite you?" he screamed over the many Lurkers. I shook my head, also looking myself over. I had a stinging pain coming from where he grabbed me and bent over pulling my jeans up, to reveal 3 gash marks. "What are they?" he said searching my face.

"I - I think they're scratches." I said. His eyes widened and went back down to my legs.

"that's not good." He said. I looked down but everything seemed to have gotten darker.

"What happened?" I said unable to see clearly.

"What do you mean?" he said. The moaning began to fade so I could hear him quicker. By now it had gotten so dark I grabbed at him, finding his shoulder. I couldn't see 5cm ahead of me. "Are you alright?" I began to feel dizzy, like I was going to fall out of the tray.

"I - I don't feel too good." I said one of my knees giving out. The other one followed and I fell to my knees, dragging Grey with me.

"What's going on with her?" I heard Beau say. I shook my head. This is not happening. This is not because of the scratch. I said to myself.

'I think she might faint." Grey said.

"Did she get bit?" Beau asked. My hand dropped from Grey's shoulder down to the floor; trying got stabilize myself. I was on my hands and knees, my stomach beginning to feel queasy. I closed my eyes and concentrate on not vomiting. My head began to thud and I let myself lie down on my side, gripping at my stomach. Is this because of the scratch, am I going to die because of a scratch? "Hey, hey, hey!" Beau said.

"Stay awake Alex." Grey said. I opened my eyes to see nothing, and that's what I let my mind slip into - nothing.