The Story Untold

Part 1 - Joel

"As more and more patients flow into the hospital, the city council debates whether to use shelters as temporary hospital rooms, or to put 3 or more patients to a room. All patients have been diagnosed with an unknown disease that seems to be viral and extremely contagious. Symptoms of this disease are violent outbursts, tearing skin, bloody vom--"

Joel sighs and leans back in his chair as he switches the tv off, looking out his glass door at the city. More reports of this disease keep pouring through social media and the news. As Joel begins to nod off in his chair, he's distracted by a creaking sound. He looks at the stairs and sees his daughter, Sarah, coming down from her room. 

"Hey kiddo, what're you doing up?" Joel asks as Sarah continues down the stairs.

"I waited up until you were home, so I could give you this." Sarah holds out a small box wrapped in paper, topped with a small bow. "It's your birthday gift."

"Sarah, it's too late for you to be up. Anyway, my birthday ain't til tomo--"

"But it is tomorrow daddy. Look." Joel looks at the clock on the wall behind him, and the clock says 12:01.

Joel laughs and looks back at Sarah, saying "You got me there kiddo. C'mon. You can watch the game til you fall asleep."

Joel turns the tv back on, and quickly changes the channel to a live hockey game. Sarah leans against Joel, using him as a pillow.

"You gonna open your present?" Sarah asks as she looks up at her dad.

"Sure thing kiddo." Joel unties the bow, and carefully pulls off the wrapping to reveal a small wooden box. He opens it up, and inside is an old watch. After he puts it on his wrist, he looks at it intently and then holds it up to his ear. "I'm sorry baby, I don't think it works."

Sarah quickly gets up and moves to the watch, saying "No, No! It can't be broken, I just got it brand new!" She puts her ear to the watch and hears ticking, then punches Joel's arm and says "You really had me there for a second."

Joel laughs a bit and says "I did, didn't I? Well, I'm glad it works. It's beautiful. Where'd you get the money to buy this?"

Sarah looks up at him, makes eye contact and says "Drugs. I sell hardcore drugs in the city."

"Is that so? Well, is there a discount for family?"

"Nope. You gotta pay me in full if you want 'em."

Joel laughs and puts his arm around Sarah, then looks back at the game. After a couple hours, Sarah is asleep and Joel carries her up to her room. When he's back downstairs, he notices that his phone is on. He picks it up and looks at it, seeing that he missed a few calls from his brother Tommy and from his boss at the hospital. 

Joel texts Tommy, saying that he's needed at the hospital and to get home to watch over Sarah. He grabs his coat, loads his sidearm, and heads out the door to the city. As he's on the interstate, he notices how empty it is. He tells himself that it just wasn't busy that night, and puts on some music for the drive. When he gets to the hospital, the main doors are broken and smeared with blood. He parks his truck and gets out, pistol in hand. As he approaches the door, he slows down and makes sure there isn't an immediate threat. He calls into the doorway, asking if anybody was in there. A snarling, grunting noise came from inside, so he shined his flashlight through the doorway. When he stepped into the doorway, he saw his boss hunched on the ground, making strange noises. But it wasn't his normal boss. It's skin was pale, and thin, it's eyes were glazed over, and it sounded like it was eating something. Joel moved the light down his boss's body, to reveal that his boss was eating the innards of a nurse. 

Terrified, Joel dropped his light which landed with a loud thud. His boss looks up, blood dripping from the sides of it's mouth. It screams and starts running towards Joel, waving it's arms frantically at him. Joel tries talking to it, trying to remind it how long they've worked together. It grabs hold of Joel's coat, which Joel takes off and throws over it's head. Joel hits his boss on the head with the handle of his pistol, and it sinks into the head with a sickening squish. Joel turns around to head home and sees more of those things wandering around his truck. He slowly walks past them and around his truck, walking through the city back home.