Deadman Crawling [m×m]

Epilogue.

The media and all news outlets suddenly shut down, the connection with the rest of the world snapping and leaving everyone in the dark with nothing but static.

On the other side of the wall was the bustling of speculation and fear despite it being three years after the outbreak.

A new illness has ravaged only one country, better known as the once-great United States of America.

Borders have closed indefinitely.

Highly contagious.

Spread through bodily fluids?

Uncertain what has caused this mass hysteria.

Zombies!!

They're being called the infected.

Is it truly an illness or have humans gone rogue?

Biologic warfare gone wrong?  Proof indicates that nations have teamed up against the United States!

Is it for the better?

The only thing that he remembers from so many months ago being mentioned and emphasized was the onset of the disease.  Warning people to stay away from those infected and to never take a chance because it all begins with an onset of seizures.  Seizures that cause all vital organ activity to stop.

He doesn't remember him ever having a seizure as televised in reruns of old news.

He remembers the light leaving his eyes though.

Within minutes the ceased beating of the heart would reanimate and restart, pumping infected blood throughout the infected's veins and throughout their body until everything was destroyed and replaced with death.

He closes his eyes and can only picture the beating of their heart in sync.

Not once did his (Jace's) heart stop beating either.

Warm skin becomes cold and pale with a grayish deadly hue to it.

That he remembers clearly.

The way Jace practically turned to stone for just a brief moment.

A strong stench of death emitting from their rotting corpses following after as they deteriorate.

He's thankful he and their baby didn't see him deteriorate.

Everything, just everything, became wrong about them.

Everything.

Everything was just slightly off about them.

Their eyes become hollow, dull, and lifeless.

Lips pale and cracked.

Skin bruised with purple and blue all over and no sign of ever healing.

Almost as if they were dead.

But Eloy refuses to believe that.

And for a few brief moments they were and yet they walk, they groan and moan and attack.

Jace would never.

It's a terrifying disease that eats away at the person, kills them and brings them back as a monster, an uncontrollable and insatiable beast.

Worst part yet— there is no known cure.

Eloy swears there is.

There has to be.

Of course there wouldn't be, not when the origin of such a disease is so obscure.  When no one knows where it even came from though the speculations continue.

And although the infected appear weak, slow, and dim, they are anything but.

They are fast when motivated with fresh meat, when the sound of a healthy heartbeat reaches their ears, when rich untainted blood tickles their rotting noses.

And it all begins with a single bite, just one.

A single tear runs down Eloy's cheek.

He presses a kiss to the wall, knowing that on the other side is his better half.

And the father to their baby.

Hope.

He still has hope.

The end.