2020: The Pandemic - Zombie Edition

2: Zombies?

"There is nothing so patient, in this world or any other, as a virus searching for a host."
― Mira Grant 

*

Beau spent the last ten minutes vomiting into a bucket given to him. Meanwhile  Charmaine was rubbing comforting circles on his back. Usually she would make fun of him in his state, but after seeing his best friend hit by a car and then eaten, she decided to spare him. Not that she would admit it herself, but she also felt nauseous due to the circumstances. 

"Christ, what the hell is that?" The clerk of the store questioned, standing behind the glass door. His hunting rifle ready in his hands. They returned to the previous store after they ran from the man. 

"Looks like a zombie to me."

"You've been watching too much TV, Char." Beau grimaced up at his sister, wiping some of the residue on his cheek with the back of his hand.

"Then what would you call that creature out there?" She stared him down with an icy glare.

"He may be on drugs. Not the first time I've seen someone become a cannibal  while on meth." A frightened customer added, he was a paramedic, but had never seen anything like this before. 

The rest of the customers had either stayed or ran away. Only around ten, including the siblings, of the customers remained. Loud and hollow thumps was heard from outside. The crazed man started to hammer his forehead against the glass repeatedly, not minding blood gushing down into his eyes. 

"It's my fault. I should've helped Michael." Beau spoke to himself. 

"There was nothing you could've done to save him," Charmaine said. "he was hit by a damn car and then this zombified crackhead started to eat him." she added. 

Beau abruptly stood up and rolled his shoulders. He pushed his glasses further up his nose and walked towards the front door. His sister noticed the strong determination in his eyes.

"Let me out."

"Are you crazy?! No way in hell am I letting you out there!" Charmaine yelped and scrambled to her feet after realization hit her.

"She's right, are you out of your mind?" the paramedic asked. He put a hand on Beau's shoulder and looked him in the eye. The paramedic's blue eyes tried to keep eye-contact but broke it off. Beau's ebony eyes were made of intimidating steel. They were stormy and it scared the paramedic.

"Let me out." Beau repeated, but didn't wait for an answer. He shrugged the paramedic's hand off of his shoulder,  opened the door and marched right outside. Not wanting to leave her brother to fend for himself, Charmaine, ran right after him.

"Hey, idiot." Beau hollered from the door. The sky lit up with lightning, while he screamed at the man. The rain was slowly coming to an end but it was still dark outside, only the streetlights provided a glimpse of orange glow. The man turned in an abnormal way, as if his torso wasn't connected to his lower legs. The man gave both of the siblings a chill down their spines. His face was not a pretty sight. Beau hadn't noticed his horrid face due to the rain earlier. Half of the man's cheek looked as if it had been clawed at and while glancing down Beau noticed pieces of flesh chunks stuck in between his fingernails. A weird, yellow substance seeped out instead of blood. 

The man staggered two steps  and then ran towards them in a hurried speed. They hadn't expected this disorientated person to be so fast and were rooted on the spot out of fear. Beau tried to deliver another kick but the man dodged and grabbed his ankle. Pulling it. Beau went straight onto his back and his breath was knocked out of his chest. On his back he fought the man and Charmaine did her best by trying to pull him off of her brother. The man elbowed her nose which shot an electric spurt of pain through her skull. She tasted blood on her tongue but immediately went back to punching and kicking at the man. Desperately trying to fight him off.