Two days pass on the road to West Virginia. Vincent follows the guiding Humvee in front him as he grips the steering wheel. With Tuck sound asleep in the passenger seat. He fell asleep to the loud hum of the truck's engine. A collection of steel cases are strapped in the truck bed. The sky above is darkened by clouds that seem to roll endlessly. They flicker with lightning and echo with soft rumbles. Eventually, the rain starts to pour. Gentle drops sprinkle all over, becoming larger and larger. Until a heavy pour soaks the road. Beating loudly on the windows and body of the truck. The collection of raindrops sound like microwaved popcorn. Windshield wipers swipe left and right. Allowing glimpses of the road. Vincent squints his eyes as he looks ahead."More rain?" Tuck sits up straight with a yawn. The rumble of thunder was enough to stir him from sleep."Ugh, I have to pee." Tuck groans as he ties his hair into a ponytail."We have a few miles before the next stop. With any luck, th
(14 hours earlier)Rising from her bedside, Natalie abandons her lover in the middle of the night.It's quiet. Not a soul awake during the night. With soft steps, she slowly makes her way to the kitchen. Pouring a glass of water for herself, she starts drinking it. Then, someone steps out of the shadows with demonic-looking red eyes that pierce the darkness.She chokes on the water. Coughing out the rest as she eventually gets her breath back. "Who- Who's there?" Natalie questions, watching the steel beast as it approaches her in the dark.Natalie cautiously reaches to turn on the light switch. Once the lights are on, she can see him better. He towers at seven feet tall. In the form a man with skin of black steel and red sentient eyes that observe. It's footsteps are barely heard as it approaches despite its large frame. Armor plated, and with a steel face, its sentient eyes stare unblinking at the Lieutenant.Natalie stares in silence, waiting for it to do something.After a length
(April 10, 2054) Year of OutbreakCurled up in front of a tv, little Cole eats her breakfast. A cartoon about a tiger cub plays. Until Cole's father interrupts and turns it off. "Come on, Coco, I have to take you to school." He says, grabbing his keys and coat when a shout comes from upstairs. Followed by the loud footfalls of someone coming downstairs."Dad!" Rosalie shouts, she's wearing her school uniform with her dark hair tied up. Holding her smartphone as she rushes to turn on the tv. "Did you see the news?""No." He answers while helping little Cole with her shoes. "Rose we can see it later. We have to go.""N-No, Dad look." She urges, switching the channel.The news report shows Rosalie's gym teacher passed away from Malum 2. "Sixteen students have recently been hospitalized. The High School will be closed. It's recommended that students and their households quarantine until further notice." The news report concludes."I guess we're staying home…" Dad sighs, taking off Cole's
(6 hours after departure) "Colette Peters..." a sinister voice echoes. The sound of it sent chills through her body. Cole groans and slowly lifts her head. Groaning again as soreness was felt in her neck. Caused by her slumped position against the strap of a seatbelt. "My suit..." Cole breathes heavily, realizing her suit was gone and her shoes. Her gaze lifts, for a moment there's a blur of light and shapes. She touches her throbbing head, hissing from the pain of contact. "You sleep like a rock". A voice echoes again, and Cole remembered. Dread swallowed her whole. She was stuck in a moving vehicle with a mad driver and his clinically insane girlfriend."Malum eats it's victims from the inside…" The stranger speaks, leaning back as she picks off parts of Cole's suit. Until it's completely stripped of anything useful. "And you're still alive…" She marvels, casting the rest aside as she leans forward. Cole flinches, hearing parts hit the floor. The madman's girlfriend appears to b
Loud, motor-like snoring echoed through a cell phone. Belonging to a sleeping patient as her head lay beside it. Its screen still on, showing the source of the snoring. A partial view of a sleeping boy’s face. “Should we wake them?” A nurse, already fitted in her protective equipment, hesitates to open the door to the patient’s room. Behind the nurse, stood a shorter doctor also suited in her protective layers. “Either open the door Nurse Rue, or I push you through it.” Rue bit her lip, then replied: “And a good morning to you, Doctor Isla.” Rue exhales out, then enters the patient’s room. Bright lights activate above and fill the room with harsh light. Apart from the tangled mess of cedar-colored hair that spills over the white bed sheet. The entire room was like a plain canvas. If it weren’t for the crowd of tech around the hospital bed beeping away, the room would be completely silent. A tranquil melody played over the device. No doubt the reason both fell asleep on a call. The
"Recording us?" A stranger's face entered Cole's vision. He leans over her, a gun in his grip as he studied the female patient. Looking over her from head to toe. Faint breaths escape her lips. As she tried to resist the cold grip that crept up each of her limbs. The man lingering looked years older, with wild hair tousled on his head and a beard. His light hair appeared as red as the flashing lights, but Cole guessed it had to be silver. Strands of his beard dangle below his chin as he speaks. His voice is gentle at first, and slightly husky. The stranger’s eyes are a deep dark, like looking in a bottomless pit. They wander over her vulnerable figure, taking in the sight of her dying state. In the corners of her vision, Cole vaguely spots four others. They wander the room in silence. "Little girl. What were you recording? Uh? You doing that for your friend...? Can’t you see, she’s abandoned you? Just like the others. Just like my boy...” He says with a hint of pain and resentment i
"You…" Cole breathes in and out, calming her heart which was beating too fast for her to focus. "You said you were a doctor." She mentioned."Y-Yes." Vincent reaches into his back pocket. "I can show you."Cole tensed, but when Vincent took out his work badge and wallet her shoulders relaxed. "Look", Vincent spoke as he held up the badge. "That's me… Vincent Lance."She studied the badge with her eyes. His name and picture were on it. "Saint Hallman?" Cole read the top of the badge. "Saint Hallman's Hospital was destroyed four years ago." She looked at him curiously, remembering how the building glowed in the night. Like a torch against the night sky, Saint Hallman burned while Cole and Doctor Isla viewed the horror from the safety of a helicopter."You were there?" Cole wore a look of disbelief."Yes." Vincent pressed his lips together after admitting it."Then you knew a doctor…" Cole hesitated, then decided to describe the doctor. "She's not very tall… Brown hair, long, usually wit
"Cole?" A voice echoes in the darkness of her mind. Slowly luring her back to consciousness. Cole opens her eyes partway to see a worried young boy leaning over. A plastic rod in his hand, he pokes at her thigh as if checking to see if she was alive. "Hey. Can you hear me?"The patient tilts her head, looking through foggy vision to see there were others entering."What the fuck happened, Tuck?" Eris says when he sees the patient."I don't know, man. I just found her I swear." Tuck says."Fuck, I don’t need this right now." She hears Eris grumble while he steps away. Cole thought both of them were going to leave, when he re-entered the bathroom with a pink throw blanket. "Hey kid." Eris speaks softly, despite the clear annoyance in his gaze. "Let me help you up."Cole's gray eyes peek to see Eris extend his arm toward her. His tall frame shadows Cole's smaller form as her eyes fill with dread. Cole's heart beats harder the more he neared. Reeling to the surface, the memory of their fi