It was nightfall when the rain began. The rhythm on the tin roof echoed through the empty library. Glad I brought my umbrella, thought Jill as she restocked the shelves. Books on medicine, others on statistics, numbers—she had always thought it a shame, the lack of fiction. To be expected. Who has time to read if the information isn’t useful? At least that’s what those upstairs would say. Her studies had left her drained and longing for any reading outside her major.
The campus library could be described as clinical. The floor was a white tile, with circular blue light fixtures that hung every third step. The bookshelves were also white, though had a rough texture in contrast to the mirror-like floor.
Lost in thought, Jill pushed down on the metal door handle and stepped outside. She opened her umbrella in the doorway before setting off. The usual sound of her heels against the concrete stairs echoed, despite the downpour, as she descended the walkway. Her apartment wasn’t far, down one street, a turn, then only a little further. The rain hammered against her umbrella. She could see the shadow of the droplets as they rolled across the clear plastic.
“Excuse me?”
Jill spun around, looking for the source of the voice. “Who’s there?” It was so dark, she couldn’t see far. Only a few steps ahead and the angular curb of the sidewalk.
“My bad, I didn’t mean to scare you,” she caught a glimpse of movement, his jacket maybe, as he approached. “We talked at the library? I’m Kyle? If you remember?”
“You following me?”
“... no. I mean… sorry. I guess, I just thought I might not get to see you again, and… well to be perfectly honest, I was hoping I could get your phone number maybe?”
Jill took a few steps back as she felt her heart beat even faster. I was definitely alone at the end of my shift. The library was empty. That means, he was waiting for me to leave? Her thoughts were interrupted as something struck her umbrella. Jill gasped, gripping the huddle tighter with her gloved hand. It felt heavier, as if something had landed on top. She glanced upwards through the clear material, at the pink flesh. It looked like a meaty intestine slathered across.
“What the hell is that?” asked Jill, more to herself than the strange man. She felt the thing slide to the rim of the umbrella. She only had to give it a small shake then, and it splat against the pavement.
“I have a pen, if you wanna write it down for me? Your number?”
“Fine.” Snatching the pen she scribbled her number down. “Happy?”
“Yes…”
Jill turned on her heel and marched off, continuing towards her apartment. She made glances over her shoulder periodically along the way, he better not be following. If he was, she didn’t notice.
She found her apartment building. Under the cover of the doorway she shook off her umbrella. She could see the gore drop off onto the pavement. Was it a dead bird that fell? She wondered, typing in the code to unlock the door. So gross. As the doors slid open, she walked through and turned down the hall. Jill looked over her shoulder, a final check for the stranger. Her eyes widened in horror, at the trail of bloody footprints left by her boots.
***
Jill sat upright, drenched in sweat. Nightmare. She couldn’t remember the details. Clothes were scattered around the foot of her bed. The campus is closed Sunday. So no work today. She gathered up the clothing from the floor and threw them in the wash. The morning air was dead quiet, not unusual for the weekend. During the week she would have heard the kids upstairs getting ready for school. She almost missed their voices now, as she walked into the living room. She found the quiet unsettling.
Jill’s eyes widened when she saw her boots on the mat. There was a puddle around them; clearly blood in the morning light. Jill got a cloth from the kitchen to wipe them clean. The sound of the rain had gone quiet. I left my umbrella on the porch last night, Jill remembered, hopefully it was washed by the rain.
Pulling open the screen door, Jill caught her first glimpse of the city since the rainfall. It was red. Even the morning mist was tinted by it. The leaves of the large chestnut tree were painted crimson—not due to the changing season. It stained up the side of the trunk and pooled around the roots. The sidewalk too was covered.
Jill felt a shiver run down her spine. She steadied herself against the doorframe, careful not to touch the dry blood. There must be something about this on the news? She turned towards the TV and flicked to the morning news channel. The screen displayed static. What in the world is going on? This feels like another nightmare.
She began going through her contacts. Please pick up. Please pick up. Her moms phone number went to voicemail. Not too unusual, it’s still early. She called Emmett next, a friend from the university. He’s usually up early. Next, her co-worker George. A cousin, Mia. Where is everybody? Her heart beat faster as each call went unanswered. The sight of the anomaly outside had left her shaken. Being cut off now, alone to face it…
There was a firm knock on her apartment door.
“H-hello?” Jill answered, “can I help you?” She looked out through the peephole. There was a large figure on the other side. He was dressed in a dark brown jacket, the leather worn and peeling. Jill could see his scruffy white beard.
“Hello there!” His voice had a heavy accent. “Where is everyone? I’ve been trying every door in the building. You’ve been the first to answer.”
“Strange…” Jill paused, unsure of what to say. “... I tried calling a few people but I didn’t get any answers either.”
“My name’s Sava,” the stranger introduced himself, “I’ve been trying to find someone to help my daughter. Not acting like herself. She needs to get to the hospital but the buses aren’t running. I was looking for someone to drive her.”
“Oh,” Jill paused, “I’m sorry, I don’t have a car.”
“Ah, alright,” sighed Sava, “sorry to bother you then.”
Jill heard the floorboards groan, as his weight shifted away from her door. “Wait a moment,” she pulled the door open. The man was a giant, she needed to look up to meet his gaze. He was deeply pale, dressed in large black boots. Under his eyes were a pair of dark circles. “I might be able to help,” she told him, “I’m studying medicine at the university. Maybe I could have a look for you?”
Sava nodded.
She grabbed her boots from the mat before leaving.
“I didn’t realize she was playing in the backyard until it was too late,” Sava told her, leading the way. “The rain started suddenly and, next thing I knew, she came running inside. Soaked completely red. I dried her off of course, but it only seemed to get worse. She won’t wake up this morning.”
They came to a halt at a narrow green door. Sava pushed it open, revealing the apartment. It was small, ordinary, the layout similar to Jill’s own living-space. There was an island in the kitchen covered in dishes. Near the sink was a stack of beer cans.
“This is my daughter here, Arora.” She was laying on the couch in the living room, eyes shut. Her skin was as red as the chestnut tree outside. It was bloated. Wrinkled, like she’s been in the bath for too long.
Jill stood frozen in shock for a moment. “I … ,” She blinked, refocusing on the task at hand,
“I’ll try doing some tests. See if I can diagnose the problem.”
“Thank you.”
Kneeling by the couch, Jill reached out a hand to touch the girl’s forehead. “Her skin is freezing,” Jill said, looking towards Sava.
“I’ll fetch the heated blanket.”
“She’s going to need a real doctor. Keep knocking on doors, we can’t be the only people in this building … You alright?”
He had been gripping his jacket, the material above his heart. “I’ll be fine,” he responded, “I’ll have another look around. Sure.” Sava left the room—leaving Jill alone with Arora. She was breathing—Jill could see her chest rise and fall as her lungs expanded and contracted. She gently reached under the girl’s back and rolled her onto her side.
Arora jolted. Her mussels spasmed. Is she having a seizure?
Arora’s eyes flicked open. Jill could feel her own heart pounding as the girl sat upright. She stumbled back and crawled away from the child. The carpet was rough and covered in crumbs. She could feel the grime beneath her palms. Arora swung her legs off the couch. Her legs wobbled like a newborn calf as she took a few tentative steps.
“Arora, it’s okay,” Jill said, trying to stay calm, “can you hear me?”Arora stumbled past, heading towards the doorway. She continued through the kitchen and out the apartment door.
“Arora,” came Salva’s voice from the hall, “What’s come over you? Where are you going?”
“I don’t know what happened,” said Jill, joining Salva in the hall, “she just got up suddenly.” Together, they followed the child downstairs and out of the building.
Jill gasped as they reached the transparent front doors. They weren’t alone. “I’ll be damned,” murmured Sava, wide eyed as they observed the crowded red street. Swaying silent figures too numerous to count. Arora was lost in the sea of wrinkled bodies.
“Arora!”
“Salva wait,” Jill called after. He was already out the door, wading through the masses. Jill followed. It was easy to keep track of the big man. The top of his balding head towered over the crowd. Jill did her best to ignore the empty expressions. She kept her gaze fixed upwards, eyes following the string of telephone poles. She could hear the hum of the powerlines in the damp air. Above, the clouds looked heavy; won’t be long before it rains again.
Ornate and fractional patterns danced in the haze above. Jill blinked, thinking it a trick of the morning light, but the shapes remained. One diverted from the group, arching through the air like an eel. It collided with one of the statue-like figures in the street; he was a young blonde man dressed in a suit. As he was struck, the man began twitching. His brown eyes changed then, inflating, as if they were being filled with red liquid. They bulged out past the eyelids in a crazed expression. His blank stare changed to a look of almost hunger as he turned to look at her.
“Salva…”
“I see it.” The big man had come to a halt. Jill reached him, looking back at the man with red eyes. It wasn’t just the one—other spectators descended, turning more of the dazed figures.
“Across the street,” said Jill, “we can hide in one of the shops.” Salva nodded in acknowledgment. Together they waded through the crowd towards the glass doors. The red eyes followed.
They reached the nearest building. It was a rundown comic shop, displaying colorful titles in the window. The lights were out, but Jill could make out rows of selves further inside. Cardboard boxes littered the floor.
To their right, a face turned. Her white teeth glinted as she lurched forward. “Salva!” Jill shouted. Salva raised an arm to protect himself. The sound of wet, tearing flesh filled the air as her teeth sunk into his wrist. Salva threw the woman off of him. Her body made a splat as it hit the pavement.
Salva let out a pained grunt. Jill glanced up towards him. He gripped his chest near the heart. His eyes were clenched shut, his breathing fast. He stumbled. “No… Sava, what’s wrong?” He swung an arm, pushing her away.
“I’m not leaving you behind,” Jill told him, “we just need to get inside…” she turned towards the doorway and pushed hard on the handle. There was a jolt, the lock resisting her.
“Just go,” his voice sounded hollow, “run.” Jill looked down at him, at the circular mark of teeth on his wrist. The blood ran down to his elbow. At his heart, he clenched a handful of his shirt. “Go,” he told her again.
The shambling figures continued to approach.
Jill fled. The sea of people continued, blank stares of strangers. Eyes unseeing. She felt a buzz in her pocket. Someone’s calling me back, she thought, finally. She hoped it was one of her family members. She slipped her phone out of her pocket. It was a call from an unknown number. I’d be happy to hear from anyone, thought Jill, as she answered the call.
“Oh, you did answer,” he sounded nervous, “I wasn’t sure if you would. Hi.”
“You’re the guy from last night,” Jill instinctively glanced over her shoulder.
“Don’t hang up,” Kyle pleaded, “I’ve already gone through everyone in my contacts and you’re the only one who answered.”
“The same happened to me… tried calling and didn’t hear from anyone.”
“We might be the only two people left…”
“Maybe…”
“If we could meet, I might kn-”
“I’m capable on my own.”
“We need to escape don’t we? Get out of this city. We’d have a better chance together. They’re not letting anyone in or out.”
“What do you mean?”
“At the entrance to the city they’ve put up concrete barriers, shooting any of the things that get near. We should meet… Can we please meet at the library?”
“Fine,” Jill said, “see you there,” and hung up. She felt a raindrop on the back of her neck. She shivered as she felt the wet splatter against her skin. The hairs on her back prickled as it rolled down her spine. Jill pulled up her hood and kept walking.