"Shit!"
Those were the first words I spoke after waking up in the hospital bed. A sharp pain ran through my head, and I could feel the cuts and bruises that must have still riddled my face.
My memory was hazy, but the beating that I took in my twenty-first amateur boxing fight still seemed to be taking its toll on me, even after waking from a coma.
Using all the strength I could manage, I pushed myself to a seated position. There was a glass of water on the desk beside me, which I took no time to drink.
It was warm but still refreshing.
Next to the glass was a handheld mirror, which I used to examine my face.
Despite being only seventeen years old, a stubbly beard had begun to grow on my chin. There was a scar running through one of my bright blue eyes, and my hair was messy and blonde.
As I looked at myself, I couldn't help but think a lot of time must have passed.
"At least I'm still handsome."
With a laugh, I placed down the mirror and looked around the hospital room. The curtains were drawn, so I was given no view of the outside world. However, the clock told me that it was just past midnight.
If my guess was correct, I was inside Queen Lucy's Hospital. The largest healthcare institution in my town, Lenton.
From the many nights I had spent there in the past, I knew that its staff worked 24-hour shifts.
With the press of a button, I should be able to call a doctor to my room. Then I'll be able to find out just how long I've been asleep...
From my seated position, I looked around in search, before finally finding it placed on the armrest.
"Nice."
I wasted no time in pressing the button, which should have sent a signal to the reception desk.
After twenty seconds passed of nothing happening, I pressed it again, and then again.
"Doesn't this stupid thing work?"
Cursing to myself, I slowly swung my legs out of my bed and pushed myself to my feet. My body ached from being cramped up for so long and yearned to be stretched.
However, before I could, two strange things happened.
First, I noticed something... different about my body. Despite my constant aches, my body seemed to be more useful than it was before. Every one of my movements seemed to be more efficient, and I felt like once I had fully recovered, I would be faster and stronger than I had ever been before.
In short, it felt like I had become an entirely new human, and I had no idea why.
The second thing I noticed, was a pain coming from the side of my abdomen. I wondered if I had been hit with a mean body shot during my fight, but as I lifted the shirt, I was met with something much different.
A bloody bandage was wrapped around my stomach, seemingly covering a wound. A bloody painful one as well.
Now, I started to become confused.
I had no memories of being attacked with a knife, or any other sharp weapon, so how?
I let out a hefty sigh whilst I tried to wrack my thoughts. As I did, I made my way over to the curtains.
But before reaching them, a sound drew me from my thoughts.
...
Tap, Tap, Tap
Footsteps, slow and steady, made their way to my room from the outside corridor.
Finally. The doctors.
Saving them the trouble, I made my way over to the door. It would be a good way to show them that I was now healed and capable of moving by myself. Still, they would hear a mouthful of questions from me afterwards.
I placed my hand on the door handle and prepared to open.
"Augh. Aughhhh."
A guttural groan froze me in my steps.
The footsteps made their way closer, and I could only wonder whether or not an animal had made its way into the hospital because they certainly weren't human
"Aughhh."
What the actual fuck?
If it was an animal, then it was a large one, as the footsteps only got heavier and heavier. I couldn't help but grow frightened.
Our town was well protected from wild animals, but there were sometimes rare cases of bears and wolves finding their way inside.
But Queen Lucy's Hospital was in the centre of the town. An animal would never get so far before being gunned down by the military forces, or police unit.
So what on earth could it be?
"Aughhh. AUGHHH."
The footsteps reached the door, and the groans only got louder. Whatever it was, seemed to want to pay me a visit.
Instinctively, I braced myself against the door.
Surely it wouldn't—
BANG, BANG, BANG
A great force banged against the door continuously as though it was desperate to get inside. Between every bang, the strange groans came from the other side.
"Are you serious!"
It was only then that I noticed a lock on the inside of the door. Wasting no time, I reached for a nearby chair and pushed it up against the handle, fearful that the animal might be able to break through the lock.
After seeing that the chair would barely help, I moved it to the side and quickly pushed the hospital bed up against it. It was heavy to move, so I knew it wouldn't budge. At that moment, I took note of how easy it was for me to love the large object.
There was seriously something strange happening to my body.
However, even then, the banging continued.
Pressing my hand against my chest, I felt my heart beating at a rate that couldn't be healthy. Hurriedly, I drank the rest of the water in my glass.
After a few moments, I was able to control my nerves and assess the situation.
No wonder no one answered the button...
Is everyone else in the hospital okay?
With no way to get answers, I made my way over to the curtain, finally wishing to draw them and see the outside light. The hospital rooms were all on the second floor and above, so it was unlikely that I would be able to jump down, but perhaps I could call for help.
I opened the curtains.
I was right about the floors. From the height I was in, I guessed my room was located somewhere on the fifth floor.
But there was no time to focus on that. My eyes were instead drawn to the streets below.
Lenton was never busy during the nighttime, especially not past midnight, yet I could see tens... no, hundreds of people moving slowly through the roads and pavements.
At first, I was confused.
Was there some sort of nighttime parade going on?
But as I focused my eyes closely, I noticed something strange about them. The people weren't moving normally. Instead, they walked unsteadily, as though their legs struggled to carry their weights.
Nobody cared for direction. Some walked through the roads, whilst others stumbled across the pavements. Others didn't walk at all and were instead slumped on the ground or pushed up against the doors of buildings and cars, banging against the glasses.
Most important, though, was the way they looked.
Their bodies were mangled and bloody. Some were riddled with simple wounds that tore through their clothing and flesh, but others... others had wounds so bad that I could see their brains through their skulls.
Their bodies were pale, as though they had drained of blood, and their skin fell from their bodies like wet paper.
They should have been dead. They should have been inside of the hospital that I had woken up in.
But no, they walked... with their arms resting limp by their sides.
Without a doubt, these creatures were alive. Dangerous.
And it was at that moment that I realised just what was outside of my room, trying to force its way inside.