《Fear is Inevitable》 Day 1 I stared out the windshield at the airport enlarging in front of me. Taxi¡¯s, ubers, crazy suit and tie men were swerving out of parkings lots looking like they were on a search and destroy mission. The clouds look especially great for cross country flights. Beautiful, clear, blue sky. ¡°Thanks for the ride.¡± I tapped the unlock button and pulled the door open and my long time platoon leader and friend popped the trunk on his Camaro. I stepped out and was instantly hit by the heat, it felt like it radiated off the pavement and the bodies of those standing with luggages awaiting for their rides. Why in the fuck, didn¡¯t they stay in side? I swagger to the back and grabbed my green duffle bag, huffing it over my shoulder as the blonde asshole slammed the trunk closed. He punched my arm and gave me a serious look. ¡°If you can¡¯t make it in the north or can¡¯t get a job. Let me know, I know some contractors that¡¯ll hook you up. You got skills, best not to wait too long for them to become rusty. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll work out something that¡¯ll keep you around your little girl, at least three times a week.¡± He glanced around while his brows were scrunching up due to the heat. ¡°Yeah, I''ll give you a call if I can¡¯t find something sustainable. Anyway, I got twenty minutes before the plane took off due to your grandma''s driving style. I¡¯ll give you a call when I touchdown.¡± I jested while slapping his shoulder. Moving backward to sidestep someone trying to rush between the car behind us and us. The fucker didn¡¯t even say sorry for almost running over my feed with that fucking trolley. God, the stupid fuckers better be glad I can¡¯t bring a gun on the airport. ¡°Hey, you never complained about my driving when we were heading to training.¡± CO laughed and walked towards the driver door, popping it open as he leaned against the hood. ¡°Who would complain about having more time to sleep? That¡¯s when you want the safe grandma to drive her best. Smooth ride equals a full eight hours of sleep. Alright, see ya man.¡± I winked and spun around with a crisp about-face. Shit was still in my genes. I marched into the airport and walked up to one of those ticket dispensers. Printing out my ticket as well as the baggage tag. I took the big bag off my shoulder and moved aside as some lady behind me looked impatient to get to the machine, tapping her feet like she was. I folded the tap over the handle and pinched the sticky parts together before lifting it back up and heading for¡­ C2. I walked up to the terminal and passed over my bag after showing my ticket. They put it through a scanner machine before moving onto a belt. People didn¡¯t seem all that in a rush as they lingering around food stalls or stores.. I noticed a lady buying two neck pillows and passed on to a little boy. She was smart, those things were god sends. I checked the line and noticed it was pretty short. I checked my watch and noticed I still had a good fifteen minutes, plenty of time to nab a pillow. I walked over and grabbed a light blue neck pillow, the only other choice was pink. I had not fallen so low as to walk around like a true man toting a pink pillow. People didn¡¯t need much reason to judge you than that. I swagger behind the lady in front of me and noticed she had one of those eye blind things. I tapped her shoulder and she turned to me with a wary expression. I gestured at the eye blinders, ¡°sorry to disturb Miss, I was just curious where you got that from.¡± The lady broke into a smile when she realized it wasn¡¯t a crazy request, which makes you wonder. What the fuck kind of requests has the lady heard. ¡°Oh, over there by the umbrellas.¡±she gestured with her elbow as her arm was full of stuff. I looked over but didn¡¯t see it right away but it could be on that stand that turned? I rushed over with anticipation for great sleep only to find that the area was wiped clean. What kind of store didn¡¯t continue updating their stock? I glanced at my watch and realized five minutes flew by, I just grabbed two bandanas and rushed back into line. This time behind two people, instead of just the lady I was in front of before, but they had small items. So it would go fast, hopefully. The lady who pointed me towards the area with the blinders seemed to take ages. Fuck sakes, she asked the worker lady to get another blinder. If the bish didn¡¯t bring back a box, I would just forget about it. I checked my watch and eight minutes left. When the clerk came back it was six minutes left. I tapped my feet impatiently thinking about putting the shit back and heading for the dock. Even though I wasn¡¯t all that far, maybe a minute if I jog. It was still best to get into that line quick and take up the window seat. I hate blokes elbowing me when they have to piss. Like couldn''t they utilize personal space and their body gravity to maneuver down a lane which had ample space for two people to move side by side? Did they think they were king kong and had to take up the whole plane just to traverse a short distance? I glance at my watch as I put down my items, four minutes left. I pulled out my credit card and tapped the counter as the clerk slowly scanned the items. Flipping the pillow through heads and tails before finding the tag. Thank god the bandanas were folded or else I might have curse this bish out for being so stupid. ¡°Is that all, sir?¡± she gave me a smile that might have been beautiful on any other day but not today. I shocked my head, ¡°No.¡± She pressed a button and I saw the pay menu show up. I stuck my card in, hit the pin speedily and grabbed my items without waiting for her to bag them. Two minutes. ¡°Do you want a..¡± ¡°No thanks.¡± I walked away after seeing the payment go through. I rushed out of the store and down the corridor, dodging those suit and tie bastards on their phones and pacing around the walking area like it''s their personal home. ¡°Please board Flight 107 to Indiana now. I repeat, please board Flight 107 to Indiana now.¡± the announcer sounded really close and loud to me. I glanced at my watch and it was negative two minutes as I stepped into the crowd walking onto the airplane loading dock. Someone had applied too much peach perfume, smelled like she was trying to choke out the whole crowd as I swept by. I spotted my three man window seat and dropped in feeling like the world was at least going to plan. I reached into my pockets for the portable wireless earbuds and usb cord. Plugging the cord into the port at the bottom of the seat, while the other end into my phone. I put the neck pillow around my neck, stretch out my legs as far as possible, and put in earbuds. I turned on my favorite playlist, a light symphony that calms the nerves and helps elicit a deeper sleep. I took the packaging off the bandanas and folded them so they formed a long rectangle then tied it over my eyes. I felt the chair tilt back a bit as someone else dropped into the seat and threw his bag into the seat in between us. The guy waited literally for a few minutes before patting my arm. ¡°Hey, guy! Hey, guy! Let¡¯s trade seats, huh? I prefer the window seats but I won¡¯t let you take a loss. How about I give you two hundred for that seat, huh?¡± the imbecile asked without taking into the account that maybe I couldn¡¯t hear him. I pretended not to hear him anyway and allowed myself to be rocked to sleep as the plane took off moments later. ** I woke up and tugged the bandana up over my forehead. The moment I did the suit and tie man started talking loud, like he was trying to annoy me or something. Is he that petty? ¡°Why are you headed to Indiana? Change of orders? You are a soldier, right? You look like one with the hairstyle shaved on the sides. Though I didn¡¯t know you were allowed to let the top grow out so much. Are you really a soldier or just like military camo stuff?¡± he pointed at my earbuds pod which had a camo case covering. It wasn¡¯t like I liked military stuff. It¡¯s just that it is cheap and there is so much camo stuff that I think it''s discounted. ¡°It¡¯s okay to like military stuff. When I was younger I had the same problem. My old man was a soldier that retired, he would always bring up military this, military that. To be honest, by the time I got into high school and was planning my future, I knew what I didn¡¯t want to be with hundred percent. I didn¡¯t want to be some soldier listening to the orders of another man when I was making egg shells. Thus when I had a choice of colleges to pick from I went straight into finance. I wanted to be the next big wall street guy but even if I couldn¡¯t make it that big, at least I wouldn¡¯t go hungry, right? Anybody would higher a success money maker no matter what the company did before he was released.¡± he lamented while I checked my watch.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Thanking god that the plane was just about to land in twenty more minutes. This guy didn¡¯t stop talking, smacking my arm as he thought of something funny. Fucker was having the time of his life. When the plane shook due to resting its weight on the wheels, this fucker didn¡¯t pack up. Seeming to get really deep into a story about the time he made his company almost sixty-six million dollar investment but his rival brought in a billion dollar investment. As the plane clerks cleared the aisles and people began pulling their bags from the overhead compartments, this fucker was still lampooning. He didn¡¯t even get up when people started heading out the gate and literally waited for the fucking last person to go buy. What a petty fucker this guy is? I checked my watch as he got up and walked away. Still talking. I could only shake my head and follow him out. When we got into the airport terminal, the fucker hit my chest and rubbed his knuckles. ¡°Good talking with you, mate. I hope things end up swell for you and you don¡¯t turn into one of those bums that retire with ghosts.¡± He chuckled as he walked away. My jaws clenched and I considered punching the guy but reconsidered. I wasn¡¯t here because of that guy, I didn¡¯t want to let him put me behind schedule. I checked my phone battery before calling a taxi and then I called my CO. ¡°I touchdown.¡± ¡°Good, remember if you need anything just give me a call. Also, don¡¯t be afraid to¡­ Clarke, what the fuck do you think you doing? Do you think this is fucking playground? Go to attention when I¡¯m talking to you. You know what fellow. You look like a funny person, how about your right face? Down.¡± My CO went from normal person to asshole in seconds. What a fucking bastard. ¡°Oh, anyway, I was saying, you need to get laid. Don¡¯t let that woman become your sorrows. I saw way too many men pine after their ex.. Did I say you can stop pushing?¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t even tell me to push to begin with!¡± I heard another voice and I couldn¡¯t stop laughing. ¡°Fucker, you funny funny, huh. Down! Up! Half-way down!¡± CO yelled, then turned easy going. ¡°Hey, call me back after you get home or something. Actually, in four days from now, I will send you some housewarming gifts and stuff.¡± He cut the line and I knew that part sergeant was in for the time of his life. I got a call moments later from an unknown caller, I answered and they gave a simple reply. ¡°I¡¯m outside, blue land rover.¡± Then hung up. I grabbed my bag and headed outside to really see the taxi driver showing up in a land rover, these guys were really rich huh. The guy didn''t even get out to open the door or trunk, just hit the switch and the trunk popped open. I tossed my bag in and got into the back seat. The trunk closed and the middle aged driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror before pulling out. He played this really old school country stuff that was more annoying than pleasant to listen to. I put in my ear buds and played my own music, watching the landscape pass us by in blurs as he hit the major highway. I noticed we passed over a bridge and river that seem to divide the city, I guess this was why it was called West Lafayette. I noticed we passed by a university on our way to the bank. ¡°Hey, do you mind pulling over at a store so I can buy a briefcase or something?¡± The middle aged man grunted and hit the blinkers. I subconsciously grabbed my seat as he swerved through the traffic into a parking lot. Like he didn¡¯t even have his blinkers on for long before he cut the wheel. Dude fucking crazy. He parked at the front and pointed at the handicap parking space. ¡°I¡¯ll be in one of those spots. I¡¯ll honk my horn when you come out.¡± I nodded and got out, having to tap dance as I closed the gate because a car came oh so close to pancaking me. People were really crazy fucking drivers. I rushed across the street to the store that looked like it sold bags or something. I didn¡¯t want to be on the five o¡¯clock news for being a victim of a hit and run. I just retired, couldn¡¯t I make it a few more months, huh? I rushed in and immediately saw bookbags. It must have been school starting seasons. I picked up a medium size black and blue one. Price tag said twenty-seven dollars, but was it really worth that? Just for going to school? I mean, how many fucking students actually carried books in their backpacks? It wasn¡¯t like this fucker could hold over eighty pounds of traveling gear, plus food, water, and a folded up tent. Tsk, I don¡¯t believe this is actually worth the money they make it out to be. I got into line behind this woman wearing daisy dukes but no ass. Like it wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t have ass because everybody had one, it was just that it was flat and that you could run your hand down her back and hit her legs before you knew it. She wouldn¡¯t even be able to claim you touch her ass because you can say you thought it was her back. The lady fumbled into her purse, pulling out bottles of lipstick, perfume, lotion, wrappers, and some other stuff before she got to her wallet. To be honest, I don¡¯t know why she didn¡¯t just take out her wallet in the car. Some people like making a show of themselves. I shook my head after she paid and glanced at me. I might be looking good but she needed to at least have something back there to hold on to. Just having a big breast wasn¡¯t going to cut it. I¡¯m old enough at this point that breasts are just decoration. I dropped the bag down and felt a ping in my soul for buying something costing twenty bucks when it should really be about ten. I walked out and spotted the land rover at once, even though I was heading to the bastard. He still blew his horn and rolled down his window, waving like I was blind. Civilians are so fucking weird. I tossed the bag in as I climbed back in. ¡°To the bank then the car dealership.¡± He said it like he was just stating a purpose and not asking me. The bank looks more like some super fancy building where you go in and get your diseased checked then come out a saved man. I hopped out after the man parked and walked in. I only had to wait a few minutes before walking up to the Teller and requesting a withdrawal of forty K. The Teller looked at the bag in my hand before nodding and turning around. A manager walked over and typed something in before leaving back to whatever she was doing and my teller disappeared into a vault. I glanced back and noticed that from my angle, there were two direct exits leading to two different parking lots. Cameras were pointing at were covering the whole area but I felt that they could have been hidden better. Any robber merely had to shoot them as they walked in then took care of the money before leaving. The woman counted the stacks out which took a good twenty minutes of my day away. Though I guess it was fast, considering how slow it would have been counting out forty thousand rounds of ammunition. I signed the receipt and started loading up my bag and took the copy of the receipt before heading out. We dropped by a dealership and I didn¡¯t want to waste too much more of the day. ¡°Hey, do you have a specific car you want or want to take a look around?¡± an old man came walking up to me with a smile on his face. ¡°I called earlier about the Genesis G80, you guys have. Is it still for sale?¡± The old man nodded and walked in with me. ¡°Let me check.¡± He typed something on a computer before smiling at me. ¡°It¡¯s still for sale, want to take it for a spin?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Let¡¯s begin the paperwork now.¡± The old man nodded and pressed a button on the phone system thing. ¡°Bring the G80 around, one of the new ones. Thanks.¡± He took only a few minutes to print out the paperwork and get me to sign my life away. Cough, jokes. I grabbed the keys and felt the backpack lighten considerably as I walked out to transition my bag into the trunk of the car. I paid the taxi driver through the card then drove out myself, putting in coordinates for a decent dinner. ** I dropped into a booth at dinner and ordered their special dish. I pulled out my phone and called my ex, dreading this moment but I had to do this. ¡°Chase?¡± Faye''s voice came over kind of shaky. ¡°Yeah, I am just letting you know I am here in Lafayette. Also, I¡¯m going to have the weekends with Jamie. So let her know, from friday to sunday. If she has plans, I don¡¯t mind taking her to them.¡± I reported like how I would when addressing subordinates. ¡°Okay, you know she''s still in school, right? And she attends a club so you have to pick her up from that.¡± ¡°Understood. Give me your address.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°How else am I going to pick her up and take her to school if I don¡¯t know your address?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll text you.¡± I heard a ding and checked the directions to their house then searched what school was nearby, before searching what apartments were for rent nearby. The closest was one point eight miles which was decent. I marked them and hung up, hopefully annoying that cheating bish. ¡°Hello, this is Waterfront Apartment Manager, Walter Noel, how may I help you?¡± ¡°Hey, I am looking to take a walk through of your apartments. Do you have any two bedroom units left, preferable the ground floor.¡± ¡°I do, when do you want to come by and take a look? My schedule is open tomorrow around Ten a.m. until two p.m.¡± ¡°We can do tomorrow at ten a.m. My name is Chase Cross, I¡¯ll contact your office if I¡¯m late due to traffic. Thanks.¡± I hung up and turned to the waiter who placed what looked like spaghetta down in front of me. He didn¡¯t even ask me if I needed anything else, just dipped. City people are so rude. I dug in and enjoyed the scenery of people walking by with their lovers. Holding hands while looking like they were just about to skip off down the yellow brick road. Let¡¯s not ignore those brave people who were darting across the street. I would have had a heart attack if that was me. Fucking people are insane as hell. I chuckled to myself as I watched a brave fool touch his chest after almost having a close shave. He stuck up his middle finger and probably said some curse words. I prayed for his soul when he made that decision to cross the street with green light up. I washed down my food with several sips of lemonade while I hunted down for a hotel with a good review. Booking a room before heading out to just get used to driving in this city. I think I arrived at the hotel pretty late but it was fine, the clerk was pretty upbeat. Making quick work of my sign in before releasing me. I rushed up the elevator and divided into my room. Hitting the showers before I slide under the thick fluffy covers that didn¡¯t do the hotel pictures any justices. It was much much better than how it looked. Day 2 & 3 I woke up a bit later than I planned but it was still early. I crawled out the bed and stretched before heading into the shower. Feeling the hot shells bombarding my soapy skin, it felt good to be alive. After dressing in a nice black suit like a tv show FBI agent, I headed to the lobby of the hotel. I couldn¡¯t help but stare at a lady in a red sports bra and tights. Wireless earphones in her ear as she bobbed her head and stretched while waiting on the elevator. Sometimes she would pull up a leg as she leaned against the wall or squatted randomly. Showing all that ass with no conscience shyness that a woman should have had, but I guess the hotel must be empty around this time. I walked past her and hit the down button, the ding sounded a second after. She looked at me with an astonish face, she hovered there as I walked on and pulled out my phone. I wasn¡¯t a creep, I already saw it all from a distance. It would be so hard to get that image out of my head already. I sent my wife a text that I would stop by later and stood awkwardly in the elevator with a lady who looked so good from behind and to the side. Cough, her face was marginal. When the elevator clicked the ground floor, we both tried to leave at once. I stepped aside quicker than her and waved for her to go. This seemed to have given her a kind of boost, for she swayed a little more upon leaving. I had to admit that she had a nice ass. Chuckling to myself, I headed out to the parking lot. Getting into the car and peeling out, my first stop was a donut shop for a quick breakfast. Then I swung by the apartments since it was around ten, The apartment looks like dorms on a military base, built for accommodation not luxury. I rolled my car into the parking lot in front of the Apartment headquarters. I got out and walked towards the door just as this old lady with a cig in her hand, lighting it up as she walked out. I moved to the side before she could bump into me with her head down. The inside is neat and orderly, you couldn¡¯t almost tell that it was a house turned into an office. There¡¯s this decent dress lad sitting behind the desk, his eyes totally didn¡¯t look as if he was staring at the screen. Not with the way his arms were hunched up as if he was playing on his phone. I made extra loud footsteps and the guy''s head snapped up. I am pretty sure I caught a trace of eyeliner on his face. ¡°How can I help you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m supposed to meet someone to show me an apartment on the ground floor, two rooms. Should be scheduled for a ten o¡¯clock appointment.¡± The man didn¡¯t even look at the planner on the desk or the screen in front of him. He just reached into a desk and grabbed a set of keys. ¡°Of course, I was told someone would stop by. If you want I can show you the apartments now or you can wait in the waiting area for the Manager to return from his walkthrough in..¡± the lad gestured at the couch and tv area, before looking at the clock. ¡°Thirty-ish minutes.¡± ¡°You can show me first.¡± The guy moved around the desk and headed out a back exit, I followed along. They had a pool and it¡¯s actually kept clean. There were even people sunbathing around it. The guy led me across the area to the building label as three, then to the end of the apartment building. I think I caught one window on the side, decent exit and entry point, but it led to an open space that had a garden and gazebo hanging around. The inside isn¡¯t all that impressive, the living room was fairly big but the kitchen is disappointing. One of those island bars separated it from the dining room. There is at least a house washer and dryer, the rooms weren¡¯t all that big but I slept in tinier spaces so it wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°It¡¯s decent. Any insect problem?¡± I didn¡¯t expect him to fess up but some people were decent. ¡°Not that I have seen, but I think one tenant complained about cats or dogs scratching at her door.¡± I nodded and we went back, just in time to meet a well rounded individual and I¡¯m not talking about his skills but his gut. The fat joker gave me a smile and held out his hands. ¡°I¡¯m the manager, Joseph. Did he already show you the unit?¡± The lad nodded while I shook the tubby tubby hands. ¡°Yeah, it''s decent. Let¡¯s talk about signing a contract and how much the deposit is.¡± The manager''s eyes lit up and he wasted no time printing out a contract for me to look over while filling out the details on his pc as I wrote. I guess he is as talented as he rounded. By the time we were finished, a whole hour was taken from my day. ¡°Give me two days to finish processing the government stuff and then you can move on. You can pick up the key from the front desk. If you need anything, just give us a call. We are very happy to help with any situation that might arouse with our property.¡± Josep waddled back in after making such a declaration. I huffed and drove to a nearby furniture store and as I walked through the aisles looking at the display stuff. I realized that my daughter might not like me picking out her stuff for her.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. I glanced at my phone and it was almost time for school to let out. I¡¯ll go pick up lunch first then head over to the ex¡¯s. *** I just sat down at a bench outside when I beep on my phone. Leaning back, I pulled it out of my pocket and swiped it open. News: A Rig off-shore suffered mal-functioned that resulted in an explosion. Blue Sun Energy group released a statement ensuring that they have rescue teams enroute and that they will investigate the cause of the explosions. Click to read further¡­ I put the phone down and open the burger wrapper. Staring at the thick burger with bacon peeking out of the bun. The green arm of the lettuce sliding as I lifted. For all my comrades that can¡¯t enjoy this. I shall for you. Just as I leaned forward to take a bite of the burger, my phone rang. I glance at it while biting down, my ex. I sat the burger down while I chewed, tapping the accept call button. ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Hey, I got your text and Jamie went to some friends¡¯ house. She won¡¯t be able to go furniture shopping as they are group studying for some project.¡± I dipped french fry into the ketchup container. ¡°Okay,¡± I put the phone down and hung up. Getting back into my meal, this wasn¡¯t a huge problem.

Day 3

I woke up to the alarm clock on my phone. I took a quick shower and changed into gym clothes before grabbing my wireless earbuds. I grabbed the hotel¡¯s card key and headed towards the elevator. I sort of hoped to catch that lady from the other day but seemed like I got up a bit too early for that. No biggie. I slid onto the elevator and jab the down button while getting ready to work on my playlist. Maybe a little light metal and to cool down, some jazz. The elevator opened as I searched for a good metal banned to run to and as I stepped out. I caught that yoga ass from the other day. I slipped my phone into my pocket as she caught my full attention in a span of a second. She had a towel around her shoulder and shaker in hand. What a glorious girl. I followed her into the gym and I knew she heard my footsteps. I made them especially loud to catch her attention but she acted like she didn¡¯t even know I was there. Or maybe, she is playing hard to get? I read an article that some women like to play mind games to see if you have patiences to wait on them. Tsk, let¡¯s see who has the stronger will then. I pulled out my phone and clicked a random band. They sounded decent enough, I walked to the treadmill and did a light stretch before stepping on. Cranking it up into a light five minute walk that turned into a five minute jog. I couldn¡¯t help but notice that she had begun a long series of yoga poses that you commonly see on magazine covers. And what mighty great form she had. They say god bless women more than men and I believed it, right then. I got down and took a sip from the fountain before grabbing thirty-five pound bells. I dropped into a squat arm curl that someone had lectured me for hours on. Saying that doing movement with it would engage more muscle groups than just sitting and curling or standing and curling. I didn¡¯t really feel any differences between this and that. It just became a habit of doing it since I did it so much then. I caught her looking over when she climbed on the treadmill. Oh how sleek she thought she was. Haha, I see you. I switched into doing over the head, lifting my arms straight up while twisting my wrist to make the dumbbell go from facing north and south to east and west. Another trick to engage more muscle groups. Licking my lips, I let out a deep breath and dropped the bells beside me. Just as I decided to hit the inclined bench, I received a call. I hit the accept button with a frown. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Oh, Mr. Chase. I am the Manager from the Waterfront Apartment. Your application is approved and if you dropped by with the deposit. You can move in anytime.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll swing by at ten.¡± ¡°See you then.¡± The music came back up as he hung up. I stared at my phone for a minute before shrugging. I¡¯ll look for a job later today. I turned and knocked out the rest of my routine before rushing up to my hotel room. It¡¯s going to be a long day getting everything prepared before friday. Marching towards the elevator, I caught sight of the lady in a blouse and black skirt. She looks pretty good with makeup on. Went up from a seven to eight and three quarters. I slid my hand into the door before it closed and stepped on it. ¡°Hey, how are you?¡± She gave me a smile, ¡°Pretty good.¡± I held out my hand as the door closed behind me. ¡°Name¡¯s Chase. Do you have time for breakfast, me?¡± She took my hand like she was a gentle damsel but I saw her sling those weights around. ¡°Amanda and I have thirty minutes.¡± I released her hands and we walked out while bullshitting. She was a nice girl on a work related trip. Would end up leaving but she is not going that far away, apparently just to the town a few miles away. Which meant I could totally visit her often during the week. Keep me sane before the weekends hit. We drove out to Denny¡¯s and she ordered a whooping plate of pancakes. Like three dishes then stacked them, slathered them with butter, flipped them then drenched them in syrup. I looked at my three pancakes, six bacons, eggs and grits, then back at her plate and realized. I look more like the woman in the relationship. Who knew roles change so much since I have been gone. I kind of expected her to drip a little syrup on her clothes with how fast she was devouring everything. Giving the fact she had more than just pancakes, she still finished before me. I could only lament to god that my stomach wasn¡¯t faster at digesting food. Her phone beeped while she polish off a glass of lemonade and then she smiled at me. ¡°Sorry, I gotta run but thanks for the food.¡± She grabbed her purse and fled faster than I did when people had tasks they wanted to hand out. I clicked my tongue and took the receipt up the register. There was no surprise on my face at the bill but damn that girl could eat. A vision of her in those black yoga pants crept up on me and I couldn¡¯t help smiling as I swiped the card. The rest of the day was in no way as amusing as the beginning. Going around getting lights, water, and the internet turned on. Buying furniture and settling the apartment. Then buying groceries, stocking up on packs of water and perishables. Picking out the best tv sets for game nights. You had to be able to hear bullshit referee calls, so a surround sound that was clear enough when turned all the way up was a necessity. Thick drapes that prevent any type of sunlight snooping in during the mornings when you didn¡¯t want to wake up was utterly life or death matter. Finally, I had to take out the fridge because it looked like it would suck up my electricity and didn¡¯t look as if it could hold the meat I wanted. Let¡¯s not even go into detail about the old iron rings stove tops. The one you can disconnect the little thing to clean underneath. Yeah, that had to go. I was an avid cooker and thus I needed a real stove that had adjustable temperatures with actually low-warm settings. When my day was finally done, I almost felt like the world had just made sense to me. I looked around and realized, it finally looked like someone lived here. Thus I can now begin a journey towards something new. I almost felt like I just thought of a line for a disney show. Day 4 I woke up in a comfortable bed to the sound of lightning and raining. Raining so hard that the window sounded like a bass drum. I am pretty sure that the weather for the week was sunny with a bit of chance for clouds. Yet, out of nowhere, rain. I tossed the cover off and grabbed the remote. I did a quick search and found a new channel as I walked to the bathroom. After a long, calming shower and other bathroom stuff, I dropped onto a chair and looked at the tv. A report of heavy thunder clouds rolling in from the south. Supposedly lasting weeks, maybe months at a time before dispersing. An unprecedented event, what a load of bullshit. I walked over to the game system I bought yesterday and decided to hook it up. Rainy days were pretty shitty but it was a good time to play a few games. Catch up on the trends. *** A few rounds of losing on cod left me hungry. I dropped the controller in the middle of a match and went to season some chicken, tossing it into a container that I popped a lid on before throwing it into the fridge. Following that, I cut open a bag of pizza rolls and layer them on a pan, sliding them into the oven. Snack decided, dinner prepping. Mm, what am I missing? I glanced around, deciding to snag a powerade as I headed back. ¡°Hey man, are you really angry? Come on man, don¡¯t be a sore loser.¡± a voice resounded from the headset. I ignored it as I took a few deep gulps and then tuned into the screen to see that the next match is Search and Destroy. I could play this one better than team deathmatch where people camp on buildings with sniper rifles. I put the headset on and fixed my loadout. ¡°I didn¡¯t rage quit. I had to check on my food.¡± I made up a quick excuse. ¡°I totally believe you. I totally believe you didn¡¯t just throw down the controller after your seventh death while getting quick scope.¡± ¡°Oh, it looks like the weather is clearing up. I¡¯ll run over to my ex¡¯s house before the storm picks back up.¡± I exited the game while remembering why I even bothered playing with this asshole before. ¡°Hahah, I totally believe you.¡± I cut the game off and turned it onto the news while I got up and checked my pizza rolls. ¡°.. Someone took a recording and uploaded it to youtube. A local family came into a store to buy batteries and other essentials for waiting out storms. When this fellow turned grey and attacked them. Killing six people before the store owner was able to put the hostile man down¡­.¡± What the hell? Turned grey and killed six people? Don¡¯t most stores carry? I walked over with a hot pizza roll in my hand. I took a bite and sucked my breath on burning my tongue. I chewed with my mouth open as I dropped onto the couch with a plate in my hand. The video playing showed a man really attacking someone with his bare hands. No, he bit and tore out someone''s throat and stabbed his fingers through someone else''s stomach. It took the store owner two clips to put the man down and the final shot was when the man ran at the store owner. Receiving two shots to the head from near point blank range. ¡°As you can see from the video , this man had tendencies similar to the famous zombies. Potential new drug causing waves..¡± the male anchor jested. ¡°What are you trying to say? That zombies are real? It could be just someone playing with CGI graphics. Trying to gain a little bit of fame.¡± the female anchor rebuke. ¡°No way things like this could be done, maybe with high tech equipment, sure. But look at the faces of those people? They look scared? In pain? I admit some actors are good but the last zombie movie that came out didn¡¯t have this level of gore. I am willing to bet that this is some kind of drug experiment gone wrong.¡± The man got riled up and turned to his counterpart with that conspiracy theory smirk. The woman shook her head, ¡°What drug could cause someone''s skin to turn grey? The guy still looks alive for all intents and purposes. As for whether a new drug managed to turn a guy into a vicious animal. I can¡¯t see it. What drug side-effects would give someone strength to put his hand through a person''s stomach. Rip out someone''s throat? Take several rounds to the body and keep coming?¡± The woman kept refuting it with logical points.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°What if the drug is a drug meant to make a supersoldier to begin with. We all know the government has been attempting to improve upon any agendas that can give them better advantages. This is obviously a product that got leaked and released.¡± ¡°How come this is the only case? Where are the others¡­¡± Both anchors touched their ears before their eyes widened. ¡°We would love to continue this conversation but we just news that a geomagnetic storm is going to cover our satellite and we may experience temporary problems establishing a connection. Hopefully, everything will pass within four or five days. Do not be alarmed if you cannot contact anybody using your cell phones, internet, or news channel. It won¡¯t affect your lights or heat during this period¡­¡± I clicked my tongue as the screen went to that emergency broadcast thing. I switched to the HBO channel and kicked back. Man-eating people? Probably just some college kids trying to show off their college product. I threw another glance out the window before sighing. Today is going to seem pretty relaxed. *** I opened my eyes to the sounds of tapping. At first, I thought I left the bathroom sink on. Sometimes, that drip drip noise can be just as irritating as guns going off right next to you. But rolling over to face the bathroom, the door was closed. I threw the cover off and sat up. Scrubbing the sleep from my face as I tried to focus in on the sound of the tapping noise. Though the rain came in just as loud, which made me wonder why I could pick up the sounds of tapping over the rain. I stood up and brance myself on the head board as I fought a wave of dizziness. I took a glance around as I moved for the bedroom door. Nothing in the room looks loose. So could it be something somewhere else? I walked out the room on steadier feet and the tapping got louder, but as I took in the living room. There was nothing loose. Nothing that could or should make that sound. I turned to the wall thinking it might be someone doing some activities that moved whatever furniture right there. I walked over and knocked on the wall but the tapping turned to banging. I sighed and walked into the kitchen, grabbed a cup from the cabinet and poured some water. The banging started to sound too consistent to be a guy. ¡°Is that just a child? Could be a child being that annoying.¡± I muttered while making my way to the door. I opened it and spotted the concrete sidewalk almost flooded. It was deep enough to wash into the apartment. One of the downsides to being on the bottom layer. I closed the door, forgetting all about the kid as I grabbed a few towels and cleaned up the water. I carried the soak towels to the dryer and tossed them in. Turning it on before walking to the living room and turning on the tv to see that the news channel was still broadcasting a blank. I surf some of the pre-recorded shows before picking some and turning the tv up to drown out the banging. I was just dozing off again when there was an even louder bang. Closer than last time. Sounded like someone was banging on the window instead of a wall. I stood up and about to walk to the window but the grocery store thing came back to me. Instead I hurried off to my room and grabbed my piece. I turned around only to hear the sound of glass breaking and the heavy sound of rain. I rushed out the room to see a guy shoving his head into the living room through the window partially busted. ¡°Yo guy. Smart move but I have a gun. How about you stop causing more damage to that poor window before I put round in you for trespassing.¡± The guy looked up and stepped back. I rolled my eyes as he vanished into the thick rain curtain and I sigh. ¡°Fuck, I gotta clean this and the rain up now.¡± I dropped the gun on the kitchen counter and searched for a broom.. ¡°Fuck, I didn¡¯t buy one.¡± I grabbed the trash can and carried it to the window. I crouched down and began picking up the pieces. ¡°First night in and already crazy shit. I knew it wouldn¡¯t be all good since that crazy girl decided to move here. She had to..¡± My eyes widened as I saw a shadow enlarging. ¡°No, no. Don¡¯t jump through the window. It¡¯s already going to cost nearly two hundred to replace. Not to mention, I have to board up the window to keep the rain out..¡± I rolled to the side and stood up as the dumbass crashed through the window right into the edge of the table. I winced at the sickening thud sound and the way he fell to the ground, his neck bent at an odd angle. I clicked my tongue and walked over to the kitchen where my phone rested on the charger. I grabbed it and began dailing 9-1-1 when I noticed movement out the corner of my eyes. I turned with the phone half raised to my ear, to see the guy getting to his knees. Images of the store owner having to put several rounds into the guy played in my mind. Mm, safety first. I grabbed my gun and took aim at him just as he lifted his head to stare at me with red eyes. My fingers pulled the trigger before my breathing even got under control. The shot took him in the shoulder but he didn¡¯t even flinch, eyes didn¡¯t even blink. I took a deep breath and released it and squeezed the trigger. Hitting him dead in the forehead. His head rocked back and my eyes widened as another guy climbed into the window. I adjusted my aim and put round in his skull as his feet touched the carpet. He slumped into the window and I glanced at the tv and walked over to turn it down. I stared at the bodies for a moment, considering whether this is considered homicide or self defense. I snapped back to the window when I saw the body move and I ran into the kitchen to grab the big butcher knife before walking quickly to the window. The next guy poked his head in and I grabbed his throat and slammed the knife into his eye. I jerk the knife back and let the guy fall down. I silently waited like a hunter for the next guy. Day 5 I jerked awake as I heard scrapping beside me. I jumped up, ready to stab a few more guys when I noticed that it sounded like someone was speaking. I pulled over a chair and noticed that the rain let up but the sky was still dark and cloudy. I looked over the table and noticed that someone was checking the pockets of the recently deceased. ¡°I guess the nights over.¡± I struggle with the decision to sleep or to fortify the window but the table is a thick hardwood. Plus I have a couch pressed up against it. It would take a lot of man power to move it. I should check on the bedroom¡­ I rubbed my face with my free hand and crouched as I walked to the door. Praying that there isn¡¯t anything waiting for me in my room but I didn¡¯t hear any crashing sounds. Plus the door is wide open, if they wanted to get to me. They could very easily. Licking my lips, I moved against the far wall as I surveyed the room. The window.. Still intact, thank god. My shoulders drooped in relief and I walked into the room with solid steps. I dropped the knife on the dresser and headed into the bathroom. Taking a long shower and scrubbing the dried blood off my hand. I walked in front of the mirror after stepping out of the showers, expecting to see bags around my eyes but chuckled. I only stayed awake for maybe half a day. The whole thing made me feel like it was longer. I turned on the facet as the stinging of my eye made me realize that I was tired. I quickly brushed my teeth before crawling under the thick winter blankets. I only had one passing thought before darkness took me, what about the bodies outside? *** I heard the sound of a chair scraping across a concrete floor and I shot up. Yanking my hands over my eyes as blinding sunlight stabbed my just awakened eyes. I didn¡¯t feel my cover on, matter-of-fact, there was grass underneath my hand. Shielding my eyes, I scanned around and noticed I was outside but the location isn''t familiar at all. No, it was definitely familiar. It reminded of a place I recently been to on an assignment. One of the good memories from being in the military. I climbed to my feet and brushed off the grass stalks and dirt crumbs from my palm. I focused slowly on a guy sitting in a chair on the sidewalk in a suit in this bloody heat. Must have a death wish. ¡°How did I get here?¡± I questioned even though I felt a gut instinct that I was dreaming. Maybe dying? The man smiled and stood up. ¡°This is merely your conscious environment. No need to be alarm but we don¡¯t have much time for pleasantries. So I will get right into the heart of the matter.¡± The man gestured with knife hand at his side and a mannequin look-alike appeared beside him. ¡°This is you and currently you are infected with our product¡­¡± ¡°Infected?¡± I took an aggressive step, showing pure signs I wanted answers and with a quickness. ¡°Infected is a strong term but that is what the science types wrote. I¡¯m just paraphrasing off their report. Anyway, there is a group near you that is working on a product that has been showing great success in curing diseases like cancer, aids, and whatnot. You have been infected for lack of a better word. You don¡¯t need to fear dying because what has infected you is purely nanite technology, however, ever since the incident off-shores. The nanites took on a type of mutation that is hard to describe. Best answer..¡± The man''s eyes seemed to read something that I couldn¡¯t see. ¡°The scientist calls us meta-humans. I don¡¯t like this term as it feels more or less like a separation between us and them. History shows that different entities face outright oppression. But to the point, you are slowly being turned into a different life form. Different genes are being promoted within your body and it takes time for them to take over. However, this is good news for you as the world just entered a nightmare. People are turning grey skin and eating other people. This is basically all they wanted me to say minus the agreement to do blood tests on you and what not but my group has taken control.. In a few minutes.¡± It took me more than just a second to process this. Nanites parasites me and turn me into superhuman. Like superman or like possibility of me gaining faster reflexes, semi stronger strength, then straight muscle deterations right after. ¡°Is this harmful? As in the side effects? You said it was mostly successful but you obviously didn¡¯t promote it on a large scale.¡± ¡°Would you promote something that could potentially stop you from aging and living just a tad bit longer to the general populace? Who would be able to afford that? Not many people but there would be large amounts of protest when someone''s family member is sick and common treatment plans can¡¯t cure it. It¡¯s better to avoid such unnecessary concern and promote it to those who can directly afford it and continue to support our future endeavors.¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. The man stated while reaching into his suit pocket and bringing out a cigar case. He held one up like he was offering to me. I shook my head and he lit up anyway. ¡°To continue, you should be seeing changes almost immediately after waking up. However, changes affect everybody in our facility differently. For me, I awoke my ability to peer into people''s dreams the second day but there is a guy who can lift things with his mind and he found out on day one. Also, you should bunker down. You will also be a huge target to those grey-skin abominations. Something about the mutation gives you a greater source of life. Apparently they liked it.¡± I raised my hand, taking my mind off the superpower thing and locking onto the threat. ¡°Do they gain anything from eating us?¡± ¡°Yes, they mutate and become really crazy strong. Headshots don¡¯t work anymore at that point. Our strongest guy had to dissect them. Oh, there are probably a few more guys like us around you. Almost six containers were shipped out from this facility but we doubt they made it since you''re now¡­¡± He waved his hand at me with the cigar between his fingers. His face seemed to scrunch up into an O and he spoke rather rapidly. ¡°Sorry, my guy. There seems to be another guy awakening and well, you seem more calm and reasonable than he does. Have to put more attention on him to keep him sane. Don¡¯t want a crazy superhuman out here. Tons of paperwork.¡± The guy disappeared and my dream self faded. I woke up feeling wide awake. I grasped the cover and sat up, tossing it off at the same time. ¡°Superhuman, huh? Wondered if it would cure some of my aches and pains.¡± I joked as I threw my legs over the side of the bed and looked at the window that I obviously didn¡¯t cover with anything. It also seemed the rain was back strong. I slipped out of bed and put on some clothes before heading into the kitchen to check my phone. No messages? Must mean that crazy girl is safe. I should give her a call to check anyways. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Chase? You¡¯re still alive?¡± Why didn¡¯t she sound happy about that? ¡°Yes, I am just as surprised that you are alive. Where are you guys?¡± ¡°In the basement, taking cover. Crazy people broke into our house and tried to kill us. They are probably still upstairs. What about you?¡± Oh, nice they have a basement. If only I took a few more days to purchase a nice sturdy house. I popped open the fridge and took out the chicken I soak last night. Deciding to cook those right now. ¡°I got attacked a little around midnight. They jumped at the window but I killed them. Pretty safe right now in this two bedroom apartment. Cooking a nice meal right now. Mm, what should I cook with my chicken right now? Pasta?¡± ¡°Tsk, bish. We have enough food to last maybe six days between the five of us but if the rain lasts much longer.. Well, if the things upstairs stay there. Then we are screwed.¡± I nodded while pushing the chicken into the oven to bake. ¡°I hear you but what do you want me to do about it? I am sure there is a bigger crowd and well, you live in the suburbs.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean you come right this very second, but you have guns. You have the training, just come to the back entrances. I don¡¯t think zombies are in the backyard.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go hunting for food tomorrow and see what I can do.¡± Should I brag about gaining eternal life and superpowers? Haha, she dumped Superman for a rich guy. Before I could even bring it up the phone click. I shook my head and turned to the oven with a smirk. So her rich husband can¡¯t do shit but hide. How ironic is that? I bet he''s fuming knowing I am going to save the day. I walked into the other bedroom and began moving the bed to block the window then position the dresser to lock it into place. I did the same for my room and dropped my extra blankets on the couch. So let¡¯s process what I know¡­ Bang! Bang! I jerked and looked around for my knife when I remembered I left it in the dresser in the bedroom. I walked back into it and found it on the floor. I grasp it as another round of banging comes. It sounded like it came from the living room. Not surprising since a bit of the window is open and the chicken smells good. I just wondered, how good is their damn smell, rain should help to disperse that. I walked to the hallway and opened the door, ignoring the rain water that flooded in. My eyes widened as the guy came charging at me. I took a step back and gripped his shoulder, spinning him into the door that slammed into the wall behind. My butcher knife slammed right into his face the next second. I leaned back and put a boot into its gut but it ignored that force as it swung at my face with sharp claws. I stabbed again but this time scoring the eyes. I pushed it out the door after jerking my knife back. The banging also stopped. I guess that guy was coming to me. I kicked the first grey-skin into the doorway just in time for this asshole to come running. It stepped right on the man and its other leg lifted into the air. I snapped a kick at its knee and it dropped instantly, facing kissing the tile floor. I dropped onto its back and slammed the knife down into its head at the spine. It kept on struggling so I stabbed a few more times until it stopped all together. I stood up and stepped back, rolling it over to see its eyes and mouth were still moving. So severing the spine doesn¡¯t kill. No biggie. Single jab and it was lights out. I walked out into the flooded sidewalk and noticed a few doors opened. I might as well kill all those alive down here to stop them from troubling me. I grabbed the legs of the corpse and pulled them out the doorway before closing it. ¡°Hello!¡± I yelled into the doorway of the house beside mine. Walking in uninvited, I kind of felt like a badass to be honest. Zombie killer extraordinaire. No sound? I walked deeper into the apartment and not a sound was made other than my feet thuds. I angled towards the fridge and opened it to see it was partial stock. Cabinets were the same. The living room looked like someone had a fierce fight. Day 5 continued

Day 5 Continued

The room door was half opened so I pushed it open as I angled my body out of the doorway. Nothing came rushing out, so I moved and checked the next room. It was also clear. I would come back and gather supplies. I marched out and closed the door. Moving to the next one, the moment I pushed the door all the way. A sucker ran out, growling as he took a swipe at me. I grabbed its wrist, spun and flipped it over my head, bringing my hand up and the knife down into its face. The angle somehow was perfect enough to kill it. Not questioning the good grace. Straightening up, I headed into the house and spotted a bike behind the couch. Should be tools in the house, eh. I searched a bit more carefully this time and found a sledgehammer, bat, and a few other tools. Nothing that really saved my life in a crisis but I did take the sludgehammer. It could be used to take out knee caps and crush skulls without getting into close engagements. Actually on second thought, the bat is lighter and I can swing that couple times in succession compared to the hammer. Take out the legs of runners, then stab them. Simple. I expected a few more corpses to show up but nothing. Tsk, they are really going to make me search the building. ¡°I should have asked how I would know when I had an ability or not? Fuck, thinking about the wrong shit then.¡± I cursed at my stupidity and marched into the third and final apartment on the bottom level. The door was closed but wasn¡¯t locked. I guess people feel secure in this neighborhood. Good to know before this crazy crap went down. ¡°Hello?¡± The sound of feet thumping the ground as someone ran towards me were very obvious even if half the floor was caperted. I stepped out the door way and back to the side. Winding up to swing as the fucker came out the door, my bat came down on his kneecap. The good thing about people who run, they tend to have one leg up high and the other out forward. The corpse landed on the ground sideways and I dropped onto his chest and slammed the knife into his eye. I looked towards the doorway as I hard thumped on the tiles and saw a kid with red eyes. He jumped at me and I dropped to my back bringing my feet up as I gave him a lift right over me. I came up onto my knees and grabbed the knife, yanking it out as I stood up in crouch. The kid also crouched low as he watched me. None of that movie zombie snarling shit or just mindlessly running at you to get you. He looked like a predator ready to pounce the moment I showed weakness. Kind of wish I was a jedi right now, could scorpion his ass with a ¡®get over here!¡¯ I moved so that the doorway wasn¡¯t directly behind me and I could pick up anything coming out. I took a step towards it and it rushed me. A quick spin kick and its head snapped to the right as its momentum followed it to the ground. I quickly dropped onto it, not even stabilizing myself first. Several quick jabs to the ear, it stops moving. I climbed up, kicked it over and stabbed it in the eye for good measure. ¡°Holy fuck! Didn¡¯t I retire from this shit?¡± I wiped blood from my hands and took a step to the apartment when I realized my chicken was still in the oven. Making a snap decision, I left the apartment alone for now and high-stepped it back to my apartment like a horse doing a funny canter. I frowned at the water that spilled into the doorway, a lot more considering my feet moving through it and sending waves crashing in. I closed the door and locked it before taking off my wet jogging pants. Tossing it down, I rushed to the stove and checked on my chicken. Using a fork to make sure it wasn¡¯t all pink since it wasn¡¯t burnt at all.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Sighing, I checked my phone before walking into my room to grab some shorts. I caught spots of dried blood on my face and hurried into the bathroom to clean it off. I turned on the facet as I grabbed a small towel, the moment I stuck my hand under the water to check if it was hot or not when a terrible burning sensation spread from my hand to my arm. ¡°Shit!¡± Jerking my hand back, I stared at it. The water felt cold, why the hell would it burn me the next second? I stuck my other hand underneath and it felt a little warm now but nowhere near as hot as before. ¡°Am I losing my shit?¡± Shuddering, I reached back down to wet the towel but the same feeling came the moment my right hand touched water. Hissing, I stuck the hand underwater and kept it there. ¡°Is this maybe my ability? Feeling shit ton of pain?¡± Cursing the dumbass who developed this, I watched in rapt fascination as black lines spiral up my arm in a weird pattern. It reached part way up my forearm then the pain stopped and I lifted my arm out from under the sink to take a closer look at it. ¡°Tribal tattoos, huh? Not bad looking but what does this do?¡± I waved my hand in front of me but nothing happened. ¡°Ab-kadda-bra? Open? On? Fire? System help?¡± Not a single useful thing. Whatever. I grabbed the towel and soaked it before scrubbing my face. Repeatedly drenching the towel as pink water went down the drain. I didn¡¯t linger around after my face was clean, and went to start prepping the rest of my meal. ** I snapped up and like before I found myself laying on grass. I jumped up and scanned around to find that guy sitting down in his usual spot. ¡°Hey, I forgot to ask, how do I work my power?¡± The guy coughed and looked embarrassed. ¡°Oh, right. My bad. I forgot to inform you but your power works by conscious thought. I¡¯m sure you played games where the character used mental energy to perform crazy and cool attacks? It''s the same for your ability. Give it a try. Just think, defense.¡± The guy waved his hand and a large bus came slamming down towards me. My eyes felt like they were popping out as I took a step back but then I still had decent clarity of mind. I held up my right hand and thought block. A large transparent, black hand extended out from my shoulder, copying the gesture of my arm. I spread my fingers as if I was about to slap someone and wanted my hand to cover every inch of their face. Then I swatted the bus out of the air with a crazy grin plastered on my face. ¡°Hm, from what I can gather. It seems to be that you have some kind of aura power. I¡¯m not that greatly informed about this type of thing but seems to be what it is. You should google psychic aura and experiment but I should warn you. So far we all seemed to have a limited duration definitely during the early days.¡± the man pulled out a cigar and begin lifting it up. ¡°I think the first two weeks of practice it was like ten minutes of usage. After that it slowly grew but for the oldest of us, it only has been about four months. Three months for me. Also, you should feel that you are slightly stronger, faster, and smarter than before. However, I have to warn you because someone just thought he was God and died. These grey-skins aren¡¯t zombies like in the movies.¡± I played around with my shadow hand then stopped upon hearing him be serious for a moment. Not like movie zombies? A reflection of the lil kid acting like a hunter came to mind. ¡°They will adapt just like how you are adapting to your power. They will get stronger the longer they live and they will become a nightmare to even people like us. Oh, don¡¯t believe that bites and claws will turn people. Myth apparently the white nerds concluded that they drank your blood and then transplanted some kind of drug into you after your blood was all but gone. As long as you have a large amount of blood, you will be fine.¡± Oh, make sense actually. ¡°So do you have any words from the government? Like when are they going to clear this stuff up?¡± The guy laughed, slapping his knee. ¡°Clear up? This mess?¡± He laughed harder and I frowned. What¡¯s so funny about that? The guy turned somber all of a sudden. ¡°Dude, the government fell already. The virus turned six out of ten people and yet people are still turning as we speak. Until it stops raining, then this mess won¡¯t be the end of it but good news. Rain is supposed to let up in a couple of days. Then you can run out and save whoever you want. And I have to go.¡± The field vanished before I could ask the questions I wanted to.