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dukeenchiladasAs Garth looked at the barren cabinets, his stomach grumbled in protest. He hadn’t wanted for a hot meal in over a week, but the bachelor that had lived here clearly spent most nights eating out either downtown or drinking his calories at some nightclub or another. Half-eaten takeout containers had littered the main shelf and were almost as rotten as the previous tenant had been, leaving Garth with a slim selection of single-serving microwave meals in the freezer.
Thankfully the bachelor had a couple of neighbors on the floor, meaning that there were other fridges stocked with foodstuff as well. Only one of the neighbors hadn’t been home when the outbreak started meaning breaking in and collecting food was no hassle. The other neighbor had been home, as evidenced by a putrid rot permeating through the surprisingly thin plaster walls. Garth heard no groans or shuffled footfalls through the wall, though, and had decided to check it out.
When Garth tried the doorknob, he found it unlocked, though a chain was engaged keeping the door mostly closed. The smell intensified and Garth looked down to see a reddish-brown splatter across the wood floor. He held his breath and listened intently but heard no sound emanating from the unit. Quickly, Garth slipped his hand inside the place to undo the chain before dipping inside and shutting the door behind him. Once he turned back around, Garth saw the source of the smell- a corpse of a woman who was holding a small pistol plated with gold and encrusted with bright gemstones. A single bullet hole pierced her forehead, and a pool of dried blood spread out towards the door, the same pool of red that Garth had seen through the chained door.
He ran around the place looking for a bedroom and sees a messy, unmade bed taking up a vast majority of the floor space. He grabbed the soft comforter and dragged it to the foyer before laying it out flat. Garth gently picked up the deceased woman and set her down on the crimson blanket. While arranging her body, he noticed several tiny bite marks on her arms and neck, nothing too deep but still festering from infection. Once Garth had the body wrapped up, he took her back to the bedroom and situated the bundled corpse in the middle like a mummy under a museum’s glass case.
Garth noticed the light on in the ensuite bathroom and opened the door. From the room came even more of a rotted smell and high-pitched groans and gurgles. Garth took one look inside and decided to back away, shutting the door. Garth rummaged through the cabinets and found dozens of jars of unopened baby food, mashed peas and carrots, even some squash. Throwing those into his newest bag, a black leather satchel scrounged up from the closet of the bachelor, Garth looked around at the rest of the living space. He took note of the collection of children’s movies laying askew around the entertainment stand, the television set had been muted but an animated menu looped on the screen, prompting the nonexistent viewer to play the children’s movie any time.
He rummaged around the freezer for anything he could eat now and prolong his departure from the building. Nothing but an overflowing tray of ice cubes. Strapping his satchel closed, Garth returned to the bachelor pad that he had called camp for the last week and packed up his new belongings. Once everything he figured he would need was tucked away, he grabbed his bags and headed for the elevator. The power hadn’t run out still, and Garth hoped that some stroke of misfortune would cause the generator to fail before he could be released into the lobby of the building.
Garth left the building and continued his way downtown, avoiding the stray singular creatures by staying still and holding his breath until they had moved several blocks away. Several hours into his migration, Garth noticed a whole group of them making its way toward him. He tried standing still and looking away, but there was something just so mesmerizing about the rhythm of the beasts as they shuffled along. He locked eyes with one of them. He blinked and shook his head before looking around the horde. He finally landed on the eyes he had seen and recognized the life behind them.
Garth ducked into the nearest building and made his way up the stairwell to the second floor. He looked down out the window at the horde and noticed that the body that the eyes belonged to had stopped moving and had turned towards Garth. Several minutes pass and the horde is gone, except for the lone body, covered in mud and debris. It breaks into a sprint into the building Garth inhabited and after a minute the metal door slammed open before it stumbled onto the floor. It used its arms to steady itself on its knees, its breath heaving deeply.
“Hello?” she said.
Thankfully the bachelor had a couple of neighbors on the floor, meaning that there were other fridges stocked with foodstuff as well. Only one of the neighbors hadn’t been home when the outbreak started meaning breaking in and collecting food was no hassle. The other neighbor had been home, as evidenced by a putrid rot permeating through the surprisingly thin plaster walls. Garth heard no groans or shuffled footfalls through the wall, though, and had decided to check it out.
When Garth tried the doorknob, he found it unlocked, though a chain was engaged keeping the door mostly closed. The smell intensified and Garth looked down to see a reddish-brown splatter across the wood floor. He held his breath and listened intently but heard no sound emanating from the unit. Quickly, Garth slipped his hand inside the place to undo the chain before dipping inside and shutting the door behind him. Once he turned back around, Garth saw the source of the smell- a corpse of a woman who was holding a small pistol plated with gold and encrusted with bright gemstones. A single bullet hole pierced her forehead, and a pool of dried blood spread out towards the door, the same pool of red that Garth had seen through the chained door.
He ran around the place looking for a bedroom and sees a messy, unmade bed taking up a vast majority of the floor space. He grabbed the soft comforter and dragged it to the foyer before laying it out flat. Garth gently picked up the deceased woman and set her down on the crimson blanket. While arranging her body, he noticed several tiny bite marks on her arms and neck, nothing too deep but still festering from infection. Once Garth had the body wrapped up, he took her back to the bedroom and situated the bundled corpse in the middle like a mummy under a museum’s glass case.
Garth noticed the light on in the ensuite bathroom and opened the door. From the room came even more of a rotted smell and high-pitched groans and gurgles. Garth took one look inside and decided to back away, shutting the door. Garth rummaged through the cabinets and found dozens of jars of unopened baby food, mashed peas and carrots, even some squash. Throwing those into his newest bag, a black leather satchel scrounged up from the closet of the bachelor, Garth looked around at the rest of the living space. He took note of the collection of children’s movies laying askew around the entertainment stand, the television set had been muted but an animated menu looped on the screen, prompting the nonexistent viewer to play the children’s movie any time.
He rummaged around the freezer for anything he could eat now and prolong his departure from the building. Nothing but an overflowing tray of ice cubes. Strapping his satchel closed, Garth returned to the bachelor pad that he had called camp for the last week and packed up his new belongings. Once everything he figured he would need was tucked away, he grabbed his bags and headed for the elevator. The power hadn’t run out still, and Garth hoped that some stroke of misfortune would cause the generator to fail before he could be released into the lobby of the building.
Garth left the building and continued his way downtown, avoiding the stray singular creatures by staying still and holding his breath until they had moved several blocks away. Several hours into his migration, Garth noticed a whole group of them making its way toward him. He tried standing still and looking away, but there was something just so mesmerizing about the rhythm of the beasts as they shuffled along. He locked eyes with one of them. He blinked and shook his head before looking around the horde. He finally landed on the eyes he had seen and recognized the life behind them.
Garth ducked into the nearest building and made his way up the stairwell to the second floor. He looked down out the window at the horde and noticed that the body that the eyes belonged to had stopped moving and had turned towards Garth. Several minutes pass and the horde is gone, except for the lone body, covered in mud and debris. It breaks into a sprint into the building Garth inhabited and after a minute the metal door slammed open before it stumbled onto the floor. It used its arms to steady itself on its knees, its breath heaving deeply.
“Hello?” she said.
