The Afflicted: A Zombie Novel by Russ Watts

warehouse.
    “You’re a little crazy,” she said. Amane pulled a large box out from under a shelf, swept the dust off and sat down.
    “Evan, I’m grateful you helped me, I really am. You didn’t have to. Back at the airport , if you hadn’t come by when you did...Well, I probably wouldn’t be here now.”
    Evan sat down beside her, resting the hockey stick between his legs.
    “Well, I’m pleased you’re here. I’m sorry about your parents. What happened back there? Who was that woman who ran into us?”
    “That was my mother.” Amane’s voice became softer.
    “Shit , I’m sorry. Look you don’t have to...”  
    “No, it’s ok ay. I need to talk about it. The last twenty fours have been unlike anything I’ve ever known. It’s incredible. I came out here from Tokyo to study a few years ago. After I got my nursing degree last year, I stayed on to keep my studies going. I’m training to be a doctor. I love it here but I missed my parents. This was only the second time they’d visited me. Neither of them were very keen on flying. Understandable at their age I suppose.
    “ Anyway, like I was saying earlier, they were trying to tell me how things were back home. The airport had the news channels on and there was a huge crowd gathered around watching the screens. One of the channels obviously had a helicopter and there were amazing pictures of Sydney burning. The harbour bridge was a like a stream of fire. All the cars were burning and the cables and steel were melting. It was hard to believe it was real. When they zoomed into the streets, you could see the people. There were thousands and thousands of them running for their lives. It was awful.
    “ It was only a minute or two, when all of a sudden, people were shoving and jostling around us. I don’t know what started it. Then I heard gunfire. People panicked. I panicked. I grabbed mum and dads’ hands and we ran outside. It was pandemonium. The police were shooting at us; cars were running people over, crashing into each other. A man next to me got hit by a bullet and fell over. I swear it hit him square in the head and yet seconds later, he was up on his feet. He grabbed my dad and started biting him! His hands and arms, his face...I tried to hold on, but I couldn’t. Dad was old and weak; he had no fight left in him. He fell to the floor and the last I saw of him, this crazy man was biting him and others were piling on top of them.
    I kept hold of mum and we ran back inside. There was no way we could get to my car, what with the bullets flying and people running around attacking each other. Back in the building, it was just as chaotic. I thought maybe we could hide somewhere. The toilets were close by and just as we were running in, Miguel was going into his cleaning room. I just barged in past him and pushed mum inside. He wasn’t too pleased. I pleaded with him to let us stay. He was okay, you know, he helped us. He let us stay in there with him. He didn’t deserve what happened to him.” Amane wiped her eyes again before continuing.
    “He locked the door and we waited for the commotion to die down. It didn’t. It went on for hours and when the shouts and cries faded away, we could still hear things moving around out there , slithering and sliding over the floor, groaning and moaning. We just about had room to sit down but we dare not go outside. The room smelt like chemicals too, it wasn’t very nice. All night we waited. I tried calling the police on my mobile but the number was just permanently engaged. I tried a couple of friends but got no answer from them, and in the end, I gave up.
    Mum seemed to fall asleep eventually and I supposed Miguel and I did too. Curled up on the floor next to a bucket and mop though, I didn’t sleep much. I kept seeing dad in my dreams, being dragged off into the crowd.
    Wh en mum woke, she was hysterical. I tried calling for help again but the phone was dead, I couldn’t get any signal at all. My mother