Chapter 2: Exploring the surroundings

Walking slowly down the corridor, Kyle swallows hard, trying to get rid of the shivers caused by the strangeness of the situation.

'What the hell happened here?'

Everywhere is a mess.

Broken objects are scattered on the floor. Pieces of broken glass and something sticky and dirty are smeared on the floor and walls. Most of the doors are open and some of them are hanging by one hinge, looking like they could fall at any moment.

'It's as if there was a riot here.'

He approached one of the wide open doors and took a look inside.

Thanks to the windows it was much brighter inside allowing to have a clear picture of the scene inside.

"Sh*t!"

What caught his attention was the bed with torn sheets smeared with dried blood. Not only the bed. It was everywhere if you looked closely. From the bed there was a trail leading to the door, and it seemed to continue down the corridor...

So all this mess he stepped on is all blood too?

With one hand holding the door frame and the other gripping his stomach, he began to throw up, but nothing came out except for the water from earlier.

He clung to the door frame for a while, catching his breath and wiping his mouth with his eyes still glued to that bed.

He peels off the door frame and goes to the next room. It's the same. And the next few too…

Kyle could feel himself being overwhelmed by a chill that seemed to have reached his bones. But he did not stop to check any more rooms, and continued slowly forward.

There was a corner ahead. He leans against the wall and sticks his head out a little to take a look. Just as messy. A little further ahead, there seemed to be a person lying on the ground. Judging by the identical clothing he was wearing, he seemed to be a patient as well. Is he dead?

After making sure that there does not seem to be any danger, he approaches the person.

It was an elderly man with white hair lying on his stomach with his head down.

He leans down and grabs his shoulder and turns him face up. He had a bullet hole in his forehead. The lower part of his face was smeared with what appeared to be blood. And his hands seemed to be smeared with blood too. Kyle lets go of the body and takes a few steps back, covering his mouth.

This was the first time he saw a corpse shot in the head.

'Was it a terrorist attack?'

He calmed his breathing, thinking that he was lucky that he escaped unharmed.

Even if he felt sorry for the old man on the inside, he was relieved that he was not in his place.

Since this person is already dead, I can do nothing for it. I shouldn't waste any more time in this place.

As it looks, it seems that some time has passed since the attack happened. The terrorists must have left already. It seems safe at the moment. I have to hurry and get out of here.

Kyle looks away from the old man and quietly continues forward.

He sees one more. It was a woman this time and just like the old man, she too was shot in the head.

As he approaches the end of the corridor, more and more corpses shot in the head are scattered on the floor.

Even though he was terrified, Kyle didn't stop and continued forward, trying to stop thinking about the horrible scene from behind him.

Soon he will come out and everything will be fine. He keeps repeating it in his mind to drive away his fear and find his courage.

He soon arrived in the hospital lobby. It was even more horrible than what he had seen so far. Dozens of mutilated corpses were on the floor. Some had torn or missing arms and legs. Others had their bellies split open and their intestines hanging out. Necks and faces torn as if they had been chewed by beasts. But they all had something in common. They all had a bullet hole in their head.

Even after mentally preparing for this scene, Kyle never imagined it could be so horrible.

'This is sick!'

It was never imagined that someone could do something so cruel and sick.

'Those who did this must be a bunch of lunatics'

He gathered himself and with big steps headed towards the wide open door. He keep avoiding all the piles of bodies, trying not to step on any of them.

Finally out.

Kyle closed his eyes because of the bright sunrise that blinded him for a moment. After his vision has settled a little, he moves forward.

The exterior doesn't look too good. The parking lot was empty. A few fallen bodies here and there. Not even a single living person in sight.

He stood still for a good few good moments, looking around.

It was weird.

It was too quiet for a city.

After everything that happened in this hospital, this place should have been full of cops and people to clean up the disaster inside.

All those gunshots… someone must have heard them.

How can an attack like this not be noticed?

The more I think about it, the scarier it becomes.

I better not stress so much with these thoughts and try to do something useful.

Something like finding someone to clarify it for me what the hell happened here.

So with that intention, Kyle steps forward.

Slowly, Kyle leaves the parking lot and goes out on the road. He walks forward, being attentive to his surroundings. Things were messy around here too. As if there were a war on this street.

He walks into the first store that gets in his way and looks around.

There was no one inside. Fortunately, Kyle finds what he's looking for. A landline phone. Probably the type of phone you can call for a fee?

That didn't really matter right now.

In a hurry, he grabs the phone and types the emergency number. He puts it to his ear and listens to the sound of the dial, waiting for someone to answer him. Unfortunately, no one answers his call. After a few more attempts, he gave up.

Maybe something much more serious than he thought happened here. Swallowing dryly, his thoughts begin to roam again towards frightening ideas.

He walks out of the store with uncertain steps. Not knowing how to proceed further.

Kyle felt his body stiffened for a second after getting out. Having a strange feeling, as if he shouldn't go forward. But his head was too messy for him to pay attention to this detail.

It was a fork in the road ahead. After cutting the corner of a building to the left, Kyle saw something in the middle of the road. There seemed to be a few people.

A strong sense of dread engulfed him out of the blue. His heart beat accelerated and cold shivers engulfed his body. He stiffened on the spot. His body did not let him step forward. His mind screamed like crazy in his disoriented head. Run.

I have to run away from here. Involuntarily his hands covered his mouth, stifling any sound that would otherwise escape.

Before his eyes, there was taking place an act of cannibalism.

Crazy.

Three men ate noisily what once appeared to be a human being.

The scene in front of his eyes was dozens of times more traumatic than what he had seen so far. Because of the shock, his mind could not tie any thought.

Like a doll controlled by strings, his body began to move by itself. With small steps, he returned to where he came from.

He leaned his back against the building that obstructed the view from the street where the three were. The sound of chewing and growling continued to hit his scattered mind.

'What the hell did I just see?'

The strong impulse to run away was still trying to seize him. But Kyle was too scared to move out of place. And the sounds behind him only stiffed him instead.

'I need to get the hell out of here.'

He inhaled deeply to try to calm down a bit. Suddenly, the sound of dragged footsteps could be heard. It was coming this way. That thing was coming this way.

'What do I do?'

He could feel himself trembling like a leaf in the wind.

'I'll die if I keep standing here like a fool. I need to move.'

He took his hands from his mouth and clenched his fists so hard, that it hurt. The pain brought him out of his state of shock enough to move. He looked around him and locked his eye on the building opposite to the one behind him.

The door was open. He stepped forward as silently as he could.

Once inside, he closed the door and collapsed against it. His forehead was covered in cold sweat.

'What the f*uk were those things?'

Kyle covered his face with both hands. He then runs this hands trough this sweaty hear. His eyes ware empty, fixed on a cobweb on a corner of the high ceiling. Looking down, he sees that the floor was covered in a tick veil of dust. Like no one was here for a long time.

'This is good.'

It means no crazy monster should be here.

He stands up and starts to climb the stairs.

Kyle eyes ware wandering around, scanning the place for danger. He was also concentrating to hear if there were any sounds ahead. Furthermore, he kept climbing until he reached the last floor of the building before he even realized.

Two doors on this floor were opened. He approached the first, but there was a torn corps a few steps from the entrance. So, he goes to the other one. After entering the apartment, he was about to close the door but stops.

'It would be easier to run if there is danger inside'

He slowly check the whole place, being as silent as he could. After confirming that the place was empty, he runs to the front door and locked it.

Kyle collapsed on the dusty couch in the living room and relaxed his tensed mind. He closes his eyes to rest for a bit. Feeling safe, his mind drifts asleep without even realizing.