THREE: UNEXPECTED.

Casey's POV

It was just another morning in Port Harcourt, or so I thought. I was dressed in my best, ready for my first day at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology. After months of anticipation, I had finally been admitted to study physiotherapy, and today was the day, my first class after the clearance. My heart swelled with excitement, mixed with a little bit of nervousness. Today was my first day, and I couldn't wait to get started.

I waved goodbye to my mum and little sister, who stood by the door, watching as I stepped out of the house.

The sun was already up, and I could feel the usual hustle of the city in the air. I flagged down a keke and hopped in, heading towards the main road, where the real challenge awaited, getting a bus.

As soon as I arrived at the junction, I was hit with the usual sight: chaos. People pushing, shoving, shouting, all trying to get to their destination. The air was thick with the noise of conductors calling out their routes, their voices competing against each other in the struggle to get passengers.

"Mile 3, Mile 1!" one conductor shouted.

"Rumuokuta, Rumuolumeni!" another cried, his voice almost lost in the frenzy.

I joined the scramble, trying not to get left behind, my eyes scanning the sea of humanity for a bus with an empty seat. It felt like forever, but I finally spotted one. A bus with a few vacant spaces.

"Ust!" I shouted, raising my hand high in the air. The bus slowed down, and I quickly made my way through the crowd, trying to squeeze my way to the door. The conductor was already barking at me.

"Ust enter!" he snapped, pointing to an empty space in the back of the bus.

"How much?" I asked, already preparing myself for the usual fare negotiation.

"Six hundred," he replied without hesitation.

"Six hundred? Na so?" I protested, raising an eyebrow. "No be five hundred?"

"Oga, na six hundred. If you no wan enter, make serious people come," the conductor snapped back, showing no patience for bargaining.

I didn't have the time or energy to argue any further. I paid the fare, climbed on board, and took a seat. The bus ride was anything but smooth. The traffic was heavy, and each stop seemed to bring a new surge of passengers. The air was thick and stifling, and the heat inside the bus was unbearable. As we moved through the streets of Port Harcourt, I couldn't shake the growing sense of anxiety. My first class was getting closer, and I was starting to worry that I might be late.

Then, as we neared Rumokuta, the worst part of the journey hit, traffic. We got stuck in a jam that seemed to stretch on forever.

Thirty minutes passed, and still, we weren't moving. The heat inside the bus was oppressive, and the atmosphere grew tense. People began to murmur in frustration, some banging their fists against the windows, others muttering under their breath.

Suddenly, from the front of the traffic line, a loud, panicked scream sliced through the air, followed by shouting and the unmistakable sound of a scuffle.

The entire bus grew tense, and everyone, including the driver and the conductor, hopped down to see what was going on.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I pushed my way through the crowd. As I neared the front, the sight that greeted me sent chills through my spine.

A passenger, his eyes wild with fear and his body trembling violently, was in the middle of a brutal confrontation with the conductor. The man was shouting and swearing at the conductor, his voice hoarse and erratic. His movements were unpredictable, almost animalistic. He lunged at the conductor, and before anyone could react, he bit down on the conductor's arm with a savage intensity.

Blood splattered across the pavement, and the entire scene descended into madness. People screamed, some in horror, others in pure panic, as the struggle intensified.

The man was like a wild animal, his aggression unstoppable and despite the conductor's attempts to fight him off, the passenger didn't relent. He continued to bite and claw, tearing into the conductor with a ferocity that was... unnatural as if driven by some primal urge.

"Jesus Christ!" A woman screamed, her voice shrill with terror. She bolted, running as fast as her legs could carry her.

The situation was rapidly spiraling out of control. Traffic wardens arrived on the scene, but even they were no match for the violence unfolding. Sirens wailed in the distance, signaling the arrival of the police, but the chaos was already too far gone.

I stood frozen for a moment, my mind racing. This wasn't just a fight; it was pure madness. The air around me seemed to thicken with tension, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. I couldn't take my eyes off the scene in front of me, even though every part of me screamed to look away.

But then, something happened that I wasn't prepared for. As I watched, the conductor's body twitched. Slowly, painfully, he began to stir. His eyes snapped open, but they were no longer the same. There was a coldness in them, something unnatural.

Before I could process what was happening, the conductor stood up. He was no longer the same man. His face was twisted, his movements jerky, almost robotic, and the hunger in his eyes... it was like he was no longer human.

The crowd around us gasped in shock, but it was too late. The conductor, now something more than human, lunged at a bystander, sinking his teeth into their neck. Blood sprayed everywhere, the air became thick with terror as more and more people in the crowd turned into mindless, bloodthirsty creatures, attacking anyone in sight.

"Chineke, what is happening?" A woman cried, clutching her daughter as they ran away.

I couldn't afford to stay and watch. Panic set in. I turned and ran, my feet pounding the ground as I sprinted through the chaos. The streets, once so familiar, now felt like a maze. People were everywhere, screaming, running, fighting. I pushed past them, my legs moving faster than I ever thought possible. My heart raced in my chest, and my breath came in ragged gasps.

The disaster spread like wildfire, the world around me unraveling as I ran for my life. I dodged cars, leapt over fallen debris, barely stopping to catch my breath.

It felt like an eternity, but somehow, I found a small area beneath the highway, a locked gate protecting what seemed like a safe space. Without thinking, I scrambled over the fence and collapsed inside, my chest heaving with exhaustion.

I was safe, for now. But as I huddled in the shadows, my mind raced. The world outside had changed. Something sinister had been unleashed, and I was right in the middle of it.