After the Outbreak: N87 virus, #1

By Karri Kadin

Alone and naked in the woods…

…she remembered nothing.

Will getting her memories back destroy her?

Allison was like most freshmen students in Nashville. She had her dreams, insecurities, and fears. When the N87 virus ravaged the world, she was one of the infected.

That's when the nightmare began.

Allison lost two years.

In a world with only two types of people, the infected and the survivors, each day was a battle for survival. The inhuman zombies ravaged the world because the virus made them crazy.

What if one of them recovered?

For Allison, the days after being found were the start of another journey. As the realization of what happened to her, what she did, and the potential cure that courses through her veins, became clear, it may prove to be more than she can handle.

If this new world doesn't kill her…

…becoming the cure just might.

Who can she trust?

You'll love this remarkable twist on the zombie/dystopian adventure because the depth of Allison's struggles will make you keep turning the pages to find out her secret.

Get it now.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wicked Tales Press LLC
• Release date: Oct 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9781734939903

Book preview

Chapter One

Allison

Blood-curdling screams cut through the upbeat dance music like a hunter’s skinning knife slicing through flesh. Allison bolted upright. Tortured cries propelled the hair on the back of her neck to attention. The shock to her sleep-fogged mind caused her to roll off the log onto the damp, leaf-covered ground. What the hell is happening? Overhead, colorful lights danced across the dark treetops in beat with the music. I’m at the Beta Nu Fall Bash with Gabby. The party was obscured from Allison’s view, but between the horrific shrieks and cries for help she knew a nightmare was unfolding only a few yards away.

She pressed to the ground, body stiff and flat. The bark dug into her, leaving snake-skin impressions in her arm, as she pushed her slender frame against the log. Her mind raced with the potential scenarios unfolding on the other side. Are there gunmen? The music blared, spotted with cries of agony like a soundtrack in a horror movie. No gunshots. Car tires spinning, stuck in the thick mud, added to the flurry of noises surrounding her. Animal attack? Screams, crashes, and the roar of multiple engines echoed through the trees. No animal sounds. Allison reached out for her purse on the ground in front of her, barely snagging the strap with her fingertips as she inched it closer.

The crash of metal falling onto the forest floor brought a sudden end to the music. Without it to muffle the sounds, the cries of death and torture echoed through the trees. Shouts for help, howls of pain, and whimpers of surrender engulfed her. Her stomach rolled as the feeling of one thousand June bugs trying to escape her belly at once rushed over her in a wave. She pressed her face into her arm as her body convulsed in a gag.

Please, please don’t kill me! a man cried. Stop, just stop! A deep human-like snarl answered the man’s plea, followed by a thud, the rip of fabric, then the slurry of well-sauced spaghetti noodles plopping onto the ground. The man stopped screaming, but distant shouts continued as the sweet metallic stench of blood filled her nostrils.

Allison’s skin tingled as goosebumps raced down her spine, sending her body into an irrepressible shiver. I don’t want to die here. She had to do something, so she opened her purse to retrieve her phone. She dug through it with shaking hands, dumping her treasured MAC makeup and Gucci wallet into the mud. No phone. Shit! This is the day I forget my phone. Her breath quickened and shallowed. Her head swam in a haze of terror as the pulsing of her heart in her ears deafened out all surrounding noise.

She dropped her head to the ground and clutched at the mud, filling her fists with the wet earth. Her eyes closed as she took deep breaths in through her nose and blew them out of her mouth. Slow, steady breaths. She opened her eyes as she exhaled and focused her sight on a pebble pressed into the mud right in front of her. The whirling in her head subsided but her heart continued to race, banging against her chest wall like a wild animal in a cage. What do I do?

Mass violence situation. What do I do? Her mind raced back to the mandatory freshman class Violence Prevention and Response. The memory was a blur, clouded by craft beer. As the adrenaline flooded her system she realized she had three choices: flee, hide, or fight. She squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to think. What do I do? She dug deeper into the memory pushing away the fog floating in her brain. Her eyes sprung open. She had it. First step, she needed to identify the threat. Here goes nothing. She took a deep breath, rose to a squat, and peered over the log.

The scene was mass chaos. By the crumbled DJ booth lay a man with a disheveled person bent over him, their hands inside the man’s abdomen scooping his guts out and bringing them to their lips. Bloody intestines lay in a heap on the ground near them with a few strands still clinging to the man’s torn belly. The man was covered in blood, eyes open, empty of life. His face was twisted in agony as his mouth hung open in a silent scream. His light blue shirt, ripped, stained a deep red; his left shoe missing. Allison’s stomach twisted with anguish. She brought her hands to her face, enclosing them tightly across her mouth as her body jerked with a gag. The acid burned her throat as it rose, trying to escape her lips. She swallowed hard, forcing it back.

What is happening? Where is Gabby? Fear pulsed through her body, clouding her thoughts and making her shiver. Her muscles trembled, wanting to run but unable to move her limbs.

The attacker looked up, face covered in bits of flesh as it scanned the fleeing crowd. Allison could now see the attacker was a woman. Her eyes were bloodshot, her hair full of sticks and fallen leaves, her mouth full of bloody flesh from the man’s abdomen. The woman let out an alarming shriek, temporarily distracted from her meal. Allison upchucked all the beer she’d drank earlier, before the party had turned into a horror show, onto her strappy white sandals. Warm vomit seeped between her toes.

Wiping it from her mouth with her arm, Allison scanned the crowd for Gabby. People darted into the trees around the open meadow, which only a few minutes prior had been the dance floor for the biggest party of the semester, as others with blood dripping from their mouths gave chase. Red plastic cups and corpses littered the ground. Some had chunks of meat missing from their arms and legs, the wounds oozing into red puddles around the bodies. A group of frat boys bolted from the tree line making a run for the clearing where the cars were parked. Nick, Gabby’s date, was with them. Blood splattered across his polo shirt and chiseled face. But Gabby was nowhere in sight. Attackers poured from the woods causing the panicked frat brothers to separate, each running off in different directions. Allison lost sight of Nick in the fleeing crowd of drunk college students.

Allison looked toward the makeshift parking lot, but her view was blocked by trees and the mob of fleeing people. She slid back onto her stomach, sinking into the cool mud as she crawled, using the log for cover. Rocks and sticks dug deep into her skin, sending sharp pains into her shaky muscles as she moved. She reached the edge of the log and peered around the side. There was Gabby’s car, bloody handprints on the hood, but no Gabby.

A gurgling screech pierced the air, sending an icy wave down Allison’s back. She shuddered as her heart again quickened to a frantic pace. Allison’s fingers intertwined in her hair, pulling at it as she propped up on her elbows, head in her hands. Flee, hide, fight? A blank look covered her face as she scanned the area near her. What do you do when people are fucking eating each other!

Her breathing hastened as nervous sweat dripped down the back of her neck, causing the back of her dress to cling to her skin. Get it together, you don’t want to die out here. She looked over to the man with the lifeless eyes, his innards spread out around him. Allison locked eyes with the screeching woman who was eating him. Bloody chunks of flesh and bone dropped from her mouth as she let out another high-pitched shriek. The woman then lunged and sprinted toward Allison. The choice was made for her.

Flee.

Allison jumped to her feet and dashed into the forest. The flesh-hungry woman mere feet behind her. Allison’s form-hugging dress was not fit for intense power walking while shopping, let alone running for her life. The white sandals flew off her feet causing her to stumble. She remained upright, ignoring the pain caused by the uneven ground beneath her bare feet, and continued to run.

The pounding of the woman’s footsteps grew louder and louder as she shortened the distance between them. As Allison ran, she forced her legs out in front of her further and further with each step until the dress ripped at the side seams allowing her to take longer strides. The glow from the party was fading; shadows overtook the forest. Shit, I’m going to die here.

The shrieking woman was so close that Allison felt a flash of air on her neck as the woman’s hand reached out and swiped at her short hair. Moonlight peeked through the leafy canopy and shined on a fallen tree to her right. Allison veered toward the giant, rotting log as her legs burned with each step. She jumped, barely making it over. She landed on quivering limbs, then sprinted forward. The shrieking woman hit the log, flipping over it and landing hard on the ground. A cry of pain echoed through the trees as she thrashed on the ground and then the woman was still. Allison stopped running and braced against a tree.

Her breath was ragged, sweat coating her body. Every muscle in her body shook, threatening to give out on her at any second. She kept her gaze locked on the unmoving body of the woman.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, Allison stammered. Her body trembled as tears flowed from her eyes and a stream of warm urine leaked down her leg forming a yellow-tinted puddle at her feet.

The woman bolted up. She let out a barbaric sound of frustration and glared at Allison, her pupils large and alert. Blood dripped from her crushed nose. A large gash across her forehead, plastered with dirt and hair, seeped blood into her eyes. In a fluid motion, the woman leaped to her feet and headed in Allison’s direction again.

Oh shit! Allison turned and ran. Her chest was heavy and she struggled to breathe. Her legs burned with each step; her body could not continue much longer. Then she saw it, like an answer to a prayer. In front of her, drenched in moonlight, was an old wooden ladder leaning against a tree. In the branches above the ladder was a wooden platform, a hunter’s stand, perched among the sparse autumn leaves. She had to make it there.

Allison took off in the ladder’s direction as fast as her painful calves would allow. A burst of energy shot through her body, pushing her feet forward. It was not enough to outrun the wild woman; she ran like an Olympian on steroids, covering ground twice as fast as Allison’s fatigued muscles carried her.

Allison reached the ladder with the shrieking woman just steps behind her. Allison leaped; her feet landed on the third rung of the ladder. She grasped its weathered sides, splinters pierced beneath her skin as she scrambled up toward the wooden platform. Her muscles shuddered with exhaustion and she knew there were only moments before her body would give out, leaving her a defenseless lump of flesh on the ground.

The shrieking woman clawed up the ladder behind Allison, snagging her heels while she climbed the rungs. She reached the wooden stand and heaved her body up onto it. Her legs barely held her anymore, quivering beneath her as her body hit the weather-beaten planks. She rolled onto her back, and using the last of her energy she kicked at the ladder. It bounced back a few inches only to fall back into place against the platform.

The shrieking woman’s hand reached up and sank black nails into Allison’s calf, carving out strips of flesh. Allison’s scream of agony pierced the air. Deep red blood poured out, soaking into the wood beneath her.

The woman’s dirt-covered face appeared at the top of the ladder. Eyes full of anger and drive flickered with cunningness. A blood-stained smile spread across her face, showing teeth spotted with bits of flesh. The whites of her eyes now crimson with her own blood. She again seized Allison’s injured leg and pulled, digging her nails into the fresh wound. Allison reached behind her head, grasping the edge of the platform firmly with her fingers. She held on tightly as the woman pulled, dragging Allison closer. The woman let out a deep grumble as she clawed at Allison.

Let go of me! Allison kicked again, landing her bare foot in the woman’s mouth, her heel splitting open on the woman’s bloody teeth. Blood sprayed the woman’s face like red freckles on her soiled skin.

The woman growled, revealing shattered front teeth, some stringy bits of Allison’s tissue still embedded in bloody gums. She released Allison’s leg. Blood mixed with white foam ran out the corners of her mouth as she snarled. The woman’s bloodshot eyes fixed on Allison in a fiery stare.

Allison’s final kick landed on the woman’s nose, crushing it even further and causing blood to gush like river rapids down her naked body. She lost her grip, arms flung in the air as she teetered on the rungs. The woman fell backward as she reached for the ladder in a final attempt to regain her balance. The unsecured ladder leaned back as the woman did. She hit the ground with a thud, a confetti of autumn leaves falling around her. The ladder rested on her still body.

Allison timidly peered over the side of the perch. The woman was motionless, her limbs twisted and bent in areas that shouldn’t bend, the moon shining on her like a spotlight. Her eyes were empty. The leaves framed her body in the colors of fall. Tears welled in Allison’s eyes, her throat burned as she sobbed. I’ve killed someone. Her stomach churned and she hurled bile off the side of the platform. Her body trembled as tears soaked her face in a confusion of relief and guilt.

Allison stared at the lifeless body below her. Did she have a family? What was her name? What was wrong with her? Allison’s body ached. This can’t be real. This isn’t real. She averted her eyes from the broken body she had caused. She rolled to her back, shifting her gaze to the stars. But the burning in her throat continued, and her tears increased. She’d killed someone and she could never, ever take it back.

Allison’s leg was on fire. The blood from her wound pooled beneath her in a warm, sticky puddle. She ripped her dress, using a strip of the fabric as a makeshift tourniquet to slow the bleeding. Her injured leg was the color of Red Hots with purple veins pulsating beneath the surface. The purple in her veins was spreading, first to her calf, then her knee, and continued up her thigh. Her wounds were raw, warm, and turning black. Her exhausted body was shaking, and sweat further soaked her clothes as the pain in her leg intensified. Allison let out a sound resembling the cries of a birthing woman and the screams of a car crash victim combined. A stinging sensation spread from the wound on her leg like bites from fire ants working their way up her body. Allison pressed her hands on the wound, wrapping her fingers around her leg, leaving fingernail indentations in her skin as she squeezed. She hoped that applying pressure would magically make the pain disappear. Please stop, please stop. A haze fell over her mind as she struggled to make sense of her thoughts and her vision blurred. The pain spread and Allison fell into blissful unconsciousness to the sound of her own voice screaming in unfathomable pain.

Chapter Two

Allison

Allison’s head felt as if she had been grinding her teeth together for hours. Her temples were tense. Her body ached, and hard, rough bumps protruded into her back. Allison wanted an Advil, but no amount of medication would take away this pain.

She opened her eyes despite the throbbing in her head that begged her not to. Tiny streams of sun peeked out from between green leaves in the treetops. Her skin tingled as a warm, soft breeze spread over her body. The wind touched her in places that she only reserved for lovers and her gynecologist. She sat up and looked at herself. She didn’t have a stitch of clothing on. Her bare skin was coated in a thick layer of black dirt. She laughed. It must have been some party.

She thought back to drinking microbrews while watching frat boys play beer pong. What happened next? She tried to remember more, but her memories eluded her. How much did I drink? Her auburn hair fell over her chest, almost covering her breasts in a tangled mess intertwined with sticks and hard clumps of dirt. What the hell?

Allison stood up, her head swimming as the trees started spinning around her. She stumbled back, trying to find her footing on the uneven landscape, catching herself on a tree before she fell back to the earth. She leaned against the tree and looked down. Large roots covered the ground at the base where she had been laying. It explained the bumps that had been tormenting her back.

Once she regained her equilibrium, she looked around. Trees, trees, trees as far as the eye could see. Great, she said out loud and then listened as her voice bounced around the foliage. Her tongue stumbled over the word like it had forgotten how to form words. She twisted it around in her mouth, unnerved by the foreignness of it all. Where the hell am I? Her voice echoed back to her. She gazed at the world around her, taking in all the varied shades of green as she realized just how alone she was.

Fear crept into her gut then rose upward, tightening around her throat, making it difficult to swallow. If she let in the dread, it would consume her. She closed her eyes and forced herself to swallow, loosening the lump in her throat. One, two, three—stay calm—four, five, six—stay focused—eight, nine, ten—don’t forget to breathe. When she opened her eyes, the fear dampened but still waited right below the surface for the perfect opportunity to devour her. The middle of the woods was not the place to have a meltdown. She’d lose it later, when she was safe, clean, and clothed.

Allison needed to get out of this forest. She thought back to the one camping trip she went on during her brief stint in Girl Scouts. Head north, everyone says. Head north if you’re lost. She looked for the sun, finding it to the right of her, resting in the soft blue sky. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, right? Or does it rise in the west and set in the east? Allison couldn’t remember with the throbbing in her head drowning out her thoughts. There wasn’t a road, a trail, or anything symbolizing civilization. She simply picked a direction and started walking. Nowhere she could end up would be more remote than this.

How did I get here? Allison looked for any mode of transportation. Not a car, bike, or even a damn horse anywhere in sight. Did Gabby leave me? They always promised not to leave each other at parties. She couldn’t imagine Gabby just leaving her stranded. Allison looked down at her naked, battered body. Did someone hurt me?

A chill trickled down Allison’s spine. What if Gabby’s in trouble too? Warm tears rimmed her eyes. She covered both her hands over her nether regions. Was I raped? Her stomach rolled. She squeezed her thighs, no discomfort. She shook her head pushing away the thought. Being angry was better than being worried. Allison chose to be angry.

She walked for at least thirty minutes; her surroundings stayed the same. Trees, trees, and more trees. She came to a slight clearing and sat in a shaded area on the grassy ground. She pulled her legs in, sitting cross-legged, taking note that her perfect pink pedi was long gone, replaced with thick calluses and jagged nails. How long would it take for my feet to look like this?

Allison pushed the thought from her mind. She needed to focus on finding civilization. Her entire body ached, the same way it had the day after the car accident when she was sixteen that totaled her mom’s Jeep, but her headache had improved.

The vegetation was fresh and green. Birds filled the warm, sweet air with gentle melodies. A soft breeze brushed across her skin. What happened to the fall? How long have I been out here? Her surroundings were the least confusing aspect of her situation. She ran her hands through her matted hair. How long would it take for my hair to grow this long? An icy wave rushed down her spine, causing every strained muscle to shiver. Allison wrapped her arms around her torso, trying to steady herself.

A lump formed in her throat. Tears spilled out of her eyes, creating muddy rivers down her cheeks. Allison scratched at her arms, peeling dry muck off in patches. She glanced at her nails. They were broken, jagged with black goo under each one of them. She examined the rest of her body. This isn’t right. Dark, thick hair covered everything below the waist. Her hand ran down her ribs, feeling each one protrude from her skin. Allison shuddered. She had always been thin. One of the many things she inherited from her mother. She’d eat all day and lose a pound. But now her frame was anorexic thin. Her skin, although marbled with abrasions, bruises, and scars, had no significant injuries. Her tremble grew so violent that she’d rip apart if it didn’t stop, so she pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them, holding her body in a tight ball. But the shaking came from her core and pushed its way outward. She couldn’t control it or stop it. Something horrible happened. She cried.

Allison’s tears turned to dry, heaving sobs before progressing to a low whimper. Crying in the woods while ants bite my ass will not help me figure out what has happened. I have to find people, anyone. Someone who could help her find out where she was and what had happened to her. With renewed motivation, she walked again.

As she walked she saw very few animals, nothing big, just some rabbits and squirrels. She heard some birds but never laid an eye on one. The dense forest had little underbrush and the flat ground only had an occasional rock or twig disturbing its smooth surface. The walk was easy, as if walking barefoot on sticks and unknown substances is considered easy. Fear slithered in her gut, sending shivers throughout her body. She stopped and dropped to her knees. Her eyes squeezed shut as she cradled her shaking body and rocked. The fear tightened its hold. Allison pushed back against it. You have to keep moving. She forced her eyes open and stood. Focus on something else. Her thoughts raced until she found the memory. This is like hiking with Mom and Tyler. Yes. Hiking. Sadness washed over her as she remembered her mother and brother but her feet moved forward again.

The trees and underbrush freshly bloomed, the air was filled with the scent of spring. Flowering plants full of colorful blossoms scattered across the ground. She walked at a hurried pace for a few hours, never tiring. The light faded away, limiting Allison’s vision. The forest filled with shadows and noises that sent shivers of fear throughout her body.

She became dizzy again. Water, I need water. Then a faint rumble. Allison froze. The sound grew louder. She recognized that sound. It’s a car! It was in the distance, but it was there. Her heart quickened, and a smile spread across her face. She bolted through the forest in the sound’s direction. Sharp objects jabbed in her feet but she kept running. Every breath burned like fire in her chest as her numb legs carried her closer and closer to the sound.

The ground in front of her dropped into a steep slope. She dug her heels into the earth, leaving deep grooves in the rich dirt, trying to stop her forward motion. The drop-off was too steep. Allison’s feet left the ground as she tumbled down, rolling head over feet toward the pavement at the bottom. She screamed as she fell down the forty-five-degree incline, rolling over the uneven ground. Her head slammed into rocks and logs as her body picked up speed. A cloud of black dirt followed her; stones and twigs rocketed into the air as she rolled. Sharp bits of nature jammed into her flesh, drawing blood, turning her body into a pin cushion. The ground evened out, slowing her momentum. Her body came to an abrupt stop as she hit flat pavement.

The rumble of an engine roared near her. Close, too close. On instinct she rolled the way she had come, back off the pavement. Her hair waved in the rush of air as the car zipped by her, filling her nostrils with exhaust fumes. The breaks squealed as the car came to a stop a few yards up the road.

Allison lay on the side of the road, the beat of her heart filling her ears like metal drums. A fierce heat flamed alight in her belly, swelling up, threatening to spill over. She gritted her teeth as she clenched her hands into tight fists, digging her nails into her palms till she bled. Her face flushed, and she clenched her jaw as a growl escaped her lips. What the fuck was that? She gasped as she tried to push the inner heat back to her center.

This day was just getting better. She was naked, confused, and now had almost been roadkill. Allison took a few deep breaths and pushed down her anger from a fury of hate to a manageable irritation. She sat up, examining her painful body. Her grimy skin was now marred with bleeding scratches, and the purple beginnings of some fresh tender bruises tinted her flesh. Wetness gathered at the nape of her neck. She reached her hand back and found a gash hidden in her hair. She applied pressure to the wound as she glared at the car.

The windows lacked tinting and made the two figures in the front seat clearly visible. They gestured wildly back and forth with raised voices, arguing. Allison, unable to make out what