Dead Runners

By Devin Porter

A zombie horror story of a group of survivors who are alone in a world of flesh eaters

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 3, 2025
• ISBN: 9798369450390

Book preview

Copyright © 2025 by Devin Porter.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 07/25/2025

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

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Characters

Beginning

The day ends with the sunset on the far away horizon, the sun begins to fade away and disappear out of sight. The hospital on 12th avenue where everyone is seen walking in the front.

Dr. Johnson

(Talks on the phone).... Yes, tomorrow I believe, sure let me check the schedule to be precise and let you know....... hold on okay.

Lisa

Dr. Johnson, I am feeling very tired, and my shift is ending soon, so I will be heading out in a few. Look at the clock on the wall and then gawk down the hallway ready to end the day of work.

Dr. Johnson

Lisa, before you head home and end your shift, can you please help me transport this patient down to ICU to get an X-ray. We need to get him checked out and scanned. He is suffering from a major bite wound and I have never seen anything like it at all before.

Lisa

Dr. Johnson, the report says the patient was involved in a fight outside the club.

Looking at the report very closely Lisa turns pages to try to understand what went wrong on the night before the patient was dropped off by the ambulance.

Dr. Johnson

Ok let’s get him to ICU to get his bite wound on his arm checked out and more than likely he will need stitches if it’s too deep. Therefore, we will need to disinfect, sterilize the wound, and give him numbing injections before performing a surgical procedure.

The day turns into the night shift, Lisa, and Dr. Johnson seem like the only staff that’s in the hospital at the time.

Lisa

Dr. Johnson, I can’t find the patient, one of the other nurses must have moved him to a different part of the hospital. I will look for him and page you once I find where he is located.

Nurse Monica

Lisa, I thought you were off your shift an hour ago.

Lisa

Monica, I know, but Dr. Johnson has me searching for this patient so we can get him up to ICU for an X-ray and find out about the bite wound on his arm.

Nurse Monica

The patient was brought in last night through emergency with no identification whatsoever, so he was listed as John Doe. The file says he suffered from a major bite wound when he was fighting at the club last night.

Lisa

The file says he is in Wing A. Ok Monica stay right here; I am going to go grab Dr. Johnson so we can find the patient and all transfer him to ICU for X-ray. While you stay here, Monica sees what other information you can pull up on him through the computer.

After all, three transfers the injured and sick patient from wing A to the X-ray lab. Lisa stares at the clock on the wall very hard. Lisa grabs her hoodie off the rack quickly getting ready to end the night for certain.

Lisa

Monica, can you tell Dr. Johnson that I am leaving, I will page him, but I am tired and need to go home girl. Love you thanks, I will see you all tomorrow morning okay.

Car radio

To all residents in Melvin dale, we report that there has been a serious outbreak of an infectious disease and that we advise you all to remain inside as well as lock all your doors. Thank you.

Neighbors’ child (little girl)

Look Lisa, I can finally ride my bike.

Lisa

Oh, wow good job Cynthia, where is your mom at? Friday I will take you and your brother to go get some ice cream ok so let your mother know.

Lisa opens the door and enters the front room of her house. She does a quick walk through to make sure that the house is straightened up and well organized.

Tom (boyfriend)

Hey baby, I just heard you come through the front door. Are you doing ok and how was work at the hospital?

Lisa

I am ok baby, just a very stressful day as usual. We had a patient that was dropped off with a serious bite wound on his arm and it was infected so we had to send him to ICLJ to get examined. Baby I really had a long day, and I am tired, I am going to take a hot shower right now.

Tom (boyfriend)

Ok baby while you are in the shower, I am going to go mess around in the garage for a minute or two.

Heading down the stairs to the garage, Tom turns on the radio and hears news broadcast about attacks happening all over the county by the infected. Noises come from outside in the backyard, heavy footsteps that sound like boots.

Tom (boyfriend)

Hello, is anybody out there? (Tom calls out.) If so show yourself or I will call the police immediately.

Suddenly, a loud roar and outburst takes place with two infected runners coming out of nowhere and running towards Tom in the back of the house. Looking very hard at the two running towards him, what the hell! Screaming and yelling, calling Lisa while running back through the garage door locking it. Running upstairs to check on Lisa and search for his guns.

Tom (boyfriend)

Lisa, baby, where are you? Um honey we have a problem downstairs and I mean a big problem.

Lisa

Baby what’s wrong? What’s going on? Tom babe doesn’t play games with me. Let me go downstairs and see what you are talking about. Heading downstairs while Tom searches for his guns, she hears loud knocks on the windows. As she opens the curtains, she screams looking at a gang of infected runners outside trying to force their way inside the house.

Tom

Baby, I have guns! I am going to go to the garage to see if the car will start up so that we can leave out of here and make it somewhere safe.

Turns the key ignition, starts the car up, Lisa runs out of the house and into the garage quick, fast and in a hurry. As Tom opens the garage door, two infected lunges out toward him and attack. Screaming for help laying on the