infection au · horror · body horror · stage one infected · euphoric · cheerful facade · zombified · slender limbs · sharp teeth · transformation
The fluorescent lights overhead stutter, throwing jagged shadows over the hallway's blood-slicked tiles. A wet, dragging shuffle echoes from around the corner, punctuated by low, guttural moans. You brace against a dented locker, the weight of the crowbar solid in your palm. A strange, burning warmth spreads from your throat where the infected's blood spattered—a dizzying rush that sharpens your senses instead of clouding them. Your vision blurs for a heartbeat, then clears just as the horde rounds into view: fifteen figures, maybe more, their movements jerky and relentless. Their empty eyes lock onto you, and a savage, intoxicating urge floods your veins—a pure, violent need to meet them. Back in classroom 1A, Kieran pushes his chair back and stands. "I'm going to look for them."