The Common Cold (Book 1): A Zombie Chronicle Read Free Page B

empty. I used my key to
get in,” he said, holding up a plastic magnetic card.
    “Is there anyone else in yet?”
    “I think I heard someone a little while ago. Let’s go see.”
    Daniel was grateful to have Rob’s company as they walked the
length of the corridor, looking in each office as they passed it. They saw no-one.
    “Strange, I could have sworn I’d heard someone.” Rob said,
looking bemused.
    “I noticed the front door was open a bit when I arrived.
Perhaps whoever it was went out again?” Daniel offered, hopefully. Somehow he
didn’t want anyone else to be there. He had the distinct impression that he and
Rob were two of the few normal people around right now.
    At that moment, they heard a cistern flush. The sound came
from the women’s lavatory. They both turned to face the door, Daniel’s
nervousness passing to Rob; fear and yawning both being highly infectious to
humans. They waited, holding their breath. They could hear clumsy footsteps.
Whoever it was sounded like they were struggling, trying to walk. A thump
reverberated against the door, making the two jump backwards; it sounded as if
the person had fallen against it in an effort to stand upright.
    Slowly the door began to open. It was Marilyn, the office
administrator. Rob and Daniel let out a collective sigh of relief - and then
looked again. Rob’s jaw fell open; this was his first encounter with one of the
sick today. For Daniel, his stomach lurched; he had thought he was safe in the
office.
    Poor Marilyn, she looked dreadful; pretty much the same as
the rest of those unfortunate souls Daniel had seen so far, except there was a
spark of recognition in her eyes when she saw her colleagues. As she smiled,
drunkenly so it seemed, her dry, cracked lips stuck to her teeth, her vivid
scarlet lipstick smudged all around her mouth, as if it had been put on from
the other side of the room.
    “Hi, guys,” she gurgled, and then coughed. Her throat
appeared partially blocked, her ability to speak was almost gone. The coughing
spasm continued, racking her body until the two men winced at the sound; it had
to be painful. Suddenly, blood gushed from her mouth, a glistening pool
collecting at her feet. It was an omnium gatherum of strange viscous red and green fluid, a bizarre
mixture of blood, bile and thick, stringy green saliva.
    “Bloody hell,” Daniel exclaimed. “Let’s get you sitting down,
quickly.” He put a hand under her left arm and Rob stood to the right, holding
her from the other side. Gently they half-dragged, half-carried her
semi-conscious form to the nearest office, and helped her into a chair near the
door.
    “Can you get her some water, Rob? You know where all the
facilities are.”
    “Sure thing,” Rob said and left the room, somewhat grateful
to be away from the appalling sight of the woman. Blood and drool had begun to
stream down her front, her white silk blouse taking on an unfashionable
emergency room look.
    She was trying to talk, but nothing other than a slight hiss
and some gurgling could be heard.
    “Don’t try to speak,” Daniel said gently, trying to stop her
from exerting her lungs. Marilyn was fading fast, her eyelids drooping now, and
head nodding as the last vestiges of muscular control were lost. With a final
death rattle, she sighed her last and her body went slack. Daniel caught her as
she slumped down in her seat, and laid her gently on the ground next to the
chair.
    Rob dashed back into the room and came up short, seeing the
girl lying on the floor.
    “Damn, she’s gone. Isn’t she.” A statement, not a question.
Daniel just nodded, too shocked to react properly.
    Looking up at last, he spoke. “We have to get out of here.
Something is seriously wrong, and whatever the hell it is, I don’t want to die
in the fucking office.”
    “But if it’s outside, what are we going to do? Where will we
go?” Rob was still uncertain, he had no idea what was going on. Going outside
seemed to be the more risky