Chapter 1

Marisol

I sat at the small table and took a sip of coffee while the morning news played in the background. The anchor’s voice blurred into a soft hum until I caught a few words about some sickness going around, something like the flu, maybe a new strain. I figured it would pass in a few days and switched the TV off. I already had the flu shot. Besides, the guy on the screen was way too cheerful for how tired I felt.

A low voice came from behind me. “Hey, baby.” Arms wrapped around my shoulders and a chin rested on the right side of my neck. “I’m heading to work. Don’t miss me too much.” Soft kisses landed on my jaw and then my cheek. My heart picked up a little. I watched his dark hair, almost black, disappear through the doorway as he left.

I opened the Pinterest board for the wedding again and saved another color idea. The date was still a long way off, but I kept looking at it anyway.

I stretched and felt my shoulders pop. Work was the last place I wanted to be. All I really wanted was to stay home, daydream about the wedding, and watch Supernatural. Instead I had a classroom full of ninth graders who always smelled like they had never met a shower. I love teaching, but some mornings the warm apartment wins. I sighed, grabbed my bag and coat, and locked the door behind me.

He had taken the car again, so I walked to the bus stop. I reached my classroom just before the bell. The kids looked nervous. When I took attendance I saw Nora was missing. That was unusual. Three other students were out too. Probably the flu or whatever the news was talking about.

I started the lesson on energy alternatives, but my eyes kept drifting to a couple of kids whispering over a phone. The door opened and Nora hurried in, out of breath and teary-eyed. I nodded for her to sit and fixed the attendance. Soft shouting came from somewhere down the hall, but it wasn’t close enough to worry about. I gave the class a short warm-up and checked my email. The principal’s message was waiting.

Attention all faculty and staff. Due to the high risk the CDC has placed on this sickness, school will dismiss after lunch so students can still eat. This is city-wide for Richmond. Please tell your classes by the end of first period. The schedule stays the same except there will be no fourth period. No need to panic. This is only a precaution until we know more.

I cleared my throat. The students looked up. A few laughed quietly.

“In case you haven’t heard, there’s a flu-like sickness going around. The principal says we’re leaving early, right after lunch.” Cheers broke out. “Same day, just no fourth period.” More noise. I smiled a little. Fourth period was always my hardest class. This one was mostly good kids.

That meant my fourth-period group would fall behind unless I planned something. I dug through the filing cabinet for the video questions, handed them out, and explained what to do while The Lorax played.

I left the room and told them to behave while I made copies. They didn’t seem to mind. I was using the movie to talk about pollution and plants dying from over-farming.

I was almost to the copy room when I bumped into Sarah Chen, the eleventh-grade science teacher. Papers went everywhere.

“I’m so sorry, Marisol,” she said, already picking them up.

“No, that was me. I wasn’t looking.”

“Just got a call from my kid’s school. She’s got a high fever. I’m on my way to get her.” She checked her watch. “I have to go.”

“Hope she feels better,” I called after her. I made the copies and started back. A scream cut through the hallway. I jumped and dropped the papers. The sound wasn’t close enough that it was my job to check, so I kept walking toward my room.

When I got back the kids looked worried. I put on a calm face. The shouting grew louder. I stepped out again.

“I’ll be right back,” I said. An administrator stood at the end of the hall and gave me a sharp nod. Sweat ran down his forehead even though it was cold outside. Maybe the heat was up too high. I went back inside with clammy hands. Just keep teaching. It’s not happening near me. It’s not my problem.

A few minutes later the door slammed open. A teenage boy staggered in, both hands pressed to his stomach. Blood leaked between his fingers.

“Ms. Reyes, I can’t make it to the nurse. I feel so hot. I can’t move.” I helped him onto a desk. My heart was pounding so hard I could barely talk. I looked at a student. “Call 109 and ask the nurse to come to 306. Now. What happened?”

His eyes were red and irritated. Someone handed me a roll of paper towels. I pressed the whole thing against the wound.

“I don’t know. I was walking to school and some guy jumped me. He bit me in the stomach. I thought he was crazy. I tried to get to the nurse—” His breath caught and he started wheezing. I pulled the shirt back. A rough bite mark was pouring blood.

“The nurse said to bring him down. There are four other people in there already—” More screams rose outside. Some of the kids ran out. Chairs scraped across the floor.

“Guys, please stay calm,” I said, though my own voice was shaking. I kept pressure on the wound. His cries stopped. I couldn’t find a pulse. Everything felt foggy. I started CPR, pushing hard on his chest. Still nothing.

I kept going. After another two minutes his chest rose on its own.

“Oh my God.” I wiped my eyes. He sat up slowly. His eyes looked cloudy and bloodshot. His sister Lily stepped closer, tears on her face. Her friends came with her.

A low growl came from his throat. I stepped back and braced my bloody hands on the desk. Something was wrong. Before I could move he lunged and bit into Lily’s neck, then her friend’s arm. Gasps and sobs filled the room. The rest of the students poured out the door in pure panic.

Nora grabbed my arm and held on tight. I stood frozen while he kept going at the two girls. She cried into my cardigan.

“Come on,” I said. “We have to go. We can’t help them.” I grabbed my coat and we ran. Blood was already staining the tan fabric. The hallways were chaos. Kids running, some bleeding on the floor, backpacks and papers everywhere.

“This way,” I said, pulling her down another hall.

“Attention. Please return to your classes. There is nothing to be alarmed about. Please return to your classroom until further notice. I repeat—” The announcement cut off with a scream. Feedback screeched through the speakers. Nora looked at me, waiting for answers I didn’t have.

“We can’t go back,” she said through sobs. “He’ll kill us.” I pulled her against me and stroked her hair with bloody fingers.

“We’re leaving. I’m taking you home.”

“Can we go somewhere private for a minute?” she asked. I pulled her into the copy room.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?” She slid down against a cabinet. I sat beside her.

“I think my dad has this. That’s why I was late. Mom had to go to the hospital early for work, so it was just me and him. I was making him soup. He could barely get out of bed. He looked almost as bad as that guy.”

“We’ll figure it out.” I wasn’t sure I believed it. My mind went to my fiancé. What was happening where he worked? I needed to call him as soon as we got home. Right now I just had to get Nora out of here.

We headed for the exit, staying clear of the slow-moving students who made low sounds in their throats. Outside the sidewalks looked almost normal except for the stream of kids leaving the building. I put an arm around her and started toward my apartment on East Broad.

We walked in silence for about ten minutes. A siren blasted past and made me jump. Only then did I notice I had stepped in a puddle. The sky was clear and blue. No rain. I looked down. The puddle was red. Bloody footprints led toward the side of a building. I covered Nora’s eyes. A homeless man was on his knees over another body, eating.

“Come on,” I whispered. I pulled out my phone and called 911.

“911, what’s your emergency?”

“There’s a homeless man eating another man,” I said, voice shaking. I gave her the street corner. She told me to stay on the line and stay where I was.

“Oh God,” Nora said. The man looked up. Blood ran down his white shirt.

“Is everything okay, ma’am?” the dispatcher asked. He stood up, almost falling, and started toward us.

“He’s following us. He’s snarling like a rabid animal.” I backed up. “The other man… he can’t be walking. That’s not possible.”

“What’s going on, ma’am?”

“He can’t be walking after that.” I backed into a pole. Both of them kept coming. “Nora, get behind me!”

“Ma’am, please stay calm. Help is on the way.” My phone hit the ground and the screen cracked.

“Shit!” I slipped. One of them hit the pole where my face had been. The other man’s insides spilled out at my feet. I scrambled away, pulling Nora with me. The dispatcher was still talking into the broken phone. We ran. The only thing that mattered was getting to the apartment..