Just One Bite

[1] Contagion

Dr Morgan tutted under his breath, rubbing his hands together to fight off the cold temperature in the lab. "Very well, though please don't go putting yourself in bad positions, Lyla. A little curiosity is fine, but too much of it killed the cat as the saying goes."

"I understand."

We walked out of the lab together an into the desolate halls. Most people had left by the time we usually locked up. Dr Morgan produced his keys and locked the lab up for the night.

"It's most likely many individuals, all working with a similar goal. For their collection of blood however... I can't say for certain what any person would do with so much blood."

"Must be vampires then," I joked, grinning at him. "Hopefully I'm not the one bitten next."

My smile slowly slipped off of my face at his serious look. "You shouldn't joke about these things, Lyla. Please. I would hate to see you end up like those poor victims."

I frowned at his seriousness. He'd always been quite laid back for a university professor but now he was coiled like a spring, antsy and... scared. "I'm sorry, professor. I'll be careful, I promise."

He nodded solemnly. "I should hope so. Now, are you sure I can't drive you home?"

I nodded. "I know the route like the back of my hand."

He turned to head toward the carpark and glanced over his shoulder at me. "Don't dawdle, straight home, okay?"

"Yes, professor."

Even when I'd gotten outside and to my bike, I couldn't shake off Dr Morgan's expression. I wouldn't dawdle like I'd promised, the chances of something happening in broad daylight were slim since this was a densely populated area, too.

I concentrated on stretching out my back and sighed when I popped a couple of the vertebrae. I loved lab work but it did a number on my back and eyes with sitting hunched over sample kits and squinting down microscopes.

The sun was still out and the sky painted a hue of orange and pink. A pretty sight after a day in the fluorescent lighting of the lab. I got onto my bike and relished in the cool breeze as I started the journey home.

I peddled over Regents canal and through Victoria park. The leaves were just turning over in colour and filled the park with so much depth. As quickly as I breathed in, enjoying the sights around me, shouts made me look further ahead.

A group of people were bundled together blocking the path up ahead, crowding around something.

I couldn't see much over the crowd, but something that was glaringly obvious was the police car parked aside the path. My bike turned off the path and I pedalled in the grass past the growing crowd. Two police officers were in the thick of it, sectioning the area off trying to keep people back. But you couldn't erase evidence right in front of people's eyes.

I turned back as I'd cleared the group and gotten back on the path. I wish I hadn't. Through peoples legs I could see what everyone was crowding around for. A body.

A shiver ripped violently up my spine in death's caress and I shot back around, pedalling faster to make space between me and the scene. I wished in that moment I'd taken the professor up on his offer of a ride.

Getting to my building, I practically ran inside. I pressed my back against the door once inside my flat, a shaking breath escaping me. I steadied my feet on the floor, the solidness of it and the walls, affirming I was indeed here on planet earth.

"If this curfew goes on any longer, I'm going to go insane!" My best friend's voice came loudly from the living room.

Hettie and I had been sharing this flat since we turned 18. One good thing that came from my orphan background was that the government tried to compensate by giving me a shit ton in bursaries so I didn't need to work while studying and as for Hettie, this was putting it nicely, her family was rolling in it.