The Infection

Chapter 1

It's the small things in life that were gone now, but finding them is not all that rare. The small things were the simple things, like smelling a flower or feeling the ocean on one's feet. For one person, for Cassie Hansen, it was enjoying a view from atop of the hill point that overlooked the burnt, worn down city that was once known as San Francisco.

It wasn't the city she was watching, though. It was the few birds that were left. It was the leaves blowing in the wind. It was the quiet. She took a deep inhale of the fresh breeze that cascaded across her...but then she let out a cough. That was not the smell she was hoping for.

"Thomas," she called, "I can smell that!" Her partner in crime, Tom Hiddleston, came stumbling out of the woods while saying, "Sorry, sorry sorry!" He took the cigarette from his mouth and tossed it on the ground, before stomping it out.

With a loud sigh, he sat down next to her. "Almost done with your ritual?" He asked. She pinched his leg and said, "Shut up. It's beautiful." He chuckled and looked out with her. "A burned city, turned to ruins. Truly beautiful."

She laughed and elbowed his side. "Come on, then. We should get back before the boss worries. Or thinks we're dead." They both got up and walked back to the Humvee. Tom started it up and started going back to base.

"Ben and his group get back today," he said in attempt to make small talk. Cassie scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Great," she sarcastically said, "now he and Sharon can continue their secret tryst. Not to mention, he's an asshole and I'll miss the quiet."

Tom let out a bellowing laugh. "Oh, Cass, I am proud to call you my best friend. Not only my best friend, but my love struck one. Admit it, you love him. Always have." She shook her head with a smile. "I do not," she told him, "I can't stand that man. I don't know what happened, we were the best of friends and...I don't know what happened. I keep blaming myself. He's been nothing but a bully and I don't know why. I didn't do anything to him! So, no, I don't love him. I hate him."

Tom reached over and patted her leg. "That's good," he said, "because if you did love him, I would never get laid." Cassie laughed and nudged his arm. "Behave," she giggled. He chuckled, "Oh, I will not behave when we get back home, darling. That's a promise."

As they continued driving along, Cassie spotted something on the road. She squinted to get a better look, then widened her eyes. "Tom, stop. Stop! Stop!" Tom slammed on his breaks and looked over to where her eyes were glued.

"Oh shit," he breathed. "Is that Stewart?" Cassie nodded and said, "Yeah. Look, he's turning." They watched as their fallen comrade started twitching and turning in ways a human never could. "What was he doing out here?" Tom asked. "Did Hamill send him?"

Cassie sighed, "I don't know. I'm going to shoot him." She started getting out her gun, when Tom stopped her. "If you shoot him, the Infected will hear," he told her. She shrugged him off and cocked back her gun.

"I can't leave him like that," she said. "I would do the same for you. Just drive fast once he's down." He could see how important this was to her, so he sighed and got prepared to take off. Cassie pointed her gun out the window and took a deep breath.

She pulled the trigger just in time for Stewart to see them; his yellow glowing eyes, snarling and drooling mouth, blood stained face all making Cassie hit him right in the head. She didn't have time to process it before Tom took off.

He put his hand on her knee and asked, "Alright?" She put her gun down and breathed, "Yeah. It's just harder when you know them."

They got back to base about ten minutes later and drove through the giant metal gates that opened for them. Tom parked the car next to all the others and got out with Cassie. They opened up the trunk to grab their things when they were approached by Chris, Hamill's right-hand man.