A/n: Welcome, welcome, welcome! This story will most likely be published in chunks and I plan to make each part 2,500-2,700 words. I hope you all enjoy this little journey as you read this story! Love you all!!!
Small note: This entire book will be in third person and the image above is Gwen's outfit.
~✨Celestial✨~
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"Markus Revv-sentenced to death after found guilty for the murder of his entire family, including his own mother," Gwen murmured to herself as she shuffled through a solved case file. She tugged on the edge of the paper to reveal the one underneath. "And even the murder of his unborn child. What a sick and twisted bastard." Reading further down the page, she saw two words that described why the man killed his family.
Psychotic Breakdown
"Well," she cleared her throat. "That explains a lot." Closing the file, she quickly organized the papers as she recorded it into a book with a black pen.
The door to the library swung open, Officer Edward stepping into the large room. He grimaced at seeing the remainders of a few corpses with their heads blown off sprawled on the ground. His nose scrunched up from the putrid smell produced by the rotting corpses. "How the hell do you stand this stench?"
Gwen shrugged her shoulders lightly. "You get used to it after a while. Not like we have any air freshener laying around and it's not like I can walk down the street to the nearest store to buy some."
"With the undead walking the streets, it'll be difficult to gather more food," Elliot said.
"And most of the station is locked due to all the corpses wandering around. The only ones left are you, me, David, and Marvin. God knows when they'll come for us. All the survivors we helped... are dead," Gwen muttered sorrowfully. Her long, inky locks obscured her face when she slumped forward in her seat. "We're in the middle of a death trap with no way to escape."
Elliot pulled out the seat across from Gwen and sat down. "About that..." The officer pulled out his journal and flipped to a page in the middle of the palm-sized logbook. "There's a secret passageway under the goddess statue in the main hall. If we can find the three medallions that are missing, we could possibly get through and escape."
Gwen leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms and legs. "Sounds like something you'd find in a storybook. Why would a police station-let alone a museum-have an underground passage?"
The officer closed his journal with a sigh. "Beats me. All that matters is there's a way to escape this damned building without walking out the front door."
"We're lucky this place has a decent fence and gate. Glad this place was a museum before a police station. It's a shame it won't hold the flesh-eating bastards for much longer. If they keep slamming against the gate and fence in hordes, they'll collapse in the next few days."
"That's why we need to start finding these medallions now! We can't just sit here like a buffet and wait for the monsters to break in and dig in," Elliot said.
"Elliot, two-thirds of this station is plagued with those things! Searching the entire building for three medallions would be suicide! Instead of becoming the buffet, you'll be the one enjoying it if you're not careful! Do you realize how many windows David and I had to board up just yesterday? Seven!" The archivist growled.
"If you're not gonna help, I'll do it myself. Someone's gotta get us the hell outta here." Elliot stood from his seat and stormed out of the library. Gwen sighed annoyingly as she watched the officer leave. Standing up, she laid her pen down on the table before grabbing the records book and heading to the second floor of the library.
Gwen slid the thick book into the place it belonged with another sigh. "This is ridiculous..."
"What is?" A voice asked her from behind.
The young woman gasped in shock as she spun to face the person who'd snuck up on her. "What the hell, Marvin?! You gave me a heart attack!"
The officer chuckled at her angry expression. "Sorry, Gwen. But, where's your gun?"
"On the table," she replied.
"What if I were one of those things? You'd be dead right now," he stated.
"If you were one of those monsters, I'd hear the groans and hissing from a mile away. They're not exactly quiet." Gwen rolled her eyes and decided to change the subject. "Anyway, why won't you or anyone else tell me who the rookie was supposed to be? Even Ned wouldn't let me see his file."
Marvin smirked at the sable-haired woman. "The entire station was messing with you, but I still won't tell you who it was supposed to be."
Gwen felt her eye twitch slightly. "You do realize we're smack-dab in the middle of Hell where either one of us could be a meal in the next few minutes, right?"
"Yeah," Marvin answered stoically. "But you'll have to find out on your own. I ain't saying a word."
"Oh, come on! You're not even gonna tell me in the middle of a crisis?!"
"No."
Gwen groaned loudly, running a hand through her hair. "You're unbelievable!"
"Says the woman who's still archiving cases."
"Ugh!" Gwen felt like she was going to rip her hair out, but she bit her tongue and tried to calm down. "Whatever..." She stomped down the stairs and headed to the main hall for a small break before returning to her work.
The other surviving officers found it strange how she would continue to archive cases with the dead roaming around. To her, archiving had been something she enjoyed and it always kept her occupied. It kept her mind from wandering to the monsters who now wandered the hallways of the precinct, searching for a way to reach them in their safe haven.
When she reached the front desk to see how well they were doing on supplies, she noticed David was missing. "David?" She called out, receiving no response. A small piece of paper caught her eye and she recognized the writing as Officer Ford's. Grabbing the small snippet, she read the note.
Went to check out the west hallway. Be back shortly.
"What a moron. Why would he go to the most infested part of the building without help?" Gwen asked herself. She decided to search for David, hoping to bring him back in one piece or to help him if he needed a hand. She grabbed a flashlight and left the main hall.
-West Hallway-
With the flashlight piercing through the darkness, Gwen cautiously walked down the corridor. When she turned the corner, a gunshot resounded through the hallway along with a bloodcurdling scream. The archivist froze in her tracks, a chill crawling down her spine as her eyes widened in fear. She knew it was David who screamed, but she couldn't bring herself to run and help him. Her legs refused to budge an inch due to the fear festering inside her. She couldn't even move her arms.
David's screaming suddenly ceased, signaling he was dead or he would become one of the zombies. Gwen quickly placed a hand over her mouth to prevent her own scream from escaping and attracting whatever monster had silenced Officer Ford.
Suddenly, the window beside her shattered and one of the monsters toppled through the new entry point. She shook the fear from her body, patting the holster strapped to her thigh. "My gun..." She gasped. When she realized it was still in the library, she groaned. "Shit!"
The rotting woman hissed as she raised her decaying arms to grab Gwen, but the archivist dodged her grasp. Without hesitating, she turned on her heels and ran down the hallway. As she was turning a corner, another window shattered and a monster fell through it. Due to where it landed, the monster latched onto her ankle and yanked on it. The powerful tug caused Gwen to lose her balance and fall. She screamed out in fear and pain as the corpse pulled her towards him to sink his teeth into her skin. She kicked the rotting man in the face with her other foot, smashing his skull and successfully killing him for certain.
Gwen scrambled to her feet as three more corpses entered through the broken window. She didn't look back to see where the monsters were and kept her eyes forward. She ran through reception before entering the main hall. She opened the control panel and pressed the button inside, closing the metal gate. She slammed the control panel shut, resting her forehead against the cool metal. "What is going on in this damn city?"
<---------<<<<<<<<<
After the frightening experience in the west hallway, Gwen found some tape and used it on the control panel. She was hoping if someone wanted to go this way, they would see the bright tape and rethink their choice. Done with the yellow tape, she laid it on the front desk where she found it. She leaned against the sturdy wood and pinched the bridge of her nose. "That only leaves me, Marvin, and Elliot. Our numbers keep dwindling."
Removing her hand, Gwen glanced over at the entrance to the east hallway and saw the shutter was raised slightly. Her eyes widened and she dashed over to examine the slit that was large enough for a human to slip through. "Who the hell would try to open a shutter with 'Keep Out' written on it?!"
Then, Gwen heard a grunt of pain and saw Marvin stumbling his way down the stairs, a hand pressed against his abdomen. "Marvin, what happened?" She ran to help the lieutenant, but stopped when he raised his hand.
"It was... Ned. Bastard got ahold of me and took a chunk out of me," he grunted.
"Oh, god. What do we do?"
"There's nothing we can do, Gwendolyn. It'll only be a matter of time before I turn into one of those things. You're gonna have to shoot me."
"What-no! I'm not shooting you! Just sit down and rest. You're still Marvin, and I won't shoot you like you are now. Let me check the archives for any cases where cannibalism was involved. Maybe... Maybe it'll help in some way."
Marvin didn't feel like arguing with Gwen for two reasons. One-she would win the argument no matter how much he would put up a fight and two-he was worn out and in pain from the wound. "Alright. I'll be keeping an eye on the cameras."
"Understood, Lieutenant," Gwen nodded.
<-------<<<<<<<<<
Once Gwen was out of sight and back in the library, Marvin opened his laptop and scanned the security cameras. When he flipped over to the camera in the east hallway, he spotted a man he'd never seen before being chased by numerous of corpses. He got to his feet with a hiss and shuffled over to the shutter just as the man crawled through it. Before he was able to escape, he was grabbed by the ankle.
"Goddammit!" The man struggled against the monster's grasp, but it was useless. Marvin reached the mysterious man and helped him by pulling him by his arm and out of the creature's grasp. The man saw the lieutenant approaching the shutter and warned him. "Watch out!"
"Got it!" Marvin reassured him as he put his foot on the shutter and slammed it against the corpse's head, smashing its skull and brain to pieces. With the shutter now sealed, Lieutenant Branagh faced the man as he fell back against the shutter. "You're safe... for now."
"Thanks..." The man sighed in relief.
"Marvin Branagh," The lieutenant introduced himself.
"Leon Kennedy..." The man responded. His eyes filled with sorrow as he broke eye contact with Marvin for a split second. "There was another officer... I-I couldn't... I couldn't..."
Marvin pushed his body off the shutter and offered Leon a hand. "Here..." The blonde accepted his outstretched hand and was pulled to his feet. "I'm sure you did what you could, Leon."
The two men walk over to the goddess statue and Marvin sits down in front of the laptop. Leon handed him the journal of the officer he tried to save. The lieutenant flipped through the pages while the blonde changed into a R.P.D. uniform. "Does anyone know what started this?"
"Not a clue," Marvin answered as he grabbed the laptop with the hand he didn't have pressed to his wound and sat it next to him. "But honestly, all you need to know is that this place will eat you alive if you aren't careful."
Leon slid a clip into his pistol. "Yeah... well, I was supposed to start last week and I got a call to stay away." He holsters the gun and sighs. "I wish I'd come here sooner."
"You're here now, Leon. That's all that matters," Marvin stated before turning his gaze back to the journal.
The blonde officer approached his superior once all was in order. "Okay, Lieutenant, I'm ready."
"Hopefully, you'll be able to find a way out of this station. That officer you met earlier-Elliot." Marvin raised the journal and pointed at the pages. "He thought this secret passageway might do the trick."
"This is good news. We can get you to a hospital," Leon said.
Marvin shook his head. "No, no, I am not the priority here."
"Lieutenant, I'm not just gonna leave you here-"
"I'm giving you an order, rookie. You save yourself first. I'd come with you, but I'd just slow you down. Now..." Marvin reached down and grabbed a knife as he stood up. "You'll need this."
Leon tried to deny the offer. "I can't take-"
"Stop," the man demanded. Leon reluctantly took the knife, relieving Marvin of the weapon. "And don't make my mistake. If you see one of those things-uniform or not-you do not hesitate. You take it out... or you run. Got it?"
Leon nodded as he accepted the journal from his superior. "Yes, sir."
"Good. Now, head up the left stairwell and to the library. You'll find our archivist there. She has a sharp pair of eyes and is a good shot. She'll be able to help you through the station, as well," Marvin groaned as he sat back down.
"You're not the only one here?" Leon questioned.
"No. There were tons of us, but accidents happened and many died or are among the dead that now wander these halls. Now, it's only you, me, and Gwen."
"Wait, "Gwen"? What's her last name?" Leon inquired eagerly.
Marvin smiled for a split second before it fell from the sudden wave of pain. "You'll just have to ask her yourself. Now go."
Without hesitating, Leon walked up the left stairwell and entered the door with a blue spade on it. He was greeted by the smell of rotting corpses and covered his nose and mouth for a few seconds before dropping his hand once he was used to the stench. He heard incoherent grumbling from above and walked to the stairwell to his left. "Hello?"
Before Leon took one step up to the second level, he stopped when he saw a woman with her back facing the stairwell. Her long, wavy locks reached a little past her shoulder blades and swayed gently as she seemed busy with her own thoughts and scanning the bookshelf. "Excuse me," he called out.
The woman stopped and spun around. When she went to snap at who derailed her train of thought, her mouth fell agape at the sight of the blonde. "Leon?"