I woke up in a comfortable bed to the sound of lightning and raining. Raining so hard that the window sounded like a bass drum.

I am pretty sure that the weather for the week was sunny with a bit of chance for clouds. Yet, out of nowhere, rain. I tossed the cover off and grabbed the remote. I did a quick search and found a new channel as I walked to the bathroom.

After a long, calming shower and other bathroom stuff, I dropped onto a chair and looked at the tv. A report of heavy thunder clouds rolling in from the south. Supposedly lasting weeks, maybe months at a time before dispersing. An unprecedented event, what a load of bullshit.

I walked over to the game system I bought yesterday and decided to hook it up. Rainy days were pretty shitty but it was a good time to play a few games. Catch up on the trends.

***

A few rounds of losing on cod left me hungry. I dropped the controller in the middle of a match and went to season some chicken, tossing it into a container that I popped a lid on before throwing it into the fridge. Following that, I cut open a bag of pizza rolls and layer them on a pan, sliding them into the oven.

Snack decided, dinner prepping. Mm, what am I missing?

I glanced around, deciding to snag a powerade as I headed back.

“Hey man, are you really angry? Come on man, don’t be a sore loser.” a voice resounded from the headset.

I ignored it as I took a few deep gulps and then tuned into the screen to see that the next match is Search and Destroy. I could play this one better than team deathmatch where people camp on buildings with sniper rifles.

I put the headset on and fixed my loadout.

“I didn’t rage quit. I had to check on my food.” I made up a quick excuse.

“I totally believe you. I totally believe you didn’t just throw down the controller after your seventh death while getting quick scope.”

“Oh, it looks like the weather is clearing up. I’ll run over to my ex’s house before the storm picks back up.” I exited the game while remembering why I even bothered playing with this asshole before.

“Hahah, I totally believe you.”

I cut the game off and turned it onto the news while I got up and checked my pizza rolls.

“.. Someone took a recording and uploaded it to youtube. A local family came into a store to buy batteries and other essentials for waiting out storms. When this fellow turned grey and attacked them. Killing six people before the store owner was able to put the hostile man down….”

What the hell? Turned grey and killed six people? Don’t most stores carry?

I walked over with a hot pizza roll in my hand. I took a bite and sucked my breath on burning my tongue. I chewed with my mouth open as I dropped onto the couch with a plate in my hand.

The video playing showed a man really attacking someone with his bare hands. No, he bit and tore out someone's throat and stabbed his fingers through someone else's stomach. It took the store owner two clips to put the man down and the final shot was when the man ran at the store owner. Receiving two shots to the head from near point blank range.

“As you can see from the video , this man had tendencies similar to the famous zombies. Potential new drug causing waves..” the male anchor jested.

“What are you trying to say? That zombies are real? It could be just someone playing with CGI graphics. Trying to gain a little bit of fame.” the female anchor rebuke.

“No way things like this could be done, maybe with high tech equipment, sure. But look at the faces of those people? They look scared? In pain? I admit some actors are good but the last zombie movie that came out didn’t have this level of gore. I am willing to bet that this is some kind of drug experiment gone wrong.” The man got riled up and turned to his counterpart with that conspiracy theory smirk.

The woman shook her head, “What drug could cause someone's skin to turn grey? The guy still looks alive for all intents and purposes. As for whether a new drug managed to turn a guy into a vicious animal. I can’t see it. What drug side-effects would give someone strength to put his hand through a person's stomach. Rip out someone's throat? Take several rounds to the body and keep coming?” The woman kept refuting it with logical points.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“What if the drug is a drug meant to make a supersoldier to begin with. We all know the government has been attempting to improve upon any agendas that can give them better advantages. This is obviously a product that got leaked and released.”

“How come this is the only case? Where are the others…”

Both anchors touched their ears before their eyes widened.

“We would love to continue this conversation but we just news that a geomagnetic storm is going to cover our satellite and we may experience temporary problems establishing a connection. Hopefully, everything will pass within four or five days. Do not be alarmed if you cannot contact anybody using your cell phones, internet, or news channel. It won’t affect your lights or heat during this period…”

I clicked my tongue as the screen went to that emergency broadcast thing. I switched to the HBO channel and kicked back. Man-eating people? Probably just some college kids trying to show off their college product.

I threw another glance out the window before sighing. Today is going to seem pretty relaxed.

***

I opened my eyes to the sounds of tapping. At first, I thought I left the bathroom sink on. Sometimes, that drip drip noise can be just as irritating as guns going off right next to you. But rolling over to face the bathroom, the door was closed. I threw the cover off and sat up.

Scrubbing the sleep from my face as I tried to focus in on the sound of the tapping noise. Though the rain came in just as loud, which made me wonder why I could pick up the sounds of tapping over the rain.

I stood up and brance myself on the head board as I fought a wave of dizziness. I took a glance around as I moved for the bedroom door. Nothing in the room looks loose. So could it be something somewhere else?

I walked out the room on steadier feet and the tapping got louder, but as I took in the living room. There was nothing loose. Nothing that could or should make that sound. I turned to the wall thinking it might be someone doing some activities that moved whatever furniture right there.

I walked over and knocked on the wall but the tapping turned to banging. I sighed and walked into the kitchen, grabbed a cup from the cabinet and poured some water. The banging started to sound too consistent to be a guy.

“Is that just a child? Could be a child being that annoying.” I muttered while making my way to the door. I opened it and spotted the concrete sidewalk almost flooded. It was deep enough to wash into the apartment.

One of the downsides to being on the bottom layer. I closed the door, forgetting all about the kid as I grabbed a few towels and cleaned up the water. I carried the soak towels to the dryer and tossed them in. Turning it on before walking to the living room and turning on the tv to see that the news channel was still broadcasting a blank.

I surf some of the pre-recorded shows before picking some and turning the tv up to drown out the banging.

I was just dozing off again when there was an even louder bang. Closer than last time. Sounded like someone was banging on the window instead of a wall. I stood up and about to walk to the window but the grocery store thing came back to me. Instead I hurried off to my room and grabbed my piece.

I turned around only to hear the sound of glass breaking and the heavy sound of rain. I rushed out the room to see a guy shoving his head into the living room through the window partially busted.

“Yo guy. Smart move but I have a gun. How about you stop causing more damage to that poor window before I put round in you for trespassing.”

The guy looked up and stepped back. I rolled my eyes as he vanished into the thick rain curtain and I sigh.

“Fuck, I gotta clean this and the rain up now.”

I dropped the gun on the kitchen counter and searched for a broom..

“Fuck, I didn’t buy one.”

I grabbed the trash can and carried it to the window. I crouched down and began picking up the pieces.

“First night in and already crazy shit. I knew it wouldn’t be all good since that crazy girl decided to move here. She had to..”

My eyes widened as I saw a shadow enlarging.

“No, no. Don’t jump through the window. It’s already going to cost nearly two hundred to replace. Not to mention, I have to board up the window to keep the rain out..”

I rolled to the side and stood up as the dumbass crashed through the window right into the edge of the table. I winced at the sickening thud sound and the way he fell to the ground, his neck bent at an odd angle.

I clicked my tongue and walked over to the kitchen where my phone rested on the charger. I grabbed it and began dailing 9-1-1 when I noticed movement out the corner of my eyes. I turned with the phone half raised to my ear, to see the guy getting to his knees.

Images of the store owner having to put several rounds into the guy played in my mind. Mm, safety first. I grabbed my gun and took aim at him just as he lifted his head to stare at me with red eyes.

My fingers pulled the trigger before my breathing even got under control. The shot took him in the shoulder but he didn’t even flinch, eyes didn’t even blink. I took a deep breath and released it and squeezed the trigger. Hitting him dead in the forehead.

His head rocked back and my eyes widened as another guy climbed into the window. I adjusted my aim and put round in his skull as his feet touched the carpet. He slumped into the window and I glanced at the tv and walked over to turn it down.

I stared at the bodies for a moment, considering whether this is considered homicide or self defense.

I snapped back to the window when I saw the body move and I ran into the kitchen to grab the big butcher knife before walking quickly to the window. The next guy poked his head in and I grabbed his throat and slammed the knife into his eye. I jerk the knife back and let the guy fall down.

I silently waited like a hunter for the next guy.