Condemned

No Tomorrow

I would like to apologize in advance. -Murphy

September 8, 2026

My eyes fluttered open, quickly realizing Ezra's warmth was gone. I felt my heart abruptly stop as a familiar sound hit my ears. I pushed myself up in the bed to see my door wide open. "No... No, wake up Florence," I muttered to myself. The growls and groans rumbled on past my door. A booming succession of bangs were blending with the growls. "Wake up," I harshly whispered to myself. My heart roughly thudded against my chest, reverberating in my ears only slightly drowning out the groans. I flinched as a silhouette rapidly passed by my door. This is a nightmare. It's just a nightmare, I kept repeating to myself. Infected aren't that fast.

My socks slipped onto the concrete floor, my hands sliding across the bed for support. That instantly flew to my ears as a deafening shriek resonated in the hallway. Tears welled in my eyes, while I grew closer to the door. I paused at the door frame, terror seizing my thoughts and body. I fought through it, taking a step into the hallway.

I gasped at the three infected banging against one of the bedroom doors at an alarm clock ringing inside. My eyes widened realizing they weren't just banging against it, they were successfully breaking it down. Their movements were rapid and mighty. Infected weren't this strong nor quick. I squinted recognizing the infected. John, Maria, and Cassie, all residents who slept in this hallway.

I have to find Ezra and Jenna and get the hell out of here. I snapped back as another shriek erupted behind me. What I saw made my blood run cold, and knees drop against the hard concrete. Ezra. No this can't be happening. This can't be real. Tears were streaming down my face. I clasped my hand around my mouth, staring into his eyes that had been overtaken with a crimson hue. His skin was inhumanly pale, covered in blotchy blisters. My chest heaved, overtaken with anguish. The heaviness was teetering on the thin edge of being unbearable.

"Wake up, please wake up," I sobbed out, smacking myself in the head. This can't be real. This isn't real. Ezra took off after me. I accepted my fate, squeezing my eyes shut. Awaiting his teeth that would rip me apart.

When they never came I opened my eyes, I twisted my head to see him sniffing the air around me. "No," I grabbed his leg, causing him to twitch. He snarled, attempting to pull himself free. "Kill me, please kill me," I wailed up at Ezra's corpse. "Please," I whispered through my tears. I rested my head against his leg, unable to control the weeping. "Don't leave me here alone...I need you."

He jerked away, racing to where the other three infected were pulverizing the door. My palms fell against the concrete while I continued to sob. I glanced up hearing multiple footsteps down a conjoining hallway. Internally praying to see survivors. Praying I didn't kill everyone.

A strangled mixture of a scream and a cry left my lips as Jenna small frame entered the hallway, her icy blue eyes gone, replaced with the hellish hue. Two infected males followed her lead. Her head snapped to the noise the infected were making. Sprinting past me, the trio joined the others.

"Why won't you kill me," I bellowed, pushing myself from the ground. "Kill me," I desperately begged, but their attention was set on the door.

"Leah," I gasped out, seeing her exit one of the bedroom doors in between me and the group. Not infected, she was still her. Someone survived.

She glanced over at me, giving me a knowing smile. "Hey assholes," she shouted with pure hate. She closed her eyes, holding her arms out when the group of infected's attention snapped to her.

"Leah no," I begged, but it was too late. Her blood curdling screams were already filling the hallway, as they swarmed her. Taking her to the ground. Red was splattering out all over the wall and floor, as they viciously tore into her flesh. I leaned against the wall for support, gasping down at the concrete. Feeling my stomach violently churn at the sight. I whimpered, my tears falling at full force once again.

This can't be real. None of this can be real. I slammed my head against the concrete. "Wake up," I muttered, before slamming it once again. After three tries to no avail I slid down the wall, resting my head that was pounding against the cool concrete. My hands pulled at my hair, as the screams ceased. Replaced with a chorus of chomping and tearing flesh.

I stared down at my bandaged hand, counting my fingers. I let out an exasperated cry when I only saw five. This isn't a nightmare, this is real. They are gone, they are all gone. It's my fault, it was my blood. They are dead, and it is my fault. My nails dug deep into my scalp, enough that I could feel blood leaking through my hair.

After what felt like hours, I just blankly stared at the concrete in between my feet. Somehow feeling everything and nothing at all. Angrily I pushed myself off of the floor, headed to my bedroom. I snatched my bow off of its hook. It felt weird in my hands, from my year stint of not needing it. Even more so being in the bunker that was supposed to be safe. I got down on my hands and knees, capturing my quiver full of arrows from under the bed.

Slipping the quiver onto my back, I pulled an arrow in between my fingers, briefly studying it. I nocked my arrow, storming out of the room. My sights set on the group of feeding infecting. I pulled back the string, letting my arrow fly into John's head.

Then Cassie.

Next Maria.

Finally the two infected that had joined Jenna, whose names I didn't know.

I held my string pulled back, aiming straight for Ezra's head. His mouth and arms were saturated in red, as his teeth pulled back a piece of flesh from Leah's chest. My arms trembled, I cried out trying to find the courage to do it. I let out a resentful cry, as my body crumbled in on itself unable to let go. My hand drifted to my mouth, while I watched the man I cared about feast on Leah. Jenna, the little girl I had grown to care about, elbow deep in Leah's abdomen.

He's gone.

Jenna is gone.

I have nothing, and it is my fault again.