Beyond The Infection

As the men disappear within the minutes, Martha's face contorts with worry. She turns to Janice, glancing around the crowded, makeshift space, and asks quietly, "Did they say anything more about Ron?"

Janice's jaw tightens, her gaze shifting away from her sons, who play quietly on the floor. "Just…rumors. They say Ron was here one minute, gone the next," she murmurs, her voice thick with barely-contained fear. "It's like he vanished into thin air."

Martha's expression darkens, concern carving deep lines into her face. She reaches for Janice's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "We'll find him—and the others," she whispers, though her voice wavers as if she's struggling to convince herself.

The boys call Janice over to show her where they've been sleeping. The boys grabbed her hands and lead her a few feet away, as she starts to gesture for Martha to follow them, but when she turns, Martha is gone. Janice's heart skips a beat. She scans the crowded space, her gaze frantic, but there's no trace of her. Shadows seem to stretch around her, making every corner appear darker and more ominous. But she can't leave her sons, so she stays rooted, her eyes darting around, hoping Martha will reappear any second.

Meanwhile, Travis, Eli, and Steve make their way down a narrow, dim corridor, the faint scent of decay growing stronger with every step. Travis stops abruptly, his gaze fixed on a familiar door—the same one he'd seen earlier, its rusted surface speckled with dried, dark stains. They glance at each other, silent agreement passing between them. They push the door open, the hinges shrieking in protest, and step inside.

Their shoes squelch as they step across the blood-slicked floor. The stench of iron and decay is overwhelming, coating their throats and choking them. Travis squints through the dim, red-tinged light, his stomach twisting at the sight. Bloody handprints smear the walls, desperate claw marks trailing downward as if someone tried to escape.

Steve mutters, "Where…where are the ZedHeads? Travis, didn't you hear them before?"

Travis's eyes narrow, his pulse hammering as he nods slowly. "I heard them—they were behind this door. They…they were growling. But now…it's dead silent."

Suddenly, something on the floor catches Travis's eye—a small, silver bracelet glinting dully amidst the pools of blood. His heart freezes as he kneels down, reaching for the charm that dangles from it. It reads, Christopher.

His mouth goes dry. "Eli…this…this was her bracelet—Christopher's mom."

Eli's face pales. He glances back at Steve, who's already muttering, "We need to get the hell out of here, man. This place is—"

Before he can finish, a flicker of movement appears just outside the room—a shadow gliding by the doorway. Jake, standing slightly apart from the group, catches it first. He stares, transfixed, whispering, "Guys…there's something here." But the others don't hear him, their hushed conversation about leaving too intense.

Drawn by a mix of fear and curiosity, Jake slips out of the room, his steps careful but determined as he follows the shadow deeper into the darkness. With each step, memories begin to stir, vague and distorted like fragments of a nightmare. His breath quickens, his heart thundering as the shadow stops, and a voice suddenly emerges from behind him, deep and unmistakably familiar.

"What do you think you're doing here?"

Jake's stomach flips. He raises his hands slowly and turns to see a soldier, his face half-hidden in shadow. But the voice…Jake feels a jolt of recognition. "Jake? Is that really you?" the soldier says, stepping closer, his eyes widening in disbelief.

Jake's mind races, snippets of his past flashing in brief, jagged bursts—faces, voices, moments long forgotten. "Henry?" he whispers, the name surfacing like a ghost.

Henry's face softens, a flicker of relief crossing his stern expression. "Man, I thought you were dead," he says, stepping closer, his voice laden with exhaustion and barely concealed anger. "I was looking everywhere for you. Where the hell have you been?"

A strange sensation pulses through Jake's body, an instinct he can't quite place—like a dark, simmering urge just beneath the surface. Images and emotions swirl in his mind, his lost memories painfully close to the surface, as if each word from Henry is drawing them out, like blood from a wound.

"I…I was in the hospital," Jake stammers, each word awakening something more—a darkness creeping through him, thick and suffocating.

Henry's eyes narrow, suspicious, but he gestures with a flick of his head. "Come with me, then. There's something you need to see."

Jake glances back, where his friends are still huddled, but the curiosity clawing inside him is impossible to ignore. He nods and follows Henry deeper into the maze of hallways. Each step takes him further from the sounds of his group, his heartbeat echoing in his ears. The silence is broken only by the soft shuffling of their feet, and Jake's mind races, wondering what Henry might know, what answers he might find just around the next corner.

Back with Eli, Steve, and Travis, Steve suddenly pauses, looking back toward the door, a frown tugging at his lips. "Hey…where's Jake?"

The others stop in their tracks, glancing around in confusion, the realization settling over them like a lead weight. Travis's eyes widen with alarm, his gaze darting back to the darkened hallway. "Jake?" he calls, his voice low, trying not to draw attention. But there's no response.

Panic flares in their eyes as they all begin calling out in hushed, urgent whispers, "Jake…Jake, where are you?"

The air thickens with dread, their voices swallowed by the silence. Each second stretches painfully as they scan every shadow, every corner, their minds racing with possibilities.

Jake follows Henry until they reach a heavy, reinforced door at the end of the corridor. Henry glances at him, a strange, unreadable expression in his eyes. "We're here," he says, his voice almost reverent.

He swings the door open, and both Jake and Henry enter. Henry slams the door shut behind them.

Back in the hallway, Eli, Travis, and Steve realize Jake has disappeared. Their worry escalates to dread as they frantically search for their friend, voices growing louder as they whisper his name. Each time they call, it echoes back to them in eerie, mocking silence.

Will they find Jake before it's too late? Is he in danger, or has he remembered something that changes everything? And where is Martha?