Chapter 1: Apocalypse

Vruummmm!

A vibratory sound rang in Grey's head and his eyes shot wide open. He immediately sat up and looked around, wondering where the weird noise came from.

“That certainly wasn't normal.”

Grey muttered and brushed his bedsheet aside. He rolled out of his bed and walked towards the window to look out.

The morning was just beginning, so barely anyone was outside.

Grey glanced at the wall clock and saw it was 6:00 am, and decided it was time to prepare for work.

He stretched his arm which revealed his slim body toned with solid muscles, that showed he worked out a lot.

Grey took his bath, got dressed, had a small meal, and headed to work.

As he got out his apartment, he noticed a man slowly hitting himself on the door of a shop.

It was one of his noisy neighbors who was always drunk and had a wife who constantly nagged at him for not taking care of the kids.

‘Well at least they knew who their parents were’

Grey would mutter. Unlike them, he was an orphan, who didn't know who his parents were or what they looked like.

His earliest memories were of him being in an orphanage, and his memories there weren't exactly pleasant.

Grey shook his head at the thought and turned away.

But, just then, the man turned towards Grey's departing figure.

If Grey had waited for a while, he would have seen a lifeless, decayed skin face of his neighbor staring at him.

Towering buildings made of glass were on every side and corners of Keiro.

It was a big city, one filled with dreams and hope. And cars-- a lot of cars, which was making Grey frustrated, as he was doing more of sitting than driving.

One of the reasons he left for work so early to avoid traffic.

Usually, the road was always free unless, of course, there was an accident.

“What bad luck,” Grey sighed.

He was tempted to park his car somewhere, and jog to work, but he didn't have to do that as he managed to reach work at a reasonable time by his standards.

Thankfully, Grey didn't waste too much time on the road.

He reached his office building and drove his car into the parking lot.

Grey walked into the building wearing a backpack, which he found much more convenient than carrying a briefcase.

As Grey heads towards the elevator, he sees Wendy, the firms' receptionist, and halted with a frown on his face.

Another reason he came early to work was to avoid her.

Wendy was obsessed with him. Doing everything to get Grey's attention, and asking him regularly to go out with her.

Grey had told her he wasn't interested so many times, but she just wouldn't listen.

Wendy noticed him and waved. Grey responded with a quick nod and hastened his steps toward the elevator.

“Grey, wait up.”

Wendy called, but he didn't stop.

Reaching the elevator, he clicked on the elevator button a couple of times. Hoping to escape what was to come, but the elevator wasn't on his side this morning.

“Should I just use the stairs?” he thought and made a move, but then Wendy yelled.

“ Stop, don't use it.”

Grey halted, wondering if she read his mind.

“Why?”

He asked turning towards her, but she didn't reply until she caught up to him.

Wendy was an attractive woman with a blue shirt and black fitted skirt, her lips red, an epitome of beauty. Most guys would give anything to have her, but Grey wasn't most guys.

“Someone reported a live wire, so the stair is a no-go, for now?”

Grey glanced at the stairs and then at her.

“Shouldn't you indicate that?”

Grey asked, and she raised a signboard indicating the stair were out of use.

“Oh, okay.”

Grey then turned to face the elevator.

“So, where do you think you were going without greeting me properly?”

Wendy asked with a seductive smile, stepping closer to him.

Grey shifted uncomfortably.

“To work where else?”

“How could you go without collecting the meal I made for you?” she pouted in a childish manner and Grey cringed.

Wendy had been making him breakfast every morning, all in an attempt to win his heart.

Why him? Grey didn't know nor did he understand.

“I certainly remembered telling you not to stop making me breakfast.” Grey said.

“How could I, I need to make sure you're taken care of.”

“Why? I can certainly take care of myself.”

He replied, after all, he had been doing it for years.

The moment he left the orphanage, he made it his goal to never depend on anybody for necessities.

He worked a dozen part-time while he was in university, so has to make ends meet and was also top of his department.

With how busy he was, it's no surprise he didn't have time for girls. All his attention had been on getting a solid job to feed himself, and now that he had done that. He wanted to do his job well, so he wouldn't get fired.

Having a relationship had never been among his priorities, and food wouldn't make him start now.

“Here you go,”

Wendy handed over a food flask wrapped with clothes.

“Don't want it,” Grey said firmly. “ Already had breakfast.”

“That's fine, you can have it for lunch then. You certainly don't want the food I made with all my effort, to waste, do you?”

“I didn't ask to make it now, did I?”

“Of course you did. You have a look that makes me want to cook for you.”

Grey furrowed his brows, befuddled. That made no sense to him.

“Listen Wendy, I…”

Ping!

The elevator arrived, and the metal doors opened, interrupting Grey.

Wendy urged him to continue, but he shrugged.

“Forget it.”

She wasn't going to listen anyway.

Grey moved past her and entered the elevator. He clicked the 6th floor button, but before the elevator closed.

Wendy entered and forced the food flask into his hands.

“Even if you've eaten, I want you to have it for my sake.”

Grey sighed frustrated.

“Tell me wh--why are you doing this?”

“Well,” she smiled with a blush. “I care about you.”

Wendy then steps out of the elevator, leaving Grey speechless. Her persistence was on another level.

“Enjoy your meal.” She said waving.

“Sure… Jace would love it.”

Grey said mindlessly, but his eyes popped right open as soon as he realized what he said.

“Jace?! ”

Wendy questioned with a confused look, but the elevator shut close before she could question further, which caused Grey sighed in relief.

Jace was his co-worker, and Grey had been giving him every meal he had received from her.

It was cruel, he knew. But he would rather not eat her food when he knew the intention behind it was to win his heart-- that he had no desire to give. He wasn't even sure he knew how.

Grey reached his office, and saw it was empty, as no one had arrived to work.

He grinned, as always he was the first.

This was like a little achievement for him, and it satisfied him for a strange reason.

Grey used the time to appreciate the silence before his co-workers would start pouring in.

He walked to his cubicle, which had neatly arranged files. Took his seat at the desk, put on the computer and began to read his emails and sort other documents from the previous day.

Soon more people began to arrive and he exchanged pleasantries with them.

After some time, Jace also arrived. He was a bubbly, energetic man with a chronic habit of late-coming. He walked in and saw a Wendy's flask on his desk.

“Grey?" he asked and Grey nodded, his focus totally on the computer screen.

“Yeah…good morning to you lucky bastard,” he said, picking up the flask. He thought Grey was lucky to have a beauty cook for him. And was pissed he didn't appreciate it.

“ You know what, Grey, I'm starting to think you're Gay.”

Grey stopped typing and gave Jace a threatening look.

“What…It's either that or you're a eunuch, how are you able to resist her charm? I doubt any man can do that…explain it to me.” he finished beating his chest dramatically.

Grey rolled his eyes.

“ I don't need to explain anything, I just think with my brain and not between my legs, unlike someone.”

“ Rude much.” Jace frowned but waved it off. “ Well…I'm not totally against it since you keep bringing me free breakfast. I don't even bother to eat every morning.”

“Don't depend on it, I'm sure she'll stop making more.”

“ Why? What did you do, did you yell at her? I'll kill you if you did! How could you? You monsters. ” he uttered with his mouth full.

Grey sighed, looking around and noticed something odd.

“Jace did you notice most people aren't at work today.”

“Really.” Jace said distractedly, as his phone had his attention.

It was true, a couple of people weren't there yet, and it wasn't because they hadn't arrived.

Jace was always the last to clock in, as he was a chronic latecomer. So if no one came before him, then it meant they weren't coming to work.

Grey noticed a lady who was two desks beside Jace. She looked pale and she kept scratching her arm. Grey felt guilty for not remembering her name. But he couldn't be blamed, after all he had only started working here two weeks ago.

He noticed there was a bite mark on it and wondered how that happened.

The lady noticed Grey staring and hurriedly covered her with her sleeve.

Grey looked away unbothered, she wanted to hide it, and he also didn't want to know or get involved, so he continued with his work but then…

“Grey Grey look, you have to see this.”

Jace said excitedly and held his phone in front of Grey, showing him a video.

The video was recorded on a train, and it showed a man or whatever it was, biting into another person.

The man bit out a chunk of flesh and blood spew, terrifying the passengers. Who screamed, running off. That was where the video ended.

“Is this real?” Grey asked with doubt.

“Of course, it is, it's a live video on PikPok. I've been seeing videos like this since morning…Maybe it's a new trend.”

Jace said and continued watching more videos.

Grey didn't think much of the video and continued with work, but then…

Vruummmm!

The same vibratory sound rang in his head again. He clutched his head in response. It was the same sound that woke him up.

“Did you hear that?” Grey asked Jace hurriedly, but he was distracted with his phone.

Grey looked around.

He could feel something was wrong, the mood felt weird.

His eyes landed on one of his co-workers. His body twitched uncomfortably, his skin looking death pale just like the lady with the bite mark.

Grey then heard an eerie growl and turned toward the source

It came from the bitten lady, whose body spasms in a horrifying manner.

Grey was terrified, what the hell was happening?

Her shaking stopped, and her bones were re-arranging itself. Cracking and Snapping.

She then stood awkwardly out of her chair.

Her body decayed, and her eyes were lifeless as she stood, unmoving.

“Jace!”

Grey called in a low voice so as not to agitate her, but Jace was distracted and was using an ear pod, so he couldn't hear.

“ Jace!” he called once again, but Wendy's head moved towards him and then at Jace.

“Jace!”

Grey called, raising the intensity of his voice, but Jace chuckled at his phone, unaware of what was happening in his surrounding.

This sound attracted Wendy, and she walked eagerly to Jace. To Wendy, Jace was a free open meal and she felt nothing but hunger.

“Shit!”

Grey cursed, seeing he had no choice, and grabbed the keyboard connected to his system. He yanks the cord out and crushed the keyboard towards the side of her face using all the force he could muster.

Bang.

The keyboards shattered on impact, keypads flying into the air as her body was sent sprawling.

This finally caught Jace attention, and he hurriedly took out his earphones.

“What's going on.”

He heard a guttural growl and turned toward Wendy.

Jace eyes bulged at the sight of Wendy, who now looked like a horrifying creature with decayed skin. Her body twisted unnaturally, bones creaking eerily.

“Is that Grace?”

Jace asked Grey, shocked by the sight.

“Yeah, it is.”

Grey replied.

“ Grace so that was her name.” he said inwardly and turned around.

He could see some other turning into whatever Grace was. Their movement and grunts were eerily similar to that of the video Jace showed him.

“Holy shit Grey.”

Jace said, slowly rising to his feet.

“Yeah that's right,” Grey muttered.

“It's a zombie apocalypse.”

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