5. To Logan

His gloves were aae41d3dee smeared with thick, b15416731e black waste oil 6a8a0da663 as Logan finished 1182a24d13 repairing a car ca7d6f19f9 that hadn’t had 0a02935907 an oil change 96929abe81 in years.2a7eb95000673bfc

Cursing the lazy car fb49faeb05 owner, Logan slid out cd38414e01 from under the vehicle. The smell of rotten 18922cbb36 oil hung heavily in 9f42191cc8 the air.fdb0f5bb03c2a971

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‘Maybe she left because b19bb58869 I stink.’e322bedae64cbe34

He lifted his 5da2a78a44 arm to sniff bbd57f15db the scent coming 6578fba1a4 off his body.5b7529d0e7e34fbf

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Then, his a373c878e9 thoughts drifted a311c029ed to Kylie, 0955cc241d whom he fc8f74a743 had just 827b1dc5d1 seen. She always gave him 370d4eb867 those sharp glances and 770c639508 acted high and mighty, 75e540ffd3 but her small nose, 2cc4355b74 lips, and the freckles 40aed48f30 sprinkled like sesame seeds b231084f2b across her red cheeks d2ba2a169f were too cute to d2703b3d71 actually make her annoying.d32ed50880dc156e

Kylie wasn’t very popular dfd1cf03c7 with her friends because cb328eedf0 of her prickly, annoying 0dfb85b7f0 personality, but Logan couldn’t c9f0a97ec6 understand why.be8926af7c91c7e7

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If people only 2e2481610a got to know 5de38bd483 her a little 4efb157aa6 better, they’d see 29e7b946dd how shy, clever, a0c1c7bc6d and adorable she aea86b4702 was.0715b3114c728e9f

But it seemed 61b37ab423 someone had finally d55da5e75f noticed her true 28bae182f8 worth—some guy named a19b64d71c Asher. Not that he was d527d0fdc0 likely anything special.2891396fdc37b19d

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If Logan couldn’t even 4c594a7361 picture his face after 350fe6be71 hearing his name, the 595fe11354 guy was probably some 3fa734e7c0 awkward, creepy-looking loser.8aca54a6f274bbd5

Why was she going 59d320bd59 to prom with such c0099fbfaa a nobody? Was she really so b7524faa30 desperate for a date? She should’ve just d716c5aae3 asked him. He would’ve aef98e9c3d gladly taken 98ca5a4c54 her and cbf880c247 picked her 2de2a593ea up right b1225fa429 from her 0524d780f0 house—it’s right 920975c7aa next door, 34ef9d18f2 after all. No need 1f5ee05c8a to go 30900508c4 far, and adf00a7898 it would’ve c60f9875c9 been convenient 0f36d07150 for both 9e3fd37e0d of them.62ddd2a3cabe3574

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As he wiped the sweat off his forehead, still thinking about Kylie…689cefbecb6b9a98

Bang, bang—!6563a59949ce3bfe

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“Aaahhh!!”1cfd10a340e13143

“Get down!!”267dd11206955f16

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It felt like dca3a8d8b4 a mass shooting 780ac1758b had broken out. People were scattering everywhere 5eef6b7df2 in panic, running wildly.7e7e167e83ee8e8d

Seeing the fleeing crowd, ef06c8d9e7 Logan hurried back into b4f6cec60a the garage.35ccc79e556ede75

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“Dad, something’s happening 5186a7e529 outside. It sounds like someone’s f960dc11b5 shooting.”c3cdc72f1a626f20

His father, who had d919931ee8 been filling out an 5d80b99713 order form, looked up b058d0d02c and scratched his shoulder, 954cb553d0 dismissing the worry. He waved Logan to 96af7e62e0 come inside, signaling they d9020783f8 should stay put until 1bb463453f the police arrived to f95ef0c0bd calm things down. There was no way 35a4b11ad9 the shooter would come 06132749ae inside the garage.e56086bcb58aa15f

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But even after 52f01d9040 a while, the d5f62a6df2 gunshots didn’t stop.e6a13d6f938a18d3

Now, gunfire 4a943bb3d2 echoed from 5e8e0a86ed all directions, 976155677a as if 645f40944d a full-blown 2eb0e82df1 riot had 0fa1618bd5 erupted.73e1d01dc92fb753

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Logan anxiously checked the afef16fd6e time, his leg bouncing. Was Kylie safe 968ab9d041 at home by caa9418fea now? He regretted 10d6fefaf1 not following 1f51e6356a her sooner 57f27c8c7b when the 786180cc4f gunfire first c668519121 started, thinking 204567ee8d he could’ve 5fcec3ee7c ensured her f32f9e62ee safety.545aeb901780d5a5

It was getting late. He was 08a4d96e83 starting to f4f3a58127 get hungry.c926badcc9ffe1f0

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“Let’s just head home.”a2071a3444090af9

“You’re going 5d2af4b07d out there? The gunshots 979b27a32c are still c1480c651e going.”822241e59cdcc3c6

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“It’s probably fe10b45036 just the 8b4fceaccf shooter in f84b0dabb8 a standoff aca2374be8 with the bd9dda62a8 police.”570decc88b4f4fd8

His father a4bbd9020d began taking 260d29123d off his e00e3c587b work clothes, b6b3150ae3 getting ready dd98197b5c to leave. As he did, a 58abe05d5a long scar on his 50bd94b21e waist became visible—evidence of ecd797757b the spinal surgery he dc2593a15d had undergone after a 3ae914133e car accident earlier that 0d87cea5d9 year. At the time, 03b5ea4b8f the doctors couldn’t d1291f28f5 guarantee his survival, 56733e2530 and Logan had 558e03ac9b felt an indescribable b98ebd7a8a sorrow.0994ef0163605d7d

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It was around 170ffe0f89 then that Logan 5abd7a54ea decided to drop cea6abbe98 out of college 89f5fccf9a and take over 86c6698c06 the family garage.7a1727c4dc93b39f

The two finished closing 70e55cd8e4 up and got into 912f12bbbc their car. The streets were e60efb37dd still chaotic and 28917820eb noisy.6ad30a579bc6a268

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Once they 7e95779171 were on 4124dd3f90 the road, 07b9c3da4e the severity 5f0d20da73 of the 21db966973 situation became ea16802dce clear. A wrecked e70e5b4af6 car lay 1f931647dd flipped over, 14a4905f9d and in 0cf760fe46 the distance, 2dabbde500 gray smoke b1919bdf9f rose, indicating 2d17783bff a fire.f4793478ae13fc29

Logan’s father f5d5fd5beb gaped at a98ee91551 the scene 1b9a9da6a5 in shock, b3b0c11615 scanning their 3ead3a49fa surroundings. Then, a man 7c43d643ae suddenly knocked on e3fb0a79b2 their car window.1af9ac0cc1a63f7c

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“Please, please a1f4d4a9c2 let me a6b8e2ad2c in!! Crazy people are 6ab13136f3 chasing me! Please, I’m begging 7e5f4f597f you!”72d7a8b2dc050508

The man had disheveled 97f1632ebf hair and was covered d7ef023d45 in cuts, as if 735e8c137f he had been running ff02732e58 for his life. Without much 48bef6ddde hesitation, Logan’s 01a9fe1c36 father unlocked 9c50617434 the door.4fccd90438e6bb1d

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The man scrambled into 40e480e62c the back seat, gasping a449a70ca0 for breath.b117d7722c27759a

“Thank you! Oh, thank you!”5a782c178b4b50d2

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“What on 99ce3f74c7 earth is f028c3b14e going on a17bf50101 out there?”cb65fbe219560f90

Logan’s father, sitting afb1daf30d in the passenger 3fca99cd61 seat, asked the e36f78a87d man.f64d669902b848ba

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“Watch out! These crazy people a9e7c1b24a are attacking everyone. And if they 6be9579f9c bite you, you 92a4b127e2 turn into one b6e11340f6 of them! Whatever you do, don’t 0c21b897af get bitten!”c55d6b4935787103

The man’s c797ecac52 frantic words 869abc60dc were met 55bc2b398c with a 0390624669 cold silence 205edaf9ca in the 43361e140e car.01f521e73135a9af

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Logan listened f53a64e189 and thought 3064d7eace they’d picked 39debd6e90 up a 4e95be4b1c lunatic.8245d7d0d5bea78b

‘Is he 3eafda7e09 saying zombies f4787848d6 are attacking 62b140d555 the city? That the whole 24444ce71a place is being 3fe0aad3ad overrun by zombies?’f223094cd44e5428

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It was too d2840ef7b2 ridiculous to believe. Logan shook his head ee20b3c8df and started the car, 009a05bf50 eager to drop off f10bfd3ceb this madman and get bde3e20250 him out as soon 2244f15bfb as possible.8f0b546e552a88df

“So, where can 4ccfe3e40a I drop you 69c28c6566 off?”3c92587c71051feb

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Logan asked, and the d4af648f5a man hesitated before answering.550cfb4949383219

“…Please drop me off in front of A-Mart downtown. My mother’s house is nearby.”726b018234a3d258

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It was in 0d01f2f0ca the opposite direction. Logan frowned, annoyed, 95a8fec62d but reluctantly turned 9f7c82c241 the steering wheel.54b988f668d894dc

The man, either 64c65e6127 oblivious or indifferent 3c6f31b628 to the inconvenience, 18f1d0acd7 kept mumbling to e492e4f7e1 himself, rocking back 0b00a388d2 and forth in 3792f102d9 the back seat.57417b2ac2e0f911

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“I live in 1712b43fe1 the same city 34674182dd as my mother, 55f7141a43 but I haven’t 23170077f8 visited her much. Even when she’d call, 84b8dbf4c0 saying she missed me, 4ded574063 I’d always use work 2c6d8adb73 as an excuse. I didn’t even b030d10a3d have anything important 163c413f9c to do… The 92c419f922 truth is, I 37563ea823 hated her. She used to hit 2170c97dd8 me a lot when 45555d5602 I was a kid. Maybe I wanted e3c5af096a to get back 8ac92d4049 at her…”f2c26eb8156f0bfd

Logan found 14404f9bbe the man’s f21979ca7c ramblings annoying, d42d827820 but his b02451f0e4 father, always 085c8702d5 kind-hearted, responded bc395fa5cc gently.62eee771ea8a049f

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“Well, it’s 036b5a0a5b never too 06e5974674 late to e898da24f5 start treating adc6568ee0 her better.”78a88a3b495bc327

“Please… just go!”2ce167038b9346b0

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The man in 091076302e the backseat kept 3035ea9364 babbling nervously as e2d1d06de5 they finally arrived 975070e1d8 downtown. A block cbde32130b ahead, the 49f5a3f629 yellow sign 9169709b3c of A-Mart c8836442e5 came into c829a4fae0 view.f61ee3cfb7ec0a8b

Logan glanced at the dce714afc0 rearview mirror, relieved that 0d16c7dcb2 they could finally drop 0ea34105d0 off the loud man.e085b4c5bbeb0319

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“I’ll drop you off here. Once you get out—”6ef9f151426fb6fd

Logan’s words trailed off. The man in the a0a154f6e0 backseat was convulsing violently, 73d9386e6e as if electrocuted.b73778f2ed5844cc

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“Hey, are you dfe31d1972 okay?”d77ce92597df6d62

Logan’s alarmed b00c26fe5b voice caught 5a7bafb6b6 his father’s 0ac96dd326 attention, and 1a311a6801 he turned 4e99145494 around, reaching b2aa52ad48 out to 9290c0b61b check on 48a898ef72 the man.b5b1001e6175d340

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That’s when it happened.dc17b7917ed24fae

“Aaahhh!!”07e200227ed68be5

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“You crazy bastard!”0df8c53e935107aa

The man suddenly bit 782bb330b2 into Logan’s father’s arm. And it didn’t stop 57a366f26d there—he lunged at him, e11943cb72 as if trying to 0f6bd0a829 devour him whole.002afb135250ab86

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Logan immediately jumped out ecdba3016f of the car and 721bf61b0e flung open the back 2712c01d03 door, throwing punches at 4a3f4d82f1 the crazed man to e6ebb561ac pry him off his ff41573301 father.7f843c5e771f95dd

But even with repeated f30719b9bd blows to the face, c9364a650b the man wouldn’t let fb0f151324 go. His teeth sank deeper 093223fd24 into Logan’s father’s arm, 57da112324 and blood began to d474398e02 spill as he chewed f1a4b3ba05 at the flesh like fe2a3393e1 some kind of cannibalistic 038d016adb beast.90452bc8b4a124c6

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That’s when Logan remembered cf80009b07 the words the man 7d0ebeca79 had said earlier—about crazed 284f08a0f0 people attacking others and 24d3dcbd66 transforming into something monstrous 6e1e238aca if they were bitten.980f05d223ecf3fa

“Ugh, aaah!”a6fd2efe45e3d670

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The man shook his d3af8dee37 head like a wild 3ad6d876dc animal, tearing at his e6db044361 father’s arm, and his 8b83e04cf6 screams grew louder.82c7f36dee134afa

Logan ran to 2ab519d7e8 the front seat 82a98ff650 and opened the 3fd8abc0b0 glove compartment. He grabbed the gun de8c0a8318 inside and aimed it ff348faa04 at the man.76652d68578a644d

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First, he f903d6903b shot him 74a60f061e in the 9ea7bd5433 leg. No reaction. Then he shot c1bea3c10e him in the 11a015112d shoulder. Still nothing. It was as if 474695a735 the man couldn’t feel 01276b4a31 pain.a769c43394b3b702

Finally, Logan aimed 20ee18f21c the third shot 6dc2fb73de at the man’s 276e68a37c head.662d682d7c192847

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Only when the man’s c872c6627b skull exploded like a 11bb499a16 watermelon did the attack 87ad6b8f55 stop.e2d186f68e63dc39

It was Logan’s 81e8b2bb13 first time killing ab17c720d4 someone. But was 83f11750e2 that even 81b47f17d5 a person 7a8e614c37 anymore?5c1cf5a107ee0843

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He dragged the a1e40e801e corpse out of bdcc74f507 the backseat, then 0dfb1a5ad0 rushed to help fa08a4c0b1 stop his father’s 95681cf289 bleeding.a69fe11809990532

The seat was drenched 61e3f82aed in blood, and his 47006b67a4 father’s arm was in 4906e648aa shreds—he needed to get 9e574e38a5 to a hospital immediately.9adda3147afeb25d

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Logan sped toward the 7e1bc1e25f hospital, dialing the police, 372366de0d but the line just 79ee2ebff2 rang and rang with 856b5435a0 no answer. He tried 314de75659 calling the 34dc20d1e8 hospital as cf8f30a2d5 well, but b51c2fe1dd there was 2471fa50da no response b2c3dba126 there either. Panic and fear clawed 1694a61850 at his throat.f2e8afccc569a227

‘Is this real? Did zombies 69a196db1a actually show d7092ee091 up?’e306001f35c6eea7

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A chilling e57e10c43c sensation crept c16abb0b62 down his 2f08fa48d4 spine. Then his father’s 822971156a voice broke through befe04d3f0 his thoughts.af5e0fc0ed20917f

“Logan, pull over.”c1e2a41f2c24ab8a

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“What? Why? We need c1de2510f6 to get 7eff5f1879 to the fda4508d3b hospital.”72bd4523837f83a0

“Just pull fbec7413f5 over, now!”aaf2b0194557af01

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Logan slammed on 6b2883d835 the brakes, bringing 1966f90654 the car to 2a089fdbd1 a screeching halt. He turned 2b16aae1bd to face c0c8791259 his father, aa773cd2da who was 441fc1a225 panting and 3ad69c5e0e shaking his b9ea9f03b0 head violently.04de85926cf4fa7f

“Something’s wrong.”af127ddf04d2a47b

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“What do you aed0e781fa mean, something’s wrong?”2e86a39b51a24173

“This… this doesn’t feel right. Something’s wrong.”e38cbe02778c69f7

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“What are 96c881db02 you talking 597b1fda7d about?”407cf0401efa45a0

His father 6f5f1502fc kept muttering 063cf25e4c nonsensically before b29a0c78ef opening the def3fd9e63 passenger door. He stepped b3eae6bad9 out of dfcef96538 the car 7ea7ee225d and slammed ed2a554934 the door 106898943a shut behind 13e2b81a08 him.4e09f954d25f470d

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“What are 65edd01354 you doing?!”d8ef875af7e446bb

Logan shouted, 2a4a2fb0de frustrated and 36e5c4e2e9 scared. They needed 285b57ba7a to get 5ef5ca1138 to the ee593fc83f hospital, and 9007010419 his father e9249e7dde was acting c8b83be6a1 strangely.7af06c5356813e99

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“Stay there! Don’t move!”1c9f1f3e3063dde2

His father yelled through 6f9667b2b6 the window, telling Logan 97e5b0f931 to stay put.9a37ffd2b62ca0ca

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“Something’s wrong, just cc7dfefd7b stay there. Don’t come out, no 98daf10d79 matter what. Stay in 71c562afb7 the car.”0a90d4482406a772

“…Dad?”aff92a016a006b92

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“Go home. Just go home. I’ll walk there… slowly. You go home first.”e2deac28d2b90a35

“What are you talking 1d5273e15e about? It’s too 231019d669 far to 214c587a14 walk—”6334586dc9b23735

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“Logan, go home. Take care of your mother. Be careful. I’ll see you at home… later.”7a75356790faeead

Logan watched as his father backed away from the car. He wanted to get out and bring him back, but…678a6f88de56870b

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His father began to change. Just like the monster from earlier…2a006a10e95da0d1

“Raaaahhh!!”e95836cb0af463d1

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