Chapter 1: The Infected

Matthiew Andrews was jogging on his favorite track in the Memorial Park. His rhythm was good and so was his music. Being a charted accountant, he was thinking about his day and a difficult issue he had with one of his project when he saw the man lying on the ground.

Matthiew stooped running and stood there looking at the man. Half his right leg was missing, his cloth were thorn and blood covered his t-shirt. Maybe a bear had mauled him. Convinced the man was dead, Mat took his cell phone, starting to call 911 hen the man moved. Without even thinking, Mat was beside him and moving him on his back. What he saw was so horrible that his body moved before he had fully registered the vision of horror facing him: the head was almost entirely gone. His left eye was hanging by the optical nerve, the nose had been half bitten and his throat was a gaping wound. But this...thing was alive! Its hand had reached to grasp him when he had jumped back.

The sudden movement had dislodged his earplugs and Mat was now able to ear moaning all around him. Turning in a fast circle, he was faced with a vision straight taken from a George R. Romero movie: 5 corps were moving toward him, shuffling, groaning, reaching and maws biting in anticipation of his flesh.

Mat, the adrenalin kicking in, started to run when searing pain gripped his left calf. Looking down with panic, he saw that the first...thing had bitten him! He kicked it with his free leg but lost his balance, falling on the ground and hitting his head hard.

When his dizziness had passed, Mat was faced with death. The thing had crawled over his body and his destroyed face was inch from his own. He closed his eyes and screamed in terror when the weight pinning him on the ground was lifted. The last thing he saw before passing out was a man with a trench coat snapping the neck of the thing and casually throwing it away.

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Dans le parc commémoratif, Matthiew Andrews joggait sur sa piste préférée. Son rythme était bon et sa musique aussi. Comptable agréé, il songeait à une question épineuse et tentait de trouver une solution lorsqu’il vit un homme étendu sur le sol.

Matthiew cessa de courir et resta figé sur place, observant le corps. La moitié de sa jambe droite était absente, ses vêtements étaient déchirés et couverts de sang. Peut-être un ours l’avait-il attaqué? Convaincue que l'homme était mort, Mat prit son téléphone cellulaire, puis commença à composer le 911 lorsque l'homme bougea. Sans le réaliser, Mat se retrouva à ses côtés et le retourna sur le dos. Ce qu'il vit l’horrifia tant que son corps réagit avant même qu’il ait pleinement pris conscience de ce qu’il voyait : la tête avait presque entièrement disparu. Son œil gauche ne tenait que par le nerf optique, le nez avait été à moitié arraché et sa gorge était une plaie béante. Mais cette... chose était vivante! Sa main l’avait presque saisie lorsqu’il s’était jeté en arrière.

Le mouvement brusque avait délogé ses écouteurs et Mat était désormais en mesure d’entendre les gémissements tout autour de lui. Tournant sur lui-même, il a fut confronté à une vision tout droit tirée d'un film de George Romero R. : 5 corps se dirigeaient vers lui, traînant, gémissant, les bras tendus vers lui et leur bouche mordante le vide avec l’anticipation de goûter sa chair.

Mat, l'adrénaline aidant se prépara à courir lorsqu’une douleur brûlante enflamma son mollet gauche. Regardant sa jambe paniqué, il vit que la première... chose l'avait mordu! Il le frappa de sa jambe libre, mais perdit l'équilibre, tombant et frappant durement sa tête sur le sol.
Lorsque ses étourdissements furent passés, Mat sut qu’il allait mourir. La chose avait rampé sur son corps et son visage détruit était à quelques centimètres du sien. Il ferma les yeux et hurla de terreur lorsque le poids qui le retenait au sol disparut. La dernière chose qu'il vit avant de s'évanouir fut un homme, portant un manteau long, briser le cou de la chose et la jeter négligemment au loin.