E_VIRUS

Chapter 2: The pharmacy

I walk into the pharmacy quietly and check for any threats. Once I'm sure that I'm alone, I approach the counter. After jumping over the barrier, I begin to examine the different types of medicines available. Some bottles of medicine have been opened and their pills are scattered across the floor. I start to collect some of the bottles and place them in my bag. While searching for more items, I hear a sound and quickly duck behind the counter to listen for any movement. It's silent, but there's still a chance that something could be there. As I'm contemplating this, I notice a box sticking out from under a low shelf. It has "First Aid" written on the lid, so I add it to my bag. After checking for any threats, I continue to gather consumable items from the aisles.

After searching through most of the aisles, I suddenly hear the soft tapping sound of shoes hitting the tiled floor. I freeze in place, trying to locate the source of the sound. Gradually, the sound grows louder, indicating that it's getting closer. I listen for a few more seconds and determine that it's coming from my left. I turn to face the direction the sound is coming from and pull out one of my knives. As I glance down, I realize that I've grabbed a kitchen knife.

The footsteps draw even nearer, and I cautiously back away from the aisle opening. Suddenly, a zombie appears, rounding the corner of the shelf. I quickly grab one of the kitchen knives and rush forward, ready to confront the threat. With all my strength, I tackle the zombie and hold it down, raising the knife in preparation to strike a fatal blow to its head.

"Wait, wait, wait, human!" I stop myself just before bringing the knife down and stare at the figure. I'm sure my eyes are wide in shock.

"I'm human! Don't kill me!" I focus on the figure more and see that I just tackled a man. His eyes are squeezed shut in fear, and his hands are up in an attempt to protect his face. He must not be very smart, for all he knows, I could be a walker ready to bite into him, and his first reaction is to yell at me? Not to mention his pathetic attempt to protect himself. His hands would not have stopped my knife from cutting into his hand and then his head. His shout probably alerted any nearby walkers; why didn't he fight back immediately?

The man in question has an attractive head of brown hair that falls just above his ears and drapes down into his brown eyes, which are adorned with flecks of gold and green. His pale complexion is offset by a scattering of freckles that decorate his nose and the tops of his cheeks. As I dismount from him, I notice that he is quite slim with a slight frame that seems to lack any real muscle definition - he appears like a thin twig. "I'm sorry about that," I say, extending a hand to help him up. He gives me a peculiar look in response, his eyes flicking to mine in a momentary expression of confusion.

"It's alright? What's your name?" he asked in a smooth, boyish voice.

"My name is Selene. What's yours?" I responded.

"I'm Styx." I nodded in acknowledgment. I looked around to ensure that we had not made enough noise to attract any unwanted attention. It appeared to be clear, but I couldn't be sure if it would stay that way. Most likely, it wouldn't.

"I had a great time meeting you, Styx," I said before a low groan and a snarl interrupted me. I quickly grabbed any supplies nearby and stuffed them into my bag, knowing that danger was approaching. I heard the sound of flesh dragging against the tiled floor getting closer and decided to make a run for it. I zipped up my bag and threw it over my shoulder, sprinting in a direction. I saw Styx ahead of me, running in the same direction. He was slower than me, so I caught up to him easily.

As I got closer, I noticed what seemed to be an office room. I grabbed Styx's wrist and pulled him towards the room. Once inside, I closed the door and twisted the small lock. I looked around for anything useful or any other way out of the building from there.

As I scan the room, I realize that it's not an office but rather a supply room. There's a desk and chair situated in one corner, which strikes me as odd. Who would put such furniture in a room used for storing supplies?