Evolution has always been the key to survival, or so we thought. It is now the bane of the existence of humanity. It has turned from the necessary ingredient for survival and is now the necessary ingredient for the destruction of humanity. What could humans possibly do to survive this passing storm, leave their fate at the hands of a member of the enemy or build their own fate? Read to find out.....
CHAPTER ONE.....
A young man stood, his beautiful girlfriend beside him as they watched the clear night sky. The young man turned to his girlfriend and kissed her softly, his love for her pouring out of every ounce of his very being. She smiled lovingly and lightly nipped his lower lip as she blushed. She then pulled away and hid her face behind her hands.
"Do you love me?" Her smooth velvety voice rang out, breaking the silence. She waited for a few seconds, but silence was the only answer that presented itself. She immediately raised her head and stared at her boyfriend only to see him frothing at the mouth and on his knees. Shock and anxiety struck her, causing her to smile at the scene. She immediately jumped into action however, patting down her boyfriend as tears began to stream down her face. Suddenly she began frothing at the mouth as well, falling onto her knees. Before losing consciousness, she kissed her boyfriend, her testament to their love. Immediately afterwards, her mind went blank.
Several countries over, people began to suddenly froth at the mouth as well before falling unconscious. The numbers began to steadily rise. From hundreds to thousands to hundreds of thousands to millions. Soon enough the news began to blare on every channel and television across the world.
"A new phenomenon has risen. People are suddenly frothing at the mouth and falling unconscious. Medical perso......." A petite female reporter read before collapsing to the floor, frothing at the mouth.
"Here we are, live at John's Hopkins as several patients of this new unnamed medical condition are trooped in....." A male reporter said, fear written across his features as he stared at the number of people at the door of the famous John's Hopkins Hospital. "
"There is a new epidemic striking the world as we speak. Still unnamed, its symptoms include weakness of limbs, frothing at the mouth and subsequently, unconsciousness. If anyone around you shows these signs, do please find them a safe space to rest their heads, as we have just received news that hospitals are completely filled." A blonde reporter read with indifference written all over her face despite her watching her camera man convulse and drop to the floor, frothing at the mouth. "Well, if you are watching this, my camera man just collapsed." She then placed her hands to her hear, listening to the voice coming through her earpiece. "Just in, the current body count is at a whooping 1.3 billion people and still climbing. And that's that for the six o'clock news. I remain your favourite reporter, Jenna Cakes, live from Channel 6. She stepped down from her seat and walked to go get a coffee. She walked down the hall in silence and sighed as she got to the coffee machine. The sight of bodies strewn across the floor didn't disturb her in anyway and she poured the hot coffee in a mug, smiling as the coffee's familiar pleasant fragrance wafted into her nostrils. She took a sip and began to walk to her office to pick her bag.
"Icing." A voice suddenly called out, causing Jenna to stop in her tracks and turn around. She saw a door opening and watched as three people walked out, two males and a female. "Icing, it's you." One of the males said, sighing heavily in relief. "What's going in? Why is everyone suddenly collapsing, what exactly is happening to the world?"
"My name isn't Icing, Gerard. It is Jenna Cakes. And how should I know what's going on, when I'm merely one of the bystanders, just like you are? Jenna replied coldly before taking another sip from her cup of coffee. Immediately afterwards, a noise caused all to stiffen. Jenna noticed the fear filled gazes of her colleagues and turned slowly to see one of the bodies strewn across the floor rising up slowly. She then turned around like nothing happened and continued her walk down the hall to get to her office. She walked past her frozen colleagues and just then, a growl rang across the hall, sending chills down the spine of whosoever heard them. It was utterly animalistic in nature, beastly, primal. Yet it came from behind the lips of a human. Jenna's colleagues stayed rooted to their respective spots, except Gerard who backed away slowly. Jenna however continued her walk, her speed increasing a little bit, as excitement began to flood her body.
A scream sent chills through her body, causing her to turn around and see the other lying bodies begin to rise of their own accord. The first to rise then moved, his suit tearing apart with the bulging of his muscles. Within a few moments and faster than any of them could react, he lunged catching the shoulder of one of Jenna's female colleagues, clamping down hard. She released a blood curdling scream as her shoulder was torn apart in an instant, shattering the bones, tearing the tendons and tearing off the skin and muscles, all in one bite. Gerard ran like his life depended on it and so did Jenna. They both ran in and shut the door, listening to all that was happening. Meanwhile, the first to rise or whatever it was, chewed slowly and then swallowed. It nodded and smiled a very terrible smile at the young lady who had crumpled onto the ground, holding the now lame arm with tears streaking down her face. Her white shirt had turned red, dyed by the beautiful red of blood. Her partner and colleague stood shocked as silence slowly filled the hall. One of the newly risen then looked at her in the eyes, causing her to whimper softly as she turned around and ran for the door at the end of the hall. She reached for the handle upon getting there but discovered it locked.
"Jenna. Gerard. Please open the door. I'm begging, please open the door." She screamed, drawing more of the attention of the risen to herself.
"That would put me at risk. It would also put Icing at risk. And your life can't equate to that risk, so no." Gerard's cold voice responded, stunning bother Jenna and the lady. Jenna then lunged for the door, trying to get it open. However, Gerard wouldn't let her. He shoved her behind him and stood before the door.
"Please. Gerard, please. Ple....." Her plee was cut short as a cream ripped out of her. Several of the newly risen swarmed her, chewing her out, eating her alive. Several screams rang out, before a startling quiet ensued. The first risen was just about done with his own meal, leaving nothing except a few cloth pieces and a pair of undies. He stood up and cleared his throat. He then cracked his neck and popped a few knuckles.
"Hu....n....g....ry." He voiced out in a slow, cracked and gravelly tone and stared at the mass of the risen by the door. They also stared at him, causing him to smile. He immediately lunged at the group, tearing off the fingers of one who tried to oppose him. He swallowed them with great delish and continued his feast.
Meanwhile, Gerard watched as Jenna scrambled around. She then took a seat and clicked a button creating a live stream.
"Hi, I am Jenna Cakes. And if you're watching this, it's best you know that you are not safe anymore. All those who have shown those symptoms I mention several minutes ago, all of which you already know are waking up, but not as they are anymore. They're waking up stronger, faster, crueler more pral than anything you could possibly have ever seen. I urge you, to lock any and every window, door, no matter how small it is. That is if you're alone. If you aren't, find a way to make yourself alone immediately. You are not safe. At this moment, the door broke open, two bodies flying from that position. One was Gerard who hit his head hard, causing it to split open. The other was a member of the newly risen, missing an arm alongside a portion of his lower abdomen. He however turned to the body of the still but barely alive Gerard and took several large bites from his arm, causing him to scream awake before falling unconscious an remaining that way, for eternity. It stood up and the missing portion of its abdomen began to regrow, as well as its arm. Jenna stupidly stood from her seat, attracting the attention of the newly risen within the room as the chair abruptly fell over, making a clanging noise. It turned to look at her and then turned back to its meal. It's healing, speeding up as it ate more and more. Meanwhile, just outside, the small war continued between the first risen and the group of newly risen. He was emerging victorious as he smashed heads into smithereens left and right, while simultaneously taking bites out of either the fallen or the still standing. Jenna turned and watched the fight. She marveled at the horrifying beauty of the scene occuring before her. She failed to notice the risen in the room had nearly finished its meal.
The first risen looked around at the carnage he had caused and laughed a very slow and haunting laugh at the scene. Just as he was about to sit down and begin to eat, he heard a low growl, causing him to turn. He first saw Jenna and then saw the risen approaching her. He instantly lunged, pushing her down, hard causing her head to bounce against the floor. She immediately blacked out, but was irrespective of that, saved by the first risen. He then got off her and stalked the other risen. It did the same, regarding him as another predator come to steal his prey. The first risen lunged, having the advantage in speed and strength, although not by a lot. He ducked underneath the swinging arms of the other risen and clawed its sides, his fingers ripped through its skin with a little bit of difficulty, but the result was still achieved. He had succeeded in deterring it and had slowed it down. It turned around and lunged. This time, he ducked and made a claw, punching through the chest of the risen, tearing out its heart. The body of the risen slid off the first risen's hand as he turned it downwards. The body convulsed slightly before going completely still. The first risen munched on the heart and sat down, finishing the entire thing in a couple of bites.
Jenna suddenly came to, feeling a little faint. The sounds of bones being crushed soon filled her eardrums, causing her to wince. The first risen, turned around at the small sounds she made rising up from the ground. He turned and placed a finger before her. Jenna opened her eyes and the sight of the finger made her stomach squelch as soon as she realised what it was. She shook her head and moved backwards, away from the finger.
"Hungry?" The first risen asked, raising an eyebrow. It took Jenna a few seconds to understand what she being asked and she shook her head. Just then, her stomach rumbled causing her to blush instantly. The first turned back to his meal and just then, Jenna remembered what exactly he was and all that she saw him do. She moved further backwards and watched as he turned to look at her, pushing the finger toward her again with a nonchalant look.
"You're mine, little puppy," Kylan growled against my neck. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his lips brushed my skin. My mind screamed at me to push him away-the Lycan Prince who had humiliated me again and again, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him before I could stop myself. He pressed his lips against mine, and his kiss grew more aggressive, more possessive as I felt my legs weaken. What was I doing? In a split-second, I pulled away and slapped him hard across the face. Kylan's eyes darkened, but the smirk on his lips exposed his amusement. "You and I both know we can't fight this, Violet," he said, gripping my wrist. "You're my mate." "And yet you don't want me," I replied. "You told me you were ashamed of me, that l'd never be your queen, that you'd never love me. So please, accept my rejection and let me go." "Never," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. "Soon enough, you'll be begging for me. and when you do-I'll use you as I see fit and then I'll reject you."
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”
The whispers said that out of bitter jealousy, Hadley shoved Eric's beloved down the stairs, robbing the unborn child of life. To avenge, Eric forced Hadley abroad and completely cut her off. Years later, she reemerged, and they felt like strangers. When they met again, she was the nightclub's star, with men ready to pay fortunes just to glimpse her elusive performance. Unable to contain himself, Eric blocked her path, asking, "Is this truly how you earn a living now? Why not come back to me?" Hadley's lips curved faintly. "If you’re eager to see me, you’d better join the queue, darling."
She thought she was the love of his life, and he became the love of her life that fateful day she had seen him at the pack's party. Selene Grace was only a replica of Alpha Leo's real mate, and when he spotted her, Leo immediately claimed her as his Luna in order to suppress the rumors of him being mateless. Being unable to conceive turns Selene's marriage into a nightmare, and as if that wasn't enough, Alpha Leo finally reunites with his long time lover and mate, rejecting a pregnant Selene as a result. 5 years later, Selene, a now successful doctor, receives an invitation to the moon shadow pack in order to rid the pack of a deadly disease which has struck it. Will Selene return back to the pack which had caused her so much pain, and what would she do when she realizes that she is mated to the Alpha who had betrayed her in the past?
The day Raina gave birth should have been the happiest of her life. Instead, it became her worst nightmare. Moments after delivering their twins, Alexander shattered her heart-divorcing her and forcing her to sign away custody of their son, Liam. With nothing but betrayal and heartbreak to her name, Raina disappeared, raising their daughter, Ava, on her own.Years later, fate comes knocking when Liam falls gravely ill. Desperate to save his son, Alexander is forced to seek out the one person he once cast aside. Alexander finds himself face to face with the woman he underestimated, pleading for a second chance-not just for himself, but for their son. But Raina is no longer the same broken woman who once loved him.No longer the woman he left behind. She has carved out a new life-one built on strength, wealth, and a long-buried legacy she expected to uncover.Raina has spent years learning to live without him.The question is... Will she risk reopening old wounds to save the son she never got to love? or has Alexander lost her forever?