He entered the cold room, his heart pounding from both fear and exertion, with a great slam form the door.  He pulled the gun closer, reassuring himself for a moment, but that was lost when he remembered that the clip, his last one, was half empty.  Something wasn't right...
	He dove to the floor, turning as he fell.  The door exploded into a thousand splinters, many of them bloody from the creature's already rotting arms.  How can a corpse be so powerful?  The random thought flew through his mind as he shielded his eyes.  Already, the thing was half-way through the shattered door.
BANG!
	One shot to the knee brought anything down and helpless.  A gaping hole replaced what had once been the creature's joint, but still it stumbled foward as if nothing had happened.  Eyes wide in terror, he aimed for the face- or what had been a person's face before a horrible mauling.
BANG!
	Still it hobbled with only three-quarters of its skull, its oozing brain exposed.
BANG! ... BANG!BANG!BANG!...BANG!
click...
	The nightmare was now complete:  Trapped in a house with no apparent way out aside from death, wandering aimlessly hoping to find something that might truly help out in this hellish situation, hundreds of creatures that could only be considered undead, and not a single bullet.  It was truly hopeless now.
Not even a single bullet to end my pathetic existence...
	Kevin lay there for another minute, though it seemed like hours to him, just listening to the distant groans, thinking of what these creatures might have been like when they were still human.  He imagined the headless pile of flesh as a person; driving down the highway in his suit, still living his ordinary life.  Just rolling along in his silver SUV, listening to soft rock, thinking about what his wife might cook up for dinner.  Maybe meatloaf.
	The thought made Kevin's stomache churn.  He rolled over onto his knees and vomitted.  Was it the entirety of the thought or the realization that this man had become meatloaf?  Either way, Kevin was out of ammo, and was truly better off dead.
	He stood, knowing it was hopeless.  At least his heart had stopped pounding.

==========

	Kevin had stopped closing the doors behind him; the zombies just broke them down.  He had been running constantly for the last ten minutes, and his muscles burned.  Just then, a ray of hope showed:  A window on the first floor.  Kevin leaped, shoulder forward into the glass-
	And bounced off with a sickening crunch.  So much for the heroics.
	Kevin stood, glancing behind him as his arm drooped, dislocated.  Pulling out his pistol, he pounded on the glass.
BOM...  BOM...  BOM...  CRACK...
	With a great shatter, the window flew away, bits of the broken glass stuck in Kevin's hand.  He backed up for a running start-
	Right into the waiting arms of a zombie.
	As it began to close its arms around him, Kevin rushed forward and jumped.  He cleared the window, but gashed his leg from his knee all the way down his shin.  Landing was hardly better.  Slamming into the twigs and rocks, Kevin rolled into the woods surrounding the house.
	Though he had escaped, Kevin was still in a horrible situation.  He was still out of ammo, his left arm was useless, and his right leg was soaked in his own blood.  The zombies would surely find a way through the broken window soon, and if his bum leg couldn't carry him far enough away, Kevin would surely die- if he didn't die from blood loss first, that is.
	For an hour he hobbled onward.  Nothing made any sense except that Kevin was doomed.  His leg finally gave out and he tumbled into the darkness.  Unconsciousness soon overcame Kevin, and he fell into a deep sleep.

==========

	There he was, driving the silver SUV toward the city, wondering what his wife would make for dinner.  Meatloaf?

	Kevin awoke in pure terror, sweating protrusely, on the verge of vomitting.  He turned over and let it come out.  He lay there, staring at the bile on the white tile floor.
	What the hell?
	A door across the room opened and a nurse entered, her dark brown hair swaying in its ponytail.  Kevin's head was spinning.
	"Glad to see you're finally awake," her pleasent voice dying on Kevin's ears;  he hardly heard her.
	"Where am I?" he asked frantically, his eyes seeing nothing now but blurry white.  "How long have I been here?  What's goingl-"
	"Calm down, Mr. Raker, you're in no condition to get so excited."  The woman sat down in the visitor's chair next to Kevin.  "You're in Saint Gloria Hospital."  Kevin's eyes, though dialated, showed recognition to the name.  "You were found out in the woods by a couple of hunters, and they brought you here as fast as they could.  You're lucky to be alive."
	Now he remembered.  The house, the creatures, the nightmare, and the heap of meatloaf without a head.  Kevin felt his stomache knot up.
	"No I'm not," he whispered.
	"Excuse me?" the nurse asked.
	"Nothing..."
	"Anyway, we've got you all stitched up on your leg and hand, and your arm's in its socket and a sling, so you should be doing well soon.  Oh, and we sent a picture of you to the media, so that's how we know you're Kevin Raker.  Right?"  His mind was a daze.
	"Yeah..."
"Also, the police sent an investigation team to try to find out what happened to you.  They found a gun and this old house" Kevin's heart began to race "that's been abandoned for years.  Some of the lights were on, so they assumed that it was just a bunch of kids playing around in there, but they sent in the team last night-"
	"No!"  Kevin's heart monitor began to beep like crazy.
	"Calm down, Kevin!"
	"They've got to call them off.  they have to get out of there.  They've got to-"
	"Mr. Raker, please calm down!  the team came back with nothing this morning!"
BEEPBEEP.BEEPBEEP..BEEPBEEP...BEEPBEEP....BEEPBEEP.....
	"What?"
	"The team came back and said there was nothing in the house except a few broken doors and a shattered window.  They're running tests right now on the gun and glass to find out anything they can."
	None of it made sense...
	"Now, Mr. Raker, you should rest.  Are you familiar with our hospital?"  Kevin nodded slowly, gazing distantly into nothingness.  "Good.  Now, I'll leave you alone and send somebody in to clean up that mess of yours.  Get some rest."  The nurse turned to leave, stopping at the door.  "If you need anything, just ask for Judy when you press the nurse call, okay?"
	"Thank you, Judy," Kevin said in a tone matching his expression:  Dazed, lost, and far away.

==========

	That night was the longest in Kevin's life.  his dreams were tormented by visions of the house.  So many times he woke up in the dark room, no sound but his quickened breath and the monitor, beeping far more than it should.  Fear gripped his heart, terror clutched his mind.  To stay awake and imagine the horrors of the house, or to sleep and dream of his nightmare?
	Once during that awful night, Kevin dreamed of the house as it must have been before the dead walked its dark halls.  It was a large house, so the owner must have been rich.  His entire family must have lived with him, and many servants to.  That hardly accounted for half of the creatures.  Maybe there had been a party?  Still, how had it happened?

	The master of the house walked across the crowded ballroom with his wine glass in hand.  He took a sip before greeting the banker.
	"Hah, great to see you again, Mr. Harris.  How goes the bank?"
	"Business is good, Mr. Phillip," the banker said, shaking the master's hand.  "I'm sorry you couldn't join us on the green last weekend."
	"So am I, but duty called.  Unlike common belief, we do work hard for our fortunes.  And, please, call me William."
	"Indeed, my good sir.  This is a wonderful party," the banker said.  Motioning to the master's glass, "What year?  '78?"
	"'79, actually.  How are the kids?"
	"Alex is the top student in his class at the institute, and Sheryl was awarded recently for her skill with sciences."  The master sipped his wine and glanced at the clock.
	"Forgive me, Jered, but it is time for the feast." the master said.
	He continued across the floor to the raised platform where the band played their jazz.  Just as the music came to a stop, the master leaped up onto the stage to make his announcement.
	"I hate to interrupt my guests, but some things must be said.  First, I'd like to thank all of you for coming to this event."  Light applause echoed in the darkening room.  "Tonight, we have for the feast-
MEATLOAF!"
	Servants exploded out of the hundreds of doors into the room carrying trays of bloody meatloaf.  The guests ripped at each other and the servants to try to get a piece of the horrid meal.  Blood was everywhere.  The master, holding his glass now filled with blood, grabbed a heap of the bloody meat and shoved it into his mouth and drank, letting the blood flow out of his mouth and onto his suit.

	Kevin awoke, screaming in fear, drenched in sweat.  The monitor beeped wildly as he frantically tried to stand.  There was a sharp pain in his wrist as his bare feet touched the cold floor.  With his connection lost with the monitor, it flatlined.  Kevin tried to stand, but his leg gave out and he came to the floor in a great crash, landing in a heap on the floor.  He vomitted violently, covering much of himself in bile.  The door opened, shining a long light into Kevin's room.  With a click, the room's own lights came on, blinding him.
	"Oh my god!  Mr. Raker!"  Judy called as she came around the bed to check on the horrified patient.  "What happened?"
	"It's not over!  They're coming for me!  I have to get out of here!" Kevin screamed, still caught in his nightmare.
	"Who?" Judy asked as more nurses came running into the room.
	"The master...  William and Mr. Harris..."  Kevin mumbled as he came to his senses.
	"It's alright, Mr. Raker.  Just calm down.  Nobody's going to hurt you."  Judy motioned the others over to help Kevin back to his bed.  She grabbed his left arm, which he had managed out of its sling.  As she did, Kevin realized what had stung his wrist:  His IV.  He was now bleeding there, as well as his knee.  "What have you done to yourself?"
	I didn't do it...

==========

	Kevin had hardly touched his breakfast, but he could hardly stomache food.  Every bite made him think of meatloaf.  Having hardly slept the previous night, he began to doze off as Judy came to check on him and take his breakfast tray.  As she moved the plates, a fork collided with a spoon with a light clink, enough of a noise to bring Kevin out of his snooze.
	"I'm sorry, Mr. Raker.  I didn't mean to wake you," she said quietly.
	"I'm glad you did; I would like to digest something."  Judy paused in her step curiously, but continued out of the room with a nod and a smile.  She returned a moment later with a man in a suit.
	"Mr. Raker?  You have a visitor."
	"Detective Stern with the KPD," the tall man said, extending his hand for Kevin to shake.  He was well built, with a wide frame of muscle.  His dark mustache was beginning to gray, as was his shaved, balding head.  Kevin took his hand in a firm grip.
	"Pleasure," Kevin said.  Judy turned around after a quick nod and left the two alone in the room.
	"Mr. Raker, I've got several questions for you,"  The detective began as he sat in the chair next to Kevin's bed.  "I was in charge of the investigation of that house, 100 Columbia Drive, where you were found near."  Kevin's heart monitor beeped steadily.  "I'm sure you heard that we hadn't found anything but some broken doors and a window."  Kevin nodded, listening intently.  "Well, the bits of glass we took back to the lab showed some interesting results."  Stern reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a few folded papers:  a photocopy of the lab's notes and some still frames of their microscopes.  He handed the pictures to Kevin, and held the notes closer to his face.  Of the many still frames, two were enlarged and labled:  the first "Kevin Derren Rake," the second "Unknown Strand."
	The monitor beeped more quickly as Kevin studied the still frames.  He realized that these were blood cells.  His were normal looking, like a peppermint candy with a dip in the center.  The second was similar in shape, but the size of each cell varied greatly; some were three times the size of Kevin's cells, others were just a speck on the page.  What was more disturbing was that several spikes jutted out in what seemed like random directions, but Kevin soon noticed that these "spikes" were stabbing at the other cells.
	"My god..." Kevin managed.
	"That's not all," Detective Stern said, clearing his throat, he began reading from the papers.  "'After the cells of the Unknown Strand, henceforth to be refered to as U-cells, were monitored, the conclusion was made that the U-cells "attack" regular blood cells with an extremity that is resembled by a spike that protrudes from anywhere along the U-cell's surface.  Once a blood cell is "attacked," it is then "drained" by the U-cell, the latter of which becomes larger and the former becomes smaller.  After the blood cell is drained, it becomes a U-cell.  It first "feeds" off of the normal blood cells until it has grown large enough in size to "attack" the U-cells.  It has been suggested that the new U-cell attacks specifically its creator.  Data will be gathered on this hypothesis.'
	"Well, Mr. Raker, what do you think, or should I say, what do you know?"  Kevin trembled as Detective Stern leaned forward.  Though the man was intimidating, Stern had nothing to do with Kevin's fear.  It could no longer be denied that something had happened at the house.  Kevin could no longer hope that it was some sort of nightmare or that he had been drugged or any of the many crazy excuses he had tried to calm himself with.  No, it truly had happened.  The creatures did exist.
	Kevin was sweating.  His vision was blurring and his stomache began to churn.  How could he tell this man that he had been chased by zombies?  How could Detective Stern, or anyone, believe him?
	"Is this really all you've got?"  Kevin said, staring at the wall ahead of him.
	"Yes, Mr. Raker.  What didn't we find?"  Kevin was finding it difficult to breathe, as if he were holding his breath underwater.  How could he even begin to explain the zombies?  He turned toward the window, away from Stern.
	"I...  I don't know."  Kevin said flatly.
	"What were you doing in the house, Mr. Raker?"
	"I... Can't tell you that."
	"Why not?"  Kevin spun around, his eyes suddenly alive with fury.
	"I don't know!"
	Swirling blackness filled the room, and Kevin's vision faded.

==========

	He awoke in the middle of a dark forest.  His leg and arm burned with pain.  In the dim light of the full moon, Kevin could not see, but he could feel that his sleeve and pant leg were wet with blood.  His left shoulder hurt, and he was unable to move his arm.  Feeling around with his good arm, Kevin found his 9mm pistol.  Everything was as it was before waking in the hospital.
	What the hell?  Was it a dream?
	Kevin slowly rose to his feet.  He was lucky to be alive, and his gun was still with him.  He may have had no ammo left, but this gun was special to him.  Before going to college, Kevin and his three best friends had decided to buy a gun and a lighter as a sort of memior of high school and the good times they had had.  Even though he didn't smoke, Kevin always caried the lighter with him, while the 9mm had ended up the glove compartment of his car.
	The lighter!
	Reaching into his pocket, Kevin pulled the lighter out of his pocket, rubbing the wyvern shape that was engraved on the front and back.  Flipping it open, a small orange glow illuminated the trees around him.  Each direction seemed identical, but when sitting on the ground with only a lighter flame for light, there would be little difference.
	Looking near him, Kevin found a sizable stick and ripped a good chunk of clothe from his ripped jeans.  With the cloth wrapped around one end of the stick, Kevin soon had a torch, but the extra illumination showed no clue as to what direction he had been going.  Hoping that he was facing that direction, he limped off into the woods.
	Without the fear of zombies attacking from every direction, Kevin's mind finally caught up with him.
	How had this all started?

	Kevin was sitting in Ashley's Diner, sipping at coffee and finishing up his waffles as the day began.  He loved this place, though the food wasn't the best, the service was great.  It was a place to go to think, read the paper, and watch the morning news.

Kings City Police Department