**Marisol** I sat at the small table and took a sip of coffee while the morning news played in the background. The anchor's voice blurred into a soft hum until I caught a few words about some sickness going around, something like the flu, maybe a new strain. I figured it would pass in a few days and switched the TV off. I already had the flu shot. Besides, the guy on the screen was way too cheerful for how tired I felt. A low voice came from behind me. "Hey, baby." Arms wrapped around my shoulders and a chin rested on the right side of my neck. "I'm heading to work. Don't miss me too much." Soft kisses landed on my jaw and then my cheek. My heart picked up a little. I watched his dark hair, almost black, disappear through the doorway as he left. I opened the Pinterest board for the wedding again and saved another color idea. The date was still a long way off, but I kept looking at it anyway. I stretched and felt my shoulders pop. Work was the last place I wanted to be. All I really wanted was to stay home, daydream about the wedding, and watch Supernatural. Instead I had a classroom full of ninth graders who always smelled like they had never met a shower. I love teaching, but some mornings the warm apartment wins. I sighed, grabbed my bag and coat, and locked the door behind me. He had taken the car again, so I walked to the bus stop. I reached my classroom just before the bell. The kids looked nervous. When I took attendance I saw Nora was missing. That was unusual. Three other students were out too. Probably the flu or whatever the news was talking about. I started the lesson on energy alternatives, but my eyes kept drifting to a couple of kids whispering over a phone. The door opened and Nora hurried in, out of breath and teary-eyed. I nodded for her to sit and fixed the attendance. Soft shouting came from somewhere down the hall, but it wasn't close enough to worry about. I gave the class a short warm-up and checked my email. The principal's message was waiting. Attention all faculty and staff. Due to the high risk the CDC has placed on this sickness, school will dismiss after lunch so students can still eat. This is city-wide for Richmond. Please tell your classes by the end of first period. The schedule stays the same except there will be no fourth period. No need to panic. This is only a precaution until we know more. I cleared my throat. The students looked up. A few laughed quietly. "In case you haven't heard, there's a flu-like sickness going around. The principal says we're leaving early, right after lunch." Cheers broke out. "Same day, just no fourth period." More noise. I smiled a little. Fourth period was always my hardest class. This one was mostly good kids. That meant my fourth-period group would fall behind unless I planned something. I dug through the filing cabinet for the video questions, handed them out, and explained what to do while The Lorax played. I left the room and told them to behave while I made copies. They didn't seem to mind. I was using the movie to talk about pollution and plants dying from over-farming. I was almost to the copy room when I bumped into Sarah Chen, the eleventh-grade science teacher. Papers went everywhere. "I'm so sorry, Marisol," she said, already picking them up. "No, that was me. I wasn't looking." "Just got a call from my kid's school. She's got a high fever. I'm on my way to get her." She checked her watch. "I have to go." "Hope she feels better," I called after her. I made the copies and started back. A scream cut through the hallway. I jumped and dropped the papers. The sound wasn't close enough that it was my job to check, so I kept walking toward my room. When I got back the kids looked worried. I put on a calm face. The shouting grew louder. I stepped out again. "I'll be right back," I said. An administrator stood at the end of the hall and gave me a sharp nod. Sweat ran down his forehead even though it was cold outside. Maybe the heat was up too high. I went back inside with clammy hands. Just keep teaching. It's not happening near me. It's not my problem. A few minutes later the door slammed open. A teenage boy staggered in, both hands pressed to his stomach. Blood leaked between his fingers. "Ms. Reyes, I can't make it to the nurse. I feel so hot. I can't move." I helped him onto a desk. My heart was pounding so hard I could barely talk. I looked at a student. "Call 109 and ask the nurse to come to 306. Now. What happened?" His eyes were red and irritated. Someone handed me a roll of paper towels. I pressed the whole thing against the wound. "I don't know. I was walking to school and some guy jumped me. He bit me in the stomach. I thought he was crazy. I tried to get to the nurse-" His breath caught and he started wheezing. I pulled the shirt back. A rough bite mark was pouring blood. "The nurse said to bring him down. There are four other people in there already-" More screams rose outside. Some of the kids ran out. Chairs scraped across the floor. "Guys, please stay calm," I said, though my own voice was shaking. I kept pressure on the wound. His cries stopped. I couldn't find a pulse. Everything felt foggy. I started CPR, pushing hard on his chest. Still nothing. I kept going. After another two minutes his chest rose on its own. "Oh my God." I wiped my eyes. He sat up slowly. His eyes looked cloudy and bloodshot. His sister Lily stepped closer, tears on her face. Her friends came with her. A low growl came from his throat. I stepped back and braced my bloody hands on the desk. Something was wrong. Before I could move he lunged and bit into Lily's neck, then her friend's arm. Gasps and sobs filled the room. The rest of the students poured out the door in pure panic. Nora grabbed my arm and held on tight. I stood frozen while he kept going at the two girls. She cried into my cardigan. "Come on," I said. "We have to go. We can't help them." I grabbed my coat and we ran. Blood was already staining the tan fabric. The hallways were chaos. Kids running, some bleeding on the floor, backpacks and papers everywhere. "This way," I said, pulling her down another hall. "Attention. Please return to your classes. There is nothing to be alarmed about. Please return to your classroom until further notice. I repeat-" The announcement cut off with a scream. Feedback screeched through the speakers. Nora looked at me, waiting for answers I didn't have. "We can't go back," she said through sobs. "He'll kill us." I pulled her against me and stroked her hair with bloody fingers. "We're leaving. I'm taking you home." "Can we go somewhere private for a minute?" she asked. I pulled her into the copy room. "What's wrong, sweetie?" She slid down against a cabinet. I sat beside her. "I think my dad has this. That's why I was late. Mom had to go to the hospital early for work, so it was just me and him. I was making him soup. He could barely get out of bed. He looked almost as bad as that guy." "We'll figure it out." I wasn't sure I believed it. My mind went to my fiancé. What was happening where he worked? I needed to call him as soon as we got home. Right now I just had to get Nora out of here. We headed for the exit, staying clear of the slow-moving students who made low sounds in their throats. Outside the sidewalks looked almost normal except for the stream of kids leaving the building. I put an arm around her and started toward my apartment on East Broad. We walked in silence for about ten minutes. A siren blasted past and made me jump. Only then did I notice I had stepped in a puddle. The sky was clear and blue. No rain. I looked down. The puddle was red. Bloody footprints led toward the side of a building. I covered Nora's eyes. A homeless man was on his knees over another body, eating. "Come on," I whispered. I pulled out my phone and called 911. "911, what's your emergency?" "There's a homeless man eating another man," I said, voice shaking. I gave her the street corner. She told me to stay on the line and stay where I was. "Oh God," Nora said. The man looked up. Blood ran down his white shirt. "Is everything okay, ma'am?" the dispatcher asked. He stood up, almost falling, and started toward us. "He's following us. He's snarling like a rabid animal." I backed up. "The other man... he can't be walking. That's not possible." "What's going on, ma'am?" "He can't be walking after that." I backed into a pole. Both of them kept coming. "Nora, get behind me!" "Ma'am, please stay calm. Help is on the way." My phone hit the ground and the screen cracked. "Shit!" I slipped. One of them hit the pole where my face had been. The other man's insides spilled out at my feet. I scrambled away, pulling Nora with me. The dispatcher was still talking into the broken phone. We ran. The only thing that mattered was getting to the apartment..

Riley I stand in the kitchen doorway and pick at the cracked edges of my bright pink nail polish. The chips flake off under my thumb. "Hey, Finn. Mom called. She wants you to unload the dishwasher." My voice comes out louder than I mean it to. School sits locked until someone decides otherwise. Teachers never even handed out the extra work Mom keeps pushing on us. Two weeks, they said. Then maybe open again. Mom cleans when her nerves get tight. When she cannot scrub the floors herself she makes us do it and send pictures. The phone in my hand feels heavy with her absence. She should have landed days ago. A cold should not cancel a whole flight. "Finn, did you hear me?" The words carry an edge now. Heat crawls up the sides of my neck. "Finn!" He jumps when he steps into the room. His throat moves as he swallows. Guilt hits me right away. Yelling at him is not the same as yelling at anyone else. His feelings run hotter and deeper. I am only fifteen. He is twenty-two. Still I end up the one holding the line, working twice as hard for the same soft look Mom gives him without thinking. Most days he acts like any other brother. Other days he grates on every last nerve and walks away clean. "Sorry." I press my fingers hard against my temples. "Sorry. What are you even looking at?" I lean over his shoulder. The Twitter feed fills the screen. My hand flies up to cover my mouth. Police cars ring a man in the street. Regular people push closer, phones out. The video shakes. Night bleeds into gray morning light. Two officers grab the man. Blood runs from the corners of his mouth. He twists free and sinks his teeth into an officer's shoulder. Cloth and skin tear the same way. A tear slides down my cheek. A soft sound escapes before I can stop it. I force my face still so Finn will not tip over into panic and so I will not either. The images keep looping behind my eyes like a video that will not end. "I don't know. I was just scrolling and it showed up trending." His hands shove through his hair. Tears track down his face too. The same tight worry sits in both of us. "Is this even real?" I open a new tab and type the words. News sites spit the same nightmare back at me. "We have to call Mom." He nods. I hit her number. The rings stretch. Then her voice comes through, already sharp with fear. "Riley, are you alright? Finn?" "Yeah. We're fine. Are you? Did you see the news?" My fingers clamp the phone. Finn grabs it and switches on speaker. "Yes, but the CDC says it is nothing to fear. Keep doing normal things. Just be careful." Her voice stays soft, almost like she is talking herself down. I wonder if the same videos reached her screen. I drop onto the teal couch. The cushions sigh under me. Finn rolls his eyes and sits beside me. "I just want to know when you'll be home." "Patricia will stop by in a couple of days. Groceries and a check that you two are still breathing. No one knows about new flights yet." Stress cracks through her sigh. "Just don't kill each other while I'm gone. And wash your hands. Flu season isn't finished. I don't want my babies sick." "Alright, Mom. I love you." "I love you too. Bye." The line goes dead. A siren wails outside. I pull the curtain aside. A police car races down the street, lights cutting the dark. "Do you think that was because of the video?" Finn's eyes stay on me a second longer than usual. "No. No way. One freak thing. Nothing to worry about." I keep my face smooth and nod. Inside, the worry digs deeper. I cannot say it out loud. He would spiral. "Let's unload the dishwasher." We move to the kitchen. He stops, walks to the television, and turns on the news. "Would you cut that off? It isn't going to help." I reach for the remote. His height keeps it out of reach. He points the remote at the screen instead. "Mass hysteria has overtaken inner-city regions after a shootout that left an unidentified man dead. Investigators are examining the case as details surface about the man's death and injuries to two officers. Warning: this video may disturb some viewers." The reporter's voice stays flat and heavy. Neither of us looks away. The footage is clearer this time, phone camera steady enough to show every detail. Officers form a circle, guns raised. "Sir, I'm going to need you to step back," someone off-screen says. The person holding the phone grunts and moves. Car horns blast. Voices shout. The man lunges straight at the camera. Officers open fire. The shots come fast and wild. Acid rises in my throat. I cover my mouth. "That is horrific." The words come out thin. "The news lady did say it was disturbing." Finn switches the television off and finishes the last dishes. I stare at him. His calm feels like armor he puts on so the pictures cannot reach him. "I'm going to my room." I take my phone and leave the kitchen fast. The two scenes braid together in my head until the hallway tilts. I reach the bathroom, drop to my knees, and empty my stomach into the toilet. Light brown liquid hits the water. When the heaving stops I rinse my mouth, scrub my teeth, and feel the worst of it ease. I fall face-down on my bed. Instagram opens. I like a few posts. One profile refuses to load. The main page freezes. I restart the phone. Still no signal. A low growl leaves my throat. I open FaceTime and call Leo. "Hey, Leo. What's up?" I roll onto my back and rub my face. The day sits heavy on my eyelids. "You look like shit." He laughs. His thick eyebrows pull together. "Yeah. I feel like it too." A yawn forces its way out. "I yelled at my brother earlier. Didn't think. I shouldn't have." My eyes start to close. "Sometimes he needs it. The world won't go easy on him. His brain just runs hotter. That's the only difference." He shrugs and taps his fingers against the desk. "Your mom back?" "No." Another yawn breaks the word. "Flight canceled." I pull the comforter up and turn on my side. Sleep takes me while the call stays open. When my eyes open again the phone screen glares. The room is dark. Another siren drifts past the house. Leo's face is still on the screen, mouth open, a thin line of drool at the corner. "Leo? Hey. Leo!" His eyelids twitch. Dark brown eyes appear. "What? What time is it?" His voice is rough. "Shit. Three in the morning. How long was I out?" He studies my face. "You okay? You look worried." Another siren cuts the quiet. "That's the third emergency car past my house." I sit up and wrap the comforter tighter. My stomach still feels loose. I do not want to be sick again. "I've heard a few too. Freaky as hell. You know what... I'm coming over." He stands and stretches. Tan arms lift over his head. He pulls on a t-shirt. I watch without meaning to. He picks up the phone and gives a small sideways smile. I start to tell him to stay home. Parents will lose it. The words bounce off him. By the time his car door shuts I stop trying. Headlights sweep across my window. I unlock the front door. Mom would end me if she knew. His dad would do the same, especially since the license is only two weeks old. He steps inside. I lock the door behind him. He runs a hand through his hair, then pulls me into a tight hug. He breathes in and holds on. I lean into the solid warmth before I step back. Please let Finn stay quiet. "You really shouldn't be here. Your parents would kill you." "Then I guess I'll be dead." He shrugs and drops onto my bed beside me. I give him a flat look. "Come on, bestie." He tickles my side. "You usually love my jokes." My face stays tight. His arms fall. He leans closer. My eyes flick to his mouth for half a second and jump back. His gaze does the same. My heart kicks hard. "Sorry. I'm just scared. All this crazy stuff and my mom stuck-" His mouth meets mine. Warm. Soft. I kiss him back. One of his hands settles where my jaw meets my neck. My fingers curl in his shirt. The room tilts. I pull away and find his eyes again. The worry drains out of my head like water. "Oh." He watches me, still careful. I press a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth. A smile starts on my face. His follows. "Do you feel any better?" The grin is pure goofy. Mine stretches wider. Confusion floats somewhere far off. "How long? Why-" "Since the summer before school started." He looks down, links his fingers with mine. His eyes shine. "I'm glad. I've felt this way for ages." The words come light, like something heavy finally left my chest. The door creaks open. Both of us whip our heads around so fast the room spins. "Woah. Sorry. I saw the ambulance and just wanted to check you were okay. Looks like Leo already did. So I'll just..." Finn points at the hallway, makes a soft click with his tongue. "Awkward," he mutters, and turns on his heel. "We should pack a bag. Just in case you two need to leave. My dad watches this show, Doomsday Preppers." Leo shifts the subject clean. "That's ridiculous. Everything is going to blow over. I promise." My eyebrows pull down. He kisses my cheek before I can finish the thought. The surprise softens me. "Alright," I say, voice steady this time. "Just in case."

**Elias The military has locked down I-95. No one gets out of D.C. or the stretch of land that runs up to Baltimore. The whole area is sealed tight. I planned for this kind of mess years ago. Empty shelves, blackouts, government falling apart. The works. Officials keep saying they have everything under control, but they never tell regular people the real story. I work in national security. I know this sickness is not going away soon. It spread too fast. The President and the top people are already safe inside Mount Weather. I know more than I should because I still talk to someone at the CDC. Soldiers set up checkpoints all over. Extra tents stand outside the hospitals. FEMA camps will come next. Fear hit the streets hard. Stores got cleaned out. People fight and die over food and water. The world turned upside down in just a few days. All I want is to get home, kiss my wife hard, and hug my kids tight. It has only been a few days since I last saw them, but stuck inside Fort Meade it feels like weeks have passed. Of course this blows up while I am away from home. That is pure bad luck. I hope my family is doing the drills we practiced. We built a bunker in the backyard of our place in Montpelier. The land sits among old trees and open fields. It feels farther from the city than it really is. Montpelier was the cheapest spot that still gave me the space I wanted without buying a falling-down house. The two-hour drive to work ate up a lot of gas money, so I often stayed with a friend in D.C. for a couple of nights before heading back. I sit at my desk and twist my tie between my fingers. The air already smells like too many people who have not washed in days. I want to walk straight out the door, but the things outside are not people anymore. The CDC in Atlanta is talking to labs all over the world, looking for a cure. So far they have found nothing. I do not think a cure is coming. That bad feeling sits deep in my stomach. Sirens start screaming through the whole building. My eyes go wide. That means someone inside is infected and they are locking the place down to stop it from spreading. I shove my chair back and run for the nearest exit I know. People push and shout in every direction. Whoever got past the temperature checks must have been careful. I reach the door. A soldier in full uniform steps in front of me. "I can't let you leave," he says in a flat voice. "You have to. My family is out there. I can't stay locked in here while they are in danger." I look down at him. I am a couple of inches taller. "Alright," I say, and put my hands up. His shoulders drop for a second. I grab the rifle, shove the barrel toward the ceiling, and pull the trigger. Bullets punch holes in the tiles. When the gun clicks empty I slam the butt into the side of his head. He drops to the floor. "Don't make me use this," I say, backing out while I keep the empty rifle pointed at the men who already have their guns raised. They open fire. I run. Bullets snap past my ears. Two soldiers chase me across the parking lot. My own car with the bug-out bag and the 9mm is too far away. I jump into the first unlocked car I see. Keys sit in the cup holder. The engine starts. I floor it. The main gate is sealed, so I cut across empty parking spaces and onto the grass. The four-wheel drive digs in hard. A gap in the rock barrier is just wide enough. I hit the gas, smash through the barbed-wire fence, and burst onto the access road. I merge onto the freeway and freeze for a second at the wall of stopped cars and screaming horns. Both directions are packed solid. Home is two hours away on a normal day. Tonight it looks like I may never get there.