Clean

I remember the day everything changed.

The day the Virus took over.

It was two years ago—back when the world still made sense. Back when people still believed they were safe.

At first, it started small. A handful of cases scattered across a few states. News anchors brushed it off with practiced calm, calling it a new flu variant, nothing to panic about. People went to work. Kids went to school. Life went on.

They thought it was nothing.

They were wrong.

It spread fast. Too fast.

Within weeks, it was everywhere—every state, every country, every corner of the world. There was no containing it. No outrunning it. The Virus didn’t just infect—it consumed.

It got into your bloodstream first, silent and invisible. By the time symptoms showed, it was already too late. Sores would form under the skin, dark and swollen, before rupturing open in wet, sickening bursts. Blood—thick, dark—would spill out, carrying the infection with it. One drop was enough. One drop on your skin, in your mouth, in your eyes… and you were already gone.

Then came the coughing. Violent. Relentless. People hacking up blood until their lungs gave out. Their eyes would turn a deep, angry red, veins bursting until the whites were completely drowned out. Vomiting followed—endless, gut-wrenching waves that left people too weak to stand.

No one survived it.

Eventually, the Virus changed. Mutated into something else.

Something worse—something no one could understand, let alone cure. The infected didn’t die… not really. They became something else.

Something we now call the Creeps.

They aren’t like the zombies from old movies. They don’t shamble around mindlessly, tearing flesh apart for food. No… that would almost be easier to understand.

The Creeps have a purpose.

They hunt.

Their bodies are twisted versions of what they once were—skin stretched thin and gray, clinging to bone like it’s trying to escape. Veins pulse visibly beneath the surface, dark and sluggish, like something rotten is moving through them. Their mouths hang slightly open, lips split and peeling back to reveal teeth stained black with dried blood.

And their eyes…

Their eyes are the worst part.

Clouded. Milky. But not blind.

They see. Too well. Hear too well.

They move in sudden, jerking motions—unnatural, like their bodies don’t quite remember how to be human anymore. One second they’re still… the next, they’re right on top of you.

They don’t try to kill you.

They infect you.

A bite. A scratch. Even just their blood getting into your system—that’s all it takes. Then they move on, already searching for the next person.

I don’t know how many people are left anymore.

The only ones I know for sure… are me and Jamie.

We’ve been best friends since elementary school. Back when the biggest thing we had to worry about was homework or dumb arguments that didn’t mean anything. We made a promise back then—to stick together no matter what.

And somehow… we still have.

We also made another promise.

To find a cure.

But lately… I’m starting to think that was never more than a lie we told ourselves to keep going.

“Hey, Daniel… we should move. Now. I heard them. They’re getting closer.”

Jamie’s voice cuts through my thoughts, sharp and urgent. I jump, my pencil slipping from my fingers and clattering softly against the floor. Even that small sound makes my chest tighten.

One thing I hate about the Creeps…

They hear everything.

“Oh—okay. Yeah. Let’s go,” I whisper quickly.

Jamie nods, already tying her dirty blonde hair into a tight ponytail. There’s no hesitation in her movements anymore. No wasted time. We’ve learned better.

I grab my things—my worn-out journal, a couple of dull pencils, and my backpack stuffed with what little food we have left. It’s not much. It’s never enough.

When we step outside, the daylight hits us like a fragile kind of safety.

The Creeps don’t like the sun. Not really, anyway. Most of them stay hidden during the day, tucked away in shadows, inside buildings, underground—waiting.

There are always a few that don’t.

But we can handle a few.

We move carefully, sticking to the shadows as much as we can anyway. The world around us is quiet. Too quiet. Empty streets, abandoned buildings, the faint smell of rot lingering in the air like it’s soaked into everything.

“Danny,” Jamie says softly.

I glance at her. “Yeah?”

“I think… I think we should head north. I heard something on the radio the other day. A group of survivors. A stronghold, maybe. If we can find them—”

I sigh, shaking my head.

“You didn’t hear them clearly, Jamie. You caught three words—‘stronghold,’ ‘safety,’ ‘New York.’ That’s it. You really wanna bet our lives on that?”

She exhales sharply, frustration breaking through. “I don’t know! Maybe! It has to be better than this, Danny. We’re barely surviving. We’re running out of food, and you have that cut on your leg—”

“I’m fine,” I snap.

She flinches.

I instantly regret it… but I don’t take it back.

I hate talking about the gash on my leg. Hate thinking about it.

Hate what it could mean.

“No, you’re not,” she says, her voice trembling. “You need stitches. You need a doctor. If it gets worse—if it gets infected—you’ll be weaker, and then—”

“Don’t you think I know that?!” I whisper harshly. “I know, Jamie. I just… I don’t know if New York is any better than here. If it’s anything like Texas…”

I trail off.

“We might already be dead.”

Silence falls between us.

Then I hear it.

A soft sniffle.

I look over and see her wiping at her face, her shoulders shaking slightly.

“I know,” she chokes out. “I know… but I can’t lose you, Danny. You’re all I have left. If you’re gone, then I’m just… alone.”

That word hits harder than anything else.

Alone.

I exhale slowly, guilt settling heavy in my chest.

“I know,” I say, softer now. “I’m sorry.”

I hesitate… then nod.

“Okay. We’ll try New York. But we do it smart. We travel during the day, like always. Stay quiet. Stay hidden.”

Jamie manages a small, shaky smile. “Okay. Thank you.”

We keep moving.

All day, we walk with that constant, gnawing hunger twisting in our stomachs. It never really goes away anymore—it just dulls enough to ignore.

By the time night falls and we find another abandoned building to hide in, it’s almost unbearable.

We eat in silence, the faint crackle of a small fire filling the space as I heat up a can of soup.

Then Jamie speaks.

“Do you remember that summer you broke your ankle?”

I blink, caught off guard. “What? Uh… yeah. Why?”

She shrugs, a faint smile appearing. “I used to come over every day after school. Check on you. Bring you stuff. I was basically your nurse.”

I let out a quiet laugh. “Yeah… you were a pretty good one.”

For a moment, it almost feels normal.

Almost.

Then her smile fades.

“I wish I could help your leg,” she whispers. “I feel like this is my fault…”

I reach out, gripping her shoulder firmly.

“Hey. Don’t do that. Don’t blame yourself.”

She looks up at me.

“This was my choice. I got hurt protecting us. That’s it. When we get to New York, I’ll find a doctor. I’ll be fine. Then we can go to Paris like we said.”

I force a small smile.

“I promise.”

That’s when she breaks.

I pull her into a hug as she sobs into my shoulder, her body shaking. I hold her tighter, staring off into the darkness.

Because the truth is…

I don’t know if I can keep that promise.

Eventually, she calms down, and we fall into a restless sleep.

But mine doesn’t last.

Every time I close my eyes, I see them.

The Creeps.

Their jaws snapping down onto my flesh. Their teeth tearing through me. Blood spraying—mine—hot and endless.

And then…

I see myself.

Standing among them.

My eyes are clouded, my skin rotting. I move in tandem with them, not remembering who I used to be. I only know one thing…

And that’s to infect humans.

I jolt awake, gasping.

My chest heaves as I struggle to breathe. Cold sweat clings to my skin, soaking through my shirt.

“Danny. Danny, wake up!”

Jamie’s voice cuts through the panic, grounding me.

“You had a nightmare. Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah… I’m fine,” I manage, though my voice is shaky. “Sorry, Jay.”

She shakes her head, her expression soft despite the exhaustion in her eyes. “It’s okay. I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

“Come on. We should get moving.”

I nod.

For a few hours, things feel… almost normal.

We walk in silence, speaking only in hushed whispers when we have to. Every step is careful, deliberate. Every sound feels too loud.

The world feels like it’s holding its breath.

We take short breaks when we need to, never long enough to get comfortable. Never long enough to feel safe.

“Do you really think Paris is the safest continent now?” Jamie asks quietly during one of our stops.

I hesitate, then shake my head. “I don’t know. But… I hope so. There has to be somewhere safe left in this world.”

I glance at her.

“I like to think there is.”

She nods, though I can see the doubt in her eyes. “Yeah… me too.”

Suddenly, I hear it.

A low, broken moan… stretching out through the distance like something dragged across shattered glass.

More begin to moan. Louder. My blood runs cold.

“They’re waking up,” I whisper.

The Creeps emerge with the night.

“Shit,” I breathe. “We’ve gotta get inside. Now.”

But even as the words leave my mouth—

I know. We’re too late.

They’ve already found us.

Their skin hangs loose in places, torn and peeling, revealing dark, pulsing veins underneath. Some of them still bleed—thick, sluggish trails that drip from open wounds, splattering onto the ground with wet, sickening sounds.

Then their eyes lock onto us.

I swallow hard, my grip tightening around my sword as I pull it from its sheath. Beside me, Jamie’s breathing turns ragged, uneven—but she draws her weapon anyway.

“Danny… what do we do?” she whispers, her voice breaking.

“Stay next to me,” I say quickly. “There aren’t that many. We’ll be fine.”

But even as I say it—

More step out of the darkness.

And more.

And more.

The moaning grows louder. And louder.

Anger flares in my chest, hot and sharp.

Why won’t they just leave us alone?

“Okay,” I say, forcing my voice steady. “We take a few down, then we run. Straight through them. Got it?”

Jamie nods, though her hands are shaking.

“One… two… three—NOW!”

I charge forward.

The first Creep barely has time to react before my blade drives straight through its skull. There’s resistance—a thick, sickening crunch—before it gives way.

It drops instantly.

I don’t stop.

Another lunges at me, its jaw snapping wide, teeth slick with dried blood. I duck, feeling its breath brush against my skin, and slash through its legs before driving my blade up into its head.

One after another.

They don’t stop.

They keep coming.

“Danny, on your left!”

I spin just in time to see one launching toward me. I drop low, rolling across the ground as its teeth snap inches from my arm. I come up swinging, slicing deep before finishing it with a stab to the skull.

But there’s no time to breathe.

No time to think.

They surround us faster than we can cut them down. Suddenly, I don’t see Jamie anywhere. I’ve lost sight of her completely.

As I look around desperately searching for a way out, I see Jamie. She’s a couple hundred feet away from me, at a good distance to get away. I try to stand my ground; to do my best at fighting these things, a painful lump forms in the back of my throat. As I fight, I realize something. She’s free. She can get away, if she runs fast enough. She wouldn’t have to worry about me, or the cut on my leg anymore. She can get out of here, and make it to Paris.

I know she can.

I know what I have to do.

Taking a deep, calming breath, I call out to her.

“Jamie! Run, get out of here while you still can! I’ll hold the Creeps off so you can get away!”

Jamie just stands there.

No no no. Run Jamie, get out of here!

“I’m not leaving you, stupid! We promised that we’d stick together, no matter what! Or does that promise not mean anything to you?” She yells back angrily.

“It does, but right now we don’t have a choice! You have to survive, Jay. Please. You have to do this for me. I’ll die happy knowing that you’re still alive. You’re going to make it to Paris, and you’re gonna be safe! I know you will! Just go already. Go, NOW!”

Jamie sobs uncontrollably now. She’s trying to fight more Creeps to get to me, but the hoard of them surrounding me is too thick. She can’t get to me on her own, and soon, she realizes that.

“Danny, I-I love you! I always have since we were kids! You have to come with me Danny. Please! Please!”

I can’t stop the tears from running down my face. A Creep manages to bite down on my injured leg, and I cry out in agony. I go down, but I keep swinging my sword at them.

No way in hell am I going down without a fight.

“I…I love you too Jamie! I’m-I’m sorry. I wish I could’ve told you sooner. Now go, get out of here while you still can! Please!”

Jamie hesitates. For a minute, I’m afraid that she’s going to sacrifice herself so she can be with me. I don’t want her to do that. I want her to live as long as she can, and live a happy life, if she’s able to. She stands there for several long minutes, until finally, she starts running.

“I’m sorry, Danny. I love you!” She cries.

As more Creeps pounce on me, tearing into my flesh, I can’t help but smile. Tears stream down my face, but they’re not sad ones. While I watch Jamie leave, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of happiness.

Jamie is safe. The girl I’ve loved since we were kids is alive, and that’s all that matters.

I don’t care what happens to me, as long as she’s safe.

After Jamie is gone, I try as hard as I can to fight the Creeps and to get them off of me so that maybe I can get away. But, deep down, I know there’s no point in fighting anymore. They’ve already bitten me. Several times. Any second now, I was going to become one of them.

I was going to turn, so what was the point of running anyways?

I sigh heavily and wipe a few tears from my eyes. I guess death was inevitable from the beginning. It always was, wasn’t it? No point in fighting it now. It’s then that I reconcile my fate.

I close my eyes, and wait for death to come.

Minutes pass by. Maybe hours, I’m not sure. But somehow, by some miracle, I haven’t turned into a Creep yet. I’m still me, still human. However, a pool of blood surrounds me. I’ve lost a lot of blood, and I’ve been bitten. I should’ve been dead by now. I should be with my parents in Heaven.

So how the hell was I still alive?

Suddenly, a sound makes me jump. Close by, I hear gun shots. Loud gun shots. They’re so loud that they startle the Creeps, making them back off. I turn my head, trying desperately to see what’s going on. But my vision is so blurry that I can hardly make anything out.

I do see one thing though.

A man, with a machine gun.

Heading my way.

I try to reach for my sword, but I can’t move. I’ve lost too much blood and I’m too weak. I’m just a sitting duck right now, and this guy knows it. That’s why he’s here. To finish me off.

Good. I want to die anyways.

“Hey kid. You’re still breathing. That’s a good sign.”

I look up at him, confused. He kneels down, checking my pulse and assessing my wounds. So many thoughts race in my mind right now that I can’t think straight. My head is swimming, and I can’t focus.

“Hey, get a stretcher over here! We’ve got a live one! He hasn’t turned yet!” The man shouts at someone.

I hear more people coming. People. More people. That means there are more survivors. I couldn’t believe it. It felt like I was in a dream, or some kind of strange trance.

“You’re gonna be okay, kid. The fact that you haven’t turned yet means you’re gonna be fine. You’re Clean, and that’s good. It means you’re gonna live.”

I didn’t understand anything that was going on. What the hell did this guy mean by “Clean”? How did he even find me? Where did all these people come from?

I can’t stay awake anymore. My head hurts so bad, and I just want to go to sleep. I try to keep my eyes open, but I pass out as I hear the people place me onto a stretcher and carry me into some kind of car.

“Don’t worry kid, you’re safe with us now. Everything will be okay.”

The guy’s voice is the last thing I hear before I black out completely.