Tainted Reality (The Rememdium Series Book 2) by Ashley Fontainne

give them a proper burial once we get a better handle on things.”
    “My, but aren’t you two bundles of sunshine?” Regina joked. She smoothed out the wrinkles in the new sweater Kyle brought her to replace her bloodied shirt. “Okay, let’s get this over with. Tellin’ everyone the world is in a state of chaos should be fun. Not.”
    Jane Richmond veered left and Reed, Kyle, and Regina made their way to the bedding department. The group had quieted down somewhat after their initial chattering upon arrival. The larger areas in between the aisles were devoid of the usual displays, allowing the residents space to sit and stand. Regina stopped at the edge of the throng of people and climbed up on top of one of the shelves so they could all hear her speech.
    Clearing her throat to get their attention, Regina waited until the noise from private conversations ended. The enormity of addressing so many people—something she never liked to do—coupled with the gravity of the situation, weighed heavy on her heart. Staring out at the pale, frightened faces of men, women, and young adults, all looking at her to say something to calm their fears, made Regina feel sick to her stomach. She forced the wave of dizziness threatening to overtake her vision back, refusing to let her own fears control her words.
    “For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Regina Parker, Chief of Police in Rockport. I have quite a bit to go over with you, so I’m askin’ you in advance to hold all questions or comments you have until I finish.”
    Pausing to ensure their full cooperation, Regina stared out into too many sets of eyes to count. She took a deep breath, forcing her voice to sound authoritative. “There’s no easy way to say this, and I’m afraid we don’t have the luxury of extra time for me to dance lightly around the subject, so forgive me for bein' blunt. We’re in trouble. Not just as a community, a state, or even the country. This scourge has hit the entire globe, accordin’ to the email I received early this mornin’ from Governor Strickland. At the time of the last communication, no one knew the cause of what’s been killin’ our friends, neighbors, and family members.
    “What we do know isn’t pretty. Cell phones, land lines, and the internet are no longer functionin’. Before contact with those in higher authority was lost, it was related to us the Pentagon, D.C., and the White House are all down. President Thompson declared Martial Law, and travelin' across state lines is barred. Y’all already know the National Guard was sent in to test each of you for signs of contamination. What you don’t know, and God almighty I wish I didn’t have to tell you, is that the disease has spread at a phenomenal rate. Once infected, the transition rate happens within an hour.”
    The collective gasps from the crowd made Regina’s own hairs stand on end. I know how each of you feel. Twilight Zone shit.
    “From observation, we have discovered those who’ve turned are attracted to noise, bright lights, the smell of blood, and flesh. They also will…” Regina paused, swallowing the disgust rising from her chest, recalling the conversation she had earlier with Walt Addison, “attack and eat each other if one is killed near them. They are fast and strong, and the only way we’ve seen to stop one is to destroy the brain, whether by bullet or blunt force trauma.
    “At this time, we still don’t know all the particulars about what’s killin’ people. It could be some sort of mutated virus, bacteria, or even fungal. Not enough information has been gathered to give you a list of all the symptoms of infection to look for, other than profuse sweating, a fever, and agitation. The military destroyed the remainin' test kits at the school, so we will need to rely upon our own observations. We have three nurses on hand, so if you feel sick, please notify me immediately.
    “We didn’t bring y’all here for any other reason except to