The City In The Shadows

As soon as the police pushed open the door, they were shocked and frozen by the scene before them.

In a pool of blood, Jack clutched Parker tightly, his body heaving as if he had just broken free from a long and brutal fight. His arm was shredded—bitten to the bone by sharp teeth, with blood gushing down his skin. Yet he didn't struggle, didn't scream, not even attempting to pull away, as if the pain had completely numbed him. Only the heavy rise and fall of his chest proved he was still alive.

Parker, equally near death, lay in his arms, but his teeth remained deeply sunk into Jack's arm, unwilling to let go. His eyes were bloodshot, and his body trembled as if it wanted to continue biting but had no strength left. His neck was horribly wounded—almost bitten through—with blood and flesh torn apart, and his breathing grew weaker.

The air was thick with the smell of blood. The man and the dog remained locked in a stalemate, neither releasing their grip nor truly winning the battle.

The police raised their guns with trembling hands but hesitated—who should they aim at?

"Let him go!" one officer shouted sternly, though even he wasn't sure if he was talking to the man or the dog.

The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds. Finally, it was Parker who let go first. His bloodshot eyes gradually cleared, as if he were finally snapping out of a frenzy. Gasping for breath, he weakly collapsed onto the floor. Blood gushed from his wounds, spreading across the wooden floor.

Jack stared in a daze at Parker's lifeless body. Tears blurred his vision, and it seemed that, in Parker's last moments, his eyes had softened—as if to say,"Sorry…"

Jack's mouth opened, mumbling repeatedly,"Sorry… sorry…"

But the police quickly realized that it was far from over—the bedroom door was half open, and several figures stood in the doorway. Jack's wife and children were there, their faces showing no fear, no screaming, no panic. They simply watched the bloody scene with indifference—blood still smeared on their lips, each clutching a half-eaten piece of raw meat, occasionally taking a bite and chewing with an unsettling sound.

The air seemed to thicken as the mingling smell of blood and rot made stomachs churn. It appeared that the situation had taken a turn for the grotesque.

The young policeman—a broad-shouldered fellow with a short beard—hesitated and glanced at his older colleague. The latter's expression was unreadable, and after a few seconds of silence, he gave a slight nod.

Taking a deep breath, the young officer stepped toward the stairs. Each step echoed in the deathly quiet house, like the tick of a countdown timer.

"Ma'am?" he asked softly, trying to keep his voice steady."Are you alright?"

From upstairs came a low, guttural sound—hoarse and dry—like a strange noise dragged from the depths of a throat. The young policeman frowned, his hand tightening on the handle of his gun.

"Ma'am, could you come down, please?"

A dead silence followed. Ten seconds passed, each feeling like an eternity.

Then—a dark figure suddenly lunged down the stairs!

The woman moved like a beast, too fast to react, her mouth wide open, her sharp teeth aiming straight for the policeman's throat!

"Bang! Bang, bang, bang—!"

Gunfire exploded in the narrow stairway, with blood splattering everywhere. The young policeman fell to the ground in terror, his handgun empty and the barrel still smoking. The older policeman trembled all over; something seemed to be stuck in his throat, and his fingers were rigidly poised on the trigger. He had no idea what had just happened, only that in that split second, what they had faced was no longer human.

At the door, Jack stood quietly, witnessing the entire scene. His face was pale, his body slightly trembling, his eyes a mix of fear, confusion, and a strange calm.

A few days later, at the hospital, Jack was admitted to the ward. His body recovered unusually quickly, but his mind became fragmented. He began having nightmares—visions of running through the dark, seeing Parker's figure staring at him from the depths of his dreams, eyes inscrutable, as if waiting for something.

"Who killed Parker…" Jack murmured softly, curled up on the hospital bed, his eyes hollow.

The ward reeked of antiseptic, the air heavy with its sharp smell. Around him, patients either groaned softly or lay deeply comatose. Next to him, a dazed young man muttered to himself, his eyes unfocused.

Suddenly, the young man's breathing grew heavy, his pupils dilated, and his mouth opened slightly, revealing blackened gums. Jack's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively reached for the call button.

A nurse approached to change the patient's IV. Just as she lowered her head, the young man leaped from the bed! His mouth opened wider than any human's should, and his sharp teeth sank deep into the nurse's arm! She let out a blood-curdling scream.

"Bang!"

The ward door burst open, and orderlies and doctors rushed in, trying to pull the patient away, but his strength was terrifying. He tore off a chunk of flesh, with blood spattering everywhere.

Chaos erupted in the ward as screams and roars mingled, and more patients began to go berserk—their eyes turning red as they joined the attack. Jack stared dumbfounded at the scene, his heart pounding in his chest, as he remained the only one sane and calm.

Then he slowly lowered his head and looked at his own arm. The old wound from Parker's bite had completely healed, the skin now a tough, dark red, shell-like armor. He slowly clenched his fist, his nails digging into his palm as he felt an unprecedented strength.

He heard voices—the roars, screams, and the sounds of flesh being devoured... they were calling to him.

"God... has chosen me..."

A strange smile slowly crept across his lips. In the next moment, he tore out the IV with his bare hands, pushed aside the iron bars of the window, and leaped into the night.

No one knew where Jack went. But from that day on, the nights in this city were never the same.

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full book available---https://www.amazon.com.au/City-Shadows-Pubang/dp/B0DTYBH95G