Horrific Shorts: Zombie Edition
Chapter 1213 - 1213: Story 1213: Stranger with a Syringe

EXT. DERELICT GAS STATION – OUTSKIRTS – NIGHT

The wind howled across cracked asphalt and shattered glass. A rusted sign dangled above the abandoned gas station. Lena, Briggs, and the Girl huddled behind a burned-out truck, watching for movement. The safe zone was gone. The girl hadn't spoken since the escape.

LENA (whispering):

"We need food. Water. And shelter before sunrise."

Briggs checked his sidearm—two bullets left. The girl pointed toward the gas station's mini-mart. Something flickered inside.

INT. MINI-MART – MOMENTS LATER

The shelves were ransacked. Cans long expired. A rat darted past a pile of bones. Lena crept forward when she heard something—a metallic clink.

Briggs raised his weapon.

VOICE (calm, male):

"Easy. I'm not infected. Not yet."

From behind the counter rose a man in a tattered lab coat, mid-40s, with haunted eyes and a syringe clutched in his trembling hand. He wore a name tag: Dr. Hale.

DR. HALE:

"You've got the girl, don't you?"

INT. BACK ROOM – LATER

Dr. Hale lit a small lantern. On a table: scattered notes, blood samples, and a map with red-marked quarantine zones.

DR. HALE:

"I was a bioengineer. Virex Labs. We built immunity trials. Most failed… but not all."

He looked at the girl.

DR. HALE (quietly):

"She's not infected. She's something new."

He pulled out a syringe filled with a glowing green serum.

DR. HALE:

"This is what they killed for. It halts the progression—momentarily. I call it 'Stitch.'"

Briggs narrowed his eyes.

BRIGGS:

"Why are you here if it works?"

DR. HALE (grim):

"Because I'm out of time. I injected myself three days ago."

He rolled up his sleeve—veins blackening beneath the skin.

INT. MINI-MART – NIGHT

Suddenly, the windows shattered. Three infected stumbled in—feral, fast, wrong. One had nails like blades. Another crawled on the ceiling.

LENA:

"Briggs!"

Gunfire lit the room. Dr. Hale lunged for his notes. One creature tackled him into a shelf.

THE GIRL (softly):

"Fire... wake them…"

She reached out—then the shelf exploded into flames.

The creatures shrieked, blinded.

Lena grabbed the girl. Briggs yanked Hale by the collar.

EXT. MINI-MART – NIGHT

They burst through the rear exit. Smoke poured from the building.

Dr. Hale coughed, bleeding from the chest.

DR. HALE:

"Take the serum… my notes… go east. Sector 13. There's a clean lab…"

He handed Lena a data chip. Then collapsed.

LENA (softly):

"We keep moving."

As they vanished into the night, the girl looked back—her hand clenched around Hale's syringe.

It pulsed.