Free Web NovelChapter 28: Chapter 28 Humanity is doomed!
Ivy couldn’t keep watching the news for long. Her children kept tugging at her attention the moment they got bored with their tablets....one whining, the other climbing over her like restless kittens. In the end, she gave in with a quiet sigh and switched the channel to cartoons, forcing a small smile as she settled beside them.
She watched with them... but not really.
Ivy didn’t want her children to know about the danger creeping into their world.....a world she had always described to them as beautiful, safe, and filled with love. A world that was now going into ruin.
Her gaze drifted slightly, unfocused, as a darker thought crept into her mind.
Other children...
Innocent children, just like hers.
Somewhere out there, they are trapped in the chaos...crying, abandoned... or worse. Bitten. Infected. Turned into monsters before they could even understand what was happening to them or devoured by other monsters completely.
Ivy exhaled shakily, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. Sadness clouded her face as she shook her head, trying to push the thoughts away.
"Don’t think about it..." she murmured under her breath, though the words carried no real conviction.
The cartoon continued to play, laughter echoing from the screen, but gradually her children grew quiet.
One slumped against her arm. The other curled into her side.
Within minutes, both had fallen asleep far earlier than usual.
Ivy blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. She glanced down at them, her expression softening.
"...Already?" she whispered gently.
Carefully, she lifted them one after the other, carrying them to their bed. She tucked them in, pulling the covers up to their chins and brushing their hair back with a tenderness that lingered longer than usual.
For a moment, she just stood there, watching them sleep then quietly, she turned and left the room.
The moment Ivy returned to the living room, her expression changed. The softness faded, replaced by a serious expression.
Without hesitation, she picked up the remote and switched the channel back to the news. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
The television flickered.
A low hum filled the room as Ivy sat down slowly, her eyes fixed on the screen. The signal was unstable....thin lines of static slicing across the image, distorting the visuals but the reporter’s voice still pushed through clearly enough.
Even when the children had been watching their cartoons earlier, the network had been just as bad. That was probably why they had fallen asleep so quickly....barely twenty minutes into the show.
"Currently reporting live outside the National Media Building," the reporter said, his voice slightly distorted by interference. "Authorities have yet to release an official statement regarding the...."
He stopped.
Ivy leaned forward slightly, her eyes narrowing.
On the screen, the reporter’s expression soon changed as his eyes turned red. His hand trembled as he slowly lifted it to his neck and began scratching.
Once, twice....then harder.
Too hard.
Red streaks appeared where his nails dragged across his skin.
Ivy’s gaze sharpened instantly, her body going rigid.
"That’s not normal..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.
The cameraman didn’t move as well as the broadcast didn’t cut.
And then....Blood.
A thin line of it slipped from the reporter’s nose.
His breathing hitched. His eyes bulged slightly, veins visibly beneath the surface. freeweɓnovel.cøm
Ivy’s grip tightened around the edge of the couch.
The earlier reports about the so-called flu...had been replaced by blood.
A chill crept down Ivy’s spine not from fear, but from recognition.
She had seen this before.
The man’s breathing turned ragged, uneven, as if something inside him was fighting to break free. His eyes rolled back slightly, the whites showing more than they should.
"Sir? Sir, are you alright?" the cameraman’s voice called out from behind the lens, shaky but trying to remain professional.
Ivy let out a dry, humorless breath.
Of course he’s not alright. You’re all about to be eaten, she thought grimly, swallowing hard as her throat tightened.
Her gaze didn’t waver from the screen.
This is the transition stage, she realized, her heartbeat quickening. Half-monster... about to become a full monster.
The reporter didn’t respond but instead....he screamed.
A raw, inhuman sound tore from his throat as his body convulsed. His jaw stretched and his once-normal teeth sharpened, lengthening into razor-like fangs.
"Ghhrrr....!"
A guttural growl ripped through the speakers, vibrating harshly in the room.
The camera shook violently, the frame blurring as chaos erupted. Someone shouted off-screen as the reporter lunged forward.
And then static.
The screen distorted violently before cutting out completely.
"Damn it!" Ivy cursed under her breath, her heart pounding erratically against her ribs.
Outside, distant screams continue to rise....faint at first, but growing louder with every passing second.
The virus was spreading fast.
Without wasting another moment, Ivy grabbed the remote and switched to another channel. The television flickered again before stabilizing.
This time, it was a provincial broadcast.
A newsroom.
The anchor sat stiffly behind the desk, her posture rigid, her smile strained to the point of breaking. Her eyes darted off-camera repeatedly, as if waiting for instructions that never came.
"W...we advise all citizens to remain calm," she said, her voice trembling despite her effort to sound composed. "There have been... isolated incidents of violence, but authorities are..."
The studio doors burst open.
A loud bang echoed through the room as a man staggered inside.
He was drenched in blood which wasn’t his own.
Ivy’s eyes darkened as she leaned forward slightly.
"He’s already turned..." Ivy muttered under her breath.
On-screen, the anchor froze then she screamed.
"Security...! Someone....!"
She scrambled backward, knocking her chair over in her haste. Crew members rushed into frame, shouting over one another as panic spread.
"Get him out of here!"
"Cut the feed! Cut the...!"
And just then...static.
"There won’t be any signal soon..." Ivy murmured, lowering the remote slightly. Her voice was calm, but heavy with certainty. "There’s nothing the government or even the president can do at this point."
A sharp tone suddenly pierced the silence.
The television flickered back on by itself.
All channels switched simultaneously.
A red banner filled the screen:
NATIONAL EMERGENCY BROADCAST
A stern-faced official appeared, his expression rigid, though fear lingered faintly in his eyes.
"Attention all citizens," he began, his voice steady but strained. "Multiple violent outbreaks have been reported across several provinces. These incidents are highly dangerous and... highly contagious in nature."
He paused briefly, as if carefully choosing his next words.
"Remain indoors. Lock all doors and windows. Avoid all contact with infected individuals."
The screen flickered again, the signal threatening to break.
"Rescue operations are being organized. Please remain calm and await further instructions."
The broadcast ended.
Ivy stared at the television for a moment longer before switching off the television entirely.
"They’ve already lost control," she said quietly. "Just in the first day. Humanity is doomed!"
