He tightened his grip on the bat, his knuckles whitening against the wood. His breathing slowed as he listened. The street ahead was empty, but the sound of movement returned, it was very quick.
Then it was there again.
Something rushed out from between two buildings, crossing the street in a blur. It stopped halfway, crouched low, its chest rising and falling in short bursts.
The shape was human, but the way it moved wasn't. The limbs flexed too fast, the head twitching side to side as if tracking invisible prey.
Silas took a step back. The creature's eyes caught the faint light. They were bloodshot, narrow, and focused straight on him.
It screamed and charged.
He swung the bat instinctively. The hit missed by inches, the creature ducking low and crashing into his chest.
The force knocked him off balance and they both hit the ground. Silas shoved it off, rolling to the side, but it was already up again.
It came at him from the left. He swung, connecting this time. The bat struck its shoulder with a heavy crack, but it barely slowed down.
The thing's hand shot out, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him forward with impossible strength. Its nails tore through fabric and skin.
He stumbled, barely managing to block the next attack. The creature slammed into him again, driving him back against a car. The impact made the metal groan. Silas shoved the bat between them and pushed with everything he had.
The thing hissed, its jaw snapping inches from his face. He twisted the bat, forcing it sideways into its mouth, then kicked hard. The creature fell back, coughing blood that hit the pavement in dark streaks.
The jaw looked broken now, hanging loose and crooked.
Silas didn't move at first. He just stared at the blood spilling across the pavement. His pulse quickened, pounding in his ears. The smell of it was very intriguing and pulled a string in his head, it was heavy enough to draw him in. He didn't understand why, but he wanted to taste it.
The thought alone made him sick, yet the pull only grew stronger.
The creature shifted on the ground, struggling to stand. Silas stepped closer without thinking. The bat slipped from his hand, clattering against the asphalt. The sound barely registered.
The infected roared and lunged again. Silas caught it by the throat mid-charge, the force pushing him back several steps. Its skin was cold and slick, the muscle beneath tense as steel.
It clawed at his arm, trying to rip free, but he held on. The strength in his grip startled him, he could feel the bones grinding beneath his fingers.
The thing thrashed, twisting its body to break loose. It slammed into him, throwing them both to the ground. Silas rolled over, pinning it by the shoulders. Its mouth snapped at him, teeth gnashing inches from his neck.
He slammed his head forward, cracking its skull against the pavement. The impact dazed it, but not for long.
It clawed at his chest, tearing through his shirt. He gritted his teeth and hit it again, this time with his fist.
The zombie moved faster, jerking and biting at random, animal-like. Silas dodged one strike, then another, but it kept coming.
They rolled across the street, trading blows that landed heavy and wild. The air filled with growls and the scrape of shoes on concrete.
When the creature lunged again, Silas met it halfway, grabbing its face with both hands and forcing it down. His fingers dug deep into its skin.
The thing hissed, snapping its broken jaw, but Silas didn't stop. The hunger in his chest had turned into something else, a raw, burning instinct.
Silas kept swinging his fists down until they stopped feeling like fists. The sound of impact dulled, replaced by the wet slap of skin against flesh. His breathing grew heavier, his chest rising and falling in sharp bursts.
Then came the pain.
It started in his mouth, a dull ache at first, then a sharp throb spreading through his gums. His teeth felt like they were pressing against each other too tightly, pushing for space. He winced, touching his jaw, but the pain only grew worse.
His eyes flicked back to the body beneath him. The blood spread slowly across the ground, dark and thick, catching the faint light.
His pulse quickened. His vision began to shift, colors bleeding away until the world turned red and grey.
Veins glowed faintly across the zombie's body, bright lines that ran toward a heart still beating far too fast.
It wasn't human blood. He could sense that much, but whatever it was, it called to him.
He leaned closer. The smell hit him first, strange but not repulsive. His throat felt dry, his jaw clenched, and before his thoughts could stop him, he bit down.
The first taste was dull, thick and bitter. Then it changed. A warmth spread through his tongue, the flavor deepening into something rich, almost sweet, like red wine left to breathe. It was intoxicating.
He bit again, harder this time. His body moved on its own, driven by hunger and instinct. He wrapped his arms around the corpse, holding it close as his teeth sank deeper.
The sound of cracking bone filled the air as his grip tightened, his fingers digging into the flesh until it broke apart beneath them.
He didn't think nor did he question his action.
The body beneath him was left dry, the skin pale and tight against the bone. Not a single drop of color remained. Even the glowing red veins in his vision had faded away.
He sat there, panting, staring at what he had done. The silence around him was heavy, broken only by the faint hum in his ears.
"More…"
The word slipped out of his mouth, low and ragged. His voice didn't sound like his own.
Then the pain came.
It hit all at once, his head pounding like it was being split open, his stomach twisting and clenching, his eyes burning until he saw flashes of light.
His hands itched violently, the skin tightening and flexing as if something beneath was moving. He gasped and clawed at his arms, the sensation spreading through his veins like fire.
A sharp tone echoed in his skull, followed by a voice, mechanical, cold, and absolute.
[Sanguine Transformation Complete]
Silas collapsed to his knees, gripping the ground, his breath shallow and uneven.