I got up and walked over to the fireplace, grabbing another log from the stack. As I tossed it into the fire, the flames crackled and spat, casting flickering shadows on the walls. "It started about a month ago." I paused for a moment, watching the fire engulf the log. "COVID-19 was spreading rapidly around the world. We thought it was just another wave of the virus, but then... things changed."
Danielle looked up at me, her eyes wide with concern. I continued, my voice low and steady. "Three days ago, the virus mutated. It became more aggressive, deadlier. People started dying, and at first it seemed like just another tragic consequence of the pandemic. But then... they started getting back up." I stepped back from the fireplace, my eyes now locked on Danielle's. "I mean, the people who died from the virus... they didn't stay dead," I said, my voice grim. "They reanimated, and they became something else. Something violent, something driven to attack the living."
Danielle's face went pale, and she looked like she was about to say something, but I continued, "I've seen it with my own eyes. The virus somehow triggers a... a reanimation of the dead."
Just as I finished speaking, a low moaning sound echoed through the woods outside, making us both freeze. It was a haunting, mournful sound that sent shivers down my spine.
Danielle's eyes locked on mine, fear etched on her face. "What was that?" She whispered.
I gripped my gun tightly, my mind racing with possibilities. "I don't know," I said. "But I think we're about to find out."