When I saw the blood running down Carmen's arm, I froze.
For a second, my mind refused to understand what I was looking at.
"H…How?" I asked.
Carmen kept one hand pressed against the sink.
"I heard the noise and went outside to look for anyone nearby," she said quietly. Her voice shook with every word. "I only stepped out for a moment. One of them caught me before I could get back inside."
Her eyes dropped to the bite beneath her shoulder.
"I got away. I managed to get back in and bring Shannon upstairs before it got worse. I locked her in the room with me, but…" Her fingers tightened against the sink. "It's too late."
I stood there, staring at the wound.
The bathroom felt too small.
The Screamer still buzzed outside, its mechanical pulse leaking through the walls. Somewhere below us, Infected moved through the house. I could hear their footsteps across broken tiles and the occasional thud against furniture.
But all I could see was Carmen's arm.
