- A few minutes earlier -
Austin stood paralyzed as his hand was still gripping the wooden handle of the front door. His gaze locked onto the woman standing on the porch.
Izumi Ayako.
Her beauty was even more striking in person than she had been on the screen of his previous life. Her predatory eyes narrowed as she took in his disheveled appearance. White apron, the scrub hat, and the lingering scent of chemicals mix with blood.
"You know my name?" Ayako asked. "I do not recall ever meeting someone like you. Have we met before?"
"N-No!" he blurted out; however, the word came out a bit too loud.
Outside, the slumped, aimless figures of the "zombies" snapped their heads toward the door in perfect unison. Their guttural growls rose in a sickening chorus.
"Shit! Inside, now!" Austin hissed.
