A Glimpse Of What Was Left Behind I (Page 3)

~~~(POV: Samuel Grimm)~~~

~~~(Location: Old Dorm Room, Columbia University, New York)~~~

~~~(Day, Date, Time, Year: Thursday, January 11th, 8:02 PM, 2024)~~~

~~~(Age: 19 Years)~~~

The woman I don't remember stands across from me with a shocked expression. My denial of returning to a place they deem safe has stumped her. Who she sees is Sam. A person she knew and cared about.

That's not who is here anymore.

The sun has set on the city of Manhattan. The dorm hallway is now dark, and the only forms of light are those left turned on by those who've died.

"What do you mean you're not going?!"

Her whisper is aggressive and angry. Unable to understand why I wouldn't travel with other people. Likely thinking it's safer than being alone. That would be the case if I were anything other than what I already am.

I don't need anyone.

I don't want anyone.

I watch the woman's eyes dart back and forth while looking into mine. Searching for any hints that what I just said was a lie. She doesn't find what she's looking for.

"You have to. It's not safe to travel alone with everything going on."

Instead of the still-nameless woman speaking in protest, it's the leader of this small group of four. Harry's eyes glare into mine as if trying to figure me out. Based on the condition they're in, they've been fighting for a while.

I don't see the point in staying here any longer. Nothing more can be revealed to me here. I take a step forward, and the three guys raise their weapons.

"No, don't! He's not a threat!!"

The woman's aggressive whisper barely registers. In an effort to stop a conflict, she places a hand on my imitated leather jacket. Doing the same to Harry across from me. Stopping him with a hand to the chest.

Not wasting another moment, I place my hand on the girl and throw her to the bed. She lands and bounces on it. A shocked expression on her face. My attention quickly turns back to the group of guys.

This time, the conflict comes. Mark and Harry both lunge at me with predatory looks on their faces. Knives in hand.

"STOOOP!!!"

Nameless woman actually screams this time, and Harry does a double take. Looking at the woman like she's crazy. The zombies are drawn to movement and sound. Based on what I've seen so far. She's just announced we're here.

Mark, on the other hand, doesn't stop his attack. Continuing his charge at me. The world moves slowly for me as I focus my vision. If I wanted to, I could kill him in an instant.

The tip of the knife's blade impacts the imitated leather jacket my biomass is creating.

TAANGG!

The blade breaks with a sharp tone, and I watch everyone turn their heads to the stainless steel blade now on the ground. Mark takes a step back and stares at the now empty handle.

Confusion spreads across his features. Watching his mind race isn't something I'm interested in. Instead, black and fleshy tendrils launch from my arms. There is silent shock inside the small dorm room and hallway.

CRRRUUUNNNCCCHHHH!!!!

FRRRRRRSSSSSSSHHHHHH!!!!

In bloody horror and gore, Mark's body is crushed and absorbed into my biomass. The black tendrils retreat into my form. Returning my body back to its perfectly normal-looking state. Harry and the remaining man, Jim, stare at me in silence.

Eyes are wide, and looks of silent horror are displayed.

"Sam... Wha-!"

The nameless woman is cut off as I dart forward and shove my flattened hand through the chest of Harry. Absorbing him into my biomass.

"SHIIIIIT!!!"

The coward of the three, Jim, turns on his heels as he's sprayed with the blood of his friend. He's making his way down the hall, but he doesn't get far. I throw my hand forward, and black tendrils transform my arm.

Launching down the hallway and driving into the man's turned back. The same sounds of bones and tendons snapping and breaking fill the hallway.

Memories and experiences from the three men's lives are revealed to me. There is a survivor camp located in the Auditorium. It's what they were talking about earlier. All three of them have intimate knowledge of Columbia University Campus.

Now I have that knowledge, too.

"Sam..."

I turn around and look back through the door to see the terrified woman.

Her name is Amanda.

Amanda Fulster.

Harry and Mark both had crushes on her. Thinking that helping her find me would get one of them into her pants. Even in an apocalypse, a male still prioritizes sex.

None of the three I've just consumed have any information on the relationship between Samual Grimm and Amanda Fulster. All they know is she asked for help at the Auditorium to come here to wait for me.

I take a step back inside the room, and she retreats with all her energy to the corner of the room. Tears and pants escape her lips as she's unable to wrap her head around what she just saw. I make my way over to her.

"No! Please!"

My hand reaches out in the area of her head.

"You know me, Sam!! We've known each other since we were kids!!"

As my fingers are almost to her, she resigns herself and closes her eyes. However, I turn my hand slightly and grab the picture on the wall beside her. I pull away from her and look at the picture.

It's of a small child, a father, and a mother.

The longer I look at the picture, the more I feel I know it. Since it's in my room, it's gotta be about Sam.

About me.

I turn the picture around and pull the back off. Remove the picture from its frame. The back of the picture has a date on it.

June 2nd, 2007.

This is when the picture was taken.

"Sam?"

My thoughts are interrupted by Amanda. My eyes turn to her, and she's slowly regaining her composure. However, she's not leaving the corner of the room where she's decided to retreat from me.

She's still hoping that Samuel Grimm is still here. In a way, he always will be. And at the same time, he's gone, too. Amanda may not be someone I know right now, but at one point, I did.

"Amanda."

As I say her name, there is a spark of hope in her eyes. But it's quickly taken away as the rushing footsteps of zombies coming up the stairs shake the dorms. It seems her scream from earlier has brought its consequences.

I enter the hallway, and zombies rush around the corner ahead. Their heads darting around looking for the source of the sound. Eventually, seeing me standing ready.

"RAAAAA!!!"

"GRAAAHHH!!"

All of them start making roars and growls at me right before charging down the hall. Teeth snarling and grinding. Black tendrils race down my arms. Transforming them in the process. The five-finger claws return.

The world slows down as I burst down the hall. Instantly reaching more than 100 miles per hour with a single push off the ground with my leg.

Walls, rooms, and windows are showered in blood as I tear through the bodies. Every single one I kill is absorbed into my biomass. Soon, the shaking of the dorms stops as I cut through and kill the last of the zombies drawn here.

I stand at the end of the hall, and all that's left behind me is a blood-soaked hallway. Dorm rooms and windows weren't spared the brutality I unleashed.

Amanda shakily walks out of Sam's dorm and stares down the wall at me. Her form jitters and jerks. Arms tucked into herself as she tries to understand what's happening. She jumps a little as I slowly walk down the hall to her.

But instead of retreating with fear this time, she just waits for me. Staring at me with tired and puffy eyes.

I stand in front of her with only a few inches between us. I'm far taller than she is. I'm taller than most people actually. She avoids my eyes for a second. But then she looks at me again, this time acceptance within them.

Acceptance of her death.

"You know me."

She jerks at my sudden words. Not expecting me to talk to her. Thinking that I'm just gonna butcher her like I did everything else in here.

Like I did to the three guys that helped her.

"I know Samual... But I don't know you..."

She's smart.

Picking up that I'm different tells me she's able to adapt to difficult situations rather fast. I don't have a desire or need to kill her.

"I am Sam."

Her eyes widen in shock as she stares at me.

"And I am not Sam."

At those words, tears begin to form.

"Whatever's happened to me, it started with Sam. If you help me find out what happened to me. To Sam. I'll protect you."

Someone with intimate knowledge of Sam is a great help. Absorbing her into my biomass and taking her memories is the first choice I make.

But when I look at her, I know that I can't hurt her. It's something Sam would've never done to this particular girl.

She looks hesitant, but she doesn't have a lot of choices.