MEMENTO MORI
i. THE END OF THE F***ING WORLD
❝THE WORLD WILL NOT BE DESTROYED BY THOSE WHO DO EVIL, BUT BY THOSE WHO WATCH THEM WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING.❞

THE CITY HAD BECOME A WASTELAND, leaving the dead to roam with free will as they wandered the streets for something to sink their bloodied teeth into. She had taken refuge in an abandoned van, sleeping for a few hours in a dreamless slumber as the events of the last few days had caught up to her. But, the young woman knew she couldn't stay within the confines of the van that smelled of soccer balls and leftover pizza. It was pitch black outside as the street lights flickered ever so often, illuminating the undead that stumbled in search of their next meal. If she wasn't careful, it would be her they would be tearing into. But, by some miracle, Ayla Özkan had survived the past two days of the outbreak. But, that didn't mean her luck would last forever.

Her hand gripped the handle of the car door, silently debating with herself as she fought the urge to fall back asleep in the back seat. She had already wasted the hours of daylight, plunging her into darkness to carry out her assassignmet. Though, her assassignment had been derailed when her partner had gotten himself arrested and thrown into jail. It left Ayla alone to wander the streets of Raccoon City as she collected the evidence they needed to put an end to the conspiracy running its course behind the closed doors of Umbrella, the R.P.D. and the Orphanage. It was all tied together, but they still needed to have actual proof for their accusations or they would look like another bunch of crazed conspiracists that sat in their dark rooms with tin-foil hats.

Ayla wasn't one to break the law ━━ alright, a lie. Ayla had broken the law many times before, but she had always done it for a good cause which allowed her to usually get away with it. Though, she had spent a week in jail for breaking and entering into one of Umbrella's warehouses. But, she was usually someone to follow the law. But, since Raccoon City had already gone to Hell. She suspected the police officers that upheld the law weren't around anymore, meaning she had the chance to make her way down to the department and break Ben out. If he was still alive. Ayla took in a deep breath, hoping her friend was still breathing. She had already lost too many people in this outbreak, considering more than half of the city's population had turned into monsters.

The click of the car door opening seemed to echo for blocks, making Ayla wince as she glanced around the street for anything that could have heard it. Her eyes flickered to a group of zombies as they dug into a half-eaten corpse, making the young woman gag as she quietly began to walk down the street in the general direction of the Raccoon Police Department. The first signs of the outbreak had occurred two months ago in the Arklay Mountains when the police department had gotten calls about half-eaten corpses ━━ the same hikers that had gone missing two weeks prior had been found, but some amongst them were still missing. At the time, they had chalked up the attack to hungry animals that tended to roam the grounds. But, eventually, they had found human teeth near the crime scenes and the theory around cult activity had emerged. After that, the Arklay Mountains' case had been taken up federally and became classified information. Ayla had tried her best to pry more information out of RPD, but they knew as much as she did.

That was supposed to be the end of the incident, but on September 22nd, there had been another outbreak. The Umbrella Corporation, a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Raccoon City, had tried to evacuate the city, but the unknown virus traveled too fast for them to contain. In just a few days' time, the whole city was infected and only a handful of survivors remained. It was a few days afterwards with October just around the corner, things should have gotten better and the U.S. military should have been there to help the survivors escape but it seemed as if Raccoon City had been abandoned.

It had been two days since Ayla had seen another survivor. It frustrated the woman to no end to see more and more zombies turn up, but still no answers. Ayla had tried going to Umbrella's headquarters, but it had been blocked off by empty military trucks and hordes of the undead. At every turn, there was a dead end and Ayla feared that she would end up dead as well. She didn't have much on her ━━ only a Beretta 70 pistol, some protein bars, a flashlight, and her Canon EOS-3 camera. Fortunately for the Raccoon Times, and now, Ayla, the Canon company gave them early prototypes of their cameras which were officially supposed to be released later on in the year.

Though, it wasn't enough to keep Ayla alive for long and she needed to find shelter soon. It was too dark and she didn't want to spend another moment in the van, knowing it would make her sick with the limited amount of air she had in there. Her flashlight was starting to run out of battery, but it still illuminated the way enough for Ayla to see as she continued down the street. She stuck closer to the shadows, keeping out of the way of the zombies that groaned and walked around aimlessly. Ayla tried not to think about the three bullets she had left in her magazine and her lack of medical supplies, knowing the slightest injury could bring forth death. Her backpack felt light on her back and she wondered if it was because of the lack of supplies, or if she had just gotten used to it being there.

"Attention all citizens," the disembodied voice of Raccoon City's mayor, Michael Warren, sounded from the city-wide intercom system that had been put up a few months before the outbreak. Ayla had heard the message many many times since the message played every hour on a constant loop. However, it only fell on deaf ears now since it seemed like Ayla was the only one insane enough to stay in the city. "Due to the citywide outbreak, you are advised to take shelter at the Raccoon City police station. Free food and medical supplies will be provided to everyone in need."

All signs pointed Ayla toward the police department, considering it was the safest and smartest bet. Her first priority was to find Ben and from there, the plan would be made. Perhaps, it would be better to get out of the city and find safety since Ayla had too many close calls. But, she didn't want to leave without collecting the evidence that she needed for the exposé. She sighed, staring down the street that would lead to the police station. The street lights flickered, barely illuminating the undead that stumbled about. Ayla took a deep breath and set a course for the Raccoon Police Department.

━━ ━━ ━━

The security grilles of the RPD that led into its underground parking garage were impossible to open without a keycard, but Ayla was still able to see through the metal grates. It seemed empty except for the cars that were parked haphazardly throughout the small lot, but her eyes were locked on the door that led into the holding cells. No doubt, if Ben was still alive, he would be beyond those doors. He had started out as a co-worker, but the two had become friends over the time they had spent together, Ayla had to make sure he was truly gone before she left without him. So, Ayla had found another way into the department.

Locked doors weren't as much of a problem for Ayla as security shutters were, considering her ex-boyfriend (who had also been part of S.T.A.R.S.) had taught her how to unlock any door with nothing but a bobby pin. Ayla unlocked the back door to the police department and took a step inside. Immediately, the odor of rot and blood flooded her nose. She took in a shaky breath as she shone her flashlight down the long hallway that was stained with fresh blood. It still glistened as the light touched it, making Ayla wince as she wondered exactly how recent the blood was. She walked deeper into the hallway, but she froze in her tracks when she noticed guts spilled across the floor and smeared onto the walls. It made Ayla gag, trying to breathe through her mouth so the overwhelming smell wouldn't get to her. Perhaps, wandering around in the police station wasn't as safe as she had imagined. It was harder to evade a zombie in such close counters, striking an unsettling fear deep within the woman.

As she silently debated about what she should, the open door that she had come through slammed shut and Ayla flinched at the loud sound. She rushed back toward the door and tried to push it open, but something had blocked it on the other side. She was trapped in the eerie hallway with no way out, but to go through the station. Ayla gulped, feeling herself take a step back as she listened to the heavy footsteps on the other side of the door ━━ someone or something had trapped her inside. She caught a glimpse of a large figure outside as she peeked through the blinds, but it didn't seem to notice her as it wandered off. Ayla let out a small sigh of relief. Even though she was trapped in the police station now, she was still grateful that she didn't have to come in contact with that thing outside.

Ayla turned back to the bloodied hallway, keeping her flashlight trained in front of her to make sure she wouldn't be stumbling around in the dark. She had been in the police department a handful of times and knew the general layout of the place, but there were always some spots where civilians weren't allowed. However, she did know her way to the main hall of the station where she would have easier access to everywhere else in the building. If there were any survivors, they had to be there and with some luck, Ben would be amongst them. Her eyes darted throughout the darkness, looking for any signs of movement. She had her pistol drawn out and ready to shoot, but she kept reminding herself that she only had three bullets left.

Her movements slowed to a crawl when the sound of footsteps ripped through the silence, but these were different from the ones she had heard outside the building. She backed up against the wall as she tried to differentiate what direction the footsteps were coming from, but they seemed to be sounding from all around her. It was, without a doubt, victims of the virus as their unearthly groans filled the air, but she was unsure how many there were in total. Ayla made it to the edge, peering around the corner to see three zombies in the hallway alone. One was closer to her, but the others were several feet away ━━ all of them garbed in their police uniforms that were stained red. Her eyes flickered to a nearby door ━━ away from the zombie's view ━━ and noticed the words East Office engraved on the glass panel of the door.

Ayla could vaguely remember the inside of the East Office, considering she had only caught a glimpse of it the last time she had been in the station. She grumbled to herself as she regretted all the life choices she had made that led her to that moment. If she was being honest, she wished she had left the city with the rest of her co-workers. They had begged for her to come along, but Ayla had wanted her story. She sighed as she pushed the self-deprecating thoughts out of her mind. She needed to remember she was doing this for her career and the truth needed to be documented by someone ━━ Raccoon City would not be forgotten.

She rounded the corner, keeping each step slow and quiet as she inched toward the door that would lead into the East Office. Her breath quickened with each step as she approached the undead, making her feel dizzy as kept moving. It saddened Ayla to see them as they mindlessly stared at the ceiling with milky eyes and red-stained teeth as blood dripped from their chins. But, in their horrific states, it was hard to believe that they used to be real people with their own lives and families. A soft sigh left her lips as she kept moving toward the office door. It was bliss when her fingers touched the cold handle of the door. She quickly opened the door and slipped inside, shutting the door behind her before she locked it.

However, the feeling of bliss didn't last long when she heard multiple guttural groans come from behind her ━━ the universe was definitely fucking with her.

"Goddamn it," Ayla breathed out as she turned around to face the six zombies that had been waiting in the room for the arrival of something they could sink their teeth in. They snarled at her, making Ayla take steps back before her back in the door. She gasped, jumping forward as the zombies from the hallway began to pound on the glass of the door. With a shaky hand, she aimed her gun into the crowd and fired off a few rounds as they charged at her. After three rounds, she heard a harsh click. Empty.

If the zombies could think of anything other than their insatiable hunger, they would surely be laughing at her stupidity. Ayla tried to run out of the door she had come through, deciding it was easier to deal with three zombies than six. But, the lock on the door had broken and the three zombies had rushed inside. Ayla let out a few curses, trying to run past them but one of them had grabbed onto her arm. She tried to yank herself away, but the zombie had a strength that seemed inhumane. It wasn't long before the others had grabbed her as well before she was slammed into the floor, causing the air to be knocked out of her lungs. Ayla struggled to get away, but multiple bodies pinned her to the ground.

Ayla never gave much thought to her death before ━━ always figuring she would die at an old age with her many grandchildren around her bedside. But, the universe seemed to have a different plan for her as the zombies loomed over her with hungry eyes. A pained scream left Ayla's lips as they began to tear into her skin. Her last bit of energy was used up as she tried to push them off her small form, but they were relentless. Her vision began to blur as her movements slowed, considering she was losing blood by the second. Her arms fell to the side as she stopped her struggle, allowing the zombies to have more access to her flesh as they began to bite into her arms. Ayla couldn't find the strength to scream, letting out a few whimpers as she closed her eyes to wait for death to take her.

But, death never came to greet her. Ayla let out a harsh gasp as the sound of gunshots filled the air. She couldn't tell if they were real or if she was imagining it ━━ the latter being more plausible. Suddenly, Ayla couldn't feel the pressure of multiple bodies above her. She could, however, still feel the intense burning of the wounds the zombies had left in their wake. Someone had once told her that the body feels like it's on fire when in agony because the brain doesn't know how to process such intense pain. It seemed that's what Ayla's body was going through as silent tears streamed down her face.

"Jesus," a voice breathed out, but Ayla couldn't force herself to open her eyes as the world around her seemed to vanish and reappear every second or so. She felt someone's arms wrap around her before she heard the sound of more gunshots. It was a man, that much Ayla could assume from hearing his voice and the feel of his coarse hands around her waist. She could feel herself being dragged across the floor as the gunshots continued to ring in the air. But, as quickly as the gunshots had started, the room was quiet again. She felt gentle fingers against her neck, making her take in a shaky breath. Her savior let out a relieved sigh and Ayla could tell she was being lifted off the floor, finding herself soaking in the warmth from the stranger. "Don't die on me yet, ma'am," he said softly. "We're going to make it out of this."

♡

HERE'S CHAPTER ONE! It isn't much different from the original chapter I had, but I did add some details here and there! I had fun writing this chapter and I can't wait for more interacts between Ayla and Leon! I adore those two so much and I have big plans for them! A fair warning, this book will be extremely gory which is expected if you've played the video games! It'll only get worse from here and I hope I can get the horror aspect down!

Also, I want to release my other Resident Evil fics soon as well! I have a Claire Redfield and Ada Wong fic that will tie directly into this fic. So, we will be seeing characters from those books making appearances here soon! Though, I might finish act one of this book completely before posting the other ones! I am not sure yet if I should wait or write the books side-by-side. I have books planned for Jill Valentine, Carlos Oliveira, Chris Redfield, and Rebecca Chambers! I might even write one for Resident Evil 8, but I haven't decided on that one yet! I hope to slowly start releasing all the other books soon! But, I want to make more progress in this one first before I commit to 6 other books!

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please leave me your thoughts! All feedback is super important to me! 🥺

━━ AMARA
[ original ] PUBLISH DATE ━━ 02.06.2019
[ rewrite ] PUBLISH DATE ━━ 07.13.2021