The Beginning

Paxton was walking home the day it all started. He just won a case and strutted home feeling like a total champion. He only lived 2 blocks away from the court house, which is why he walked home. He felt a vibrating sensation in his messenger bag. Paxton always preferred messenger bags over suit cases, it made him feel more comfortable. He pulled out his phone that was ringing, but missed it again. He saw that there were 3 voice mails left for him, along with 4 texts. Paxton always checked voice mails first. Because he preferred hearing voices rather than reading, especially during texts; the poor grammar in them. "First voicemail message, left at 6:12 P.M." Paxton checked his watch: 6:45 P.M.

"Paxton? There are some really weird things going on… call me back!" It was none other than Andrea's voice on the other line. Andrea and Paxton go way back, they were really good friends back at the law firm.

"Second voicemail message, left at 6:25 P.M."

"Paxton, I just saw someone eat another person. This is getting really scary… I'm going to have cancel on tonight. You and the others are going to have to celebrate without me, seriously."

"Third voicemail message, left at 6:40 P.M."

"Paxton, I'm telling you right now. Get back to your house and STAY there. I hope you aren't without a car. I'm going with my sister Amy and leaving Atlanta… I don't know if I'll be coming back.""

It was just then when Paxton heard a groan behind him. And immediately was on the floor with a set of jaws snapping at him, human jaws to be exact. The 35 year old man panicked, and yelled out "HELP ME!" Paxton managed to connect his fist with the crazed man's jaw; he then kicked him off to the ground. Paxton turned and ran one more block to his house. He went and rummaged through his house, and put his phone on his Bluetooth calling his daughter Rachel. "Rachel?" He said. "Rachel its daddy. Something strange is going on and I need you to come with me now."

"Dad? I just saw Mr. Wilder kill and eat another kid! I'm really scared right now…"

"Rachel, come home right now."

"Okay, dad. I'm coming. But can someone else come home and get picked up?"

Paxton sighed. He didn't want to look after anyone else's child.

"Fine."

"Alright, I'll call you when I get home."

Paxton put the blue tooth down and continued rummaging through the house and dialed 911. "911 what's your emergency?"

"Yes. I-I'd like to report that someone tried to bite me."

"Sir we've had many complaints like that."

Paxton stopped and recalled the past events that he'd heard on television. Random mauling's, acts of cannibalism, and rumors that people have died and came back from the dead.

"H-how many complaints?"

"Too many to count, Sir. We're stretched as it is."

"Alright... bye then."

The operator hung up. That's quite the unusual thing for an operator to refuse to dispatch officers to help someone out. And why did the operator say "Too many to count?" Things are getting really strange, Paxton thought. He then heard screams outside of his house, so walked to the end of his house where the afternoon light shined through the window. He saw people getting eaten, people struggling and screaming. Grey, rotting people coming up off of the ground after they'd been shot! Paxton grabbed a Glock 17, loaded it and stuff a small ammo box in his bag. He put 3 magazines in as well. He thought he might need it.

All of a sudden the back door popped open and Paxton turned with his Glock leveled. "Dad, Its me." Rachel had her hands up, and another teenager stood at the door. It was none other than Rowan, Rachel's best friend who had been orphaned for quite some time. Paxton was always sort of a father figure to him and tried to help him whenever he could. Now was as good a time as any to do so.

"Rachel, Rowan. Come in and lock the door behind you." The two both walked in and Rachel walked up to her dad and hugged him. "Rachel, go look for things to pack and Rowan?" Rowan looked. "Put up a chair on the back door. If you guys hopped the fence and got here, other people can." Rowan propped a chair and dropped his athlete's bag. It contained a bit of food from lunch, his favorite bat (He was on the baseball team.) some cleats and his baseball helmet. Rowan walked to the kitchen and grabbed a knife; he looked over to Paxton as if he were looking for approval. Paxton nodded and Rowan tucked it in the bag. Paxton trusted Rowan.

Rachel came back, bags packed with a whole bunch of stuff that would be used to survive. Paxton walked up to Rachel and gave her a small 22. Pistol. "Don't let Rowan know you have this." Paxton said. "I trust him, but I want you to be safe." He didn't trust him as much as he trusted his own daughter.

Rachel nodded and tucked it into her back pocket. "I found some ammo for it in your room, dad." Gunshots filled the streets. Groans and yelling, dying screams. It was the craziest thing anyone's seen. All of the students came running through the houses, hoping to find someone who would keep them, or they were hoping to steal things for a profit. "We need to leave… Quickly."

The small group of three bashed out of the house and ran to Paxton's 2011 Honda Accord, All of a sudden these rotting corpses start walking towards them, groaning and growling. Rachel screamed and ran to the car, she tried opening it. Paxton raised his Glock and shot one in the chest from 10 feet away. But it still kept on moving! In a panic, Paxton shot it wildly across the torso. Then finally in the head, but there were 12 others moving in on Rowan, Rachel and his position. Rachel was grabbed by one of them, but Paxton moved in on the walker's person, tackling it, and holding it in a headlock. Rachel yelled out, attracting more of them. It was then that Paxton saw his daughter get bitten, he rushed the zombie, kicking it down and the 3 got into the car. Rachel was crying from the bite, Paxton sped off in his car. It was then when he knew just what was happening. "It's truly the end." He said with no emotion, his foot on the gas and Rowan observed all of those people he could have helped. All of the people getting shot, eaten and blood… so much blood… Rowan observed one being shot then getting up again!

"These people are dying… and getting back up again!" Rowan breathed in and out sharply and quickly. Paxton remained calm and drove off into the new world that waited for them outside. "Mr. Witt?" Rowan said, looking over at Rachel. "Rachel's not looking so great, Sir." He had a nervous look on his face. Paxton kept his eyes on the road, watching as other cars sped out with him. He noticed a man with his wife and child. He looked back on the road as tears streamed down his face. Paxton missed his wife. He missed everything about her: Her kindness, her love, her desire to support and help him. Paxton squandered that opportunity, because of all of the things that he'd done to her. It drove Lydia to leave him. He loved her and wanted to change, but it was all too late. Now, he abandoned his home without a single plan. I wish that I could see her once m-… Paxton's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his daughter yelling out and trying to attack Rowan. Paxton panicked and veered off of the road, crashing into a tree. He looked back and Rowan was already stabbing her. Rachel had become one of those things. Paxton was set into a panic, he yanked himself out of the car, and opened the door to the back, yanking his daughter out, who's skin turned grey and was still trying to eat anything she could get her hands on, she yanked Paxton towards, and her jaw was open, about to rip a chunk out of his shoulder. Paxton instantly knew what was going on: Her daughter was one of them, and you get that way by being bit. Rowan, who was already startled, got out of the car and kicked Rachel's head in. He must've put on his cleats quickly. Paxton looked at Rowan, who was scared out of his mind; not because of the girl whose head he just bashed in, but of the angered father. Paxton, who was not mad, but saddened by his daughter's death, just broke down and wept.

He cried for about 5 minutes but it felt like 5 hours. He turned to Rowan, who was still pretty scared. Paxton opened his mouth and said five simple words: "It's going to be okay."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Whitt."

"Call me "Dad", Rowan. You're the closest thing to family that I have left."

He smiled. Paxton got up and walked over to Rachel, who was limp and dead, and snagged the 22. Pistol off of her and handed it to Rowan. "This is how it must be now." Rowan nodded. "Well, our car's totaled. We can't go anywhere… Dad." The thought of Rowan being able to call another man "Dad" brought such a mixture of emotions to him that he could barely move.

"Let me think…" All of a sudden another car came speeding down the highway that they once had, but they didn't crash, they stopped and got out.

"You need a lift, man?" A thick Russian accent came from the car. A tall man came out from the car; his tall and slender stature stepped on the road with a hand extended. "My name is Pritchenko." He said. They couldn't see his face well because he wore a black trench coat and had a black cowboy hat on, a long barreled revolver hung at his side. "Come along, you two. Wouldn't want to leave a fellow survivor out on the road now would I?"

Pritchenko leaned left so he can see the corpse lying on the ground. "Who was this?" Paxton looked at him with a sneer. "It's my daughter."

"A pity. I lost my daughter as well, just an hour ago to be exact. We must go, or we'll end up like her." Rowan and Paxton loaded up into the car, and the three sped off into the new world that awaited them.