Chapter 1
One day it's "We have the unknown virus contained."
The next: "IT HAS GONE AIRBORNE, EVACUATE!"
I make my way out of my trailer with my immediate needs packed up, moving briskly to where I park my car. While fumbling with my keys a hand grabs my shoulder roughly from behind. I drop the keys, turning around to see a spittle and gash covered Rodger who works the mini-mart down the road staring at me with not an hint of recognition in his cloudy eyes. I scream as he lunges his head forward opening his jaw as if to bite me.
You know, Looking back. Screaming was probably a horrible decision. But without the fallout thereof I would never have met him.
Shortly following my scream I was accosted by more of whatever Rodger now was, slowly moving in my direction. I quickly reach into my purse and stab rodger in the eye with the first thing i could grab. The pen was evidently effective, as he immediately went limp. Free of his grasp but still panicking, I completely forget all thoughts of what I had just done to Rodger or of retrieving my keys.
I just ran.
At the time, it felt like I ran forever. I didn't even wonder at the lack of other living people. I was pretty sure I had lost my pursuers when I stumbled panting out of a thicket of forest and into a suburb. There were dead bodies strewn up and down the street. I only had a moment to take this in before I heard rustling in the thicket behind me. I glanced back and affirmed my fears. not just one, five.
I involuntarily gasp as I notice their eyes locked on me. No stealth, I made a break for it down the body speckled pavement. About halfway down the street I could hear fighting behind me. I look over my shoulder and trip on a body, hitting the ground, hard.
wincing in pain I scramble to get up! to run! But that is when I saw him, a man with a baseball bat bashing those.. things until they stopped moving. I look around the corpse ridden street and then back at him.
"Hey!" he says not too loud, jogging up to me stopping at a respectable distance and lowering his bat. "are you hurt?" There seems to be an icy undertone to his intonation, as well as a hidden subtext.
"Yeah-" I notice his body slightly tense up at the word. "when I fell just now." At this he appears to relax. He begins to size me up, looking me top to toe. Then his intense, yet indifferent eyes lock with mine, and seem to see something of interest. then he shrugs turning his back to me and walking off, effortlessly avoiding tripping over bodies.
"You coming?" He calls out without looking back.
Everyone turned in just one night. I still wonder why fate spared me.