Make Your Mark
Chapter 1-Momma Ain't Safe
"Kevin, can we go? Please?" Gertrude asked. "No, Gertrude. Mum won't let us leave the house alone, remember?" I said. An infection had broken out, and everyone became paranoid. It was probably just the flu and some psychopaths. "But… but there'll be boats!" She said. "Oh gee, boats!" I said sarcastically. "We live in a desert, Gertrude. A desert." "Meanie," muttered Gertrude. My sister was 10, and her insult was 'meanie?' That was disappointing.
I sat down on the chairs in the Billiard room, and continued reading The Catcher in the Rye for school. So far, I hated the book. I couldn't wait till graduation, but it was only April. We didn't get out until May 27th.
"Kevin? Kevin, open the door!" Cried Mum. I opened the door. Jesus, she was in bad shape. Her hair was a mess; it was frizzy and blood was dried in. Her shirt and coat was torn in the back. "What happened?" I asked frantically. "The infection…. Oh God, Kev, it's all true… People are deformed and are attacking! The thing called 'Smoker' grabbed me with its tongue and scraped up my back!" Her words were slurred. "What the fuck? Mum, we need to barricade the house!" I exclaimed. She nodded and collapsed on the couch. "Gertrude, help me blockade the doors and windows!" I called to her. She came down without saying a word and helped me move things and board up windows.
Afterwards, I changed into my converse shoes, white shirt, green jacket, and blue jeans. I grabbed to Pistols and a Hunting Rifle, incase I had to attack any Infected. I packed emergency backpacks, incase we had to leave home. Gertrude, Mum, and I all had frequently practiced Self-Defense and usage of fire arms, so I thought we would be capable of protecting ourselves.
Gertrude fell asleep curled up next to Mum, and I slept in my bed, though I could hardly sleep. I tried to listen to the radio, but all I got was white static. No radio stations were on due to the sickness. Since I didn't have a stereo or MP3, I had no source of music.
I don't remember when I fell asleep, but it was probably pretty late. Mum didn't get up at all that day. She just slept, meaning I had to entertain Gertrude. I know I should be happy I still had family, but Gertrude was more like that stupid kid at school who won't leave you alone unless they're distracted with something else. Even then, Gertrude had a short attention span.
…
Mum slept for two days straight. I gave up on The Catcher in the Rye, because I probably won't be going back for a few years. Everyone else in my class was probably dead, Infected, or quarantined in their homes like me. I'm sure my teachers don't give a damn if we read that book or not.
I started reading Grapes of Wrath again. It wasn't my favorite John Steinbeck book, but it was the only one Gertrude hadn't destroyed. Gertrude and her Goddamn markers and scissors….
"Kev? What happened to Mum?" She asked me. "Mum hasn't woken up for two days, and she's started to… change." She shuddered. I looked across the room. It looked like Mum's cancer had spread out extremely quickly. She had only been diagnosed with throat cancer a week ago; how the Hell did it grow into a tumor on her face?
"Her cancer has spread," I observed. "It's grown awfully fast…" "Is she getting worse? Is she gonna die?" Gertrude asked frantically. Wait—why the fuck is her skin green? "Mum's infected…" I muttered. "WH-what?" Gertrude clung to my arm. Well, shit. What was I supposed to do now? I couldn't just kill my own mother!
"Kev… Kev, I don't want to be an Infected!" She sobbed.
Smack! Smack!
What the…?
Gertrude and some other scream came out at he same time. The Infected called 'Hunter' leaped across the room and landed on Gertrude.
"Get 'em off me, Kev!" She screamed. I was too shocked to move. "Kev! Kev! Kev…" I came back to my senses and shoved the Hunter off her. I whipped out my two Pistols and shot at it until it let out its last cry. "Kev… Ow…" Gertrude murmured. She was bleeding profusely. I took out a Medi-Pack, but it was too late. The brightness left her eyes—she had bled to death. "Gertrude…" I said under my breath. I had watched my little sister get torn up to the point here she bled to death. I put the Medi-Pack back in my emergency backpack. "Mum!" I called, running down stairs. My backpack caught on a sharp piece of wood the Hunter had bashed open, causing the contents to spill.
"Mum? Hello…?" I called out. I looked at the couch. The blanket was on the floor, and the couch had dried blood and scratches on the fabric. "Mum… I'm so sorry…" I said out loud. I saw green spurts of what looked like smoke in the corner. "Mum…!" I raspy yell came from the corner. "Mum! You're… you're Infected!" I screamed. She looked the same, except for the green skin and smoke, and the tumor on the left side of her face.
I heard a pitting sound, and an obscenely long tongue shot out of Smoker-Mum's mouth. I was constricted in her tongue! She pulled me to her, and slashed at my back.
"No! No, stop it!" I cried, struggling in her tight grip. Blood splattered on the walls. The pain was unbelievable. I could see pieces of skin fly out, too.
"In here! Can you here the boy's screams?" A deep voice asked. Several men dressed in military uniforms ran in through the opening. "There!" The voice yelled. Everyone shot at Mum. She let out a raspy cry, and a puff of putrid-smelling smoke omitted from her dead corpse.
"Jesus…" I muttered. The men pulled my weak body out of the smoke and laid me on a blanket. "Are you okay?" On of them asked. I tried to answer, but I passed out. "He's probably going to…" A different voice began. Everything went black before I could finish hearing what he said.
AN: Well, this is the beginning of Kevin's story. I plan to update often. Please review! I'm still exploring with my writing, so I might switch to third person later on.