I never expected the world to end. Not in my lifetime anyway, people had been claiming it would happen for years, in 2000 and then in 2012. What no one knew was that it was actually in March 2013 that the world went to shit, right in the middle of my spring break.
I was sitting at home finally enjoying my time off from college when it began. My roommates were both gone and so was most of the town, Tallahassee had been emptied out when all the college students went home for the break. Unfortunately for me I had nowhere to go, my family lives in Colorado and the distance was too much for a week off. So ladies and gentlemen as the world came crashing down on me, I was alone with my roommate's cat, Mick for company.
It was early evening; somehow all bad things seem to happen when the sun goes down. I was watching a movie when I heard a car accident. The screeching tires against the road sent my stomach into a nervous frenzy. I think that sound does that to anyone that hears it, and then the impact. It was so loud, almost like a scene from an action movie with surround sound. I sat up straighter in my chair listening to what happened. Uncertainty of whether or not I should move, I wouldn't be of any use to someone in an accident, but perhaps they needed help and I could call the cops. I had made it to the window to peer out when I heard the sirens coming.
I had a bad feeling.
I've always been proud of my ability to read situations and going with my gut feelings. It goes so far that I can predict what may happen in a movie, my friends always hate that.
In that moment though I was scared, I didn't understand why, maybe it was for the person in the accident. But I felt on edge and the urge to run was exactly like a horrible foreshadowing in a book. I looked to Mick who was on the counter next to me, hoping that I might get some comfort from my companion. But just like me he could sense something was wrong, his posture was tense as we stared in the direction of the street and he even began hissing. I wasn't sure what to do, but when I heard screams coming from the road I didn't bother to think.
I ran.
At that time I hadn't known that the dead had risen, though I'm lucky I just moved and didn't ask questions. I've never moved so fast in my entire life, it felt like the devil himself was on my heels and if I slowed down he would drag me down to the pits of inferno.
Though now I know more specifically it was the undead.
I remember seeing fires break out along the houses nearby, and my gut told me it wasn't a bonfire that was going on. The screams had yet to cease and in fact had now become a chorus of numerous people from all around.
I packed everything I could get my hands on, clothes, food, toiletries, automatically going through the list I always made whenever I travelled.
At the high pitched scream of my next door neighbor, I decided that it was time to go. I shoved my shoes on with tying them, threw my bags over my shoulders and in my arms and grab the keys to my car.
I couldn't think straight, my mind was a whirl as I tried to continue moving and I knew if I stopped I'd break down. Unlocking the car from my doorway I bolted down my driveway and threw my things in as quickly as I could. I had about gotten into my car when I heard the hiss of a cat.
Mick.
What I saw still haunts me, Mick was in the doorway of my home which I'd left open in my rush and my neighbor was stumbling towards him. Something wasn't right though, her movements were jerky. I was foolish enough to get out of the car to see what was wrong, and when she turned towards me I saw.
Those eyes which were such a pretty shade of green were unfocused and the left side of her face that had been hidden before was missing the flesh on her cheek, revealing her teeth. I was so scared I couldn't scream and she was starting towards me, but my feet wouldn't listen to my brain.
Run, RUN!
But they wouldn't move, I couldn't tear my eyes from her stare and I could feel tears well up in my eyes. Everything felt like it was in slow motion, like an overdramatic scene in a movie; it was only when Mick dashed towards me that I finally snapped back to reality.
She had already reached me though and when I turned to run she grabbed my hair, I tried to pull myself away but she grabbed my wrist. I thought for sure that this would be the end, but like every human out there I wanted to survive so I pulled with all my strength and together we toppled over in my driveway. She had let go of her hold on me and I crawled to the side scrambling to get away, I didn't know what to do. I had no weapon. Then as she wobbled towards me I grabbed a log from the firewood pile we had next to our house and hit her with it across the face.
With shaking legs I stood, grabbed Mick and made my way to the car. I sat in driver's seat and fumbled with the keys trying to put them in the ignition, almost dropping them in the process.
I backed out of the driveway with my foot all the way down on the gas and turned car in the opposite direction of the car accident down the street.
But right before I turned to leave I looked back at my house and the woman in my yard that was starting to get up, tears running down my face and the glare of the fire all around, I knew.
The world had gone straight to hell.