Day 1 May 10, 2016
It was the end of the spring semester, and I had just finished with all of my finals. I was done with school until the summer sessions of classes started. So, I began to fill my days with video games, getting everything ready for the coming deer season, fishing, and hanging out with friends I had met over the past year at my new college. Everything decided to change one tuesday though. I had been hearing the reports on the news about outbreaks of an unidentified flu. I was up to date on my vaccinations and everything so I wasn't too worried.
My dad and step mom were fixing to head out of town to go to an Aerosmith concert. So, I figured I'll stock up for the night and get some friends over to drink some beer, hang out, and maybe get lucky. I got in my Explorer and headed down the road to hit up the liquor store. I live in a relatively small town around 10,000, so there's only the one liquor store in town. I went inside, got a case of bud light and a fifth of Jack Daniels, and went back out to my truck. I heard sirens and saw an ambulance head towards krogers. I pulled out towards the road to head over to the tobacco shop by krogers as a pair of police cruisers blew past and turned in at the grocery store.
Undeterred and fueled by my need of marlboro's and copenhagen, I headed over to the smoke shop. Went inside and said my hello's to Barb as she handed me a carton of marlboro reds and two sleeves of copenhagen wintergreen. I opened one of the sleeves and put a dip in while she got me two $5 jumbo scratch off tickets. Scratched both of them and saw that I won a free ticket. So, I cashed it in and scratched another. My lucky day! I won four hundred dollars. I got my cash and went ahead and doubled down on tobacco. So I left the smoke shop with a bag full of two cartons of cowboy killers and four sleeves of dip with a smile on my face.
I went ahead and pulled across the road into Kroger's parking lot. I saw the police and EMTs standing around the doors. The cops all had their guns out. I noticed one of them, Bruce, from church league softball this past summer. I decided that it wasn't my place to go over and gawk like all the other mongoloids. Plus there was an open pump, and Krogers never has an open pump. I went and filled up the truck. After I left the parking lot, I heard a gunshot. Then several more immediately followed.
I hit the gas and sped back to the house. I didn't want to see what just happened. Once I got home I unloaded all my stuff and went inside. I pushed what I heard out of my head, cracked a beer, and heated up some supper. After I got everything ready I sat down on the couch, shooed my doberman away, and turned on the tv. Immediately the news started playing some cell phone footage of what I had heard earlier. I saw a little old woman I recognized from when I used to work at krogers with blood streaming from her mouth down her chin shambling towards Bruce. He told her to stop, and she grabbed him. Then I saw her bite at him, and he shot her in the chest.
May, that was her name, was pushed back a little but kept coming. He shot again, but she didn't stop then the others started shooting as well. Then the news cut away to some doctor talking about the flu. He was comparing it to rabies, but they had no idea how it spreads. He talked about how people just need to stay inside and keep tabs on the people around them. It starts with a terrible fever. Then nausea and the infected become bedridden after a day at least. My dad sent me a text, the concert was cancelled and they were stuck in the city for the night. The news was talking about riots in Memphis, Jackson, Nashville, and every other mid to major city around me.
Rugrat texted me and said that he'd be over with some of his friends and the girls in about forty five minutes or so. So I cleaned up some and changed into a pfg button up, spritzed myself with some cologne, and shaved. I heard Duke barking at the front door and saw this guy bent over the chicken coop. I grabbed my revolver and made sure it was loaded. I went outside and hollered at the guy. He didn't seem to pay me any attention. Then I yelled a little more forcefully. He turned slowly, and I saw three of my chicks laying on the ground bloody. He got up, and I saw the blood. I told him to stop, but he didn't. I shot him. Right in his chest, but he just kept coming. I shot again as he grabbed me.
We went to the ground and he was biting at me. I got on top of him and hit him. It didn't bother him. He grabbed my arm and started pulling it towards his mouth. I put my revolver against his temple and pulled the trigger. I got up and wiped a little blood off of my shirt. I noticed Rugrat and his friends standing outside his car with their mouths hanging open. I explained what happened, and we went inside. I grabbed my phone and called Bruce. He was at another call but could be here in about fifteen minutes. Needless to say I was freaking out pretty badly.
Finally Bruce showed up and told me it was fine, that this guy attacked me, and I would have to come in for questioning. He seemed a little off, and I offered for him to come back by when he got off. He was actually off in about five minutes, so he just stuck around. Everybody was drinking and having fun despite what happened. I ended up going out to the back deck with my fifth and cigarettes. I was thinking about what all had happened when Rugrat came out. He told me I needed to come see the news.
Military had been called in to combat the "riots." The news anchor was comparing it to Ferguson and Baltimore. Then it cut to their man in the field, and Bruce and I recognized what was going on. It was dozens of the things like what attacked me and what attacked Bruce at Krogers. I asked him what was going on and what he had to say would stick with me for a while.
"The sheriff told us what was going on a few days ago. It's hitting places like Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta, L.A,and New York way harder than here, but it was starting to happen here. The news was bullshitting us and the rest of the world about it, but the state troopers told them a little more. The flu that's going around's like rabies. The people that get sick aren't getting better and after a few days they're like the people on the news. Stark raving crazy. All they do is try to kill. It's coming. Here is safer than big cities, but still the way the troopers and everyone else has talked about it's not being contained. They've deployed national guard and other soldiers to the big cities, but small towns in Tennessee aren't important." He looked so depressed when he told me about it.
Then I heard his radio kick on, "All officers are needed. 10-35 downtown. Repeat 10-35 downtown. Approximately two dozen rioters. Growing in number. 10-35 downtown." Bruce grabbed his shirt and holster and ran out to his car.
I yelled at him, "What the fuck is going on!"
He looked at me and said grimly, "It's here."
"Well, what do we do?" I pleaded.
"Have everyone stay here, don't let anyone in or out, keep the news or a radio on, and pray." With that he turned on his sirens and left.
Everyone was still drinking when I got inside. They were just having fun, and I didn't want to freak anyone out. I went to my bedroom and shut the door. I put in the combination on my gun safe and got out a shotgun and a pistol. I loaded the 12 gauge and .38. I put the shotgun behind the bedroom door and tucked the pistol in the dresser. I also grabbed some bullets for the revolver just in case. I didn't know what was going to happen, but obviously something was going on. Nothing else happened around the house and eventually I took Meagan back to my bed. We had a little fun then went to sleep.