Preface:

I lengthen my strides as I try to find a path out of chaos. Screams come into contact with my ears. Adrenaline courses through my veins causing my heart to pound loudly in my ears. At this point I could care less about who I am running into a wall or causing to fall.

I am only caring about one solitary thing. My survival.

I reach the entrance to the school near the paved road. Sweat is trickling down the crevice between my breast as my chest heaves up and down from the lack of oxygen. A dark blue suburban screeches to a stop right in front of me. Swiftly, the passenger side window rolls down. Seth yells through the screaming high school kids for me to 'get in the car'.

I do as told, slamming the door behind me. Locking my seat belt into place, Seth begins to speeds down the highway.

"What the hell is happening? Where are we going?" I frantically question. A heap of confusion that has been caught in my mouth tumbles out all at once.

"I'm not sure. Somewhere we can make it. Shane has the main plan." Seth explains, dodging the disorganized cars that are swerving in front of us. "All I know for sure is that something is happening to the world. It's here, Carruthers. The Zombie Apocalypse is breaking loose." He seems so serious as he focuses on the road ahead. A state I rarely see Seth in.

"Bull-" But as soon as I'm about to protest, call a bluff to his joke, something jumps out in front of the car. I want to scream, but my screams are choked off as I'm too frightened by the ghoul on top of the hood of the van.

Gasping, I jolt up from my bed. My great-grandfather's WWII dog tag necklace is tangled in the loose braid that's pulled to the side of my head. I untangle the necklace as I push the mess of damp sheets off of my sticky body. My heart rate begins to slow and my breathing returns to a normal state.

I push the screen lock button on my phone, checking the time. It's a good thing that the nightmare woke me up. I have an hour to spare before I head over to Shane's to train once again for the non-existent Zombie Apocalypse.

I swing my legs over the side of my bed to stand. I rub my drowsy eyes with my hand. It takes a second for me to realize that I probably smeared my makeup. Oh, well. Before walking into the kitchen I adjust my cutoff tank top so it won't be too revealing.

I pause my assent down the hall realizing that there are no signs of my mother being home. Striding over to the window I see that her car is still parked in the driveway, meaning she must be here. Maybe she just went to visit the neighbors, but she would've woken me and told me. Strange.

I hear a noise come from down the hall. "Mom?" I call after the sound, hoping that it's her. I turn around starring at the dark hallway.

Something begins to lurk towards me. I stare, waiting for it to come into focus. I'm not completely awake from my nap, so it takes me a while to process what it is. For a split second I think I'm having a dream within a dream. Which has happened too many times before.

But I know this is real.

I scream as soon as the reality of the situation hits me. My heart beat rises as adrenaline speeds through my veins. My first instinct is to flee. I turn around and run through the kitchen to the knife holder. With shaky hands I grab a knife and launch it at the member of the Undead. I clutch another before throwing it at its heart.

It doesn't slow down.

The zombie just groans and yanks the knives out of its leg and chest. Completely unfazed. I put my brain on high-speed, trying to remember all of the training that I thought was pointless. If only I had listened to Shane!

Suddenly, it hits me like a ton of brick. The head, take out the brain.

Stupidly, the only escape is to run past the zombie, which I do. I think I've got a clean break until my head whips back. Damn thing has a hold on my braid. I plant my feet on the floor, using it to my advantage. I bend my legs and fly from the ground, gracing the ghoul with a nice round house kick to the head. Thank you two years of gymnastics and five years of dancing.

With what little time I've bought I make it to my room. I shut the door but it swings right back open. I grab the gun from the corner of my room. Hastily, I undo the safety, aim, and squeeze the trigger.

Blood splatters all over me as I fall to my knees in exhaustion form the wear off of adrenaline. I try to catch my breath and refrain from looking at the twice dead thing on my floor.

I scream once more as the buzzing of my phone catches me off guard. The gun flies from my grasp and lands on the bed. Good thing that it wasn't loaded. I answer the phone but can't bring myself to speak.

"Carruthers." Shane, says through the phone on his end. "I know you're there, Carruthers. I can hear your heavy breathing."

"What the hell is going on?" I finally manage to say through a jagged breath.

"It's here."