The morning of the outbreak is just like any other morning. My alarm goes off at 7:30 sharp, a piano rendition ripping me from my dreams. I roll to my bedside table to press the snooze button. Rolling back, the love of my life greets me with a smile and a sweet kiss before wrapping me back into the warmth of his arms for another twenty-five minutes.
Shane and I met each other while working at a grocery store. We had our first date six months later, as I was oblivious to him flirting until that point. We hit it off from the beginning, and now, almost two and a half years later, I couldn't imagine being without him. He is the most caring, loving person I know, and sometimes I think I don't deserve him. Even though we no longer work together, our relationship thrived.
We spend the minutes before my last warning alarm holding each other. As my alarm goes off for the final time, I sneak one last kiss before falling out of bed in haste. I glance back at the pile of blankets containing my dear one, smiling as his bleary hazel eyes watch me sleepily.
Having left myself only five minutes to get ready, I grab my pre-selected outfit, slipping into it and continue to the bathroom. Popping both contacts in, I blink away the tears long enough to haphazardly line my bright blue eyes. I braid my long black hair to the side, grabbing my knit beret and tucking the hair inside. Checking my reflection, I hear the honk that signals my ride. I pop my head back through the bedroom, blow a kiss and dart out the door.
My chariot awaits me underneath the streetlight, a powder blue minivan. I rush in, shutting the passenger door securely behind me. The smell of menthol cigarettes and the smile of my friend and coworker Cindy greet me. We leave the tidy neighborhood, driving the hour to work talking quietly.
Pulling into the parking lot, I can tell we're in for a busy day. Five cars sit in front of the cozy pet grooming shop, each with wet noses pressed to the windows. I hop out as soon as the van stops, rushing to beat the first customers through the door. The strong aroma of incense and lemon-lime air freshener assault my nose the minute I pass through the door. The moment I open the pet door to reach my receptionist desk, two German Shepard mixes rush toward me. They push and shove one another, competing to be pet first. I crouch down, snuggling each in turn, before sitting in my twirly chair.
I spend the day answering phones, booking appointments, and checking dogs in and out. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. We close up shop at around four, and Cindy and I walk around the back to her van. "What the hell?" Cindy exclaims. I turn to see what she is talking about, to see the wreckage of a three car accident.
"Damn, I hope everyone is okay." We both pause a moment, taking it in. We hear sirens in the distance and continue to the van in silence.
We merge onto the freeway, noticing more traffic than usual, but thinking nothing of it. It's when we see all the police cars and ambulances that we start to wonder. "Jesus, what is going on?" Cindy glances about, merging off the highway early, not wanting to drive bumper to bumper. Scanning the horizon, I see multiple smoke stacks in the distance, portraying far off fires.
"I have no clue, but it's not good." She takes the long way, and no matter where we turn we are greeted by sirens. We pass another accident, to our left and slow down. Through the debris, we see a figure stumbling out. It's a young woman, and as she gets closer, we both gasp. A large shard of glass protrudes from her abdomen, liters of blood trailing her. She continues to move towards our vehicle and we notice something off. Her eyes are unfocused, and have a white film over them. Her throat is completely slit open, the white of bone showing through. She reaches the van and lunges toward the hood. Her limbs flail wildly, repeatedly striking the metal surface, and she pounds her face against it. The realization that the dead were walking should have made me freeze, but instead my brain went into overdrive. I turned to Cindy, seeing my fear and confusion mirrored in her own eyes.
"We gotta move, now. I don't have a clue what's going on, but I don't want to stick around to find out." She nods, shifts gears, and drives around the woman. We pass more 'things' as we go, and as we turn the corner what we see nearly makes me lose it. The local mall lies halfway between the salon and our neighborhood. You have to pass it, no matter which road you take, to reach home. We near the overpass, and see nothing but wrecks and the dead. "Cindy, I think we should turn around."
The moment the words leave my mouth, we see a large SUV begin to plow our way. It takes down both living and not, knocking them over the guard rails onto the freeway below. It overpowers a small car, and heads toward us. I get a split second glimpse at the driver, who is now wrestling with one of those things through his busted out window. The next second, he crashes head on into us.