I DO NOT OWN INGRID OR THE YOUTUBERS LISTED IN THIS STORY.

Ingrid's Journey

-A Dark World Prequel

Chapter 1:

Ingrid's POV

I zipped up my jacket as Luke talked into his camera. We were in Iowa for the Christmas holidays. It was the twenty-first, the supposed end of the world, it didn't happen. So that was good.

"…so we're going to try to dig into it. Ingrid, you getting this on?" Luke asked about my jacket.

"Yeah," I mumbled zipping it up.

"She's pretty bundled already," he informed the camera while filming me. "How many layers do you have on?"

"A lot!" I said.

We both laughed. Luke shut off the camera and we talked for a few minutes. It was snowing heavily outside. I looked through the window and adjusted my panda hat. Luke handed the Camera off to a member of his family and went to get a pair of overalls for me to put on. It was embarrising. They were tan overalls. His family member turned on the camera and began filming me.

"And these are my dads!" Luke said. "His Overalls."

"You're six-two, right dad?" Luke asked. "and Ingrid is…not quite six-two." We both laughed. "So zip these up down here." His mother helped zip me up.

"Maybe one day I will be six-two!" I said softly.

I stepped into a pair of snow boots.

"Does it fit?" Becky Conard, Luke's mother asked me. "Because you've got some socks on maybe?"

"It's like Cinderella and the glass slipper." Luke said forcing the boot on.

Later that day, after we'd gone outside and played around, I sat in the living room with Luke, his mother and his father. Their fire was roaring by us and it felt nice after being so cold outside. I sniffed and took a sip of my hot chocolate.

"Thanks," I said to Becky, who had made this for me.

"Oh, no problem Ingrid." She smiled.

Mr. Conard turned on the television and Mrs. Conard rolled her eyes, but smiled at the same time.

"A warning has been issued for everyone living on the southern edge of America. A small virus outbreak has spread quickly from Southern America to the south border of the United States. Anyone infected will show signs of extreme fever, sweating, vomiting, loss of appetite, loss of nerve feeling, blurred vision, hearing problems and an unknown version of bumps along their body." the news reporter said. "The governor of Iowa is warning everyone to stay in doors and try to keep warm. We don't know how long this will last and if it reaches us."

The reporter stepped aside and screen shots of people in Texas and Arizona and Florida with bumps and disoriented looks.

"How awful," Mrs. Conard said.

"All travel to or from Mexico and South America has been barred. The United States is now doubling security on the border to keep the sick away. Whatever this is, it's being called the American Plague of 2012."

Mr. Conard flipped the TV off. I looked at Luke worried. This didn't seem good. I got up and set my mug on the table. I strolled past Luke and walked into our room. I pulled my phone out of my bag and called Joey.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Ingrid, hey what's up? How's Iowa?"

"Good, hey is anything happening in Los Angeles?" I asked.

"No…" he paused. "Why?"

"The news said there is some outbreak on the border." I said. "It's probably nothing. Sorry I bothered you." I said.

"O…okay? Well have a good Christmas, talk to you later." He hung up.

"Bye."

I set the phone down and smiled at my worriment.

"Hey Chunky? Where did you go?" Luke walked in.

"Sorry Mister!" I laughed.

"Mom and dad are going to bed, I'm thinking I'll get a little shut eye too." he said.

"Okay, I'm going to grab a shower real quick." I said.

He nodded and started changing out of his clothes. I stepped into the bathroom and turned the knob. I let the warm water circulate and then stepped in. The water rolled down my back and through my hair. It's warmth spread over my body in a matter of seconds. Little beads of water rolled down my legs in races. I turned around and grabbed a bottle of shampoo. I scrubbed my hair thoroughly and washed it out. I grabbed some soap and lathered my body up. When I was satisfied with myself, I turned off the water and grabbed a towel. I wiped the water away from my body and then changed into my PJ'S. They had little snowmen on them. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and put on some lotion. I smiled at myself and then walked to the bedroom. Luke was already snoring when I got in bed. I got up next to him and closed my eyes.

We left Iowa a few days later and got home on the 25th, Luke dropped me off at my house and I found Nugget residing on my couch. I petted him and felt his purr. I looked at the panda painted on my wall and yawned. I pulled my bags out and started unpacking. Tomorrow would be another day closer to a new year. I flipped on the TV as I sorted my clothes. Nugget pounced on a toy he had in the corner. I laughed and put a shirt in my shirt pile.

"Several outbreaks of the American Plague of 2012 have been reported in Los Angeles, if anyone you know has been infected please call 9-1-1 for immediate hospitalization." The news said. "Stay in doors at all costs."

There was a knock on my door. I opened it up and found Joey and Brittnay with suitcases and food. I looked at them.

"Ingrid can we crash here? Four people on our floor got sick." Joey asked.

"Oh my god, of course. Come in." I ushered them.

I looked around a closed the door.

They unloaded their bags near mine. They began unloading food into the fridge and cabinets.

"It may be a good idea to get more food." Brittnay said.

"How bad is it?" I asked.

"It's not too bad, it's just they cough and scream in pain all the time." Brittnay said.

"It got really scary." Joey said.

"I hope they find a cure, or something." I said.

"Me too, those poor people. Did you hear the ones infected on the border died? Well not all of them, but a lot." Brittnay said.

"Wow," I slumped down into my couch.

"I feel like we're in Rome, during the bubonic plague." Joey said.

I laughed at that but felt guilty. I heard a scream and ran to the balcony. The three of us looked down below. A woman had crashed into a telephone pole and killed one of the infected. She was crying and people were rushing to her side. I closed my eyes and called 9-1-1.

"9-1-1 what is your emergency?" they asked.

"A woman just killed someone who was infected. He ran out in front of her and…she just ran into him." I said.

"Okay, where was this."

I gave them the street name and they hung up. I looked back down at the people. They were freaking out. A few of them had their cell phones out and were calling for help. I heard sirens off in the distance. The Los Angeles sun started to set. It was going to be a different world with this plague out there.