28 Days Later- Sarah Popeil's Story
My name is Sarah Popeil and I am 26 years old. I used to live on the outskirts of London. I had the most handsome and wonderful finance, Cole Delaney. He was my world and I was his. My father, Sam Popeil had died long ago and my mother, Rachel Popeil, is still alive. I lived with her. It has been 2 days since my mother and my finance have been infected. I am alone now and I have yet to find anyone else around; well anyone else that's not infected. I can't keep running like this and I know they will catch up with me. I remember the day the infection started.
I was sitting alone in the living room going through an old photo album my soon to be mother-in-law gave me so I could make fun of Cole when I saw him later that night. I prepared jokes I could use during dinner. As I went through the album I made occasional "oohs" and "awwws". I smiled to myself and ialmost done when in came my mother. She was crying uncontrollably and I immediately ran to her. She hugged me tightly telling me she loved me and that she won't let anything happen to me. I had no idea what was going on and then there was a knock on the front door. It was Cole. He gave me a kiss on the forehead and took my mother in his arms, leading her to the car and telling me to follow. He reassured me everything will be ok and I should stay calm. As we got into his station wagon my neighbors were also getting into their cars. Everyone was so frantic and I still had no idea what to expect.
I was in the backseat with my mom and Cole was driving as quickly as he could on the back roads, making sure he was avoiding main roadways. I shook without knowing and I held my head to the window staring into the night. The stars were bright and the moon was large. My mother had fallen asleep and I decided now was the time to ask what was going on. I leaned forward and put my hand on Cole's shoulder, making him jump. I asked what was going on and he told me. "A virus as broken out at some science laboratory. It's infecting people rapidly and the infected are going crazy. We're in danger and we need to get out as quickly as possible. Didn't your mother tell you? I called her before I got to your house." He could sense I was scared and he reached back and put his hand on mine.
We drove on and soon the stars disappeared and out rose the Sun. My mother was still asleep and I stayed awake through the night, trying to keep Cole awake. I turned my head to look out the window and I saw a figure running our direction. It was coming very fast and the closer I got the better I could see. It was a man. I begged Cole to stop but he wouldn't. When the man came closer I could see that his eyes were blood red and her was cut up and blood was coming from his mouth. He threw up blood on himself and he shouted loudly. We were going to fast for him to get to the car. When I saw the hate in him it made me sick. I wanted to throw up myself.
Out of the horizon I saw many more coming. I let out a scream, waking up my mother and I began to shake more. My mother stayed calm and she held my hand. I think she knew deep inside that everything would be alright. They came at us like a swarm of bees and surrounded the car. Cole ran a few over but they just kept coming. He reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a Walther P99 handgun. He gave it to me and he opened the moon light
telling me get out there and "shoot those sons of bitches". I trembled and rose up. The car's speed made the wind feel strong. It was freezing and I could barely keep my hand still. I aimed for one and shot. The bullet went straight into his head and caused him to fall on one other. The car went over them both. The screams gave me a headache. I began shooting like crazy, not missing one. Once I was able to get two with one bullet. Then an infected woman hopped on the back of the car. I shot at her and there was no more bullets in the gun. I screamed and tried to defend myself. Next thing I knew I was forced back into the car and the moon light began to close, but not quickly. The infected woman ripped off the moon light and threw it behind her. She shouted loudly and I covered my ears. Cole threw a pack of bullets and another gun at my mother. She shot the woman and blood fell into the car. It landed on the armrest and began to move lightly across it. I cleaned it up with a napkin from the floor and tossed it out through the moon light. Cole pushed as hard as he could on the gas peddle, forcing me and my mom to fly back into our seats.
We finally lost them, but we knew that wasn't the last of them. I clenched my stomach as it growled. I was still confused about what was going on, but that confusion didn't last long when I finally realized that all I needed to know was that I could die and I shouldn't rely on just my mother and Cole, but also on myself.
We ran for days and then that turned to three weeks. We were now in a barn without food and gas. I haven't bathed in almost a week. We were lucky to find an axe and pistol on the wall. There was a house not to far, but the outside of it was blood stained. We decided to stay away. Up in the loft of the barn we could see for miles and we took turns keeping watch. Then, they came. The first time in a few days. The barn door was locked but they were taking it apart piece by piece. Their reflexes were great and they moved quickly, climbing the walls and ladders like monkeys. I clenched the ax in my hands and I swung at them. I closed my eyes and just kept swinging. I hear gun shots going off and roars echo the barn. Tears began streaming down my face and then I heard my mother screaming. I opened my eyes. She had fallen and they were attacking her as she struggled to the ladder. Cole pushed it off on top of her and them. He hugged me tightly and gave me a long, passionate kiss. He told me he loved me and led me to the window. The infected were jumping up to the loft from the hay stacks below. Cole handed me the gun again and gave me the last box of bullets. One last kiss and he pushed me out of the window of the loft. I landed outside on a tall hay stack. I got up and waited for him to jump out after me. Tears were forming in his eyes and he picked up the ax. He turned around and right behind him was one of the infected. He turned to late and I didn't see it behind him. He was attacked and infected before my eyes.
I ran as fast as I could. They were on my tail and I couldn't keep at this. I followed the road into a city, which one I was unaware of. I fell on my face. I had no time to feel sorry for myself and I had to get up as quickly as I could. I wanted to rest. I screamed loudly for help and now one was around. I might have lost them, but I was to afraid to turn around. There was an empty grocery store with a backlight on. I ran for it and tried to open the door. It was locked. I began to pound on it screaming for someone. I knew there were people in there because I saw two shadows. I turned around to check for the infected and they weren't there. I don't know where they were or how long they've been gone. Did they get tired of chasing me? I yelled again telling the people inside that the infected weren't there and I was alone. A man in his mid thirties peaked his head out and stared at me. I began crying tears of joy when I saw him. He came to the door and opened it. I hugged him tightly and continued to cry, thanking him over and over again.