Her eyes remained closed as she thought about the best plan of action. It had happened so quickly, much more so than she could have ever expected. A virus that is what they had said it was something that couldn't be traced and couldn't be cured something that killed the living and brought them back from the dead. The news became an insanity something no one wanted to believe. Reanimation of the dead? How was that even possible. Even with advances in science could it even be possible for those who had died from this infection to walk again amongst the living? Sighing heavily as she muted the gore that was flashing across her television screen Alastair stood walking into her kitchen. Turning the kitchen sink on Alastair tossed a few handfuls of water in her face before looking up and out the window. The world appeared to be abandoned and soon so would her home no one to know the inhabitance of the people who had once lived there. The man she'd been seeing had taken off at once calling her crazy for staying behind and maybe she was, but right now that didn't matter to her. No, what Ali had been hoping was to be able to keep her sense of sanity and humanity, however it was becoming clearer day by day that would never be the case again.
Finally turning off the water Alastair returned to the living room watching the horror flow like a movie across the muted screen, "The world really is going to shit isn't it?" she said sighing heavily. The twenty five year old cop had taken a few weeks off work hoping to relax after a hard drug bust which had ended in the sacrifice of two of her best officers. Looking over to her phone as she thought on the bust Alastair had to admit she was quite surprised to have not received any calls from the force since this outbreak. It appeared they were taking her vacation quite seriously, but no one could blame them the stubborn assholes she worked with looked for anyway to get her out of the office after the pit fall in the case some for her to relax others did it because they didn't appreciate even in this day in age a woman giving orders. Finally clicking the volume button on the television Alastair listened as a frightened reporter spoke to someone about a supposed haven in Atlanta. This almost made her laugh as a small smirk placed itself upon her simple pale features.
"If anyone thinks that city is safe they must be nuts…" Alastair had been to Atlanta a few times and though these people swore up and down that the city was safe Alastair felt that more than likely it would be one of the first to fully fall. That place was ridden with pain and crime anyone who could get the chance to get away with shit would take it out that way and sadly that would cause their downfall. Standing once more Alastair stretched her arms up over her head. Tired of sitting around just listening to the world go to shit Ali headed up the stairs two at a time to her bedroom to pack a couple of suitcases. The essentials were what was needed here unlike those idiots flooding out of their homes she would think logically on this. What would she truly need to make it through till she made it to one of these safe points. Well to start off with she would take a good few sets of clothes, her gun, a small assortment of knives and food. Those were the basics with survival. Alastair knew she could survive in her car or at least for a while. With the way these people now a days they would more than likely take out a whole chunk of gas before she made it to a gas station.
"At least that prick left me the truck and my bike…" Looking across the room to her dresser she looked at the smiling form of her and the man she'd been dating. They had seemed so happy then now look at them, "abandonment the simplest form of idiocy a male has… think of no one, but themselves." A deep smirk placed itself once more on her face as she finished packing up the things she needed from her room and quickly dragged the suitcases down the stairs, out the back door and into the garage. It seemed quite odd that when the world is falling apart right in front of your eyes that you'd be so calm, but somehow that was just how Ali felt. What was the point she felt to go crazy and freak out over something you couldn't avoid especially with it staring you straight in the face? Heading back into the house Ali quickly pulled out some food that wouldn't spoil or rot and tossed them into some bags to back in the back seat and trunk then slid in. Rolling her eyes Ali ran back into the house grabbing her trucks keys along with both her work and personal cell phones. It seemed as of yet that the world hadn't gone to total shit for slight communications were still up including a few radio stations and apparently some cell services or at least their towers.
"Thank the heavens above…" Ali said sarcasm easily apparent in her voice. Though she worried about her family she knew many of them could take care of themselves and that they were just as stubborn and thick headed as she was. Raised with southern blood flowing through her veins helped the young damsel to adapt to harsh situations. Sliding once more into her truck Ali revved the beauty up before backing out of her garage and onto the abandoned street. Wreckage appeared to be everywhere the silence like a graveyard. Missing flyers, for sale signs and wrecked cars appeared to inhabit the small area along with trash and even baby carriages. This caused Ali's ease to waver just a bit; children small and innocent had also been brought into a new world of torture, terror and death, "Something they should never have to see…" She reasoned with herself however that once again this couldn't be helped whatever had caused this was the past, this was the present and what those families and herself chose to do with this present would in the end decide their future's.
Pushing her hand through her hair as she drove to the city limits and stopped Alastair sighed. Outside the city was even worse than inside of it; which did in fact actually shock the young cop, "Damn," she said her voice almost a whisper as disbelief struck her. Car's slammed into ditches some upside down or set a flame, the smell of death and recent decay apparent as she stepped out of her truck. Covering her nose knife in hand and gun easily accessible Alastair started towards a few of the cars looking into them for anything she may be able to salvage, "I feel like I'm intruding on a grave…" She admitted to herself as she looked into some of the vehicles; some of them held decaying, shocked bodies, other's had blood splattered across the windshield and back windows, however the most shocking was a small minivan which held a child's car seat blood almost flooding and soaked into the fabric. The minivan was the last vehicle she could even stand looking at before heading back to her truck patting her bike a bright smile placing itself on her lips as she blew it a kiss, "well doll at least you didn't abandon me…" unsure as to why she was even attempting this last sense of humor Alastair headed back to driver's side when the dark deep moan of something was heard coming from one of the ditches next to her.
Walking over to the edge of the ditch Alastair caught her first glimpse of the true meaning of the living dead. The body of a woman who appeared to have lost half of her face and one arm was trying to pull her way out from underneath a truck that had tipped itself on it's side during what appeared to have been a hefty accident. Chills sliding down back as she backed away from the ditch finding the woman to be no threat by the obvious predicament of being jammed under a truck and got into her truck shock enveloping her for a moment before she finally placed her knife back in the cup holder beside her. Starting the truck up Alastair slid a CD into the player deciding with what she had just seen there was no way she was going to listen to the news again for a while. Bile was slowly finding its way up her chest and into her throat, however she held it down telling herself she couldn't get sick over what she'd seen. It wasn't as if she hadn't seen blood or gore before. No, she'd seen it many of times during murder cases, though they'd normally turned these over to higher officials she'd been the first on the scene for a few a couple of them having decapitation or ritualistic set-ups. Though Alastair had to admit she hadn't been on the force, but a few years she knew how to hold herself when brought into a tough situation. She had to remind herself now though this was different it wasn't a crime scene that she could erase from her mind and go to bed, no this was a situation that dealt with the whole world.
As she sang along to the music playing from her speakers Ali looked out the driver's side window the world passing by slowly. Taking in each little scene as she watched it pass her eyes Alastair almost felt like she was going to cry. It was hard to get that last car out of her mind. The blood covering that child's car seat it must have been horrid whatever had happened to that little child. Feeling a tear crawl its way down her cheek Alastair shook her head telling herself she couldn't let her emotions get to her no matter how horrid a scene was she had to keep her head in the game if she wanted to survive. Life was a live or die situation now she had to finally admit that even with her wanting to ignore that factor especially in the last week when her boyfriend had just up and left at the first word of the world falling apart. She'd said the government and the law could take care of everything even when she knew something as deep as whatever this virus was wouldn't be able to be handled that easily she still denied that to him and to herself. Staying behind when the rest of the world had fled thinking that things would eventually go back to normal had been stupid. Stupidity she realized during the last news reports would get you killed, thus why she had packed up finally and left leaving behind every memory and hope for the future in that house.
Gripping the steering wheel tighter Ali finally focused her efforts on going forward. Turning the audio down as she looked for any possible gas stations Alastair felt her breath finally come out in a deep sigh after not even realizing she had been holding it. Head spinning as she noticed a small convenient store up ahead a smile once more placed itself upon her lips. Crossing her fingers hoping that there would be enough gas to not only fill up her truck and some in her bike, but also enough to fill up one if not both of the gas jugs she'd packed into the bed of the truck. Pulling slowly into the parking lot Alastair took a moment to survey the area. It all seemed to be quiet though eerily so. Jumping out of the truck after a few minutes Alastair quickly started filling up the truck's tank. It appeared though many had been booking it out of the town not many had stopped at this gas station even with it's easy convenience, "More than likely most had already been set and thinking the quicker they got away from the city the better…" She reasoned with herself knowing this was only a lucky break that not everywhere would be this stocked.
After filling the tanks and checking the convenient store for around fifteen minutes Ali finally headed back out to her truck noticing evening was slowly coming upon her, "Going to have to find somewhere to set-up for the night soon cause those clouds really don't look very inviting." Pushing her hands through her hair once more a slow sigh escaping her lips as she slid into the driver's seat. As she drove further down the road looking for anywhere that would be a simple hold up if even for just one night Alastair finally noticed a small home about 40 miles down the road. It seemed to have been abandoned and raided obvious by the easily inviting door who's window had been busted out. Pulling out her gun and one of the knives Alastair carefully approached the door opening in and slipping in. The entryway was a thin one made from laminated oak wood. A couple of coat hangers were nailed to the wall an old trench coat hanging off of one of them. Surveying the rest of the house brought up the same results. The home was a simple one mostly made out of the same laminated wood as the entryway. Though elegant the home obviously belonged to a younger couple just making it into their own home no kids to wreck the leather couches or huge flat screen television that for obvious reason's hadn't been taken.
"No point in dragging a huge fucker like that out of here," She said to herself. It was becoming accustomed in these past few days that Alastair had begun doing this. Being alone had taught her how to make easy conversation with herself. What was the point of being silent in a completely silent world? It would be awkward and quite ludicrous to do so. Finally heading back into the entry way Alastair looked through the broken window at the angry clouds that seemed to be ready to break loose, "Well best get this window boarded up, but where am I going to find something board it up with?" There really hadn't been much left to the house when she'd looked around, thus giving her no ideas, however there was the detached garage in the back maybe someone had some wood or something that she could use to hold up the window. Getting into her truck as she exited back out the door Alastair drove it to the back yard knowing full well she might as well hide the truck not only from the weather, but from any who may wander into this area. Parking the truck carefully Ali looked around the garage it appeared she was in luck the man seemed to enjoy a hobby of carving every so often, "Would explain the elegant updates…" She reasoned with herself.
Slipping out of the truck Alastair grabbed a few things that she might need and jogged back to the house entering it just as the first sound of thunder hit her ears, "Well perfect timing if I do say so myself…" Shutting the door and quickly getting to work Ali put the boards up nailing them to the frame of the door. If anyone decided to attack the house at least they wouldn't have easy access that she wouldn't hear. Finishing up a few minutes later Alastair headed towards the kitchen hoping to be able to rustle something together. Checking the water quickly Ali was happy to find it was still working throwing a splash of cold water in her face to wake herself back up, Though obviously tired and for good reason she knew that if she didn't get something to eat soon she would quite weak when she woke up.. Finding a cup of noodles up the cupboard Ali reasoned with herself it was the simplest thing for her to make right now, so placing it in the microwave Ali waited while the noodles spun slowly.
Watching her meal cook Ali looked at the kitchen a little more curious as to who may of lived here. As she had noticed before it was obvious that a young loving couple had moved in here. One of them more than likely the husband being in love with carving. It seemed that the house had been remodeled slightly by the couple making it more modern, yet modest all at the same time. When the microwave finally dinged Ali grabbed her noodles then headed into the living room after straining them. Sitting carefully on the couch eyes staring blankly at the television she thought to the reason's behind her recent actions. Could there have been a better reaction to make when the outbreak had been announced? The news had said to stay inside and not go anywhere at least at first, but just like her ex almost no one had stayed inside fleeing as quickly as they could out of the city. They'd all appeared on the news like mice running through a maze fearful of their food being stolen or their life being snuffed out. At first it had been amusing seeing them scurry around fear darkening their eyes, after a while however it had become worrying for the infected; or the walking dead as some had considered them began to attack reporters or simple civilians even soldiers had been taken down by these cannibalistic things. Sighing heavily trying to put it out of her mind Alastair ate her noodles and then laid out on the couch slowly allowing sleep to envelop her. Sleep wouldn't hold her soon however for an hour after she'd fallen asleep the sound of a gun in the distance pulled her out of her slumber her eyes wide fear heavily apparent.
Who might she encounter? Who set the gun off? Questions and answers in the next chapter. As everyone notices I've got a few stories going right now and I swear I'm going to get back to them soon, but with my entrapment in the walking dead I had to work on one here as well. Hope everyone enjoys. Alastair is my OC the walking dead and its characters are property of AMC and the creators J