I couldn't tell you how it started. I don't think anyone could. I can only tell of the aftermath and what happened to me when it started. At first it was only the occasional odd story by the news most of them unbelievable. I mean people eating people was not one of those things that really interested the average person any more. What with the economy in shambles and unemployment at an all time high. There were so many crazy people and cults out there now that we just lost interest. We thought the news knew this as well because with in the first couple of hours of the first report we heard nothing else for two days about these nut cases. Some people noticed the nervousness and strain of the reporters on TV like they were hiding something but once again no one really cared what was happening. I mean who cared most of us that were still working were preoccupied with just keeping our jobs at the time. And the ones who didn't have jobs were trying to figure out how to support their family's. That is until the morning of the third day, when hell broke lose and we couldn't ignore it any longer. The dead had come back.
Chapter 1 Good morning
The buzzing in my head told me that my alarm was going off loud and clear. As I rolled over and slapped the alarms snooze button I slowly opened one of my sleepy crusted eyes and peered across the room. I could see through the bedroom door and into the living room. The dog had gotten up on the couch and laid sprawled out across it with its tongue hanging out of its mouth. I personally didn't care if the dog was on the couch, but my wife would throw a fit if she saw it there. Unfortunately this meant I would have to get up instead of waiting for the snooze to go off again. My wife would be back from work in a little while. She was the one that usually kicked me out of bed for work. After my alarm goes off for the fourth or fifth time in the morning. I am not a morning person, but in this case I would have to get up to save the dog. I'm such a hero.
I swung my legs over the bed and put them on the floor. That was weird the floor was warm for once and not icy as it usually is this time of year. I must of left the heaters on high all night because it was pretty warm in the house. Well there goes the electric bill I thought to myself as I got up and stumbled into the living room. The dog opened one of its eyes and stared at me. I could see his tongue hanging out and crusty like when hes in a deep sleep. Other then his eye open he didn't move a muscle. I walked over to him and started to scratch his stomach and got his rear foot to start to move as a reward for my effort.
"Time to get up and off the couch before mom gets home Moe" I said as he just stretched out on the couch more. His legs reaching to either side of the couch.
"Look! Get up or mom's going to kick you out to the dog house out back again." He just laid there on his back and put his tongue back into his mouth and stared at me. I have a very lazy and spoiled dog in my opinion.
"Fine have it your way." I said and turned around and headed to the bathroom.
In the bathroom I looked into the mirror and examined my face. I haven't shaved in a week and the hair on my chin was turning Grey. What hair I did have on my head was starting to turn Grey as well. When i notice this I usually shave my beard and head but today I just didn't feel like it. I turned the shower on and started to get undressed from my sleeping clothes. As stepped into the shower and jump in shock, because the water was to hot. I hide behind the shower curtain and turned the hot water down only to get splashed by cold water and jumped again. I am going to change those knobs in the shower this weekend I vowed to myself as I have done every morning for the last five years.
Standing in the shower I washed myself off and then just stood their and let the water run over me and thought. I did not want to go to work today. They have been shutting the plant down for half the week for the last two months in an effort to save money while the economy is down. And when we do get to go to work there is never enough work for a whole day so you end up standing around for most of the day or finding busy work so they don't send you home for lack of work. Which I know I should not bitch about it I mean I do get paid for it but it drives you nuts with boredom. It could be worse. I could be laid off. With all the extra time off I should be getting to all those projects around the house but I can't even do that because I am only getting half pay checks and thats barely enough to cover the bills.
As I get out of the shower and wrap the towel around myself I stop and listen. I hear a car screeching down the street probably some dumb ass kid trying to show off for his friends. I didn't hear any thing else. Not even noise in the house. My wife should be back from work by now. I check my watch. She was off ten minutes ago. She works at the hospital four blocks away and it only takes a couple of minutes to get home. I shrug and open the door to the bathroom grabbing another towel for my head. The dog is still spreed out on the couch and now the cat had joined him. Those two were some of the strangest companions I have ever seen. The dog hates all cats and the cat hates all dogs but these two were best of buds. I shake my head and walk over to the TV and turn it on.
Some news anchor pops into the screen immediately and is talking about military troops moving into some small town in the middle of nowhere. I figure its in Afghanistan or some other bum fuck Egypt country. I walk into the kitchen to get something to eat. I can hear the anchor man talking about staying home during this emergency his voice seems to be higher then normal. I dig through the fridge for last nights dinner. "would love to stay home." I say to my self as I shove the left over meat loaf into the micro wave and start digging threw the drawers for a fork. I finely find one in the back of the drawer just as the meat loaf is done. I pull it out and head to the living room to eat and catch some sports highlights. I grab the remote and start changing the channel to find espn but every channel seems full of the news. I giggled to my self as I notice that every one of the reporters seems to look the same today. I turn off the TV after flipping to every channel twice with no sports on. Just what ever is going on in that small town in bum fuck Egypt. I ate mu meat loaf staring at the dog and cat on the couch. Something was nagging me but I couldn't put a finger on it.
After a while I start to think my wife is really late home from work so I get the cell phone and try to call. It goes directly to voice mail. I tried again and this time it went to the standard all lines are busy thing. I hate my cell phone company. I should try and change providers these week end. I tried her cell from the home phone and get the same message. I should be happy shes getting over time but I still have to get to work today. And we only have one car until I get paid and can get a new starter for the Honda. I finish up eating and slip on my slippers and go outside for a smoke.
As I stood out side on the porch I notice that the Jennings two houses down are packing the back of their car. I looked at my watch and thought its kind of a strange time to be going on a trip. Especially since chuck was laid off two weeks ago. I felt the dog brush by me on his way out the door to go to the bathroom which distracted me from watching the Jennings. I took a look around the yard and realized I haven't done poop patrol for about a week. It was starting to look bad. I'll have to get to that this weekend. I smashed my smoke out and went inside leaving the door open so the dog could come back in.
I went back to the bedroom and started to get dressed for work. As I was debating which set of socks were cleaner I heard the dog growl. Now I usually ignore his growls but something in its tone told me this was something not normal. I walked back into the living room to see my dogs hackles up and him growling at the door. I also noticed the cat was on guard as well. I shrugged and went to the door which was still open. I poked my head out and saw some guy hunched over somebody else. In the front yard. I stepped out and yelled. "Hey whats what are you doing there?" the guy turned at the sound of my voice and I about shit my pants.