A/N- I'm starting this story as a treat to myself for finishing A Tale of Yet Another Red Haired Wonder. I've been a good girl; I'm going to reward myself.

Okay, the idea for this story is a combination of many things. One is an old drawing I found from when I was in third grade. C: It's also from the legend of the 2012 apocalypse, (which I don't believe in, but is really cool anyway), a TV series called The Colony, assorted pieces of cover art for movies, Chernobyl, and my friend KD, who is extremely violent.

Just wanted to give credit where due. C: Let's get started!

THIS IS FOR YOU, KD!

Chapter One – Prologue

I hated my job. I wish I could just stay home with Alec and Rachel, but we needed the money. As much as I despised working in an office, I knew that it provided more money than we needed, which was prefect. I wanted Alec to have every luxury. My little boy would have everything, even if he was only two at the moment. And Rachel. We especially needed a well-paid job if she was going to be a stay-at-home mom.

Still, sitting at a computer working on projects I couldn't care less about bored me out of my mind.

I glanced at my watch, hoping it was late enough to take my lunch break. Luckily, it was. I needed to get out of this cramped cubicle. Maybe a steak or something from the diner across the street would get me out of this self-pitying mood. Shutting off my computer, I stood up and stretched out my legs, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. I left, taking the elevator down six levels to the ground floor, where I was assaulted by a wave of people who were waiting for the elevator. I was used to this by now, though, as the office I worked at was for a popular magazine. People were coming by with stories and photos 24/7.

I nimbly slipped out of the now-crowded elevator, and left, crossing the crowded city street to my favorite eatery. This was the one of the only things I liked about working here; I was so near to a good restaurant. I always ate lunch here.

I was just about to open the door when I heard a huge explosion and screams, followed by the sound of screeching tires. I turned toward the noise, and saw that the most of the cars on this street had pulled over, and the drivers were running for cover in buildings and alleyways, or behind the halted cars.

Running from the flames that were streaming out from the car whose gas tank had blown, the fire spreading to the other vehicles with deadly speed.

Running from the bullets zinging through the air.

Running from the insane psychopath who was yelling at the top of his lungs and shooting at us.

"LEAVE WHILE YOU STILL CAN! THE WORLD IS ENDING! SAVE YOURSELVES!"

Even as I ducked behind a car, trying to escape the machine gun held in his hand, I could appreciate the irony. A man was yelling at us to save ourselves, and yet he was setting cars on fire and shooting at innocent civilians. What was going on here?

I poked my head over to the side, trying to at least see what this madman looked like.

He had yellowing hair that hung limply on dead looking skull. He was gaunt and thin, but seemed to have a lot of energy for a seemingly starved person. His fingers and arms were bent strangely, not broken but not natural either. The man seemed deformed.

And he was still yelling and shooting at everybody who got within range.

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! THEY'RE COMING FOR YOU! TRUST NOBODY!"

I wondered who 'they' were. Probably caretakers at the insane asylum this wacko had escaped from. I was about to poke my head out for another look but pulled back as a spray of bullets hit the car. When was this guy going to run out of ammo? Already, about four people had been shot, and I knew that for a fact at least one of them was dead. I could see the body from where I was crouching behind the abandoned car.

After a minute or two without him shooting at the car, I peeped out again, wanting another look.

And my jaw blossomed with sudden agony.

'Well, you know, curiosity did kill the cat.' I thought to myself as I lay still on the asphalt of the city street. 'I hope Rachel and Alec will at least be okay.'

I couldn't move, it was far too painful. I slowly started to die, not from the actual bullet, but from the swelling. There was so much of it, and blood as well, that I couldn't breathe.

The world slowly started to go black as I died, listening to the shouts and screams as the man continued to shoot, continued to kill everybody he could.