A/N: The opening scene is here to get the nature of the story. Though I hope you do realize this isn't going to be a happy bunny fun-time story already. I do hope you enjoy. Comments and reviews appreciated.

-Cujo

RISEN:Prologue

The room was dark except for the illumination of the television screen where lines of static danced the night away. In another part of the house cries of pain and screams of hunger could be heard. A shadow moves across the floor and stops in front of the TV. From the silhouette of a little girl tears fall onto a blood soaked carpet.

"Mommy!" She cried out, her distraught voice echoing through the halls of the house. Hurried footsteps race towards her with bloody screeches. The girl stands there and waits; she wants to be with her mommy again.

Blood splatters against the TV screen; the sound of ripping and tearing mixes with the noisy static.

It begins…

As Lou put her rainbow socks on she made note of how quite the house was considering her family was home today. Normally she would hear the sounds of her brother playing Harvest Moon In the other room or at least her mom washing dishes. Taking her sweet time she threw on her rainbow sweatshirt and went to investigate the odd tranquility. Her footsteps echoed through the hallway as she made her way to the game room; her brother probably had the game on mute, after all the Magical Melody music got annoying after awhile.

That room was empty, the controller to the Game Cube was lying on the floor and Harvest Moon was playing but the room was empty. He's probably outside with mom, she reassured herself. It helped a little but it would take a better explanation to fully win herself over. When she heard the crunching sound relief returned, her dad must be in the living room eating a bag of chips.

Extremely giddy she hopped into the living room to tackle her dad, instead she froze. From the pit of her stomach a scream arose; Lou backed up against the wall coving her mouth.

Distracted by the scream her mother stopped eating her husband; he lay on the floor violently convulsing with his stomach ripped open. Blood was everywhere, especially on her mom's mouth which was now open wide and screeching. Lou's mom lunged over the couch at her daughter, her eyes held the intent of feasting.

Using quick instinct from playing dodgeball in PE, Lou dove out of her mother's way. She tried not to think about what was happening as she scrambled to her feet and ran to her room, thinking would slow her down. Spinning around while grabbing the edge of the door she managed to shut it seconds before her mother slammed into it. With shaking hands she locked the door and backed away, her mothers primitive growls growing more intense with frustration.

Lou ran to her window and began to open it; from the door sounds of splintering wood could be heard. Once she finally got it open Lou jumped out without hesitation and ran.

At first things seemed better but then Lou saw the smoke in the sky and heard the screams in the air. Across the street an elderly woman ripped off a young boy's leg, about ten feet from that a man with bloody gushing out his neck chased a mother and her infant.

Back in her house Lou could hear the sound of her door giving way and her mother screeching. When she looked back she saw her father burst out the front door; his guts falling out of him as he ran towards her.

Wide eyed and screaming she took off down the street; dodging the elderly woman as she passed by. This distracted the man chasing the mother and he began to join Lou's father in the chase. The scene was like that of a cheetah chasing a gazelle, unless some miracle happened there would be no way the gazelle could outrun the cheetah.

"This way!" Someone hollered from Lou's left. Not checking who it was she ran to the voice hoping for safety; she got just that. The gunshots were defining as the bullets whizzed past Lou and nailed her chasers. She nearly knocked the person who had called for her over as she hugged them, the tears began to flow.

'Thank, oh thank you." She murmured to her savior.

"Come on we'll get you out of here." The man said as he led her to a black van bus. She willingly got in the back when he opened it; the man had on a green camouflaged army suit which meant he was an American troop. But what was he doing here in Canada? Did that really matter? Her father and mother had cased her half a block with the desire to eat her and the whole neighborhood seemed to have gone to hell overnight. Was it so out of place for the American's to be here, they were after all, in everyone's business. Whatever the reason that man had saved her so she was eternally grateful.

"Hey," Someone in the back of the van said, "I like your socks." Lou had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts she hadn't realized there was someone else with her.

"Thanks…" Lou said to the girl. She smiled and held out her hand.

"My names Erika, its nice to meet you." The girl said cheerfully. With a cautious mind Lou shook the girl's hand, why the heck was she so happy? The next words out of her mouth better not be "You are on a reality TV, see that hidden camera over there.". Yet at the same time she wanted her to say that so that she could know it was all fake. That her parents were still…normal, that her peaceful life at home wasn't over. But the girl did not say that, instead she mentioned something about a lonely lime.

"What's happening?" Lou asked, ignoring Erika's last statement.

"I'm not quite sure…these guys picked me up while I was walking home, told me that Canada is going under a quarantine and shoved me in this van."

"Quarantine? Does that have to do with why…why my mom ate my dad?"

"Sorry I can't help you there, all I know is their taking us to the United States."

"What?" Lou gasped; this was all just too much. Her head began to feel light and the van seemed to spin. Erika snapping at her was the last thing she saw as she passed out.