Guys, I am really sorry that I haven't been posting new chapters, and I know that this is just an edited version of the first chapter. First, things came up at home and with my family, and then things didn't feel right about the story. I hope you enjoy, and I will be posting more very very soon. Thanks for everything guys.

The news reports had been coming in all day- the first one coming from Florida. If you believed in shit coming back to life, which most of my customers tonight seemed to, then this was definitely the end. I just looked at it as a good day with people tipping pretty well. Though, as more cases got called in, I got a bit uneasy. I began to start thinking about my sister and brother-in-law at the hospital... and then Willow at home.

"Lyla!" I called over to the bar, tearing myself away from my thoughts, "How many is that?" I looked at the TV as I picked up a tray.

"A lot," she sighed, shoving her purple hair out of her face before pouring a shot.

"If this isn't the end of the world," I muttered to myself as I strolled over to my next table, "I sure as hell made a lot of money." Quickly, I put on my best smile and looked at the customer. "Hey there," I started off with him friendly, "I'm Eva. What can I get ya?"

"Whiskey and a song," the man in blue scrubs said, rubbing his wrinkled forehead, "Hey Eva."

My eyes widened and my heart stopped. "Jesus Nathan. I didn't even recognize you. You look like shit."

"I feel like shit. You should play me one last song real quick," he replied and I noticed some sweat on his pale forehead. Calmly, I shook my head. There was no time. "Fine," he sighed, "Sit down Eves. We need to talk. Your sister is gone. I couldn't find her before I left the hospital."

That got people from other tables, the people that knew me, to stop talking. Soon, the bar was absolutely silent. I swallowed and frowned. My eyes darted to Lyla before I sat down. "Go ahead Nate," I replied, figuring I was as ready as I would ever be.

"You all need to go home, pack up some stuff, and head to Atlanta," his voice grew more and more tired as he spoke, "It's supposed to be a safe zone." My heart stopped. This shit was really happening.

"Nate..." I hesitated, becoming slightly scared, "What's going on?"

"This disease is what's going on," he went on, staring down at the table, "It transfers through a bite or a scratch." My heart pounded as I looked at my brother-in-law. My best friend. The person who had always been there for me. I realized just how broken he looked; how dead. "You need to understand that the people that are bitten are already dead," Nathan had tears in his eyes as he looked up at me, running a hand through his messy blonde hair.

Roza, one of our regulars, spoke up from across the bar, "Nate, how do we take carea the problem?"

"Jesus Roza!" Gary scoffed, "Of course that's what yer worried 'bout!"

"No, no. That's a good way to be thinkin' Gary," Nathan swallowed, "Damage the brain." Sirens blared down the street. His eyes widened. "Now go! Before it's too late!"

They didn't even hesitate. Within a minute they were gone. The bar- my second safe haven- was empty for the first time at ten o'clock at night. The music still played in the background, and the light above the liquor cabinet was still flashing, but other than that, the bar was still and quiet.

I looked at Nathan, tears falling from my eyes, "Nate? Aren't you coming with me?"

He shook his head. "Take care of Willow, alright?"

"Nate?" I cried as Lyla walked over to me, "Nate? Please!"

"I got bit!" he yelled, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me, "I can't go so get that in your head right now! But you can go! You have to take care of Willow! I know you can be a good mother to her!" he paused and continued in a softer voice, "You can live. You have to live for me."

"No," I sobbed, but not about the taking care of Willow or living; he knew I would do that- or at least try. Lyla began to drag me to the door, "Nate!"

"Eva!" Lyla screeched as she finished pulling me out of the bar, "Get your head'n the fuckin' game girly!"

The streets were complete chaos. Cars were burning in the middle of the intersection, people were screaming and running... and then there were people chasing them. Someone was tackled and I watched with pure horror as they got bit in the neck and the person started to feed off of them. How the hell had we missed all this? How the hell had we not known? Someone walked up to Lyla as we stood there in amazement- wondering how we could have missed this going on right outside- and grabbed her arm. Lyla let out a high pitched scream as the person bit her.

"Go!" she screeched at me, growing red in the face as the person began to feast on her,"Get Willow and get to Atlanta!" Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and Lyla fell back.

Lets just say that was all the persuasion I needed.

On the outskirts of our small city, where we lived, it was a lot calmer. It was very apparent that Willow had absolutely no idea what was going on when I got to our house. She tackled me as I stepped through the door- something I had already braced myself for.

I placed a quick kiss on the top of her head as I knelt down in front of her. My hands rested on her shoulders as I looked into her eyes. "Willow, you need to listen to me very carefully," she nodded and I continued, "We're going on a trip. Just you and me." I prayed to god that I wouldn't break down and cry.

"Where are we going?" her blue eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"Atlanta," I said confidently, though in the pit of my stomach something didn't feel right, "It's an adventure. Baby, go pack up some of your toys, okay?"

"Okay Aunty," she beamed up at me, perking up at the word adventure.

Tears came to my eyes as I looked around. I wanted to take it all. All of it meant something to me. But I couldn't. Priorities, right? That was when I remembered the emergency plan.

I ran to the bedroom that Willow and I shared, pulling our emergency suitcases down from the closet. Willow stared at me, wide-eyed. I smiled weakly and said, "Emergency plan, baby."

I walked to her bed and picked up her favorite blanket and lucky bunny. My heart raced as I ran out to my sister's car that she had left that morning- just in case. Tossing the suitcases in the trunk and setting Willow's stuff in the passenger side seat, I realized that I'd need my hunting knife and food. Willow ran out to me, her little backpack slung over her shoulder. Tears fell freely from her face. Great. I'd managed to scare the hell out of her. It could be a good thing, but it could also be bad...

"Baby," I smoothed down her brown hair, trying to comfort her, "Get in the car and lock all of the doors. Do not open them for anyone but me."

"Okay," Willow sobbed.

"It's okay," I lied, not believing it myself, "Nothing is gonna happen to you." And as quick as I could be, I was back inside. I grabbed my backpack from the coat closet and walked to our pantry. "Food," I muttered, dumping cans of Chef Boyardee and soup into the bag. My next thought was my knife, so I walked back into our room and opened the top drawer of my dresser. I took the knife out and carefully strapped the sheath onto my thigh.

Sighing, I tossed the backpack over my shoulder, feeling its weight, grabbed a family picture from Willow's nightstand, grabbed the keys off the kitchen counter, and walked outside. There was a... person scratching hungrily at the car window. Willow was screaming. I panicked and grabbed my knife, tossing it at its head. Satisfyingly, my knife hit its target. The... person fell to the ground, motionless. I ran over tapping on the window, telling Willow to unlock the doors. I yanked my knife out of the head and jogged to the other side of the car, climbing in.

"I listened Aunty," she cried loudly.

"Alright baby. You did good," I whispered to a terrified six year old, "I don't want you to look back." She was silent as she nodded, staring out of her window. She was in shock. I locked the doors, shaking my head.

Finally, she spoke up. "Aunty, that was daddy."

"No it wa-" Holy shit. It had been. I had just killed Nathan. A tear fell from my eye as I put the car in gear and began driving away, "Try and sleep baby."

Lucky for me, I was pretty good at not looking back. Right now, all I cared about was Willow.

Thanks for the patience. I know the changes may seem small, but they all lead up to later events. Reviews= helpful!