Disclaimer: All characters are owned by me. Nothing is borrowed from anywhere else, and anything seeming as if it has been is completely unintentional. People who read this prior to uploading it here said it had a 28 days later vibe, explaining why its listed here, however it is nothing like or in relation to 28 Days Later. Please review, criticism is welcome as long as its constructive.
And to Cameron - Love your zombie
Prologue: Bed Time Stories
Catalaina crept into her daughters door. After tucking Aariya underneath her white laced quilt she sat in the oak rocking chair placed beside her daughters bed. "Is it time for my bed time story?" Aariya questioned eagerly. "Yes," replied her mother sweetly, "but the story I'm going to read tonight is different from our usual ones." She warned. Catalaina pulled an aged, leather-bound book onto her lap. For a moment she paused to run her fingers over the dusted cover as though she had been hit with a sudden burst of nostalgia.
Catalaina knew it was odd to read this sort of "story" to her daughter. She was after all only five, but it was family tradition. She stared into her daughter's brown eyes, the deep blue splotch in her right eye seemed to draw her in. She sat staring and began to recall images of her own father reading that very same book. Perhaps he had felt just as awkward staring into Catalina's eyes. Then her memory switched. Catalaina could picture her father lying on a hospital bed. With frail hands her father took a tattered and aged book from the bedside table; which she had remembered from her bed time stories as a child, and lifted in her direction. As Catalaina grabbed the book her father made her promise to read it to her child and pass on the tradition. "If there is even a chance that it's more than fiction, I want my family to know about it. I will have no granddaughter of mine put in harm's way because I was too naive to believe." He whispered. And then he passed. Catalaina always wondered what made him say granddaughter, Sure she was pregnant, but she was far too early on to know her baby's sex.
"Mommy, are you ok?" Aariya asked. Catalaina suddenly rejoined the present and responded, "Oh. Yes, sorry honey." Catalaina flipped open the book and began. As Catalaina read, Aariya combed her fingers through her long black hair and listened intently. She didn't quite understand the words, but her mothers voice soothed her. As her mom continued, Aariya studied the room around her. She followed the pink and green stripes on the walls, and the oak nightstand beside her with plant like engravings on it's edges, then finally her focus was drawn to the ballerina music box set on the night table. Aariya was eventually lulled to sleep by the sound of her mothers voice.
Catalaina looked up from the book at her sleeping daughter. "Well I'm glad it didn't scare her." she thought to herself. Catalaina rose quietly from her oak rocking chair, closing the book. "We can read more later." She whispered. Catalaina bent over and kissed her daughters forehead. She adjusted the quilt, and then made her way to the bedroom door. Catalaina crept out into the hallway leaving the door slightly ajar. She then flipped on the hallway light and tip-toed to her own bedroom.