Chapter 2

Makoto is in his room studying for his finals. He was on the math Pre-Cal problem of his study guide when he heard the evacuation alarm go off. The alarm startled him and made him fall out of his chair, brining his work with him. Makoto then got back up and looked out his window. Usually they tell the town ahead of time when they make the alarm go off as a test, and there's no way that this is an actual evacuation. Suddenly, Makoto heard glass break downstairs and Ran scream. He ran downstairs to find a random person covered in the glass shards from their screen door and blood attacking Ran. Makoto was paralyzed in fear, as if one of his nightmares from those horror games Haru would bring over sometimes was coming true.

"MAKOTO HELP ME!" Ran yelled, but he couldn't find the courage to move. His younger sister was able to maneuver away from the infected. Their dad was able to come in with a bat and smash the infected head in on their kitchen counter. The infected stopped moving, and its corpse fell onto the Tachibana's kitchen floor, with blood staining their perfectly white tile island and floor.

Makoto was still standing in horror as the infected head fell from the kitchen counter to the floor and Ran crying into her Dad's arms. Soon Mrs. Tachibana came running into the scene from her bedroom in her robe to find the chaos that was happening. She screamed at the corpse on the floor.

"W-what's happening?!" Mrs. Tachibana exclaimed.

"Ran, are you okay? What were you doing outside of your room?" Mr. Tachibana asked.

"I-I just wanted some water and then suddenly that guy just busted through the screen door and…" Ran couldn't finish her sentence and just started to cry more into her father's chest.

Ren came running out of his room to find his whole family on the brick of tears and his twin already in tears.

"Ran!" Mrs. Tachibana said and ran and hugged him for dear life.

"Mom, what's going on? Is that a dead body?!" Ran said.

Suddenly the emergency alarm went off again outside, which startled the whole Tachibana family, but made them realize what kind of situation they were really in.

"We have to leave, now," said Mr. Tachibana, then looked up to see his oldest son still paralyzed in fear on the stairwell, "MAKOTO, SNAP OUT OF IT!" he yelled at him. Finally Makoto came back to reality and realized the situation they were in and how they needed to leave.

"Honey, get the Ren and Ran in the car, Makoto and I will gather supplies for us and we'll head to the pier," Mr. Tachibana said.

Mrs. Tachibana nodded, "Okay. Come on kids, we need to get in the car," she escorted them outside quickly to the car. Makoto came downstairs to help pack snacks, clothes, and an emergency kit with his dad.

"Makoto, you realize what's happening right? That disease they were talking about on the news has become a serious epidemic and now they're evacuating the whole town," Mr. Tachibana said to Makoto, but realized he was too focused on gathering supplies and sweating like crazy out of fear he dropped a can out of his hand and stumbled to catch it as it rolled into the blood of the corpse on the floor, "Makoto!" Mr. Tachibana yelled then grasped Makoto's shoulders to look at him, "You need to remember that you're the oldest, you need to stop freaking out about everything. Especially now that we're in this kind of situation, Ren and Ran will be looking up to you to figure out what to do."

"I-I know Dad, I'm sorry," Makoto said then looked away from him, already feeling disappointed in himself for just standing there when he could've just lost one of his siblings a couple minutes ago.

"It's fine Makoto just…you have to start being brave now, don't let your fears take over," Mr. Tachibana said quietly, then picked up the bag then stood up, "Okay, that's everything, we need to go now. I'm going to grab things from Ren and Ran's room and you grab anything you'll need from your room. Meet me in the car in one minute. Who knows if another infected will come in through the back?"

Makoto nodded then ran up to his room to grab a couple things. As he was up there, it ran through his mind if all of his friends were going to be okay. Then, he thought about Haru…that boy probably wasn't even paying attention to the alarm and hasn't even left his house yet. Knowing him he was probably in the bathroom…taking a bath…not paying attention to anything…

Shit.

Makoto packed his bag, put on his tennis shoes, and ran downstairs to find his dad coming out of Ren and Ran's room at the same time and heading outside to their van.

"Dad, I have to run to Haru's—"

"What?! No, it's too dangerous!"

"Dad, you know that Haru has probably not even realized the danger the town is in right now. He needs someone!"

"No Makoto, we need to get to the pier now. Your mother, Ren, Ran, and I don't want anything bag happening to you. What if we get separated? Or worse, what if you get—"

"Dad I have to go get him, and nothing you say can stop me."

Mr. Tachibana had a rare frustrated face on, and then looked at their van with Mrs. Tachibana, Ren, and Ran, then back at Makoto who was standing with his bag as if he was just going to sleep over at Haru's during an emergency evacuation. He sighed, gave Makoto the bat he used to smash the infected head in and said, "Be careful. If I don't see you and Haru in 15 minutes at the pier, I'm going after you myself," he said seriously.

Makoto took the bat then said, "Thanks. I'll see you soon Dad, don't worry!" Makoto said as he ran down the street.

Mr. Tachibana got in the driver's seat of the van and started it.

"Where's Makoto going?!" Mrs. Tachibana exclaimed.

Mr. Tachibana looked at her and said, "Where do you think, to save his best friend."