I've been brainstorming a lot more for this story so far. I want to get as far as possible before i end up in a bluff again. But nonetheless, let's move on with the story.
WARNING: Starting from this chapter there will be graphic and Morbid content going on. This is the beginning of the true M rated content for this story.
The Dead Awakening
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Chapter 6
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The Beginning of the End
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Royal Woods High
May 22nd
7:20 AM
The night went as quick as it possibly could. The small town of Royal Woods underwent an evacuation in fear of the virus that's been spreading through the country like wildfire. Cities like New York, Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles and Detroit have fallen into chaos. Riots were destroying streets and Looters scurried like roaches exposed in the kitchen. Those who were lucky enough to make it to a safe zone were shielded from these attacks.
The US military responded quick to everything. When the first attacks were reported, they responded with the National Guard to arrive at the scene of the attacks. The CDC would come by afterwards to quarantine the area and prevent any possible contagion from leaving the premises. The National Guard would respond to assist SWAT in crowd control when the riots were out of hand.
Streets would be filled with people breaking into shops or destroying property in protest to the government forcing people to evacuate. Some believed this was their excuse to go forth with Martial Law. Some would be detained by SWAT or would be exposed to tear gas to force them to retreat. The riots would go on for hours. New York and Los Angeles were most common for the riots. In Manhattan, all of Union Square was littered with empty tear gas cans, shattered glass, destroyed property, and even blood from the physical fights present. Downtown LA was no different.
Royal Woods hasn't seen not one sign of a possible riot. People were too busy making their way to a safe zone. The only physical fights present were people fighting over their place in line. Luckily for the Louds, they haven't witnessed any.
The gymnasium was quiet for the night. Only a few people were awake for most of the night, wondering about their loved ones that were far apart. There wasn't much communication available anymore. Just last night the phone lines went down.
This meant no signal. Phone addicts like Lori were constantly restarting their phones for a chance that a single bar would show up. However every attempt gave her the same result.
"No Signal"
How else would she keep in contact with her friends? She wasn't even sure if they were all here or somewhere else. So far only Bobby was present. She was grateful for that at least. If he wasn't here at the time the lines went down, she'd go crazy.
Staff and Volunteers had finish setting up the table to prepare for breakfast. Five tables were aligned in a single row. Each table had an assortment of consumables such as small cartons of milk, apple juice, orange juice and even grape juice. Apples, Oranges, granola bars, bagels and cheese sticks were laid out. Those who were in the cafeteria kitchen had eggs made along with waffles and pancakes, the school brands. It wasn't the best breakfast buffet they could give, but it was the most they were able to work with.
Lincoln awoke from his cot and saw a line form across the gym. At first glance he wasn't sure what it was all about. That was until he saw people carrying trays of food. His stomach growled. If it could help him nourish his appetite then he might as well go for it.
He saw his sisters do the same. They went over to the line and waited for their breakfast. He followed behind. As he walked towards the end of the line he saw Ronnie Anne towards the middle. She saw him and formed an "L" over her forehead, meaning to tease him for waking up late. He did the same and kept walking.
When he arrived at the start of the line he was a few heads behind Luna, who was the last sister on line. The person, or kid, in front of him caught his attention.
All he saw was a girl with white hair, just like his. It couldn't be a kid his age. Maybe it was just a short elderly woman?
Her head turned to his eye contact, her eyes widened. It was the same boy from before. For Lincoln, he was surprised to see that it was in fact a kid his age and not an elderly woman.
The two held their gazes for a few seconds. Lincoln was the first to speak.
"Uh Hi."
"H-hi" she responded shyly.
He looked at her bright white hair. It was probably brighter than his, if that was possible for a white color. "You have white hair. Like mine."
She touched her hair and looked at his set of white hair. "Yeah, I do. I-is it natural?" she asked.
"For as long as i could remember. Yes. Is yours natural too?"
She nodded her head, giving him a slight smile.
He didn't think that there were other kids with hair like his. For the longest time he thought it was just a rare phenomenon. To this day neither he or his family knew what was the cause of it. Not even Lisa, who simply theorized that it was something about the pigmentation.
He held a hand out to her. "I'm Lincoln."
She looked at his hand and gave reached out for it. "I'm Linka"
Heh Lincoln and Linka. Weird coincidence if you asked him.
The two let go and waited on line together. They ended up having a conversation while waiting. They shared many common interests among each other. Both came from a big family, both are the only boy/girl in their family which consisted of the rest. And to his surprise both liked the same superhero. Ace Savvy. They continued to talk, eventually moving the conversation about their lives to what's happening in their lives now.
"We just left and came here. Our pets were left behind and so were most of our stuff. My parents didn't want to waste anymore time coming here." said Lincoln. His facial expression lowered when he mentioned the family pets. He shared the same grief as Lana as well. How long would they last without them home?
Linka understood where he came from. She too had her family rushed out of the house. "We were the same. My Dad told me and my brothers to get what we needed and to get to the RV. We had a Yorkie that we left at the house. I feel bad about it too. We all cared for Carly. Leaving her alone at the house made me feel so guilty after leaving. I just hope she's okay."
Now he felt bad for her. The two shared the same grief over leaving pets behind. Wanting to move from the subject he asked her another question.
"So what school did you go to?"
"I went to Royal Woods Elementary. You?"
"I did too. I've never seen you around before. Who's your homeroom teacher?" he asked.
"I have Mr. Jonas, if you know who he is."
Mr. Jonas? The name sounded familiar. Maybe he was a minor sub one day when Ms. Johnson was absent. If she could describe his appearance he might know. "What's he like? His look and all."
The line moved forward. "He's pretty tall. Black hair, he's white, and has chin hair. Like the ones some famous movie stars have."
He sounded familiar for sure. He might not remember him too much then.
"I think i know him but not a lot like you do. Is he a strict teacher?"
She giggled a little. "He's pretty funny, and silly too. Like one time he came into class with slippers on. He had his shirt, tie and pants but he forgot to put shoes on." Lincoln found that to be a bit funny too. Who dresses up for work but forgets their shoes? He laughed alongside Linka.
"That is pretty silly. I have Ms. Johnson as my teacher. She's a good teacher, she's barely strict to us."
Linka knew that teacher. "My brother Lyle had her before i did. And so did Lane, Luke, Loni and Loki."
"Wow, you have five older siblings like me. I'm part of a big family. I'm also the only boy and the middle child of the bunch." Being the only boy and the middle child is something he's grown used to over the years. Hearing that Linka had five older brothers is something he and she can both relate to.
Linka was a bit shocked to hear. That would mean he has five older sisters and five younger sisters. She was spared with five older brothers, her being the youngest. "W-wow. If i had five younger brothers i think i'd lose my mind." The two laughed a little. She couldn't imagine being the middle child of a family of all boys. She was glad to have her brothers however. They may be over protective but they care.
They moved up on the line, eventually reaching the tables to grab food for he morning. Lincoln grabbed a carton of orange juice, a bagel with a small pouch of cream cheese, some eggs and a cheese stick. He wanted some waffles and pancakes but they ran out. He went over to sit by the bleachers where Linka joined him as well. The two were quick friends. Ronnie Anne found Lincoln afterwards.
She lightly punched his arm. "Lincoln Hey! For a second i thought i lost you around." She looked over to Linka. "I guess you found a twin as well. Who's your friend?"
Lincoln looked over to Linka. "This is Linka. Linka, this is my best friend Ronnie Anne."
Linka waved to Ronnie Anne, she did the same. "Linka huh? You go to school here?"
"I do. I think we're in the other fifth grade class. What about you?"
"I used to. I moved to Great Lakes with my Mom and Brother. We're living with our extended family. Now i know how Lincoln feels with his sisters." she said.
"Oh that's nice. But if you live in Great Lakes, what are you doing here and not over there? N-not to sound mean or anything!" she quickly added. Ronnie Anne grinned. She knew Linka wasn't trying to be a jerk. "No worries. My brother and mother came by here to visit. We even rented out our old home to use since no one has moved into it yet. It just so happens that this whole thing goes down when we came here. And well, here we are now."
"Oh. That makes sense i guess." said the girl.
The McBrides were lucky enough to make it through registration before things got hectic in the school lobby. People were still fighting over who gets to go in or who deserves to. The same arguments over and over. They each had one suitcase of clothes and other capable necessities that would hold them for the time being. Both Harold and Howard grabbed some books to read while Clyde grabbed some comics and his portable gaming device. He figured it might get boring waiting around so it was best to find some way to entertain himself.
The family of three managed to make it in before it was time for lights out. After taking a visit to one of the medical wards, they were escorted to one of the classrooms that were being used to hold families until they were fitted in with everyone else in the gym. They passed by other classrooms where people were being held. Some rooms were already dark.
They entered into one of the math classrooms. The desks and chairs were removed and instead were replaced with sleeping bags. All of them blue. They were each escorted to their proper beds for the night. They were all told that the following morning they'll make arrangements for them. With the gym being almost full, they would soon resort to emptying out more classrooms and converting them into rooms for people to stay in. Depending on the size of the room is how many people would fit inside.
Clyde got into his sleeping bag. Placing his luggage next to him. There he opened it and grabbed a comic to read. However it was short lived when they announced lights out. Reluctantly, he placed the comic back inside his suitcase and settled it down. The lights were shut and all but two armed guards left the room. He wasn't able to sleep until it was nearly two in the morning. He kept thinking about how bad this thing has gone by. First it was a minor incident and now it's become a nation wide panic. How long until they were all able to go back home? Where his two cats were waiting for them to come back?
The next morning they all left the classroom to get something to eat. They were all escorted by the same two guards who stayed in the classroom the night prior. Once they grabbed food they all headed to the gymnasium where they were assigned a bunk bed. They settled their bags and sat down to eat. Clyde was about to take a bite of his bagel before he noticed a familiar set of white hair not too far from where he was. Only one person he knew had white hair.
Lincoln
Having filled with excitement. He told his dads that he was going to see Lincoln. He didn't hear their response as he scurried away. Howard was a bit worried for his son. As usual a bit overprotective too. Considering that Clyde was susceptible to almost any disease, he was afraid that Clyde would get sick a bit too easy where there are a lot of people. Harold grabbed his husband by the arm and gave an assuring nod. He trusted Clyde to do things on his own.
Lynn Sr. was making the bed that he and Rita slept in. Everyone was required to make their beds after sleeping. He told Rita to go with the kids to get breakfast while he stayed behind and made the beds, including their children's. The process was taking a while. He never realized how messy some of his kids can be when sleeping. Some sheets were folded inwards while some were tossed out of the bed. He walked over to Lincoln's bed, which had the sheets falling over on one side. He went over to pick it up before a man came by and did the job for him.
"Kids right? They can be messy almost all of the time. said the man. Lynn Sr. appreciated the assist. He laughed and agreed. "That's why they're kids. Thank you by the way. I've been making their beds the entire time they all went to get breakfast."
The man nodded. "It's my pleasure. I have a good bunch of kids myself. Five boys and one daughter. Believe me i know how tough it can be having so many kids to take care of." he reached out his hand to Lynn. "The name's Reed Lodson." said the man. He was the same height as he was, sporting mid length blonde hair and a round face. He was an average built man. Being in between of large and slim.
Lynn Sr. returned the handshake. "Lynn Loud Senior."
Reed chuckled a bit. "Nice to meet you Lynn. Seems like it's best to make any friends here while we're stuck here right? Might as well make the most of it."
"I agree. Not that my family isn't interesting, but it would be nice to at least now other people around here. In a time like this all of us should be friends." He said. The two let go of each others hands and continued to speak.
"So Lynn, what do you work as?" Asked Reed. The two men now fully engaged in their conversation. "I own Lynn's Tables. Still somewhat new to restaurant management." He had owned the restaurant for a few months now. The Grand opening may not have been like he'd imagine it, but it was still a dream of his to finally open up a restaurant of his own.
Reed was impressed with Lynn Sr. "You're the one who owns that restaurant? My eldest son recently had a date there last week. He and his date loved that place. I was thinking of stopping by myself one day."
"Feel free to do so. I'll even give you some suggestions to start off your meal." The two men laughed. "What is it you do?" he asked Reed. "You seem like you have something for yourself as well."
Reed nodded. "I'm a Dentist over by the Orthodontics clinic by Elm. Not a big place but it's done us well."
Lynn Se. was impressed too. Reed's a dentist? He must be making more money than he is with his restaurant. In a way he was jealous of him. Maybe Reed didn't have to worry too much about trying to fit the budget for everyday needs. Nonetheless he was impressed with the man. So far it seems like the two were on good terms. Both have big families, both have starting careers and the proud attitude of being a father.
Meanwhile just across from the two men, Clyde ran over to the person with white hair and proceeded to hug them from behind. "Lincoln! Buddy oh how i worried so much!" He said, hugging the person real tight.
Lincoln looked over to Clyde, who was hugging Linka. Her face was red and her expression was saying "What do i do?". What also went through her mind was what would happen if one of her brothers saw this boy hugging her. Luke and her other older brothers would certainly not take it very lightly, well maybe except Loni.
Lincoln pointed out. "Uh Clyde buddy? I'm over here." His best friend opened his eyes and saw the boy in front of the person he was hugging. He looked down and realized he had his arms around a girl. A girl with white hair. His face flushed with embarrassment. But before he could say or do anything, he was pulled away by a set of strong hands.
"HEY! Hands off my sister!" the boy had a firm grip on Clyde's collar and a fist raised ready to beat the boy up. All Clyde saw was a kid taller than him, with a red baseball jersey and white shorts. His freckled face wrinkled in an angry expression.
Linka jumped in, knowing how aggressive her brother could be when in a fight. The poor boy was shaking in his grip. "Lyle Stop! Please!" she cried. Her hands were trying to pull him away from Clyde. Ronnie Anne also jumped in to help Linka. While Clyde may have been a dork, he doesn't deserve to get his glasses shattered by some angry kid.
Lincoln went over to Clyde's side and tried to pull him away. The three were now struggling to keep this kid from attacking Clyde. Across the gym, Reed saw his son trying to attack a boy. He quickly apologized to Lynn and ran over to the scene. The last thing he and his family needs is a reason for them to be hated upon by everyone.
By this point almost everyone was watching. Howard and Harold noticed their son being grabbed by another boy and were quick to jump on their feet. A soldier beat them to it however. Another soldier accompanied him to pull the two boys apart. Linka, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne let go and stepped back. One soldier had Clyde and the other had Lyle. The man who had Lyle, named Corporal Dante, spoke.
"Alright you two. Either you break it up or you'll both be sent to the detention center! No fighting in the premise! Physical violence will not be tolerated! Any repeated offense will be responded with sever action. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!?" ordered Dante. The two boys shook their heads. They were let go afterwards. Everyone in the gym watched the two boys. Howard and Harold came by to their son's aid while Linka's parents came by as well.
Reed was standing behind his son with his arms crossed. When he looked up at his father, he saw the disappointment in his eyes.
"Fighting huh? What's the matter with you?! Picking a fight here? You know better than to do something like that!" scolded his father. "So tell me, what was your justified reason for picking a fight? Clearly you must've had a good reason. Right?"
Lyle stammered. He feared his father when he was upset. He isn't abusive nor does he resort to physical punishment. However he was scary enough to intimidate enough the toughest of the Lodson brothers. "W-well..H-he grabbed Linka!" He pointed his finger to the McBride boy. Harold and Howard looked at Clyde, wanting to know what had happened. Clyde shrunk back in embarrassment. He didn't mean to do that to the girl. He had no idea it wasn't Lincoln!
"And that's your reason? Did he apologize?" Reed added. He looked over to Clyde, seeing the embarrassed look on his face. He could only imagine how a boy like him feels about doing that to a man's daughter. He wasn't sure if he did it on purpose.
"I-i didn't mean to. She just looked like my friend. I thought she was Lincoln." he spoke. "I'm sorry mister."
Reed wasn't mad at Clyde. Considering he apologized, he had no reason to. It was a mistake and that's that. He took a look at Lincoln and saw the scary resemblance to his daughter. Lynn mentioned that he had a son. His son being the only boy with white hair and the only boy in his family.
He took a deep breath and looked over to Clyde. "It's alright son. I'm mostly upset at my boy here for being aggressive instead of doing things a more mature way." he looked at his son when he said that. Lyle shrunk back and hung his head.
Howard and Harold apologized to Reed as well, the man responded by giving his apologies for his son's behavior. "This won't happen again, WILL IT?"
Lyle nodded.
With everything settled, everyone went their own ways and tried to at least make the most of this place. Not knowing how long they would be in here, they might as well treat it like home.
The entire morning went by and still no update on the current situation. Even the National Guard stationed at the school don't know too much about what was going on so far. They had radio contact with many other outposts but suddenly the signal was lost. Trying to fix it was really taking its toll. About four people were put to work trying to fix the damn thing. Without any contact, there wouldn't be any update on the situation. In the meantime, keeping these people safe here was top priority.
Outside, it was quiet. There weren't anymore crowds of people outside. When they reached their limit here they decided to use school buses to transport those that passed medical examination to the other evacuation zones. Only two school buses were used and two is all it took. Some families decided to stay in their own homes and sit this out. Rather than go through the whole process, staying home was their idea of quarantine.
In the gymnasium, a family of five were gathered in their bunk beds. Both parental figures, their eldest son, and two daughters were sitting among themselves.
The patriarch had a different viewpoint about all of this. He saw this as the beginning of "god's wrath" and the next chapter of what's to come. The plague is but only a small piece of the end for everyone. This was it. And this was his time to finally go through his plan.
He looked inside his bag. Inside there was a hidden pocket that only he knew of. Knowing that they would check everyone's belongings, he decided to hide it there. He opened the pocket and pulled out a small bottle of well packed pills. He once had a dream a while back. A dream where he foresaw the end of his family's future. That dream haunted him for a week. He saw it as the wrath of god. To punish all of mankind for the sinful decision civilization has made. It was until a few days later that he decided to plan a way to save his family from the wrath of god. One way where he and his family would be at peace. Where they would be spared. These pills were it.
He had gotten them from a friend of his who had special ways of getting certain things. He was glad to finally have them in his hands.
He opened the bottle and took out a few capsules. He looked over to his wife, who knew of his plan. He nodded. "Now."
She nodded back. She trusted her husband. His plan to save the family from the upcoming nightmare was the only way to go. She took out a few water bottles, one for each family member. One was given to their eldest, Jason. The next to Haley and then to their youngest, Mary. "Hold onto these." she told them. They complied.
The patriarch got up. "It's time. C'mon, we need some room." He and the rest of his family walked up to the doors leading outside the gymnasium. They were stopped by a guard, to which he told him. "We need to use the restroom." The guard was skeptical at first, but he decided to let them go regardless. He told another guard to keep watch while he escorted them to the restrooms.
Luna looked over to her phone and saw the low battery icon. She spent so much time last night listening to music that she never bothered to charge her phone. She ha her charger with her, but the trick now is to look for some kind of outlet or power source to plug in her phone. Just like how Lori goes crazy without her phone, she'll go crazy without her music since-
"Lunes! You're here!"
Hearing the familiar nickname, Luna turned around only to be hugged fiercely by a familiar blonde. "Sam? Dude! You're alright!" she returned the hug.
Sam retreated from the hug to get a good look at the Loud girl. "My family and I had to spend the night in one of the other classrooms they had us wait in. They just brought us over here. I can't believe you're here though. I was so worried for everyone. I'm glad to see that you're okay."
Luna blushed at the remark. She was glad to see her too. "Dude this thing's gotten wayyy out of control."
"You said it. First almost no one shows up to school, then they cancelled almost every event in the state and now they're holding us here? I'm scared to see how far this thing's gone. I was hoping everything would return to normal soon." said Sam. Both she and Luna walked over to the bleachers which were set up for people to sit by. It was fairly filled for the most part. Those who didn't want to sit in bed all day were here instead.
The two sat down. "Same here brah. It was a total let down when they cancelled out gig. We haven't had a good show to rock for a while now. Let's just chill and wait it out. Maybe everything will be just fine as it was before." said Luna.
Sam huffed. "I hope so. But anyways, how are the rest of your family doing?"
"We're okay for now. We got here just in time last night. We didn't have to wait too long to come in. Our pets back at the pad couldn't tag along. Lana was bummed, just like all of us."
Sam's hand reached and touched Luna's shoulder. "Aw I'm sorry to hear. We don't have pets back home, but i can't imagine having to leave them behind."
Luna's hand touched Sam's. "We'll be back soon hopefully. Little dudes will be starving without us being there. How are your mom and bro?"
Sam perked up a bit. "Mom's doing okay so far. She's very shaky about this whole thing. Even tried to make us wear masks incase this thing is airborne. But other than that she's okay. Simon seems to be very chill and laid back. I haven't seen him worry at all. He even told me that he's gonna wait this whole thing out. Not sure whether to be worried or relaxed."
"Well he's probably not trying to make you or your mom worried. Maybe he's trying to be some sort of example. My guess that is."
Sam smirked. "Yeah i guess. What about the rest of your fam?"
"Well everyone else has been chill so far. Lori's with her boyfriend over there, Linc is there with a girl that...looks like him. Trippy dude." She glanced at Linka. Seeing her was like seeing Lincoln's reflection in some gender bending mirror.
Sam giggled. "Well i think it's cute he met someone new. He's really chill for a little dude."
Luna couldn't agree more.
The incident at Mirabelle's was the first sign of the outbreak of the mysterious new disease. No one was sure who contracted it first and where they got it from. Unlike many past diseases, symptoms are random for each person. Those who had it in other states are noted to have a high fever and a sick stomach. Pierre, the first known victim to the virus, did not display any symptoms of fever or anything at all. Some noticed he was pale but they didn't take it as a symptom as it wasn't labeled as one.
The most notable thing was the bite he had on his wrist. The teeth marks were that of a person. The markings were deep enough to cut through the skin. The wound would then become infected and sometimes feel cold afterwards. In rare occasions white pus would ooze out.
When the attack occurred that fateful night, the CDC and law enforcement were quick to respond. They sealed the exits instantly and blocked all means of entry or escape. The infected inside showed signs of rabid behavior as well as cannibalism. They didn't try to escape at first. Instead they were eating away the corpses of those they attacked. Once they were sealed in they tried to break out from the quarantine zone but to no avail. The CDC made sure that nothing they did would ever break free.
They tried conducting research there. Carefully they would try to lure one of the infected out to retrieve blood samples. The issue was that those infected were quick and agile. When they did manage to get one they made sure to keep it in a maximum security containment that would prevent it from making contact with someone else.
While people were being evacuated to quarantine zones, they kept going on trying to understand what this was. Nothing had been found within the past twenty four hours. No possible vaccine either.
They were also unaware of the roaming infected just miles away.
The entire morning was the usual. Coffee, getting prepped and continuing research. National guard servicemen and women were stationed here to make sure no intruders would barge in.
One soldier by the name of Riley was in dire need to take a piss. He's been holding it all morning and didn't want to use the port-a-potties nearby. The last person who went in there left it like an abandoned wasteland. No pun intended.
"F-fuck man" said Riley. He was basically doing a dance trying to keep it in. The guard next to him, Kilburn, watched as he tried so hard to not leak it out.
"Dude if you gotta go then go already." said Kilburn.
Riley shook his head. "Fuck that man, them closet boxes are nasty as hell!"
Kilburn couldn't help but laugh a little. He wasn't wrong, they were really nasty. But at this point he has no choice. Either use the bathroom or piss on your BDUs.
Riley set his gun down "I'll be back, I'll find a tree or something." He began to walk further away from the entire base camp. Kilburn watched him walk away. He didn't want to let him leave his post that way,but he didn't bother to stop him either.
The air was clear and the skies were cloudy. It was pretty quiet on the outside except for the restaurant. The muffled sounds of those infected were the only sounds breaking the complete silence. The windows and doors were sealed shut. The only was in was through a specialized door that only opens with a certain mechanic. It was to prevent easy breakouts and unnecessary break ins.
Riley wondered what it was that made those people like this. All he knew from some of the CDC scientists was that this was a virus similar to both rabies and Mad cow disease. Only difference was that this affected people. They were all strictly informed to keep away from the infected at all times as one bite or contact with bile could infect you the same as those inside.
One CDC scientist was unfortunate enough to become an infected victim herself. As she was entering through, the "Red Zone" as it's called, one of the infected managed to grab her and tear through the hazmat suit. This was before they proceeded with better protection. They were unaware how strong this disease makes people. They did manage to pull her away from the infected but placed her in isolation as she was scratched in the waist area, leaving bloody marks. A few hours later she was just like them; Red eyes, blood spilling from her mouth and rabid behavior.
The restaurant itself was located within the border of the suburbs and downtown. It was easier for Riley to find a bush or a lone tree just outside the perimeter. He found a more secluded and well hidden bush to use. Last thing he needed was for Jones to play peeping Tom again. He hated that.
He unzipped his zipper and was in position to urinate. He let out a sigh of relief as he let it all out. He'd been holding it in for a while.
"Finally" he muttered. He had his eyes closed as he continued to urinate.
A rustle nearby caught his attention. He figured Jones was at it again. He closed his zipper "Nice one Jones! But I'm already done." He looked around and didn't see the lanky man anywhere.
He smiled "Trying to spook me ain't gonna work either. Iver tried that days ago." He kept looking around and yet he saw nothing. It was only then that he heard a growl coming from behind him. He turned around
"GRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAA!" An infected man with shaggy long hair lunged at him with it's hands grabbing him by the neck. Riley tried to push him away with all the strength he had. It's breathing was hitched, almost like it was running out of breath. Those red eyes stared straight into the man's soul. It was terrifying.
Thankfully all that weight lifting paid off. He managed to shove the infected away and pushed it onto it's back.
His heartbeat was racing. He turned to run back to the outpost before he was grabbed by another infected. A third one came shortly. The two grabbed him fiercely and ripped his neck open with their blood stained teeth. His screams fell short as his life came to an end.
Back at the base camp...
Kilburn read his watch. It had been nearly twenty minutes since Riley went to take a bathroom break. It annoyed him when Riley was gone for longer than he needed to be. He probably didn't even need to use the bathroom, guy probably went for a cigarette. He couldn't keep his hands off those little shits.
He got up. He needed to find him before Tenant did. His ass would get chewed if it he isn't back.
Automatic gun fire broke through his ears.
He grabbed his rifle and released the safety. Whatever was going on, he needed it ready to fire.
The CDC scientists were all scattered. National Guard members were firing their weapons at people sprinting their way near the outpost. He would've thought this was some sort of lethal protest of some sort if he hadn't looked at one closely. It's eyes were red and it looked like it had been through hell. It's throat was partially ripped out with the rotten flesh hanging out.
He ran into the mayhem, trying to help anyone who was still alive. Turning to his right he saw two men disemboweled with their intestines getting ripped out by two of the infected. One was having his face chewed away while the other was completely lifeless. Upon his left he saw a scientist holding on the the arms of another while they were being pulled violently by an infected. Another one jumped in and attacked the savior, leaving them both to be killed.
Up ahead he saw Jones firing upon two that were heading his direction. Every bullet struck through their bodies, leaving bloody wounds but with no reaction from the infected. It seemed that they didn't feel any sort of pain whatsoever. His rifle clicked, meaning he was out. He dropped his weapon and ran only to be grabbed by one along the way. Three of them were at it tearing away his arms off.
He didn't know what to do. Everyone was dying. Who would he help?
No one. He had to help himself now.
He ran away from the chaos, knowing that it wasn't just here that was undergoing the same mayhem. If it was happening here, either it has happened everywhere else or it will in a matter of minutes. Who knows how many of them are out there now?
Up ahead he saw one of the jeeps he was on earlier today. By the driver's seat he saw someone fiddling with the keys, desperately trying to start the vehicle and drive away. The door was slightly ajar. He picked up his pace ad managed to catch the jeep before it drove away. He ran into the passenger's side and opened the door,however the driver had different ideas.
He raised a black handgun "Stay the fuck back! This is my ride!" Not having much of a choice he raised both hands to show that he meant no harm. "Please! You can't leave me here!"
The keys turned. The jeep purred. She was ready to drive.
The driver pulled the shift back. "Sorry pal, can't afford having you for the ride along." Unbeknownst to his vision, one of the straggling infected made it's way to the driver's door. It pulled the door open and grabbed onto the driver. He screamed in fear as it's bloody hands grabbed his jacket and tried pulling him out of the car.
Kilburn didn't have much of a choice. He climbed on in and closed the door, not wanting to risk the chance of another one nearby to do the same, and went on to push the driver out of his seat. He struggled as the driver was heavy. He kept pushing until the driver lost control and let go, there the infected pulled him out completely. He quickly closed the door and drove away not looking back.
It bit down his nose and ripped it off, causing him to scream and cry for help. As Kilburn drove farther away, the screams fell silent.
The guard escorted the family out of the gym and towards the bathrooms reserved for civilian use. It wasn't as clean as the others but it was the best they can do so far. It was better than having to use port-a-potties.
"Okay make it quick. No more than five minutes or else i'm coming in and forcing you out." he said. The father nodded. He looked back and saw that the man was waiting outside. The two made eye contact before the patriarch entered the bathroom.
The guard shook his head. "Fucking weirdo."
Inside the men's room, the son was waiting for his father to say something. Instead, the man looked at the reflection of himself on the mirror. He was thinking of some way to have the man outside out of the picture. He would ruin the plan. If there was some way to get rid of him...It would mean killing him. He wasn;t going to let anyone stop him from saving his family from the upcoming doom that god would unleash.
Inside the Women's room, the mother and her daughters were waiting for the signal to come over. She and her husband expected something like this to happen. He told her that if it did, to wait for the knock on the wall. And that's just what they were doing.
The Patriarch looked to his son. "Jason, i need you to scream for help."
Jason was visibly shaken. "W-why?"
"JUST DO IT." He said firmly. His son nodded in fear.
The guard stood by the bathrooms. So far it had been a few minutes since they all went in. A good minute or two and he'll walk in and force them to get out. They were told to prevent loitering in the restrooms. Last thing they need is a gathering taking place. This guard was a little laid back with that rule but today he was looking forward to ending his shift and taking a long nap.
The son screamed inside bathroom. He sounded like something bad was happening to him. This alerted the guard outside. He wasn't sure whether to have his weapon raised or not. It was only a father and his son inside. However one thought came to mind.
Domestic Violence
If that man was laying his hands on his son like that then it was his job to stop and arrest him before he does any more harm.
He opened the door carefully. Upon opening it, he saw no one. This concerned him badly. He took a few slow steps with his gun raised a little higher. "C'mon out!" he yelled. Now he was pissed.
He walked in only to be grabbed by the patriarch. He was startled enough to drop his gun and try to free himself from the grasp. The man had his hands around his neck.
CRACK!
The guard laid limp. The man had snapped his neck. In some way he regretted taking the life of someone but it was the only way. Jason was shocked from what he saw. Not once did he ever see any sense of violence in his father. He was always a righteous man with no intentions of violence. He wasn't even sure what was going to happen now. The man went over to the wall and knocked.
KNOCK
KNOCK
KNOCK
This was the cue. The mother and her girls walked out of the ladies room and into the men's room. Upon seeing the dead body of the guard they freaked out a bit. The mother spoke up. "Jared! What did you do!?" she yelled.
He looked at her in the eye. "I did what i had to do. Now let's hurry this up before they find us."
The two daughters were silent. They weren't sure how to react. They weren't sure if they should act scared. If someone sees this then they'll be in a heap loads of trouble.
"Everyone take out the water bottles and open them." he ordered. They all took theirs out with the caps opened. He went to each bottle and inserted a pill. Looking over to his wife, they both knew what was going to happen.
But it was for the best.
It was for the right reason.
To ensure the safety of his children, and for Teresa, the woman he loved.
Each child looked at the pill dissolve. It didn't look like any medicine pill they've seen. Jason looked over to his mother. She smiled at him gently. "It's okay sweetheart."
He trusted his mother's words. The other two girls did as well. If their parents say that everything will be alright, then that was the case. Jared held the bottle. "We will all drink it together. As a family." He raised the bottle and took in the liquid. Everyone else followed.
Haley didn't like the taste. It was weird. Jason and Mary thought the same. As for Teresa and Jared, they tried to ignore it.
A minute later it didn't seem right. Jason held his hands to his stomach. It felt like someone was burning him with a torch. It hurt really bad. Mary thought the same too."Mommy, my stomach hurts!" she cried. It was hurting bad. So bad that she started to cry in pain.
Haley's head was spinning. It was like she was having five different migraines all at once. She started feeling sick. She dropped down and started to throw up. Jason dropped too, only instead he was crying out in pain.
Jared and Teresa started to feel it too. It was like someone was taking a knife and stabbing them repeatedly. Teresa started to groan in pain as well. She felt the pain of pregnancy three times before, but nothing like this. Whatever this feeling was, it felt like an eternity. As for Jared, he started disliking this pain too. It wasn't until now that he was starting to regret doing this. But suddenly a voice in his head told him he did the right thing. Even if it meant killing everyone, they would be saved.
"ARGH!" His heart felt really weak. He couldn't take it anymore.
Not long after, all three children laid in the bathroom floor. They were completely lifeless. No more were they crying out in pain, rather they were silent. Soon Teresa fell and then Jared, both dead as well. All five members of the Errensville family lay dead among with the body of National Guard member, Lorenzo Pustello.
Someone would be looking for them eventually. One of the guards will notice Lorenzo gone, and when they do they'll search for him, they'll find his body along with five others. However something else happened. Jared's body started twitching. He was also making some noises too. Not long after, his eyes opened.
They were bloodshot red.
A/N: What kind of psycho was Jared? Killing his own family? Damn.
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Now we're getting the ball moving. The apocalypse has begun and is now an imminent threat. The real question is who will survive? Let's just say that some of the characters here won't be making it too far in this story. Of course that guess will be up to you.
Until the next chapter everyone, FrostbiteFear out.