PROLOGUE
Jeremy had been up there on the roof for almost an hour now. At least 45 minutes perhaps, but that was long enough. His hope of finding more survivors was admirable, but by this time, it was simply futile and a little sad. They had yet to receive a reply or a phone call. All other calls to the outside world were equally futile. The lines for the police and hospitals were flooded with the calls of the panicked, confused and ultimately doomed.
Sissy had been trying to reach her father too, but even he was unable to return the call. Yumi and the others also feared the worse, but were less than eager to break the news to her. After her violent outburst earlier, no one really wanted to talk to her unless they felt it was absolutely necessary. Even her cohorts Herb and Nicholas were too afraid to address her. But honestly, who could blame them. Would you want to approach someone whom you just recently saw bashed someone's skull in with an aluminum bat and tell her that you believe that chances are most likely that her father, whom she adores so very much, was devoured by a pack of blood-thirsty maniacs?
No, I wouldn't either.
Yumi continued to climb the stairwell up to the roof. The stairwell was dark and the sound of her boots rapping against the metal steps echoed throughout the narrow yet empty corridor. She eventually reached the top, greeted by a large, metal door with a push handle. She pressed against it, letting out a metal squeak and a rusty croak as the door swung open. The dark stairwell was flooded with the outside light. Yumi too was splashed with the light, which momentarily hindered her sight.
It was magic hour. The sun had begun its process of melting into the horizon. A few clouds in the sky surrounding it only further enhanced its elegance. To see the sun like this on any normal day would be a sight to truly behold. The clouds striking its orange luminance like streaks of white paint on a canvas. The sight of a flock of birds fluttering gracefully past it without a care or concern in the world. It's an ultimately breathtaking sight and on any normal day, it would be humbling, soothing, and even a little romantic.
But this wasn't exactly a normal day. Of course, normal days aren't exactly something that comes frequently for people like Yumi and her friends Ulrich, Odd, and Jeremy. Many of their "normal days" were spent talking to people living in virtual universes, battling strange monsters, and messing around with highly advanced computer technology, all of which usually ensued with them tinkering with the Space/Time Continuum, but even for them, this was a very unusual day.
Jeremy had not noticed Yumi's arrival. His back was turned to her as he called out on his megaphone, hoping for even the slightest response, at least one from someone who was actually living.
"Hello!" he yelled out, "Is anyone there?!" His voice seemed a little hoarse. Of course, he'd been up here for a while talking like this. If you were too, I'm sure you'd begin having trouble talking.
"Hello!" he bellowed out, "Is anyone there?!" His megaphone-cracked voiced echoed out through the courtyard to no significant response. All he got were a few moans. Yumi approached him from behind. She spoke to him in a soft voice and from a distance, so not to scare him.
"Jeremy," she spoke, "You've been up here for almost an hour. If someone was out there, they would have replied by now."
Jeremy turned to Yumi, megaphone still in hand. "No phone calls or anything I take it?"
Yumi shook her head. "No.", she replied with a sign of disappointment in her tone, "Nothing at all."
Jeremy looked down at the ground, momentarily admiring the pieces of granite below his feet. He was deep in thought. Concern was plaguing him, terrorizing him with thoughts of worse case scenarios. Jeremy knew that he should have stopped with the S.O.S. calls a long time ago, but he decided to keep at it anyway. It wasn't that he was optimistic or anything, it was that his signaling and yelling was the only thing that had kept his mind off of his worries. He had been worrying about the well being of others all day. He had been worrying about Yumi, his friends, Jim, even Sissy.
But most of all, he had been worried about Aelita. Even though she was where "they" couldn't get to her, he still fretted for her the most. Even in the darkest of hours when things seemed the most bleak, he could talk to her. Whether it is a mere personal issue or a life-or-death situation, he could listen to her talk and all would seem to be at ease in the world. It didn't have to be about anything really. They could be talking about simple things such as what Jeremy had for lunch that day and even the smallest response from her would take what would feel like the weight of the world off of his shoulders. Yumi and the others also adored Aelita, but she only had the affect with Jeremy. They had that sort of "special" connection.
But he couldn't reach her now. She was all the way over in the dorms and Jeremy was stuck on top of the classrooms. He could see the dorms from where he was standing. He sometimes felt almost as if he could just extend his arm and grasp it in his hand, but he couldn't. If he could, he would dash across the courtyard and to the dorms for a nice chat. About anything really, it didn't matter; he just wanted to hear her comforting voice once more. Yet, not even that was possible. Well, it was theoretically possible, but the whole flesh-eating-zombies-who-will-without-hesitation-tear-you-appart-limb-from-limb-at-the-mere-sight-of-you part sort of rendered that idea, to say in the least, absurd.
The entire courtyard was swamped with them. Mindless, empty shells of what used to be the living, dragging their feet, moaning and gnawing of the bodies of the dead police officers strewn about on the ground. Many were gray in the skin. Others were covered in blood, some of which was their own and some of which was, well, not. But the worst part of them was the fact some of them you would recognize. There was the guy in your classroom who kept getting called out by the teacher when he fell asleep in class which always gave you a good laugh and there was that girl who you had a crush on a month or so ago who you almost asked-out, but didn't after you found out that she was already going-out with this mammoth of a guy almost three times your body mass. Yeah, they were all there. Some of them friends, others mere acquaintances, but you recognized them all. And now they were dead. Walking upright and feeding off of the flesh of the living, but dead nonetheless.
"You must be hungry." Yumi said, interrupting Jeremy's solemn meditation, "Come on downstairs. All we have are some chips we got out of the vending machines, but it's enough to tide ourselves over for now."
"Thanks," Jeremy replied, "But I'm not exactly hungry." After seeing all the things that Jeremy had seen in the past few hours, I'm sure you wouldn't exactly be up for something to eat yourself, but Yumi was concerned for Jeremy's health and wasn't about to take "no" for an answer. Besides, she wanted him to stop with his attempts to reach someone. It was futile and starting to become rather depressing.
"I know you don't feel hungry, but you need to eat something. It may not be the most nutritious thing on the planet, but it's infinitely better than starving."
Jeremy wanted to stay up on the roof a bit longer, but he was too exhausted to argue with Yumi. Besides, maybe eating would also help him take his mind off of his troubles.
"All right. I'll be right behind you."
Yumi gave Jeremy a small, satisfactory smile, "Thanks Jeremy." She turned her back and headed for the door. Jeremy took another look around.
It was beautiful; the sun beginning to set on the horizon. On any normal day, it would have stopped you in your tracks, but there was something ominous, almost eulogistic about it. It felt like the Autumn days of human civilization and, with the right set of eyes, you too would be convinced that it was the end of the world; Armageddon.
Jeremy slouched slightly as he headed for the door, the sun striking his back, casting his own shadow out in front of him.