Chapter 2: A Quiet Place

Five Days After National Outbreak

Bella POV:

The quiet is what weighs on me more than anything. The clock on the wall drives me mad as it produces the only sound in the room. It shouldn't be so quiet. For the first time in days, I try to enjoy the silence. Locked away in the closet, I feel like a coward. It should have been me. Staring at the closet door, I wonder if it's finally over. I don't hear them anymore. For days it's been horror. The sounds of screams, splatters, scratches, shredding, and stabbing have ceased, leaving me riddled with anxiety. I used to enjoy the sound of silence and now it does nothing but put me on edge. You can do this, Bella. You can't stay in here forever.

The light hits my face, blinding me as I slowly push the closet door open. My muscles are numb, barely working as I rise to my knees and crawl out. That's when I hear it; my little boy's whimpers. They have me moving at lightning speed. I ignore the ache in my knees as I go to him. He needs me. He and Jake need me and I can't let them down. Not again. They're just where I left them. Using the wall for support, I rise to my feet and limp across the room to my kitchen table. The look in their eyes makes my skin crawl. They've seen so much - been through so much - but they're still here.

"Sweetie, Mommy's here now. You don't have to worry anymore."

Seth's eyes are filled with tears. When he looks up at me, I barely recognize him. His dark blue eyes are so clouded now; they're not the eyes I remember. However, nothing is how I remember it. This is a new world and I'll have to learn to accept the changes, drastic as they may be. Regardless of the difference in his appearance, Seth is still my son and I will forever be his mother. I couldn't abandon him if I tried. He will always be in my heart; he will always be in my mind. Same with Jake, who is now a shadow of the man he once was. I regard him for a moment, taking in the new shape of his head and the dried blood which is almost artfully splattered on his tanned face. His cloudy eyes stare straight through me and his mouth, which would always curl into a smile when he saw me, now hangs open in a contorted snarl.

I move my gaze back to my son, squatting down so he can look into my eyes. He turns his head, and while his eyes meet mine, he doesn't see me. I wonder if he still knows who I am. Tears fill my eyes at the realization that my little boy may no longer recognize me. He may be lost to me forever. My fingers reach out to trail the skin of his face, enjoying the softness while ignoring its new imperfections.

"Mommy loves you, baby."

His scream makes me cringe and his tiny hand reaches out to grab my wrist. The chains hold him in place.

"I'm going to save you. I promise."

He snarls at me, biting and snapping at the air as he attempts to reach me.

"I promise, Seth. I promise." Turning to my husband, I promise him, too. "Jake, I'll be back. I promise, I'll be back."

He snarls in response, thrashing in the chair as he bites in my direction. It's been like this for days. I couldn't bare it. Seeing someone I love more than my own life suffering is not something I want to accept as truth. I keep pinching myself, believing this all to be one horrid nightmare that I'll soon wake-up from. But, of course, it isn't and no matter how frequently I try to wake-up, nothing changes. There's nothing to awaken from. There's nothing but this: a life I'm unwilling to accept.

Crossing the room, I turn the dial on the radio, surprised it still works. The staticky sound of voices fills the room and Seth cries out, irritated by the noise. His eyes dart around the room, hungry as he searches for the source of the sound. The carnal look in his eyes makes my stomach turn. It takes all my strength to keep my mind focused on the radio and not the future of my little boy. There has to be a cure. There just has to be. This can't be the end. A three year old with his entire life ahead of him can't slip through my fingers. I have to save him; I have to save my husband.

"Gather what you can and keep on the move. Move North. If you can, join us in DC. We may have found an answer. It's early, but we have to get this virus under control now. While we still can. Before more lives are lost. Before we barely recognize each other."

The male voice continues to give out instructions, but I've tuned them out DC. I have to make it to DC and find whatever hope is left. I should have known this would happen. The virus broke out last month in Texas but the whole world thought it was contained. A five-year-old girl had been hit by a car and died in the hospital. Or at least, she coded. The entire hospital staff was shocked when she "reanimated" minutes later. Her eyes opened, but she was no longer "her." She wasn't the girl who died… she was the girl who woke up. And the girl who woke up was a monster. She bit a nurse, tearing some of the flesh of her neck before some of the staff was able to tie her to the bed. I watched the video on the news - the whole world did - and I would have been terrified if it weren't for the news a few days later. They claimed it was a "freak accident" at first. Weeks later that "freak accident" or "isolated incident" became the virus. Virus HN79 - the "zombie virus." Of course, professionals don't refer to it as such, but the rest of the world does.

"Don't go out at night. Stay out of populated cities. Try to move in groups. Carry on with purpose. This isn't the time to get lost. Gather as much food as you can and move North."

"I'll come back for you, Jake," I whisper, not trusting the sound of my own voice.

He snarls in response. Going upstairs, I quickly pack a bag for the road. While I'm scared to travel alone, I know there's no other way. I don't know who I can trust. No one trusts anyone anymore. I could be robbed… God, I don't even what to think about what else could happen. I've listened to reports on the radio - the last working station in Albuquerque - and I cringed as they talked about robbery, rape, and even a case of cannibalism. In a matter of days, the world has completely fallen apart. I can't imagine what the world will look like after a month of this. It has to end. It has to end soon.

I slip into a new pair of yoga pants, running shoes, a tank top, and the sweatshirt I wear when I go on my runs, before throwing my hair up in a ponytail. I pack all of the workout clothes I can find, knowing all I'll be doing is walking (if I'm lucky), and jog back down to the kitchen, gathering all the food and water I can find and carry. Before I leave, I take one final look at my home and family. The place and people I thought I would be with until my dying day. I thought I would grow old here with my husband. When we bought this house, we believed we had a lifetime of happiness to look forward to. How wrong we all were.

"Good-bye, love," I whisper to Jake before turning my attention to my little boy. "Mommy will be back. I promise you."

I vow to them both and myself. I'll come back to New Mexico someday. I'll come back to my home if it's the last thing I do.

A/N: This story will move back and forth between Edward's POV and Bella's POV with each chapter. So, any theories on how Jake and Seth were chained? Please review!