"There are hundreds confirmed dead. All citizens are advised to stay indoors, if you must leave your homes proceed with extreme caution. If you are showing signs of sickness or know someone with signs of sickness people report to the millinery medical base for treatment." The emergency reports continued, mass destruction, a rising death. I sat on the couch moving, I couldn't breath or move. I just stared at the tv screen, Mia sat there curled in on herself with breathing ragged. To think just that morning my biggest problem had been finals. I heard my other roommate Crystal she was on the phone and crying panicked. Her boyfriend was at one of the military camps because he was sick. His brother wasn't even allowed to see him, he was afraid he wad dead. Without warning Mia shot up from off the couch,
"I can't just sit here! I've got to get to my family." She sounded discounted and distant as she began looking around for her coat. I turned on the couch to see where she was going.
"Mia?!" I called standing up to follow her, she didn't answer. "Mia!" I called again she was in the kitchen pulling on her coat with shaky hands. She wouldn't look at me. I grabbed her by both shoulders. "W-what are you going to do? You heard the new reports its not safe out there." My voice broke as I tried to explain.
"I-I don't know but my mom-"
"Lives three hours away, you don't have a car how are you going to get to her?"
"I'll call Lisa or something."
"You haven't seen Lisa since you broke up with her, and she's probably got her own problem with all this. Mia you need to just stay here until we figure something out." She shook her head.
"No, no I have to go."
"I'm going." Crystal finally said breaking us from our conversation. Both Mia and I stopped to look at her. Tears ran down her cheeks and her eyes were puffy and red. She clutched her phone tightly to her chest. "I'm going to the military base, Mia I'll drive you there if you want." She nodded.
"No!" I said as the two head for the door as Crystal grabbed her keys. "You can't leave its not safe out there and I'll be alone."
"You can come with us Scarlett." Mia said with pleading eyes.
"No, it's not safe." I argued feeling tears bubbled behind my eyes, my voice broke as I spoke.
"We'll call you when were there. Stay safe Scar," Was all Crystal said before she hurried out the door, she was terrified for her boyfriend and her family but so was I. There wasn't anything I could do about it. Mia rushed over and hugged me, and tear broke into my eyes as she tried to smile at me weakly.
"You're a trooper, you'll be fine and so will we. Call you soon." She said before running out after Crystal. I watched them leave, Mia had nearly jumped in the car when Crystal started driving off. Suddenly I couldn't breath, more warning, more deaths keep being announced on the TV. I had been so scared and I began crying uncontrollably, everything was going to hell. The end of the world just like thous stupid movies I watched as a kid, only this was a movie. Panicked alone I sank to the floor by the door I couldn't think straight. Nothing made sense, I was alone and powerless, I had now idea I would become someone so different from the person I was in that moment, scared and alone.
Maybe an hour passed before I got a phone called I raced over to my phone hoping it was Mia and Crystal. To both my relief and my surprise it was my brother.
"Hello?" I had asked my voice tight and horse.
"Scar? Oh thank god you picked up."
"Whats going on, Tommy? What's happening?" I was still crying
"I, I don't know. Something bad, real bad. Look I'm headed your way where are you?"
"I'm at home, Mia and Crystal they both left, I'm alone. Have you talked to Mom and Dad yet are they okay?"
"Yeah, yeah just got off the phone with them. Look I need you to calm down. I'm coming to get you then were going to go to Uncle Bills, we'll meet Mom and Dad there. It should be safe. Do you still have that gun I gave you?" I took a deep shaky breath before answering.
"Yes, it's in my closet in the lock box."
"Good, now go get it. I don't know what's happening but I know you'll need to protect yourself. Pack some clothes too and anything else you might need. Just stay inside and don't open the door until I get there. Shit!" He shouted into the phone and I reared my head away from the loud shout. "Look, Scar I gotta go. Just be careful, I'll be there soon." After he hung up the phone I raced upstairs and grabbed the rifle from the lock box, I looked down at the long slick rifle. I had never shot it anywhere but a range. With shaky fingers I loaded the magazine but I kept dropping the bullets, the small gold coloured metal ammunition disappearing from view as they tangled in the mess on my unmade bed. I had dumped the box out and the bullets were scattered around my notes from class, lost in a sea of paper about the Spanish Inquisition. After long than it should have take I loaded the gun but kept the safety on. I was to shaky for it to be armed. I then lay the gun down on the bed and scrambled around the room collecting clothes and other stray items. I couldn't think straight so much was rushing through my mind, the reports words of spreading death and destruction. People losing their minds, attacking others. What was happening? I shoved everything into my backpack after dumping its contents to the floor. I dragged all my things downstairs and threw them onto the couch before double checking every door and window in the house. Everything was locked, I was safe for the time being but nothing felt further from the truth. I sat there watching the tv warnings go on and on I could barely breath, it felt like there was an invisible hand around my neck, getting tighter and tighter with each crippling report. After what felt like an eternity there was a loud banging on the door, I jumped grabbing the gun I slowly made my way to the door. Someone was pounding on it like a madman. It was the only thing louder than my heart as it raced in my chest.
"Scar? Scarlett its me. Open the door." Without a second thought I ran over to the door and unlocked it, throwing it open to the welcomed sight of my brother. He looked the same as he always had. His hair just long enough that it kept falling into his eyes, he hadn't shaved in a few days. He was earning a pair of worn and added jeans and a t-shirt covered by a bright orange and yellow construction vest. I jumped into his arms, gun still tight in my hands.
"Are you okay?" He asked stepping away looking over my tear stained face.
"I'm fine, but what the fuck is going on?"
"I already told you I don't know but we need to get out of here and get to uncle Bill." He looked over my shoulder into my house. "Get your stuff, we've got to go," There was screaming down the street. Screaming unlike any I had heard before. So full of pain and fear, it chilled my blood and I thought I was going to be sick. "Now," He helped me inside and I grabbed my bag and ran out to his truck, I locked the door. For what reason I didn't know, habit perhaps. But as the screaming grew louder Tommy started the car and sped away faster than even Rebeca had. As the screaming grew more distant it did nothing to settle the tight feeling of dread in my chest. This was just the begin. I had no idea what was coming, what was next for me or who this world was going to make me.