Chapter 1- Aftermath

I woke up and pressed myself out of my sleeping tube. It had been awhile since I was able to sleep the whole night.

I think it's around 11:30 AM. According to the days I have counted out it's Somewhere in December, looks like that's another holiday spent alone.

It's been 7 months since the incident, and i've been living in a bomb shelter by myself, even though this thing is built for 4. My family didn't make it, and I didn't have th courage to save them. God why am I such a Coward. I could have saved them but I was selffish. I still remember it like yesterday. It haunts every single day.

*Flashback*

It was around the afternoon on a cool, breezy March afternoon. My mother was sitting on a patio table with my little sister preparing eggs for easter. The news had told us about threats that North Korea had made, but we never took them seriously just like the others. Me and my Dad had been working on the decorations for the upcoming holiday. Colorful ribbons, bows, giant wodden painted eggs in the yard to get the kids excited the whole Sha-Bang.

"Daniel hand me that piece of tape will ya?" My dad had asked me holding up a banner while on a step ladder.

"Sure thing." I told him handing him the tape. He stuck it to the wall and began to shape his fingers like a box, or as he used to call it "Director Vision".

"Lookin pretty good if I do say so myself." My dad had said.

"Well, if you say so."

"It's nice to have you her Danny, 17 year olds don't usually stick around the house and help thier parents, they like to party it up, and hang out with thier friends."

"Man, i'd do anything for you two and escpecially little Rosa over here." I had said patting my little sister on the head.

What seemed like an ordinary family activity went south fast. We enjoyed each other's company, until the sirens went.

"Daddy, what's that loud noise. Are the police coming?" Rosa, my little sister asked in mystery.

"No, it...it can't be?" My dad whispered to himself.

"Hun, is it?" My mom had hinted my father.

"I'm afraid so, everyone to the celler now!"

We ran to the celler where my father kept all his novlties and wine collection, he pulled one of his wine bottles and it opened an underground section, it was sterlized and had a step ladder that went down to what seemed to be a bright room with white neon lights.

"Everyone down there now! Daniel you first."

Daddy what does this wine bottle do..."

"Rosa don't touch..."

Before I know it, the door had shut in front of me, and we all tried to open it both on thier side and mine. It was sealed no way in no way out.

"Guys, no there has to be a way..." I had said panicly trying to look for a way to open it.

"Once, it's sealed it can't be open for a very very long time." My father had said from the other side began to tear up and holding my sister and mother close to him.

"I...I can't lose you guys." I had uttered beggining to tear up as well.

"Take care Son, remember that me and your mother always loved you"

A large explosion was heard from the background along with a large earthquake. I could see my family huddled up sayin thier last prayers. I slammed the door hoping it would budge and be able to save them. After that the explosion had hit the house, and the force knocked my back pushing me into the bunker sealing my fate.

*End of Flashback*

My food supply is running low, the door has unleahed the lock, or at least what's left of it. I grabed for the last meal I had left. It was a can of mixed fruits.

I was starving and stared at the can hoping there was more food hidden somewhere else, there wasn't. I opened it with the dull can opener, and devoured everything that was in it, I was satisfied for now. I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but it looked like I had to venture onto the wasteland of Los Angeles. I sat there reading the only book that was in her for the fiftieth time it seemed. An old Survival guide, kind of wish there was a survival's guide to a nuclear wasteland in here. The rest of my day consisted of the thoughts of how I was gonna aproach the horrid world outside.

My thoughts were cut short by the banging on the bunker door.

"Wha...What?" Were the first words I had uttered in months.

I knew something was wrong, maybe a branch or tree fell over and hit the door. That theory went fast as it felt like someone was prying the door open. Looks like the outside world is coming to me. I grabbed one of the emergency gask masks and an oxygen tank left in one of the storage rooms in the shelter and hid in behind the shelf, preparing to see what lurks on the outside.

I heard the door slam and whay sounded like wet feet slap against the concreate floor. A stange noise was coming from the entrance getting closer to where I was. Whatever these things the're not human.

I listened closely at what they were doing. I heard a series of moans and saliva coming from what I assume was it's mouth. Looks like they are comunicating with each other. I peeked over the edge of the shelf to get better look at these things. Oh my god.

They looked human, but had certain deformaties. One of them had ripped clothing boils all over it's body and bumby red skin. His mouth was permantaly open oozing substance out of it. The other one did't have to bottom part of his jaw and had rather green pusy skin and looked like it had a slimy texture. They were both weilding weapons like a sharp piece of 2x4 and the other a lead pipe.

They began to look around and banged on everything in search of something. They were probably searching for food, hopefully that doesn't include me.

They began to knock evrything in the bunker over and came closer to knocking the shelf I was hiding behind.

"Shit, shit, shit!" I whispered to myself as they drew closer.

They approached the shelf and began to sniff the outer parts of it. I could feel my mask fogging up and my palms grow sweaty. They grew closer and stopped sniffing at once. They turned thier heads to the side and both looked at each other and grew angry.

They both picked up the shelf and saw me shivering fear.

"Ah, Fuck!" I screamed as they threw the shlef and tried to attack me.

They chased me around the whole place constaly slapping the

2x4 and lead pipe against everything trying to land a hit on me as I ran. I made a break for the exit and climbed the ladder leading to the outside.

I hesitated and placed my hand on the door leading to the outside. I didn't want to go outside and find a whole field of these things waiting for an midnight snack. I looked down and saw the creatures had been creeping up on me getting closer as I dozed off. It's now or never Daniel.

I opened the hatch and quickly closed it and sat on it hoping to seal them in for awhile to give me a chance to plan my next actions. I looked around to see a wreckage of what was my home.

I could see some buildings still standing, but slightly as they were on the brink of collapsing. It was dark and I didn't have any equipment except for the mask an about an hour of oxygen left.

I held onto the hatch as long as I could, but it wasn't enough, they eventually broke free and I was sent flying onto a pile of rubage.

"Aw, shit! I...I think i broke my ankle" I had screamed as i looked down not being able to run away. They drew in closer and I started to crawl away until one of them grabbed my leg and raised the lead pipe it was holding, getting ready to finish me off.

"Looks like this might be the end." I told myself closing my eyes waiting for it to be over.

A bright light had emerged out of nowhere grabbing the attention of the creatures. At that moment I thought I had already been dead, and was transfering to the "other side".

I heard gunshots and both creatures dropped to the floor with bullet holes in thier heads and oozing purplish substance from thier wounds. A could see a silloute of what seemed to be a human reaching it's hand out towards me.

"God? Is that you?" I faintly called out covering my face from the light.

"Yeah, sure whatever we have to go now. I may have alerted more of hem by firing the gun" The voice had told me.

The shadow grabbed my and pulled me away from the light to reveal that it was an old pickup truck shining it's high beams at me. I looked over to see who this person was.

He was a tall, skinny but not boney man with ashy brown skin. He was wearing an marines camoflauge jacket with a name patched onto it. I couldn't read it. He was wearing some dark jeans with holes in them and I knife straped to his waist along with ammunation for the weapon he had fired. His face was relatively dirty a d his hair was long and pulled back in a small pony tail.

"Hurry the hell up and get in the damn truck before I have to leave you, and take that damn mask off!" He said pulling my mask off and pointing at his truck.

"I can't I think I twisted my ankle or something." I said trying to stand up.

"For the love of.." The man said pulling me off the gorund and putting his arm around my shoulder to walk me to the truck.

"Who...who are you?" I asked the mysterious man.

"Escpae first, names later hurry let's get you to the others." He said putting me in his truck and got in the drivers seat.

"Others?"

"Yes, more of us. Looks like we have to keep the lights off, eithier the Ectros or the many militaries will get us. This must be all new to you, but I can't explain it now. Just sit back and stay put." He had told me. I looked outside the window and could see the fallen and destroyed city.

"Goodbye, home" I hda said putting my hand on the glass as I looked back at what used to be the place I grew up.