Survivors of the Z’s- Graham Jackson, Nottingham, UK 

A few days had passed and nothing but a dreadful nightmare about that day was my alarm clock. I woke up in a sweat and a deep breath. All I could do was think about it all. Everything that had happened that day. 

My victims bloody face

The threats 

Being followed

And the dead body

It was all just… horrific

I went to get out of my bed but stayed there a little longer to think. Every picture right in front of me.

Every word

He’s not going to be happy

That’s what the girl said right? Who wasn’t going to be happy? Was that a threat that was going to follow me until it actually happened?

Was it a threat that was just a threat and wasn’t going culminate into anything?

What ever it was my sleeping pattern was fucked. Here was me.

A man

With a daughter, granddaughters and young lad who I now looked at as a son and I was worried about 

EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. OF. THEM.

   “Dad,” I heard, “you up?”

   “Yeah”

My angel came in and Jessie and Elvis walked in with her. Bruno laid on the floor beside me. He stood up, walked over to Evelyn and she stroked him.

   “Hey Bruno,” she greeted tiredly

It looked like she had been up for awhile. She was already dressed, but her eyes looked tired. 

   “Hey,” I said

She sat down on my bed

Stretched

And yawned

Jessie and Elvis jumped up along with Bruno. Everyone was now sprawled on the bed.

One big happy family

   “This feels great,” she said

   “Not for my old legs, you’ll  crushing the hell out of them”

I moved Bruno and Elvis out of the way.

   “That’s better,” I said, “you ok? 

   “I had a strange dream,” she told

   “Not about the monster in the closet again, I told you many times it doesn’t exist”

   “Very funny dad”

I turned my head sideways and noticed the look change on her face. Soon she wasn’t smiling as much. Like the smile was dying. Like she was in the dream once more. 

   “What was it about?” 

   “It was Michelle’s birthday and everyone was there and I mean everyone, Uncle Thomas, Uncle Alistair, Auntie Gail, all my cousins, Joe, Cameron, Karl, Tammy, Lydia, Darah, you and…”

   “Who?”

   “Mum”

   “Carrie,” I muttered

A sudden flashback hit me and I was found staring at her, but it wasn’t her, it was her mum. Everything just came back at me.

EVERYTHING

From the happy times

To the emotionally fucked up times

Then I began to wonder if she ever survived? 

If her child ever made it? 

Then I wondered, do I actually give a damn or not?

I didn’t want to think a bad thing about her with her being the mother of my child and all.

Oh Carrie

Where did it all go wrong?

What did I do to ever deserve what you did to me?

Was I that bad of a husband…?

was I? 

   “Dad,” I heard, “Dad, are you alright?” 

   “Huh?”

   “Are you ok? You just zoned out”

   “Oh, sorry, just thinking about stuff”

   “What was you thinking about?”

   “I dunno, just… your mum I guess, how we all just used to laugh and have dinner in front of the TV, we… we had each other”

   “Do you miss her?”

She looked at me

Into my eyes and deep into my soul

It was like she was reading me like a book

   “I miss what we had, what we all had, I don’t miss her”

   “It hurt to have that dream, instead of feeling love I felt confused, I didn’t know what to think”

   “Nobody would,” I said
I headed out later in the early morning with Bruno and  

left the other two with them.

I was still slightly worried about my new friends threats from before, so it was for peice of mind.

I felt the sharp air cut deep into my lungs as I breathed in with closed eyes.

Every day being a challenge

Every day I said

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

   I whistled, “Bruno”

I waved bye to Eveyln and watched Elvis and Jesse dissappear behind the door with envious looks toward Bruno

   “Just you and me boy,” I said, “I had to leave those two behind, you understand right?” 

He quickly looked at me and looked away

   “Of course you do, you’re probably loving it lad”

Bruno did what he did best and began to wander. 

I let him walk as far as the eyes could see

As long as he didn’t dissappear then I was fine with it

It wasn’t like the roads were busy anyway. 

   We walked down a long road that had houses in ruins on both sides with tattered cars on the roads and driveways, it brought back memories of the riots when the disease hit the city, all the running and everything else that came with it.

I passed a house that had something familiar written on it on the side

                   

                   THE WORLD

                       IS FREE
And another familiar sighting came after. Another soldiers body was laid out on the ground, but this time. Their head was by its side. 

Bruno suddenly growled 

His ears were up

And his body showed signs of concern 

   “Bruno, come on”

He walked into the garden where the body and graffiti was. 

   “Bruno, come here now you little shite”

He started to bark

A woman then appeared from the house. She was tall. Very slim and had short blonde hair. Her clothes were baggy and slightly dirty.

   “Nice doggy you have there,” she spoke, her voice quite low and strong

   “Thanks,” I was by Bruno’s side now, “Bruno, come on”

I saw a knife appear by her side.

   “Hey, I don’t want any trouble”

   She looked at it, “what, this?” She said, “don’t worry, this is meant for someone else”

   “I feel sorry for them,” I said, “I’ll leave you to it then, nice meeting you”

   “Oh, we’ve already met”

   “I don’t think we have”

   “We have, in the distance”

I tried to think and then it came to me

The figure 

Shouting from a far

It was her…

The figure that was following Preston and I

   I grew angry, “Hey, listen to me and you listen good”

   She put her hand up, “I suggest you listen to me mister and listen good, what you did to our friend was fucked up, you didn’t have to do what you did, the man was hungry that’s all like the rest of us, when I saw his face and how brutal the damage was, then I knew… you were gonna suffer for it”

   “All I see is you, I don’t like hitting women, but if you’re threatening my family then I’ll enjoy every fucking second”

   “It’s not me you have to worry about,” she explained with a twisted smile, “but the worry seems to be a long looong way from here”

   “What the fuck do you mean?”

She rolled her eyes

Dropped the bloody knife and came in closer. Bruno walked closer. I motioned to him to back off. I clenched my fists and breathed deep. Getting ready for something that I always tried to avoid. 

   “I’m just going to give you a clue,” she told, “home,” she whispered

I then realised

My feelings then quickly switched from anger to anxious. My heart raced as my legs burned as I sped away.

Ran hard with Bruno by my side.

   “You better hurry, he might already be there!”   

   “Come on boy!” I shouted

A tear appeared and I wiped it off

   “Please no,” I begged

Everything that could go wrong was in my head, circulating. It all felt like a blur

The running

The panting

The thoughts of blood

Everything just passing me by 
Night had come and the candles were lit. Preston sat next to a face who he truly cared about. Somebody who he thought was dead. 

His brother

Who I now knew as, Nicholas. 

Preston was happier than ever as he asked him many questions

Where have you been?

What have you been doing?

BUT…

All I could think about was the threat…

HIM

   “Looks like your new dad has been looking after you, bro”

He was tall, slim and pale. Just like his brother described. I kept looking over at him and every time I did.

My blood pressure risen

   He looked my way and smiled, “time for bed bro, me and your dad need to talk, I’ll see you tomorrow”

   “Just don’t leave please”

   Preston hugged him tight, “never again,” he assured 

Preston got up

Smiled at me 

And dissapeared 

   He crossed his legs, spread his arms out on the couch and looked my way, “once again, thanks for letting me use your shower, wow, I haven’t felt like this for years ever since I got kicked out of the home”

I stroked Bruno who was by my side. Elvis and Jesse were upstairs with the others.

   “I feel bad for you,” I said

   “No you don’t”

   “You’re right…” I gazed an angry stare his way, “I don’t”

   “I’m sad you feel that way, Graham,” he said, “I just want to be your friend”

   “Fuck you, you prick”

   “I’m not the prick here, you’re, if you didn’t do what you did to, Marcus, we wouldn’t be having this conversation”

   “Just what do you want?” I asked

   “Just tell me something,” he said

   “What?”

   “Did it feel good, beating some homeless guy up?”

    “No, but if I had to do it again, I would”

   “Because of your dogs?” He asked

   “Aye,” I said, deeply

   “Well,” he walked over and sat next to me, crossed his legs and spread his arms on the couch like before, “I have a proposition for you Graham, do you wanna hear it?”

   “Just tell me, then fuck off”

   “I won’t be going alone, I’ll be taking my brother with me”

   I stood up, “You’re going to have to get through me first”

   He rose to his feet too, Bruno was on guard, I motioned to him to sit and he did, “if you don’t,” he said, “I will kill everybody you love… your choice”

His eyes were sharply focused on mine. I wanted to fight it, but I couldn’t. He looked over my shoulder and winked. I turned and saw the same woman from before.

She smiled and waved

   “She’s great, trust me, she’ll do anything for me”

I saw a few others out there also.  I felt my heart sink. I was out numbered. I had to make a decision.

The right decision

   “So… what’s it going to be Graham…?”

I breathed

And then…

   

   

   

   

 

   

Survivors of the Z’s- Teddy Baker, Outside Wales, UK 

I drove down a long road. I had collected everything that I could’ve from the house where a dead girl now layed. I didn’t think of her. 

I couldn’t

I couldn’t take my focus off what was in front of me and that was getting back to my family in one peice. Mainly tins of food were stashed in the back seat. I was quite happy with it but the amount that was there wouldn’t have lasted long enough.

Maybe a week or to

Maybe three

But I had to search for more

I carried on down the long winding roads and noticed in the distance figures walking aimlessly. Like they were struggling to balance. It was obvious what they were. They were one of them. A few were out in the open field just wandering around and one was close to the road. It sensed me and turned around and walked on to the road. I didn’t stop. I just carried on and then

SPLAT

What used to be a figure of a woman was now nothing but death’s meat. The car crushed her as it hit

Bounced off

And fell underneath the car

   “One down, billions more to go”

I stopped at a roundabout

Left or right

   “Hmmm”

I heard a noise that only meant one thing. 

A sprinter 

It’s cry was loud. It exploded out of a window from a house.

I jumped but fear didn’t grab me for long. 

I watched as the infected skinny- tall- man with ripped bloody clothes and shredded skin dash toward me. 

   I looked to my left and smiled, “hello there, this is becoming one hell of a fun day”

I had

From time to time

Been able to flip a switch 

From normal

To fucking crazy

And slaughtering these things made the switch being there more acceptable

I was

Let me think…

Turned on

Sounds grotesque I know, but that’s me. 

I LOVED BLOOD

That was the other side

The darker… side

   “I’ll come out and play,” I joked

I grabbed my knife and left the gun in the car. I wanted to slice shit up. I wanted to hear the skin splitting. I hadn’t cleaned the blood off the knife from the many occasions before, so the memories were still there.

EVERY. SINGLE. ONE OF THEM.

   I smiled at it, “just how I like you”

I looked at the sprinter again. I watched it’s face and disgusting body shaking in rage. It’s eyes bled and it’s teeth were rotting. 

   “Let’s get to it”

I got out and watched it come my way. It’s blood still fell from its eyes and it was now spitting blood. It wildly came toward me and I waited with my hand gently pressed against the knife. 

I waited

And then 

I sliced it’s neck wide open and stuck the blade deep into the side of its head after it fell.

  The blade dripped with blood, “That was boring, I was expected more of a fight”

After saying that

More screams from the diseased sounded. I rapidly directed my gaze toward the screams. 

There were plenty

Plenty to bring excitement 

   “Thats more fucking like it!” 

I motioned them to bring it and got in my car. 

Grabbed my gun 

And started firing 

I watched some tumble

And others stay on their feet

Shot after shot after shot

It was an adrenaline rush 

My smile wide

Sadistic 

Loving every minute of it until they got a little too close

   “I’d love to stay folks, but I’ve gotta go”

I got into the car and waited until they were close enough. 

Close enough to see

To be banging at the window

Then I drove away and left them chasing the fumes

   “Back to business”

I sped down the road as fast I as could and I felt the world passing me by.

No rules

No law

No job

It felt spactactular

SENSATIONAL

And deep down in my twisted fucking soul I felt my duty as a father mixed in with the craziness. The true colours of man could now come out and be seen in the new world.

I was a tiny tiny tiny bit scared of that I guess

But I was more scared for them. 

For the other residents of this fucked up world.

Because sooner or later.

Somebody was going to try and mess with me and I couldn’t wait. 

I couldn’t wait for the challenge.

For the blood

The new world felt like a playground to me. Of course I had to be careful, but the possibilities were endless now. I didn’t just work at a shitty store anymore. Grades from school didn’t matter anymore. No worrying about having an endless job. 

WE. WERE. ALL. EQUAL. NOW

The ladder was reset and I was going to reach for the fucking top.

   “Any music?” 

I looked in the dashboard and clocked another CD. 

   “Ed Sheeran, hmm… that’ll do”

I took out the other CD and replaced it with the album. 

   “Pick a number, any number… three,” it began to play, “when your legs don’t work like they used to before”

An infected was then seen crawling onto the road.

   I grinned then giggled, “hooow convenient”

I carried on staring and then

Abruptly

I had to slam on the breaks

   A young woman stood in the middle of the road with her hands on the car bonnet, “you fucking stupid?!”

I grabbed my gun and knife and got out of the car to confront her

   “Please, we need help, can you help us please?” She gasped for air

I looked behind me and saw a young boy with three young looking men and an older man with him. The older man stood on one leg. He looked in pain as he was being held up by the two younger ones. They all held weapons.

A baseball bat

A sword

Guns

And a sledge hammer

They also had a few bags with them   

   I was on guard, “you look pretty capable”

   “We need shelter, my uncle’s been hurt bad, our camp got over run, we just need a safe place and that’ll be it,” I watched them and she watched me, “hey, you can trust us, please”

I began walking over to the guys and now they were on guard. Some were shorter than me and some were tall, but they all looked strong.

Capable of surviving in a world like this

It was the eyes

They told the story

   “No need to be frightened,” I told, “I only want one thing from you and that is your guarantee”

   “What do you want?” The uncle said, short with broard shoulders, his face looked spent

   “I have a place for you and it’s a nice place, but the problem is, it isn’t available until you hand over your weapons”

   “Fuck you,” one said

   I held up my hands, “ok fine,” 

I walked away

   “Wait, we’ll do it,” the girl said

   “Abbey, are you crazy?” 

   “Shut up Francis, we can’t stay out here”

   I smiled and nodded, “if you need safety, this is the only road”

   “If we wanted to kill you we would’ve done it already,” one said

   “Just do as he says,” Abbey told

   In the end they gave me their weapons and I nodded every time to show I respected their decision. 

   “Don’t worry, you’ll get them back when we get there,” Francis looked my way, his eyes wide with fury, “you can trust me,” they all got in, “It’s a good job I have a big car huh”

   

We stood in the house now. The others looked around whilst Abbey came toward me.

Smiling   

   “Thanks for this, really, we appreciate it,” Abbey told

   “It’s fine, really, do you have everything you need?” 

   “Yes we do, we have everything, all the supplies we need”

   “Good, well I’ll be seeing you”

   “Wait, do you wanna stay for dinner?” She asked

I thought about it

long and hard

But I had to get back 

   “I have to get home, but thank you, but first, I need to use the men’s room”

   “You don’t need to ask me,” she said

I walked upstairs and passed many doors. 

The place was huge

I couldn’t believe I didn’t grab it when I could

I heard a noise

A cry actually

   “What the?” 

   I listened in, the door was slightly open, I looked in and saw the uncle crying, looking up at the ceiling on a large bed, praying, “sorry for my sin’s, sorry for all my wrong doings, those children did not deserve it, but I am a changed man now and I will never do it again, I have changed, I have… changed”

My mood changed from a little calm to anger.

I had done a good deed

NOW

Anger had struck

He had to go

He had to…

What ever this guy did

It involved children

I had children of my own

I couldn’t have him around
Night came and I drove back to the house where they stayed. 

I parked at a distance

I was quiet 

Calm and collected

My other side had taken over as I walked closer to the house

Candles could be seen giving a little light in the house

And then I saw him

Standing there with a smoke

   “There you’re,” I said

I walked over

Clutched my blood stained knife in my hand. 

Again

I was calm and collected

Fully focused

He didn’t see me coming and I didn’t stop walking

Suddenly

I was behind him 

Smiling 

He turned and his face quickly changed to shock. He saw my knife.

   “What’s that for?” He asked, “What’re you doing?”

   “Doing what the last world should’ve done,” I answered

   “Please, I never meant”-

He was frozen in fear and soon the blood that I lusted for began to rain into the darkness. 

The knife was driven into his stomach 

   “Shhh,” I told

And then his throat. I watched him fall.

Blood gushed

Job done

I looked around and walked back into the night. I looked behind me and saw a face that I knew had been standing there for awhile in the window.

Francis’s

   “He deserved it,” I muttered

   

   
   

   

   

Survivors of the Z’s- Rhonda Gedling, Red Rose, Colorado

A DAY PASSED- 

I made my choice in the end and that choice was to stay. 

I had to 

Don’t think for one second that I did it because I thought there wasn’t another way. I knew there was. I knew there was a way where I could’ve walked down and got my self the fuck out of there, but I had to stay.

I HAD TO

For my sister

For Elaine

The reason why I say that is because she loved Mom no matter what. She saw hope in her therefore I couldn’t just leave her there alone with them. 

I had to protect her

To stay with her

Because that’s what Elaine would’ve done and would’ve wanted me to do.

   “You made the right choice,” mom said, “thank you”

   “If thats what you think,” I said, “honestly, I just think you’re scared to fucking death”

   “It’s the right choice Rhonda, us out there, like they said, we have no chance at all”

   “Exactly…” I got up close, “what they said, they’re trying to push these thoughts into our heads, don’t you get it? They’ll do anything and say anything to get us to stay”

   “It’s safer in numbers”

She wasn’t understanding anything. I put my hands on to my pounding head and gripped my hair. I felt like tearing my hair out. I was close to exploding.  

   “We survived for weeks out there on our own!” I yelled, “if we can do then, we can do so much more!”

The door to the RV then swung open and in he came with his wife and two guys by his side. It was like a stare down at first. They were trying to pull us down to our knees. I could feel it. I could feel the tention heating up in the small area we stood in. 

What were they thinking?

What had they got planned for us?

And then…

   “Boo!” Murphy shouted

He laughed

He laughed with the others whilst I 

Just stood there 

Staring holes through them all. I looked at mom. I could tell the fear was in front of her. That’s what she could see. That’s what she only saw. 

Nothing else

Nothing more

Nothing less

Just a wall that she couldn’t pass or a bridge she couldn’t cross. 

   “It’s great to see that you beautiful women are still here,” Heidi spoke, “Let’s go take a walk, just us three, we’ll leave the men behind for awhile”

   “A walk?” I said, “you going to let us go?”

   She rolled her eyes, “no, like I said before, it’s your choice, I just wanna have a lil chat, you know… girl talk”

The men seperated for her as she stepped outside the RV. She waited and motioned to us to come with her. 

   “Come on girls, don’t keep Mrs H waiting,” she warned

I looked at the floor

Breathed 

And walked outside

The place where we were was  Red Rose High School. It was huge, but it looked like they had the numbers to keep the place safe. Not much time passed when we saw somebody with a gun walking tall. 

A mean face

Probably a stone heart

Mostly men were seen, but a woman turned up from time to time. They also looked strong. They also carried guns. 

   “I know you’re impressed, you should see the inside, so much room for improvement, it’s gonna  look fucking awesome… a new start,” she spoke, confidently, “and I know you wanna stay here, don’t let your stubbornness put you in danger, we both know that survival in small numbers is very very… low”

   “You have no idea who we’re, underestimating people can get you killed,” I told, “it disappoints me that a fellow woman hides behind a man so much where she loses that strength”

   Her smile was slow, but it came, the button was half pushed, “he’s more than just a man, he’s a machine and if I wanted to, I would break your little neck right here right now,” Mom then stepped forward, Heidi grinned, “but luckily for you, I like you, you… complete me, all women do, we’re firery species that will get what we want and when we want it, but when against each other,” she turned serious, “respect has to be given”

A small stare and then she turned on her heal and walked away.

   “Come on then my girls, follow me”

Once more we followed. I looked back at the entrance in the distance and noticed another vehicle coming through. 

   “Where’re you getting all these people?” I asked

    “Oh them… around,” she explained lazily, “don’t worry your little head, you should be thankful a group like us found you, all you need to know is that we have quite a few people willing to do anything to survive, like you have been, or you will be doing from now on in this glorious place, ” she stopped and stretched her arms out wide as if she was trying to hug the place, “living here is going to pay off, trust me, I’m a woman of my word and I will promise you nothing but safety, safety in numbers, safety… with me”

   “Somehow I don’t believe you,” I told, “somehow, all I think you’ve done so far is talk a load of dog shit”

  She tilted her head and frowned a little, “and why is that?” 

   “Do you have any idea what they did to us, any at all?” 

She looked on confused. She shook her head slowly, no.

   “The worse thing that could’ve happened to a woman,” Mom spoke

It took a second, then she clicked on

   “They raped you?”

   “Yes,” I said

  She came in close, “my husband do anything?”

   “No, bu”-

   “Well that’s fucking fine then!” she smiled, “you should be greatful anyway getting a stiff ass dick in your pussy these days, cheer up and follow me, I’ll show you around inside”

We followed the building round. I looked to my left at the tall buildings in the distance and the other surrounding areas. It was a dangerous place to be. All major cities had fallen and this was a huge town. 

The bigger the town

The bigger the threat

One question that floated round 

What made these people so confident surviving there?

   She stopped at the door, “do you love your mom,” she asked 

Why the question?

Why the fuck was she asking me that?

I felt something

A stone being thrown my way and hitting me multiple times 

The same stone 

A bad feeling 

   “Will you do anything to save her?” 

   “She’s my mom,” I told

I heard movement behind me and a gun clicked. I looked behind me and a rough faced woman stood there with the gun toward me

   “Take the gun,” Heidi told

   “What the hell is this?” I asked, looking her way

   “I have a job for you, it’s fun, all you need to do is clear out this little area of infected and then voila, welcome home”

   “Grab that gun and shove it,” I told

   “She doesn’t need to do this, you have the men to do it,” mom told

   “Or your mom dies,” she told 

Another gun was loaded. I looked round and the same woman had another gun pointing mom’s way. 

I was trapped now

Heart beating intensely

Mind had now stopped and saw only one option in front

I thought of her

   “You scared little one?” She asked

I looked her way. Grabbed the gun

Breathed 

And moved forward. She opened the door for me and politely motioned me in

   “Ladies,” she said

   “Rhonda, don’t do this please, let me do it,” mom said

   “Shut up please,” she demanded, “Rhonda, let’s get this over with”

I moved forward into the unknown. Time tended as I didn’t know how many were in there? There was no lighting

Just slight glimpses of the sun shining on the walls. The door then slammed shut. 

I jumped forward 

My pounding faster

   “Rhonda!” Mom cried 

   “Rhonda,” Heidi spoke, “listen to me, some run and some walk, just keep your eyes pealed, good luck little one and if I find one more that’s still standing in there,  the hag dies”

It was time

I breathed

And stepped forward with the gun clenched…

   

   

   

Survivors of the Z’s- Cal Moore, 

                     

                     DEATH WILL COME 

                            IN FLAMES…

That’s what the note said

The threat

This note that had suddenly came out of nowhere had chucked us into a dark room. 

The problem was

We didn’t know if there were things

Or people

Waiting to strike

To kill us

All we could do was ponder on the moment

The note

And the blood that made it

   “What does it mean?” Dad asked

   “What ever it is and who ever sent it,” the Sargent said, he stood strong, unfazed, “ain’t scaring anybody… these fuckwits   will be the ones facing the flames”

   “Give me a gun, I know how to shoot,” Ray spoke 

   “If that time comes, but until then… no mistakes,” the Sargent said, “keep a look out, anything suspicious, don’t hesitate”

   “You can’t just shoot anyone,” mom said

   “We don’t know who these are, they could be anywhere”

   “I know,” a voice spoke

We all looked to the door and saw the tall figure of Israel standing there. 

   “You do?” A woman soldier asked

   “It’s them,” he told, “they’re coming”

   “The Committed?” The Sargent asked

   “Yes and we need to either leave or be ready for a fight”

   “We’re not leaving, not until we have to”

   “Is it a fight we can win?” Hannah asked 

   “They’re nightcrawlers, we’re already deemed to lose”

   “My team and I aren’t built to lose, we’ll beat any motherfucker that steps up”

Hannah rose to her feet and Zach followed her. I looked over at Mason who also followed. I tagged a long and watched Hannah zooming up the stairs.

   “We’re you going?” Mason asked

   “I’m getting my brother out of here”

   “You can’t, not now,” I said

   “Don’t try and stop me, not this time”

   “He’s right and you know it, leaving now is a bad idea,” Mason warned

   “Staying here is even worse,” she told

We reached her room and I watched her gathering her things. Zach just stood there

Staring 

At nothing

   “Zach, grab what you need,” she told

He moved over and grabbed his books and put them neatly into his backpack.

   “You have no idea what’s coming?” I told

   “That’s exactly why I’m leaving,” she told, “I have a gun and my head, that’s all I need to survive, I’m not letting my brother stay somewhere that’s going to be destroyed”

I heard footsteps. I looked around and saw my mom walking towards us. Her face became more concerned as she watched Hannah preparing to leave. 

   “You’re leaving?” She asked

Hannah didn’t answer

   “Hannah, talk to me please”

Hannah still didn’t answer. She had packed everything she needed. Grabbed her backpack and went to walk out. 

   Mom got in the way, “you can’t leave, you won’t be safe”

   “And I’ll be safe here?” Hannah asked, staring her down

   “You can’t just walk out on us, I won’t let you, you’re like a daughter to me now”

   “I’m leaving,” she told, “Zach, let’s go”

She barged passed mom and began marching down the stairs. Mason and I dashed after her.

   “What’re you going to do out there?” Mom asked, “It’ll be just the two of you against the infected, is that what you want?!”

   “Hannah please, listen to us, you’ve come this far with us, why not go any further?” I asked

The front door was close and she stormed toward it. 

She wasn’t stopping

Nobody

It looked like

Was ever going to

   “Hannah please!”

Dad walked out of the living room with Ray and Israel. She opened the door and walked out. Dad noticed something was wrong and went after her. 

   “Hannah!” He shouted 

   “Leave me the fuck alone!” She told

   “Where the hell are you going?” He asked

   “This place is done, didn’t you hear him, we’re deemed to lose!”

The soldiers outside watched on. The Sargent then walked out and made his way toward her.

   “If you think you’re leaving, you’re mistaken,” he told, “Nobody is leaving, ever, does everybody understand!”

   “Go fuck yourself,” she told

   “I am under orders to protect, you are not leaving”

She walked toward the gate and the soldiers outside got in her way. 

   “Please, let us go!”

She took out her gun and Mom went out to her. Dad was already there trying to calm her down.

   “Hannah, don’t!” Mom shouted

   “Drop the gun Hannah!” Dad begged 

The soldiers looked serious now.   

   “Don’t be stupid,” the Sargent, “if you pull the trigger we won’t hesitate!”

She was stuck in the middle. I looked to my left and right at Mason and Israel. Both looked on worried. Mom and dad were trying to get close to her to stop her. 

Zach

As usual

Stood and stared

Hannah stayed beside him. She was frustrated. I hoped and prayed she didn’t pull the trigger. 

If she did

Then everything would change.

   “Hannah, listen to us,” Dad told, “drop the gun”

   “Look over there!” Mason shouted

I looked and witnessed the trees and bushes that surrounded the house suddenly set fire. My breathing escalated and so did everything around me. 

   “The hells happening!” Mom cried

   “It’s them!” Israel told, “They’ve come!”   

He ran upstairs. I watched him and looked back outside. I didn’t know what to do or where to go. 

SUDDENLY

Within a breath of air

A shot was fired and a soldier fell to the ground in pain

Holding his arm

   “Get to the house!” I heard

I watched as two of the soldiers helped him up and take him toward the house.

SWIFTLY

Nothing seemed real

I was just standing there watching everybody

My mom was running toward me along with my dad, Hannah and Zach. Hannah tried to fight them but mom and dad didn’t let her. I saw Ray run outside and take a gun from a soldier. Israel came passed with two oozies. 

   “I suggest you get the hell out of here!” He told, his voice, like everything else, sounded strange

The fire grew fast

It spreaded quickly through everything and it made its way on to the dry grass from the broken branches of the tall trees

   The Sargent thought about it, “we ain’t leaving for nobody, I have orders to stay until otherwise!”

   “This place is burning to the ground, you have no idea who you’re fighting here!” Israel told

The front gate swiftly burst open and a car in flames came bursting toward us. It was heading in our direction. Toward the front of the house where we stood. 

“Move move move!” I heard

They all scattered and fired at the car, but…

IT. JUST. KEPT. COMING

   “Get out of there!”

We scampered upstairs and the car crashed heavily inside. We were trapped and the house was now in flames. 

   “Upstairs now!” Dad told

   “You guys ok in there?!” A voice behind the flames spoke

   “We’re fine!” Mom told

   “We’ll get you out of there!”

The voice became muffled as the noise of the fire became higher. We reached the next floor. The smell of the flames was strong.

   “The roof!” I told, “we need to get to the roof, there has to be a way out!”

I lead the way

We climbed the stairs once more and reached another room. I saw the ladder and ran to it. I climbed fast and breathed heavily. We reached the roof

All of us

And began looking round for a way down. I looked around and saw the fire spreading quick. 

We were going to be burned alive

I could feel it

I looked around at the large garden and the flames and watched the soldiers, Israel and Ray below. 

   “Hey!” Hannah shouted

   “You guys alright?!” Ray asked

   “We’re fine!” She told

   “Can you get down?!”

She wasn’t focused on him no longer and I knew why. She had noticed something in the background. A group of black hooded figures suddenly appeared and came walking in. I looked longer and behind them a huge number of infected came with them.

   “Oh my god”

Ray, Israel and the rest began firing, but there were too many. There was nowhere to go

   “Over here!” Dad bellowed

I looked over and ran toward him

   “We’ll climb down this pipe!” He told, “The fire hasn’t reached there yet, but we need to go now, kids, you first, go!”

I ran toward it

   Dad stopped me and held me close, “what ever happens, don’t stop,” he looked over at Mason, Hannah and Zach, “all of you, just keep moving!”

   Mom hugged me next, “I love you… now go!”

I got to the pipe. Lowered myself down and tried as quickly as possible to climb down. The others came after. I reached the ground

Stopped 

And turned

   “Go, we’re right behind you!” Dad told

I ran toward the fence and looked behind me and saw them all reach the ground

Accept…

Dad 

But I had to keep moving 

I reached the fence and looked round and saw the flames coming close

   “Dad, come on!”

He was nearly there. The infected suddenly came running from the side of the house. 

   “Dad!”

   “Go, get the hell out of here!” He demanded

I climbed the fence. Mason came after, then Zach, Hannah and mom. Dad was next. His hands grasped the fence and he pulled himself up.

   “Dad hurry!”

Mom grabbed him and quickly pulled him over. He landed heavily on his back. The infected then crashed into the fence screaming after us.

   “Are you ok?” Mom asked, kneeling down next to him, “I thought I was going to lose you”

   “I’m fine honey,” he told, “I’m fine”

He got up and looked at the large flames towering over the fence.

   “Ray,” he spoke

   “I’m sorry Jeffery,” she said

   I looked on at Mason “Are you ok bro?”

    He looked on, drained “I think”

I nodded at Hannah and Zach. She nodded back. Zach clinged to the side of her. 

   “Where do we go dad?” I asked

   “Keep moving I guess,” he told

We turned

Let the noise of the infected and the flames seep into our minds and we walked away

Leaving the chaos behind us and the darkness waiting in front…