Stay Alive

Chapter 1

I have only two rules: One, Stay alive. And two, stay alive any way possible. Let it be stealing, lying, leaving something behind, to even killing. Any way possible.

It sounds cruel, yeah, but that's how I have stayed alive for a year. It works. I don't have to really worry about my friends either. At least not Emily, I know she is dead.

The day it ended, I was with Emily, at the mall. I was just tagging along with her. I decided to go to a snack store as she browsed through a clothing store. As I was walking out, I heard screaming from that store, and people running out. In the midst of all the chaos, I saw Emily become a victim of a creature.

My head was telling me to run, but my heart said to help. I decided to listen to my head, and run. I ran as fast and as far as my legs would take me. I ran and ran and ran, until I was at least 2 miles away from the mall, inside an alleyway.

I heard more screaming around. I didn't know from what, but I had a good idea.

My heart was racing and my chest felt tight. I was scared. I panted in the alley as quietly as possible, to not attract any unwanted attention. I didn't know what was happening, and I wasn't going to stay and find out.

I started to walk down the alleyway. Once I turned the corner, I saw one of those things eating a dead woman. Her guts were spilled out of her stomach, he eyes and mouth still open from screaming. My eyes widen when I realized, she was being eaten by another human.

I quickly covered my mouth in horror as I saw the blood all over the man's lips, chest, on the ground. When I took a step back, he heard me and looked at me. I gasped and quickly ran away out of fear.

I ran away from the man as he started to chase me. Tears fell from my eyes. Is this it? Is this how I die? What is going on!? I thought as I continued to run. My lungs felt heavy.

I couldn't run anymore. I soon tripped over my own feet. I fell on my stomach. I looked back at the man that chased me. Before he got to me, he was hit on the head hard with a bat. I looked in front of me to see a boy my age.

"Come on!" He said grabbing my hand and pulling me up as he dragged me behind him. Forcing me to run. He started to bang on houses to get them to let us in.

After failing seven times, someone finally allowed us in. As we walked in, we only saw one adult, the lady that allowed us in. Next to her was a little girl probably about six years old, and twin boys probably a year or two older than me.

"Are you guys okay?!" The woman asked. The boy that's saved me quickly closed and locked the door.

I didn't have time to realize his features just yet. He was a brunette with blue eyes. His skin was pale and had adorable freckles on his cheeks and nose. It was as if he drew them on him. He wore a white dirty hoodie and blue jeans.

The twin boys both looked the same. One of wearing black jeans and the other blue jeans, but they both had the same green hoodie on. They both had hazel eyes with dirty blond messy hair to match.

The little girl had short straight blond hair and blue eyes, and the mother had blond hair and blue eyes.

"Thank you for letting us in. Are you okay?" The boy asked me. "My name is Atlas"

I only nodded my head as I tried to get air into her lungs. "Sorry about that," He said "My name is Atlas"

"Go get her some water," the mother said to the twins. Before anyone could act, they heard banging at the door once again. But it wasn't frantic.

The mother quickly opened the door. No one thought anything about it, but I knew something was up.

A normal person would be scared and want to get in as fast as possible, banging, yelling, screaming. But nothing but a slow pace of banging. I quickly grabbed the bat from Atlas's hand and ran to the door once she had opened it.

Just as she did, a bloody woman pushed the door open. The mother stepped back, forgetting about her little girl. The woman went after the daughter, she bit into the little girl's neck.

I hit the women's head as hard as I could and then kicked both the little girl and the woman outside. I slammed the door shut and locked it.

"My daughter!!" The mother shouted.

I knew once that little girl was bit in the neck, it would be hell to keep her alive. And a bigger problem than necessary. That once you mess up, there is no going back.

"You... Knew it was there~" Atlas said.

I looked at them. In this world, survival is key, and to survive, anything goes. Even killing.