The End of it All

Los Angeles

I've been to LA plenty of times. Just not under these conditions.Apparently, this drill has been planned. People, probably just from Southern California, are going into different buildings.

"Stay together," I turn and say to my three friends. I don't want to be lost.

We enter a huge Chase building. I walk in and it's pure chaos. People everywhere, there are two huge doors that we have to go through that lead to a giant descending stair well.

"Please," a robotic voice recites over a speaker," enter the assigned stair wells after checking in. Remain calm." Check in? How long has this been planned?

I continue with the flow of the crowd. I don't want to talk because this is really stressing me out. I hate large crowds. I just have to calm myself.
Casey, there is no reason to freak out. You are in a safe place with Ash, James and John. This will all be fine.

"Casey, are you going to check in?" I'm knocked out of my daze by James. We have reached the tables while I was thinking.
"Sorry," I stutter, walking up to the series of tables.

I sign my name, walk to the next table and read the directions:
Prick your finger and dab the blood on the scanner. Wait for further directions.

I do so, the scanner tells me to go to bunker 2. Oh god, what if we're split up?
"Guys, I ha-" I'm interrupted by a loud alarm. It sounds like the ones in movies. Blaring, making my ears feel like they're bleeding.

After the alarm starts there is an enormous crunching and grinding noise. The bunker doors are closing. Good thing this is just a drill.

I wave my hand for my group to follow me over to a wall and we sit down. After about 5 minutes, the alarm finally quits.
"Pretty intense drill," I say to start conversation. I hate awkward silences.
"Casey, I don't think this is a drill anymore, those alarms, the bunkers. I think this is real," Ashley says.

Luckily, about half of the people in our building didn't get to the bunker. Among the crowd of people, I notice the doors closing and being barricaded on the outside.

"Um, guys," I say pointing to the door. There are soldiers with guns guarding the doors. "What's happening?"

The screens in the lobby of the building flash on. Scenes of the city pop up. Different spots. Then the country.

"Hello United States citizens. It is your president Barack Obama. Now, my high tech research labs in upstate California have been researching a disease. It is called the Enzuinca Virus. This virus, it is a fairly new one. Not researched often. This virus takes the brain when infected and turns the host body into a mindless eating machine. Better known as, a zombie," Oh shit. We are in the frickin apocalypse.
"This virus is being controlled now, but to take precautions we have isolated most of the country. Some may not be in bunkers or barricaded buildings. to those who are exposed. Stay inside. Grab any weapons, and protect yourselves. Only kill the dead. We need the living. Thank you. Prez Obama, out."

"There are possibly zombies outside?!" a woman screamed from across the room. This caused a huge frenzy. Everyone talking in panicked tones.

"Everyone please calm down," a soldier by the door calls out," all of you will be safe, I doubt anything could get past our walls and fences." He sound way too confident.

To pass the time I go to get in my phone. As I was going to click on the Instagram app, my phone glitches. It starts beeping and vibrating and getting real hot.
"What's happening?" I ask to none specifically.
James grabs my phone and examines it.
"I don't know," he mumbles.

"Breaking news!" The TV's start flashing. "The virus has mutated into a very deadly disease. Over 100 cases already reported in the first 5 hours of the outbreak. Symptoms are: sweating, coughing, and intense hunger. This hunger is mainly for meat," all symptoms of a change into a zombie. Of course, I've watched The Walking Dead! I'm a fanatic! If it is the apocalypse, I hope Rick Grimes' techniques work.

"Just in victims are becoming hostile, they become very agitated by the slightest actions. Thank you, we will keep you updated."
"Well," Ash says, "welcome to the apocalypse I guess."
"It's not the apocalypse. There are no reported cases of zombies!" James says.
"Just in case, let's see if we can go upstairs to see our surroundings," I suggest. More so just for something to do.

I walk over to the soldier standing by the elevator and ask if we can go up.
"You can't take the elevators, they are out of commission. You can take the stairs," he says with a placid look.

I nod thank you and me and my group walk up.
"Let's go to the top of the building, we'll be high enough incase," I say leading them up the stairs.

Once we reach the top, I have to push on the door to get it open. The top of the building is a garden of sorts, hardly a breeze is blowing.

"Guys, look," James says pointing to the west. There are people walking in the streets.
"You think they know we're suppose to be inside?" I ask.
"Probably from our in the country," Ashley suggests in a confused voice.

As the figures get closer, it looks like all of them have a limp. Strange. Must have fallen somewhere?

"Guys look," I say pointing toward the limping figures. We all just stare in a trance type state.
"They don't look okay," Johns says, "what's wrong with them?" He whispers the second part almost to himself.

All of a sudden there are gun noises.
POP POP POP!
"They're getting shot at!" Ashley yells,"stop shooting!!!"

No matter how many times the bullets puncture their bodies, they still keep hobbling on toward the shooters.

"They're zombies," I mutter under my breath.