A New Start For A New Life

Chapter 1/Prologue

It was a cold winter day. Two weeks had passed since the apocalypse started; humanity's numbers were dwindling every single day. A family of three was trying to survive in the woods-- Aissa, a girl of twenty, Enzo, Eighteen, and their father, David. They were searching for supplies and hoping to find a place for the night. As far as they were concerned, there were no other survivors, but that didn't mean they didn't hope to stumble upon a group somewhere.

After a few hours of searching, they found a house, but before they could sleep in it for the night, David ordered his kids to wait for him to investigate the place making him sure there is no "walkers" in the house.

"I'm going to make sure it's safe. You two stay there, okay?" Both Aissa and Enzo nodded, silently telling their father they understood, "Enzo put your knife under your belt to make it easier to grab. Aissa-"

"Dad, don't worry. I know how to protect myself," She replied gently.

Make sure to add that space if a new person is speaking. That way, people won't get confused and wonder who's talking.

David hugged his kids before checking the house. Meanwhile, the siblings waited for their dad to come back. Aissa was worried about Enzo; ever since their mom died at the hands of a 'walker,' he changed. Enzo is a pretty skinny kid, and to top everything off, he doesn't seem to be grasping things as quickly as his sister-- a fact that's worrying her.

In a world like this, you can't afford to be weak. Otherwise, you won't survive long. She cast a final look at her brother and frowned. From inside the house, David gave the all-clear, forcing Aissa to shove her worries to the back of her mind.

The family made themselves comfortable. Enzo lay on the floor with a comic book he found somewhere along their travels while Aissa rested. She hadn't been able to sleep properly since everything crashed and burned. David prepared dinner by a lowly burning fire he had built, warming up the beans they had managed to scavenge.

After the beans were warm, he boiled the water they had from the river nearby. They started eating quietly at first, everyone having fleeting thoughts of how it wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

"Dad?" Aissa asked after a few minutes of silence.

David looked at her "Yes?"

"Maybe we could stay here for a couple of days? That way we have time to search for supplies?" She suggested, hoping that her father would agree. It also wouldn't hurt to rest for a few days. 

David wasn't for it. It was generally a bad idea to stay in one place for an extended period.

"No, we'll keep moving," he said clearly, which made Aissa angry--she knew he was right.

Dinner ended silently. None of them made any effort to continue the conversation. Enzo stretched out and felt his eyelids grow heavy, sleep quickly laying its claim to him. Aissa, however, stayed awake. She couldn't sleep as her stomach gurgled uneasily. She couldn't shake the ominous feeling that grabbed onto her.


David sat outside, breathing deeply. He needed the fresh air that blew by him. The night was dark all around him, and the silence brought a sense of calm.

The silence was short-lived as growls echoed around the house. Five of the undead appeared, followed by a massive herd. Their deadset eyes glued to the house and the movement of a panicked David.


"Aissa! Enzo!" David shouted, not bothering to keep his voice down as he reached for their weapons, "Wake up! We need to go!"

Scared, Enzo found the strength to speak up, "Wh-what's going on?"

"We're surrounded!" David yelled over the growls and bangs of hands slamming on the house. David quickly opened a window and motioned for his kids. The door splintered and broke, the wood reverberating through David's head.


"Enzo, go first!" He ushered his son, nearly pushing him out the window. He turned, his hands tightening around his machete. "Go after him, Aissa!" David ordered as he took down a 'walker.'