Zombie Apocalypse: Fractures

Chapter 1: Winter

One little girl with blonde hair that shimmers brilliantly in the sunlight and stunning blue eyes, was just living her normal life. That is, until there was a bunch of loud noises echoing through the little town she lived in. Her parents were leaving the house to find out what was going on. They told her to not look out the windows and never answer the door. So, she did as she was told for what felt like days to her when it was only a few hours.

Maybe her parents went for a grocery run through all this noise of chaos, at least that's what she thought of it. Her curiosity began to grow as there weren't anymore noises besides a few car alarms in the distance. This made her peak out the window, despite what her parents had told her. All she saw was a bunch of garbage in the streets and cars everywhere like the adults had gone mad.

She decided to pack her backpack with a few water bottles and some snacks like gummies, crackers, and cookies. "Maybe I can go see mom and dad at the store! They'll be so surprised!" She said with enthusiasm as she slung the bag over onto her shoulders. With that, she was out the door, closing it behind her as she began walking in the direction of the store. She knew, as she had memorized it from every trip there, that it wouldn't be far for her to get there.

While on her way there, she noticed there was just chaos all around her. Cars turned over, crashed into each other, and still garbage everywhere. She hoped that her parents didn't get caught in this and were fine from whatever caused all this wreckage. She wasn't too far from the grocery store but without going into other stores or buildings, she still didn't see her parents or the van they drove.
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Upon arriving at the grocery store and stopping at one of the front entrances, she notices a shopping cart at the entrance she was heading to, being hit by the automatic doors. The doors in a constant open and close state against the cart in it's designed path. So she chose what any curious child would when looking for their parents and climbed over the cart. She lets out a sigh as she wanders into the store. Seeing no one in the front end it makes her scratch her head, "How can people get groceries if there's no one to check them out?"

She decides to call out to her parents in hopes they are in the store somewhere, but the only answer she gets is a groan from the back of the store. "Mom? Dad?" She speaks out in question as she begins to follow the groans. All the while, questioning the workers, due to all the groceries on the floor. She eventually runs into someone, but there is an awful stench that lingers in the air as the person comes around the corner.

He began walking towards her, letting out haunting groans, with his body looking to be decayed. Hair seeming to be falling out, teeth crusted in yellow, only having one eye, a piece of his head gone, and a stagger to his steps. "Uhm, sir?" She wondered if he was some hobo using this seemingly abandoned store as a home. Yet he kept getting closer to her, arms now reaching out as he let out a spine chilling growl with his mouth wide open. She screams and darts away from the adult man, not looking behind her in fear he was chasing her. She didn't see him but her legs didn't stop, they just kept going. The adrenaline in her body dragging her to the back part of the store where she always saw the workers going in and out of.

Once back there, she could hear more groans. That haunting sound revealing an adult woman in the same state as the man in the front of the store. This makes her fall and scream some more as her legs try to push her as far away from whatever this woman was now. The little girl struggles to her feet as she makes her way around the corner, screaming for help. "Somebody help!" Only, this makes her situation worse. Heavy groans begin to cut through the silence as if there were more than just the lady she left behind.

She almost bumps into another crazy man. She watches in horror, as those people she's been seeing are eating what once was a living person. This took all sound from her throat and all functionality from her body, that is until the one she thought she escaped from groaned really loud behind her. This sent her body into survival mode of the fight or flight response. She makes her way into an office and shuts the door behind her, backing up towards the back wall. There was banging on the door that was followed by constant groans from those monsters.

She began looking around for an exit, any kind of exit, as her blue eyes stop on a fire axe for emergencies. Well, this was her emergency. With horror, she grabs the blood covered blade that was laying next to a dead man. That's when she heard the door get knocked down, her attention soaring towards the doorway. She readies herself as it was taking a lot of strength to hold up the heavy axe.

Without any thought but survival, she swings the axe down on the first monster crawling in the door in front of her on the floor. She got it in the back but it still tries to grab at her, making her scream as the adrenaline in her body allows her to pull the axe out of its back. She swings again, this time sinking the blade into its skull making the monster go limp, stopping it's assault. She realizes that this must be the way to stop them as she retracts the axe from the monster's head and swings at the next one staggering towards her. The momentum and impact of the blade sinks into the monster's head and drags her along with it.

She loses grip on the axe from her blood covered hands being a little slippery, but she yanks on the handle as there are still more monsters coming for her. She swings again and again, monster after monster with tears streaming down her face. After one last swing, she falls onto her knees then laying on the floor with her eyes looking up at the ceiling. "This has to be some kind of nightmare! Just has to be." She says with her heart pounding against her chest. Her face, hands, and clothes covered in blood splatter.

This was the start of this little girl. A little girl by the name of Winter.