First Steps | A Zombie Apocalypse Story (Completed)

Day 15.2

Charlie

I cough furiously, the effects of the fire still clear in my labored breathing. I hug myself, looking at Paxton and waiting for what he says to do. I'm completely clueless about what we're supposed to do now. What are we supposed to do? Find a house and wait for things to pass over? Try to adapt and survive in this new world? I'm only fourteen. I'm not cut out for a life of being on the run and risking my life. If I was on my own in this present moment, I wouldn't know what to do or how to survive.

"Charlie," a voice says, snapping me out of my anxious thoughts.

"Pay your last respects to your boyfriend; we can't stay here. The fire is only growing and attracting more infected," Paxton adds, looking down at me with an ounce of sympathy in his hard expression. I quickly nod and hurry to the backyard, sitting on the fresh dirt.

"I am so sorry this happened to you," I say quietly, my voice wavering.

"I hope things get better now. It needs to." My tear-pricked eyes are relieved, free tears flowing down. I continue to sob about his death, letting it all out. Thinking about how I may never come here again to visit him.

"It's time to go," I hear someone shout, personally not being able to make out who it is. I kiss my slightly dirty fingertips before putting them to the dirt.

Their voice sounds only faint compared to my throbbing heart. I get up slowly, my legs shakey. I hurry to the front yard, closing the gate before joining the group. Our group stays closely knit as we walk away from the burning home, Paxton taking the lead. I glance back, seeing an infected creature walk out of the home ablaze. My heart jumps in my throat, my eyes wide in mortification. I stop in my place, unable to tear my eyes away from the awful sight. Hannah notices that I stopped and turns around as well, her eyes wider than my own.

"Oh my God," she says quietly.

I hear a squash noise, causing me to turn around, only to see a destroyed figure on the ground, blood still dripping from its head puncture. I pull on Hannah's arm, signaling her to continue walking forward with me. An uneasy silence settled across our group. I pick up a large stick we come across to settle the heavy feeling in my stomach.

I don't think that things are going to get back to normal.

"Things aren't going back to normal, are they?" I say, hoping that Paxton would prove my assumptions to be false. I hear him sigh loudly.

"No," is all he replies with, confirming my suspicions. Tears begin to prick my eyes again.

"It isn't fair!" I whine, kicking my foot against the ground. First Ms.Linda, then my mom, and now Mike. They are gone. Gone gone. My head pulses in an aching pain.

"A teenage girl shouldn't have to deal with dead things trying to eat her constantly. Losing almost everyone I love, too. It's too much." I add on, trying not to break down again. What will I do on my period?

Oh, God.

Everyone with me stood and stared as I threw my fit.

"Please stop staring; I just don't wanna do this," I cry out, looking at them. I feel my knees become weak, no longer able to stand up. My crying turns into coughing as I sit on the dirty pavement. I look up, but my vision is blurry as Paxton's figure comes up to me. He crouches down to meet me at my level. I blink again, my vision clearing.