Trial By Fire

Uno.

I woke to the sounds of my parent's screams. My sleep addled mind registered that this was bad. Very bad. Then I realised; my parent's screams? I ran out of my room and downstairs. A man was standing over the bodies of my parents. He had freakishly green-white skin. His clothes were ripped and his hair was straggly. Thanking my paranoia, I pulled a pocketknife out of my pyjamas and threw it at the man. It got him in the side of his skull and I relaxed a little.

After watching a movie about warriors, I had started throwing kitchen knives. I even modified a jacket to hold my knives. The trouble was, I never had a decent target. The ground was always there, but it did nothing for my aim. My success was probably due to my hand eye co-ordination. Netball champion, baby.

I realised what was going on. On April 1st, scientists had said an apocalypse could really happen. No one believed them because it was April Fools, but now it was too late. It had started. I crouched down next to my parents. "Mom? Dad?" My father rolled over and looked me in the eyes. "Save yourself, Em. I know you can."

I kissed them both on the forehead and pulled my pocket knife out of the zombie's head before my Dad closed his eyes for the last time. I ran upstairs and pulled my pyjamas off, and pulled on three t-shirts and two hoodies. Three pairs of jeans followed. I grabbed my backpack I used for recreational hiking, and ran back down the stairs, taking as much food as I would be able to run with and a sleeping bag from the linen cupboard. Then, I grabbed my jacket that held my knives in it and took meat cleavers from the kitchen before running away.

On the street, it was carnage. I could see people trying to defend themselves with anything they could find. Folding chairs, baseball bats, even guitars. Anything for the promise of survival. I looked around. Obviously, it would be sensible to get the hell out of there.

My eyes landed on a skateboard. I knew I could get out fast enough on it.

I snatched it up and rolled away, towards Destiny Hill. I ditched the board and sprinted up the hill. At the top, I saw my city fall to the ground. Buildings were burning. Houses were damaged beyond repair. Screams could be heard from every direction, and I realised that my friends were dying. Hell, the only reason I was still alive was because I had the arrogance. The recklessness. The killer instinct.

I'd never had a hard childhood. I wasn't poor. I wasn't bullied. No one close to me had died, until then. So why did I throw that knife? It goes to show that no matter how old you are, instincts can and will take over. I looked back one more time before leaving and feeling my life change forever.