Love & Death

The Day the World Ended

It was an ordinary day at work when the dead began to rise.

"Shayna, could you please attend to table three?" the manager requested politely. Shayna looked up from the table she was cleaning and smiled. "Sure, I'll take care of it," she replied, swiftly heading to the table to avoid any delay. "Hi, what can I get for you?" she inquired, glancing at her notepad, ready to jot down their order. Looking up, she noticed two police officers; one was notably muscular with black curly hair, strong brown eyes, and a clean-shaven face. The officer with the black hair spoke, "I'll have the sausage platter with coffee," he said, offering her a smile. She returned the smile, noted the order, and assured, "Your order will be up shortly," before walking away. While cleaning another table, she saw the officer stand and leave the cafe. Curious, she followed him, only to witness a horrific scene: someone was being devoured by another. Horrified and panicked, she dashed to the back to grab her belongings and car keys. After seizing them, she rushed out of the room and into the hallway, where she found her manager slumped against the wall, a bite mark visible on her neck. Wanda approached cautiously and crouched down, placing a cloth over the wound.

"I never imagined it would end like this," Clair, the manager, said as tears welled up in my eyes. "Honey, you need to leave; I know it's over," she urged. With a soft cry, I pulled away and dashed out of the cafe to my 2020 4-door Jeep Wrangler, its huge tires and lifted frame waiting. I jumped in, fired up the engine, and sped from the parking lot, the road ahead chaotic with people running and screaming, their flesh being torn. Focusing solely on the road, I raced home, parked hastily, and bolted inside. "Eric! Eric!" I shouted for my brother as I moved through the house, quickly shedding my work clothes for something more comfortable.

With blue jeans and boots

 Her outfit! can't really explain lol.

After I finished packing two duffle bags with my clothes, hairbrush, deodorant, a radio, a compass, and other essentials, I retrieved a box from under my bed. It contained my .22mm pistol, a gift from my dad, along with my crossbow, arrows, and hunting knife. Heading downstairs, I encountered my brother in the kitchen. "Hey sis, what's going on?" Eric asked. "People are attacking each other in town; pack a bag and get dressed," I instructed. He gave me a bewildered look but followed my directive. I gathered all our canned food and snacks, zipped up the duffle bag, and placed it aside. Then, I loaded a package of water into the car's trunk, thinking it's better to be safe than sorry regarding our water supply. Rushing back inside, Eric and I went to the weapons room and packed every firearm we owned, from pistols to shotguns, assault rifles, and AR-15s—our father had always been prepared for a catastrophe. With everything loaded into the car, I was ready to leave when I heard barking and whining from my room. I dashed upstairs to find my wolf shepherd, Rogue, locked in his cage, his black fur a stark contrast to the chaos around us.

I unlocked the cage and he bounded out, leaping up to greet me. After a quick pet and his affectionate kisses, I went through my room to grab his protective vest and his bag with all his essentials. Calling him to follow, we dashed out of the room. Outside, my brother was waiting by my car. He let Rogue in and then climbed in himself as I took the driver's seat. We drove off, and I glanced at my brother, noticing his apprehensive look. "You okay?" I inquired. He nodded, managing a smile. "Never better. Who would've thought Dad would be right," he replied. We shared a laugh, then fell into silence. Hours later, we reached the congested highway. Getting out of the car, we tried to discern the cause of the delay and saw others had also exited their vehicles.

 My brother and I approached and saw a tall man with curly black hair, a strong build, and brown eyes. We recognized him from the diner. He looked at us, shocked. Beside him stood a woman with long brown hair and matching eyes, her build slender. A young boy, resembling her closely, stood next to her. "Do you know what's happening?" I inquired. "I'm not sure," the man replied. I nodded, hands in my pockets, and turned to my brother, who returned my gaze. It seemed we were the only ones aware of the situation. As I shifted my focus from my brother to the man and woman, an explosion erupted in the city we were heading towards. Screams filled the air, children cried out. I stared, eyes wide, at the place once deemed safe, now a haven for the dead. A comforting hand gripped mine, I looked over and offered a soft smile. Together, we faced the city, uncertain of our next move.