• THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW
The canned goods and perishables from the cupboards only lasted two weeks. Tanner, the youngest sibling was complaining of hunger from his spot on the couch. "Daddy, when are you going to let us have our dinner?" His father, Andrew, sighed and massaged his temples with his left hand. "Buddy, be patient will you?" He replied, before standing up and heading down the hall to find his wife, Anna. Anna sat on the edge of their bed with her head in her hands.
"Anna, honey?" He asked, moving to sit beside her and rubbing circles on her back. "We need to tell them tonight, we can't waste any more time," his words were soft. The woman looked over to her husband and nodded, "You're right, I'm sorry I've been putting it off. I'm just..." She trailed off and swallowed, trying to fight back tears. Andrew shook his head, "Scared, I know. We all are but I'll protect us," he promised, pressing his lips to her forehead.
---
The family of five sat gathered in the living room by candlelight, letting the reality of their situation sink in. Through tears, Tanner clung to his eldest sister's arm, tears rolling down his young, round face. "But I don't wanna go out there," he cried, sobs taking over his small body.
Andrew gave a knowing glance to his eldest daughter, Laura. Seeing his glance, she smoothed down Tanner's dishwater blonde hair, "We'll all be with you, I'll be next to you the whole time." Tanner looked up at her, collecting courage from his sister.
"And we just have to make it to the car," Emma, the middle child spoke up. "Then we'll be safe inside, together," she looked around at the family as she spoke. Andrew gave the girls a grateful look before standing in the centre of the room. "C'mere, guys, everything is gonna be alright," he outstretched his arms as his children and wife wrapped theirs around him and each other.
---
Later that night the girls would be in their room gathering their clothes and necessities. "Laura?" Emma asked from her bed on the opposite end of the room. "Yes?" The eldest replied, folding a pair of jeans as she looked over at her sister.
"Have you ever seen one?" She asked, hesitantly at first. "You know, someone who's come back," she continued, playing with the end of her sleeve.
Laura and Emma didn't usually talk about what was going on outside, they had been doing their best to ignore it with board games and stories. No amount of board games and imagination would make the dead disappear.
She shook her head, "I've been afraid to look outside," she admitted, placing her clothes in her backpack. Emma gave a small smile as she walked over to sit on her sister's bed, "But you always seem so calm." Laura wanted to avoid the subject as much as possible for as long as she could. "Make sure you don't pack too much," she said, before walking out of the room to end the discussion.
Laura was terrified, she started to have a panic attack every time she imagined leaving the safety of the apartment. Being the older sister though, it was her job to stay calm and to show her siblings everything was going to be okay.
---
Laura had laid in bed awake the entire night, her mind filled with all of the "What ifs?" Despite Emma laying still for hours, Laura knew she too was awake all night. She couldn't blame her though, how could she sleep knowing tomorrow they would no longer be safe?
Before she knew it, the sun was up and her parents had begun gathering their things in the living room, preparing to leave as soon as possible. "Girls, it's time to get up," Anna announced, leaving their bedroom door open as she walked off.
Laura nervously got out of the comfort of her twin bed and began getting dressed. Behind her, Emma was out of bed and silently getting dressed as well.
"Oh, Emma," Laura sighed, looking her sister up and down. "You can't wear that out there, we don't know what it's like yet." Emma stood next to her bed in a short dress and flip-flops. "You see how I'm dressed?" She questioned, raising her eyebrows as she did so, gesturing to her own attire.
Emma looked at her sister from head to toe, taking note of her chuck Taylors, jeans, t-shirt, and a jean jacket. "But I don't like wearing jeans," Emma protested, crossing her arms. A loud sigh escaped the eldest's lips, "Have you not watched a zombie film in your entire life?" She asked, in slight frustration.
Emma's eyes watered, "Don't say that! They're not zombies! They're just... They're just sick," she defended, beginning to cry now. Feeling guilty, Laura grabbed her bag and walked out of the room. "Mom, you might need to go talk to her," she said before placing her bag on the dining table.
Andrew watched as his wife walked down the hall, he knew this wasn't going to be as easy as he'd hoped. "Laura, come here for a second," he said, glancing towards Tanner who sat on the couch, making sure he wasn't looking. "Here, just in case," in his hand was a hunting knife, one of those that folds closed and opens with the click of a button.
Laura hesitantly took the knife from him, her hands running over the black design. "Your mother and I think you should have it if worst comes to worst," he informed, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Understanding, she nodded and clipped the knife to the inside of her jeans, hoping she would never have to use it.
"Everybody ready?" Anna asked as she and a more appropriately dressed Emma entered the room. Andrew did a one-over of his family before nodding and beginning to put his bag and face mask on. Everyone else followed his actions, fear written on all of their faces. "Remember what we talked about, stay close to me and mom, got it?" Andrew asked, looking at each of his children.
After receiving nods from each of them he prepared himself as he unlocked the front door. Fear consumed his body, no part of him wanted to open this door. This was the only thing separating him and his family from what lingered outside. They were out of options and he needed to do what was best for his kids.
Before he changed his mind, Andrew twisted the handle and pulled the heavy door open. There was no going back now as he led them out into the unknown and possibly their deaths.
---
Word count: 1,123
The story will change to Laura's P.O.V soon. Voting or commenting will let me know you enjoy the story and that I should continue writing.
-SHE
YOU ARE READING
Nobody Survives in the End
General FictionOne virus turned to two which turned to four, and before they knew it there were too many to prepare for. Each new strand mutated and became its own new virus and spread more easily than the first. The Walking Corpse virus was the deadliest one, the...
