Apocalyptic Love

Monsters

A once beautiful three-story home was now subdued to darkness. Our windows were once surrounded by pristine black balconies and hanging plants, now boarded up with wooden planks hammered into each bay. The furniture I grew up around was now piled against both doors blocking the monsters from coming into our home.

The moment we made it home my father went to work making this place a safe haven; we were ordered to stay on the first floor whilst my parent's gathered food from downstairs. Myself and Kye filled every container we could find with water, the boy didn't understand why we were ripping our house apart, but I couldn't find the strength to tell him, mainly because I didn't want to admit it to myself.

"You okay Duckie?" I asked the tiny boy who was yawning in my lap, my fingers wrapped around his golden ringlets. Duckie was a nickname from the moment he was born, since his chunky fingers could hold toys he was obsessed with rubber ducks. Kye rubbed his eyes letting a small whisper that he was tired "Go to sleep, you'll be okay" murmuring softly before I kissed his head.

By the time I let a yawn slip Kyle was asleep and tucked into his bed, my mother stayed with him while I retreated to my own room. Falling asleep was almost impossible and the ear crushing scream that sounded from outside pulled me from my bed. As much as I wanted to hide, part of me wanted to see, whatever was happening was my life now and there was no cure. This nightmare was no where close to being over.

I managed to slide the thick sheet across and sneak a look through the wooden slates hammered across my windows, my room was in darkness so whatever was outside had no chance of seeing me.

Darkness filled the street, the only view was a dim light from the streetlamp shining down on two figures, one laid strewn in the middle of the road while the other was crouched over it. It wasn't until the monster turned and the light illuminated its face that I saw what it really was.

A woman, but she wasn't alive. Her face was distorted, covered in thick red blood seeping from each cavity; Fragile bones were barely holding the thin figure up while it crouched over. The more it moved the better I could see its ghastly features; Pale white skin as if life had been drained completely, its eyes held no life in the black irises while its head twitched inhumanly.

A state of shock compelled my body as I watched the creature limp into the darkness leaving only a corpse in its wake. The man was clearly deceased, his intestines hauled from the huge gash in his stomach, a pool of blood surrounding the pavement he was laid on. 

My hand was covering a stifled sob that poured from deep within, I was filled with horror, but I couldn't pull myself away. I gaped long enough that I thought I was hallucinating when the corpse started to move; Fatality was evident and there was no way someone could survive the tragedy his body went through. The tremors starting in his hands following down to its shoulders, as if a spark was re-igniting in its body. It wasn't until the monster starting walking away that I broke my trance and ran to my father.

This was really happening; the broadcast was true.

My heart was echoing out of my chest as my feet skidded through the hardwood of the house; Running to your father was a natural instinct when scared and I didn't realise I'd done it until I was standing in front of him hyperventilating. The air left my lungs harshly as I struggled to catch my breath, it felt like the walls were closing in on me, trapping me in a horrible nightmare.

"Katie Breathe" Focusing on him I steadied myself, catching my calm in the hazel of his eyes.

"There was someone outside" My brain couldn't comprehend words as my father watched me rubbing his palms down my shoulders to calm me "Someone attacked them, they were dead" Tears ran across his waterline as he inhaled each word that left my lips "But they came back dad. They were dead but they walked away, and their eyes. Its was like looking into a black hole".

It took a long, enduring three days before the utilities were cut, leaving us in complete darkness: our hope for a rescue slowly diminishing. Most days we spent huddled in a room together, silence was a new routine as we tried to keep the monsters who now roamed our streets at bay. Before this nightmare my dad was dismissed from the Army, but the instincts never left, the basement was stocked with food rations, but water was the main problem.

"We can't go out there" My mother cried until her fair skin was freckled pink, the two had been bickering for hours "You've seen what them things can do Tom, what if we get trapped, what about the kids?" His calloused hands cupped her cheeks leaning his forehead against her own as they exhaled in sync. They were scared, there was no denying that. Ky was still a baby and trying to keeping him safe from the new world would be easy if we stayed here, but that was no longer an option.

"We only have enough water to last us a day, we don't have a choice. The closest shop is a ten-minute walk, all we have to do is keep hidden and we can be in and out but we can't leave them on their own. Its safer if we go together".

My mother's face was ashen, the strong woman who raised me was breaking slowly and it was hard to not notice it.

"I can help" I moved towards them, taking both their hands in my own "Dad, you taught me everything you know. I can help" They looked at each other before looking back towards me "Please, let me help".

"I know you can baby" My mother pulled me against her trembling chest "I know".

Edited