THE DAY THE WORLD FELL

Chapter 17

Amy and Alex

They continued on foot, heading towards Alex's luxurious apartment. The coffee shop was just ahead, and it was bustling. Just not in it's usual way, now it was a hot zone for chaos and confusion. People were gathered outside and around the corner. Each person put luggage in their cars and taxis and urged their loved ones to rush. 

Alex pushed through the crowd and moved around the corner to cross the street and get away from the herd of people. He knew that too many people were a recipe for disaster. "It's about two blocks from here. Just stick close." he said.

"Right, let's move." added Amy.

Maddy followed the pair and stuck as close as she could. She could hear the shouting behind them and the cars honking in the distance from frustration of the traffic. Maddy could feel the tension and fear of the city. They passed a family that seemed out of place. They were calm and uncaring of the pandemonium going on around them. They were holding hands and walking into their building, almost as if nothing was wrong. Maddy envied their ignorance. If she could go back a simpler time, she would change how she operates her days and maybe chose a different career path. 

They kept moving and passing more and more families. They didn't realize how much crazier it would be the closer they got. Smoke was visible above the buildings ahead of them. Something was on fire. And to their utter disbelief, it was Alex's building they saw ablaze. Alex felt all the weight he was ignoring, shift onto his already burdened shoulders. 

"Shit. All my stuff is in there. What are we going to do now?" Alex knelt down in defeat.

"Well I don't think just standing here is our best option. Let's move on and figure it out as we go." suggested Maddy.

"Yeah, what about my house? If we can get to a vehicle, we could reach it no time with the back roads." added Amy.

"Where are we going to get a vehicle?" asked Maddy. "I don't live anywhere near here. I live two cities over. I just work here." 

"I have a car, I keep it stored in a garage I rent not far from here." mentioned Alex. "I usually just ride my bike to work," he stood up and pointed in the direction of the lake, "It is that way. It's not the prettiest car but it can work."

"What are you waiting for? Lead the way!" shouted Amy.

Off they went, running straight through the streets now void of vehicles. They were moving too quickly, barely checking before crossing the streets. Alex pulled out a set of keys and searched through them looking for the correct key. The garage was in full view after they passed the curve in the road. The only obstacle left was the twitching bodies of people that were bitten. Panic struck the street when their blood soaked bodies climbed to their feet and shambled towards the frantic people. 

"Shit, that is just creepy and I don't want anything to do with that. Plan B?" asked Amy.

"No, we push through and down the alley, my unit is only six spots down on the right. We can make it." he replied. He grabbed their hands and pulled them in the direction of the alley. They kept running until they were in front of unit six, Alex rushed to unlock it and lift the door. 

"Hurry, they are coming in!" shouted Mandy who was watching the horror show from the street. A few of the panicked people had been caught and turned and now the herd of dead were creeping through the alley way, following their next meal. "Please God! Protect us!" she cried out and clasped her hands in front of her face. She began saying the lords prayer over and over again.

"Alright, get in." Alex exclaimed. He moved around the car to grab a bag and a box, and threw them in the back seat with Mandy. He hopped in the driver seat and cranked up his old Volkswagen Passat. He drove the rust bucket out and further down the alley, towards the other exit. 

He drove the car into the street and headed to the back country road. It was the fastest way to Amy's home. It twisted and turned in crazy bends. Grassy farm land and cattle were the only bits of scenery along the way. Amy looked out at them and wondered why all this was happening. She pondered while Alex drove and Mandy continued mumbling prayers. 

By the time they pulled into Amy's driveway, Mandy had stopped her praying was instead sighing with relief and Amy had already removed her seat belt and was opening the door before the car even came to a full stop. She hopped out and ran to the front door, yanking it open and rushing inside. She was greeted by her puppies which made her relax a little bit. Alex shut the gate and followed the girls inside. 

"Turn on the news. Maybe someone is covering this story and we can finally understand what we should be doing." stated Mandy.

"Alright, hang on." Amy picked up her puppies and they all gathered on the couch in the living room.

She turned it on and was given static on every channel except one. The one channel still broadcasting had the rainbow screen and a message repeating on in captions.

 'Stay inside your homes. Avoid infection, if you are bitten by the infected call the local authorities and isolate.'

"Well at least I just went grocery shopping yesterday." Amy tried to sound humorous. 

"Well yes, I suppose if we are stuck in here until God only knows when, then yes. That is a good thing. Speaking of food though, I didn't eat much for breakfast and we did skip lunch, mind if I make something?" asked Alex, trying to stay calm and collected.

"Sure, I'll help, we can just have an early dinner." replied Amy, "Mandy I'm sure you have been at the hospital since yesterday, how about you grab a shower while we cook and get changed?"

"That sounds really good right now." Mandy followed Amy to the bathroom and accepted some clothes and a towel. "Thanks."

"Not a problem, I'll call for you when the food is ready." replied Amy, as she shut the bathroom door behind herself. 

She joined Alex in the kitchen and pulled out some ground beef and seasonings. "How does spaghetti sound?"

"Pretty darn good, all things considered." he answered.