From Sunrise to Survival

Chapter Three

Alana stumbled back from the window, the horrific scene imprinted on her retinas. It couldnt be real. This had to be some elaborate prank that the whole city was a part of A twisted dream fueled by the stale coffee and her usual pre-dawn anxiety. A chocked laugh escaped her lips, devoid of humor, more like a desperate plea for sanity. But the wail of sirens, the distant screams, and the grotesque figure shambling outside her window mocked her denial.

Panic, a cold serpent, wrapped around her chest, squeezing the air from her lungs. Her heart happening a frantic rhythm against her ribs, threatening to burst out. This was the monster shed always known that laid beneath the surface of her anxieties, the embodiment of all her darkest fears, now unleashed in a horrifying reality.

She sank to the floor, the cool hardwood a striking contrast to the rising tide of terror within her. Her mind raced, a chaotic jumble of questions and desperate pleas. Was this some plague visited upon a world gone astray? The answers, however terrifying, felt irrelevant in the face of immediate survival.

A guttural roar, closer this time, jolted her back to the present. The sounds of struggle and a bloodcurdling scream pierced the growing noise. Through the window, she saw one of the figures, no not figures, these were things, tearing at a fallen victim. The raw savagery of the attack fueled a new wave of terror.

This was not in any way a movie. This was definitely not a dream. The very thing that she once scoffed at, the one Dr. Carter had used as a metaphor for her struggles, was now a living nightmare that was banging at her door. And she, Alana, a college student burdened by the weight of her own anxieties, was now thrust into the heart of a horror she was not sure she could survive.

The roar started to sound closer than before, sending shivers down Alanas spine. The grotesque event playing out on her street was no hallucination. Denial, a flimsy shield, crumbled under the weight of terrifying reality. This was happening. The world she knew was gone, replaced by a scene ripped striate from a horror movie.

Panic clawed at her throat, threatening to choke her. But a primal urge for survival, stronger than any fear, surfaced. She had to act, and fast. Trembling hands scrambled for her phone, but the screen displayed only a chilling No Service message. The very fabric of civilization was unraveling.

Blinking back tears of frustration, Alana forced herself to focus. She stumbled to her closet, flinging open the doors. What did she need? Clothes, obviously, anything, something practical and sturdy. Food, canned goods, and anything non-perishable. Water, the most crucial element of survival. She grabbed her backpack dumping out all of the books and school supplies within it. As she does this her heart is continuously hammering against her rib cage.

Memories from a survivalist documentary flickered in her mind. Theyd talked about a bug-out back, a pre-assembled pack with essentials. She didnt have one, but the concept sparked an idea. She shoved clothes into the backpack, jeans, a sweatshirt, and a pair of worn hiking books. Food was next, a can of beans, a box of crackers, a granola bar, eager pickings, but it was a start.

A knock on the door, sudden and jarring, froze her blood. Her breath hitched, eyes darting towards the window. One of the . . . things. . . lumbered by, oblivious to the sound. A wave of nausea washed over her. This wasnt a monster movie where a locked door could keep the bad guys out.

She needed a weapon. Her gaze fell on a baseball bat leaning against the wall, a relic from a high school softball phase she barely remembered. It wasnt ideal, but it would have to do. Grabbing a roll of duct tape from the junk drawer, she secured a kitchen knife to the bats handle, a makeshift weapon, a desperate attempt at defense.

Panic threatened to consume her again, but she forced it down. Thinking, planning those were her weapons now. She needed to get out of the apartment, Away from the chaos unfolding outside. But where? Her mind raced, the familiar streets of her city transforming into a terrifying labyrinth.

A memory surfaced, and old friend from high school had mentioned a cabin in the woods, a family getaway passed down through generations. It was a long shot, miles away, but it felt like the only option. Grabbing a map from the closet, something she never thought she would ever have to use, her fingers traced the route a lifeline in a sea of uncertainty. She needed a car, supplies, a plan and most importantly, she needed to know she wasnt alone.

With a deep breath, Alana steadied herself. This wasnt the life shed planned, not by a long shot. But fear wouldnt save her. She had to move, to fight for survival. She wasnt sure what the future held, but one thing was clear, the world outside was a terrifyingly new reality, and she had to be ready to face it.