Four Citizens - Teaghan Goodger

Chapter 1 - Before

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I felt the tip of my covered knife digging into the side of my cold, shaking body. I adjusted my weight on the car seat before letting my headache prone head rest against the window of the car. My eyes felt like they had been sown open, so instead of closing them I watched the scenery change before my eyes as we drove the dreary long way to school. I shifted my body again, feeling the familiar poke of the knife that was slung through my belt buckle.

"This area is still unaffected" Dad reported, his voice sounding tired and hoarse. "Which is a good thing" He said, turning his round head towards me. The puffy dark circles under his eyes indicated the lack of sleep, and the stubble on his chin indicated his lack of care. After hours of watching out and the police station, his appearance was the last thing he was concerned about.

"You don't really think they will come here do you? This place is so remote" I added, trying to hear the words I desperately wanted to hear come out of his mouth. The words that would tell me that we were going to be ok, and everything will be over soon.

"But there are people here Temperance, you have to understand that the virus simulates peoples rage. If they see any human, the first thing they will want to do is tear them apart. The virus also wipes there memory, so they don't remember who their family and friends are, to them they are just play toys" He clicked the indicator on the car "The virus gives them abilities normal humans don't have, so I will remind you for the hundredth time, don't shoot a gun. This will only indicate to the affected that there are people around, and we don't want that"

"What if they were charging towards you and you didn't have a hatchet or something?" I asked, feeling the familiar sensation of butterflies in my stomach

"Always have a sharp weapon, preferably one that doesn't make noise"

But--"

"Always have one, in this situation, forgetting to have one would be life threatening. You are good at remembering things Temp, so remember to bring a weapon" He said, pointing down the the knife that clung on to my belt everywhere I go. "Look after that knife like it is your own child"

"Have you got everything prepared? I mean, in case they do come here?" I asked, trying to change the subject. He slowed the car down a little before speeding it up again.

"Down at the lake, the council have a bunker, one underground that we can use" He looked around "There is at least 5 years worth of canned food and bottled water down there, so we should be absolutely fine"

"Should? You sound uncertain" I took him a while to respond, which surprised me as he usually had they answer sitting on the top of his tongue, but this time he was genuinely speechless. After what seemed like forever, he spoke

"Nothing is certain. People tell us that the world won't explode for another few hundred years, but even they are uncertain. We could be dead in one minute. And we would have never seen it coming. Nothing is set in stone, you should know that, within your fourteen years how many things have you thought would be forever, and ended up being flushed down the toilet" He averted his eyes to me, and I tried to fight back the tears "All Im saying is that we have a safe place to go to, if they don't get us first. I will protect you, I'll guard you with my life, but you have to promise me that you won't do somthing stupid, because I wont be able to help you then"

"Who else will be there?" I asked "At the bunker?" He looked at me, and I felt a pang of guilt in my body as I had not mentioned anything about what he had previously said.

"It is a known area, so I assume there will be many people, but there is nothing to worry about, there is plenty of space, and like i said before, plenty of food"