Wasteland

Chapter 1

Three days have past since Kale had eaten anything other than a ration of canned corn. Every now and then he would be lucky enough to find something more, which would go straight to his sister, Nikki. He had to keep her safe. That was his main priority.

They had been alone on the road for almost two years now.

" You'd think we would be used to this life by now, huh sis?" Kale rubbed the dirt from his face as he spoke.

Nikki stared at her brother with sad eyes and said nothing. She wasn't much of a talker after "that day." The day of her brothers birthday, two years ago.

It was early. Kale opened his eyes to a family of smiling faces and a small pile of gifts.

"Happy birthday!" They all sang out at the same time as if they'd practiced for weeks.

"I'm a little too old for this kind of thing, dont'cha think? I am eighteen now, I mean you could've just gave me some money and sent me on my way?" The words poured out as a question. He hoped for once he could get what he wanted for his birthday, but his parents would never go for that. As long as he lived with them he could have no weapons. He despised the rule, even though he would always follow it.

"Of course not, honey. You will always be my little pumpkin, no matter what age." His mothers tone was full of sarcasm.

"Good morning Kale, happy birthday!" Nikki screamed as she leaped onto the bed with her brother. "Open mine first! Pleeaaasse?"

Kale said nothing and smiled at his little sister. As he opened the small box he couldn't help but to laugh a little. Inside the box was a small picture of two people having, what seemed to be a picnic, underneath a tree.

"Its me and you, you like it?" She smiled from ear to ear awaiting the answer, although she knew he would say yes.

" It's the best present i've ever gotten." Thats all he had to say and she was blushing.

Nikki was only eight at the time. Her curly blonde hair sat on top of her head like a bush and her missing tooth stood out like a sore thumb. She was wearing her spongebob pajamas and no shoes. Still, she was the most beautiful sister in the world to Kale.

Despite the fact that they were almost a full ten years apart, they were closer to each other than anyone in the family. They done everything together.

Kale sat up and stretched as his parents handed him his next present.

"Wow, its heavy. Almost as heavy as a..." He stopped instantly when he realized that this was it. The year he would finally get what he wanted. A giant grin stretched across his parents faces as he tore into the delicate paper. The box was cut, ripped, and flung to the side. He sat still for what felt like hours just staring at it. On his bed was the only thing he had ever wanted since he reached the age of twelve, a Matrix 380 blackout crossbow. The most accurate hunting bow out.

"Oh my god, thanks guys. This is awesome." " I promise to be responsible and...and." His parents laugh interrupted him and they began laughing together.

Before he could even enjoy his new gift, everything changed in a instant. A loud scream thundered through the house and everyone stopped.

"What was that?" Asked Nikki as her brother pulled her close to comfort her.

"I don't know, Imma go check it out." Their father told them as he reassured everything was okay. He walked out and they sat waiting.

"He's been gone way to long." Their mother spoke with a trembling tone that could put anyone in a great depression. Nikki nor Kale said a word. They sat waiting for their father to arrive back with good news.

About an hour later, just before Kale lost all patients and went looking for his dad, the door knob turned. The bloody man fell onto the floor and stared at the petrified family.

"Run....run now. Get out of here. Some.. Something is happening. Something strange.... Go....." The last word slowly fell out as a final breath, and the stranger was dead.

No one screamed. They were too scared or something else, they couldn't tell, but whatever they felt was stopping any sound or movements from escaping their bodies. They were in shock. Finally Kale grabbed his sister and took hold if his mothers arm. As he reached for the door he heard a noise he had only heard from horror movies.

The gurgling got worse then turned to a strange breathing sound. Kale looked down and his face was bleached. Nikki noticing the paleness across her brothers face and looked down also. She screamed at the sight they were looking at. The man was attempting to stand, only he was different. He was still dead.

The reanimated man slashed and staggered toward them. He was moaning and groaning as he opened and closed his mouth looking to take a bite out of whoever he could grab.

"Stop!" Kale screamed at the man but he continued. Kale grabbed the crossbow. "Im warning you mr." Still the man leaped forward and plunged toward Nikki. Without a moment to spare Kale pulled the trigger.

A long arrow protruded out of the back of the strangers head. He fell to the floor. The first time he got to use his bow, and he had murdered someone. He couldn't believe he just killed a man, if it even was a man. He had to find out what was happening.

"What is going on?" Kale wrapped his arms around his sister even tighter and they walked to the door. What they saw was more terrifying than anything they could imagine. The dead had risen from the grave and was dining on the living. In a matter of minutes the recently deceased reanimated to a walking corpse and began to copy the others as if playing follow the leader.

"We have to go.....NOW!" Kale spoke as he began to sprint dragging his mother who held Nikki in her arms across the lawn and into the woods behind their house.