The Rage Within

Chapter 1 : The Outbreak Begins

It was just an average for Cassidy Beaumont and her sister Rachel.  Every weekday morning happened the exact same way for them.  FIrst they would both shower, get dressed and them make their ways down to the kitchen for a quick breakfast.  This was done while watching their parents rush down the stairs while clicking away on the cell phones trying to get last minute things done before heading off to work.  Mr. Franklin Beaumont was a high powered lawyer, whom had recently been promoted to partner.   Mrs. Clarissa Beaumont was an english teacher at the local college, and had just received tenure.  The two Beaumont sisters rarely saw their parents, and whenever they did manage to catch their parents on the awkward family get togethers, their parents would usually sit mute not knowing what to say.  Because they did not really know the two teenage daughters that sat before them.

While on the way to school Cassidy noticed that her sister looked a little bothered by something.  "Is everything ok? said Cassidy.  "I'm fine, mind your own business!" Rachel barked back.  The two Beaumont sisters, while both sharing popularity and rich lifestyles because of their parents jobs, they however did not seem to get along that well.  While Cassidy seemed to always feel as if she had to include Rachel in her affairs, Rachel always seeemed to push away for whatever reason, and choose to stick with her own circle of friends.  "You can tell me if something is wrong" said Cassidy.  "I said leave me alone, and mind your own damn business for once Cass" Rachel yelled back.  They were now pulling into the parking lot of their school, McNamara High School.

By lunch time Cassidy still could not shake the feeling that Rachel had been hiding something from her.  Why get so mad about something so simple as being asking if she was ok?  Cassidy had know her sister to get hot-headed before, but she had never known her to blow up like that before.  While walking towards the cafeteria she began to notice how bare the hallways of the school seemed.  It was the first time the she remembered back to her classes and noticed that many of the students were absent.  And now the hallways were almost like a ghost zone.  It was odd seeing the halls this empty considering one usually had to barge and push their way through each and everyday to get through the hundreds of students that were also doing the same trying to get to their classrooms before the late bell sounded. Cassidy took her usual seat at the oval table next to the windows that  all of her firends ciricle around each day for lunch.  Her friend Jessica was the first to be heard talking, as usual she was the one that went clued the group on the gossip going through the school from each grade level.

"I heard a whole bunch of people stayed home from school today because they were sick with some kind of bug" Jessica said, as she was taking a sip of her bottle of water.  "Are you sure it's just not some sort of skip day or something? There's an awful lot of empty spaces  in the school today. Said Cassidy's other good friend Marie.  "I mean think about it guys, what are the chances that half of the school would come down with the same bug on the exact same day of school? said Marie.  Cassidy couldn't shake the thought that maybe Marie was onto something.  How else though, would you be able to explain half of the student body missing from the school on the same day.  Cassidy tucked the thought in the back of her head for the moment, trying to concentrate on better thoughts.  "You may be right Marie, but it's not our problem.  If those idiots are planning something and want to pay for it thats their business" Cassidy said, trying to change the subject.  But this was an unsucessful ploy as Jessica conintued on telling the others that many other students had also bent sent home from school by the nurse for having high ranging temperatures.  This bit of information caught Cassidy by surprise, she hadn't noticed that some of the other students had started disappearing after third period.  She thought, to herself, how could she have noticed anyways? She was so wrapped in her head about what might be troubling her sister, that she had absentmindedly ignored her surroundings for half of the day.  Just as she was about to open her mouth to try to grab a little more information from Jessica, she noticed a boy standing behind Jessica.  She wondered for a second what he was doing.  Just as she was about to open her mouth to ask him that very question, he lunged forward and pounced down on to Jessica's back knocking her down.  As Jessica and the boy toppled to the ground, Cassidy saw the boy open his mouth wide and take a very large bite out of Jessica's right shoulder.  Upon seeing this, the cafeteria erupted in to chaos and students began to scream and run.