Just Your Average 14 Year Old - Book 1 - New Life

Chapter 3: Take Out... Or Not

"I'm going to go get some dinner, you kids want to come or stay here"? Karla walked into the living room, coming out with a flashlight.

James and I exchanged looks both knowing we didn't want to stay home in the dark. "We'll come with" James said answering for us both. I nodded in agreement.

We walked out to the car hoping to find some place that would be open... We drove through the almost completely dark town. As we got to the outskirts of town there was a couple take out places that were open that still had electricity. They probably had a generator or something, I thought...

"So Chinese, Pizza or the Greek place"? Karla asked us, looking at us in the rearview mirror. 

James and I looked at each other again. We both looked forward and said in unison, "Pizza". We looked at each other again and laughed softly.

"Okay pizza it is then" She said with a chuckle. 

We got out of the car and ordered our pizza. We sat waiting near the pick-up counter. There was a big window near where we were sitting, I was closest to it. I leaned my head against the window thinking about my parents. I saw a man out side about twenty feet away, blood had soaked through his shirt on his arm. I pulled my head away from the glass. I looked closer at him, I could tell he was sweating and his eyes were red-ish and purple-ish. His skin almost looked yellowish. My eyes widened looking at the sickly man. 

"James..." I whispered to him, nudging his arm. 

"Yeah?" he questioned in a soft tone. 

"Look" I looked at him nervously.

 He looked at the man and his facial expression changed from happy to confused and a little disgusted. We looked at each other again nervously. "Karla!!!" the server shouted telling us our pizza was ready. We got the large pizza and walked to the car staying clear of the creepy man. On our way I saw some woman laying on the sidewalk. We all got nervous then.

We got home a little bit later and entered into the darkness of the non-powered house. "Ill go get some candles" Karla said walking out of the room and down the hallway.

 James and I sat down on the couch, the coffee table in front of us. James put the pizza down on the coffee table and opened it. The smell of pizza filled the house. We both took a deep breath in, breathing the savory aroma. We both chuckled slightly. 

"Back" Karla said with a handful of candles. 

I took some from her since her arms were full. We set them around the couch, on the table and lit them. It was bright and quiet beautiful. It gave a warm, cozy, safe feeling compared to the cold darkness outside and in the rest of the house. It was very calming in the middle of all the nerves. We ate pizza, talked laughed but we were all still tense. With my parents not responding and people lying on the side walk it was rather nerve racking. 

  Later Karla got up to get some bedding for the couch for me but by the time she returned James and I had both fallen asleep. My head rested on his shoulder and his head on mine. She smiled and put a blanket over us.

I woke up a little cold, from the power going out the heat was too. I woke in the same position a I fell asleep in. At first I didn't understand what was going on or where I was. Normally when I wake up in the middle of the night I'm at home in my bed... Alone, not to mention. But here I was in someone else's house, with my head on someones shoulder? But I quickly was snapped back into reality and I understood what was going on. I sighed and snuggled into the blanket more. 

But then I soon realized why I woke up. Something was banging on the window. I was suddenly scared... Fear trickled through my body like water but as the banging against the window continued it started like a wildfire. The fear was just so real. 

I shook James's arm. "James" I whispered softly not to draw any attention to us hoping it would go away. "James" I said again but this time slightly louder. 

 He finally woke with a groan. "wha-" he was cut off by my hand covering his mouth to keep him quiet, "hm?" he said through my hand. 

I pointed to the window. He removed my hand looking at the window, I could tell he was scared too. It was a man, he was banging his head against the window repeatedly. He also made raspy groaning noises. James and I exchanged looks. We slowly and quietly up stairs to his mothers room. We opened the door to get her, but she wasn't there. We both got even more scared. We got two baseball bats out of the closet. James wasn't athletic but luckily his older brother was. We crept down stairs nervously, our bats at the ready. As we got down stairs we listened carefully... No banging... the banging had stopped. We both took a sigh of relief.

But quickly we realized our relief was short lived. I noticed the front door was wide open. I gasped softly grabbing James's arm to turn his attention to the door. What I saw next made my previous fear feel like nothing. As soon as I saw the the limping, raspy groaning man who was banging his head against the window walking toward us I thought I might faint right there. The fear spread like wild fire making everything feel numb. James looked horrified too. He walked toward us slowly, reaching for us with one hand, he limped slowly over coming closer. 

As my eyes scanned him I noticed that he was the guy from the pizza place who was outside. James noticed too. 'We are gonna die! This is the end' was stomping around my head. 'what was wrong with him' I thought. 

"Stop! Go away! Get out!... I'll call the cops!" I threatened, praying he would just go away. I knew my threats weren't that great but hey, I was scared out of my mind so. 

He got closer and grabbed at James. James swung his bat at his arm knocking him to the side. He then started for me. I whimpered slightly. I swung my bat hard knocking him to the ground. He got up again, grabbing at my arm, he leaned in to bite my arm. I screamed. James swung at his head. He knocked back blood and brains splattering on the kitchen cupboards. I wanted to puke. I groaned in disgust. I then looked at James. Horror was planted on my face from when he tried to bite me. I looked at my arm checking it and then looked at James who looked horrified. He didn't know at that point... he felt like he killed a person. 

Tears were streaming down my face at this point, I looked at him "Thank you" I croaked out. I walked over and hugged him. He hugged me back. "I'm alive because of you" I said.

He took a deep breath, "Same" he replied.

We walked through the house our bats still ready. "Mom" James whispered loudly. "Karla " I did the same. We went through the whole house, she wasn't there. I looked out the window, it was a ghost town... literally... all that was outside was those things walking along the street.