Surviving The Walking Dead (BOOK ONE IN THE SURVIVING THE WALKING DEAD SERIES)

St. Mary's

     My ears rung, I suddenly became disorientated and fell to the ground. A wet sensation splattered on my face, temporarily blinding me. I wiped my eyes and pulled my hands away from my face to see them covered in blood and tiny pieces of brain and bone fragments. On the ground laid my dad with his .44 Special in hand. Blood quickly soaked the floor as he laid sprawled out with a hole in the back of his balding head.

     I tried to scream, but nothing came out. My heart raced as I ran to my room, I frantically threw my belongings around the room until finally finding what I was looking for. Philip's card. I clutched it in my hand and ran back to the living room to make the call. My hands trembled as I dialed the number and prayed he'd answer.

'The number you have reached has been disconnected or is no longer in service. Please check the number and try your call again.'

     I quickly hung up and redialed...

'The number you have reached has been discon-'

     I hung up and redialed over, and over again. I must have called that number a hundred times before I finally broke down crying.

     "Ma'am, are ya alright?" I looked up to see a police officer standing in the doorway. "I'm Officer Price, you neighbor heard a gunshot and called us. Are ya injured?" I shook my head. "Did he try to hurt ya?" I shook my head. "Can ya do me a favor? I need ya to hang up the phone and carefully walk around your father towards me."

     Realizing I still had a death grip on the phone I hung it up and did as the officer said. He walked me over to an EMT to have me checked out. I told them I was uninjured, but they wanted to take me to the hospital for observation. "I need to get my stuff."

     "I can't let ya do that, it's a crime scene and we can't have ya contaminatin' the evidence." Officer Price explained.

     "Crime scene? What crime? I was over at a neighbor's house and when I opened my front door he blew his fuckin' brains out. Case solved. Now let me get my stuff." Officer Price smiled at my determination.

"How about this, I'll get your stuff for ya and bring it to ya at the hospital."

"Everythin'?" I asked.

"Everythin'." Officer Price nodded.

"Even my quilt, my bow, and-"

     "Everythin'. I promise." He replied. I smiled then nodded and laid on the stretcher. The EMT began hooking me up to an EKG machine as the officer exited the ambulance, shutting the doors behind him. The EMT determined my heart rate was fine upon arriving at the hospital. Soon enough, I was alone to my thoughts.

     "Why didn't he answer?" I asked myself. Though I should be upset about what just occurred, I couldn't get the fact that Philip didn't answer out of my head. "He said if I needed anythin' I could call 'em, but it was all a lie." I was fighting off tears when Officer Pierce entered the room.

     "I got your stuff." He smiled carrying three duffel bags and my bow. He gently placed my stuff on the chair next to my bed and opened a bag to pull out a box. "I found this on your bed, I assumed it was yours." He gently placed the package in my hands. It was heavy, but I was clueless to what it was. The officer left and I opened the box, inside was a folded piece of paper and a singed copy of The Giver by Lois Lowry. Confused, I opened the letter and began reading.