Run Little One

May and Garrett

Zoe's POV

I pull the children inside and lock the door. Scrambling, I go and switch in the television and the news takes my breath out of my lungs. The same warning that appeared on mine and Alfie's laptops. A virus. A disease. Here.

I sit down slowly and attempt to calm myself. My breathing is quickening and I'm feeling a panic meanwhile two strangers stand in my living room after overcoming God-knows what. I shut my eyes and try to imagine the beach. Calming waves. Calming waves. Seagulls. People walking dogs along the shore. People...with a virus.

The girl approaches me and cautiously squats down beside me.

"Zoe match my breathing. It's ok" she says. Wait, is she a fan? Is this a prank? At this point, I'm too scared to second guess and I do as she says, matching my breathing with hers and holding her hand. I study her face.

A gash stretches along the left side of her cheek and mud and dirt is caked into her hair and face.

She catches me staring and stands back up nervously. "I...I'm May, and uh this is Garrett." She explains. "What is happening?" I ask, my voice shaking. "What happened to you two? Where are your parents?" I ask in one breath.

May sits down next to me a pulls Garrett into her lap.

"My parents and I came here for vacation. We were staying in London when we heard the warning come out. My parents didn't think it was anything important but I was scared. I was out when..."she stopped and tears fill her eyes. "I was out when my parent got attacked." She weeps quietly. Attacked? By what? " I don't know what they are" she says, as if she read my mind. "They look like people, but they don't at the same time. It's in their eyes. Their eyes are black. I heard some people call them Shreikers." She wipes her eyes with her muddy sleeve.

I take all the information in that this girl told me. She watched her parents get attacked...possibly die. And she made it here?

"Wait here" I tell her, standing up and running upstairs and waking Alfie. My sleeping Alfie. Who doesn't know what's happening to the world.

"Alfie!" I say, not bothering to whisper. "Alf" I begin to cry. He wakes up at this. "Zoe, what's wrong?" He asks, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"The report we got last night isn't a hoax. There's a virus going around. Bad. In in London. We need to leave." I say grabbing a suitcase out of the closet and filling it with small essentials.

"What?" Alfie mutters, stretching and picking up Nala. "Alfie we need to leave now, we don't have much time" I spit out.

Alfie catches my urgency and gets up. "What are we doing? It's nine am!" He wines. "And I thou-"

"Zoe!"

I heard my name screamed from downstairs. Dropping everything, I race down, Alfie on my heels. May is standing in front of the tv and I see what she is looking at. A live report of London. Or what used to be London. The streets are lined with countless bodies, dismembered limbs, and rubble. But the most horrifying are the people standing amongst the rubble. "Shriekers" I mutter and May nods.

"Officials say that world is in a state of emergency. A deadly canibalistic virus has begun in the heart of the U.K. and is making its way internationally at a rapid pace. Survivors are to stay in their homes and remain armed until emergency services can cure the epidemic." The screen cuts to a news reporter in the studio talking at an extremely fast pace. Screams are heard, and the camera cuts out.

The four of us jump and stare at the blank screen in silence. My heart is beating faster than it should. Adrenaline rushes through my veins and I run upstairs and continue packing my small bag.

"Grab what you can carry" I hear Alfie tell May and he comes upstairs after me. He enters our room and I run into his embrace, my body shaking with uncontrollable sobs. This isn't happening. This isn't happening. All the people in London. Viewers, families...Joe. My Joe. My baby brother. My sobs become gasps for air and I feel dizzy. I hold onto Alfie for dear life as he assures me we will be okay. I focus on my breathing to avoid a panic and slowly calm down. I return to my packing and Alfie finds his bag.

I throw in things I know I need: Jacket, socks, first aid kit, 2 sets of extra clothes, etc. I quickly change out of my pajamas and throw on the most durable outfit I can find: Long sleeve grey shirt, sports bra, black jeans, brown combat boots and my brown bomber jacket, avoiding anything too colorful. I throw my vlogging camera in my bag as well with my phone and chargers, although I doubt it will do me any good.

Taking two steps at a time, I bound down the stairs to the kitchen, where May is loading up her and Garrett's small bag with food, knives, and towels. She looks at me for a split second, the continues packing two others containing the same for myself and Alfie.

"We stick together" she says, looking up at me, a slightly pleading look in her eyes. Garrett looks up as well, and then looks back at May. There's something about these two. She reminds me of myself and Garrett of Joe...my baby brother. I don't know if he's alive. I snap myself out of my thoughts and reply.

"We stick together."