One of the things that makes us human, is fear.
Fear, keeps us safe, fear fuels our actions under fire, it guides us to survival in a bind.
Sometimes, people are born without fear.
And so without fear they go into the world.
Blind as to the dangers around them.
They can't see the obvious threats so they need the fearful ones to keep them safe.
Even though they're the fearless ones.
It's ironic really.
The fearless need the fearful to protect them.
Usually it's the other way around.
But when the day came that the world was shocked by an unseen enemy, the fearless stood their ground.
Their stupidity had finally caused their down fall.
The creatures came from the oceans.
From the sky.
From the ground.
Some of them flew.
Others swam.
A few galloped across the land like cheetahs on the hunt.
They attacked with such ferocity that we had little time to react.
The media didn't know how to respond to the attack.
And because of their hesitation, millions died.
No warning was sent until it was too late.
The damage was already done.
The military did all they could.
They fought bravely against the enemy that came fourth.
But they outnumbered us.
The first place to fall from the map was Florida.
They cut it off from the rest of the states.
There was no hope for the people that dwelled there.
The beasts had taken it.
Slowly, they moved to South Carolina.
Millions across the eastern seaboard were evacuated from their homes as the creatures pillaged the states along the Atlantic.
It became apparent we had lost.
People became weary.
Loading up on guns, ammo, knives, swords what ever weapons they could get their hands on.
Then the drafting started.
We all knew it was coming.
The army would need more soldiers to stop our new enemy.
No one wanted to volunteer.
No one, accept the fearless.
They stepped up without hesitation.
So they went to war.
Fighting an inhuman enemy.
No one knew what to call them.
No one had seen them.
In pictures they appeared as blurs due to their speed.
The war raged on.
Then it happened.
Often in stories, just when things look the worst, Something amazing will happen.
The protagonist finds away to win.
We began hearing stories told by soldiers.
Stories that told of those few fearless people, who can do things no one else can.
People with superhuman abilities.
People who jumped in and saved the day.
And for the first time in this war, we had an edge.
We had the upper hand on our enemy.
The fearless became celebrities.
That's what we called them at first.
"The Fearless."
They were a symbol of hope.
Someone to stand up for the weak.
They ran toward the danger while we ran from it.
They fought while we cowered in corners clutching rifles and praying.
Then came the day when one of them died.
Not fallen by our enemy.
She just dropped dead.
My fellow soldiers ran, some of us were picked off by the creatures.
The ones who made it, were the unlucky ones.
It was as if someone flipped a switch.
All good things must come to an end.
And so they did.
The fearless began killing everyone in sight.
They were fast.
Strong.
Using abilities that made them more dangerous than the creatures themselves.
We begin to take up arms against them too.
In our search for an answer we discovered the source of their power.
A pathogen.
Apparently created to aid in our struggle against the monsters.
But nothing powerful is flawless.
The "enhancement" took more than it gave.
Killing brain cells to feed itself.
It worked in Six Stages.
Stage one: Loss Of Fear
Stage two: Superhuman Abilities Develop
Stage three: Random outbursts of Rage
Stage four: Superhuman abilities peak
Stage five: Loss Of Control
Stage Six: DEATH
The person responsible took it upon himself to release a pathogen into the air.
Infecting the strongest of us.
There was no cure.
No way to defeat the beasts.
Still, legends of a few individuals, fighting them back, existed.
Some of us refused to believe.
We'd lost so much.
Been through so much.
We'd all done horrible things to stay alive.
So we secluded ourselves to die.
Still some had hope for redemption.
They set out to find a cure.
A hope for mankind.
If anyone's listening out there, have heart.
Don't be afraid.
We will survive.
Of that I am sure.
My hands shudder as I fold the letter.
"What's that?" Asks the small voice behind me.
"Nothing, Amy. Just a...grocery list."
I say.
Something moves in one of the other isles.
The 357. is slung instantly with the stock resting at my shoulder.
"What do-"
"Shh."
I hold my finger to her lips.
Ever so slowly, I make my way around the corner, rifle at the ready.
Dim light shines through the trashed windows.
I hear the sound of ripping and shredding.
My body quivers slightly.
I turn back to the little black haired girl.
I raise my hand, and move my index and middle fingers.
A sign I taught her that means 'Run if I say'.
She stays there with fear in her eyes.
I turn the corner hoping the catch the predator by surprise.
A dog pads away as soon as it sees me.
It gallops away with speed I wish I had.
I turn back to the girl.
"It's okay. It was only a dog."
I turn to her.
"You like dogs right?"
I ask with my softest voice.
She bobs her head up and down.
I smile at her, still shaking slightly from the scare.
She walks forward and grabs my hand. The two of us walk towards the doors. It's a grim sight.
The windows are smashed.
Grocery carts lay strewn about on the floor.
I give her tiny hand a soft squeeze and he hugs my arm.
It's an eerie sight.
"It's okay."
I say.
Fog envelopes the outside air.
I know what she's afraid of.
She's afraid of them.
So I tell her it's okay.
It's okay to be scared.
I am too.
"Why don't we sleep here tonite."
I say.
We wonder to the back room. I look at one of the shelves. "Why don't you sleep here," I say, patting the shelf. "And I'll stay over by the door and keep watch. Okay?" I ask. She looks up at me. Gently, I place my hands under her arms and lift her into the shelf. After placing my jacket under her head like a pillow, I walk over to the wall and sit next to the door, Rifle on my lap. She doesn't sleep. She just watches me with scared eyes. It's been like this for weeks. She rarely speaks, only smiles at me once in a while.
Night falls. I keep my eyes locked in front of me so I won't fall asleep. Sleep is a luxury I can't afford. Amy slides off the shelf and waddles over to me. This is something an 8 year old should never have to go through.
She cried the first night. She was so scared. Now she sleeps silently. She hugs my arm gently. I reach up and wrap it around her. In the darkness I can barely make out her face. I turn back to the door. "Are we safe?" She asks, not knowing the meaning of the face Im making. I look down at her.
"You're safe. I'm here. I'll protect you." I say. She lays her head on my lap. I grab the jacket from the floor and place it over her like a blanket. She stops shivering. I turn to the door, and get lost in dreams of better times.
