Left Behind. [A World War Z Fan-Fiction]

Chapter 1: Resuming Consciousness

     Through these deserted lives I see nothing. The shade of darkness painted the walls that stood with a firm scent of shame and alcohol. On the floor bellow lay black ashes, hiking its trail across the frames of the exit of where there used to be a door. I feel my head with my trembling hands dressed with dirt and what looks like blood. I don't know where I am, or even who I am.

 I step up leaning against the wall, my head sways to side to side. My knees are feeble, covered in cuts and bruises. I clasp the wall for support, I could see my breath withdrawing from my flaking chapped lips. The cold claws away at my frozen body, breaking  down my momentum. Pain shot through my bones as I allow myself to be pulled to the ground once again. My eyes are flickering, and my vision is fading. I laid on my side waiting for death to take me, but I saw something on the floor. Squinting to reveal more details in the dark room I see a wallet with a picture peaking out of it. I convince my frail body to crawl, lifting my legs while I pushed through the rubble of the building. And continued  towards my destination. The wallet became more visible the closer I crawled. The ground was full  ashes and fragments of what looked like gun shells. My lungs were choked by the fumes of dust and whatever lived in this unsanitary air. But I proceeded to the wallet, it was closer to me now. With one last lunge I had it in my dry hands. Perching my back against the wall I examined the wallet. Running my fingers over its smooth leather skin I take out the photo. 

There was a family of four in the picture. Two girls laughing with their father picking them up on his shoulder with the wife helping him. He held them so tights, It meant something to me- but I wasn't sure what.  I looked closer: He had blonde hair falling to his shoulders, a beard and brown eyes that shined like the moon on a dark night. They seemed happy, I felt like I was connected to this man somehow. I scanned through the wallet looking for more information. I could feel my body slowly regenerating as if I was in hibernation. In the last pocket I saw a drivers licence on it with the same mans face. 

  Lane, Gerry, 1963,  Philadelphia

The rest was covered in marks scratched by a marker or something. I put the wallet in my pocket and followed the ash trail with my eyes. It curved into another room with the door torn down. The floor was full of holes and wires sticking up from the insulation. I pull myself up and use the wall again. My legs are weak, but walking is a option. Staggering through the bare  hall way, I turn into the next room to reveal the trails path. The smell of death lives in the room. Six dead bodies burnt on top of each other. The outlines wasn't hard to make out. I wish I could say I wasn't used to death, but I was. Or before I was. I don't get why I wasn't burned to ashes? Why was it leading to me? In the dark horrid room?

The sound of water drops polluted my ears. My throat was a desert, and had been for some time. I staggered out of the room of deaths and followed the trance of drips. Down rived hall I walked, sustained by the thought of drinking water again. As I walked, the halls transformed more of its muddled features. These halls were dim and cold. I could feel outgoing vines climbing around the severed floor, and dancing up the walls as well. I came to a stop in the hall, barricaded by a hole in the ground with clear little drips of rain water streaming down. At the bottom held a small little pond surrounded by lush plants, and the sun creeping through. I had to shade my eyes, because I could have been sitting in darkness for weeks. There was a vine scaling down to the pond dipping into the water. I rolled up my sleeves and started shimmering down the vine slowly. Tarring my muscles, every climb. When I reached the bottom I dunked my head in the warm water, drinking until my body feels content. The water is shallow, and decently clean; I need to cleanse my wounds before I risk infections. Taking out the wallet I clean the  clothes, washing it in the glistening water. I slide in the pond letting the warm water wash away my filth. The water sneaks between my toes and washes out my ears. Building up my muscle work was important, and swimming helped my knees recuperate. I allowed time to pass as I continued to build up strength throughout my body. 

I'd feel self conscious about being nude in public but I don't think this is public. There are no people, I hear birds but I lack the chance to see them. The pond was isolated by brown  thin tree roots, with moss shading the outside. This eliminated any access of exiting this organic cave, but at the same time it keeps anything that would like to harm me out. When night fall hit the sky I huddled up against the wood roots curved like a ring. 

I sat throwing stones in the pond to try and amuse myself. I beamed  the pond, studying its density. In the pond there was a man staring back at me, I knew this man. I searched through the baffled wallet and pulled out the picture. Then it hit me; I was the man in the picture, I was Gerry Lee. A rush of mixed emotions rushed through my head and I felt my eyes flicker shut.

"Daddy whats the matter?"  I stared down at my breakfast resting on a white plate finger painted by Rachel. The taste of Bacon and coffee filled my mouth by the time breakfast was done, then I'd  drive the girls to school. My phone was being attacked by work emails, it stressed out the family I could tell. I'm just happy I get to drive them to school, that's mainly the only time I do get to socialize with them. 

I sat in the leather seats waiting for  Constance and Rachel to come out. I was going to be late for work, but families first. I flip open my phone scrolling over the messages, where could those girls be? I honked the horn and shortly after the two came out. Constance with her cozy little teddy bear in small hands hopped in the car. "Beary" his name was, I pretended Beary and I were arch enemy's just tease her. But it was all fun and games. Rachel likes to isolate herself from the outside world with texting friends and keeping up with the latest trends.  

"Hey! What did I say about bring him along!" I joked to Constance, she smiled and prized the bear. "Okay, maybe just this once. But that guy and I got some serious business to work out." I drove to Rachel's school, letting the cool summer air fill the car. I glanced at Rachel moving her painted nails swiftly as she tried to keep her Twitter account up to date. 

"How's Rachel doing?" I asked trying to make her acknowledge our existence. After she finished her message she answers "good".

"Tell Dylan I said hey." I teased, she looked at me slightly embarrassed. I smiled and looked back at the road. "Honey, I'm United Nations Investigator. I'm no Sherlock Holmes but no one smiles at their toes after every text." I said allowing her to feel awkward and embarrassed, I could see a smile though. We pulled up  to the school and we saw Dylan walk over to the car. Dylan was Rachel's best friend, or want-to-be boyfriend. A skinny blonde boy, not the smartest. But they grew up together. 

"Whats up Mr. Lane!" Dylan asked me from outside of the car. I was always thought as "The cool dad" to all of Rachel's friends. I small talked with Dylan and then watched as they went to school, walking up the cement blocks. I started to drive to Constance's school, she talked the whole ride there. We played her favorite game, 21 Questions. She thought of something and I had to guess it. She went to a private school, Karin found it more "artsy"  here. I quickly signed my name to say she was there and knelled down to say goodbye to Constance.

"I'll see you after dinner time, alright? Love you." I told her trying to rush to work. I kissed her on the cheek and started rushing down the hallway. 

"Wait!" I heard her yell. I stopped and turned around, and looked down at her. She held up the bear and said "friends." I smiled and took the bear and rushed to work with my new friend.