30 Days of Undead Summer [Zombie Challenge]

June 27th: #TijuanaTuesday

I hate when I have a completely different idea in mind and the characters just decide to change it.

Sometimes, I hated watching them from the barred windows. As the teacher droned on, I was sure I could see them through the bushes. Despite being in this quarantined city, I still felt like we were out there. Even my knife remained tucked in my cargo pants. They decided to keep schools functioning in a sense even if the world was going to hell in a handbasket.

"That will be all for today," she suddenly announced dismissing us.

I groaned, grabbed my bag, and tucked my head down as I left what was our classroom but was more of a bedroom. Only about six of us in my class and my little brother was stuck with only three. We met outside trying to ignore the large military jeeps and checkpoints at each intersection. Though for nothing in the world, I couldn't ignore the large electrified gate system that separated us from them.

"Are we safe here, Mia," my brother, Kurt asked as we remained on the steps of the our makeshift school building.

"It's the safest we'll ever be." What could I tell the kid? We were only safe until they grew even smarter, learned to cut the power leaving us defenseless. I hated what towns and cities looked like now that I could barely remember what they looked like before. If it weren't for the bare bones of my cities, I would have forgotten. Kurt had been so young already when this started that he probably didn't know anything other than this life.

"Mia, Kurt." We looked up as father approached. He had a solemn look on his face. At least dad was good for something. Being an electrician he knew how to keep the power on for a while.

Suddenly we heard the overwhelming sound of squawking. Looking up, I stared through the glass of the dome to see them gather just above the city. Almost all major cities were either underground or under makeshift domes. The birds were one of the first infected with a disease that reanimated their corpse. My father explained of movies and tv shows that had depicted something similar happening to humans.

It was the reason everyone called them zombiefied. I wish I could say that our dog, Scruffy, had remained untouched. Sadly that wasn't the case. It was the first time I ever used a gun but I was too late to save our sister and mother before he got them both. Sometimes I was sure dad blamed me. I was the one who begged for Scruffy when I was Kurt's age.

"Let's get you both home."

Climbing into the back of the jeep, we each sat together. With dad one of the top ranking officials, we got personal escorts almost everywhere. It was different than the last place we were. Before it was overrun with the zombified animals. Kurt leaned into me as always. He'd probably fall asleep before we ever made it to the place we lived. Nowhere was ever home anymore, just a place to rest our heads.

Kurt always fell asleep so easily on the road because that's all we did for a time. For months, we were on the road constantly moving. It was strange to be stationary. To worry about mundane things such as school when the world was ending. Even cows and meat I was used to eating became something we couldn't risk. So far, all humans that had been bitten or mauled, never turned. It was just the animals for now.

Taking back their world, as it were.

Looking through the window of the jeep, I continued to watch the birds. It was always the birds that struck first, I noticed. The glass vulnerable and they would test the weakness in each spot. Suddenly there was static filling the jeep.

One of the military men grabbed the mic for the CB radio. "Over this is jeep 5, taking the light man home. Repeat what you just said."

There was so much static was hard to hear. My heart had begun to pound as I shook Kurt's shoulder. Dad moved from his perch over to us despite the rocking of the jeep.