Genesis 2.0 (Monster Apocalypse Survival) Sci-Fi/DarkFan/Horror

~1~ Revised

Adapt and conquer, or die.

It's a new way of life for the new world. No more code of ethics, or pesky morality issues.

The days of couch potatoes pulling "Netflix and chill" marathons, and soccer moms running all about town, picking up children from extracurricular activities are gone. No more Saturday morning trips to the mall either, not unless you want to become zombie chow.

Nowadays, living consists of survival. Here are some realistic words to live by: you don't have to run fast, just faster than the person running beside you. Well, that or maybe just trip them and keep on running, and whatever you do, don't look back.

I was thirteen when the End came. It took two weeks for people to realize the world was being overrun with flesh-eating zombies. Thanks to the entertainment industry - and shows like The Walking Dead and Resident Evil - a corpse ambling out of the morgue and going on a city-wide maiming spree didn't garner much attention; too many folks thought it was a hoax or flash-dance mob.

At first.

But when hordes upon hordes of victims rose, crowding the streets with their engorged bellies, torn flesh hanging from their teeth and nails, blood coating their faces, well, that was a different matter.

Now, three years have passed, and people are definitely believers.

Presently, the name of the game is simple; survival - getting by one day at a time, sometimes one hour at a time and that's exactly what I'm doing.

Ducking low behind a stack of collapsed shelves in the Hot Springs, Arkansas Wal-Mart, I hold the little black duffel bag tightly to my chest, and try not to let the putrid smell of rotten food gag me. I've worked hard to scavenge what I have and I refuse to just hand my goodies over to the biggest dumbass meathead ever born.

I suspected the inside of the store would reek of rotted meats, spoiled liquids, and Mother Nature, but I seriously underestimated the power of the stench. It's so awful, my eyes keep tearing, making it next to impossible to see anything in the shadowy interior.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," dumbass meathead taunts.

I cringe when his voice reverberates throughout the large building. Considering that all the major supermarkets were the first ones looted after the End, I'd hoped I'd hit the jackpot when I came across this store.

But pretty much everything is gone. I've found a few treasures: a nice pair of thick-sole hiking boots, some double A batteries, a large box of matches, a few shirts and jeans in my size - which oddly enough I found in the candy section - and even a couple bags of trail mix squirreled away in the women's dressing room. Nobody ever thinks to check the dressing rooms. Of course, I'd gone in there hoping for some nice threads, but hey, beggars can't be choosers.

I'm a scrawny sixteen year old girl, who weighs roughly a hundred-twenty pounds, without family, friends or a home. I've always been a loner, but right now, I'm totally alone. I have zero backup against the would-be punk who wants to mug me.

"Scum-sucking tadpole," I mumble and duck-walk to the left. I hope that by peering around the piled debris, I'm able to get a read on his location. Actually, it'd be awesome if he's dumb enough to use a flashlight, but no such luck. The moment I shut mine off, everything is bathed in darkness.

Suddenly a wail echoes from the bowels of the warehouse behind the store. Every supermarket has a place to store overstock and I don't care how hungry I am, it's the one place I refuse to search. It's the perfect niche to find a zombie.

I'm not ashamed to say that every hair on my body - long and short - stands at attention. Chill-bumps race across my arms and legs, even though I'm heavily dressed. My heart skips a beat, and it feels like somebody jolts me with a live wire. I clench my teeth to keep them from chattering and shove shaking hands into my jacket pocket. A cold bead of sweat inches its way down my backbone and I have to hold stock-still to keep my knees from knocking together.