Dying Apocalypse

Chapter 2

It was a cloudless day in Starlight City. The sun was shining brightly down on the high-rise apartment buildings. It was almost noon and the city would normally be bustling with the sounds of the military transporting the dead of infected to quarantine camps.

But today was much different. The only sounds that could be heard were the sounds of chaos. Constant gunfire and warning sirens shattered the quietness of the afternoon.

Starlight City had been over-run. Sometime between three and five AM the infected had somehow made their way to the civilian safe-zones.  By the time the sun came up half of the city had been infected. And it still hadn’t been noticed by the military.

Starlight City had was one of the last remaining city’s that was still holding out since the monthly supply drops had suddenly stopped.

It was a smaller city than most. But the high-rise buildings and large motels helped the upkeep of one point five million civilians.

STARLIGHT CITY

1400 HOURS

“Fuck. They’re getting closer.” shouted Sargent Robert Harris. “Where’s the re-enforcements from Mesquite?”

Sargent Harris and his squadron of men were on one of the outer streets, firing at a large pack of zombies who were slowly approaching their position.

“General O’Neil and his regiment are two and a half miles out sir!” A rifleman shouted over the deafening sound of gunfire.

“Shit” Harris mumbled to himself.

The men under his control were equipped with standard military issue M16’s and Beretta M9 side arms. They also had basic knifes and a few grenades; which were running low, while the knife would only be useful at close quarters. But to get close to a pack of that size would be suicide.

Harris and his men were on the six o’clock morning patrol. They waited twenty minutes to relive the patrol before them when they called it in. They were sent out to find them and help if necessary. But the other patrol was already dead; along with half of the city.

By eight o’clock the whole military was busy trying to defend the survivors. But losing rapidly. The Zombies seemed to have infected almost all the camps and were surrounding the surviving men. Harris had called in a code red. General O’Neil had responded by moving all of his men to help. Leaving Mesquite undefended against any attacks.

MESQUITE

1446 HOURS

Alice Reid had been married to Phillip for seventeen years. Their son, David, was born a few months after their marriage. They had lived in Mesquite for their whole lives. Meeting as children, and staying friends ever since.

Alice resembled her mother and sister. With blonde, almost white hair. Her pale features and high cheekbones that she shared with almost all of her family. With the exception of her children and husband. The children took most of Phillip’s looks. Brown eyes, and matching hair. Tight cheeks and pointed nose. But only slightly darker skin then their mother.  

But at the present time she was slowly walking in a circle around her lounge.

“We should go get the kids. We have to talk to Chief Wyatt. He’ll know what to do” She said. Talking about the Chief of police who also lived in the same estate as them.

“Alice, Calm down. We have to do one thing at a time. Chief Wyatt will be busy with O’Neil heading out and leaving all of a sudden. We’ll talk to him as soon as he is free. He might not be coming home until late.” Phillip sighed and took out his smart-phone. “I’ll call him now.”

Phillip dialled Sabian’s personal number and waited a few seconds.

“Phillip? What’s the problem” Came the deep voice of Chief Wyatt.

“Sorry to call at this time. But Alice is worried about the kids. Do you know what’s happening with General O’Neil?” He asked.

A deep sigh came from the other end. “Phil, what he told me before he left was that Starlight was under attack. And that it was a Code Red or something.”

“Shit… I’m going to go get the kids. Do you want me to get Jen as well?”

“That’ll be good. Thanks man. I think I’ll be stuck at the station for a few more hours. We have to set up guards for each estate. I’ll be with Tulip obviously, but we have to sort out everything else. If you could take care of Jen until I get back that’ll be good.”

Phillip said goodbye and grabbed his keys. “I’ll go get the kids along with Jen.” He said to his wife.

She nodded and hugged him goodbye. He got into the car and slammed the door closed. Then started driving out.

There were another four families, including the Reid’s, included;

The Grey family. The Grey’s were one of the bigger families of the estate. With three children aged sixteen, fourteen and twelve; Jackson, Andrew and the youngest girl, Amy. Their parents were Aaron and Catlin who moved to Mesquite seven years ago to raise their family. But Catlin’s father had also joined them, Sleeping for three quarters of the day and eating or drinking for the rest.

The Howl family had only one member in the two story, eight bedroom house. Daniel Howl was a man of 74. He was an ex-mathematician who had lectured in universities across the country for most of his carrier until retiring to Mesquite after his wife passed away in 2003.

The Wyatt’s were a family of two. Sabian Wyatt had lived there with his wife for five years before she had been killed in a fatal car accident. Their single child, Jenny, now aged ten, was only four months old when her mother died. Jenny got on well with Olivia as they were the only girl her age. They lived in the house next to the Reid’s. And they were close friends, inviting each other for BBQ’s every so often.

 The family on the other side was the Hill family. Jason Hill was the Chief of the MFD, or Mesquite Fire Department. He had been the head of the Fire Department for three years after moving from Starlight City to help keep the arson level down. His seventeen year old son Christopher was good friends with David. And the two were in the same classes for different subjects at school. Jane Hill was his wife.

Their estate was the named Tulip. As all estates were named after different types of flowers. It was different from the rest. Only having five of the ten houses being lived in. Although the other houses were used as holiday homes by rich family’s.

STARLIGHT CITY

1700 HOURS

The city was completely quiet. The gunfire had died down hours ago. Along with the owners of the guns.

General O’Neil had arrived along with his all his men to help kill off the packs and hopefully take the survivors back to Mesquite. But that didn’t happen. It never would.

General O’Neil had been ambushed as soon as he had joined Sargent Harris. The zombies had formed two larger packs. The second coming from the behind and killing them all.

There was no survivors. All of them devoured. They had no chance.