It all started 9 days after my sixteenth birthday. I remember it so vividly. The images play over and over in my mind, hauntingly real. Just like it happened yesterday...
*November 17th, 2014*
"Your father and I are going out dancing tonight, so you have to stay here," my mother explained impatiently. I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I know. We've been over this a billion times. I can't go to Ella's party. Got it." I said, looking back and forth between my mother and my father. My mother was dressed up in her finest dress, with little white pearls dangling from her neck. She pursed her lips as she thought. After a moment of silence, she kissed my cheek and said goodbye. My father followed quickly behind her. Just like that they were gone. I stared at the door as their car rumbled and then slowly backed out of the driveway. Finally I was alone.
I walked up to my room and laid down on my bed, bored. I picked up my cell phone and began calling people, going down my contacts list, waiting for someone to pick up. Nothing. I threw my phone down to the floor. I sighed and closed my eyes, thinking of things to do.
I woke up to a loud banging at my door. I rubbed my eyes and looked at the clock. 10:13 PM. I groaned wondering who the hell was banging on my door this time of night. I ran downstairs and looked out the window, onto the porch. There, was Ella, dressed in a black lace gown with a white hoodie on. I walked over and opened the door. "Ella what the-" before I could finish my sentence, Ella was inside and running towards the tv. She said nothing. Ella grabbed the remote and frantically began flipping through channels. Finally she stopped on the local news channel. The blonde woman on the tv was downtown outside of a building on fire. "Why are you showing me this?" I asked, confused. "SHHHH!" Ella hushed. The tv lit up the dark room. I looked over at Ella, who's face was lit up just enough for me to see the worried expression on her face. Her eyes widened and she threw her hand over her mouth, as if to keep from screaming. I slowly turned my head back to the tv. That was the first I saw it. The blonde news anchor screamed in pain and dropped to the ground, dead. The building was on fire, and people were going mad. Some seemed delirious. No. Wait. I looked closer. Dead. These people looked dead. They were all attacking and killing each other like animals. The screen finally went fuzzy, and then went out altogether. Ella groaned, trying to get sound out. She finally said, "Infected. These people are infected. A parasite took over their brains. They're killers, Blakely. One bite, and you end up up as one of those... those THINGS." I looked at her and began laughing. "Infected? Like zombies. This is a hoax, come on. People are just trying to put on a show. You seriously want me to believe you on that?!" I laughed. "This isn't funny, Blakely. The apocalypse. It's happening." She said, angrily. "Not until I have proof!" I said, blankly. Ella stared at me for a moment and then stomped her foot. "Damnit, Blakely." She growled. Within seconds her hoodie was falling to the ground. She threw her arm into my chest. I looked at it. There, right below her shoulder, was a bite. It reaked of decay and blood. I carefully touched it. Now I believed. She cried and backed away from me. "I can feel it, slowly building up inside. I have to leave before I'm gone." Tears running down her cheeks, she pulled me in for a hug. Her skin felt ice cold, but she was soaked with sweat. "Thank you for everything. You're my best friend. You're gonna make it out of this, okay? Never give up. I love you like a sister." She whispered. She pulled away, looked at me one last time, and twitched. She cried once more and ran out the door. Though she was still there, inside she was already gone.
I began running through the house desperately locking all the door and Windows, and grabbed supplies. I grabbed food, water, my cell phone, and a knife. I ran upstairs and locked myself in the bathroom. I sat on the floor, looking around. I grabbed my phone and began calling my parents. No answer. I tried again. No answer. Finally I gave up and sat in silence, wondering to do. I got up and looked out the window. The city was falling apart. People ran through the streets screaming and ambulances and police cars sped through the roads trying to find a way to restore peace. I took a deep breath and watched. My parents could be out there. I finally closed the shades and sat back down. I heard a loud boom, almost like a cannon, coming from outside. The lights flickered. Then, silence. And the power was out. I began panicking. I got up and looked out the window. The whole city was out. The only light was coming from the police and paramedics, and the only sounds were coming from desperate men and women running for their lives. I heard a crash. It came from downstairs. I held my breath and stayed quiet, trembling. I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. I heard them getting closer, until it stopped right in front of the bathroom door. I heard heavy breathing. In. Out. In. Out. Finally, a voice said "Blakley? Are you in there?" I sighed in relief. I ran to the door and opened it. My mother and father were there, and surrounded me with hugs and kisses. "Thank goodness you're okay, Angel. But we have to pack and get out as soon as we can." My mother said. "Out? I know it's not safe, but like 'Out' is?! Where are we going?!" I blurted. She sighed. "Out of the city, at the very least." She responded. I nodded and we began packing.
"Here we go.." my dad mumbled as we pulled out of our driveway and sped down the road. We broke speed limit up until we reached the city's exit. Backed up, bumper-to-bumper. Looks like we weren't the only one trying to escape. My dad turned around, only to find that it was either wait, or get attacked by Infected moving closer to the crowds of people. "Dad..?" I called as he began backing up quickly. He was focused. He didn't respond. Only picked up speed. "DAD..?!?!" I begged. Finally he began speeding forward. "DAD!!!!" I screamed. Before I knew it I was thrown against the side of the car, and we hit the bottom of a ditch. Right as our tires hit the ground, he was pressing down on the gas again. The car was stuck. The tires were spinning but we weren't going anywhere. Finally he gave up, and in a moment of fear, he cried out, laying his head on the wheel, crying, "This is the end. It's the end." My mom rolled her eyes and got out of the car and began pulling our things out of the back. I followed. She grabbed my hand "We have to get your father." She said. I nodded. I walked up to the front of the car and found my dad. Sweating and dripping blood out of his mouth. He laughed, deliriously and unbuttoned his shirt. There, was a big bite. I screamed, and ran back to my mother, grabbed as much as I could, took her hand and began running. She looked back at our car, searching my father, refusing to leave and pulling me back. "MOM! He's Infected. Don't you see? If you go back, you'll be infected too. You'll die." I snapped. She quieted down. She looked me straight in the eyes, and smile softly. She pulled me close and hugged me. Now I saw what she was doing. "Mom.." I whispered. She rubbed my back, like she did when I was little. "Mom, please.." a tear ran down my face. She lifted my head, and kissed my temples, my cheeks, and my forehead. "Mom.." I tried again. "I love you, darling. I love you. Don't you ever forget it." She said. She looked my eyes and kissed my temple. "Be careful out there. I love you." She whispered. I began sobbing. She set her things down and looked at me one last time. She grabbed my hand, slipped something into it, squeezed it, and then ran off towards the car. I stood there crying and calling her back, weakly. And like that, everything in my life was gone. I, was alone.
