It all happened so fast. Disaster. Widespread panic.
A Pandemic.
It wasn't long before the Infected were everywhere.
When Hayley Brookes near-perfect life comes crashing down around her - due to a new, widespread, incurable strain of virus and she...
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~ S I X ▪ M O N T H S ▪ E A R L I E R ~
"Hello?" I called out, my voice echoing off of the tall, derelict buildings towering around me. I continued to walk forwards, searching for any signs of life. Looking at my surroundings, I haven't the faintest clue why I am here or where 'here' is. The eerie quietness, interrupted only by the sound of my own footsteps, caused shivers to run down my spine.
As I approached the corner, a disgusting, pungent, rotting smell filled my nostrils, along with the distinct buzzing sound of flies. Rounding the corner, the sight before me makes my heart stop completely. Tears filled my eyes and a loud gasp escaped my lips. Dropping to my knees from shock, I prayed that this wasn't real. In front of me, lay a mound of dead, rotting bodies. The thing that haunts me though, is that I knew each and every face staring up at me.
My chest felt as though it would explode from the overwhelming, debilitating sadness that washed over me as I look upon my entire family, and all the people I have ever loved. Finally breaking down, I fell forwards onto my hands, pressing my forehead to the cold pavement, feeling my salty tears slide down my cheeks. Sobs wracked my body as I began to comprehend that everyone I cared for was dead.
"No, no, no", I whispered to myself, "This can't be real! It can't be!" Desperately trying to escape the cold, harsh reality.
"Hayley! Hayley!"
I sat up, whipping my head around, to look for the source of the sound, unsuccessfully.
"Hayles! Wake up!"
I could feel a hand on my shoulder, shaking me. Jolting upright, I frantically began to push myself away from my duvet and whoever was touching me, feeling suffocated. Strong hands caught my wrists, stopping my irratic movements, calming me down.
"Hey, hey, hey, it's me. It's me, Hayles." The voice, belonging to my older brother, Jason, hushed. Seeing my shaking body and the tears streaming down my face, he pulled me towards him, enveloping me in his warm arms. My heartbeat and breathing rate eventually slowed as I calmed down, realising it was just a nightmare.
"It was just a bad dream, it's not real Hayles", Jason soothed.
"What happened?", I asked, my voice quiet and shaky.
"I could hear you crying out from my room", he replied, letting go of me and shuffling over on my bed to give me some room. "What did you dream?"
"Everyone, you, Lily, mum, dad, Alec, all of you. You were all... you were all dead, Jason." I broke down in tears once more, burying my face in my hands. Jason pulled me into another hug, taking my hands away from my face and placing a gentle kiss on my forehead.
"Listen to me Hayles, I am not going anywhere okay? Your stuck with me forever," he reassured. I smiled and he got up, ruffling my hair. "C'mon now kiddo, get some rest so you don't fall asleep in class." He joked.
"Okay", I replied, laying back down and closing my eyes. I heard my door softly close behind Jason as he left my room, just before I drifted off into a nightmare-free sleep.
"Hurry up Hayley, or you'll have to walk to school!" My mother shouted from downstairs. A honk from Jason's car, waiting outside, accentuates her point.
"I'm coming!" I yelled back, grabbing my schoolbag whilst simultaneously stuffing a piece of buttered toast in my mouth. I ran down the stairs and out the front door, clambering into my brothers pride and joy, an Audi R8 which he blew all of the money our grandmother left to him, when she passed away last year, on.
"Just in time Hayles, like always." Jason chuckled.
We set off towards the highschool. Jason graduated last year, but he drives me to and from school most days as it is on his way to work. That and like the overprotective big brother he is, he didn't like me walking alone, especially when it gets darker, earlier in the winter months.
I opened the car door as Jason pulled up outside the building.
"Have a good day kiddo!" He says, ruffling my hair, as he always does.
"See you later Jace!" I called back before slamming the car door shut. After giving a small wave behind me as he leaves, I walked over to Alec and Lucy, who I spot waiting for me outside the main entrance.
"Hey guys," I greeted them, giving Alec a quick peck on the lips as he wrapped his arm around my waist. Me and Alec had been together ever since sophomore year and Lucy had been my best friend for as long as I could remember.
Together the three of us, begrudgingly, walked into school.
"Ugh," I groaned, banging my head on the desk as Mr Williams continued his extremely long speech about some historical event in the past.
"Psst!" I heard, before a small scrunched up note landed on my desk. Unravelling it and smoothing out the creases I read:
Movie and dinner tonight at six? Xx
Glancing behind me, I see Alex grinning at me. I smiled back, and discreetly nod my head, before turning back around and pretending to listen to the boring lecture.
