Life's Test

Chapter One - The Outbreak

I gather my papers and walk out of my office as the smell of burning plastic hits my nostrils. I decide to ignore it; my 7 hour work shift is done. I take off down the short flight of stairs and out the building door to my little white Mitzubishi out lander.  With my briefcase in one hand I fish for the keys in my pocket with the other. Pulling them out I fumble with them. I manage to get my car key and unlock the door before it starts raining. I hurriedly open the door and step in, placing my briefcase on the passenger seat. I slip the keys in the ignition and start the car.

I reach over to my briefcase, open it, and take out my phone. I dial Sam's number and put it on speaker phone. It rings a few times before going to her voice mail.

"Hey Honey! I'll be home in about an hour! Love you!" I talk to the automated message cheerfully.

I put the car in drive and pull out of the parking lot. To my surprise there is no traffic. I mean literally, there isn't a car in sight. I start down the road. I get two blocks down the street when the burning smell from the office seeps into my car. The smell is overwhelming, that's when I see a silver Honda wrapped around a pole with two other cars sandwiching it. Surrounding the scene are police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances. The normal emergency response team. A feeling of dread washes over me. There is something terribly wrong with this picture. There is not a soul to be found.

I stop my car and unbuckle myself. I step out leaving the car running and survey the scene. I see no one.

"Hello?!" I yell. "Is anyone hurt?" I shout at the empty vehicles.

I walk back to my car and lean in. I turn on the radio, flipping through the channels only to hear nothing but static. I hear faint footsteps on the wet pavement. I raise my stare from the dashboard and out the windshield. Nothing. I play around with the radio, trying every station, looking for anything. I feel a hot breath down my back and freeze. Growling fills the car. I turn and absentmindedly push the sopping figure away from me. A bloody body lays in a puddle feet from my car.

"I'm so sorry, sir!" I rush over to the man and kneel over the un-moving body. The man quickly pushes himself up causing me to jump to my feet.  He rises and his head turns to face me. I back up and stare terrified at his face.  His whole face is blood ridden, his eye looks as if it was gouged out and his cheek is missing a chunk of skin the size of a large bite mark. The man stumbles towards me. A loud snarling sound leaves his lips.

I start to panic, my heart starts to race, my breath quickens.

"Listen!" I call out. "Do you need help?" The man keeps trudging towards me. His injuries look deadly, it seems impossible he is alive. Or is he?

The man is feet from me. I continue to back away until my body slams into my car. He lunges forward, grabbing my shoulder. instinctively I push him back. He opens his mouth and leans towards my arm. I move my hand from his body and raise it to his head to keep his mouth away from my body. The man opens his mouth and closes it repeatedly and lets out a groan. His teeth are inches away from my shoulder.

'What the fuck is he doing'

A gun shot rings out, echoing through the street. Warm blood splatters across my face and the crazed man collapses in my arms. I panic and push his body to the ground. My eyes widen in horror. I look down at the man lying limp on the ground, dead. I look around, searching for the bullets origin. I see yet another man.

"Why the fuck did you kill him?" I scream angrily at him. He lowers his gun which is a pistol, and walks forward.

"Don't you know?" He shouts back. He stops walking.

"Know what?" I question. He stares at me blankly. "That man was sick, you killed a sick man." I yell.

"He was dead."He screamed back.

"If he was dead he wouldn't be walking!" I say back. The man sighs.

"This morning, there was an emergency broadcast, a disease was spread from the CDC and... It is like a fever. It kills you, but it also brings you back to life. You can't talk... you just eat people. Scratches and bites cause you to turn, and then you're just not you, your a monster.  The things won't die unless you destroy the brain. I found a dead cop and took this gun before he turned, I also found out noise attracts them" He tells me.

I stare at him. "You are telling the truth right?" I ask. And he nods.

"What's your name?" I ask.

"We don't have time! Get in your car! I'm coming with you!" he says as he rushes to the passenger side. I climb in and close the door. I look in my rear-view mirror and find hundreds of the infected. I start driving the route back to my house.

"Where are you going?" The man asks.

"To my house, oh god I hope she is okay" I say to myself.

"Who?" He questions.

I look at him. "Sam, my girlfriend" I answer. "Whats your name?" I ask once again.

"Alec and yours?" He retorts.

 "Lachlan" We shake hands.

"Thank's for saving me back there" I tell him.

 "No problem, I had spare time and took gun safety and training lessons." He says and I smile because I took that class not too long ago.

"Why are you going the speed limit? I don't think these rules apply anymore, you have a girl to save."

"True" I reply and speed up, dodging any straggling infected.

When we reach my home I stop the car and quickly take the keys out of the ignition. I run up the driveway but stop in my tracks when I see the door to my house wide open.

I dart into my house and straight into the living room to find Samantha on the floor crying with a gun in her hands and a dead body on the ground.

I rush to Sam's side and pull her into my arms.

"The baby?" I question. Shifting my gaze down to her large stomach.

"She's ok." She whispers. Alec walks in slowly closing the door behind him. I pull Sam away from me and hold her cheeks. "We have to leave here, get out of town. We cant stay her, you hear me?" I question, she nods and wipes her tears  as she stands. "Go get your things." I tell her and she takes off.

"Alec, do you mind going through the kitchen and grabbing any supply's you think we may need?" I ask Alec.

I look at the dead body lying on the living room floor. I run up the stairs and enter my bedroom, I start shoving the clothes lying round the room into a large duffle bag. I sit on my bed and think, 'How will we survive? Where will we get weapons?' That's when I remember.

Getting up I walk to the closet in the hall that has a lock on it. I un-lock it and open the door revealing a few weapons. I empty the closet and walk down stairs with it. I sit at the kitchen table and add accessories to two other belts, filling them with the appropriate ammo for Sam and Alec's guns, along with my revolver.

Sam walks up and passes me a backpack. "Alec and I sorted everything out. Each bag has essential survival items." Sam explains.

"Let's go" I say standing. We walk out the door and to the car, not worrying about the lights.

"Where are we headed?" Alec ask's. I sit in the car and I think.

"Bonivista, is surrounded by a large body of water, its safer there." I say. Nobody objects.

I put the car in reverse and pull away from the house I've owned for 6 years.

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Chapter Edited By: @freeasthewolves