Countless (Completed)

Chapter 2: Preparation

Around 9:00, the news anchor had a new announcement that explained why exactly we were being contained in Florida.

“We’re investigating a very strange case here in Miami where 5 victims were found mauled and pronounced dead at the scene.”

            I noticed a body moving on the ground behind the reporter.

            “Oh shit man! Look!” I yelled and pointed.

            Everyone looked at the TV and noticed the “dead” individual rise from the ground and stagger over to one of the police officers and bit his arm. The other officers immediately drew their guns and fired at the chest of the seemingly sleep walking individual, but nothing happened. One of the officers checked to see if the bitten officer was alright. The officer who was bitten attacked the other police officer. And the rest of the “dead” bodies rose up from the ground and started chasing and biting bystanders. People were screaming and running.

            The news reporter gaped in horror and the camera fell from its tripod. The reporter yelled: “Run! The undead are coming!”

            The TV switched to the SMPTE colored bars and a message appeared saying: Warning the Undead Are Coming.

            Then the TV went completely black and the power went out. We all sat in silence. I glanced at Zane. He looked at all of us and suddenly his expression went from shock to urgency.

            “We need to get the hell out of here!” Zane exclaimed.

            “How?!!??” Dani asked.

            “Zane’s dad’s Sedan is still in the garage!” Flynn said.

            “Wait a minute! We can’t just leave! What about our parents? Our siblings? Our pets?” I questioned.

            “You don’t have your key! Your mom’s not home yet? Isn’t that odd?” Zane questioned.

            He looked at Dani.

            “Where are your parents?” Zane asked Dani.

            “They left on a road trip to Georgia last night.”

            “My parents are in New York. I’m supposed to be staying at Zane’s house this week.” Flynn added.

            I paused. There was no way that we could stay in Florida. Not with the zombies.

            “The flight from California to Orlando was probably canceled. Your family is in Georgia! Your parents are in New York. We should definitely drive out of Florida! They’ll let innocent teens go through the border! I know it!” I said.

            “That’s your genius plan? What about your family? Where are they?” Flynn asked as he looked at me.

            I didn’t reply. I had no answer for that. My brother was never home and we never knew where he was. One time he called us and he was in Idaho. Another time, he was in Miami. He could be safe and my mom could be in trouble. That was the only thought running through my mind.

            “Grab a bunch of food. Anything that won’t spoil. Hurry!” Zane ordered.

            I grabbed sheets and bags to put the food in. We raided the pantry.

            “Cereal?” Dani asked.

            “Throw it in the bag.” Flynn said.

            “Pasta?” She asked.

            “Throw it in the bag.”

            “Ramen Noodles?”

            “In the bag!”

            After 10 minutes we had a bunch of food and very little liquids. We basically had 3 unopened soda cans and a bottle of water.

            “We need to go to the store. This isn’t enough. We need a bunch of food. I’ve seen the movies. We’ll run out if we don’t go to the store first,” Dani said.

            “Oh. True!” Zane said.

            Zane ran to his room and gathered a few things; including his laptop,  his phone charger and mobile wifi hotspot.

            Everyone started moving towards the garage. I stood in place. Something didn’t feel right. I had a really bad feeling about the garage. A few seconds passed and I still didn’t move an inch. Flynn noticed.

            “What’s wrong Rora?” He asked.

            “N-nothing. I just have a bad feeling that I can’t seem to shake off.” I replied.

            “Don’t worry. We all do.”

            I followed him into the garage. Zane grabbed an extension cord from a supply in the garage and he grabbed his tool box.

            “What’s that for?” Flynn asked.

            “Just get the Jerry Cans.” Zane ordered.

            Flynn rolled his eyes and grabbed the Jerry Cans. I noticed through the garage windows, that it was pouring rain. Zane told everyone to get into the car. We popped the trunk and threw the bags/Jerry Cans in. I grabbed our skateboards and tossed them in too. Because, why the hell not? Dani and I hopped in the back seat. Zane hopped behind the wheel and Flynn was in the passenger seat.

            “Ready?” Zane turned to Flynn and then looked at us in the rear view mirror.

            As Zane opened the garage, Dani and I looked over our shoulders at the rain and the empty road. Zane cautiously pulled out of the driveway.  The garage door slammed shut as we pulled out and almost bit the front off of the car.

            “Where are we heading?” Dani asked.

            “Disney.” He said sarcastically. Then he put the car into drive and continued. “I don’t freaking know.”

            “Dude! Dude! How about a hotel?” Flynn suggested.

            “Or a gas station!” Dani added.

            “No! Guys! We need to go to the store first. To get weapons and some more foods and drinks.” I said.

            “Well... Walmart is pretty notorious for being vast, food-wise.” Flynn said.

            “Alright guys. Walmart first, gas station second, and then we’ll find a place to rest.” Zane said.

            I sat quietly as we drove through the empty neighborhood. Usually there were these two twins’ skate boarding outside and as expected, they were gone. I realized that life wouldn’t be the same from now on. Especially when Zane was taking the leadership role. I wasn’t too happy about that, but I kept quiet. For now.

            There were overturned cars and empty restaurants but I didn’t see a single soul. Everything looked vacant and there was an eerie silence throughout. It felt kind of sinister and ominous. How could we survive in this world? Wait. Was this even real? I pinched myself. Cliché. I know, but at least I knew this reality was in fact, real.