A Survivor's Diary of the Apocalypse (TWD/Daryl Dixon)

S1Pt1 - The Beginning of the End

It was 9:00 at night. My mother and I were watching the news on the TV. My little brother was playing with toys on the floor. My sister came inside through the front door and shut it quickly.
"What happened to you? Where have you been?" My mother asked.
"I don't want to talk about it." She stuttered. She ran to her room and closed the door.
My dog Bud, a Belgian Malinois, was laying in his bed with his eyes staring up at me, waiting for any command like he usually does. I managed to smile despite the circumstances.
There was news of a deadly virus going around that's affecting people. It did... something... to them. If you died, you'd come back, but not like normal. People started eating other people, and then they died and they started eating more people.
"On ATNC, we bring you the news you need to know." The TV said.
"Oh my god, they're on." I said.
"Shh." Shushed my mother.
"In the recent turn of events, a virus has erupted in Georgia along with several other surrounding states. The virus makes you extremely ill and once you die from it, you come back as a zombie. And there is no if, there's only when. This is a clip of what we're talking about." The news reporter said.
The video was of a man who was laying dead on the street after being shot by the National Guard. Then his hand twitched and he moaned. People started screaming and running away. He began to stand up and was shot multiple times, but he didn't die. He didn't show any sign of pain, he just started attacking the guards.
"The government and military are recommending that everyone come to Atlanta, where there is food, shelter, and safety...." The news reporter said.
The TV started to cut out and we couldn't hear anymore.
"Oh shit." I said in disbelief.
"CDC..... cure......." The reporter said as the TV started working again.
"You hear that? The CDC is working on a cure. Or they have one already." My mother said.
"That's good." I said, hesitantly.
Then the TV blacked out. We sat there, not knowing what to do next. I looked at my mother and we looked at my little brother.
"Well..." I began to say.
The TV turned back on and we heard screaming. We both looked at it, and the news reporter was getting attacked by one of those things. A woman was laying dead on the floor. There was blood on the desks. Then the camera fell to the floor. The news reporter was dead and the thing was eating him.
"Oh my...." My mother started to cry.
Then the woman on the floor started moving, but she wasn't normal. She got up and walked over to where the news reporter was and started eating him too.
I turned off the TV and put down the remote. We sat there in shock and didn't speak for minutes.
"My mom and dad live in Atlanta." My mother said. "Maybe we should go there. They said it's safe."
"Are you kidding me?! That newscast was from Atlanta. It was ATNC, they're set up in the middle of the fucking city. And now they're dead." I said.
"We have to go somewhere, there has to be a place that's safe." She said.
"I don't think anywhere is safe from this." I said.
All was quiet as we sat in our thoughts.
"Mommy?" My little brother said. "When are we going to go see gramps and grams?"
We looked at him with pity, knowing we can't tell him what we're thinking.
"Soon, but not right now." My mother said.
"Why? I want to see them." He said and started throwing a fit.
"They..." My mother started to say but couldn't finish. "Uh, it's..."
"Oh whatever." He cried and ran to our sister's room.
We sat there and I hugged my mother as she started to cry. I wiped my own tears, trying my best to stay strong for my family. A few minutes past as we gather ourselves. We had to come up with a plan.
"Okay, mom. We should--" I began, but was cut off by my little brother screaming.
My mother ran to my sister's room and I jumped up and ran to the kitchen to grab a knife. Bud jumped up, stood in place, and started barking.
"Mom, wait!" I yelled.
But she didn't listen. She opened the door she screamed. I heard her yell and saw her run into the room.
"Don't go in there!" I yelled again, but it was too late.
I stood in front on the door and saw my brother laying dead on the floor and my mother getting bitten... by my sister.
"No....." I cried. "Nooo..."
My sister looked up at me, her body covered in blood, flesh hanging from her teeth. My mother was crying on the floor, slowly getting drenched in a puddle of her own blood. My sister slowly stood up and started walking towards me and tripped over my mother. She stumbled but kept her eyes on me, moaning and reaching out towards me. She tried to grab me but I pushed her back. She came back quicker and I slashed her with the knife. It had no effect on her. I started crying and pushing her farther away, but she kept coming back.
"Please.... I don't want to kill you...." I cried.
At that moment, my brother's hand twitched and his neck moved. He looked over and made eye contact with me, and at the moment began to get up. He was gone... just like my mother and sister. My sister then moaned and stared at me with glossy eyes. Then she lunged for me and grabbed my arm. I screamed and shoved her back into the room and slammed the door. I pushed a table in front of the door to block it. She started pounding on the door, the noise echoing throughout the house. Then I heard more moaning and more fists pounding on the door.
"No.... Oh my god, I can't..." I started to cry.
I fell to the floor and crawled away. I leaned my back against the wall across the hall and sat there listening to their moans. Bud ran up to me and crawled underneath my arm. He then turned towards the door and started barking again. I just sat there and cried.
I couldn't do it...
I couldn't kill them...
I was scared...