Infection

1. Be Brave

**** WENDY'S POV ****

The gloom of death dwelt upon everything. The streets wreaked of dead bodies and sadness. The melodies of birds and bees soon faded away. The panorama of life was sadly unrolling before me.

The melodies of birds and bees soon faded away, and all you could hear was the screams of those who were in extreme pain. I feel like there was nothing else to live for except for my younger brother, Dale, who's only 14 years old. Shamefully, my parents and grandparents abandoned Dale and I.

" You'll be safe here," they said.

" We'll come back for you," they said.

I still remember the expressions on their faces when they left.

My mother was emotionally unstable and my father tried his very best to calm her down but, he too, had eyes of heavy weariness and stress.

Don't even get me started on my grandparents. They just thought of us as extra mouths to feed.

I don't know where they are, but there's a possibility that they could be dead. Who knows? Haven't seen 'em in three years.

But I knew every storm of words that slipped out of their mouths were complete and utter lies. Ever since they left, Dale and I have been left to fend for ourselves.

Wherever we went, nowadays, the food was scarce. I still did whatever I could to find food for Dale even if it means having to steal. He was the only thing I looked forward to in my life.

As hard as I try, the naked fact of the disease even existing scared me. All the people we once knew disappeared like they had never been here. Either by death, or who the HECK knows.

" Stay here Dale! I'll be back, but don't go anywhere," I said in a stern voyce.

" Wendy, I can't lose you. At night, can't you hear them? It's gotten worse, louder even. I can't let you go out there, not alone." Dale sighed with irritation.

I diverted my eyes and pondered.

" I'm the oldest and you do as I say." I stormed out of the old and worn-out shack.

As I turned around, I could see a cold gaze of curiosity in Dale's crystalline blue eyes. He wanted to come, but I refused as always. I can't let him get sick, ever.

I always promise him before I go anywhere that I'll come back.

But today I didn't.

When I realized I didn't, I was already too far from the shack and by the time I run all the way back it'll be dark.