Don't Talk To Strangers | BOOK 1

ten

Elle McBriar
July 21st, 4 months and 9 days after the first zombie attack

"Watcha writin'?" Alex asks, peering over my shoulder. I yanked my journal away from his creeping eyes, halfway through a sentence.
"Nothing. It's just a day-to-day log about things that go on. You know, like history."
Alex shrugs, "Hate to break it to you, but in 100 years, your journal isn't gonna be sitting in some museum, talking about a zombie apocalypse." 

I frowned, "I know. I'm just saying. Maybe one day, when Riley's old enough, he'll want to read it, see what his big brother and friends were up too." I smiled, giggling at Riley's face.

I was confused. I kept thinking about the human in the middle of the road. I feel... weird. The skin was still hot to the touch when we arrived. But the scary thing wasn't that. It was the mauled off face, unidentifiable gender and giant incision down the middle of it's chest.

No zombie could of done that. At first, I believed Alex when he said it could've been self-inflicted. The person was impaled and they tried to escape, but dragging the weapon down it's chest. But the blood was too fresh, the person died on the road.

How do I know? Because with a cut that big and that deep, you wouldn't survive 5 minutes alone running by yourself, let alone with blood thirsty zombies around.

It made me think, is there other humans out there? Or is this seriously just a fluke?

I finished my entry for the day, settling in to the seat as I kicked my feet up on the dash, "You have small feet." Alex said, "Thank you?" I asked, glancing at my feet. I've always been short.

"How tall are you?" I find myself asking, "Around 6'2, why?" He answers, "Just wondering." I shrugged. 

* * * 

We arrived back at the house with no altercations or interruptions, it was good. Not having to kill anybody today, "I had a thought. What happens to the zombie bodies after we kill them?" Paxton said, startling me as he barrels through the door.

I had baby things in my arms, I could barely see. And he comes charging straight too me.

"They decompose really quickly. Since they're already dead, you know. They've been bitter, blah blah, skin deteriorates, hearts stop, disease enters the body, you know the drill." I shrug, earning a weird stare from Paxton, "H-how do you know this?" He asks, "I watched a zombie die. I literally studied it. Once you shoot them, they grow weaker. If you shoot them again, they automatically die. Once they're brain is gone, like, obliterated, they're dead. Like normal humans." 

"Yeah but they're not humans."
"Exactly my point. They're not humans, which means they're some sort of deformed version of a human, meaning they have all the same aspects and features, but much like the villains in comic films, it's an experiment gone wrong."

I was placing the baby bottles in a separate container, along with pulling the tags off baby clothes. Paxton came over and helped me, "Are you some sci-fi freak obsessed with fiction movies?" He smirked, eyeing me. "I didn't have friends growing up so I relied soley on fiction films and made up scenarios to keep me sane." 

"Wait, so you're saying the zombie outbreak was man-made, like an 'experiment gone wrong." He quoted my words, I made a face, "Not necessarily. In the movies, it's man made. But before the power went out, the scientists made a discovery that it was a serum. Made in a lab just outside of California Science College. It was made by two idiot students mixing shit together. Then when they realised it caused a reaction, they started by mutating rats you know, making them bigger."

"I heard that story. I read about it before phones were cut off." Alex said, coming into the room with Gage and Riley. 

I hadn't seen or even thought about a phone for months. It's completely slipped my mind now that I have no use for one. I still have it, but it has no charge, and no use.

"So it was man made." Paxton said, stating the 'obvious'. 
"I guess. It was and it wasn't. After the mutating rats, they tried to kill it, but apparently word got out that rats were on the campus and it turned into a public freak out. The rats getting scared, dying and releasing a deadly toxin that happened because of the serum the two college students made." 

Gage growled, "If those two fucking kids were alive I would shoot them with no hesitation." "Isn't that a bit harsh." Alex laughed, covering Riley's ears, "No. It makes sense, dude. I would too. They caused the Goddamn world to end. I want to find them, and spit on their graves." 

Paxton stormed out, leaving me to attend to the baby stuff alone.

"So, who's cooking tonight?" Gage asked, looking at me, Alex sighed, "I will. Elle cooked last night, it's my turn." I smiled, "Great, I'll take this little guy." I cooed, taking Riley from Alex's hands. He rubbed his shoulder and smiled, "So, pasta and cheese cause or pasta and tomato sauce." I chuckled at our limited options, "Surprise us. I think one of us could use a pick me up." 

I nodded, motioning to Paxton, Gage sighed, "Just leave him. He's in a mood." 

I hooked my arm under Riley's leg, bouncing him happily on my knee as I took a seat on the porch. It was sunny and warm, perfect for a swim. If only the oceans and lakes weren't infected with oil and muck from the old factories. 

One bonus, the air has cleared up by at least 97% because of no more pollution from cars, planes, boats or factory made air.

It smells clean again.

Riley garlged, leaning over me to try and run away, "Not so fast mister. You want this, you want your toy?" I grabbed the toy train, his tiny fingers wrapping around the trains wheels as he put it in his mouth, "Your teething days are going to be interesting. And your toddler days. I'm also excited to see how your brother will be, when it comes to your teenage years." I giggle, fixing the little hat on his head to shield it from the sunshine.

"There might not be much of Earth left Riley, but when you're old enough to understand what I'm saying, I'll tell you stories. About the beautiful green grass, and the dogs that used to run around. What sand felt like between your toes, and the taste of ice cream on a hot summers day." 

I felt sad for him, born into a world, not knowing that everything you grow up to learn is fake. That the once beautiful Earth is now a dumping ground for bodies. Summer, Winter, Fall and Spring are just seasons, nothing special to experience anymore.

"I'll make it worth your while, I promise." I whispered, thankful that he can't understand anything I'm saying.

* * *

hiii

this chapter is a little more 'in depth' about how the whole 'zombie apocalypse' broke out. i hope it gives more understanding. and so it makes sense in the future :))

happy reading!