Chronicles Of The Dead

The Awakening

This story was written by Ali Tauqeer and Arsalan Ahmad

CHAPTER 1

There was no warning, no portent of any sort. It just happened. One day, the world was safe and we were secure in our comforting routine existence, the next it was all gone, as if God had seen fit to wipe clean the slate upon which he had lovingly created us. Only, he didn't finish the job. Within a day the world fell apart, and myself, I had no way of knowing if it were just my small existence, my tiny insignificant part of the world that was afflicted.

I know now, though.

When I finally stopped running and hiding as a rat seeks refuge from the exterminators that would systematically wipe it and its kind from existence, I eventually found the means to attempt communication - nothing, just dead air ominously loud in my ear. By the time I managed to break into an abandoned house on the outskirts of Richmond, hunger and thirst ravaged, there was no electricity and therefore no way of knowing whether the rest of the world had suffered the same fate.

It began last Monday morning during rush hour.

My self and Peter - a colleague of mine were on our way to work as usual in the dim light of the early winter morning. I remember it clearly. The date was 17th December 2013 and as usual, UK was readying for another Christmas, meaning subways were more packed than usual, even at 07:30 in the morning. 

Crammed into the middle carriage with Peter somewhere ahead of me amidst a sea of bodies, I was just drifting off, my head resting on my shoulder, when the noise began.

I remember it clearly because it seemed strange that so many people would utter it at precisely the same time. It was a hacking, almost snarling cough that erupted all around, thankfully, I was protected by a wall of bodies. At the time, I remember being thankful for being out of the firing line, all those germs flying through the air.

It soon became apparent that germs were the least of my worries.

The horror began as a series of frightened gasps and curses as if something worse than coughing was happening with one of the sick, but it was coming from all around, cursing, then pushing ... then the screaming started.

The train was already in motion by that point and there was no escape.

Jostled one way and the other by the panicking crowd, I held on tightly to my position by the door, knowing I had to flee and struggling dangerously against the panic that was quickly spreading throughout the train. 

The screams were horrific, never ending screams of fear and most frightening of all - pain, severe and terrible as somewhere, just feet from me lost in the bodies pushing against me, people were fighting savagely.

That's what I thought at first. I thought people were fighting each other, as if a gang war had erupted in the train, but as I cowered against the door, my face pressed upon the glass as the force around me increased, I knew it was something much worse.

My body was aching with the force of the pushing behind me and more and more frequently hands would scrabble at my clothing, pulling me, but there was nowhere for me to be shoved to - thankfully. The savage animal-like snarls erupting all around were drawing nearer and more frenzied, and my body shook with fear with each liquid splash upon my face. I prayed the spots of liquid on my face weren't blood, but when I peered at my reflection in the glass, the light illuminating my face against the blackness of the tunnel beyond, I saw that it was. The fresh warm blood there sent me into hysterics.

I'm not ashamed to admit it. I pissed myself right there as I waited for the doors to open.

Fully grown men were crying in my ear, their fear bubbling up and converting them back into little boys.

The doors finally did open and I was the first through them, though on either side of me, bodies surged past me, slamming into me and almost knocking me off my feet but I rode the crowd's movement and was silently thankful for the cover provided me.

I still had no idea at that point what it was we were running from, but the relentless, insistent moaning and screaming not far behind, was enough to spur me on. I knew that whatever they were, they were killing. That was all I needed to know.

Up we ran, not waiting for the escalators on their slow ascent, passing gaping onlookers as we moved. 

In the streets, I thought we were safe but as we emerged into the morning light, the grey skies overhead casting a grim sickly pallor over the scene, my hopes faded completely. The streets of Richmond were in chaos and I finally saw the source of the savage animal-like sounds.

Men and women, most in work clothes, now ripped and bloodied, hanging off them like useless rags, ran this way and that, their eyes wide and crazed as they sought out others, like us, unaffected. 

I ran then, and didn't stop until the incessant screaming; screeching cacophony of noise was way off in the distance behind me.

Alone now. I sit and wait, either for help to arrive, or .... I can't even think the words. I saw what they did when they finally caught up with their victims, these crazed lunatics. Every turn I took as I ran brought me face to face with the scenes of butchery.

I gathered my courage and planned to go to my house, as I was close I heard noises coming from my neighbors house, I ran towards the house and saw a creature running towards my neighbors son,Tom, I got my gun from the house and shot the creature. I was lucky that the creature was down, I think the head shot killed it, because I saw some men hitting them on my way here but it seemed the creature had no effect so now we knew how to kill the creatures.