To Die Unknown

When the outbreak first occurred, everyone rushed into action. We all thought that the threat could be contained. The small western town that it had arisen in was quickly quarantined from the rest of the world. There was a large chance that it could have been contained. But it wasn’t.

We still don’t even know what happened, what exactly caused it. Was there a contamination in the water supply? Were scientists experimenting with possible vaccines to cure an illness? Nobody knew. Nobody cared.

All that mattered, was the fact that people were dying and returning to life with a new hunger. An unsatiable hunger for the living flesh. Those bitten, were turned, and they could no longer be considered your family, your friends, or anyone that you had known. Thinking of who they once were, would cost your life. It was you, or them.

The people in the quarantined town were slaughtered by those we were trying to protect the rest of the world from. They were just left to die. But they weren’t able to be contained like we had hoped. They managed to break through the barricades, and the military forces who were there in case of such an event. The men stationed there were quickly outnumbered, and none escaped.

We didn’t know that the quarantine had failed until it was too late. They weren’t very fast, but it was the quantity of them that had overwhelmed us. Their were hundreds of thousands by the time they reached the major cities. By the time we had realized they could only be killed by removing the head, or destroying the brain, so many had died already.

You’d have thought that the living would band together, and as a force, eliminate the threat, and remain living. But that idea quickly went to shit. The government were moved to secret, remote areas, and took many supplies and military forces with them. We were left to fend for ourselves, and the few police officers or military personnel remaining, banded together, saving some civilians. But the forces were too great, and they gave up trying to save everyone.

Other living humans turned into a great threat. People were quick to kill each other, or leave you abandoned to the hungry hordes, in hopes of getting whatever supplies that they could. It was dangerous to be around other people, and we knew that.

My family was lucky enough to have had enough gas to last for a while. But that quickly ran out, and we were forced to walk. Food was scarce, and everything was rationed. Guns and ammunition were the hardest to come across. We weren’t trained to use them so our aim wasn’t perfect, and we quickly ran out of bullets. There was no point in keeping the guns without any ammo.

Although it was ideal to stay with your family, it was also the end of us. My mother had been bitten, and had kept that fact to herself. She turned, and attacked in our sleep. We were attacked without warning, she had been the look out. My father was the first to go, quickly followed by my cousins Roland and Adrianna.

I was awoken from my sleep to the sounds of screaming. I had been only nineteen at the time, and the hardest thing imaginable is killing those you loved. I was stunned to find my father and mother, ripping into my seven year old brother, Nathaniel. My thirteen year old sister, Victoria was being advanced upon by my cousins. I had already let down one sibling, and would not let down the other. I had taken the double-headed axe near my body, and put an end to the chaos. Victoria was terrified, and I was enraged. Because of my mothers selfishness, she had killed those that I loved, endangering all of us.

Five dead bodies, that was all they could be called. Had I not done it, my sister and I would have been like them. That was the day that my view on things changed. I couldn’t consider them human anymore, if someone I loved was turned, they were just like the rest, a deadly threat.

Maybe that was what was so scary about all of this. Killing to survive, trying to block out who that person might have been, who they loved, who loved them. We pushed all of that out. Maybe I was scared most to turn, and then, to die unknown.

Victoria and I had managed to survive four years together without coming across another living being. When we had stumbled upon the man, with unruly flaming orange hair, and vibrant green eyes, we knew that passing up the chance to be around another living being would be a mistake. Sebastian ended up being a useful addition. He was good with most weapons, and managed to lighten up our dreary attitudes.

Sebastian, has been with traveling with us now for two years. It’s been six years since the outbreak, and we may be the only humans left alive. I was the eldest at twenty-five, Sebastian was twenty-one, and my younger sister Victoria, was now the age I was when all of this happened, nineteen.

With a lack in supplies everywhere, we need to consider the possibility of hitting a larger city, we needed food, and soon.

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“Hayley, do you really think this is a good idea? I mean, honestly, I think we’re making a mistake, this is just stupid.” My younger sister Victoria whispered, Her large brown eyes were wide and frightened. Her long brown curls were pulled back from her face into a ponytail, some tendrils of hair had escaped and now hung limp around her face. She was biting her thin lips and anxiously tapping her boot clad feet.

Victoria was nearly identical to me, with the same large brown eyes, high cheekbones, pale skin, and long curly brown hair. I stood a little taller than her at 5'5", where as she stood at 5'3".

I turned to Sebastian, who at 5'10" was the tallest of us. His plump lips were pulled into a frown, as he scratched at his short orange hair. I knew he agreed with me. We needed to take the risk.

“We have to do it, we have barely enough food left, and if he want to survive the next weeks, our only chance is a large city.” I attempted to speak clearly, but I was sure my voice held some edge of fear in it. I pushed myself from the brick wall I was leaning against, wiping dirt from my hands onto my dirty, tattered, jeans. Staring down at my well worn hiking boots, I was sure it was time.

“Come on, it’s now or never, you know they’re more likely to attack at night, our chances are better now.” I said, walking forward, a bow in hand. There was a bushel of sharpened wood strapped to my back. I had taken archery before all of this, so it wasn’t so hard to pick back up on. The arrows I ‘d had to make myself, because it wasn’t an ideal job retrieving all of them from the corpses they’d killed. It was also impossible to come across bullets. I can’t remember the last time I’d heard a gun shot, or even seen a gun.

I had around 4 weapons strapped to my body, two machete’s, a butcher knife, and a double bladed spear. Glancing over, I could see Victoria’s grip tightening on the thin bladed sword she held. Sebastian was lightly swinging the large axe in his hands, back and forth. The heavy packs on our backs only weighed us down slightly, we’d grown accustomed to their weight.

As we stepped out from behind the building, and into the streets of the larger city, I quickly scanned the streets. There was only five wandering corpses that I could see. I quickly armed the bow with an arrow, drawing back, I aimed at one of the closer ones. A larger woman, with ripped clothing, her skin was covered in scratches and sores. Her glazed eyes met mine, as she let out a loud moan. I let the arrow loose, hitting her between the eyes. As she fell, the four others began advancing. Voicing their hunger to us in the form of guttural moans.

Sebastian dashed forward quickly, the axe raised high in his arms. He slashed out at a gangly man, missing an entire arm. The head of the man rolled my way, stopping at my feet. I scowled before letting loose another arrow. The arrow merely skimmed the side of the man’s dark head, as he began approaching Victoria. She brought her sword up, and swung it down at the man, cutting from his right eye, down to the left side of his jaw. His blood spurted out as half of his head slid off to the ground. His body wobbled slightly, before toppling over.

Dropping my bow, I pulled the spear from my back and dashed forward. A child grabbed at my leg, making a groan. His jaw was hanging at an odd angle. I raised my foot, slamming it back into his chest, he stumbled back a few steps. I jabbed the spear forwards slamming it through his forehead. I tugged the spear back, and as it came free, the child fell limp at my feet. I turned seeing Sebastian and Victoria walking my way, a fifth body lying just behind them, it’s head lying a foot away. Victoria smiled grimly, handing me back my bow. I nodded, in thanks, strapping it to my back.

Silently we began walking forward, our eyes skimming for some sort of grocery store. The buildings around us were large and intimidating. Most windows smashed, and phrases spray painted on many buildings. Cars were strewn through out the road, some overturn, others with doors missing, tires slashed, and some charred, as if they’d been set on fire. The pavement was cracked and nature was reclaiming some parts, with grass spurts growing between the cracks. Some bones were littered across the pavement, but not many. I’m sure many had been changed, before they’d had a chance to have their bones picked clean. There was an odd smell in the air, smoke and decaying bodies.

I was terrified inside. We needed to be in and out of here quickly, before the sun fell. They were much more active during the night. They were most likely wandering the dark building surrounded on either side of us. I had to admit that we were lucky only coming across a few stragglers through the streets.

“Look.” Sebastian muttered, his arm was raised and he was pointing towards a building near the end of the street. I glanced up at the large one floor building. Shopping carts were spread through out the large parking lot.

“Jensen’s Food Mart,” I mused aloud. Sebastian had a goofy grin spread across his face, most likely thinking about the possibility of us coming across some food. Although most things had expired years ago, some things were surprisingly, still safe to eat. Canned items were our best bet. “This is just what we needed.”

We walked forward, a bounce to our step. This really was what we needed. I prayed to whoever might have been listening, that something good would come out of this trip, that we could survive, just that much longer.

“You know, I heard there’s some people out there reclaiming small towns, and closing themselves off from the rest of the world.” Sebastian said, his voice rising a little for us to hear. He grinned largely at us now.

“Where in the world would you have heard that? We’ve been wandering the country for two years together, and have come across not one person. So tell me Sebastian, where in the Hell would you have heard such bullshit?” I was now angry, believing that we even had a chance was just preparing ourselves for a let down. We’d been struggling for survival for years, enough to know that this was it. Things would only get worse from here.

“Hayley, don’t be so rude.” Victoria snapped, frowning at me. She had a crush on Sebastian and she was always quick and willing to hear his stories, no matter how false.

“Honestly, it’s true. It was before I met up with you two. I ran into some people, they were heading in the opposite direction, so I didn’t go with them. But they said that some places were safe, isolated. Maybe that’s what we should be doing, trying to find a safe place for us. I mean, it’s like we’re just like those trying to eat us all the time. We’re just wandering around without a purpose. What’s their to live for?” Sebastian said, he stopped walking, we had arrived at the grocery store. He turned to me, waiting for my response.

“We’re trying to survive, that’s our purpose.” I grumbled angrily to him, not answering his question. I didn’t even know the answer to his question. What was there to live for? I honestly wish that I knew. I reached forward, pushing at the door. It was unlocked.

“Alright, maybe we should split up, it would go faster. Just, keep your eyes open.” I was about to step into the building when someone grabbed by arm. I turned, seeing Victoria. I raised by eyebrows.”What?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, one of us could get hurt.” Victoria spoke, her voice soft. She was worried. I sighed.

“Then stick with Sebastian, we don’t have the time to all stick together. So we get in, search for what we can. Kill anything that wants to eat us, and get out. It’s that simple. Let’s go” Before she had the chance to retaliate I stepped into the building, the lights were out and it was dark. But, with the sun still in the sky outside, there was just enough light to see where I was going.

I walked to the left, passing the check out stands, and turned, seeing Sebastian and Victoria walking the opposite direction. I walked into the first aisle. Walking slowly, I glanced around anxiously, my eyes scanning the items lining the shelves. There were overturned boxes of molding foods. I frowned, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

I reached the end of the aisle, finding nothing. I turned to enter the next aisle, coming face to face with a woman, maybe my age. Her hair was long and hung in large greasy chunks around her face. Her eyes were glazed over, the color undistinguishable. Scratches and sores covered her body. She reached out, grabbing my arm groaning. Some of her fingers were missing off that hand, but she still had a strong enough grip on my arm. I couldn’t use the spear with one hand, so I dropped it. I tried tugging my arm back, reaching with my other arm, I pulled out my butchers knife, slamming it into the top of her head. Her grip loosened and she stumbled to the ground in a heap, making some noise in her fall.

Bending down I reached for the spear, not wanting to dislodge the blade from the woman’s brain. I heard a strange noise and whipped around. My spear was gripped tightly in my hands. But I was in shock. My eyes widened, I was staring into the barrel of a gun.