The Aftermath

Six hours.

That was the amount of time we had until we were meant to meet Connor and Cece at the Colonial West Bridge. At first, we just drove to get those zombies off our trail which wasn’t an easy task. They able to run and run for extended periods of time. They didn’t have the exhausting nature of living humans.

So, we just drove and drove. The radio became the only thing anyone wanted to listen to because it held actual news.

It is my displeasure to be the person who must tell those fateful listeners what they may or may not already know. The cannibalistic virus caused by the former Lexicon Corporation has hit its second wave. This time is stronger and just as deadly. It was hit widespread areas across the United States and is possibly known to have spread to other continents.

Thousands upon thousands of graphic online accounts have been compiled upon Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Yahoo, and other media sources. Many things being recorded have been shocking. Sites in China have reported these creatures capable of being suspended in minimal flight. Accounts from South America account for even animals being overtaken by the virus.

Many people fear that this may be the extinction of the human race.

“Extinction… that doesn’t even make sense.” Ashley muttered. “There are billions of us on this Earth.”

“But,” Kyle started. “with a virus this fast. It’s possible. Maybe within weeks.”

“You seriously think we only have weeks?” Ashley sort of screeched, not angry or mean in anyway, just in attached fear.

Kyle nodded back. “It’s possible. I remember hearing about the Black Plague. Who knows what’s possible?”

Lion was in the passenger seat and seemed to have a valid argument. “Although, you have a point, Kyle. You have to think of the Human Element as well.”

“The Human Element?”

Ryant answered this time. “The Human Element is the ideal that the human race as a whole is one for survival. There’s studies about a gland in the body from UCLA that says when humans see other humans helping people that you get this elation in your chest-“

“What’s elation?” Kyle interrupted.

“It’s a rising in the chest.” Ryant griped. “But, the Human Element means that humans will fight. People like us.”

“Oh.”

In other events, the government is relinquishing much of its power to a virus it hasn’t understood as surely yet. Instead, it is compiling an international team of scientists and people who understand the Rogue Virus more than anyone. The group will be known as World Humanity Renewal.

Kyle scoffed. “Terrible name!”

We were driving down yet another long patch of road with vast fields of grass to either side. Ahead was a forested area.

“Wow! Wow!” Uncle Trevor slammed on the brakes.

A group of six or seven kids came running out of the woods, some covered in blood, some carrying sticks and makeshift weapons, but all of them screaming madly.

They ran onto the road, shouting and waving their arms in the air wildly.

“What’s going on?” My father muttered from next to Ashley.

“You have to help us! You have to!” The girl screeching was fighting rasping coughs as well. “They have our friends trapped in the cabin! They have em trapped!”

Lion was the first to jump out then, all of us followed suit as well.

My heart nearly broke to see that most of them probably could only be eight years old or so.

“Wow, wait, what do you mean trapped? Who trapped them?” Alex grappled. He seemed to be the equalizer.

The girl with light brown hair was gasping with strands of her hair sticking to her temple in sweat. “We tried to hide out in a cabin we found in the woods. A bunch of my friends and our parents were camping in tents and stuff with those things came out of nowhere.”

She was crying, shaking now. “My- m-y mo-m killed my, my dad.”

Ashley went over to the girl and pulled her into her side as she began to sob, horrible sounds I couldn’t dare drown out.

Another boy spoke up for her. “So, we hid in this cabin with a cellar. It seemed safe, but those things got in. Some of our friends are still inside.”

All of the kids looked to us expectantly, hopefully.

The boy begged. “You guys are the only chance we’ve got.”

“Then, let’s do it.” I said. “Let’s save them. I’ll drive.

Everyone else nodded right away and I tucked my gun into my waist. With as many people piled into the car, I hitched the van into Drive and went as close to the woods as possible.

Then, everyone climbed out once again.

“Okay.” Lion arranged. “All you kids, stay behind us. We’ll protect you guys in a circle. Don’t run unless we tell you too, okay?”

I grabbed my Uzi with Alex on my right and Ryant to my left. We stalked our way into the woods, heavy foliage making a mask of the sky above. Our feet and shoes snapped against the twigs, but everyone stayed deadly silent.

Silence tended to be the thing when it was life and death.

Through the bushes and trees, we approached a cabin in the middle of flat land. It was wooden and old and shambled. Some of the window shutters were hanging off their ends and screams could be heard from inside.

“We have to hurry!” The girl urged.

“Okay.”

I was the first to approach the door, pushing it open with the top end of my sneaker. Dead silence awaited in the dusted living room.

A girl ran straight down the stairs, nearly hitting her face against the wall and one of those things went after her.

Before I knew it, my body was a flash. I shot around of bullets after screaming for the girl to duck. They tore through the zombie’s chest, then I slammed the end of the gun into its head.

I helped the girl to her feet. “Stay with the others. Where are your other friends?”

She was crying. She had red hair and freckles. “They- they’re upstairs and some are in the cellar.”

Our group was already separating. Alex, Ryant, and my father stayed with me.

“You guys ready?” I asked them.

They all nodded.

“I’m ready to kick some ass.” Alex demanded seriously.

Another scream pierced upstairs and a zombie appeared at the top of the stairwell. It was a zombie girl.

Alex forced out a bullet and the girl merely flinched back. She let out a scream, blood exploding from her lips and showering us.

“Take her down!” He screamed and we all went reeling up the stairs.

His fist slammed her aside, and then sent the fatal shots into her brain.

“Everyone take different rooms!” He shouted.

I ran shakily to the end of the hall and kicked the door open. Two boys were inside, one waving a metal rod to fend off the zombie before them. I fired off a round of bullets from the Uzi, all of them chipping the zombie’s upper body.

It dove forward, crunching a bite into one of the boys’ necks. The other boy screamed. I jumped forward, grabbing his collar and reeling him back.

The last shot hit through the zombie’s head and he fell in a heap. The boy was on the floor, withering, screaming, and crying.

“He’s not gonna turn into one of them! He’s not! We just have to wait! We just have to-“

Then, the boy’s neck did a sickening snap as he thrashed on the floor. His irises turned red.

“Run. I don’t want you to see this.” I told the boy next to me.

He went scrambling out the room. I raised my gun and pointed it straight for the boy’s head. He had dark, dark hair with a necklace around his neck.

“Sorry this had to happen little boy.”

The house leveled it’s face and I was thrown off my feet. Wood smashed below and glass shattered outside.

“Fire! Fire! Get out the house!” Kids were yelling.

I’d been thrown into a wall. The zombie boy was lurching to his feet. I took a diving run for the door.

BOOM!

I jolted sideways down the wall. This time I flew into glass and it shattered against my skin. Wild hands were reaching for me. My ears were ringing.

Ryant was screaming, screaming more words I couldn’t hear.

BOOM!

The room I’d been in just shook in its place. Ryant tugged on my whole arm, dragging me down the hall. With a glimpse back, I saw the floorboards in that same room were nonexistent.

“What happened?!” I shouted.

We jumped three steps that were broken in flames. Smoke choked the air as Ryant’s steel grip pulled me on.

“There were gas tanks in the basement! Those kids didn’t know what the hell they were shooting at!”

A section of the first floor roof fell down in unbelievable heat. I hacked out my lungs and pulled Ryant in another direction.

Furniture and entire walls were caught in flames. I ran straight for a hole of fire.

“We have to run through!” I kicked my feet off the rotting wood and dove through. My eyebrows and hair caught the heat. We hit the cool dirt outside.

KABOOOM!

We both crawled away, seeing that the entire right side of the house had collapsed in a red, hot blaze.

Ryant fell back against the dirt, people still screaming behind us.

“Can we go to the bridge now?” he asked.

I almost laughed if not for the choking smoke in the air. He was too funny.