Brink of Death
Chapter 1
I had just woken, and the TV was already on. Mom was never up this early, and I could hear Dad's voice too, he should be at work. I crawled out of bed, my brown hair was messy and wavy as ever. I normally walked to school, so I figured if my parents were here and awake at 7:30 in the morning, it was important.
I didn't bother changing out of my baggy Bon Jovi shirt or my black shorts, I just wanted to know what was going on. I walked out of my room and into the living room. Everything looked normal--the dog was laying at the foot of the couch, my little sister's toys were on the floor, leftover breakfast on the coffee table.
"Mornin," I greeted. My mom was sitting at the kitchen table, reading the news on her phone. She had the new iPhone 6, and always seemed to show it off.
Mom pulled back her short blonde hair from her face. "Good morning, sweetie," She said. But her voice wasn't as cheery as it normally was. Dad walked into the kitchen from the bathroom, wearing his signature ripped pants and Metallica shirt. I come from a pretty awesome metalhead family, by the way.
"Why didn't you go to work?" I asked him, grabbing a donut from the pantry.
"These outbreaks are getting out of control," Dad said, stroking his short goatee--he was always so proud of growing that thing. "I'm meeting up with David to go to the gun store. You know, in case the zombie apocalypse happens or people start looting places when things spiral into hell."
"Don't be stupid, Mark," Mom sneered playfully. "I'm sure it's just this year's flu that mutated a bit."
"Rather safe than sorry," Dad shrugged. He kissed Mom on the cheek, ruffled my hair, grabbed his Metal Mulisha snapback and went out the front door. I heard the car engine rev outside, which is how I knew he had taken our '90 El Camino. That stupid thing was part of the reason why I preferred walking to school.
As I started walking back to my room to get ready for school, Mom stopped me. "Victoria, whatever you do, don't tell Emily about these outbreaks or anything. I don't know how serious it is, but you know she'll be scared to death."
I nodded, and shut my door. My room was the one place I took comfort in, it was small but cozy. Dark blue walls and a TV that was always on the ID channel while I huddled under my blankets. I hoped these outbreaks wouldn't turn into the shows I watched, and the books I read. I grabbed my phone and texted my friend, Jenny, for a ride to school, and then proceeded to my closet.
I shuffled through my shirts, and eventually chose a gray A7X tank along with torn capris and black Vans. The alarm on my phone went off, which meant it was 8:00 and time to head off.
I hugged my mom goodbye, and ran out the front door. Jenny and her mom were parked at the end of my dirt driveway. Did I mention I live in a trashy trailer park in Weatherford, Texas?
I pulled the door open to the black Charger, and set in the backseat with my friend.
Her blonde hair was tightly pulled back in a ponytail, and she wore a Nirvana shirt. I grinned, music was the reason we became friends.
Then I thought to myself, if my dad was right, and all hell broke loose, would we still be friends in the apocalypse? No, that's stupid thinking, the apocalypse won't happen, I mean small outbreaks happen all the time right?
I didn't bother changing out of my baggy Bon Jovi shirt or my black shorts, I just wanted to know what was going on. I walked out of my room and into the living room. Everything looked normal--the dog was laying at the foot of the couch, my little sister's toys were on the floor, leftover breakfast on the coffee table.
"Mornin," I greeted. My mom was sitting at the kitchen table, reading the news on her phone. She had the new iPhone 6, and always seemed to show it off.
Mom pulled back her short blonde hair from her face. "Good morning, sweetie," She said. But her voice wasn't as cheery as it normally was. Dad walked into the kitchen from the bathroom, wearing his signature ripped pants and Metallica shirt. I come from a pretty awesome metalhead family, by the way.
"Why didn't you go to work?" I asked him, grabbing a donut from the pantry.
"These outbreaks are getting out of control," Dad said, stroking his short goatee--he was always so proud of growing that thing. "I'm meeting up with David to go to the gun store. You know, in case the zombie apocalypse happens or people start looting places when things spiral into hell."
"Don't be stupid, Mark," Mom sneered playfully. "I'm sure it's just this year's flu that mutated a bit."
"Rather safe than sorry," Dad shrugged. He kissed Mom on the cheek, ruffled my hair, grabbed his Metal Mulisha snapback and went out the front door. I heard the car engine rev outside, which is how I knew he had taken our '90 El Camino. That stupid thing was part of the reason why I preferred walking to school.
As I started walking back to my room to get ready for school, Mom stopped me. "Victoria, whatever you do, don't tell Emily about these outbreaks or anything. I don't know how serious it is, but you know she'll be scared to death."
I nodded, and shut my door. My room was the one place I took comfort in, it was small but cozy. Dark blue walls and a TV that was always on the ID channel while I huddled under my blankets. I hoped these outbreaks wouldn't turn into the shows I watched, and the books I read. I grabbed my phone and texted my friend, Jenny, for a ride to school, and then proceeded to my closet.
I shuffled through my shirts, and eventually chose a gray A7X tank along with torn capris and black Vans. The alarm on my phone went off, which meant it was 8:00 and time to head off.
I hugged my mom goodbye, and ran out the front door. Jenny and her mom were parked at the end of my dirt driveway. Did I mention I live in a trashy trailer park in Weatherford, Texas?
I pulled the door open to the black Charger, and set in the backseat with my friend.
Her blonde hair was tightly pulled back in a ponytail, and she wore a Nirvana shirt. I grinned, music was the reason we became friends.
Then I thought to myself, if my dad was right, and all hell broke loose, would we still be friends in the apocalypse? No, that's stupid thinking, the apocalypse won't happen, I mean small outbreaks happen all the time right?