《Fatal Cries》


 Prologue

    I open my eyes to an alluring day, the sun is shining, there¡¯s not even a cloud in sight. I see a group of children laughing and playing, enjoying their day. We¡¯ve come a long way since this whole thing began years ago. Without my mother, the wisdom and knowledge she left behind, I may of never gotten here or this far at least. Creating this wonderful community of survivors. I look outside to see my workers, their tending to the crops, fixing the fence, and attending to their lasting duties. I cough, I¡¯m sick, and I fear my time will come to an end soon. I¡¯ve never feared death until this day. So many battles I¡¯ve overcome and this is what brings me down? Regardless, I¡¯m so proud of what we as a community, and people, have accomplished and it couldn¡¯t of been possible without the fallen. Our loved one''s, strangers, and the unknown.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    I look over to my nightstand, I see the journals my mother had wrote, every single one of them including mine that I¡¯ve wrote, until this day. I pick the first one up and run my hands over the top of it, the title, the scratches, everything including the dents it''s endured over time. It¡¯s so old. It doesn¡¯t seem that old, it seems like just yesterday when I took these journals from my mother¡¯s bag. I open the book with fragile tendencies, taking care not to create any creases, smelling the scent the pages left in between. Remembering the memories of everything I had once put pass me. I miss you mother, I wished you could hold me one last time. With that memory, I began to read my first page. So I could at least dream of your touch again, your love again. Rest in peace my dear mother. May we see each other soon enough.


    When my men shoot me for being dead.

 The Birth Of Disaster - Chapter 1

    Over the course of several years, I ended up losing some of the most influential people in my life. Many family members and acquaintances I knew were gone in an instant. This life, and everything it once was, had vanished. The livelihood of these people''s souls became destroyed. Life¡¯s invaded with the worst plague of mankind, with the unimaginable even. Things one only sees in movies, videogames, and comic books. But never in real life, it was never pondered on of becoming real. This plaque to be, was brought on by the government. Those bastards had to let this world become what it is today, and what it will stay for centuries. The lose everybody''s endured is more than phenomenal. What we will continue to lose is even greater if this continues. Hell is the new Earth.


    The government had many secrets they desired to keep from the community over the years. Before anybody in this generation was born, their lies poisoned our minds. But there was always a flaw in keeping their secrets, secrets. Somehow, somewhere, something went wrong and We the People soon found out one way or another. The ones who leaked information were no longer seen as insane. But informational and brave. Once, there was a woman who worked for the government, for years she leaked information out to the public. She named herself Anonymous H., the government tried to track her down, but it was to hard of a task. She knew everything that they were doing, and that gave her an advantage. Until, like most criminals, whether for good or for evil, she slipped up. She was cocky and thought she would never get caught. That was her mistake, that''s always the mistake. She created a tiny clue, and within the next day, she was found, then vanished as if she never existed. Soon, the news had the story covered, ¡°Missing, Government Employee, Ms. Tallulu Reagan.¡±


    The government''s plan to keep what happened a secret, crumbled. People rioted, then when it got out of hand, the government disappeared for awhile. Creating lack of order, making people afraid, and beyond destructive. They became terrified and unable to control themselves. They watched us crumble, doing nothing. When they thought we¡¯d had enough, they came back to fix everything and all was forgotten. Because truth be told, we needed them. We needed order, and they were the best to get it from. We were like a wild pack of vile animals, feasting on the meaning of freedom, letting it kill us where we stand.


    Alas, the world has never been good since it became plagued with humans. The one''s who destroyed the natural order of things, we are weak, but yet, we survived. I use to believe that we, intelligent beings could fix what we are breaking. After all, our intelligence got us pass ever other obstacle we''ve come to know. I was young yet, foolish. I thought everything was great all the time, what imagination I had. But now, that was no more.


    It¡¯s foolish to think this, but perhaps this plague was created because life needed order again. And this was nature''s way of creating a natural thinning, an order again. Though, I believe the government employees were just miserable. Causing them to cause pain to the world. After all, they¡¯ve been doing it for generations. They realized that therapy doesn¡¯t actually work. The pills don¡¯t work, friendship doesn¡¯t work to keep this unbearable pain away. From festering up inside and causing unbearable pain. Maybe that¡¯s why they caused hell to become so tangible, so imaginable. It''s the only thing that could take the pain away momentarily.


    Little did I know the house I lived in since I was eight, would be the house I started my journey in. I remember the first day I had moved into this new house. I was scared, and around midnight I had woken up from a nightmare, I ran into my mom¡¯s bedroom crying. She asked with a tired voice, "Sweetie what¡¯s wrong?" as she picked me up to give me a big hug.


    "Mommy I''m scared, I had a bad dream." I had told her, as she comforted me with a kiss while letting me know that no one was ever going to hurt me. At the time, I didn¡¯t know that could ever be farther from the truth. She was my superhero in every aspect back then. If only she could be the same now in this hell hole, because I truly miss being told that everything will be okay. Being held by somebody so warm.


    Now that I''m older, twelve to be exact, and I¡¯m not a little kid anymore. She doesn¡¯t comfort me the same way as she did before. She pushes me to be an adult, she pushes me away. Because of this, I became more lonely, and our connection wasn¡¯t like it used to be. We''d fight, and sometimes I just wanted her warm touch instead. If you ask my friend Jared about my mom and I, he''d say that¡¯s complete bullshit. He thinks we have a great connection. But that¡¯s because his dad beats him and his siblings and his mom gets high. He has had to step up for so long and be the man of the house.


    The reason why I''m telling you all of this is because I had a dream that I''ll die very soon. When I do die, I want something that everybody can remember me by. I want everybody to remember the good memories. So I write in this journal hoping one day will be a book that children can learn from. That people can teach kids this valid history. This is my autobiography, my journey, my story. But where''s my manners? I never even introduced myself and I''m already telling you I''m going to die so soon.


    My name is Elizabeth Ryans, but a lot of people call me Liz, I live in Myrtle Creek, Oregon near the Pacific Ocean. It¡¯s not a very popular area in the United States. Maybe six or seven thousand people live here in this city alone. The year is 2086. Everybody hates it here, including me. The system''s fucked up, they treat us like dirt compacted onto their shoe. The educational system is worse than it''s ever been in the last 300 years and we¡¯re known as the Defectives. We have so called ''bad genes'', a plague that walks among the rich. Either we aren¡¯t smart enough for the rest of the world, we aren¡¯t rich enough, we aren¡¯t human enough, or we aren''t rude enough. But that can¡¯t be farther from the truth. By us being pushed to the dirt, we''ve risen to be stronger than ever. We''ve learnt the ways of the land, fed from the hands of nature, became rich with friendly company. We''ve become more human than those who wear a money clip to say the least. Most of us aren¡¯t heartless like the ones who scream for death to the ''poor''.


    Let me give you some information on how the system works, in 2017 the worst president in American history took over. He started changing everything we built... He divided us on wealth, color, religion, and whether we liked him. He took away most of human basic rights. Most of America became rioting, thieving, killing, bullies. The others were forced to suffer and endure the consequences of these actions. The one''s who live in the west or called Defectives or ''without money and colored'', the one''s living in the middle have some money and are labeled as tactical. Those were the people who have the ability to be in a higher position, there''s also tactical tier one and two. Tier one are those who are of color or atheists, but have money. They''re seen as less importance than tier two. Tier two like the president, are white, and Christians. If you were in the north you were given extra special treatment because you liked this president. South were treated better than us, but worse than north. Now the east got treated perfectly. They had money, ¡®brains¡¯, were of ''correct'' color, and did whatever the president wanted.


    In the North, people got treated like slaves, and yes. white people lived here too. We worked for food, not money, and we couldn¡¯t leave Defective under any circumstances. The only way we could change where we lived is when the government decided to give us a chance. Which was every five years. One person from the rich section, would take the five people we picked as the smartest and most promising. Our people would learn in a school for three months. Try them in a different life with a bunch of other kids who wanted to move up in factions, and give them a bunch of tests. Almost all of them failed and came back to Defective. Which is understandable. It¡¯s a huge change from what we are use to, with a lot more pressure and responsibility.


    If our people came back, they would then teach the rest of us their knowledge so we could do better next time. But most of the time, the students would forget what they learned because of the stress. Every once in awhile, one of our students would make it pass and live a better life thought. Sometimes they''d even send money to their parents so they could have a better life. But that¡¯s the only way you got out. Once every five years.


    After the president ended his term of four years, a few years later they had to change the system up a bit. They had to start giving us more food, more chances, and more money to live. We started getting more. but limited rights. A girl named Sasifa saw us, didn¡¯t like how we were being treated and became the first Black Lady to be President. We¡¯re still called Defective and we still have to go through tests, but life''s changed so much now. But for the better because of Sasifa, we even have a day dedicated to her.


    I apologize for my stalling, I want to remember how life was for a moment. How, even though it wasn''t the best, it was still better than this. It¡¯s hard remembering what I once had, but this journal helps. The thought of even being able to write this down about this makes me tear up. After years, I still can¡¯t believe this even happened in the first place. I should start from the beginning when the issue was first brought up...


    It was August 28th, 2085, I can remember everything almost perfect. I had woken up in the dead of night, as fast as a firecracker going off in my room. Sending me shooting up in the air from a deep sleep. I gasped for air as my nightmare began to subside from my thoughts. A headache appearing in it''s place. I was dreaming about running some place, or going someplace? I was running fast, like I was in a hurry, I couldn¡¯t breathe at all. Then I remember bombs started going off behind me. The loud, disoriented sounds woke me.


    Though I was drowsy, I turned on my TV, I had hoped it would wake me up, and in fact it did after awhile. I wanted to watch something funny or entertaining, but that was far from the reality. I became possessed by the news. It was like some force drawing me to this channel. Which, if you ask anyone I know, I''d never watch the news to save my life. Although, watching the news on August 28th, actually saved my life in the long run. There''s no doubt about it.


    They''re talking about a new drug that people were creating. The scientist did a study on this drug a few months back when an incident first occurred in Miami. Everyone was concerned after hearing the report on it. But no other incidents were reported until now. On today¡¯s news, they were doing a follow up on their research. They had said that only a few scientists in the entire world had access to some of the types of drugs used. It had them concerned that scientists were illegally distributing drugs to people. Or giving civilians the access to make this powerful and destructive drug.


    They did a biopsy on the victim, and the man who attacked the victim in Miami. The scientists determined some breaking news that they weren¡¯t allowed to release yet. But they said they had a list of symptoms that this drug does to a human body. Most symptoms are mind-altering.


    First, this drug was doing nothing to the user, except making them hungry, like marijuana does. But then the hallucinations come, the rage soon after, and you lost all control over your body. Essentially making you numb. You no longer feel pain, no matter the extent or extremities. A truck could hit you and you¡¯d walk off as if it were a scratch. Then this drug made the user start consuming other humans that they saw from first sight... One right after the other until the creature got decapitated, or shot right between the eyes. Blood spraying everywhere as each bite was consumed by the beast.


    When the incident occurred, the man who attacked, completely consumed the body until there was nothing left. The man ran towards another person who was standing close by with her phone. He was fast, she couldn¡¯t go anywhere. She got bit, but as far as everybody knows, all she did was get sick. She''s been under scientific observation ever since.


    The scientists say that it destroys the user''s mind, it destroys the cells that tell your brain you¡¯ve had enough food. You could eat as much as you wanted, but it would never be enough. The food inside your body would disintegrate within an hour. This drug disconnected and reconnected you''re brain''s signals to alter how you¡¯d act to the way it wanted. They said the body also had regenerative cells. Over time, the body would heal itself. Anywhere from healing a wound, to acting as a youth elixir. Keeping the body young and strong. Almost as if a little, tiny, alien was controlling you.


    The last thing they determined is after the person got to the last stages, there was no going back to their original state. In the last stages, the drug has already planted itself so deep, that the only way to stop the effects is by death. You''re body can''t handle any type of treatment and rejects anything given to it. The last thing they said before they went back to the news anchor is that they would continue to do more research until further notice.


    ¡°Hopefully this thing won''t be the end of humanity.¡± One person murmured from behind the camera by accident.


    Soon, other reports started coming in, other attacks started taking place, and I watched it all. All TV channels displayed the same image during that time, live. Nothing would make them stop sinking there bloody stained teeth into another humans screaming flesh. Not until they had consumed the victim¡¯s body completely down to the bone. Their anger spewing out of them like a rage of never ending fire. Casting over their crying victims. They hollered and pounded on their chest as if like a gorilla, attracting more like them, like some kind of call. They sometimes even ate the bones of the body, guts and bones still hanging from their mouth. Blood dripping down their mouth, hands, and soaking into their clothes. I watched as these human''s ripped apart flesh and cracked bones, opening their mouth wider than I thought possible. I wondered how such thing could harbor such ability. These images passing through my eyes, like a horror film.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ??I felt my body aching, I got physically sick, but I couldn''t take my eyes off the screen. My body stung as I watched these monsters bite into people, and feel as if it was happening to me. I couldn''t imagine being in their position. I couldn''t imagine going through their pain.


    The creators of the drug had called it Madness Destruction or something of that sort. It recently came to my town and has been sold all over the streets. Supposedly the story is that he created it in a lab and seemed quite happy from his work. He was like a mad scientist who had escaped from his leashes. Confusion struck by the fact that he confess to the police of his crimes. Or so they said on TV. He was supposedly a part of the secret government and only people who are truly crazy, or scared for their life would do such an act of confessing. Police were trying to hunt this thing down and keep it from spreading, but it was impossible. Soon, cops started shooting anybody that acted abnormal, right on sight. Police brutality got worse than ever. Which lowered the population by five percent in just three months. It was now December 16th, 2086.


    This drug was giving people powers they would of never been able to obtain otherwise. I wasn¡¯t able to sleep for what felt like weeks because of fear. Every sound made at night scared me to death. My heart was always pounding in my chest, insomnia making my brain to be dysfunctional. I started hallucinating, which only made things worse. I had to go to the doctors and they basically put me in a sleep coma for a few days. When I got home, it didn''t get better, my imagination was getting the best of me. I became paranoid to say the least. They thought they would have to put me in an insane asylum. But I started battling my mind on my own, and ignoring what I couldn''t win.


    Unfortunately, I don¡¯t believe he was from the government, or at least the actual cause of this thing. Rather, a mere cover up for what¡¯s actually going on. A cover up so the police would stop looking for the actual person. Otherwise, the drug supply would of eventually came to a stop. But at least he made his packaging make a statement. It came in a goldish-silver clown package. I have a feeling the packaging was meant to say the government are money greedy, and they love to play tricks on you. Or, that they''re golden clowns. In reality that is basically what they are and what they do to you.


    This is even worse than the Gorilla virus that lasted all the way until 2020. Killing off twenty-seven percent of the world at the time, and slowing down the next generations from arriving. That virus was no picnic. The ones who were sick, lived in camps away from the rest of the population. Which, being divided into sections made it easier to control the virus from location to location. This drug is even worse than that virus called 24. It hit 2022 after World War Four. Because of all the pollution, and nuclear particles flying in the air, it caused this disease that spread like wildfire. Killing off people in twenty-four hours. Which in result, killed forty-five percent of the people.


    However, with thetwin and triplet gene, it wasn''t hard for the population to regain its numbers. Having a single child is almost abnormal. It¡¯s nearly rare to have a single child, except in Defective. But that doesn''t stop us from having lots of children anyway. Most people who live here have at least six kids. It¡¯s hard finding a home that only has one kid living in it.


    But back to the current state of drugs anddisease... Four months later after the drug got out of hand, the government started to block off the infected states. The goal was to stop infection from spreading. The population was now ten percent infected, five percent dead, and eighty-five percent healthy. But I heard from a friend up in Portland that containment wasn¡¯t working. The infected people were becoming more aggressive the less they were able to roam around. My friend also said that some of the homeless people were becoming infected by the mice roaming around at night. On his illegal journey through the states, he saw one guy get bit in the face. Afterwards, he got up and walked away, unresponsive. It was as if the infected were spreading their disease at this point instead of eating the healthy. The only thing that ran through my mind were those mice passing on this... Whatever it is, to here in Oregon and infecting my home.


    After they started blocking off states, the government went house to house to collect electronics. Things like phones, pagers, tablets, cameras, laptops, computers, even the latest Watmin. That''s a watch that has portable TV, music, radio, reminders, and in special cases, has a security option. The government also had taken certain people from different states, into their headquarters. If two people from Defective were taken in. No one knew what was going on at all. But we did know a war was coming. Whether it was going to be between the drug users and non users, or other countries looking to kill us. We''d been through this enough to know the signs.


    News stories started popping up about this drug, and other countries started preparing for the worst. Around May of 2087, Great Britain began cutting off access to and from the USA. But that was only the beginning. Three weeks later, other countries began doing the same thing. Other countries started getting their military ready for what was about to happen. America was alone on this thing, and our food source started getting lower and lower. We began begging for food from other countries as we grew more hungry. But no one helped. So, some people started building farms as food got more limited. But the farmers never got any of the produce because others would steal it. In result, people started buying guns and finding ways to secure their property.


    The worst part was, Defectives were even starting to turn on one another. Riots among the people started everywhere, and guns were banned from civilians. But that didn''t stop blood from being spilled and guns being bought.


    For the scientists, they had no clue whether this was spreading or not around the world. Which made their job harder and Americans more unpredictable. Scientists worked around the clock and no help from outside sources make a cure harder to obtain. At one point, the scientists thought they were close to a breakthrough. But it seems as soon as they thought they were, this mind-altering drug changed. Scientists aren''t even sure if this is even a drug anymore.


    With scientists working around the clock, so did the military now. They had to control two different outbreaks. The apocalypse on the east side, strolling it''s way west, and a huge riot everywhere else. Rioters rapidly took down everything keeping us and the infected separate. Including the gates and walls. Everything was going down hill. People started burning buildings, killing people, and stealing whatever they could get there hands on. July, they announced the population of the world, it was fourteen billion and decreasing. Oregon was realizing we needed to protect ourselves, and joined with California and Washington. We created our own ''empire'', and blocked ourselves off from everyone else. We were once again working together to save ourselves.


    August 1st, 2087, the three states started putting up a wall so the rioters wouldn¡¯t destroy what we had left. We were building ourselves up again. We wanted to maintain civilization and have resources again. Without the government''s orders, we built farms, crops, and freshwater streams. We actually had some sense in us to not share our food source with anyone on the outside of our wall. Nobody, not even the government knew what we were doing. The more people who knew we had food and running water, the more they started attacking our wall. Even the cops wanted to destroy what we had. But we defended what we had and even traded with the cops for guns. When the rioters accomplished destroying everything, everyone realized it wasn''t safe out there. It was now named the Wasteland. When the outsiders started realizing it wasn¡¯t safe to live in the Wasteland, the worse the crimes got.


    I remember one time my brother and I were running. We had food in our bags and water bottles in our pockets, we were trying to get home before dark. But trying to stay hidden from everyone was almost impossible. On several occasions, Damien and I had to fight to protect ourselves and food. Our knives killed people, our knives bathed in blood of those who tried harming us. When we got home, it was an amazing feeling of relaxation and safety. I remember sleeping threw my birthday, which was June 6th. I was only thirteen when I had to learn to protect myself. When I had to learn to survive.


    When the rioting had finally died down, you could hear and even see bombs and missiles going off around other countries. This was no longer a war in only our country, this had now become world war five. People started fleeing to us, but ended up killed on sight anyway. We even killed people trying to get to safety on our side. The next month was non-stop shooting and death until there was no longer any ammo and piles of bodies. The interesting thing is, no one attacked America¡­ The ones who started everything¡­ Or the civilization that was safe. I guess everyone was to busy attending to their own situation to harm the source of the issue. Which of course was a relief.


    But we didn''t worry about it to much. We tried getting back to a routine and normal lives. Guards walked around the wall twenty-four/ seven, and there was water patrol. Then we elected somebody to be our leader, he started up school again and gave people jobs to do. But one thing was certain, anybody who was a suspect of doing drugs was thrown into the wasteland. Anybody, in any way, who could jeopardize what we had, would be thrown into the wasteland. And I recorded it all in my journal. Each person who was thrown out and what they did was written in my book. James Pitalsky was the first person out. He was a meth user, and there was no place for drugs here.


    To my amazement, DC, and a few other states were still completely intact. Those places were where the more important people lived, so I¡¯m guessing that''s where more military reinforcements were sent. Plus, I''m sure the structure of the building was top-notch. However, in February of 2088 our president came into contact with us. He asked if we could send food to the government and other places in the United States that were still alive. He said in return, we would get lots of ammo and some of the basic recruiters would come and reinforce our wall. He said in the next week, the first set of bullets and guns will be sent in exchange for crates of meats, fruits, and vegetables. At first, we declined, but as the days passed, we realized how much we actually needed those supplies, and we gave in.


    After we accepted, five days later we had boxes of weaponry waiting for us. They even brought us some unusual food, said to be brought down from another country. The person in charge of our empire renamed us Ashva. The leader of Ashva was confused by the food and asked the president what was going on. The president said it was a peace offering. A means of friendship. So, our speaker gave in and let us have the food. We chowed down and the adults began loading their guns and packing ammo into their coats. I knew this wasn¡¯t going to end well, it was to suspicious. But if we didn¡¯t follow orders from the president, they might kill us.


    Unfortunately we also have fifty more soldiers to feed as well. Not even good soldiers. They couldn¡¯t shoot for shit, and most of our villagers had to teach them how to shoot, wasting bullets. Most of these soldiers were young, scared, and wanted to go home. But this was their new home.


    Then something strange started happening, people started having amnesia. If it weren¡¯t for my journal, I would of completely forgotten everything. I struggled to remember what was going on each day, where I was at, and what had happened previously. One of the young soldiers told me to stop eating the food. When I did, things became more clearer, and I started gaining some knowledge again. My journal, and the soldier helped keep every day focused, and we help others. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t many people who still remembered everything, nor wanted to believe us. When a commander saw what the boy was doing, he disappeared that day. When I was him the next day, he was gone, he wasn''t him anymore.


    When everyone was loopy, a man came in and gave us a speech. He claimed to be our president but he looked nothing like him. He told us where we lived and who we were and retaught us everything we use to know. He told us to never go outside our walls because a great danger laid behind them. And nobody questioned him or who he was. He said to walk straight and not hungover and to make sure we don¡¯t goof off. We were to never let what was outside in, and our entire military changed. He said several other things too, telling us to not try and remember our past, that it was a dream. But I was the only one who decided to question it. This wasn''t normal, in a few weeks the government had gained control of our new civilization. It felt like we had became slaves.


    The last thing he said with a big, bright, smile, was to go about our daily lives and build towards a better future again. He wanted the children educated to the highest degree. Then before I had bat an eye, I was back in my bed sleeping, knowing nothing seemed right. And even though I stopped eating the food everyone else was eating, I still felt in a haze. Everything seemed different, and everything I got taught, was retaught to me. It might of even been taught better than previously. This feeling was strange, knowing you don¡¯t remember anything, that something had happened to you, but you don''t know what. I felt violated. My mind was in a major mind-fuck and I didn''t know if I''d ever remember what happened.


    I heard for some, the programming didn¡¯t work. They''d sit in the center of town screaming what the military was doing to them. But nobody listened, and eventually men made most of them disappear. The men would say they were delusional, and that was a symptom of what laid beyond the wasteland. We were made to believe to be afraid of those kinds of people. Which was obviously a scare tactic to keep you from discovering the truth. But my journal kept the truth alive.

 Chapter Two

    I woke up scared and crying. I couldn¡¯t remember where I was at. Flashbacks of what happened yesterday inconsistently popped up into my head. They made me dizzy and I fell to the ground, grabbing my head. I yelled for the flashbacks to stop. It was like a sensory overload and I couldn''t take it. Gunshots went off in my head and each time they went off, my entire brain hit with unbelievable pain. It made me weak.


    I didn¡¯t know what was happening, so I screamed as loudly as I could, and they all seemed to die and disappeared. My brother Damien flew into my room saying he understood as he held onto me. Then I saw a journal. He asked if it was mine and all I could do was shrug my shoulders. He got up and walked over to where it was laying. As soon as he opened the front cover, it had my name in it along with the rest of my family.


    He read a few lines before closing the book again and setting it on the floor. He got up and went to his room without a word and I stared at the book in confusion before sitting on my bed. I looked around my room and found a folder that had fallen between my desk and wall. I went to go grab it. It read ¡°CLASSIFIED INFORMATION: GOVERNMENT EYES ONLY¡±. My hands trembled and I instantly felt weak as I sat back down on my bed. Why was the government in my room and why don¡¯t I remember anything?


    Damien walked back into the room. He dropped his notebook that he had brought with him and grabbed the document and sat on the bed. I followed him. As we sat on my bed, I watched him take a deep breath and lift up the cover. Turning it to reveal information I knew I shouldn¡¯t be reading. There was information on everything the lettering was small too. Some things were hard to read because there was huge words and things I¡¯ve never heard of before. What was an Illuminati? Or the 5F9 group? There was also all kinds of information about different countries. There was even a part in here that said there was a terrorist country called Gama that got completely wiped out in 2025 and became part of the SAU later on. They also had a few drugs in here. They talked about the thing going on around the world called ¡°Madman¡±. Which the name was completely different in my journal Damien had said.


    Damien and I kept looking through the document and noticed there was a phone looking device inside. Damien turned it on and as soon as he did, it revealed thousands of different people, locations, voice boxes, and videos. They recorded people who had been killed some who were alive, the region that they¡¯re alive in or died in, and how many days since the world-wide catastrophe has taken place.


    The voice boxes were in thousands of different languages, even something called ¡°Morse Code¡±. Which is I guess a series of beeping sounds and dots. It also shows special locations where the government has things set up at and how many creatures are now living on earth. It gave so much information in just one little device that I couldn¡¯t even comprehend what was going on. It was like the secret browser of the internet world. My eyes blurred out and all I could think of is that they¡¯d come back and look for the device and kill us.


    ¡°Hey Liz¡­¡± Damien said.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I responded.


    ¡°Promise me we''ll both keep this confidential, okay?¡±


    ¡°No problem, I promise..¡± I said laughing nervously a bit.


    I took a moment to gather myself. After this morning''s news, I felt it was best to start preparing for the worst to come. With a bowl of cereal and plenty of paper, I began driving myself insane trying to figure out every detail. I wanted to figure out the hideouts I would take, what supplies I would need, among other factors. Damien helped out a little bit, but not as much as I wanted him too. He helped figure out some of the hideouts and supplies, but he mainly just found me annoying.


    Luckily, because of my last birthday, I already had a car. But I had no license. My mom''s ex boyfriend decided to buy me one to ¡°Make amends.¡± and ¡°Reach towards a better relationship.¡± But it never actually worked, and a week later, he left after finding out she was pregnant with yet another child. I also started realizing that the more kids she had, the worse her moods got.


    Unfortunately, even though the world stopped, school still didn¡¯t. I dreaded February 30th, which was the day I would have to pick my feet off of the ground and drag my dead body off to school. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to seeing all those kids who use to bully me. I hated them, and I know they hated me too. I don¡¯t know how I remembered those terrible years, but if I remembered them, I know they do too.


    Not to mention, more important things were happening in our world at this very moment. Like the survivors that were in the Wasteland. I bet they''re now lab toys that the scientists test on day after day. Until they no longer have any blood left. Or they get thousands of different drugs pumped into their tiny bodies. Every day they probably get studied on in the tiny tin box community they''re allowed in. Their mental abilities probably get tested on to the fullest length. Anthropology is probably at its peak by now. That''s the only thing I could think of when I thought about the Wasteland and the government being out there.


    Yet, it was amazing that the same lab that the infection started at was still up and running. The lab on television was a diversion from what was actually going on. The only way I know this, is because in the documents, it gave a radio station to tune into. They made jokes about how the television lab was a complete joke. I learned a lot more than I ever have about this epidemic by the radio than I should have.


    I learned how the disease passes on among humans. It isn¡¯t airborne, it''s from saliva and the black blood passing on when the infected bite the healthy. Drinking infected water will do little to the healthy. But, there is still a possibility of the healthy carrying the disease and passing it on through sex. I also learned how the disease affects the brain. The disease feeds off on all parts of the brain it doesn''t need, including memories.


    This disease is extraordinary in its abilities and intelligence. It''s like it knows when something happens to the host''s body, causing the host to flee during danger. Example, if the infected start to bleed out, the disease will make it flee while it repairs itself. But they said the disease continues to advance. That its ability to adapt is remarkable and not like anything seen before. Making it harder to create a cure. Somehow it''s making the body stronger, it seems like it''s creating a replica of a superhuman.


    At one point or another I even had a few thoughts of my own on how to cure the incurable. That was until I heard the disease continues to advance itself. Not to mention, I¡¯m not good at science, I''m sure they¡¯ve already thought of my ideas.


    I dreaded every waking moment of this bright and exhausting morning. Why did we have to go to school? Why was school a priority? Why weren¡¯t the adults adventuring into the wasteland to go and figure out why the president didn¡¯t want us in there? Why were the adults making us advance in our education when nothing would happen once we got out of school. We wouldn¡¯t be able to adventure or take our own path in life. The only place to go is here, and at some point, this place will once again become overpopulated. I''m sure at that point, people will throw the ones they don''t like over the wall to clear space.


    I¡¯d like to think going to school was unfair, and cruel punishment. But what was more cruel was the fact that I couldn¡¯t tell anyone what was happening. Each new piece of information I heard ate me up inside. I became so overwhelmed that I stopped eating or doing anything. My mind was only focused on these secrets. I couldn¡¯t sleep, and when I did, I had nightmares that made me scream. I had notebooks full of valuable information I wasn¡¯t even suppose to know about. And the only person I could share it with, didn''t seem to care. He seemed completely fine that we were allowing people to their excruciating death.


    On this strange morning two weeks later, I had arrived to my school. There were ten students that had to go home from some kind of strange sickness. But no one thought anything of it. They were puking and had a high temperature. Some kids passed out and their eyes became bloodshot. They even had a harsh cough that left blood in their hands.


    Later that evening, twenty more students from my school had to go home due to this plague of sickness. The kids that came into contact with the sick ones, began getting into fights. They became aggressive and restless. Some kids decided to bite each other, causing wounds.


    In other cases, some kids laid on the ground completely motionless and unresponsive. The obvious part was, when students got asked about their parents, some of them said they''ve been sick for a week. They said that their parents started acting strange and locking themselves in a room. Upon further discovery, it was found that several of the students had insect bites on their body.


    The teachers started seeing a pattern. The only thing all these kids had in common was the fact that they had got bit, and their parents were already sick. And the kids were passing on their sickness to each other, leaving a trace of saliva and scratch marks. The other kids acting normal and healthy had some bug bites on them but had no reaction to it. They were almost the opposite of the other ones, aside from being scared. It seems like whatever''s happening here, some kids seemed to be immune.


    Everyone was getting sick faster than the blink of an eye. I felt like I was standing in the middle of chaos as everything was happening around me. My mind couldn''t comprehend everything that was going on. People were becoming lethargic and hungry to the point that they couldn''t focus. Others fidgeted with things and were aggressive. Everything you could think of was happening.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ??I believe the reason for why I didn''t get sick, was due to the fact that I was stuck in a room with Jaried all day. Considering I tried fighting off another student. He attacked me first, I punched him in the gut and he ended up throwing up all over the ground. He went home, the only reason why I didn¡¯t go home is because I had an important test I had to do in History, and I wasn''t ill. My friend Jaried also never got sick despite coming in contact with many ill students. He spent most of his day washing off in the sink from countless encounters with sneezing and coughing kids. Jaried had a phobia of getting sick, at the first sign of illness, he would do anything he could to get rid of it. I noticed he started developing a cough as the day went by.


    Finally, the faculty couldn''t handle it anymore and the entire school got sent home. On everyone¡¯s way out, the principal sent a letter home and called all the students families. He made it very clear that I quote, ''Every student is not allowed to come back until they''re seen by a doctor. As well as, fighting is not tolerated on school grounds. The next time any student fights, he or she will be suspended indefinitely. Furthermore, testing hasn¡¯t ended, all children are advised to continue studying outside of school until further notice. Please get your children seen as soon as possible. Thank you, and have a wonderful day.¡¯


    I didn¡¯t know whether to feel scared or happy at the fact that I wouldn¡¯t have any school for awhile. I believe I became both at the time. As for my mom, she was more scared than happy, not to mention, furious by my actions. In fact, I don¡¯t believe she was even relieved that I''d be away from the chaos. She was only upset over the fact that there would be no school for who knows how long. Along with the rest of her several children she¡¯s produced over the years. She¡¯s been waiting for us kids to go to school since she could remember, which no one''s memory dates back very far now.


    The first day everyone realized they didn''t remember anything, they freaked out. As they should have. But as time went on, they acted as if it wasn''t that big of a deal and went on with their days as normal. Whatever normal meant to them anyway. Which I guess was understandable, but I would of wanted to know what was going on. However, memory loss didn¡¯t stop her from still going off on me all the way home about fighting.


    When everyone got home, the T.V. was turned on faster than our book bags could be put down. We noticed an emergency broadcasting of what happened in the last few years. A doctor was present and told the viewers everything that had happened. He told us why our memory was lost. He told us about the plague that was going through our town, and just about every other secret that was being kept. Mom didn¡¯t like us watching what they were saying on T.V., she thought it was a hoax. But I believed him, in fact, I knew he was telling the truth. It gave me hope after watching what he said.


    Unfortunately, people went on a riot, they even went outside the walls. But the only thing you could hear was distant screaming, which made a lot of people afraid. So some people started going after the military that was staying here. That was, until guns started showing and shots started going off. The non-rioters just sat and watched as this public terror took place.


    Mom had enough of all these people''s actions and decided to stand up for what she believed in, but it didn¡¯t get her far. All she got was sex, which I''m sure led to another pregnancy. Not that she particularly mind that it seems. Maybe this pregnancy will get us a better house. I didn¡¯t like having to share a room with anyone else and neither did my brothers.


    But I''d rather not stray to far off into the future and instead get back to today. Luckily, all this free time gave me the benefit of studying as much as I needed and wanted. Not that I¡¯d actually study, I was more of a ¡®get it done whenever¡¯ type of person. Or ¡®wait until the last minute¡¯ person. I had procrastination as bad as Jakecub had cancer. It was never leaving, and I was going to have it until the day I die.


    Jakecub, if I haven¡¯t already said before, is another one of my older brothers. He is older by a year, but loves to believe he is the adult in the family. He bosses everyone around. Including our mother when he isn¡¯t in is room all day long like a depressed, soulless, cydly. I¡¯d say emo, but that died out back in 2036. Now cydly is the new slang word meaning ¡°lifeless being of nothing¡±. Basically, it''s become the ultimate insult to call someone. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I love my brother, he is just lazy and useless sometimes. He always justifies the reason he can''t do something because of his illness. Yet, he has legs, he has arms, and he gets around just fine now. But that doesn''t stop him from being in his room smoking pot all day.


    Damien shares a room with Jakecub, he also stays in there all day until he gets called to work. When that happens, Jakecub stays in there by himself unless to get food. That''s what''s happening right now and after school, I like to play video games. But today, my mom started to interrogate me with questions instead of letting me be in peace. She was asking them faster than the speed of light, and since I was the only one in the living room, I was obligated to give her an answer. But every time I tried getting a word in, she started to ask another question and bitch at me for not letting her finish. Then bitch at me more for not answering anything she had asked previously. She took a break for a moment to tell me that we were going to the grocery store to pick up some food. But as soon as my siblings and I got in the car, she started up again.


    She sounded like an annoying, demonic, train wreck sent from hell. And for her torture of choice, ¡®to never shut the fuck up¡¯. It was quite effective if you ask me. The worst part was that the store was a two hour drive and I neglected to grab my Gegiboo and headphones before leaving. A Gegiboo is a multi-user, friend device, for music, video''s, game''s, hologram T.V., along with many other functions. It¡¯d be the ultimate device if Trigumi 2500x didn¡¯t come out two years ago. Unfortunately, the government disabled most functions except for mymusicon theGegiboo.


    While riding home, we saw two kids walking down the street, acting abnormal. We slowed down, and as we did, they ran towards our car. They attacking it, and my siblings cried out of fright. Unfortunately, I was demanded to save the day once again and calm them down from freaking out. The children on the road acted exactly like what the broadcast had said earlier that I was listening to. Except these kids had a green circle around their iris I noticed. I guess that was a new symptom? Mom even mumbled something about what the television had said earlier as well. I wanted to believe they were faking it, but I knew otherwise.


    I didn¡¯t want to tell my mom what I was thinking, especially with all the younger kids being around. I already knew what she was going to say anyways. That I¡¯m delusional, that I¡¯m crazy to believe that such things existed. Especially ones who eat human flesh for lunch. But it didn¡¯t matter, I knew she was thinking the same thing that I was, she just didn''t want to admit it. All she needs to do now is trust in herself and believe in herself. But she would never do that without what she''s denying being put directly in her face.


    Then again, sometimes you have to trust someone, especially someone who is as trustworthy as me. As well as someone who knows as much as I do, I know as much as the top secret governments. The only difference was, I wasn¡¯t suppose to know. Even if I did tell mom everything I knew, she wouldn¡¯t believe me. So it was hopeless, I blame my father for her feeling like she can¡¯t trust anyone, me especially. My father left her a long time ago, I wished I could change that for her, but I knew I couldn¡¯t. So it''s her decision to change, and actually feel like trusting people again. Only she had the ability to change herself, but I don''t think she wants to. I think she finds a bit of comfort in her misery.


    To make this rambunctious city worse, my mom ran over someone when she wasn''t paying attention. She was looking for something in her purse. I yelled and thought this person was going to die. My mother started crying and pulled over, she slowly got out of the car with all of us peering out the windows at the man. The guy she had hit was completely oblivious to what had happened and got back up, limping off. I was terrified he was going to attack us. I was grateful in being wrong. However, he seemed out of it, he didn¡¯t even notice us, at that moment, I believed it was a good thing.


    The description was spot on if nothing else this time from what the scientist said. He had saggy eyes and he looked like he hasn¡¯t slept in days. He was visibly dehydrated and very pale, as if he¡¯s been sick for awhile. He also frantically twitched his body, and his eyes were bloodshot and green. Within twenty minutes of our drive, there had been three sightings of the illness. And again, I was the only one who was listening. I hated this feeling of knowing something but not being able to say it, or no one else paying attention with me.


    I yelled at my mom to get back into the car as the man turned around and began to leisurely walk toward us. The way she looked at us, you could tell she was terrified at what was happening. She was shaking and her eyes were blank, she didn''t know what to do as she was frozen in place. I jumped out of the car and ran to her, I kept trying to push her into the car and telling her to get in. She started to sweat, I could hear her loud breathing. I yelled at her again and she snapped back into reality. I finally got her in the car.


    I went to run back the same way I came, but the man was already there. I bumped into him and fell to the ground. His facial expressions immediately changed to anger and he reached for me. I got up as quickly as I could and ran the other way, hopping into the car, hoping he wouldn''t grab me. He started hitting the window as we sat there, frozen. Her panicking didn¡¯t make my panicking any easier either. I started to cry and yell for her to drive as I watched the man hit the car window. I looked at my siblings, who were all curled up in a ball on the floorboard crying. I watched as I hoped nothing else would happen on our way home.

 Chapter Three

    Finally my dream of being home had come true, I felt huge relief, and the weight of fear come off my shoulders. My siblings were also in fact excited to be home. Life was stressful enough, and a place to call home was a dream in the palm of our hands. But as good as this was for us, this definitely frustrated and scared mom more. You could tell she didn''t feel safe here. She had a frightening look on her face and didn¡¯t know how to react. She told us all to go do something productive, like chores and to be as silent as possible.


    Silence was like prison for us. No one in this house knew how to shut up except Jakecub. Yet, he never came out of his cave, not after he learned he had cancer anyways. Now he just mopes around all the time and doesn¡¯t want to be around anyone anymore.


    He frustrates me, I figured once he learned he had stage seven cancer, that he¡¯d want to do the unimaginable. But instead, he let''s the cancer control his life, and acts rude towards everyone else in the house. Even if we are only trying to help. Better yet, mom doesn¡¯t care that he does nothing all day. It¡¯s unbelievable, but when I do nothing, it''s the end of the world. I guess it pays to be sick. Not that it matters anymore.


    While we all did our chores, we talked about what happened to us today. They all made me tell my story first for amusement. They always think that what happens to me is no big deal, or funny. When in reality, it actually hurts when they make fun of me, and not all of what happens to me is funny. Yet, I¡¯m just a girl, and my feelings don¡¯t matter. But when a boy shows feelings, it¡¯s the second end of another world. Guys don¡¯t even make fun of guys for showing feelings anymore. It''s the new ¡°norm¡± for them, but they still break women''s hearts as if it''s nothing important. Still, here I am, beginning my story with a crowd of boys who don''t care at all.


    ¡°There was this kid at school,¡± I said ¡°he was acting all aggressive with a girl, when I told him to stop hurting her, he literally jumped on top of me.¡± I said getting interrupted by the one and only, Damien Ryans.


    ¡°Thats kinky sis, I didn¡¯t know you liked that shit! Kind of gross actually.¡± Damien said, laughing.


    ¡°Shut up! Let me tell my story, or you all can just do without!¡± I yelled


    ¡°Fine,¡± He sighed, ¡°continue.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Everyone wanted me to say what had happened first, the least you could do would be to give me the respect of finishing my story!¡± I yelled ¡°Now¡­ As I was saying. He tried biting me and I was like oh fuck no, and I took a fist to his gut several times. After he jumped off, I went for his face and he freaking just pukes all over the floor inches from my feet! Then the final punch knocked him out. Of course though, I was sent to a room with Jaried to study. Although, that was the least scary part. The scariest was the fact that everyone was becoming like him, aggressive, unresponsive, hungry for flesh, everything. Just a little bit after coming in contact with someone else who was sick.¡± I stared at Damien with a smile, he and I knew exactly what was going on. He looked back at me and gave a sad nod, and then quickly gave me a joking smile. Afterwards, he looked back down to his hands, he was nervous, he was scared, I could tell. So was I, but I had to leave the stress behind and mile through what I already knew.


    Every time he was scared or nervous when he was younger, he would look at me, then look back at his hands. He would then start to fidget with them while he tried to hold back tears. It happened every time our father beat Jakecub and then before he went to beat Damien. I was always around, always watching. But only recently did he start to use his smile, a smile that told you he was fine. I think the fact that he knew just as much information as I did was starting to get to him.


    ¡°Liz? Are you listening? Liz? I asked you something.¡± Aaroon said


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± I said, confused.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think they will actually hurt us do you?¡± Aaroon asked, unsure.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe? But after nearly half the school getting sick, I think it''s time to start worrying. We were finally sent home after that so, that should tell you something.¡±


    ¡°That was a lame story, mine was much better.¡± Damien added, looking back into the crowd of little kids. He interrupted for a reason, he didn¡¯t want the little kids to worry. But by doing that, he just added onto Aaroon¡¯s fear. Aaroon knew Damien like I did, he could tell when something was up. Not to mention, Damien spoke those words in a way that it was clear that he was trying to use it as a distraction, but no one said a thing. He stopped fiddling with his hands and sat up straight, smiled once more.


    ¡°Okay, then what was your story?¡± Aaroon asked dismissing his thoughts.


    ¡°Well, it was second period and this girl was checking me out you know, like they always do? I give her my number and told her to text me later on tonight, right.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± I interrupted as he did me.


    ¡°Just wait, it gets better. Trust me!¡± he said as he continued on, ¡°When it got to lunch, she called me to the janitor''s room. Everybody knows how things go down in the janitor¡¯s room you know? So I go¡­ Of course, thinking I¡¯m going to get a little something for all the walking I had to do to get to her. Then she starts sending me a shit load of messages telling me to hurry up and shit, I ignored her of course because I didn¡¯t want her thinking I was desperate or anything. But the thing was, she started calling me one right after another, I finally answered after the sixth time and asked her what was up. She said there was a bloodbath taking place out in the gym, so I ran there to check it out obviously. When I get there, she was being attacked by this dude with blood all over his mouth. Blood was all over his shirt and blood mixed in with greenish black puke laid on the ground. Now this girl was screaming, she was screaming so loud her voice pierced my eardrums. Damn that girl had a set of lungs on her, I wished I could of had her use them in the bedroom before¡­ Well, you know.¡±


    ¡°Damien, let''s try to keep this rated E for everyone please.¡± I said.


    ¡°Sorry. Just let me finish alright?¡± He asked, getting frustrated before continuing, ¡°Geez, alright, where was I? This guy definitely didn¡¯t look right, at first I thought it was a joke you know? Just someone pulling my leg, but then I saw the lifeless body on the gym floor, with blood all over him.


    I freaked out and attacked the guy for killing that guy, and he attacked me with his teeth instead of his fists. I saw those lifeless bloodshot, green eyes and the red drool coming from his mouth, like what they were talking about on T.V. you know? And I heard his jaw pop continuously out of place as he tried biting, I saw his face wrinkle up like an old ladies smile while it slowly started going pale. I saw his stained bloody teeth with flesh still stuck in between and I was frightened, man. I was dead frightened at the look of this guy, how his life just turned from something to nothing. How he lost his life and mind, it was terrifying, and his eyes man, that was the most scariest part. His eyes were literally nothing. Like, you could look right into his soul, at that point, I don¡¯t think he even had one. It was just an empty vessel of nothingness.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ??He kept attacking me no matter what I did, I hit him in the head, I punched his face, I broke his nose¡­ Well¡­ Off. I did everything in my power to get him off of me, even try and kill him. He started using his strength, and he started forcing me down to the ground, I thought that was it for me, then a teacher''s voice appeared and the thing propped it¡¯s head up, drool ran all over my face and the thing got off me. Then it just stood there in front of me, staring at the door. A teacher finally walked into the gym, finally came through the doors. I thought the teacher was a goner, but then I looked back at the dude standing over me and he seemed completely fine. I was the one in trouble for defending this girl from the attacker. He was sent to the nurse''s office and I was sent to the principal''s room. After he calmed down, he pinned everything on me.


    The girl was sent back to class. Fucking asshole left marks all over this girl and a bite mark on her neck. Shit was insane, I¡¯m telling you. But before we left, the lifeless body I was telling you about sat up and attacked the teacher that stayed to checking to see if he was alive. She started screaming, and when the medics arrived, one of them dropped everything and passed out while the other ran over to help the teacher.


    The first medic pulled the teacher away from the boy, and that''s when the boy got up and ran towards the medic that was passed out. Then the first medic ran back out of the building. The teacher followed the first medic. I tried telling the principal all of this, and when he went to go check out the story, everyone was gone. Ii got suspended and took off in my car.


    I have no clue what happened after that, or if the girl that got clawed and bit is okay, I don¡¯t know if the teachers are okay, or any other students. I just wanted to get the hell out of there. Never be a hero. Make that your number one rule, you just might get killed as I might¡¯ve if I stayed there.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Shut up! It¡¯s better than yours by far, on the for real, you gave like two sentences!¡± Damien yelled.


    ¡°You all are suppose to be doing chores, not talking about stupid disrespectful things like beating up people and killing. Now, if you guys don¡¯t do what you were asked, I will send you to bed hungry. Believe me when I say what I¡¯m making tonight will definitely have you regretting your actions, if you decide to carry on this little conversation. I don¡¯t think I need to repeat myself, nor do I want to waste breath doing so, today has been more than stressful, it''s been trying, it''s been demanding, it''s been dramatic, and above nothing else, it''s been more than traumatic, strenuous, and hectic, even historical if you will. So give me the respect of shutting the fuck up and doing something around the house for once. I don''t ask for much, so please, do as I say.¡± Mom lectured.


    ¡°What are you making?¡± Damien asked, changing the subject.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out later.¡± She sighed with a calm and tired voice.


    Surprised, everyone did as they were told and continued on with doing their chores. We wondering what we¡¯d be eating later on that night and thought about life itself. Everyone tried their hardest not to tell their stories, but it was becoming almost too much for anyone to handle. We started whispering to each other what had happened when walking by each other. We even passed notes from paper that seemed to emerge out of nowhere.


    Alas, after a few hours of work, and conversations that told stories that were never imaginable, the house was clean. Just as dinner started too, and we all debated on whether to continue our talk, or later that night. Damien, Aaroon and I wanted to continue talking about this, even create our own plan. But, they figured sleep was more important. Except for me, I took this situation to serious to just sleep.


    But the younger kids didn''t let their stories go, and just as we were about to start talking about it again, we heard screaming from down the road. We all shivered in our skin and mom was beginning to believe me when I said people wanted to eat us. The screaming was so loud, so powerful and so scary that we all got this feeling of our stomachs turning. I ran to the bathroom and threw up, I could only imagine what was happening. I had a weak stomach and my thoughts were to much for my stomach to handle. I continued to throw up and the more I heard the screams, the worst my stomach felt. My younger siblings began to cry, I heard them from the bathroom balling their eyes out. I wanted to hold them, I wanted to say everything would be alright. But that scream left us all wondering that night.


    But I couldn¡¯t bare to see their faces. Not just because I was dry heaving in the bathroom. But because I didn¡¯t believe everything would be alright, I believed everything was far from alright. I wanted to share so desperately what I knew, but I knew worse would happen if I did. So I sat in the bathroom and cried like I¡¯ve never cried before with the sound of my siblings crying at a distance. I felt helpless and useless, I began to feel nothing. I guess I stopped caring, I gave up on the thought of life being back to normal. I¡¯ve never experienced this feeling in my life before. Not when my father beat my brothers, not when my mom almost died from childbirth, not when my grandparents died. Never. There was pure nothing in my chest except a never ending dark weight. I was no longer crying, I was no longer sick. I was just blank, I was just existing. I looked at myself in the mirror, I could barely recognize myself. I was expressionless even though my thoughts say I''m weak.


    I sat on the ground of the bathroom and started thinking about my life, how it came to be this way, how I could be so useless. Then I vowed to myself to change, to be a fighter, to be something. Anything other than this girl that lets people walk all over her. Anything other than that person who I know would be defeated by those monsters. I wasn''t going to become another person that just simply existed. I got off the ground, wiped the tears from my face and opened the door, faking my feelings with fists in my pocket.


    I walked into the living room and watched as everyone stared at me. Then I saw another familiar soul run to the bathroom. The screaming still had no end and I sat on the couch. I blanked everything out. I stared at the wall, I could hear words being spoken to me, but I did nothing to answer them back. I gave a smile, and soon the words disappeared, concern leaving with it. Then I heard the sweet words of sadness come from my mothers mouth. It was joy to hear her words, but the words she spoke were nothing of importance. She was sad, everyone was sad, it was nothing new.


    ¡°Everyone watch T.V. or play video games alright? But don¡¯t go on the news channel, I don¡¯t need any of you listening to that. You¡¯re corrupted enough as it is. The news is a lie anyways, it only shows you things it makes you want to believe. It is poison, do you hear?¡± Mom said as the kids nodded and went along with whatever she said. They ran to the rooms with sad looks upon their faces, Damien sat beside me, clicking through the channels on the T.V.

 Chapter Four

    The screaming seemed like it never stopped, it kept me awake at night. I figured by now she''d of been dead. But I assume that wasn''t the case considering the sound of her death could still be heard. The pain she must be in is unimaginable. But her screams still made you want to rip out your own ears. None of us could sleep, so we all adventured to the dinner table, where we all were holding our ears. We all had the same thought, we wanted the screaming to end, and for it to end immediately.


    Before anyone could make another move, five shots were fired at the noise, and suddenly, everything grew silent again. I didn''t think it was possible, but hearing the silence was more sad than hearing her screams. However, both were horrible to think about, and under those circumstances, it was impossible to want either.


    After the gunshots, everyone slowly walked to their rooms. I sat on my bed trying to get the screaming out of my head, it was like a ringing that never went away. I began thinking different scenarios for what had happened to her. Maybe that girl was high and her boyfriend or husband attacked her. Maybe her son choked on something and died and came back to eat her? The possibilities were completely endless. But that screaming¡­ That screaming was one that you''d never be able to get out of your head. It would drive you crazy before you''d forget. Everyone else was probably trying to get her screams out of their heads as well. I mourned over the way she died, how she had to lose her life because of some filthy animal.


    I turned on my T.V. that night to the news. Reports came back from a local lab saying that the "Doctors" had gotten signs of sickness caused by their patients. Nausea was the first symptom they got. Then massive migraines, delusions, feeling lost, and slow progression of symptoms. None of the Doctors turned into one of those creatures yet, but something was definitely happening to them.


    They informed everybody to be alert and careful of their surroundings. They said how they think we are getting sick. They think it''s either airborne, or transmitted by body fluids. Such as being bit, kissing, sex, coughing, sneezing, or other things that revolves around passing on bodily fluids. They said anyone showing any of those symptoms should be taken to the hospital immediately for observation. The last thing the doctors said was under no circumstances, tell the government you heard anything that''s been said. Otherwise, bad things would take place, like suddenly losing your memory. I felt as if this was a video mocking the other science video on the epidemic. But it was hard to tell. After all, this video could be a way of reminding everyone of whats going on.


    The scientists believe that if this disease, or virus, or whatever this may be, if it was airborne, then that would be the end of humanity as we know it. That life would cease to exist, no one would survive. But the other scientists already ruled out the possibility of it being airborne. Along with the documents I''ve been reading. I couldn¡¯t imagine losing my life at 16, but if it''s airborne, that could very well be the case. Yet, I felt like the governments word heavily outweighs some local lab. One thing was certain regardless of what side you were on, a cure needed to be found. But no one really knew how long that could take, or if at this moment, it was even possible.


    All of a sudden, one of the patients that were supposedly announced "dead", came up and attacked the man doing a biopsy. Red lights, gunshots, and loud sounds all roared through the facility. The camera fell, and all I saw was feet running around and screaming as the camera was getting kicked around like a soccer ball. Then in the distance, a lab guy fell down and cracked his head open. His eyes bulged out of his head as blood poured. Three of the creatures surrounded him and started tearing his flesh apart. Blood splattered everywhere. The creatures peeled his skin apart and dug out his eyes. Bloody red mouths feasted on the scientist as he screamed ¡°God help us all!¡± over and over again. The only thing you could see was red, red everywhere. Then the T.V. went dead and all I heard was static.


    "Go to bed!" Mom yelled, throwing me off my bed, startled.


    "But mom," I pleaded hoping to stay up a little longer, "have you even heard what¡¯s going on at the labs? You''ve got to let me stay up and watch this! This virus, the sickness, everything that''s going on. We need to get ready for this thing!"


    "I don''t have to do anything. Go to bed before I take away everything that¡¯s in your room, your mind doesn''t need to be corrupted by the madness on this silly television screen¡­ The world may be going threw a bad thing right now, but that doesn¡¯t mean I have to allow you to watch these things. Nothing will happen to us, our city is completely save. That wall being up keeps us away from everything on the outside. You have your ancestors to think for that too.¡± My mom said as she grabbed the remote to turn off the T.V.


    ¡°But mom, our ancestors never build that wall! We did! I did, I kept a log of every day I was out there building that wall. The only reason we don¡¯t remember, that you don¡¯t remember is because the government drugged us somehow, the president himself order it! The other scientist talked about it, don''t you remember?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever talk about such nonsense to me again Elizabeth.¡± my mom walked over and slapped across the face, ¡°I don¡¯t know where your mind goes, but it¡¯s certain not in reality sometimes. The government is not like that, the president is not like that! Now get your ass to bed! Before I beat you to china.¡±


    "Okay, goodnight." I mumbled, holding my face and getting up off the floor as she walked out the door.


    A few minutes later, I could already hear the TV, flicker on in the next bedroom as my mom gasped at the sight of horror. I snuggled up in my bed and let my mind wander to the horrors. I wondered for a moment if this was just one huge hoax, I¡¯d like to think that was the case anyway. Some big movie producer pranking Defective for whatever reason. But then I realized that just wasn¡¯t the case. This was real, and everything felt like it was going a hundred miles per hour. Although I didn¡¯t feel sad or mad or even angry, I felt constantly vulnerable to the possibilities.


    "This isn''t real, everything¡¯s fake." I kept telling myself, but as the night grew longer, it got harder for me to believe. Luckily, before I realized it, I was fast asleep, and everything was peaceful for awhile. Until my alarm went off. Beep beep beep...Beep beep beep...Beep beep beep. I got up to turn it off when my mom busted in with a worried look on her face.


    She said, "Sweetie... I think you should just stay home tonight. No going out to hang with your friends or anything like that right now okay? The government made an announcement last night that everyone might be safer in their homes, and to only come out if you absolutely have to. Extra steps are being made to make the surviving states more livable. It''s a little messed up right now, but it will get better. We just have to deal with this mess for awhile, so do me a favor and no going anywhere for awhile. I¡¯m going to tell your siblings the same thing. Also, relocation is going to happen in a few days for people who are outside the wall.


    It''s not a big worry or concern yet, I just think you''d be better off inside the house than outside in the open. Plus, it gives you more time to study so you can pass your tests. A military unit is being assigned to us. They¡¯re coming to our state in a few days and checking every house out of any sign of any possible sickness. In the meantime, you''re brother went to the store to stock up on as much food as possible. Let¡¯s just hope he comes home safe and no one gets hurt. You should go back to sleep. I''ll wake you up when breakfast is made."


    "So you believe the government when they say exactly the same thing as I did, but you won''t believe me, who was in fact correct?" I said.


    ¡°Oh Elizabeth, don¡¯t be a child. I just want my children safe. I thought you were acting irrationally over the school. It¡¯s not like they teach you anything about the real life anyway, so how was I to know you were telling the truth?¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.¡°Wow, thanks mom.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry sweetie, just stay home.¡±


    ¡°But mom¡­¡± I said quietly, "Jaried and I are supposed to have our first basketball game tonight. I have to go to the game or the whole team will kick me off... I''m the only girl, and there¡¯s a lot of pressure on me right now, they are counting on me to be good. Also¡­ I don¡¯t want to be stuck with my family all day long, it¡¯s boring and it''s not like anyone pays attention to me anyway. It¡¯s cramped and always loud and annoying in this house. With all these children... I wished you¡¯d just save your income and get a bigger house."


    "I thought there was no school anyways due to the sickness that''s going around? If they can''t excuse you from one game with an issue like this going on, you don''t need to be on that team anyways. Do I make myself clear? You are staying home whether you like it or not, I don''t need you hurt. And I don¡¯t see anyone paying me to raise you disrespectful children, so I don¡¯t want any input. I have to do it all on my own, and not that it''s any of your concern, but I just got a letter in the mail telling me that there''s a house in Baker City that I can have for free, that allows most of you to have your own rooms. Damien and Jakecub¡¯s room is also outside in a barn, where they can feel more like an adult. Last I heard, we will be moving in two weeks. "


    "School events are different, the coaches are counting on us. Thanks for ignoring me though. But okay, fine, be like that then, I don¡¯t care. Can I at least play video games? Or will that be too dangerous for me too?"


    "Don''t be a smart ass with me Liz, you need to watch yourself. You¡¯re on thin ice. Play your videogames, I need to start breakfast, I love you darling and I would start packing up things you don¡¯t use if I were you."


    "Love you too, I¡¯ll start packing tomorrow."


    As my mom left my room, I started my regular morning stretches to wake me up from the long night of listening to the screaming T.V. This morning seemed especially distracting for some reason however. It was like every inch of my body said that something bad was going to happen today, that something was off or not right. I had a huge sickening feeling in my stomach that weighed me down. But since I had no visible proof of anything wrong, I decided to focus on something else that would ease my mind. Aaroon walked in as I was drawing. He sat down on my bed and started throwing things at me.


    ¡°Hey Lizzy, have anything planned? Mom told me to go keep you company.¡±


    "Yeah, I¡¯m sure she just wanted you to spy on me instead, and since when do you care what I do?¡± Aaroon asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t care at all. Just making conversation I guess. You¡¯re right though, she does want me to keep an eye on you to make sure you don¡¯t leave without her knowing. Keep up the good mind reading loser.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Aaroon? Why don¡¯t you shut up?¡±


    ¡°Whatever, big baby.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a dweeb.¡±


    ¡°Least I¡¯m not a cry baby.¡±


    ¡°Want to play some videogames? We can be on the same team if you¡¯re just going to cry about getting beat by me."


    "Fuck that! You never play fair, I hate playing videogames with you. You''re a cheater." He said.


    "It''s not cheating if you''re just that good little brother, now calm the fuck down and come play videogames with me. I need someone to hang out with and since no one is allowed to go outside, and Damien''s still at the store, you¡¯re left. It''ll be boring without you...I mean I guess anyways."


    "Yeah, no thank you. Why don''t you go ask your boyfriend to come over? I''m sure he would love to play videogames with you or something else you know, wink wink."


    "You suck Aaroon! He isn''t my boyfriend and never will be. I don¡¯t have feelings like that for him and I never will!" I yelled.


    "Geez, way to friendzone a guy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not friendzoning him. I never did feel that way for him and I¡¯m not stringing him along because he makes me feel better.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what they all say!" Aaroon yelled as he was walking away.


    Soon mom called the entire family to the dining table for breakfast. Everyone started talking about their morning, like they always did. They talked about the dreams they had, what they did differently to wake up this morning, the whole works. I found it almost always annoying, not to mention pointless and boring. However, I found it rather amusing this morning that everyone wanted to pretend that they were fine. When clearly, nobody was. I knew just as well as anyone that that screaming we heard last night ruined everyone. Everyone was thinking about it, and you could tell we were all restless from the thought of it. Although we were all awake and at the table, we still moved sluggishly in our seats.


    Once again, the feeling that something was odd swept through my body. I sat awkwardly in my seat watching the crowd of family talk among themselves as I was off on the sidelines. I felt as if I''ve become an observer in the family instead of a member. I felt like I was watching them behind glass. I watched as mom fed the twins, Jerry and Justin.  I watched as Aaroon and Jynx played with their food, and I saw Alexandra, Jasson, and Sammi play with action figures and Barbie dolls. Then I heard Jakecub come out of his room, he came to the table and mom asked him if he was going to stay for awhile. He didn''t give any kind of response and just grabbed food before walking back to his room. Sammi tried playing with him, but he pushed him away.


    As for me, I wondered if I''d even survive this epidemic. It didn''t seem likely, even though according to my journals, I did fight those creatures before, this time could be different. One wrong move and I''m dead. Luckily, I didn''t have to face those creatures yet, I wasn''t ready to either. I''ll never be ready to face those monsters, but eventually I knew I''d have to. At least, I''m sure I''d have to. No one knows what''s going to happen in the future though, maybe they find a cure before I have to fight. But I still worry. I barely touched my breakfast, I couldn''t. The odd feeling was to much for me to handle. Food make me feel sick at the thought of it.


    "What''s wrong sweetheart?" My mom said with a concerned look.


    "Nothing, I''m just thinking. I''ll be alright..." I mumbled.


    "You''ve barely touched your breakfast. It''s not like you, what¡¯s bothering you?"


    "Nothing mom! Like I said, I''m alright, when is the military unit supposed to be here?"


    "Shhh, Don''t say anything, I don''t what the kids to find out what¡¯s going on..." Mom whispered.


    ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s not like it¡¯s going to be a secret for much longer when they just all the sudden show up now will it?¡±


    "What are you guys talking about...?¡± Aaroon asked.


    "Nothing sweetie, finish your breakfast." Mom stuttered.


    "Better tell them before the military comes knocking down our door, ready to kill us all. Better coming from you than a gun in our faces." I snapped.


    "What? The military men are coming to take us away? Why? We didn¡¯t do anything." Aaroon said.


    "No honey, nothing is going to happen. We are fine. Your sister just isn¡¯t thinking right, that''s all." Mom said, glaring at me to shut up.


    "Yeah, we''re all perfect aren''t we mom? But I¡¯m the crazy one." I said as I stormed off to my room.

 Chapter Five

    I slammed the door and hit the wall in extreme frustration. I paced my room back and forth trying to calm myself, but it wasn''t helping. The bad feeling in my stomach still wouldn¡¯t go away, which was making me furious. It was like a huge dark feeling in the pits of my stomach that made me sick, I couldn''t figure out why I had that feeling. In attempt to get things off of my mind, I jumped out my my window and went to the basketball court. The walk was long and tiring, but much needed.


    I started shooting a couple of hoops with a basketball I found on the court ''til I was out of breath. Then while I was tired, I would practice my dribbling until my energy was regained. It felt like only minutes had passed, that my life had finally slowed down a bit. That this chaos might only be a dream. I was in my own world and I didn''t want to leave. But I watched as the sky slowly darkened and the stars appeared, and I realized that leaving my peaceful place was reality.


    While I was walking back home, my phone started ringing. I had forgotten that I even brought a phone with me, and it startled me for a moment. I thought it was my mom wondering where I was and I was afraid to even take the phone out of my pocket. But I sat on the sidewalk preparing myself for a lecture as I slipped out my phone. A device the government also didn''t take away. Ring ring ring. I looked at the caller ID, it was Jaried? I found it rather odd considering he never calls me unless I''m late or something bad happened. He believed phones were a waste of time and money. Which, I couldn''t say I exactly disagreed with him, phones were a pain in the butt sometimes. Still, him calling me left me worried.


    "Hey, what¡¯s up? Everything alright?" I said, suspiciously.


    "Can you come meet me? Like, now?" He said, nervously and a bit frantic.


    "My mom kind of bounded me to the house.... Are you okay?" I asked, obviously worried.


    "Can you just come? I need to tell you something important, and I rather not say it over the phone. I don¡¯t want anybody listening in. Please come meet me at our favorite place, I''ll be waiting." He said, hanging up the phone before I could even get another word in. But it sounded urgent, so I decided to go to our favorite place instead, risking my mom''s sanity, or what¡¯s left of it at least.


    This was the first time that I''ve ever snuck out of the house and stayed out late without my mother''s consent. I felt adrenaline, but I also felt anxiety. But I didn''t feel like what I was doing was wrong. Jaried was my friend, and I wanted to be there for him. So, I started my journey to our hideout more or less. And of course, it was a long walk. My legs ached from all of the exercise they''ve endured over the pass few hours. But, to make it easier on them, or harder, depending on which way you look at it, I decided to take a short cut. I jumped over a fence that led me to private property. Obviously, not the smartest idea, but the quickest way.


    "What are you doing back here!" An officer yelled, as my feet hit the ground.


    "I''m going somewhere, and I¡¯m just taking a small shortcut is all." I said.


    "First Jakecub and now you, I ought to call your mother. Tell her what''s going on with you delinquents. Get on back the way you came from. I don¡¯t want to fill out any paperwork or haul you back to the police car."


    "Then don¡¯t and just let me through."


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen. Now, don¡¯t make me chase you.¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, I have to go this way.¡±


    "I don''t care what you think you ought to do, I''m the boss around here and ain''t nobody goin'' to tell me different. Now you listen here and you listen closely, you don''t come back here again or I''ll put you in one of my jails, and that ain''t goin'' to be fun for you. This is private property. Know what that means? It means you little kids can¡¯t come around here thinking you can do whatever you want. It means, stay out."


    Before he could say anything else, I made a run for it and darted past him before he could grab me. I kept running as he ran the opposite way. And sure enough, I heard the police siren right behind me as he rode his motorbike. We spent a good few minutes of me trying to avoiding his attempts to grab me and his attempts of trying to catch me. Eventually, he grabbed a hold of the collar of my shirt. I fell into his bike causing us to fall down. He let go of my shirt and I tried pulling the bike out from under him. He went to lift up his legs to get up and I thought I was home free and able to get the bike. But as I was lifting it away, he grabbed it and started pulling it towards him. We played this type of tug-o-war for awhile before I decided to start kicking him. At this point, there was no going back. He still didn''t let go, so I rammed the bike into his face. He laid back holding his face and I was sure enough out of there. I hope Jaried makes this meeting worth it, because I''m now in more than huge trouble.


    I ran across the property to the river, splashing my warm feet into cold icy water. I made my way to the bridge and followed the train tracks to an old hotel. Man this place is even creepier walking alone I had thought. I opened room four with a key that was under the mat, and walked to the bathroom. I lifted four tiles off of the ground and jumped down into the black hole. I grabbed my phone and made light for my walkway. It was colder than usual down here and with every step I took, I heard water splashing. Jaried and I found this place one day when we were playing and being mischievous. We were to afraid to go down in the tunnels until later however. There was lots of different ways to go, but we just continued straight ahead and found at the end of the tunnel was our hangout spot. But the secret tunnel always freaked me out, kind of made me feel like I was in a cemetery full of ghosts. I kept walking until I got to the end of the tunnel and climbed up the rusty latter. I opened the hatch to an abandoned restaurant called Charlie''s All You Can Eat Cheeseburger House.


    "Jaried! Where are you?" I yelled.


    ¡°I¡¯m over here, in the building. But I don¡¯t want you coming any closer yet.¡± He said.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I have something to show you¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    "Promise me once you see me, you won¡¯t be scared? Or, you can just stay outside."


    "What¡¯s going on Jaried?" I said, worried.


    He came out of the double doors, my light shined on him and I finally understood the horrors he was talking about. Blood covered his body from head to toe and his clothes were ripped. He looked like he was the sole cause of a massacre, and his weapon of choice was a knife. I tried saying a word, any word, as my eyes widened. But my brain couldn''t comprehend the sight I was seeing. He looked terrified as his face morphed into the color of a ghost. My immediate thought was that someone had stabbed him and he was bleeding out. But then I wondered why he didn''t just go to the hospital. I was confused and terrified all at the same time, but I felt as if I was frozen in place, and that time was a myth. He started crying, and if the blood wasn''t enough to confirm that something bad had happened, his tears were.


    "What the hell happened to you!? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" I frantically asked.


    "I had to do it, I just had to! I had no choice Liz!" He yelled, terrified.


    "Do what? What did you have to do Jaried? What happened?"


    "If I didn''t do it, I would have been killed, my siblings would have died. You have to understand."


    "Please tell me what¡¯s going on, did your dad do something? I¡¯ll understand, I promise."


    "Okay¡­¡± He said, crying. Trying to regain his composer. ¡°I was in my room like always, listening to music, minding my own business when I heard my mother screaming. At first, I thought it was my abusive father hurting my mom again because he came in drunk. I ran out to try and stop him. But it turned out, he wasn''t hitting her, he was trying to bite her. I watched as my mom tried her hardest to get him off her. This wasn''t her normal terrified look either. He was growling, he was relentless, and I was confused. I tried throwing him off, but he was too strong for me, he pushed me down on the ground. I got up and ran back into my room, grabbing a metal bar off of my window, then ran back out and hit him upside the head. He got up and looked at me, growling. He started walking towards me, I looked into his eyes and all I saw was rage and vacancy. My heart pumped fast. I ran to the kitchen and grabbed a big knife, I knew this wasn''t him. This wasn''t my dad. He started growling again and went to charge me. I didn''t even know what happened. He ran straight into the knife. I let go of the handle and backed away. All I saw was blood gushing everywhere, from him. Then I looked at my mom, laying there motionless. Blood coming out of her neck. It turned out he had taken a hand sized chunk of flesh out of her neck. It was horrifying, I ran towards her, trying to cover up her neck with my hands. But the blood just kept gushing out and spraying on me. Blood was everywhere."


    He stopped talking and dropped to the ground. He mumbled some words that were inaudible, then fell silent. Tears flowed down his face as he stared blankly at the ground. Sirens could be heard from down the road along with distant footsteps not far from the restaurant. I went over and tried to pick up Jaried, but he wouldn''t move. I started shaking him and slapping him over and over again, but he was unresponsive. It was like his soul had left his body almost.


    "We need to go, get up!" I yelled, but there was no answer. "Dude, the cops are coming. We need to hide."


    He looked at me with a blank stare, his eyes full of tears. I forced him up off the ground and pushed him into the restaurant. I closed the double doors and locked them. Jaried and I had the keys to the restaurant. We stole them one night from the business owner, which was one of the reasons the place went out of business. Of course, I felt bad for being one of the primary causes for his bankruptcy, but if that hadn''t happened, we wouldn''t have a place to hide now. Unfortunately, I didn''t have the keys with me, so I couldn''t get into the managers room to hide.


    After we got into the store, Jaried started rambling on again with his story as if nothing had happened. He was mentally unstable right now, but there was nothing I could do. Not to mention, the heat inside the restaurant made me feel like I was dying and I was panicking. All I knew was that I didn''t want to be caught by the police.


    "I got up and there was a puddle of blood around my feet. I turn around to see my dad, I stabbing him, the knife was still in his body, and it didn''t seem to even phase him. So I waited for him to approach me and took the knife that was in his stomach out and I stabbed him in the neck over and over and over again. But then he grabbed me, I fell, and he got on top of me, trying to bite my neck. The knife flew out of my hand, so I started punching him in the face and choking him!"


    "Jaried,¡± I interrupted, ¡°you can''t talk so loud, the cops will hear you."


    "Sorry, I¡­ I," He said, continuing "my mom, she got up and tackled him. I was so stunned that I got up and ran for the door. But as my hand touched the doorknob, I remembered my siblings in the other room. I turned around and ran for their room when he tackled me... I hit the ground so hard I became dizzy and the air flew out of my lungs. But I fought off the feeling of passing out as best as I could, remembering that my life was in stake and my siblings. I knew if I didn''t kill him now, he was going to kill me first. That this would''ve been the end for me, and possibly my siblings. So I did what had to be done. I grabbed a cord right next to me and wrapped it around his neck," he took a long pause and almost started crying again, but I beat him to the tears. "I pulled hard on the cord, as hard as I could. I started hearing cracking, then soon his head just fell off and rolled on the floor right next to the fireplace. Blood went everywhere like a fountain, and I just laid there, letting it fall on me and letting my clothes soak it all up. I couldn¡¯t believe what I had just done, or what I had just saw. His eyes just had¡­ Had madness in it and death, all he wanted was to kill me. I wasn¡¯t even his son anymore, I didn¡¯t exist to him. I killed someone..."


    I threw up from everything he was telling me, there was way too much detail, and it only added onto the panic that I was already feeling. He grabbed a hold of me tight, I felt as if his grip was leaving bruises on me, but I didn''t care. We cried together until he started talking about his experiences again. I couldn''t take it anymore, I stopped him. I didn''t want to imagine what he had been through. I didn''t want to imagine that this drug had affected his family.


    "My mom sat on the ground and picked me up, holding me. She cried, I could feel her blood pouring down my neck. It was warm, it was thick. She started whispering in my ear, she said she could feel the poison going through her body and that I needed to get out of here. She told me to get my siblings. Her voice trembling and gargling through the blood that was filling her mouth. I could feel her grip on me getting weaker, and her body slowly fell back. I held on to her, crying. I looked at her face, it was completely expressionless. Her eyes were vacant. I wiped the tears from my face and got up. I heard a door opening slowly and a soft voice come from the room. It was my little brother. My voice was weak as I told him to stay there. I looked at myself, covered in blood and I walked to the room. My body felt so weak, but I knew I couldn''t stay in this house. I walked into the bedroom, my siblings face said it all. They were scared. All I could manage to say was to put something over their eyes as I packed up some of their things.


    Before we left, I made sure all of their eyes were covered, and we walked out of the house. I watched as they took off their blindfolds as soon as we got outside and ask questions that I didn''t have the answer to. I looked back at the house and realized that I wanted a picture of my mom to keep. I went back inside making sure my siblings stayed inside. But I noticed my mom was twitching. I knew she was dead, I knew she was, so I couldn''t figure out why she was twitching. When she got up, I knew it was going to end the same way. I walked over to the bloody knife and picked it up, watching as she got up. She started walking towards me, her body slanted, I kept telling her to stop walking, but she wouldn''t. I cried for her to please stop. I didn''t want to hurt her. But she lunged towards me anyway." He paused again and I took my chance to finally stop the conversation.


    "Stop, stop, stop... I know what happens next, it''s okay, and you don''t have to explain to me."


    "Please don''t think I''m a killer, I didn''t mean to. I didn¡¯t want to hurt her. I love my mother."


    "I understand, you did what you had to do. Okay, oh my god, what are you guys going to do? Where are you guys going to go?"


    "I was hoping we could come to your place¡­?"


    Our conversation was interrupted by the police banging on the restaurant door. We both jumped up in panic, and his siblings who were with him started to cry. I helped grab all of their stuff and told Jaried to hide his siblings. I looked at the blood and then looked at the door of policemen trying to get in, there was no time to clean it up. I ran into the bathroom peering out of the door into the lobby, waiting for them to finally bust open the door. I heard a bang and assumed they were in, the first thing they saw was the puddle of fresh blood and called for backup. They started searching the area cautiously with their guns. I saw Jaried slowly getting up and I tried motioning for him to sit back down. But with it being dark in here, and me trying to be silent, he didn''t hear me. I watched as he hit one of the cops upside the head and told his siblings to run into the tall grass.


    The next thing I heard was bullets being fired and the flash from the guns. I ran out of the bathroom and grabbed Jaried, getting us behind the counters of the restaurant. I slapped him as hard as I could and told him that this wasn''t a battle zone, that he might of just cost us our lives. The shock swept across his face and he started crying again. While the police were occupied, I went over to the passed out cop and grabbed his gun. I went back behind the counter and grabbed Jaried. I was about to sneak our way out when another cop grabbed a hold of me. It was almost as if instinct hit me and I turned around in a split second and shot the cop in his neck. The cop fell down, holding his neck and all the other cops started shooting where we were at. I ran back into the bathroom with Jaried following me. The shooting had stopped for a moment. I knew they were slowly making their way to the bathroom.


    I knew we had to get out now or we would be dead. I looked around the bathroom door expecting there to be some kind of window, but there was none. I looked up at the ceiling to see a vent. I told Jaried to pick me up and bring me as close as he could to the vent. When he did, I crawled through. He climbed up the stalls and waited for me to help grab him. When I got a hold of him, I pulled him up and we both crawled through the vent. The cops were now in the bathroom and noticed we weren''t there. When they realized there was a vent, they started shooting at the ceiling, but we had already crawled far enough away. One of the cops inside the bathroom yelled at the other cops in the lobby to start shooting at the vents. As soon as he said that, it seemed like a thousand bullets were poking through the vent. Luckily we weren''t to far away from the fan that leads to the outside of the building. We managed to not get shot long enough that I was able to knock out the fan and fall out of the vent.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    As soon as we both got grounded, we headed for the tall grass, looking for his siblings. When we found them, we headed for the highway. The cops were hot on our trail and the branches that broke beneath our feet loudly, didn''t help us in our escape. Not to mention, by now they had their dogs chasing after us.


    Cars were going left and right on the highway, I looked behind us to see the cops getting closer. I darted out in front of vehicles and heard screeching as breaks slammed to a stop all around me. But I didn''t stop, Jaried soon followed. When we got to the other side, we all heard a loud boom behind us. I could only imagine a huge car wreck had taken place. However, the cops were no longer chasing us. We kept walking until we found an abandoned car in the middle of nowhere. I made the call that we all should stay there for the night as we crawled in. It was cold, but we all cuddled up to one another. I could smell the dried blood of Jaried''s cloths, but I ignored the stench as I tried to sleep.


    A few hours later I heard the cops run by, I guess they were still looking for us. But they didn''t realize we were in the car. I waited for a few minutes and woke up the others. I didn''t want to chance them seeing us on their way back and we started to get out of the car until I saw a tow truck. I told everyone to get back into the car and hide in the trunk of the car. In about a half hour, the tower got everything hooked up and started driving away. I sighed as I listened to the sound of the road. I ended up falling asleep for a minute or two until the tower got to his destination.


    The owner and the tower talked for a few minutes before they departed. I slowly got back into the cab of the car and peeked out, I watched until the owner went back inside and I told everyone to get out again. When we all got out of the car, I noticed there was blood on the seat from Jaried''s clothes. I sighed again, and we quickly walked away from the car. None of us talked until I brought up a question that he had asked me while we were at the restaurant.


    "You know... My mom would never allow you to come to our house and stay right? Especially with a situation like this. She doesn''t even let you hang out with me at home when she is there. Also, I hope no one notices, but your clothes are really bloody, and someone might think you''re dangerous, or that something is wrong."


    "Please just talk to her, otherwise we''re dead..."


    "Okay, fine... But first, we have to find our way home."


    "Yeah, that was close... You know? Back there? If we got caught, we would of been dead."


    "Yeah, I know. That¡¯s why we didn''t get caught, all because of me. I''m always the brains in situations like this."


    "Whatever, if you''re so smart then where are we right now?"


    "Lets just say we are far from home, that''s all."


    While we walked back towards the highway, an old friend of my mom''s pulled over and had us get in. She kept looking at Jaried but she said nothing. I finally got tired of her silent wonder and I explained to her that he worked in a butcher house and blood was common. Jaried then laughed and agreed, he started talking about the "process" and she cut him off when it started getting gruesome. "He didn''t get the chance to clean up when he got a call from his mom saying she''d drop off the kids at the butcher house. She said his dad wasn''t doing well and my mom offered for them to stay at our house. But she couldn''t pick him up so I offered to walk over and get him. But we kind of got lost. Do you remember where we live?" I added on.


    "Yes, I think I remember the place. Blue house right?" She asked.


    "You''d be correct." I said.


    She gave a concerned smile but drove us over to my house anyway. When I got home, before I could even got close to opening the door, my mom ran out screaming at me. Telling me to get inside and that I was this terrible child. But the flow of insults quickly stopped when she saw the sight of Jaried. She ran over to him and asked him what was wrong. I took the little kids inside and set up a place for them to sleep in my younger sibling¡¯s room. I could tell that they wanted to cry, but they were too afraid to do so. I left the room sitting on the couch waiting for my mom and Jaried to get through talking. It sounded like for once in my moms life, she didn''t know what to do. At one point, I heard them both crying on the front porch.


    Around eight they both came in, my mom walked to her room with tears stained on her face and new ones forming in her eyes. "Elizabeth, get Jaried some fresh clothes and a towel, your friend and his siblings are going to stay with us. Also, make a bed for him here in the living room for him to sleep."


    I did as she said and while Jaried was talking a shower, and his blood stained clothes were being washed, my brother Damien walked through the door. He had groceries in both of his hands, he looked at me and said ''Help.'' Before falling to the ground. The groceries scattered the floor and I ran to him. Blood covered his body.


    My mother ran out of her room and started screaming at the sight of him. My ears stung with her loud, horrific screech. I yelled for her to shut up, but nothing would stop her until she had passed out from lack of oxygen.


    Damien smirked before talking. "Well, I got some groceries at least." He said in a joking manner, his face turning a shade of white.


    Everyone was shocked by the sight of Damien as they came out of their rooms wondering why my mom was screaming. I touched Damien, surprisingly he was cold. Jaried ran out of the bathroom holding a towel over himself and ran over to Damien. He put the towel over Damien''s gunshot wounds and tried to stop the bleeding. Surprised, I looked at Jaried''s junk. I''d never seen a male genital before in person. Jaried started talking to me, but I couldn''t focus on anything other than his penis. Aaroon yelled at me and I shook my head, repeating ''What?''. Jaried repeated that he thought Damien was going to be fine. Damien started screaming as Jaried put pressure on his stomach when Jakecub sprung out of the door. Damien fell unconscious.


    "Stop! You''re hurting him... He can''t take the pain, he gets beat up three days a week at this fight club. I have to carry him back home, this is too much for him!" Jakecub announced.


    "Jake shut the hell up, I''m okay." Damien weakly said, as he was falling in and out of consciousness.


    "Dude! You''re not, last week you got thrown against the wall and was out for hours. I thought you were dead in that alley until you woke up. Just let him rest, you need to rest!"


    "Excuse me! You mean to tell me you go to fight clubs? Do you know how stupid that is and irresponsible that is? Especially at a time like this with everyone getting sick and an Army unit coming down here to make sure everyone is safe?" I yelled, feeling a bit of Deja Vu as I realized I sounded exactly like my mother. "You know what they could do? They could take away Damien with all of these bruises and these gunshots if they see him."


    "Let''s take him to the hospital then." Aaroon said.


    "Are you crazy? He will surely die if we take him there! With all of the sick people, he will probably die in a few days. You can''t take him to the hospital, he needs to stay here." I yelled.


    "I''ll get him to the room and you can clean his wounds okay Liz? As for everyone else, get the groceries in the house. That might be a target on our back that we don''t want. If he isn''t better tomorrow, we need to take him to the hospital. Aaroon, wake up mom."


    Everyone rushed out to the car to get the groceries inside as Jakecub and I dragged Damien into the bedroom, placing him on the bed.


    "I''m cold, I''m so cold." Damien announced as he briefly woke up from being unconscious again. I began dressing his wounds when he started having a seizure out of nowhere.


    "You''re body is going into shock from all the blood you¡¯ve lost." I replied.


    ¡°Is he going to die?¡± Jakecub asked.


    ¡°No, but we need to keep his body from moving so he doesn''t hit anything. He really needs to be in the hospital but right now, I don¡¯t know if that would be such a good idea. His organs could be in danger, maybe the bullets are shifting, or he lost to much blood. I don''t know. He has another bullet that went through his shoulder, and one embedded in his leg. Which isn''t as bad, but still not good.¡±


    ¡°What do we do?¡±


    ¡°We need to stop the bleeding and find out if the bullet is shifting through his body. Hopefully they didn''t do any damage. How do we figure all of this out? I don¡¯t exactly know either.¡±


    When Damien stopped shaking, I checked to see if he was okay. His stomach wounds didn''t seem that deep, but I was still afraid that there was damage done to his organs. I covered him up with a blanket after stopping his bleeding and he fell asleep for the last time. He had sweat pouring down his face, but his face started relaxing after awhile. ¡°Jakecub, stay with him twenty-four seven, if he gets any worse whatsoever you tell me right away. Okay? He looks fine for now, but he can¡¯t bleed anymore. Wash the sweat off his face and make sure he doesn''t get a fever." I said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he will be glued to my hip. Or more like I will be glued to his.¡±


    I softly smiled before walking back out into the living room, I felt like I was a doctor about to tell a family bad news. Everyone was staring back at me, even people who weren''t part of my family were concerned. A crowd of blue and brown eyes waited desperately for my every word.


    "He''s going to be okay for now, I promise." I said, hearing my mom sigh in relief.


    "Oh thank God, what a relief... I thought something bad was going to happen." My mom said with tears rolling down her cheeks and her hands shaking.


    "You''re welcome mom. Why don¡¯t I go make dinner for tonight?" I had asked as my tummy was growling, hoping that no one else heard it.


    "Oh no honey, let me do that, it¡¯s not your job.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? It wouldn¡¯t be a problem, I know how much you must¡¯ve been through tonight. What all of us have been through tonight. I¡¯m terrified to even.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure, go do something productive and I will be alright. Okay honey? I almost forgot all about dinner, I was so freaked out. There was so much going on that I didn''t even think of dinner, I bet you all are very hungry from all this fright. What do you all want to eat?"


    Everyone began blurting out all of their favorite foods that they wanted for dinner. I watched as my mom became overwhelmed with requests. The look of panic overflowed her facial expressions. She tried her best not to show that anything was wrong with her, but I could always see through her act. I could tell that she wanted to cry, this wasn''t helping her, it was just making her feel worse. But I couldn''t do anything, I felt as useless as my mom did in this kind of situation. Not to mention, all the yelling made it hard to think, and the arguing didn''t make the yelling any easier.


    "Hey guys!" I yelled in attempt to ease the situation. "Why don''t we all calm down and put our requests in a hat, then mom will pick one out of all the rest. Whichever one she picks will be our dinner tonight alright? Now settle down!"


    No one noticed I had said anything over all the yelling, not even my mom. I was like a ghost in a crowd of people. I figured it was useless to try doing anything else and I sat in the corner, watching the chaos take place in front of me. Jaried then walked out of my room holding a guitar and handed me a piece of paper with a chicken recipe on it.


    "Hand this to your mom while I play the guitar for the littler kids. I know your mom and you are going through a lot. I just want to make it a little bit easier for you guys and help out. Considering your mom was kind enough to let me stay here with you guys." He began playing an old song that pretty much everyone knew while I handed mom the recipe. All the little kids sang as loud as they could to the song.


    I watched as everyone enjoyed his company and laughed with him. He could take away all of their pain. I looked down at myself, I felt worthless in my own skin. "The recipe is what Jaried''s mom use to cook for them during special occasions, it''s there favorite dish I believe. You should cook it, this might give everyone a little bit of a reason to be happy tonight. I guess?" I informed my mom.


    ¡°Thank you sweetie, I appreciate you bringing this to me. Thank you again for your bravery, I¡¯m very proud of you.¡± My mother said wiping a tear from her face and giving me a hug.


    I was amazed, this was the first time my mom and I have ever hugged in what seemed like years. Not to mention, this was the first time in awhile that I seemed to of gotten recognition for what I had done. It made me feel better about myself momentarily. I only wished this kind of acceptance and visibility was shown more often to me. Maybe then I wouldn¡¯t feel so shitty most of the time throughout the day.


    After awhile, Jaried was through with playing his guitar, and everyone went and did their own thing. Whether it was singing or dancing, or help with the cooking, the list was endless. Then there was me, sitting on the couch in my own little world in this chaotic house. I got up and walked outside, I watched as the rain poured down on the concrete and everything became gloomy. I loved the rain, when I was a little kid I use to think someone had died and the angels were crying for them because no one else was. I liked that thought because that meant someone actually cared for them.


    But now it doesn¡¯t seem like there are angels, or anyone who does care out in this world that is bigger than life really. Will the rain fall for me when I¡¯m gone? Only then will I know the truth about everything that I¡¯ve ever wandered in this lifetime.

 Chapter Six

    I continued to blocked out everything that was going on around me and focused on the soaked road ahead. But for some reason, something told me something wasn''t right. That something bad was going to happen. I didn''t know what it could be, but the feeling still nagged at me. In my chest, in the pits of my stomach, making me feel sick and anxious. I just wanted the feeling to go away.


    I kept watching the road, my eyes fixated on every movement, waiting for something to go wrong. Each minute that went by, my feeling got worse. I was starting to think it was all in my head. The last time this happened though, nothing good came out of the experience. It was like a sixth sense I had. I knew when something bad was going to happen. But I never started paying attention to the feeling, and it never got worse as time went on until now. I guess this ability of mine got stronger.


    A bright light became visible on the road. The lights powerful beams covered the entire road, piercing homeowners eyes. I could feel the heat of the lights from where I stood. The heat engulfed me in its presence and sent chills down my spin. The sound of rumbling followed the light behind it, making all the houses shake and glasses break. The gravel shook as well, it looked like popcorn when it was popping in an oven.


    The vehicle stopped in the middle of the road and a group of people got off, shadowing the light. It looked like the shadows were dancing on houses as they walked around. I could hear yelling, but no words were made out. When he stopped yelling, the group of people started running to every house, their gear clanking against their body. The only thing I could think of was that they were the Army units sent here to help protect us and fight off the sickness. But I didn''t think they would get here so quickly. And as some of the men got closer to our house, the more I noticed they weren''t wearing normal military uniforms. These guys were wearing steel black gear.


    The weaponry they had seemed more technology advanced and more durable. They wore a helmet that covered half their face, but I didn''t know why, or what the advantage of that was. They also had a device on their forearm that they looked at whenever they went up to someone''s house and screened them.


    They had a routine when they got to reach house. Knock three times, wait three seconds, and if no answer, they bust the door down. Once the doors were either kicked down or opened, they demanded to look through the house and didn''t wait for an okay. As another person screened the family members. When they did find something or someone of question, they would drag it out of the house. At this point, if the person or item showed to much resistance, the group would waste no time shooting it. They also killed any household pets without hesitation. Which in return caused more resistance.


    I heard lots of screaming and sounds of pain and panic from the neighborhood. The most verbal insult was "I will kill you if you touch me." And "I am an important person to this community, you can''t touch me." However, the violent nature didn''t last long when they started to realize the more you acted up, the worse of a beating or rather killing you''d receive. There was at least twenty people who died. And I knew this type of forceful behavior was happening on every street.


    I think whoever these people were, should have been more focused on the real threat instead of us people trying to do the best job we could at living in a situation like this. There was an actual threat right outside our doorstep, and it wasn''t humans. But that didn''t stop X''s from being put on affected houses and people dying.


    There was something else I noticed as well, if your house got approved of being virus free, they brought in a few survivors from another location. I looked down the street a bit and watched as a family got a group of six survivors stuffed in their home. This particular family already had eight kids, along with three elderly people, and four adults.


    Mom eventually stopped attending to dinner and stepped to the window beside me. When she noticed someone walking up to the door, she quickly walked over to it and opened it before it was knocked on. The man came through our door. He smiled and greeted us as he stood at the doorway. He had a noticeably large gun at his side that I couldn''t take my eyes off of. The guy walked around, he had this calm nature about him and he wasn''t in a hurry like the others. I looked outside and some men stopped and chuckled as they looked inside our home. I started feeling uneasy about him being here. However, my mom awed at his seemingly perfect structured face, and his well-built body. She was more than fine with his present here.


    He walked slowly into every room, checking everything to the smallest crack in the wall, making sure everyone was to his expectations. He shifted through papers, books, closets, clothing, anything that could cause any trouble. When he got to my older brothers room, he started yelling. He grabbed Damien who then started yelling at the top of his lungs.


    His wounds split open again and his shirt soaked with blood. Sweat poured down his face, mixed with tears. I could only imagine how much pain he must''ve been in. My mom then started screaming to let her baby boy go, but that only made his grip get tighter around Damien''s wrist. He began to yell a loud roar, "What is this!" he demanded an answer, "if he turns, you will all be done for, the whole town even, why is he here? Why isn''t he in the hospital? You¡¯re just asking to be torn into pieces you know. I¡¯ve seen what happens, have you?! If you did, you wouldn''t be so stupid." My mom tried uttering words, anything. But I don''t know if she was to scared, or angry, or at a loss for words to say anything.


    "Those things! They are relentless and evil, they attack and kill until there is nothing left. Is that who you want your boy to be? When they bite you, they¡¯re saliva burns, it burns so bad, and you think lava is coursing through your body. You hate every moment of it, and when you turn, you know nothing but wanting to feast on human flesh. How stupid can you people be?" "He doesn''t do drugs. He isn''t like them, he wasn¡¯t bit." I said.


    "Do you have any supplies to take care of a wound like this? The work looks like a third grader stitched him up. What if he gets a fever, dies from this! You aren''t ready!"


    "What happens if we did bring him to the hospital huh? You guys would''ve killed him."


    "Don¡¯t yell at my son or anyone else in this house like that. Got it? He wasn''t hurt by one of those things out there either... He was hurt by one of our own stupid and retarded people. People who are too inconsiderate to care about anyone else or there needs but themselves. With destruction in their hearts they are just like the ones killing us and too high to know otherwise. Frankly¡­ I think that once all of those dumb assholes die off, and those things run the earth, this place will be much better. Because at least we can kill those things out there, the ones high. I¡¯m sure I could survive with them around, but destructible people, I can''t." My mother had responded added.


    "Don¡¯t you dare tell me what to do bitches!¡± He walked up and slapped my mom across the face, he hit her so hard that she flew across the floor. ¡°I''m the man who controls these streets and I don¡¯t take orders from idiotic, sad excuses for mothers, nor pathetic ad weak children. The bullets that shot this boy could''ve been covered in that drug. I should just kill him right here right now in front of you all.


    Maybe that would teach you a thing or two. Then, maybe I should kill each and every one of you for your idiocy!¡± He points a gun at my brothers head. ¡°Why not right now? I should do it, put a bullet right in his head while I watch you beg for his life. Maybe it will teach you all a lesson to not mess with the devil. It isn¡¯t that hard to comprehend that there is real danger going on in this world. Otherwise they wouldn¡¯t have hired such noble and highly educated, not to mention the most physically strong people to do this job, kill them off. We have our own army, all these men you see are the strongest you¡¯ll ever meet, they''re the smartest boys you''ll ever see. Everyone else is nothing compared to us. We have a duty to protect you weak people! As sad as that is. If it was up to me, I''d let you all die. And I am sure as hell as not going to let a stupid bitch destroy my reputation." He smirked as I helped my mother to her feet, giving him the evilest eye I could.


    He walked up to me, standing high and tall, holding his gun firmly in his hands, looking me straight in the eye. He smiled, put one of his hands in his pocket, spit on our floor and then moved his head forward, closer to me. ¡°What are you looking at child? You are nothing, you mean nothing to nobody. Don¡¯t you dare even look at me.¡± His face turned bright with anger.


    "Stop! Don''t you dare lay a hand on my daughter!" A man came in and yelled.


    "Oh, this is your daughter or something? I didn¡¯t know and I don¡¯t care. You shouldn''t protect people who don''t deserve it, as for... I¡¯m guessing your son? He needs to die before everybody else does. This is our job and you know it! Whether you like it or not, I will not have my job or life on the line because of this filthy little diseased kid. In fact all these kids should die, this is a small house anyways and we have real survivors who need a home to live in. Why not kill a few for fun? These babies don''t need to live here. In this world. They can even be a snack later for today if we like. Num num."


    "Matter of fact he is my kid, all of those are my kids! If you were observant, you''d see that he has the same birthmark on his arm as me, and the same facial features. This is a spitting image of me when I was younger. If you paid any attention whatsoever from being in the same room with me for ten years, you''d know this is where I grew up. Where I fell in love with this goddess of a woman that I see you¡¯ve hit. In which I believe you owe her a apology. Give her the respect she deserves and not call her or my kids, these filthy words that spilt from your disgusting mouth. It only makes you the seed of the devil. It''s saddening for God to even suggest creating someone like you.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ??Now if anyone is going to kill my son, it will be by my hands, when and if it needs to be done. Now go before I kick your ass into the smallest pulp there is and report you to the general and have you suspended. I''m not afraid to gut you where you stand and watch as blood pours from your body and every bone in your body is shattered. This was uncalled for, behavior and all. You know it, everyone else knows it. There''s no excuse to treat anyone the way that you do. I won¡¯t tell you this again believe me, next time I will take the necessary actions that will be needed to end you. We don''t need someone that promotes what we are trying to kill in this country. Now go Jason."


    ¡°You can¡¯t fire me!¡±


    ¡°Oh no no Jason, no means do I want to fire you! However, do not test me! I have the ability to have you fired and killed if I so well as please among so much more. Get your ass out of this building before I make you do it, or so God help me you are dead! Do your job and bring a couple survivors in here.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you dude! You tell me I am a poor excuse for a human being? Why don¡¯t you look at yourself, you''re inhuman. Diseased and sick. You''ll never make it out there. The worse you ever did was kidnap someone. You''ve never felt the bones of someone''s face crack of the person you used to love under your first. You''re weak. You can go to hell for all I care, you and your family. I hope you die in this battle, I hope I get the honor of seeing you weak on the battlefield, traumatized, and begging for help. So that I can laugh at your existence, and leave you to rot. ¡±


    ¡°Excuse me boy? What the fuck did you say to me boy?¡± My father said, walking up to him with an angry face, looking like he was going to kill the guy.


    ¡°You heard me!¡± he responded


    ¡°Oh, what? You don¡¯t like me nice, close, and personal hu? Well to bad!¡± My supposed father responded pushing the guy to the ground. The armor clanked loudly, along with a house rumbling boom.


    The angry guy sat there for a second rethinking what he was going to do. You could tell he wanted to go for my dad but he didn¡¯t, he knew better than to fight him. Before he could make another move, my dad said once again in a more calmer voice to get out. He stared at my dad with a blank angry red face for a moment and then my dad once again repeated himself. The guy finally decided to get up and leave. On his way out, he kicked the trash can and spit on the floor like a child. His face was as red as a strawberry as he stormed out of the house, creating booming sounds beneath his feet.


    I looked at the man claiming to be our father, he looked worried that everyone was looking at him with a disgusted look on their faces. But we were rather more scared than disgusted. Least I was, I was terrified, but raging with curiosity. Where has he been this entire time? Kidnapping? Would be be staying here?


    My mother''s face was beyond disgusted, she looked as furious if not more furious than the man that had showed up at our door, almost killing Damien. She paced for a bit and crossed her arms, the wheels in her head visibly turning. She started to cry in frustration but wiped off the tears and turned to Damien to see if he was okay.


    "Is that true?" Damien gasped out, "is he really my father? I haven¡¯t seen him in years, what happened to him? Where did he go? Why hasn¡¯t he talked to us? Mom why? Why?" He was looking at my mom with tears welling up in his eyes little by little, panicking at his feet.


    "Yes, honey, I''m afraid this is your father¡­¡± She said sighing in sadness and regret.


    ¡°He left because there was some business he had to take care of, all the other questions I have no clue about..."


    "He kidnapped someone? That isn''t business. That''s a crime." I said.


    "So you lied to me? You lied to everyone? You told me that he was dead! You lied! Why did you lie? And dad, why haven¡¯t you shown up? or talked, or wrote, or anything? I''m your son, Liz is your daughter. I could be dead right now and you weren¡¯t even there to protect me. Answer me dad! Why did you leave! I needed you, I needed my father more than anything in this world!" He screamed as loud as his lungs could take him.


    "It was for your own good Damien, I didn''t want you to get your hopes up of seeing your father one day. I didn¡¯t want you thinking that he didn¡¯t love you either, or... Or that he had abandoned you, or anything like that. I did that for everyone, I didn¡¯t want anyone to get hurt. He did abandoned us though, all of us without even saying goodbye. He had no time for you or anyone else except himself anyway. I didn''t think he would come back and I didn''t think we would ever see him again. I didn''t want you to be sad if you never saw your father in your life or if he happened to die in the military." My mother responded.


    "So you wanted us to forget about him, forget his existence? It''s not your job to protect us from him. We can do that ourselves." I responded.


    "How could you? How could you do that? He''s our father!"


    "Actually, for the record, we aren''t the military. We''re something much more serious, ad dangerous. But it¡¯s easier to call us the military I guess¡­¡± My father interrupted and then continued speaking. ¡°But son, you have to calm down. I didn¡¯t mean to do that to you or anyone else, I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t there, or the father you wanted or even needed for that matter. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t write you letters, visit you on your birthday, was there when you needed me. I never went to everyone¡¯s school events or taught anyone to play basketball, or hunt, or do any of those other fatherly things. That is not your mother''s fault though and do not treat her like it is, if you want to be angry with someone, be angry with me! Son, I promise you I will be here from now on, no matter what happens, I will be a father for you from now on. It¡¯s late, you¡¯re like what? Eighteen now? But I''m finally here. It''s okay! I''m here, and that''s all that matters." The man said keeping his eyes on Damien''s eyes like a tamer trying to keep a wild animal relaxed and under control.


    "Who said anything about you staying?" mom said.


    "Well why..." He started saying before getting interrupted by Damien.


    "Shut up! Why should he have to leave just because you''re stupid... Why should he have to be out there where it''s not safe. He needs a home, he needs us, I need him. Jakecub needs him. He is staying. He..." The man stopped Damien from finishing his sentence while my brother was in the mist of a panic attack.


    "Now wait a minute there boy, don''t you dare ever speak to your mother like that again. Plus, I am highly trained. I could live out there if I wanted to. But you show that women who birthed you some respect, you hear me boy? I may be your father but I don''t accept this kind of behavior, understand? I''ll beat your ass before you ever speak to that women like that again. Now you need some medical attention, should I call some of my guys to come and take care of you? Those look pretty bad..."


    "Fuck you! Don''t speak to me that way. You¡¯ve never been in my life, you have no right." Damien said as he stumbled onto his feet and carried himself back to his room.


    ¡°Yes, get him some medical attention, he needs it.¡± Mom responded.


    Everyone became silent and looked at each other in amazement. Damien has never gotten that angry since Jakecub and him got into a fight over a girl and Jakecub ended up with the girl. Damien loved that girl and he would do anything for her, but now they are both single. Damien had thrown Jakecub out the window and busted his face up, and now it seems he has done the same but instead with words not actions.


    I guess there really wasn''t anything anyone could do besides stare at the scene that had just took place before our eyes. The man stood in anger and turned to my mom, she was crying and I could see he wanted to hug her and say it was all okay but he knew it would be best not to at a time like this. He was beginning to ask something when my mom said he could stay here if he needed a place to stay. His face lit up in joy regardless of what had taken place, and he set his gun down and took some of his armor off. He thanked our mother as he walked to the front door that was still open, to get some more gear from his patrol car. As he walked out the door, he pulled out a Qek phone and called for someone to come down here and help Damien. He started arguing with the person on the phone but the further away he got, the less I could hear the conversation.


    Two male couples with two children walked into the home and said that they had to stay here. They held up a paper so that we could see that they were told they had to be here. One of the children they had with them was a newborn boy. Maybe six weeks old. Supposedly when the mother died at the hospital at one of the partially run down cities, they gave custody to the male couple who were going to get custody anyways whether the mother was alive or dead. The other boy was the son of the bearded man with glasses. The son was seven years old. He was a very shy boy, but the father of him seemed to be the opposite.


    The other male, or the boyfriend of the bearded man was rather scrawny and he said he had Cerebral Palsy. Every three minutes he had a muscle spasm and every time he talked, he slurred. Most of the time you could understand him though. The couple also displayed huge affection towards one another. Always kissing and holding each other.


    After a few minutes, our father walked back inside, he seemed happier than before and said that soon Damien would be in much better health than ever before. Which was great given the fact that he could still die, more than ever now. He then greeted the survivors that would be staying with us. My father also looked around and then said two things. ¡°One, it''s cramped in here, and we should get you all into a new home, and two, there are four kids that don¡¯t come from my family and four kids that are not my blood. So who¡¯s the father of them?¡±


    ¡°Well, in less than two weeks we will be all moving to Baker City.¡± my mom said.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go now? Everyone pack up your bags, we are going to Baker City tonight. But what about the new children and my non blooded family?¡± He said while my mom looked at him in silence.


    My mom took a moment before answering him, ¡°After I had Damien, Jakecub, Liz, and Aaroon, all from you, I might add, you left and I decided to fool around with men that I didn¡¯t necessarily know. Just one night stands. It''s really none of your business.¡±


    ¡°Hm, alright. Well, that''s unfortunate. What are the fathers names? Do you even know?¡± He said keeping it short and simple.


    ¡°They¡¯re names are Jensen, Ronald, Trex, and Jax. But, Jaried, who is Liz¡¯s friend and his siblings are here as well.¡± She responded.


    ¡°Okay¡­ But who is who now? All kids after Aaroon I don''t know.¡±


    ¡°Sammi is mine, Jerry and Justin are mine, and twins, then Alexandra. Becky, Nik, and Chase are Jaried''s siblings. I¡¯m also pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Well, awesome.¡±

 Chapter Seven

    The weird thing is, I wasn¡¯t mad at my father for leaving us. Maybe that¡¯s because I never got to know him as the two older ones got to. I did feel the absence of him, but the sadness never lingered for long. I always felt like it was better for him to not be around than it was for him to be. It never mattered to me like it did everyone else. I was always too busy playing with my toys alone to even realize I had parents. That¡¯s just who I was and I don''t think anyone could change that.


    Mom turned to us and told everyone to go pack our bags, that everyone was going to move tonight. I don''t know why she was listening to him. Maybe she still loved him after all those years? But that didn''t matter. We were already exhausted. Dinner was burning, and we were all frightened, and now we had to pack up our stuff in the middle of the night and move. Not to mention, we just learnt that our mother is pregnant yet again for the ninth time. I thought after the twins, that would be enough, but the big shocker never ends.


    "But mom, what about dinner, everyone is hungry." I had said.


    "Go to your rooms and pack, I''ve had enough of this chatter. I burnt dinner anyway. It¡¯s no good to eat now don¡¯t you think? Do as you''re told or get out of my house. I can''t deal with all this bullshit." My mom snapped.


    I slowly walked back to my room, not uttering a single word, staring at the blank ground and sighing. I tried to hold back tears as Jaried took my hand and wrapped me in his arms for a few moments. He walked me back to my room and laid next to me. He whispered in my ear that everything would be okay and that my mom was just upset, that it''d pass. He kissed me on the cheek and began to walk away. I smiled a bit and thanked him for being so kind before he left. But what did it matter? Kindness didn''t matter in a place like this anymore. I knew it, a lot of other people knew it as well. Yes, being kind is something to always keep for your own character and or moral, but it rather meant nothing, or least it will soon. People take advantage of the weak, kindness, and use it against you. Kindness is a powerful weakness.


    "I''ll see you once everyone''s done packing." He said, smiling brightly as if he no longer had any worries to deal with.


    "Wait, don''t leave..." I had begged, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be alone, and you can help me pack my stuff?¡±


    It was true, I no longer wanted to be alone, I dreaded being alone or even the thought of it. I wanted company, I wanted to chat and feel someone near me. I wanted happiness most of all, I wanted a friend. It saddens me that I have to beg for that kind of attention, friendship. But I guess that''s just the way it has to be. Jaried was the closest thing I had to a real friend, I¡¯m not someone who likes to let others in¡­ At all, and he¡¯s gotten the closest to me, to my heart.


    Maybe it was love? But I would doubt it more than anything I¡¯ve ever doubted something before. I never got those mushy feelings from him that made your heartbeat a thousand miles a minute that just makes your face burst into a smile and blush instantly. I never got butterflies that made my stomach feel all warm and nervous with each sight of him, and I don¡¯t believe I ever will feel that. I don''t want to feel that.


    "I don''t think your mom would be to happy knowing I was in here alone with you and cuddling with you don''t you think? I would happily prolong your packing. But your mom seems to be in a hurry, and we have guests. Which I would love to get to know their background, and I know nothing about Cerebral Palsy. Plus, your dad will need some help getting everything into trucks. Entertain the children, and so much more. I don''t want to stay here for free, I want to earn my right to be here. I want to feel like I deserve to be here. Not be a pain in somebodies ass."


    ¡°Okay, that''s fine, see you later.¡± I said.


    I wanted to say something as I watched him walk away. But I was at a loss for words. I watched the door close and I just kept staring as I felt the loneliness grab onto me. I felt like a ghost. I didn''t even feel human in this skin anymore. I loved when someone saw me, when Jaried saw me. He saw everything, even my soul.


    The first day I walked up to the boys basketball team and said I wanted to play, I got laughed at. But he didn''t laugh. Instead, he told everyone to give me a chance. We played, he said I wasn''t that bad, that I just needed some practice. We practiced for days, and then he kissed me. I pushed him away, and we never mentioned what happened again. A few days later I tried out for the team and made it. After that, we were best friends. He stood up for me when I got bullied, he picked me up whenever I needed it, and I did the same for him.


    He even came to my house whenever I asked, despite knowing he would be beat by his father once he got home. And he did get beat, he would show up to school the next day either limping, or hiding his tears, or had a bloody lip. The teachers knew, everyone knew, but nobody did anything. We all just watched him, we watched him suffer. And we were all okay with it as long as we didn''t see it, or as long as it didn''t affect us. Despite all of that, he was still there. For me, for anyone, and that is something you truly can''t find anywhere. He is the most amazing human being ever. I feel bad that I don¡¯t live up to how great he is. I¡¯m terrible compared to him but he doesn¡¯t care.


    I started to pack my things into boxes, crying as I did. I felt horrible. And nothing seemed to take this pain away. I just wanted to stop feeling like nothing, nobody. I sat on my legs and tried thinking of comfortable thoughts. I tried thinking of being back in school and laughing, when nothing was wrong, but it didn''t take my thoughts away. I tried really hard to be seen as anything but a nobody, I tried talking to popular people, doing things they would and it never worked. I felt like I should be like Jakecub and disappear in my room. Hide out. It''s not like anybody would care or notice. I''d be slowly forgotten. But people need more, or rather, I needed people instead. So I couldn''t leave, I couldn''t disappear.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.??I wiped my tears and finished packing, I started laughing after thinking about that time Jaried made me laugh so hard milk came out of my nose. I came out of my room and told my dad I was done packing. He smiled and we carried my stuff out of the truck. Soon, my siblings said they were done too. But going into their room, I saw it was just a bigger mess than it was before. I cleaned up the room and set everything up outside the door as the kids played.


    My mom was the last to come out of her room and announce that she was done packing up her things. Mom looked at all the furniture and said that it could stay here. That, at the new place, there was already furniture there. We all got into the vehicle after looking around one last time for anything we might want to take and said goodbye to our home. I road in the car with Damien, Jakecub, Jaried, Aaroon, and my dad. My mom had all of the littler kids in the minivan we had.


    I sat in the seat closest to the window and I watched as the streetlights went by while listening to the conversation my dad was having with Jaried. I watched the sky get darker and soon turn into sparkles, and I felt the heater fill the car. I let my thoughts drift off and sleep take over me, over my body, and my eyes began to shut as a dream took over.


    I believed all dreams have a deeper meaning, so as part of my life journal, I would like to share with you these experiences. My dream started off late at night was night. I had got into my car after a party I had attended to from work. I was laughing to myself and smiling cheerfully, as if tonight was the best night of my life. People passed me and told me to have an excellent night and everything seemed perfect. The music during the party was well played and good and the party itself wasn''t entirely boring.


    When I got home and started walking out into the parking lot, I got this terrible feeling in the pit''s of my stomach. It was kind of creepy, I felt as if someone was watching me, but I guess they didn¡¯t attack me because there was company nearby. A sight I wished I could have captured forever.


    This boy about twelve years old was singing to a girl and playing the guitar, I guess he was hoping to win her heart. I mean he sure did win mine. I could tell she was crying, I guess it was from what he was saying in the song that had made her heart melt. But that image soon went away as I continued my journey to my apartment where I''d hope to find my loving pets. When I arrived to my apartment, I noticed some violence took place at a stairway where I had needed to go. I waited for the fight to go someplace else before I had even thought to proceed to my apartment.


    When I finally got to my door, I had seen a letter created by my not so loving family.  I opened the door, walked in, and locked it behind me and visited for a few minutes with my pets. I walked into the kitchen and poured me some wine as I sat on the couch opening the letter. As always, the letter starts with "Dear Useless Pathetic Child," and goes on for a few sentences of how worthless and pathetic I am, then it finally gets to the important part. The letter then continues to read,


    I am sorry to say but your father has passed away, I know you loved him and he was a great man. I dread the fact that I have to do this it even also pains me that I have to do this in writing. What even makes this worse is that after tonight I will also be dead, I can''t stand a world without your father. I love him more than anyone and anything. I just can''t stay here in this world without your father, he was just too good of a man, so all of my money and belongings are now yours.


    I know we aren''t the best parents more so me then your father and have not gave you the love that you have needed all these years but I hope this money replaces all the terrible we have done. Learn to grow up and stop being a baby, I''m not saying this to be rude or mean by the way I hope you will find all the photo-albums I have kept all these years quite enjoyable if you decide to look threw them before you destroy them along with everything else. More enjoyable then I found them. Tonight was the first night I actually found them enjoyable as I was drinking the last bottle of whisky you''re father had stored in the basement for special occasions. He couldn''t drink it so why not me? Well all of my things will be arriving there soon as well, possibly in a couple of days.


    I think it''s my time to go now, I hope you have a nice life and sorry for all of the pain I have caused you throughout your life. I do truly and honestly love you with all of my heart whether you believe that or not and no one could replace that, good-bye my dear child.


    Sincerely your mother.


    I sat there looking at this piece of paper for hours trying not to cry, trying to comprehend what it even meant. But I read every word a million times over and over trying to come to realize that I no longer had a mother or father. I no longer had anyone that I had loved in my life. Yes, I had pets, but they weren''t people I could depend my life on. I had put every last piece of love and care, forgiveness and time into. Life no longer seemed real to me. It was meaningless.


    I had taken my pets to the next door neighbors as I began tearing my apartment apart. Piece by piece I had threw everything I owned at walls across from me. I had screamed and yelled and cried out in frustration and loss. But none of that would bring my family back from the unforgiving dead. I became like my mother and drank away my pain, bottle after bottle. ''All I could keep asking myself is why them? Why not me? Why now? This wasn''t fair nor right.'' I picked myself up off of the ground and had went to the bathroom to clean myself up. I had cuts all over my body from the things that had broke around me as I had created destruction.


    I grabbed a piece of glass out of my shoes that had got stuck there when I broke the windows, I looked at my wrists and decided to end my life. I began cutting and saw the warm blood pour out of my arm and color the water. Everything went to a blur and I began to wake up to the sound of birds chirping and the sunshine in my eyes.

 Chapter Eight

    "Wake up, we''re at our new home. Mom''s already inside making breakfast. She wants the rest of us to bring in the boxes and clean the house ''til she gets done cooking. You''ve got the easy jobs again, taking out the trash and serving the food. Lucky for you, there''s no trash yet to take out." Aaroon had said.


    "Don''t you ever bug anyone else? I was in the middle of a dream." I said, getting out of the vehicle, feeling light-headed.


    "Good morning!" Jaried yelled from the doorway, as he began laughing at my goofy hair.


    "Shut up, loser." I smurked.


    "Someone''s in a grumpy mood this morning." Jaried smiled as he walked to the truck to grab a few boxes. I walked back to the house with him, helping him set down the boxes in the house.


    I sit down on the couch still trying to wake up, I rub my eyes and yawn about a million times, watching as they finish up bringing the boxes in. Jaried organizes the boxes by person. I look over to the gay couple and the kids, all they have are what''s in their backpacks. I feel sad and wonder if they feel envious of what we have. They keep to themselves and stay quiet, I wondered if they felt safe.


    "Hey Liz, where do you want your stuff at?" Jaried asks.


    "Oh, you don''t have to bring the boxes all the way up to my undecided rooms, that''s my job." I said.


    "It''s okay, I got it, just help your mom set up the table, she picked out all the rooms for everyone before hand. I think you are getting roomed with Sammi and Alexandria. But I could be mistaken."


    ¡°Are you serious?! I don¡¯t want to be roomed with children... ¡° I sighed loudly, throwing my shoes off. ¡°I¡¯m to tired to even deal with them let alone have the same room as them. That''s just great.¡±


    ¡°Relax Liz, I may be wrong. Go find out first from your mom.¡±


    I didn''t say another word as I walked away, I was already upset that I was woken up. Now I have to be with babies? I just hoped it wasn''t true. I found the box with the dishes in them and took out some plates for us and set them on the counter. As I sat them down, my mom laughed, I looked over to see her smiling at me. I wanted to ask why she was laughing, but I didn''t want it to become this endless struggle to get out of her.


    However, her keeping our dad a secret was one secret I''m glad she kept. I think it was the right move for all of us involved. After all, whether due to him kidnapping, or abandoning us out of freewill, he still did it without another thought. It was selfish of him, and nobody deserves a father like that. And if he truly knew how much we loved him, how much Damien loved him, he should''ve done something about it.


    "You have a keeper there Liz, I''m glad you found Jaried in your life." My mom smiles and said as she flipped the pancakes.


    "What are you talking about? He is just a friend, I would never date him." I said.


    "That''s what they all say, but I know you will fall for him even in a world like this. Eventually you¡¯ll fall for his charm. But that doesn¡¯t mean I will allow you two to fool around. Regardless of where we are at, you are still to young for sex. We don¡¯t need this world to go back to the 2010¡¯s. Sex was everything to the youth. My mother was there in that time. That''s why she has ten children from several different men. She was only twenty when she had her second child I might add."


    "Ew, sex? There''s no way that''s happening for one, and for two, I''m not like you. You and grandma may of fell for every man you saw walking down the street, but I''m not like that."


    "Watch your tongue. I see the way you react to him. I know you like him. Whether you want to believe so or not."


    "What makes you think that? I mean, tomorrow we could die from those drugged up things and you are talking about love? What about you? You had nine children and five different fathers. I guess the sex craze still lingers all the way down to this generation."


    "Because I¡¯m in a good mood, I will dismiss your disrespectful responses for now. But why can''t you think positively for once? Who made you grow up so fast? Relax, be a dumb teen and have a love life, fall for that great boy and stop being so afraid. This is once and a life time. Love doesn''t come around as easily as you think. I''m telling you to go for it and you are being negative, what''s your problem?"


    "I don''t want to mother. I don''t want him, I don''t want to focus on falling in love. Being with someone. I just want to focus on this and making it better. I know I can''t do much, but love won''t help. It''s just a distraction I don''t want. We are suppose to be making breakfast so can we please work on that?"


    ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t want to work on breakfast, maybe I want you to go be with that boy. He is adorable, sweet, and great. Why don¡¯t you like him?¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m a lesbian mom, maybe I don¡¯t want to be in love with anyone, maybe I¡¯m asexual. Maybe I don¡¯t want to have a relationship with my best friend. Maybe I just want to be single and have a friend, maybe I want to find out who I am first before worrying about a boy. Maybe I want to live in this world and not have to rely on someone or love him so much that when it comes down to it, I feel I have to save him from anything, even myself.¡± I slam my hand on the counter.


    ¡°I just wished you¡¯d see how amazing he is Elizabeth.¡±


    ¡°But mom, I do see it. Okay, I just don''t care.¡±


    ¡°Alright sweetheart.¡± She sighs loudly.


    Mom stopped everything she was doing and looked at me straight in the eyes and put a hand on my shoulder, she knew I wasn''t alright, but she didn''t push me to say anything after that. Knowing me, I''d become a bitch and start yelling at everyone, after all, I do have my mother¡¯s blood running through me. Jaried walked into the house and I gave an irritated ''oh great'' kind of look to him and he gave a ''what did I do'' confused look back, then he started making goofy faces that made me laugh.


    Maybe mom was right, maybe I was falling for him. I didn¡¯t want to of course, but love is unavoidable sometimes. But how could I fall for him? He is Jaried, my best friend, but he¡¯s also the only one that makes everything seem okay in any situation. I certainly couldn''t love him though, not like how everyone wants me to. That¡¯s something I''d never allow myself to do. Least, not the love that makes you feel all weird and makes you feel scared all the time that the person you only want in this life will disappear. I don¡¯t want to have those feelings where I feel like I have to dress up just to impress them or do things to continue our relationship. I just like normal. I like friendship.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ??That person you wake up to every morning and your entire day just seems perfect. That kind of love my mom is talking about. Falling in love? It seemed like a foreign subject, a foreign topic. It just didn''t seem right. Loving your parents, siblings, friends, yeah, I get that. That was normal. It was just an everyday thing. But giving your all, giving your heart 100% to somebody? I don''t think I could do that. I don¡¯t want to do that. I can¡¯t...


    Regardless, I don¡¯t need to be thinking about relationships when I had chores around the house to do, my mom always made it very clear to get chores done and if you didn''t... Well, you''d be lucky if you didn''t get a beating or get loaded with chores on the weekends instead of watching movies and doing other fun activities. Though, Damien nor Jakecub had to do chores because Damien has a job and Jakecub never comes out of the room. It was never fair that everyone had to do something except those two. I had school, and school is hard enough. Especially high school. There¡¯s a lot of work to be done, especially now that we have to do Calculus four in our sophomore year. I think the educational system is messed up, it has been for years.


    ¡°Liz, are you okay? Why are you just standing there?¡± Mom asks.


    ¡°What?¡± I ask, snapping into reality.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong sweetie?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Nothing, I¡¯m good.¡±


    "Can you go out to the garage and get some extra chairs for your dad, Jaried and some of these kids?"


    "Sure." I looked around for a moment before walking out the door into the cold breeze.


    "Thank you sweetie!" My mom yelled as I closed the door.


    I heard a noise as I was walking out to the garage. I shrugged it off as maybe an animal that got spooked and I kept walking. My body shook and soon I realized my footsteps weren''t the only ones I heard over by the house. I stopped in my tracks and looked around nervously. I looked for something sharp just in case. I didn''t want to encounter one of those things and be empty handed. I surely didn''t want to die.


    The closest thing to me was a metal pole that my dad used to clean the gutters when we got here. I cautiously and slowly walked over to it and grabbed it. As soon as I got my hands around the pole and my eyes off of where I was looking, I seen the shadow of the thing. I looked up and saw it swaying back and forth. My heart felt like it was going to drop as it pounded against my chest. My breathes got faster. I picked the pole up and started walking towards it. I heard it growling with every slow step towards the monster that I took. I started panicking and I dropped the metal pole. I started running back to the house when that thing ran out and jumped on top of me. I started screaming and swinging my arms every which way, yelling for it to not bite me. It let go of me and I became confused. It laughed and then I knew it was a person. I started swinging my fists towards it in anger with tears running down my face uncontrollably. I kicked him in the balls and he yelled.


    Everyone came out of the house yelling, I kept trying to hit the person and I got punched in the face. The next thing I know, I was on the floor and my dad was punching the person right after the other with my mom screaming for him to stop. Then gunshots go off and Jakecub starts screaming. My dad starts yelling at Jakecub to drop the gun and Jakecub yells at dad, pointing the gun at him. Everyone starts yelling and everything being said becomes inaudible until I yell that the person is trying to get away. My dad turns around and runs towards the guy until he can tackle him. The boy started laughing loudly. My dad forces him back to the house and he howls at the sky, laughing more.


    "What in the hell were you thinking boy? Are you crazy?" Dad said as he threw the boy onto the porch.


    "No, he¡¯s just an asshole at best." Jakecub said in anger.


    "Who the fuck would do something like this?" Mom said, holding a knife in her hand, looking as if she was going to kill the boy where he stood.


    "It''s just one of Jakecub¡¯s idiotic friends who think it''s funny to scare little girls." Damien said.


    "Excuse me, but I¡¯m not little!" I yelled.


    "Um... You are 5 feet nothing dumb fuck face, you''re short if you haven''t noticed anytime soon and you''re young." Damien stated.


    "Excuse me idiot, but I''m 5''5 I''m average and I''m three year younger than you. That¡¯s not a lot."


    "Exactly my point, short, stupid, and young."


    "Okay enough you two!" Dad yelled, "Get your butts inside all of you, except Jakecub, go get the chairs for everyone including this boy right here. He has some explaining to do."


    I sighed as I walked back into the house, I ran to the bathroom and started crying. The reality hit hard, if it was one of those monsters, I could''ve died. I''m weak. I should have attacked first, and made sure it was a good one. Because if it was a monster, I would''ve been dead otherwise. I thought I was strong. I still have fragments of memories of when I was killing people while building the wall. I want to be that powerful again. What if I don''t become that strong again? How could I protect anyone? I started to panic, my chest got heavy and my eyes blurred. I heard a knock on the door, it scared me.


    "Hey, kid... It''ll be alright, I promise. You''ll learn. I know you''re scared, but the important thing is you''re not hurt." He said.


    "W-what?" I responded.


    "I know you''re a fighter. I can see it in your eyes. You may be confused about who I am, about being gay, but I know you aren''t confused about surviving. You know stuff, things that the others don''t, and that''s important. Surviving isn''t all about being the strongest, or the quickest. My husband, you can take one look at him and know he isn''t the fighting type. He doesn''t have that capability. But he''s smart. Damn is he smart, and that''s needed too. You''ll do okay. There''s no need to worry, you''re just learning."


    "What are you talking about?"


    "You''ll understand eventually kid."


    "Just explain to me please." I said, but got no answer. I tried a few more times to get a response, but nothing. So I whipped my tears and walked out of the bathroom. I saw the kid who scared me sitting in a chair, my dad right next to him, his hand gripping the boys thigh.


    My dad saw that I was upset, he got up out of the chair and told the boy to not move an inch. When my dad got to me, he hugged me and told me everything would be alright. That I was apart of him, his blood, and that made me a fighter. A born fighter, and a leader. I don''t know how he could see that in me, but somehow it made me feel better. Then he reassured me that as long as he was around, nothing bad was going to happen, and that he would teach me some skills if I wished. He patted me on the back and kissed me on the forehead before going back to his seat next to the boy.


    "Thank you... Dad." I said, smiling.

 Chapter Nine

    Once all of us were inside, we gathered around the table. We chowed down on the food my mother had prepared for us while Jakecub, Damien, my dad, and the boy went into a different room to talk. I assumed they were talking about the boys actions and why he attacked me. I wouldn''t doubt it if he was high on something, I just hoped he wasn''t that stupid to take the drug that turns you into one of those things.


    During our fight, the guy scratched me pretty hard, enough to make me bleed. It stung like a motherfucker too. Not to mention, I should''ve probably cleaned it up considering the dude doesn''t look exactly clean. Personally, I wouldn''t be surprised if he was homeless. He''s covered in dirt and mud, plus, he has marks all over his legs. Like he''s been bit by bugs or something... Larger. Something that could kill him or turn him. But he had enough dirt on him that I''m sure it masked his disgusting scent.


    Dad came to the table and began to fill us in on the information. "This boy is homeless and he has been running for days now trying to get away from those flesh eating creatures. I need to go inform my officers on the locations the boy has spotted them at and find out what¡¯s going on and if we can close the breach.


    Aside from that, this young man who scared Liz, came to our house in hopes of some shelter and food. Which I don''t blame him. Between the weather and those creatures it would make nearly anyone want to do whatever possible to get shelter. Unfortunately he went about it all the wrong way. Jakecub turned him down. So he thought it''d be funny to scare Liz until he realized she had a weapon. He was laughing because he wanted Jakecub to get upset and that''s exactly what he got, but now he is going to help us.


    While he was out there, he got to learn a lot about the underground area and the outside in''s and out''s in general. So, we began discussing some underground routes just in case anything destructive happens that requires an immediate evacuation. His knowledge will allow us to have a safe and effecient getaway. Which is exactly the type of person we need in a situation like this... Unfortunately. Therefore, he will wisely bless us with his delightful company. To make this situation lighter on everyone, he will be joining me for work every day until decided otherwise. However, if he tries anything, please let me know so that I can assess this situation accordingly. I may want his help, but I will not ignore my family for it." He stopped talking andtook his plate of food and started eating it. Everyone stared at him with this blank expression on their faces.


    "That¡¯s great, someone tries killing me and we end up keeping them. I feel the love, we might as well let one of those creatures come right into the house then too. Tthey can sleep in our beds, eat our food, wear our clothes and we can call them family. Those things will surely try and kill me too won¡¯t they? In fact, they will try to kill all of us, just like this guy might while we''re sleeping! But it doesn''t matter right? I hope you¡¯re happy about the decision you made, and I hope it blows up in your face too! it¡¯s not like this house is big enough to hold the universe. You shouldn''t even be in it. But now we are going to continue to add more people to it? Mom, we already got forced to add five people here, can''t you say no? Or did ''dad'' become the man in charge." I said.


    "Hey! Be respectful! You don''t have to like it, but you do have to accept it. If you have nothing nice to say, don''t say anything at all. Everything has been resolved. I know you feel hurt and scared, but your father has spoken. What he says goes. We aren''t the ones in the military, he is okay, he knows best." My mom struggled to say.


    "Excuse me? I thought you were in charge? Not some guy we barely know? And for two, when have you ever, and I mean ever thought the military knew what they were doing? You''re a hyprocrite."


    "Liz, calm down. You¡¯re overreacting." Dad said.


    "I''m overreacting? I almost got killed and nobody cares!"


    "Everyone cares honey. Everyone loves you. What do you want honey? An apology from him?" My mom said.


    "I notice you, and your brothers obviously know you''re here too. I see them pick on you all the time. People do see and pay attention to you." Jaried said.


    "Then why don''t you stop them instead of being useless and letting them hurt me. My brothers hate me. Just like you do."


    "I have my own shit to deal with Liz, just like everybody else. I killed my dad for Chris Sakes! Give me a break. I''m not perfect."


    "Yeah, you''re right, you''re a psychopath."


    "Elizabeth! That''s enough." My mother said as the whole house began to rumble in yelling.


    Yelling like this went on for quit awhile, faces became red, and no one was letting up yet. Everybody wanted the last word that even my baby siblings were babbling amongst themselves in their own argument. Justin ended up throwing his baby food and it landed on Aaroons face. Everyone stopped what they were yelling about and started laughing at Aaroon as he wiped the gunk off of his face and laughed along. Now that everyone was calm, or at least calmer than they were five seconds ago, the house became silent. Only the sounds of people clearing their throat was heard.


    "Hey now! we don''t hate you, we are just protecting you. Toughening you up. You''re our baby sister, remember that." Damien said.


    "I don''t need protecting, if I did, I wouldn''t of got Jaried by myself across town. Him and his siblings are out of that restaurant because of me. No one else did that but me." I snapped.


    "What restaurant?" Mom interrupted.


    "Nothing, it doesn''t matter." I said.


    "It''s the runned down restaurant out by Nowhere." Jaried informed


    "That¡¯s miles away! how did you get out there?"


    "There''s a tunnel, Liz and I take to get there." Jaried said.


    "I want to know right away where that tunnel is." Dad said.


    "Well, if I remember correctly, it¡¯s by the apartments over on Riverside. Isn¡¯t it?" My attacker said.


    "No one asked you dip-shit. And why did you say anything Jaried?" I said.


    "You called me a psychopath." He stated.


    "Okay, that¡¯s enough Elizabeth. You don¡¯t get to be a brat right now, in fact, you¡¯re grounded. I think for punishment, you should go to work with your dad. See what those things are really made of.¡± My mom said, as I was practically laughing in my head. I¡¯m the only one in this family who does remember what those things are capable of. Mom has no clue.


    ¡°Actually, I would think that it¡¯d be beneficial if all of us went into the Wasteland to do some target practice. You guys need to know how to take care of yourselves. Best way to learn is to be in the action. Plus, it lightens the work for us soldiers. Of course though, this is only exclusive to you guys. Just in case a straggler gets in and nobody notices and it just happens to come your way. I¡¯m hoping my boys sign up for the military and join their ol¡¯ man in service anyway.¡± He said, looking to Damien and Jakecub.


    ¡°What about Elizabeth? She needs to do something as punishment.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t take her, not today. I have to much to handle with today. I have to take that boy with me. Plus, I can¡¯t have kids running around base. They¡¯re either there for a reason or they stay home. It¡¯s not a punishment. She has no reason to be there.¡±


    ¡°Nice excuse.¡± My mother scowled.


    "Well, I think it¡¯s time to go to work. But honey, that tunnel would be very important to our survival..." Dad said, "I''ll be home for lunch tomorrow, come on son, we need to get some work done. Kill some creatures, talk to the elders, reassuring people''s safety inside these walls, all that good stuff to keep you busy." Dad said with his mouth full, walking out the door.


    ¡°Wait, James!¡± My mom said.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t we heard about the creatures at one time or another awhile ago? I can vaguely remember someone talking about them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but wouldn¡¯t everyone else remember something about them too?¡±


    ¡°I remember something, so does Damien.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Um, may I ask what that is.¡± My father said, slightly raising his voice in annoyance.


    ¡°It¡¯s all in my diary and in Damien''s, I guess when whoever swiped our memory, or tried at least, with whatever drug, they forgot to grab our journals. Genius move right? My journal or diary or whatever is mainly all about the creatures and how to kill them and building the wall for like two years. Damien¡¯s is about the detail of them and how they interact with things. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you, I thought that it might be dangerous having people know. Or you might get mad like you are now.¡±


    ¡°I am so unbelievably pissed right now Elizabeth! I can¡¯t believe you would do something like that, I want everything now! I want your journals, your phone, everything!¡± My father screamed on the top of his lungs.


    But before he could finish yelling at me, my mom interrupted him. ¡°Oh yeah, I remember now. Everyone was constantly exhausted from building the wall and people were in and out of hospitals due to concrete burns, gunshot wounds, heat exhaustion, dehydration, pneumonia, bites, broken legs and arms, ribs and necks and everything else. I thought building the wall would never end. On top of constantly being attacked by creatures who wanted to eat your flesh. Our bullets were getting low towards the end, we had a line of people in front of us with melee weapons attacking them. God, we must of killed a good 70,000 people each.


    I even remember this one old lady distinctively while I was working one morning. Her hair was an absolute mess and her teeth were brown with a slight blood stain. Her clothes were months old and had the markings of guts smeared onto it. She also looked like she had been ate by the very thing she had become. Maggots were chewing on her face, feasting on her eyeballs, and the holes in her clothes showed her skinny body. She limped and I could tell she was searching for something or someone. She had such sad eyes. I use to have dreams about her. Unfortunately, no matter how intriguing she was, I had to kill her. I stabbed her right in the head too. Maggots flew out of her head and onto me. I knew not to pull my gun unless I absolutely had to.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you two right now! I have to leave!¡± James said, storming off.


    ¡°Well, today has been eventful. I think I will go to my room, maybe I¡¯ll go to sleep." I said walking away from the table.


    "Excuse me? No you''re not, we need to make up a plan and get things into backpacks just in case we have to go in a hurry, and most of all, we need better cars. We need to be prepared for the worst and I need everyone¡¯s help.


    "But I want to go to my room and I don¡¯t think James wants us leaving the house."


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what he wants. You¡¯re my kid. Not his, you¡¯ll do as I say.¡±


    ¡°Sure doesn¡¯t seem that way. He bosses you around.¡±


    "Look, the only people leaving this house is you, Jaried, Aaroon, and Jakecub. I didn¡¯t think you wanted to be cooped up inside all day anyway. Shouldn¡¯t you be happy I¡¯m letting you go outside? I need you guys, and you¡¯re older than all the rest. Damien is probably still weak and in pain from the accident that had taken place, so I won¡¯t ask much of him, but as for the rest of you, you have a lot to do."


    "Well I can get you any car you want. Just tell me where it''s at and it''ll be yours." Jakecub said, smiling from ear to ear.


    "Well, maybe we should wait on the cars since the law is still active, a few weeks I suggest, but we need to build a fence, put things into backpacks and into cars just in case and have reinforcements, extra water, tents, everything, especially weapons."


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement."At my work I can get you all the supplies needed for the strongest fence, they moved me to a place down here and it''s much better. You name it, I''ll get the stuff and start building it mom. Metal fence, picket fence, wooden fence, double thick wooden fence, even a concrete wall." Damien said.


    "Honey, you should be resting, someone will be coming by later to fix you up, aren¡¯t you feeling weak? You need to drink lots of water and eat some food. The most I am going to let you do is help me around the house and walk with your siblings. For now let''s wait until a few days later, but thank you Damien if anything. a wooden fence would do, but after awhile we would need a concrete wall doubled by a security metal fence or vice versa. Or something along those lines.


    Lizzy you can start looking up online the best get-away backpacks or what the best travel packs are and things. Jaried, you can go get a huge supply of water and Jakecub, blankets would be nice to have for the more winter like seasons and finding ways to improve home life, lots of canned food as well. I never imagined something like this would happen. No one has had to rely on the land and books for knowledge since 2035. We have a lot of learning to do. Does 1990¡¯s books even exist now?"


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Damien said getting ignored and annoyed for being seen as useless.


    "Oh, right, leave me with the easy jobs. That¡¯s alright, just get one or two pairs of clothes get a melee weapon and a long range weapon like a gun and extra ammo of course, and get matches or lighters, a dozen or so would do, one personal item and food with water and a medical kit, also a tent and thermal sleeping bag, boom your travel pack." I said with a smile


    "And how do you know all of this? Smart ass." my mom said suspiciously


    "I do my research from time to time¡­ I love researching these types of things. I surely was born in the wrong timeline. I wonder frequently what it¡¯d be like to live in the 20¡¯s. Plus the best traveling packs are the ones you make yourself, ones that you feel you¡¯ll need to survive, ones that are best for where you live at. I also did some research on plants. We have little plant life here so it''s easy to know all about every single one of them. Did you know you can make tea out of our pine trees? Well, out of the pine needles more precisely.


    As well as that after a mother fish gives birth, a week later she dies and her flesh begins to rot. There is so much more out there that is unknown. Maybe hopefully when all of these buildings get taken down, and this country gets to start all nice and new, the old plant life will rise once again and artifical plants won''t exist as much." I said, "However, you can have all the kids make the survival packs. It beats keeping them cooped up in the room 24/7. Sure would get them done faster as well, and if they don''t get done faster well then least it''s occupying the kids for a few hours so they aren''t running around the house screaming. As for me? I can walk down to the store and get shovels and gardening tools because we will need a place to store food just in case this does become our permanent place to stay."


    Everyone looked at me in amazement, mom even had her mouth open in curiosity. She tried saying many things but all she could get out was ¡®how?¡¯ ¡®what?¡¯ ¡®why?¡¯ But anything past that she couldn¡¯t manage to say. I didn¡¯t really see it as anything amazing. I just like knowledge, especially knowledge that is nonexistent now.


    "Well, I guess that could work. But you and Jaried will need to buy more supplies for those survival packs, waterproof matches, extra clothes and such. Jakecub can go down to the weapons shop and get some weapons for us later on tonight, and this one I will allow for a criminal action to take place. I don''t want to spend eight billion dollars, nor do I have it just laying around and about. So, everyone get to work and when you''re father comes home, we can discuss what to do to make an actual plan. Or any way to increase our chances, gain weapons, upgrade the home, or anything else. I¡¯m sorry guys that I¡¯m a bit¡­ Obsessed with this¡­ I just want to live, I want my children to live..."


    "Don¡¯t worry about it, we all appreciate your concerns. What are you going to do?" I asked.


    "Well, I am going to clean the house and do all the chores you guys aren''t going to do today because you guys have more important jobs to do. I will also be here babysitting the kids, and if any of you need me, hopefully not at all one time, I¡¯ll be here. But you kids are smarter at this stuff than me, Liz has already proved that.


    Oh, by the way, we need more space in this house for all the new people that are showing up at our house. We only have so many rooms and only two of those rooms only have one person in it. So unless people want to be paired up with more than one person¡­¡± She grunts, looking at me ¡°Then I suggest all of you work something out. Your father and I took the master bedroom with the twins and the rest of the rooms have three children in one and two in the other, then of course Damien and Jakecub are together, which then leaves you and Jaried separate rooms with no one else. But, if Spike is going to be here, then we need room for him. Of course he can room with Jaried, but Jaried already has the closet. But, it''s up to you all to figure out.


    This seems more like a charity house than anything. Maybe at some point half the town will come down here to survive with us? That would be incredible wouldn¡¯t it? Less room the more likely people will get into fights and such, doesn¡¯t that sound great? But see what you can do about that please, everyone? Maybe he can sleep in the garage?"


    "No problem, by the way that''s a good idea, but don¡¯t you think we should wait awhile before we do anything now? I mean, Jaried and I can look around to build huts or whatever in the back, and Jakecub can go get weapons, but then the authorities will be on both our asses. Especially since you implied we steal all of this. I mean, I understand that there will be a lot of crimes the closer people realize that it''s the end of the world, a ton of people will die, and much more but why do we have to be the ones to start it, risk our lives, and people know we have this amazing shelter? Isn¡¯t that taking a huge risk?¡±


    ¡°Just go do it, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re father will go take care of that if anyone were to go and get into any trouble that I¡¯d advise you not to get into. But, your children, teenagers, almost adults, I don¡¯t see why or how you guys could possibly get into any trouble unless you guys were completely reckless with what you were doing. After all, when I was a teenager, there is a lot of stories that I could tell you about. I got into all kinds of trouble, I¡¯m surprised my mom didn¡¯t have a heart attack and die¡­ Sooner...¡±


    ¡°Alright. Not to be rude, but none of us wants to hear your stories and see you cry about the grandma we never got to meet, nor our grandpa.¡±


    ¡°I love you. Don¡¯t forget about getting medicine. That is one of the most important things for survival. Especially when it comes to Jakecubs... Be safe.¡± My mom said as we repeated the same ¡®I love you too¡¯ back to her. Jaried was the only one who didn¡¯t say it back, he just turned and waved with a smile as we walked away.


    Jaried and I walked down to the garden store while Jakecub walked down to Walmart and looked for things that would help create more room for the new people who are staying with us. When Jaried and I got to the garden shop I saw something that might help us, it was a tractor with a man on it. Jaried and I could use that to put all of the tools on there and have a fast get-away.


    Which is basically exactly what we ended up doing as well, I told Jaried that we will put everything in a pile and then when I gave him the signal he would get the guy off the tractor and get everything on it and get away. I walked into the store and grabbed a cart and started looking for some things that may be helpful. I know this wasn''t on my list but tons of seeds seemed like a good thing to grab and two shovels and pickaxes, I also grabbed some soil and told Jaried to get wood planks just in case we needed them, which we would need them.


    Before we could get away a lady had asked us what we were doing with all of the items. I simply said we were making a huge garden and these would help it. Which was pretty much and basically the truth despite the incubator as well. After having said that, I pretty much walked away without another word and without paying. She started yelling nasty, dirty words toward me, telling me I needed to pay for this and I was a deranged child. Which only made me get out of there faster as I was yelling to Jaried to get ready. He jumped the guy and jumped onto the tractor racing my way, when he did get to me we both rushed to get this stuff on the tractor and then we made our way home with about six very angry people running after us.


    The ride to freedom was crazy,we nearly lost everything and fell under it too. The tractor was not a very good vehicle to go around corners fast in, or go fast at all in, but it beat walking no doubt. We had random people screaming at us to be careful with what we were doing but didn¡¯t care to stop us.


    There was no way I was going to get caught or get in trouble and I vowed for that. It was a sight to see when I saw the lady still running after us though, her boobs jiggled and her skirt flew up, her panties were very noticeable. But she still ran as if her life depended on it. Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t looking both ways before crossing the street, I mean, neither were we. A truck was speeding down the road and smashed into her. I saw her head explode on impact as the rest of her body proceeded to collide into the truck.


    My stomach instantly turned as I stood on the side of the tractor trying to not throw up anything that had been in my stomach. On the upside,now everyone is more interested in her death than our stealing. Not to mention, now there was screaming from kids and old people, so there was lots of distraction. I wanted to make sure the children were alright, but sadly I couldn''t. Hopeful the police get there in time to arresting the trucker. Don¡¯t get me wrong, secretly I will mourn her death, and the sight of what happened will probably haunt me in my dreams¡­ But she helped us, and if we were going just a little bit slower, that could''ve been us. At least she won¡¯t turn into one of those mad eating human like things. Her brains were completely destroyed, as far as I saw, that''s the only part keeping them alive.


    It didn¡¯t take long for us to get home after that episode, and when we did get home it was a race against time to get all the supplies in hiding and the tractor to vanish. You should¡¯ve seen how fast I jumped off that tractor and began unloading everything into the backyard. You''d think I was on Adderral.. At least, I felt quick anyways, could¡¯ve been slow as day, but regardless, I felt speedy and I needed to be.


    I had Jaried take the tractor some place far away from where we were at. I think he took it to a nearbylake because when he got home he was a bit muddy and smelt gross. But I guess it doesn¡¯t even really matter as long as the tractor is gone and he''s safe.


    My mom however, didn''t bother coming outside and asking us what we did but she did come out to helped get everything to the back of the house where I started digging a hole by the house near the garage and started making a garden for us all. Along with a small shed and some other things. The people around our house just stared at us in disgust and then watched me as I worked for what seemed like ages. It was repulsive to know that people wouldn''t mind their own business and judged me for it. But I guess that was the peoples nature. If only they knew, or remembered anyway, what would their reaction be?


    It was hard, sweaty work, and I didn¡¯t feel as if I needed an audience. Not to mention I nearly dreaded the fact that I volunteered to do this. But it was for our survival, I wanted to excel in this kind of world, a normal world, not this diseased one. But if I couldn''t excel in a normal one, this diseased one needs to work. One way to excel is to be an important asset to everyone including my family. Otherwise, they just might honestly cut me out on being with them. Or I could die between the diseased. You¡¯ve got to be the best to stay with the best. No one wants to drag around someone who puts them in danger all the time, and I don''t think I''m physcially capable of being very strong.


    Not that theyremember anything moreabout this survival than I did. No one did know anything about survival in years. No ones had to use it for generations, everythings just been easy for us for so long that we forgot what hard times were. All of us had to reteach ourselves how to survive. It''s a skill valuable to everyone nowadays. But none of that changes the fact that after they remember, I still don''t think I will be capable enough to continue on with everybody else. I''m weak, so to make up for that, I have to learn some kind of new skills that would be useful to a team.

 Chapter Ten

    Mom went and picked up Jaried while I was cutting the wood planks and setting them up so no one on the outside could see what I was doing, sort of like a fence. Except a much taller one, a wooden wall to be more precisely. It had a plastic tarp over it so I wouldn¡¯t waste a lot of wood and I could be under a shady place while it was sunny out.


    When Jaried and mom got home, I had already created an underground refrigerator in the backyard. There was a solar powered cooling system inside the hole for extra cooling support for the foods that spoil more easily. I also had an energy storer, or battery for those days that the solar panels don¡¯t collect any sunlight.


    Jaried helped set food in, organizing it by; meats which were on the bottom for more cooling support, fruit''s because that was the second most critical thing needing to be cooled, veggies and bread was next, then I put a wooden plank on top of those foods to capture more cooling and put cans and drinks in it. Then I put brush, twigs and leaves in a pillowcase and covered the hole up with it and put another wood plank over the hole to help mask any smell it may have.


    After that, Jaried and I began organizing everything in the garage/storage room. We organized freezers, a place for weapons, tools, energy storage, and anything else we felt was an essential. I made sure all the meats and veggies were in the solar powered cooling system so mainly we had grains, cans, and drinks in the coolers. By the time we were done organizing everything, half of the garages storage was restored for more things to be brought in. Or if desired, two vehicles could fit in here.


    Jaried went back in where it was cool after helping me organize the garage. It felt as if it were a hundred degrees outside, but unlike everyone else I wanted to get something done. For my next project, I wanted to build a greenhouse, I started with digging holes in the ground and then dragging huge planks across the backyard and somehow getting them in the hole all by myself and securing them with cement. I had eight planks standing up when I was done with the outline, the hard part was actually creating the barrier and hoping nothing would get destroyed or fall apart easily, as I had no construction experience.


    I didn¡¯t wait for the concrete to dry up before continuing onto building, I worked on the flooring next, which took hours even after the research and watching videos. Realistically, I only got about a quarter of the flooring done. The next day I planned on finishing the flooring and creating the walls.


    It was near 10:00 and I was covered in sweat, all of my energy was completely drained from my entire body and I was amazed that I had even lasted as long as I did. Given the fact that I hate to do anything revolving around exercise or work. Everyone that I have ever worked for even said that I was bad at hard-work. Then they always go on and on about how terrible this generation of children are and how lazy and entitled they are. They don¡¯t do this, they don¡¯t do that. The whole nine yards.


    Exhausted, I laid down on the ground, the tarp blew off and was laying on the ground. I looked up to the darkening sky and watched as clouds shaped and unshaped and the stars pop into view. I sighed in relaxation, it wasn¡¯t too cold or too hot outside. It was blissful.


    Soon it was night and my mother tried getting me out of the night sky but I wouldn''t budge. I didn¡¯t feel like I¡¯ve done anything for this family, not to mention my brothers weren¡¯t even home yet. Which meant they got more stuff than I could ever think to get. Until I at least felt accomplished enough to relax for awhile, or I was done with everything, I was going to stay out here. But just because I was working, or relaxing, didn¡¯t mean that the undiscovered beasts had been. I know they are out there, watching and waiting for one of us people to get within their grip.


    All night I could hear noises and sounds from the creatures but they seemed distant enough that I wasn''t scared. I was able to hear gun shots, probably from the government trying to hide everything or the military being ordered by the government to handle it. I could also hear a stampede of things walking outside the walls, distant groaning and I could just imagine those things surrounding us, trying to get over the walls. After all, we are the only people basically alive in the states. I wouldn¡¯t think anyone outside of this wall was alive, then again, if people continue to die inside, then no one here will stay alive either and the land will just roam with these things.


    If it was me running things, I¡¯d make sure they hid what they were doing better by at least taking the creatures out by hand and not gunshots. Or put some damn silencers on their guns. Which people could clearly hear the guns otherwise. Maybe they wanted us to hear the guns, to let us know we should be afraid, but afraid of what? That guy, the ¡°president¡± is hiding what¡¯s really out there. I know there''s other people who know the truth, but if we spoke about it, who knows what¡¯d happen. We might get fed to those things.


    When Jakecub had came back, my mom saw that he had a huge pickup truck, in the back of the pick-up truck, there was blankets, cigarettes, alcohol, a few melee weapons, clothes, comforters, and three dirt bike with gallons of gas. No water was in sight or jugs to put water in however. There was a few other things as well, but I couldn¡¯t really make out exactly what they were under everything else. Jakecub had a handbag by his side as well that he didn¡¯t let anybody else go near.


    When mom saw the truck, she started yelling at him saying that wasn¡¯t what she wanted and the bikes wouldn¡¯t do anything for us. When she looked at what else was in the back, she got more angry, ¡®we don¡¯t need blankets!¡¯ she protested. ¡°We didn¡¯t need this, we didn¡¯t need anything you brought here.¡± However, when she saw the weapons, she had mixed feelings. ¡®I didn¡¯t want these yet¡­ But thank you.¡¯ She said in a calmer voice, picking up one. It was a handgun she picked up, it was dressed in shiny silver and gold rims. The handle had a wrap around dragon, and wooden coils.


    Jakecub was smiling, thinking this whole thing was funny, like always, when it came to confrontation. But mom certainly did not find this funny. She started demanding explanations on why he got this type of stuff, why he brought alcohol and has cigarettes when he has lung cancer. I find it funny that despite her noticeability in what was in the truck, she didn¡¯t mention his grip on the handbag he had bolted next to him. I walked up and slapped Jakecub in the face and told him he was stupid. I assumed he had drugs in that bag, like we really needed that.


    Just as Jakecub started explaining, dad had came back with a few things of his own. Damien contacted dad telling him what she wanted and our father ended up getting everything that she wanted and more. He got some powerful guns, and the boy was driving a truck with top of the line fence gear and the best security systems in town. I swore my mom would have fainted if anything else had happened, her face was red as a cherry especially when she was clear that she didn¡¯t want most of this stuff until later when more things started happening.


    But at least she stayed thankful as she thanked the doctor who saved Damiens life under her breath and for giving her some pills to give to him on certain times to help his pain and boost his immune system.. He got three different types. One was yellow, to stop the infection and boost the immune system, red for when the bleeding got worse, or he was swollen, and green for a pain reliever. These were grade three drugs, not the best, but certainly not the worst. He also gave her three shots. That was just in case he went into a coma, or seizure or ended up becoming one of those things for any reason.


    While the doctor was here, he also briefly saw Jakecub immediately knew he had cancer then pulled out something from his bag. It was a mask, he said to keep this on his face 24/7. It would help to energize him, clear out any fluid, inflammation, bacteria, pus, and anything else his lungs get clogged with, and stop the cancer from getting worse while it slowly killed the cancer cells, hopefully. As long as the cancer stayed a level four, the doctor said he should be fine and eventually have it gone.


    But Jakecubs cancer wasn¡¯t a level four. It was a six. The mask wouldn¡¯t help to stop the cancer, but it would help to lessen the effects of it. He needed a 3x Ryx, not a 2b Nyx. But the 3x is 30 trillion dollars and the doctors will only make it if they have the money in advance, so there isn¡¯t any stored. We can¡¯t even afford a 2b which is 90 billion, so this truly was expensive. As I wondered how all of this was going to be paid for, the doctor walked over to my father. My father took out a Trex bill, these bills don¡¯t come from Earth. They come from the planet Mars. As the doctor pushed away the bill and shook his head, he grabbed my father''s hand with a smile and said something in his ear before walked off. I started thinking¡­


    ¡°These guys aren¡¯t from earth¡­ No wonder their suit''s were unrecognizable¡­ They have to be from Mars! The criminal/military Mars. How could this be? The only way you get on Mars is¡­ That can¡¯t be! He can¡¯t be a criminal!¡± I said quietly and then elevating my voice. Everyone turned to me, and then continued to go about their business.


    ¡°My father was a man who killed people¡­? Who¡­ Who was so bad he got sent to Mars, to be learned to be a reinforcement. What did he do? All of them around here are criminals¡­? That¡¯d explain why they are ruthless. Some, anyway.¡± I started to think of a flashback, when I was four. I watched the news and I saw two men, the news was talking about them being number one criminals on Earth. A few months later when they were found, everyone cheered to know they were going to Mars. Barely anyone makes it into reinforcements on Mars. You have to be the best and show that you belong. So it¡¯d make sense for them to cheer. You either die, or you become the protector of the planets. It¡¯s not an easy job. They really do break you down and rebuild you. Any man who went in, comes out a completely different person. To an extent. Nobody is usually afraid of the Mars Military. They usually don¡¯t even handle any crimes on Mars, they go to other planets, or are in wars.


    My mom walked back inside furiously, slamming the door, making me come back to reality. My dad called me over to help from outside because Jakecub was getting weak. Which my dad didn¡¯t even know Jakecub had cancer until the doctor told him. After that, dad went crazy making sure Jakecub didn¡¯t work to hard, but he did anyway. Jakecub got annoyed fast with him, he hated feeling incapable of doing anything. Which is why he stays in a room all of the time.


    Unfortunately Jakecub has been dealing with cancer since he was six years old, all his doctors are amazed he has stayed alive and in pain for this long, but he has managed. Unfortunately his cancer is progressing to the point where the treatments are no longer helping him. Unfortunately this causes him a great deal of pain and exhaustion. But not that the military doctor gave Jakecub something, maybe that¡¯ll help if he actually uses it. I doubt he will though. I¡¯ve been in his room. All he really cares about is dying. He thinks it¡¯ll be a better end for him, it''s not. He just needs to try and get better.


    "Well I guess we don''t need anymore weapons, but we may need more ammo." I said


    "Hey Liz, I need you to help me put up this metal fence and this security system around the house can you do that? You''re friend Jaried can help out too if he likes, I¡¯d prefer him to actually to be honest. You can help set up in the back with tents and wooden shelters for the new person to stay in actually." Jakecub had said.


    "Mom said they will be in the garage though, or in the basement if there is one, there''s no sense in destroying the backyard some more. I already did that, and there''s a garden I started back there, I don¡¯t want to destroy a day''s work for an extra person. Plus, Spike doesn¡¯t deserve special treatment. He scared me."


    "And you attacked him. Okay fine, you will make one bed in the garage for that one guy then, but Jaried also needs to also contribute and not sit around flirting with my daughter all day long. It isn''t appropriate, besides you need to be focusing on other things rather than a relationship at the moment. Also, you have school to think about, just because everyone is rediscovering the creature attack doesn¡¯t mean you get to slack off. This is a serious matter and I don¡¯t want anyone including you fooling around, you, me, your mother everyone is in danger. More so than any of us thought we would be. Or even should be." My father said as he began shaking his hands and becoming very noticeably nervous.


    "Mom is the one who is pushing me into dating him, I don¡¯t even like him like that, he is just a friend, that is all he will ever be. Just the other day I said that this wouldn¡¯t be appropriate actions in this kind of situation. I fully agree and support your decisions, and he is contributing to everything we need him to and or ask of him. Even when we don¡¯t ask him, he wants to contribute. He is a good person, trust me. But at least he isn¡¯t a criminal. Why do I have to help today anyway? And why are you acting so nervous? You¡¯re the one who killed hundreds of people. The only thing you need to be worried about is mom, I think you just completely pissed off mom and I don''t want to make it worse. She already hit Jakecub, and he has cancer, I don¡¯t think you want to make that worse." I said.


    ¡°Excuse me Lizzy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Lizzy, it''s not Liz, to you it''s Elizabeth.¡±


    ¡°Elizabeth, you have no right to talk to me like that! I want you on my side, I need you on my side, you are my daughter.¡± He walks up to me so he doesn¡¯t have to talk so loud. ¡°I know I killed a lot of people, that was my mistake, but it was for your own good. My friend Mik and I, we were part of the government, we knew some things that were going on that you didn¡¯t and don¡¯t. The world is overpopulated, the planets weren¡¯t working. Our water is decreasing tremendously. They wanted to get rid of people, the poverty-stricken more precisely. You were relative to the poor. I desired you to be safe. I killed the people who desired to hurt you, I killed the ill-mannered people, I gave the money to charity, to people who needed it, even your mother who ended up getting a better house than before. I¡¯m a good person, I just don¡¯t have the greatest actions. Or the most luxurious way of doing things. But in a way, it helps people too. Liz, I love you, I love your brothers, I love my children who aren¡¯t my blood. I don¡¯t want you to hate me.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t your children! Do not talk all high and mighty!¡± I said angrily walking away.


    I walked over to the back of dad¡¯s truck and started pulling out the separate pieces of fencing. There was so much, they would have to individually hook each piece of fencing together. I was sure this would take forever. But luckily, I wasn¡¯t the one doing it, I was just doing good ol¡¯ easy stuff, but hey? What''s stopping me from at least getting the material out of the truck for them right? Keeps people from thinking I¡¯m lazy at least.


    While I was taking out all the stuff in the truck, dad was busy measuring out the perimeter, I could already feel my aching bones just thinking about all that hard work, even if I wasn¡¯t the one going to do it. It was draining at best. In two hours it¡¯ll be morning and my body was beginning to feel the effects of no sleep, along with everyone else I''m sure. In a way, I couldn''t understand why we were knowingly torturing ourselves. But in another, I knew we were doing it for our own safety. So I, like everyone else had to scrape up the willpower to continue exhausting ourselves. Which I think is truly great in a sense. If Damien hadn¡¯t gotten shot, I know everyone would be making him do all of this right now, which in a way is unfortunate. But right now, I wished he could take my place.


    After I got done with putting all the material on the ground and out of the truck, I began walking off and into the house when Jakecub started yelling at me to help him line up the fencing where it needed to go. I sighed and protested that I had already done so much work today and that it wasn''t my job, he didn¡¯t care. He was busy slowly taking off the wooden fence, and Damien was helping our dad with the plans. I ignored my brother''s request and continued to walk into the house when our dad began yelling at me. He yelled and yelled saying I needed to help him or else I wouldn¡¯t get any food for tonight, or tomorrow, and a whole bunch of other things. I yelled back saying he wasn''t the boss and that if he neglected to feed me, he''d be on the borderline for child abuse. Not that he cared to listen.


    Now I was pissed, I stomped my feet and dragged one board at a time across the field. Making sure everybody heard my displeasement. Each time I looked at him, I gave him a dirty look and called him names under my breath. Then of course, to make things worse. The kids had woke up and started screaming in the house and running around outside. I was so annoyed at this point that I threw one of the fences in frustration. My father looked at me in amazement, it takes a lot of strength to just lift a fencing board, let alone throw it. Even at the littlest distance I had. But all he did was yell at me yet again and to be careful. But my frustration started to overtake and overwhelm me and I began yelling at the little kids and kicking things. At this point, my dad couldn''t ignore me, and he took my place in helping Jakecub with the fence.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.?? Pretty soon mom had had enough of the kids, and we started to hear her yelling at them to settle down. But of course she didn''t get anywhere. So she took them to the park. Shortly after, everyone took a break and started chowing down on food. Dad was still upset over my actions and lack of helping, so he didn''t allow me much food. I just sat there staring at the small sandwich, playing with the bread and zoning out. I took a few sips of my drink and looked at the sky. I hated the grey fog. It was there day in and day out, a solid reminder of what lives on this land and the destruction it can cause. I ate my food, took a few more sips, and started digging the fence line. My dad congradulated me and finished his food and came to help.


    A few moments pass and my dad stops us all from what we were doing. He takes a moment to look at all of our faces, he then congradulates us. "I just want to say that I''m proud of you all.. You''re very hard working, respectful children and I''m thankful for that. Even though not all of you are my kids, I love each and every one of you. But with that said, I feel there''s something we need to do. Considering I love you all, I want you all to be safe too. So I think we need to practice killing those things. Now, it''s unclear what happened in the pass, the whole being drugged thing, but I want you guys to be prepared. Do you all understand?" He looked at us, waiting for some kind of response, when he got what he was looking for, he continued. "So, I''m thinking in a few days, after we''ve rested a bit, that we should go target practicing outside these walls. I''ll be there, so there''s nothing to worry about. Is everybody in?"


    "Yeah, okay." We all responded, adding a yawn somewhere in our response.


    "I''m glad." He smiled. "Why don''t all of you go rest up, I''ll finish some things by myself."


    All of us managed to find the energy to get excited, thanking him and running into the house happily. He said he loved us again as we walked away. I was the last to enter into the house. I felt like the dead walking into my bedroom and plopping down on my mattress. My eyes instantly closed and I was fast asleep without even a second of a thought emerging.


    The sound of banging woke me up. I dizzily sat up and rubbed my eyes, waiting for the terrible feeling to subside. When it eased, I got up and walked out my door. Everyone was in the living room. I walked over to the window to see what was going on when five different people yelled at me to stop. Mom popped her head up and explained. "Outside is a madman. He''s already thrown tools at Jared when he walked outside. Who knows what he will do if you look out the window. He''s very frustrated and tired. We''ve just been sitting here for the last two hours in silence. The kids can''t even run around in the house without him yelling at them from outside." She said in annoyance.


    "Why doesn''t he take a break?" I asked.


    "He is too fixated on finishing the fence today. He won''t listen. He will come in when he''s either given up or had enough." She responded.


    "So what do we do in the meantime? Just sit here?"


    "Pretty much. Unless you want to be hollered at and scared."


    "Why do you allow him to push us around?"


    "Because whether you, or I, or anyone else likes it or not, we need him. He knows important people, he can get things and protect us. We wouldn''t be able to do a lot of things legally that he can do, and will allow us to do. I heard he wants to take you guys to target practice. None of you would be able to do that on your own, and be allowed back inside. We wouldn''t have this amazing defense without him either. Not legally anyway."


    "Why do laws matter anymore? Who cares if it''s legal, or illegal?"


    "Well, Liz, we still are living in a town controlled by someone higher up than us, who can still make decisions over what we do. Not to mention, without rules, we are nothing but ferral animals. If and when things get worse, we can make our own rules, and I don''t think stealing would exactly exist anymore. It''d just simly be first come first serve. But we have to wait for that day to come... If it does. It''s tough now, but it won''t be like this forever."


    I guess after four in the evening, my father had finally realized that he hasn''t gotten any sleep, and that he should rest for awhile. He made a bed in the garage and after a few minutes, distant snoring was the only sound we heard. Mom sighed in relief and turned the tv down low for the kids. I started to doze off where I sat, my head bobbing up and down, side to side. Spike started laughing, but I couldn''t help it. I was too exhausted to stay awake, but I still faught the want to sleep.


    I closed my eyes and wondered who my baby siblings father was, it certainly wasn¡¯t the father who had made us put up a fence all night and morning. They were to young, way younger than the rest of us. Sammi and the other ones, even Aaroon, I wished I knew them as a person. Knew who they were and are. I wanted to know if they even cared that they had children. Or even knew for that matter. That¡¯d be pretty rude of mom to never tell the fathers they had children. But then again, if she did, and they wanted to be apart of the children''s lives, and mom didn¡¯t want them to, I could see that as a problem she wouldn¡¯t want to deal with. But it was still their right to know.


    ¡°Hey, Liz.¡± Jaried said to me.


    ¡°Hi.¡± I responded rubbing my eyes.


    ¡°Are you going to sleep out here tonight?¡± He said, rubbing his beautiful green eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m to tired to get up again, so I think yes.¡± I said smiling tiredly.


    ¡°At least you don¡¯t have to sleep outside right? I mean, it''s cold out there, it¡¯s cold everywhere, I even forgot what month this is to be honest.¡±


    ¡°Ha, your funny Jaried, always know how to keep a girl happy. Just sleep in my room. No one will be there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but always a guy who finishes last, I mean, is it true that I will always just be a friend to you? I mean, I want to be more than that Liz. I love you and I have loved you for a long time now. I thought it was so obvious it was written on my face in black sharpy, don¡¯t you think? Everyone else says so anyways...¡±


    ¡°Right now Jaried, I don¡¯t know about relationships, I don''t know much of anything right now. I''m way too tired to have a serious conversation. However, there is literally like more than ten kids running around all the time and I¡¯m pretty sure if everyone knew what was going on, they¡¯d want to be living with us right now because of our set up, and we don''t have the space for that. So I have a lot to deal with. If that made any sense... As for you, I never thought of you like that. You have always been one of the closest friends to me, and you¡¯ll continue to be like that. I even think of you as my brother, and considering the way you feel, I''m sorry for that. I''m not trying to ''friendzone'' you, I just don''t feel the same, at least not right now. Right now, there is way too much going on that relationships aren¡¯t important to me and they shouldn¡¯t to you either. Staying alive should be. People are not only being ate alive but also getting sick from the creatures. That¡¯s enough to cause a huge panic if anyone besides me and my dad even realized that. But I guess not, I¡¯m just once again one step ahead of the actual game. You know? I¡¯m sorry but, you and my mom think relationships are great. I never cared and still don¡¯t care about them. They''re silly.¡±


    ¡°What was in the back of the truck and pick-up truck? I never got to see it.¡±


    ¡°There was guns, lots of guns and melee weapons. There was just a lot of things, gas also I think. I can¡¯t really remember.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean we are set to fight against those things?¡±


    "There wasn¡¯t enough ammo, that wouldn''t even last you a month on a horde coming by, nor could it do it twice." I said, "It takes about 3 bullets each to take down a human, what about those creatures? No ones a very good shot for one, and two we need target practice right? Which we will get, but that means more bullets are wasted. Also, I haven¡¯t seen one person try and fight those things anyway. I mean, I did when I remembered everything, but now everything''s different and we have to learn again. I mean, if we get to learn.


    I know there''s been some attacks in town but what if there is enough to cause what''s behind those walls to be inside? I mean, that wouldn¡¯t be a good thing. We wouldn¡¯t get to learn anything. And what if those things never die? Not everyone is going to stay behind this wall forever, The population will also eventually get out of hand and we will need to expand, what then? No one''s going to help us build paradise besides us. We are on our own. If those things never die on their own, we will have to somehow kill all of them! Who knows how many is out there. I doubt we could co-inhabit this place." I said.


    "Well in a couple of days, we will go and practice, we will get more bullets too. Your dad said."


    ¡°Hopefully he can keep his promise.¡± I said.


    ¡°Elizabeth, if you''re that tired, go to your own room and sleep. Jared sleeps out here, he needs his bed.¡± Mom stated.


    "Whatever." I said.


    "Look, just go to your room okay, it''s safer. I can''t watch what''s going on out here all the time. I have things to do."


    "What did I do to make you not trust me? If anything, that boy, whatever his name is, is the untrustworthy one. You know, the one you picked up for charity. Do you trust him more than me? He doesn¡¯t seem very trustworthy around her, one minute alone with her and he would want to rape her. You of all people should know that. He even has been here all day and I haven''t learned his name yet, have you even?" Jaried said.


    "His name? Well, his real name is Jackie, it''s pretty stupid don''t you think?" Damien said coming out of his room ¡°Also, do not talk to mymom that way, you''re lucky she''s letting you be here, she doesn''t need your mouth bitching off to her.So you best just do as you''re told Elizabeth and get to your room that my mother was greatful enough to give you before things turn ugly. And Jared, you don¡¯t have to stay here, no one''s making you, and no one''s making it incapable for you to leave.¡±


    Jared gave him a huge glare before getting up, ¡°What¡¯d Spike do? Name himself or something?¡± He smirked.


    "I think so, he has been on his own for years. Least that''s what they tell me, whether that¡¯s true or not is up to you to determine.¡± Damien said to himself, pondering the reality of this concept. ¡°But anyways, dad will be going to work in a few hours, he will be on power and defense, that is a big job. He needs all the rest he can get, and it would be a shame if you took that away from him, don¡¯t you think? So don''t start a fight Liz. While he is away, we are all going to finish up the chores he has, the fence included and the rest of the security, we will also set up a system that will allow us to have generated power for when things go dark. So get some more rest as well.¡± Damien said.


    ¡°Tomorrow I think they are going to transport everyone at the hospital to a different area in the world, Africa I think. That''s probably just in case the sick happen to turn into one of those creatures, then no one here will be at anymore loss. Besides, Africans deal better with this than anyone else. Their heritage surrounds the dead. I''m not going to read too much into it though." Mom said.


    "I think you''re thinking of Native Americans and Magicians. They worship their dead. Oh, and Mexicans, with Cinco De Mayo and all. But both Natives and Magicians no longer exist. Africans, are just used to oddly behaved people."


    "Alright smart one, I¡¯m just going to do what I¡¯m good at then, my profession, my career, my job, taking care of you all. But I need you to listen and concentrate, do whatever Damien needs you to do tomorrow. He is the authoritive. He is the go to person, I¡¯m sorry, and I do agree that Spike isn¡¯t trustworthy, but your friend doesn¡¯t need to be rude either. I know, none of you have gotten any sleep, so I will let it slide. But he can''t talk to me like that. Neither can you."


    ¡°Whatever.¡± I said, going up to my room.


    I grunted and rolled my eyes on my way. Regardless, Jared was right, that creep Spike, could do anything. Yet, he doesn''t get told off? I laid on my bed, calling Jared into my room. He walked in and laid next to me for awhile before I shut my eyes. I forgot what it was like to be happy, this certainly wasn¡¯t what happiness felt like.And Ii disagreed with the way mom and dad were running things.If only I could be a leader for once, I¡¯d do much better than anyone else could for sure. I wouldn¡¯t allow untrustworthy people around my children. I also certainly wouldn¡¯t be a person who killed billions of innocent people. I mean now, It''s understandable. To live, you needed to kill. But before, it was unnecessary.


    Pretty soon I was fast asleep drifting off to silly dreams, or scary, or even just boring. My dreams seemed to be on a rollercoaster, or LSD. I took sounds in as my dreams, every sound I heard became a thing in my dream. It was especially scary when I heard groans and moans in my dream, that means the creatures were really close to me, or that I had super hearing, which ever, I still didn''t like it. I wanted to wake up, but I couldn¡¯t, it was as if I was paralyzed. I guess I might be a snack for not such a delightful beast if it ever came down to me needing to wake up and I couldn''t. Hopefully someone would be kind enough to save me though if it came down to that. Regardless, I just wished I was capable of waking up right now, I hate being trapped in my own head. The thought of not being able to control my body scared me like hell. I guess we would find out in the morning if anything happened to me or not. Of course, nothing would, but the anxiety still lingered, like the hunger for control lingered throughout my entire dream like a burning sensational pit.


    Luckily,I started having another dream, I¡¯ve had this one before though, everything happened exactly like the last one. I got home, said hello to my animals, noticed there was a letter, opened it, and read it. It was addressed to the ¡®Dearly Beloved Daughter¡¯


    My Dearly Beloved Daughter,


    I¡¯m greatly desolated to say, your mother has passed away at 10:30 am last night. She took some pills, and it turns out, it was a little to much. I didn¡¯t know, she said she had a headache¡­ She took the wrong one''s. I want you to come to the funeral, regardless of the differences you and your mother had. We both loved you dearly, I know she did.


    I know in the past years, you two did not get along at all, you still don¡¯t. I know you can¡¯t stand her, but she¡¯s your mother regardless. I don¡¯t care if you two got in several fights several times over the year. I want you here, and I want to grieve with you. I know deep down inside, you¡¯re upset too. So I need you to come home for a little bit. Don''t worry about paying for anything. I have it all covered, just your presents is needed. Your mother would appreciate it and so would I.


    I love you Jasmine, your mother would love for you to come see her. I know if it was the other way around, she would want you to come see me too. I know she would tell you all the great times we had together, and she would say she would put her differences aside, if only you would come to the funeral for her and me. So do what she wishes, but do it for me. Jasmine, everyone wants you here, I know it. Your cousins, everyone. We would all be upset if you didn¡¯t. However¡­ I know you¡¯ll have a good reason for not coming if that''s what you decide. I love you Jasmine, and be safe for wherever you¡¯re at.


    I dearly miss you my love, Jasmine.


    Dad.


    Except, this dream was different. And I was Jasmine.

 Chapter Eleven

    Damien wokeus all up for a day of work. But before heading out, we ate some breakfast to start the day off. Everyone chowed down and then headed outside where we continued our duties. I was set with the task of continuing to help with the fence. The morning was going by slowly. I could tell nobody really wanted to be out here. We just were because we were told to do so by somebody who isn''t even here, but by somebody we feared. I had blisters all over my hands and bruises all over my legs, and I was willingly adding more aches and pains along with everyone else. But then there was a screetch that stopped everybody in their tracks. One that left us with chills.


    "We''re all going to die... Aren''t we?" Jared said.


    "What are you talking about?" Damien asked.


    "What are we going to do?"


    "Who?"


    "Everyone. What are we going to do?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Everyone we love is going to die. What are you going to do?"


    "Nobody''s going to die."


    "Everybody you love will die."


    "Shut up!" Damien yells.


    "What are you going to do!" Jared repeats, yelling.


    "Pull yourself together, nobody''s going to get hurt!" Jakecub yelled, grabbing Jared and shaking him slightly. "We''re strong! All of us. And we will survive. We will adapt, and we will concur. But you have to pull yourself together! You''re strong Jared. I know you are. You''re a survivor, and the strong will rebuid this earth."


    "How can we if those things don''t die? We aren''t immortals. Once we die, we turn into those ghosts. Craving for blood and flesh. How can we kil them all? I doubt we can co-exist on this planet peacefully. They don''t die naturally." I responded.


    "We will find a way. We are smart." Jakecub said proudly.


    "You don''t know that."


    "You''re right, I don''t. But I won''t let current events make me tremble with fear. I choose to fight, and I know you guys do too. So whatever happens, at least I know I did everything I could to restore order. And I hope you will know the same."


    Nobody argued the point any further, nobody even knew how to argue with that even if they wanted to. We all stood there in silence and gathered around the porch. Damien kicked rocks from the ground and Aaroon twiddled his thumbs around in a circular motion. Jared was zoning out and Jakecub paced. I just sat by the porch and peeled paint off the wood. Jakecub kept pacing, and it started to become very distracting. Not that I was doing anything important, but the overwhelming desire of wanting him to stop came over me and I demanded to know what he was doing.


    "Why do you keep pacing?" I asked.


    "I have an idea." He said.


    "What is it?"


    "Why don''t we go have some fun?"


    "What do you mean by ''fun''." Aarron asked.


    "Let''s go swimming. Or go for a walk, just something to get away from all this disaster." Jakecub responded.


    "Hey, that doesn''t sound like a bad idea actually." I said, standing up with a smile.


    "Then lets go?" Jakecub said, walking away as we followed. Too excited to realize we had no swim gear, or other things we needed to attend to.


    As we were walking to the river that was near by, Aarron, Jared, and Damien decided to have a race to see who the fastest was. Jakecub and I decided to stay behind and enjoy the view. The sky was still grey, but it wasn''t the only color up there today. You could see some blue, purple, and even yellow. Today was different. I could feel it. And I was proud for what my brother said today. I just wish I knew how to say thank you to him, other than... Well... ''Thank you.''


    "You know, we are a lot alike, you and I." I said.


    "I know, the only difference is you don''t have cancer." He responded.


    "Don''t say that."


    "Well, it''s the truth."


    "I want to say thank you."


    "For what?"


    "For what you said, and the hope you gave us. It was wise."


    "I''m just speaking the truth little sis. We''ll win this."


    "I know, and thanks to you, we believe it a little more. I love you."


    "Don''t say that."


    "Why?"


    "Because..."


    "Because why Jakecub?"


    "Saying you love me makes it sound like the quote "make ''I love you'' be the last thing your loved ones hear just in case they don''t get a tomorrow." I don''t want that. Because there will be a tomorrow."


    "I know, I wasn''t trying to make it sound like that."


    "Why don''t you catch up to them. I''ll be right behind." He said, pushing me forward.


    "Are you sure?"


    "You bet." He said, smiling and waving.


    I started jogging to catch up with the rest of the boys, but when I looked back, I noticed Jakecub heading in the other direction. I sighed, but continued to the river. When I got there, everybody was already in, and splashing around and laughing. I took my shirt off and laid down on the rocks, sun bathing as Ii watched the boys. Damien was the first to notice me.


    "Where''s Jakecub?" He asked.


    "He wasn''t feeling well, so he decided to head back home." I responded.


    "Will he be alright?"


    "Yeah, he will be fine."


    "Then get in."


    "Fine." I said sighing as I got up and started walking towards the river.


    "And you duffus, stop staring at my sister''s chest." Damien said, splashing Jared with water, who seemed paralyzed at the sight of my breasts.


    Jared immediately looked at Damien, who in return, have him a ''What the fuck?'' look. Jared dived into the water, not coming up ''til I submerged myself in water. I then walked over to him with a divious smile on my face and kissed him softly, trailing my hands slowly down his body. I let my hands feel every little hair on his chest, down to the top of his stomach, just below the water. He sucked in his stomach out of habit and nervousness, his lips as soft as a peach, but also rough. His face turned bright red, and then Damien splashed us with water. Which in return, started a water war among us four. Everyone splashed each other as hard as they could ''til the last one was standing. I, of course, was the first one who gave up. I could barely breathe between every splash in the face. Aaroon was the second to give up, claiming he tripped on a rock. Damien and Jakecub tied, and decided to wrestle instead.


    We stayed out here until the wind started to pick up and our body''s began to freeze from the water and cold. With no towel, we all started doing little movements to shake off the water and weakly warm ourselves up and we started to head back to the house. On our walk back home, we noticed dads truck. We watched as it quickly claim closer to us. Our curiosity and confusion grew with every second. The truck was getting closer and closer but yet, it didn''t slow down. I started to back up out of fear that it would hit us. Everyone bet Damien started backing up as well, ''til the last second. I closed my eyes in fear of seeing my brother hit and flinched at the sight of screetching tires. I kept my eyes closed even though the only thud I heard afterwards was my dad''s voice screaming to get into the vehicle. He was pissed. Stunned, we all stood there for what seemed like hours. He had absolutely no patience and jumped out of the truck, grabbing us by the shirt and practically throwing us in.


    "Where are we going?" I said quietly after he got in the car and started taking off.


    "You want to be stupid and irresponsible? Well, fine. I''ll show you what stupid and irresponsible and stupid looks like. It''s time to show you the battle you''ll be up against." He roared.


    I looked around at everyone. I saw a bunch of kids with their heads down and their tails between their legs, twiddling their thumbs around and around. For some reason it made me boil with anger, seeing him treat us like this, even if it was out of love and protection. My brothers were strong, but they cripple under his words. I however, wasn''t fearful of him. There''s nothing he could do to hurt us. Or, would do anyway. Of course, his deep voice was frightening, but his actions weren''t.


    "You can''t talk to us like that." I snapped.


    All the boys heads snapped around at me, giving me a merciful and silent ''Don''t say anything.'' Look, but I couldn''t help it. "Excuse me?" My dad snapped back.


    "You can''t treat us like this, talk to us like this."


    "Who do you think you are?"


    "Don''t interrupt me. I was speaking."


    "I can do whatever the hell I want! You''re my daughter!"


    "Exactly! I am your daughter!" He didn''t respond. "That means in some ways I''m exactly like you. But it also means in some ways I''m nothing like you. But I will tell you this, I don''t care who you are, I deserve respect. And I will demand it. You can''t come into our lives, being gone for so long and expect us to obey you like slaves! We aren''t your puppets to play with! If you have something to say to us, speak to us like adults. We will listen. If we did something wrong, you tell us, you don''t scream at us. We aren''t your men, and we certainly aren''t your prisoners. We are your children. Whether we like it or not. Whether you like it or not."


    He waited a moment before speaking. "You may not be my men, and you are my children, yes. That means it''s my duty to keep you safe. And I can''t do that when I don''t know where you are. You aren''t slaves, but you certainly aren''t adults. You''re children, and you act as so. Don''t tell me you''ll listen when you show me that you don''t by running off. For what?"


    "For relaxation, for peace, for clarity. We aren''t children. None of us are. You may not see it, but we have done more than what we should, we have went through obsticales and demands to be where we are today. You can''t tell me none of that mattered."


    "That was in the pass, a pass you don''t even remember!"


    "No father, that was yesterday. And the day before that! And the day before that. We have been bending over backwards for you ever since the day you got here. We have had sleepless days after sleepless days because of you. We are exhausted and in pain. When I look around, I don''t see children. I see bruises and cuts, blisters and pain. I see warriors, and chains you''ve put onto us. Look at Damien, he is barely recovering from being shot, and you''re already having him lift things way beyond his means! Look at our faces father! We are weak with exhaustion. Our faces are black with dirt and pale underneath. We have bags under our eyes, and every inch of a step we take is met with pain. You worked yourself up to the amount of pressure you''re putting us in, but you''ve thrown us into the pressure like a pack of vial wolves. Give us a break. Let us have fun. Let our body''s relax."


    "If you relax, you die. Now get out of the truck."


    "What are you doing?"


    "Get out of the truck Elizabeth and grab a weapon. All of you!"


    We all get out of the truck and go to the bed of the vehicle. Aaroon is the first to grab a weapon. He grabs a weapon and walks over to our dad. Our dad starts yelling, telling him to put it back and grab a melee weapon. When we all found our melee weapon, we stood in a horizontal line beside him and waited for further instructions. We were outside the walls, and those ghostly things were everywhere. So was destruction and nothingness. There was about twenty of them near the wall. The rest of them were a little walk away. My dad whistled and three of them started walking our direction. My dad grabbed me and pushed me towards them as they got closer. I hated the sounds of their grunts. I stood there paralyzed, looking at them. They looked like hobos. Except a hobo that had been slaughtered from the inside out and began to rot. Filthy hair, filthy clothes, black teeth, and blood everywhere. I could smell them from far away. My dad kept yelling at me to hit them. I raised my weapon, and I swung. My hammer hit the one to the far left, dressed in blue. But it just bounced off.


    "No, Elizabeth, you have to actually use your strength. This isn''t a game. If he bites you, you are dead. Now kill it. You have three of them coming your way, what are you going to do?" He yelled.


    I swung again, harder this time. But it bounced off him again. I started walking backwards as he got closer. But I didn''t know what to do, I was stunned. My dad kept yelling at me to hit him, and I panicked. I threw the hammer and pushed the creature. It obviously did nothing and the thing got ahold of me. Dad kept yelling, but I couldn''t hear what he was saying. My eyes were locked onto the creatures eyes. I could see such pain and misery in them that it left me sick. Damien ended up grabbing the creature and threw him against the truck, the next thing I saw was blood everywhere.


    "Pick up your fucking hammer and kill them. They are nothing now!" He yelled, throwing the hammer at me and managing to attract more of those things.


    I held the hammer close to me and watched as this woman in purple shorts get closer to me. It was a young girl, I could image her with beautiful blonde hair and skin that would age perfectly. Now she will never come to know another birthday. I saw her in me and it made me remember who I had to be. A killer. A survivor. I swung that hammer at her like it was a light sword, I swung it with such force and with the intent on destroying what innocents was left of me. It went through her skull, and the weight of her limp body took me down with her. My father cheered as my knees slammed into her stomach, causing the remains of her undigested kill to spray onto my face. I fell beside of her, my sight being blurred by the blood. I gagged and wipped my face off. A hand greeted my sight and pulled me up. I looked around and noticed six more of those things were coming towards us, including the one I had yet to kill.


    "Each of you take one, I''ll get the last two." My dad said. And we did as we were told.


    Each of the boys grabbed their desired kill, leaving me with three choices.


    1. A very younggirl, about 6


    2. An elderly man about 87


    3. A body builder


    I didn''t like any of my choices. I didn''t want to face a child, and I didn''t want to kill an old man. But I didn''t know if I could be able to handle the body builder. I looked at my dad who was waiting for me to make a decision. But I didn''t know how. He nodded and pointed to the little girl. I sighed in disappointment, but understood. He grabbed the other two. I walked up to the small child. Half her face was chewed on, and tear stains were still on her cheeks. I felt my heart breaking at the sight of this defensless child. But I knew I had to help rid the world of this evil. I lifted up the hammer and waited ''til she was within hitting distance. I breathed in, closed my eyes, and swung. I felt an impact, and my eyes became full of tears. I felt warm hands around me and a whisper of it being okay. I nodded and looked up, my father was the one I saw. He smiled but didn''t comfort me long.


    "You guys did well. It showed me you had the courage and strength to take on the enemy. Now we can move on to guns." He said, picking up a hand gun from his truck. "Who will do the honors?" He said, holding up the gun, waiting for someone to claim the first shot.


    Jakecub rose his hand up and dad smiled. "Well, come here then. Lets get to shooting. Everybody grab a gun." Dad said.


    We did as we were told and each of us grabbed a hand gun. He taught us a quick lesson about loading and unloading the gun, what the safety is for, and everything else. He then took Jakecub to the front of the line and pointed to a creature. Then he said shoot. It took Jakecub six shots before finally hitting him. But he wasn''t dead. Just crawling on the ground. Dad said he did a good job. The gun shots attracted more of those things and he told everyone to lift up their weapons. We did and we started shooting, each in different directions. It took me ten shots to knock down the creature and another five to kill it. Dad then stopped us and showed us how to aim and breathe properly. He told us to wait for the right moment before shooting and told us to try again as the next seemingly wave approached.


    This time it took me eight shots to kill the creature. I was doing better. He then paired us up. Two shots per person towards one target. I was with Damien, it took us three turns before ours died. We kept doing different tactics and strategies for hours. He stopped us when he noticed we stopped improving and instead, started getting worse. He hugged all of us and patted us on the back.


    "Good job kids. We will pick this up in two days. I will get you guys back home and then I have to head to work. I''m proud of you guys." Dad said.


    We were all happy as we unloaded the guns and put them in the back. We then loaded up in the truck and were taken back home like he said. When we got home, mom greeted us at the front door and hugged each of us. She was glad we were all home and safe. We went inside as mom and dad talked outside for awhile. What they said was inaudible. When mom came back inside, she warmed up our dinner and dad left. We all were so exhausted that after dinner, we went straight to our rooms and drifted off to sleep.


    It was about eight in the morning when a blood curtling scream woke me up. I ran out from my room and into the living room where I saw my dad bleeding out and Damien yelling. My mom was paralyzed and terrified, everyone else was paralyzed too, and Damien was trying to get someone to help. I took a deep breath and grabbed towels from the bathroom. Any and all that I could and handed them to Damien.


    ¡°What''s going on!?¡± I yelled.


    ¡°Dad got hurt¡­ His crew just came and dropped him off and then left. Jakecub and Spike are fighting outside. Spike was with dad when he got hurt. I think he might of had something to do with it." Damien said.


    "Don''t blame the boy." Dad said weakly, grabbing onto Damien.


    ¡°What? Is he okay? Is he hurt? What happened? Did he get bit?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I just said he got hurt once again, he was shot by some redneck. I think they were trying to shoot Spike from what I could hear and dad got in the way. I don''t know what''s going on outside, someone needs to go get them."


    ¡°What? Some stupid redneck hurt my father? Why?¡±


    "Elizabeth! Listen! They were trying to shoot Jackie. You need to go get them!''


    "It''s not Jackies fault Damien. I was removing a creature from his house. Jackie broke something and the guy went rampant.I tried calming him down, but it was useless." Dad said.


    ¡°I can''t believe you''re finally awake.¡± Aaroon said, staring at me as if I was a zombie.


    "What?" I asked curiously.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere."You''ve been asleep for two days." Aaroon said, before falling backwards and losing conciousness.


    Mom screamed again and fell to Aaroons side. I knew she couldn''t make sense of this, and neither could I. She kept repeating ''why'' under her breath. I felt dizzy and sick. My vision was blurry,I stared at my mom, watching as the tears well up in her eyes. Jared took the kids into a bedroom as they were screaming. The new people who were staying with us tried to help, but they didn''t know how. So they just awkwardly stood around the room. They understood what our father meant to us, not only to us as individuals, but as a group. But they had no connection to the gravity of the situation understandably.


    "Liz, you need to do one of two things, we still haven''t seen if the security system we set up even works yet. You either need to go check it out, or stop Jackie and Jakecub from fighting outside. Which is it?" Damien asked.


    "I don''t know." I said.


    "Look, I''m not capable of helping, and with the looks of it, neither is anybody else. I''m just hurting myself worse, and now I need to help dad. His medical soldier can''t even help us. They won''t let him away from the war. So you need to do what needs to be done right now. God... I don''t know how dad is still concious. I can''t imagine the pain he must be in..."


    "Fine. I will stop the fight and then check the security."


    "Thank you!"


    I went outside to see Spike and Jakecub throwing fists at each other. I started yelling at them, but both were too focused on each other. I turned on the water outside and grabbed the hose. I yelled again, but neither of them stopped. I sprayed them both with water and they both looked at me in displeasement. I smiled at the sight of them looking like wet dogs and threw down the hose and turned off the water.


    "Now, you two, stop fighting and go check the security system. Or go be useful in some other way." I said.


    They both tried arguing their point of why they were fighting. "I don''t want to hear it, now go!" I yelled.


    They rolled their eyes, but walked off, and went to the fence. I then walked into town. There was a section of the road blocked off and military vehicles driving quickly down the road to the Wasteland. I figured they were transporting the sick to where they said. I started walking to the local hospital but noticed that it was completely vacant. I stopped somebody in the road and asked them about it.


    "Where is all the nurses and doctors in the hospital?" I said.


    "Oh, the military took any and everybody with even the slightest medical degree, even vets. Nobody who knows modern medicine is even allowed to see the public. I don''t know what they are doing, but they better not bring anything bad into here." A lady said.


    "Oh... Thanks." I said, watching her nod and walk off.


    I sat down on a bench and sighed loudly. I didn''t know what to do, but I knew without medical assistence, my dad wasn''t going to get better. A strange man walked up from behind me and scared me. I yelled, he laughed and then sat beside me.


    "I know what you did." He said.


    I looked at him with an uncomfortable gaze and scooted away from him a bit. "What?" I responded.


    "It''s okay. You''re brave. You''re like me. You know the truth. Tthat means you will live."


    "What are you talking about?"


    "Give it some thought and you will know." He said, pausing for a bit, and waiting for me to catch up. "So, do you understand what I mean now?"


    "I think so..." I said, questioning the possibilty.


    "I think you do... So, somebody is hurt?"


    "No." I said, defenseful.


    "Then why come to the hospital looking for someone?"


    "I know someone. I wanted to see if they were alright."


    "Don''t act stupid." I snapped in annoyance. "I know the truth and so do you. Their taking the sick and killing them. Someone is hurt and you were getting them help. Lucky for you, I know where the medicine is at. But it won''t come without a price."


    "What do you want for it?"


    "You will know when I ask. Do you accept the deal?"


    "I don''t know..."


    "Yes or no?"


    "Yes." I said, hesitant.


    "Good. Now open your hands and close your eyes." He said. I did as he said, and something warm was placed in my hands. "Keep your eyes closed." I heard him whisper in my ear. I kept them closed. I waited and I waited for him to tell me to open my eyes. But he didn''t. When the thing that was in my hands was no longer warm, I opened my eyes. Nobody was around and it was dark. I started walking back home.


    When I got to the block of our house, cops surrounded our house. I started jogging to get there sooner. Mom had to explain to the officers that our father was part of the military and that there was nothing to worry. He just got into an accident and that he would be fine. Once dad confirmed what she had told them, they backed off and told us to just keep the noise down. On their way back to their vehicle, the cops noticed all the guns in my dads truck. The officers seemed to have a very concerned look on their faces and grabbed their gun on their holster. They shined their flashlight all around our house and saw what was going on.One of the officers told us to go inside, but none of us did. He actually yelled at us to do so several times. But we refused. We knew what was going on, so did they. There was no reason to leave.


    A group of twelve, maybe sixteen creatures made their way inside the walls and were down the street making weird sounds like they were calling something. This was definitely a small horde of creatures, but the biggest one I¡¯ve seen yet inside these walls. The creatures noticed the officers lights and started walking down our way, one of the officers began panicking and immediately called for the rest of his group to come down here. He saw something we all didn¡¯t, he saw after a few more feet, more of those creatures showing up. Thirty, maybe even more I believe was there and they seemed angry and stronger than the first group. This no longer was a small horde, this was a dangerous red zone horde. They weren¡¯t slow either. I don''t know why, but I had a feeling that the first group were more intelligent than the ones that they were leading. And the second group were the strong ones. The reason I think this was because when those creatures got closer to the cops car, the first group stopped and let the second one take the lead.


    Guns started firing and the creatures got angry, moments later the rest of the backup showed up, and it became a light show in the pitch black. People started coming out of their houses, and I was sure some of them got hit until they realized it was bad to be outside right now. I even almost got shot. Soon, everyone was going to know what was going on, and this would no longer be a close knitted secret kept away from the public.


    After all the creatures were killed, half the officers stayed to help us clean up the bodies, and the other half left to resume their duties and tell the military police of the event. Althought I''m sure by now they already are aware. Screams filled the air as people realized that some of their family was shot, and chanting started among the people. More people came down the road and saw what was going on. From the looks of it, a riot might happen soon. People started to demand answers. Wondering what was going on, who was shot, why were they shot, why they looked the way they did, and what was going to happen next. But nobody could say anything, the officers and my group all knew that what was going on wasn''t for us to tell the public. But if something wasn''t said soon, I don''t think it will be safe inside the walls anymore.


    Eventually the angry mob of people left to go terrorize the military I''m sure. I go inside to see my dad on the phone, I can tell the discussion he''s having isn''t a good one. He gets off the phone and slowly stands up, everyones trying to get him to lay back down, but he says he can''t. We ask him why and he tries not to say, but gives in as he gets closer to the door.


    "They want me at the hospital. Apparently things are getting out of hand. They need me." He says.


    "You can barely stand!" Mom yells.


    He ignores her and continues walking out the door. I hand him the medicine I was given and tell him to take it. He kisses me and thanks me before getting into his truck and leaving. I watch him leave and then go to my room. Mom and Damien are yelling back and forth to each other, saying honestly nothing and I just wanted piece and quiet. I sit on my bed and hold the pillow to my face, crying. I can''t stop crying.


    Jared walked into my room to make sure I was okay, but he could clearly see that I wasm''t. He grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around me and sat on my bed. He held me from behind, telling me everything would be okay. He also told me some memories we had. Playing at the beach, going on a helicopter ride, swimming, going to basketball games, playing countless video games for days at a time, and several more things as I began having flashbacks of everything we did. It made me smile and feel okay for the moment. I forgot everything that had been going on for awhile.


    Then he kissed my cheek, telling me to go to sleep. Eventually I did go to sleep in his arms, but the sleeping didn''t last long when I started having nightmares of my dad being killed. He woke me up, telling me to calm down because I was panicking so badly in my sleep and starting to scream. I was sweating too, and he was scared of all the sounds I was making. It was cute that he was right there with me all this time, I loved it. But I also hated it. I would hurt so much if I lost my best friend. My everything, my world. I couldn¡¯t lose him. He was literally my world. He made everything better. It was bad enough that I didn¡¯t love him in the same way that he loved me. I couldn''t give him anything in return and it made me feel bad.


    "It''s okay, it''s okay," he whispered over and over again in my ear, continuously kissing me on the head. "it''s just a bad dream, you''re okay. I¡¯ll always be right here for you, right by your side. I promise."


    I was gasping for air when he gripped me tighter in his arms, I started crying when my mom walked into my room asking if I was okay. She grabbed me, picking me up off my feet and held me. Jared started explaining what had happened, and my mom wipped the tears from my face, kissing my forehead. Damien came out of the room worried when mom politely asked him to get some water for me. Mom started swaying me back and forth trying to calm me down, she walked me to the couch sitting me down and gave me the glass of water. I chugged it down and cuddled up to her and Damien put a blanket over us before going back to his room. Mom stayed until I had went to sleep and she too walked back to her room, leaving me to my silent nightmares. Jared didn¡¯t come out to the living room, in fact, once mom had me in her arms, he too fell back asleep, in my bed.


    "Run! run! you have to get out of here, we have to go!" I screamed.


    I ran as fast as I could out the door, looking behind me, seeing if anyone was following me. I tripped over a dead body, which sent me to the ground, hitting my head. I hit the ground so hardthat it left me dizzy. When I turned over, I saw this drooling diseased creature get on top of me. He grabbed me with his dirty hands, leaving marks on my arms from his grip, he drooled all over my face and I could smell his disgusting breath that led me to want to puke my guts out.


    He went to bite my slobbery, blood wet flesh but I fought back hard with every ounce of strength. I couldn''t let his black teeth sink into me. I struggled to get away from him, throwing my body back and forth and side to side, anything to get away from him. He felt like a million pounds on my body, when someone came up and bashed his head in, splattering blood all over my face. But I felt free.


    "Get up!" They yelled.


    I was panicking from the adrenaline rush in my body and the fright that had just took place. I began hyperventilating and passed out soon after, leaving my body completely open to those disgusting creatures. When I had woke up, I saw a girl carrying me over her arms. She was tired and was trying to catch her breath, she sat me down in an alley. She stood there in the alley entrance looking for anything suspicious. She noticed I was awake and handed me some water, she smiled at me and then looked backat the street, scanning up and down the road.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I don¡¯t have to kill you now, I would of felt bad if I killed you and you were actually alive.¡± She said.


    When she saw nothing following us, she ran over to some cars to see if there was anything worth grabbing. She came back with some candy bars and handed me one. She also had some aspirin in her hand. She took two of the pills and then looked at me for a moment.


    ¡°Do you need anything?¡±


    I just looked at her, I didn¡¯t try to say anything, it was just a blank stare. I wonder why she was helping me, she wasn¡¯t obligated to do anything. Especially save me from those things. She shook her head before putting the pills in her bag.


    "Not a talker? It''s okay, I¡¯m not normal either. This is all I found in the cars though, just thought I¡¯d share. Got to keep up your energy you know? Can you walk now?" She asked, biting into the chocolatey goodness of a candy bar.


    I tried getting up, but fell in the process. "That''s okay, you will regain your strength soon enough." She said, picking me up again. "Let''s head inside where it should be safe, you probably need some rest." She said, pointing at a building up ahead.


    She stayed in the shadows trying not to be noticed by anything moving. Everything was on fire and all the cars seemed to be on flames as well. It was worse down the road, destruction wise. She stopped and hid me behind some garbage cans and ran out into the street, killing the creatures that were blocking our path. I could hear her groaning, grunting, and yelling as she killed each one. She was all bloody and sweaty when I saw her this time.


    But that didn¡¯t stop her from getting to our destination, she just simply picked me up again. But I could tell that she was out of energy, she soon dropped me and apologized. She breathed hard, this was more like a chore for her. I could tell I weighed more than her, but I couldn''t move. I wished that I could help her, but my legs were just too weak to do anything.


    "Common, you can do this!" She yelled to herself, attempting to pick me up again. She groaned even louder this time and got me over her shoulders, she limped her way through the street using her weapon as an extra leg.


    "Just a little further." She kept saying to herself in encouragement. She kept stopping and gasping for air at almost every car she passed.


    All of a sudden one of the creatures started walking up to us from behind, which seemed to spook her. More started following him, then more after that until it became a huge horde of drooling flesh eating creatures. They moaned and groaned and looked like they haven¡¯t ate for months. They¡¯re face began peeling and turning grey, they had sun blisters on their face and their clothes were demolishing.


    "Damn it!" She yelled, picking up her pace.


    I stared at her face, and I could tell she wanted to leave me behind, but she didn''t. That was a huge noble and heroic decision she was making. I think if I was in her position, I would probably leave the person here. But maybe she was lonely and I was the only person she had came across for who knows how long. Maybe that was why she was protecting me. I hear a loud crack and rumble, just in that moment, a building started to break away and fall our direction. She let go of me and slide under a car, she reached her hand out to me but we were just too far apart. The building crumbled down all around and on top of me, luckily it missed me for the most part, except this one piece of rubbish. If half the building didn''t fall the other direction, I probably would have been dead.


    When I looked at my body to make sure I was okay, I noticed that the rubbish was covering my legs, but for some reason I didn''t feel the pain. I knew my legs had to be broken, but I tried releasing them anyways. With every pull came with a scream, though, I still couldn''t feel anything let alone get free. With ever scream, it lured more creatures in, from miles away. My scream was like a broadcast to all the creatures to hear. Which was in no way good, and puts us in danger.


    I could see the creatures coming straight for me and started yelling out for the person who saved me to come and save me again. She ran out from where she was and quickly threw the rubbish off my legs, picking me up and throwing me over her shoulders once more. She started running down the street this time, despite her exhaustion. This girl was amazing.

 Chapter Twelve

    She finally got to the building she''s been trying to reach for what seemed like hours now. She put me behind the counter and started relentlessly killing the creatures that never ventured out of the store. Once that was done, she dragged one of the shelves to the entrance to block anything from coming in. But she had missed one of the creatures and it noticed me behind the counter. It started coming towards me, it smelt my blood. It was so close that it started crawling towards me. but I still couldn''t seem to make a sound. It was like my vocals had vanished. I frantically looked for something to hit this monster with, but it was no use, I was too weak to move.


    I saw something to hit the creature with, but by that time, he had already grabbed ahold of my arms and tried biting me. I tried to kick him away, but it was too painful, and my legs were limp. I tried punching him, but his grip was to strong. I felt completely helpless as his mouth ventured just inches away from me. But this extraordinary girl jumped over the counter, and within one hit, decapitated the very thing that was trying to eat me alive.


    "You really need to work on defending yourself, or talking." She joked as she moved the dead body off of me. "Are you okay? Did he bite you or anything?"


    "N-no" I said, choking.


    "Wow! You can talk. Well, just relax, I''ll get you some water."


    She grabbed her backpack and handed me some water, "You''ll be okay." She said as she sat next to me.


    I looked around at the things I could see, there wasn''t much behind this counter. When I looked at the girl that saved me, she seemed to be sleeping or resting with her eyes closed. I struggled to get up after a while, but I managed to at least kneel after struggling for a bit. There was a wheelchair near by, and so I slowly made my way towards it, lifting my body off the ground and into the chair. I don''t know what happened, but I think she drugged me, because I didn''t scream at any movements I made.


    I wheeled myself down to the bathroom to try and clean myself up.I looked myself in the mirror and could barely recognize my own face. I scrubbed my skin trying to get all the dirt, blood, and sweat off me, butthe harder I tried, the harder the task seemed. I was scared to look at my legs. I was scared to see the destruction the building had caused, I feared I would never walk properly again. Something I would surely need if I wanted to survive in a world like this. I couldn''t bare the thought of living a life helpless.


    When I gained the courage to look down, I was horrified at the sight I saw, my legs were dirastically split open, and cocked full of dirt and who knows what else. Every inch of my skin was horrifically bruised and swollen. I tried cleaning my legs, but it was to much for me to handle. I started to panic. It was this huge mess that I didn''t know how to deal with. I gave up andrelaxed in the wheelchairfor a bit, thinking about everything that has happened to me so far.


    I was tired, but I was glad to be soaking up all this light in the bathroom. In this entire store, the only lights that worked were the bathroom lights. I could see everything so clearly, but that also meant that I could see what was wrong with my legs. I grabbed the jacket I was wearing and ripped it into pieces to make bandages so I couldn''t see the damage. I wheeled myself back out of the bathroom and started looking for a first aid-kit, I didn''t find much, just some pain killers. I took a handful, but they didn''t seem to help much of anything.


    I started to hear banging on the door and groaning as the creatures were trying to get in, the girl didn''t seem to be bugged by the sounds and just turned over, but I was scared for my life. I grabbed one of her weapons and held it close to me, I slowly wheeled myself towards the window and as soon as I looked out, a creature''s face slammed against it. I let out a weak yell androlledaway. The door started to make more noise as the creatures were up against it trying to get in more persistently. I satback, rubbing my legs, crying from the pain I felt in my chest and looked at the mysterious girl.


    She opened her eyes and looked at me, then looked at the mess at the door, her face changed immediately and tried looking for another way out. She looked in the manager''s office and then motioned me to come in. I slowly followed her, still yelling and groaning with every breath. In the office was jugs of water and food, and there was a window leading up to the top of the building.


    ¡°I think we should stay in the office until the creatures get in, then we can head up to the roof, plus your legs look pretty bad, this would give your legs sometime to rest.¡± She said.


    This girl continued to look around the room and found a backpack under the desk. There was a flashlight and a bag of batteries. She filled the backpack up with stuff in the store and then came back to the managers office.


    ¡°Well, this could do us some good for a couple of days. Let''s try not to us this flashlight to much until we need to. I¡¯ll be right back, I¡¯m going to go look for more stuff in the store just in case I missed anything and bring it back,¡±


    She left the room and as I was waiting for her, I began drifting off to sleep. I didn''t know if it wasdue to being tired, or in such severe pain, my body could no longer take it. But minute by minute I could feel myself being taken away from reality, and into another word. My body felt as if it was disconnecting itself from the world. I dreamt another dream that was full of fighting and protection and saving the world. But after awhile, this mysterious women took away my dreams and brought me back to her world. She threw a backpack at me and told me to fill it up with everything I could get my hands on, we both grabbed what we could.


    ¡°The creatures got in while you were sleeping, we need to go, like an hour ago.¡± She said.


    Though I was in pain to just stand up, I forced myself out of the window and crawled up to the top of the building. As we did so, they broke through the office door and started rampaging through everything. She hopped from one building to the next and then put planks across for me to walk across. When we got to a hotel, she said that¡¯s where we were going to sleep for the night. We got inside the hotel after breaking into one of the windows. Because of the break proof glass, it ended up taking us hours to break through. We both laid down on the beds of the hotel to rest and relax before heading for a new safe place.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ??When I had awoke, she was taking a shower, I was still amazed the water was working all this time. I looked through a couple suitcases that were on the floor by the bed. But nothing seemed to be of any use. Except maybe cleaner clothes. There was really nothing except some towels as well in the room. She came out of the bathroom without any clothes on and water ran down her sun kissed skin,soaking the royal blue color on the carpet floor. She grabbed a towel that was in my hands and wrapped it around her body and then walked pass me, slightly bumping into me. She opened a closet door and pulled out some ripped up jeans and a blue t-shirt. Then walked back to the bathroom to put everything on, she then walked back to her bed where she put her black leather jacket back on.


    She put all of her equipment back on and walked out the hotel door, she handed me an axe as I followed her out the door. We walked down the hall to the stairs and walked all the way down to the first floor where the creatures seemed to be hoarding. We walked back up to the second floor, entered a room and broke the window leading outside, we climbed out and climbed down the ladder as far as we could before jumping on a carand began to walk down a road.


    "My legs, they''re better. I didn''t notice ''til now." I said.


    "That''s the beauty of dreams isn''t it." She replied.


    "What? What do you mean?" I said, but never got a response back. "Hello?"


    Everything seemed to go into a blur as I woke up to the sound of my brother and mother talking. One of the babies were crying as well. I rubbed my red tired eyes and tried to look around, but my neck was stiff and hurt. I couldn''t quite make out what my brother was saying, but it sounded like someone was in trouble and they were debating whether or not to tell anyone. Soon, they stopped talking and saw that I was awake. They looked at each other and smiled.


    "What?" I said, a bit dizzy. They started talking among themselves again asking each other if they should say anything.


    "Just tell me!" I demanded, irritated.


    Mom sighed and told me that she was pregnant. With another child. Something about her being able to feel it and how she just knew. I first thought it was impossible, given that she already has one inside of her, but I guess you can get pregnant twice in nine months? So now she has a baby ready to pop, and another barely developed apparently. I already thought it was irresponsible enough for her to have a ninth child. But a tenth? I couldn''t believe mom got pregnant at a time like this, or how it could of happened, or even when. And how were we suppose to support four growing babies? It was scary to think mom was going to have two babies at this time in this place, screaming and putting us all in danger. Plus the other two as well.


    Mom got a call earlier that day saying that dad wasn''t going to be home for another three months and a half. Mom seemed upset by this news and just laid in her bed after telling us what she heard. She looked and acted depressed, and barely ate anything. And in a day I saw her stomach completely grow another three inches. I didn''t know how that could of happened considering how little she''s eating. But at least our rations would never go out that way...


    Everyone else began doing what they always did every day in a world like this now. I wanted to make sure every day was perfect. Not just that very day would keep me safe, but that I would get to live each day.


    ¡°Hey Liz, now that you¡¯re awake¡­ Do you want to go adventure outside?¡± Jared asked.


    ¡°Sure, I guess.¡± I responded, getting up and putting shoes on.


    I walked towards the door and Jared opened the door for me. We walked outside and made our way down the street. We started talking about the most stupidest things, but it made us both laugh. We turned the corner and passed people who were also talking among themselves. Then we passed some children playing on the playground in the front yard. Despite recent events, today seemed normal. Funny even. If I can even remember what normal is that is. But then we passed the church. There was some kind of event going on. They tried desperately to get us to come inside. Something about overthrowing the military. I knew it couldn''t be good, and I didn''t want to be involved. But the more we said no, the more angry they got and started insulting us and trying to grab us. I knew that was a group I didn''t want to be apart of. I think they wanted to destroy the wall... Which that was the only thing keeping us apart from the masses of diseased. And even then, it wasn''t fully working. As some escaped through anyway.


    We quickly walked away from them, ignoring their insults and went to the park. We sat down on the playground for a bit. We watched as people ran by, we watched as two drug deals took place, and then we decided to take off to somewhere else. We walked more into town and passed the appliance store. The manager came out running with tears in his eyes, screaming his head off at us. Screaming that Barbara''s death won''t be for nothing, and that we will die a slow and painful death. Unfortunately I didn''t think he was that far off from the truth. We ran away and went to the ancient rail road tracks and started playing around on them. Neither of us talked to each other. We just wanted to forget the bad and enjoy the nice for awhile. So we laughed as we hopped around on the tracks before we headed back to our home.


    We noticed that everyone was already in their homes, and there was absolutely no movement outside, aside from the wind. The military soldiers were roaming the streets. I guess they put a curfew out that we didn''t know about. We had to be careful to not get caught. At a time like this, we had to follow their moves. Know when to jump in and out of bushes quietly and be tactful. What turned into a twenty minute walk home, turned into two hours. But eventually we made it home without being detected. However, we weren''t hidden from mom, who was seemingly pissed. But she was more glad that we were okay and safe than anything else. But damn did she have the worst mood swings you''d ever come to know. She gave us some food and then sent us on our way to our rooms for the night.

 Chapter Thirteen

    Oour life just started to get back into a proper routine. We ate at least two normal meals a day, did our chores, attended to the garden, and continued to stock up on things we would need. Especially food. Food was always our main priority, especially considering how many people we had living with us. Jared and I were the main caregivers of the children, our mom just became so depressed she could hardly move out of bed. The only time she did now was to use the bathroom. I wanted to cry most of the time myself, but things needed to be done, and feelings can''t get in the way of survival...


    When I woke up, I did my regular workout session, couple push-ups here, a few sit-ups there, thirty second plank and I was done. I came out of my room and saw mom sitting on the couch feeding one of the kids. I smiled and looked at everyone getting along with smiles on their faces and truly enjoying themselves. I walked outside for some fresh air and I didn''t see the military men walking up and down every street. This week is going to be different, I can already tell. Hopefully this will be a good different, regardless if this is the fourth month my dad will be gone.


    I made myself some breakfast. I made three slices of toast and made a triple decker peanut butter and jelly sandwich out of the toast. I looked around and didn''t see Jared anywhere. It was nearly time for our daily walk. For the past month, Jared and I have been going out every day and stalking the guards. Mom doesn''t like it, but we are usually lucky enough to overhear some infromation from them. Ii''m pretty sure we get some infromation that even our dad doesn''t get. Considering he is working a completely different job than city duty I believe.


    "Hey, mom, where is Jared?" I asked.


    "In his room. Why?" She responded.


    "I''m ready to go out and see what the guards are discussing today."


    "You know I hate when you do that Liz. You could get in trouble, or hurt."


    "Well, I haven''t yet, and you know the kind of information we get could be important for us."


    "I don''t know Liz, I don''t think it''s worth it."


    "We will be okay." I said, smiling, heading up to the room to get Jared.


    I knock on the door a few times but get no answer. I wait, and then I open the door. "Hey, Jared." I get the door completely open and immediately stop in my tracks. "Oh my god!" I yell, closing the door.


    "What the fuck Liz!" He yells back.


    "I''m sorry." I say, from behind the door.


    "What''s going on in here?" Damien asks, opening the door before I could say anything.


    "Get out!" He yells.


    "Oh dude, next time put a sock on the door. Fuck man." Damien says, leaving the door open and walking away.


    Jared puts his shorts back on and goes to the bathroom. "Don''t masturbate in there please." I said.


    "Shut up Liz!" He said.


    "We need to go, I want to know what the guards have to say."


    "Go down stairs, I''ll be there in a sec."


    I walk back down stairs to see my mom blushing. "You told her?" I said.


    "Of course, that shits funny." Damien responds, laughing.


    I sit on the couch and wait. The kids just started waking up and getting out of their rooms. Damien makes them breakfast. Aaron and Jakecub are still sound asleep. I sigh and look outside, the military are starting to come back. They are looking at each house as they look at their clipboards. I see them checking off something as they look at each house. I wonder what they were up too. They call over someone else and a coversation starts up. I yell out to Jared to hurry up, Damien got snappy and said that he better not be masturbating in the bathroom. I yell once more for him to get down here but decide not to wait for him any longer. I get up and go outside. Immediately one of the guards looks at me and asks me what I''m doing. I look around and see a basketball on the ground.


    "Uh, I''m here to play basketball. I want to go to the park." I respond.


    "Where''s your buddy?" He asks. "I see you guys come out of that house every single day and linger around us."


    "My friend is actually masturbating right now, and we don''t linger around you guys. You are just in the way of the park. See, its down that street, where you guys are normally crowded around." I say, pointing to the road where they are at.


    "Go back in your house. I don''t give a fuck about your excuses."


    I try continuing the conversation in an attempt to overhear the talking not too far from me. "No, why should I have to go inside?"


    "Everyone is to stay inside their homes today. Get back inside!" He yells.


    I overhear the word bomb, now I certainly had to stay and try and hear more. "Why don''t you go back home?" I idiotically said.


    "My home is dead. Get inside before I shoot you, how about that?"


    "Uh, I''m thinking you not shoot me."


    He raises his gun. "This is your last chance, get inside or I shoot you. You obey me, got that."


    "You aren''t my dad bitch."


    Before he can say anything, Jared, Damien, and my mom run out and pull me inside. My mom apologizes over and over again and Damien says I won''t be a problem again. But he isn''t backing down.


    "Get her out here, if she wants to disobey me, she will die. If you don''t listen, so will you. Ii''m not fucking around."


    "You don''t want to kill her." Mom says.


    "And why is that?"


    "Because my husband won''t be very happy."


    "Lady, I don''t give a fuck about your husband."


    "He is in the same line of business as you. Whatever you are, military? He will kill you if you kill us."


    "What''s his name?"


    My mom says his name and the guy leaves for a moment, he walks over to his truck and calls someone. They talk for a moment, I can barely hear their conversation, but it sounds like they are yelling at him for giving us a hard time and that we are not to be touched by anybody. Which doesn''t make sense if the other guys are talking about bombs. But if our dad isn''t being relayed all the information, then he can''t protect us from the bombs. I try walking outside again, but Damien pushes me back and gives me a ''Watch yourself'' look. I sit back down on the couch and keep looking out the window. A few moments later, and the guy who was threatening me comes back. He looks very annoyed, he walks over to our house and sprays blue paint on our house. When mom asks him what that was about, he ignores her and walks away. Confused, mom walks back in and starts yelling at me and saying I can''t talk that way to people and that I was lucky.


    In the middle of her rant, a guy knocks on our door, it''s another soldier. I sigh loudly and he comes in and introduces himself. Private dumbass, I mean Alex says he will be standing outside our house from now on and accomodate all of our needs. I sighed again. This was becoming ridiculous. Next, we will all be chained to our beds and only let go if we had to pee. I walk to my bedroom, not caring to hear another word from this guy. I start reading a book. I just want this day to be over with already.


    "Hey, you okay Liz?" Jared asks.


    "Yeah, I''m fine." I say.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Would you stop with the questions, god. This shit is stupid enough as it is. I don''t need your dumb questions added onto it." I snap. He leaves the room, not saying another word.


    I hated being here, I hated being controlled by somebody. By stupid soldiers. I just wanted to be allowed to do what I wanted. It''s bad enough as it is, we live in this world full of death and killing and pain, they didn''t have to add onto the misery. I sigh again, I wish there was something, someway I could take this feeling away. I hated feeling this way. Thoughts ran through my head all the time, my chest felt dark and heavy all the time. Things would just be easier if I were dead. One less person to have to worry about to feed I guess. I go to my art supplies box and take out scissors. I can''t believe I was about to do this. I always thought it was stupid of people to do this. Yet, here I am about to do the same. I put it against my arm, it''s cold against my skin. I start crying, I just want my pain to go away.


    I hold my breath as I hear footsteps, my heart is racing. They stop for a second, they sound right outside my door. I hold my scissorstight. But I hear them walk away and I sigh in relief. I look down at what I''m doing and ask myself why. I was just about to throw the scissors back in the box when the door swings open. Out of fright, I accidently cut myself, deep with the scissors. Jakecub runs to me and wraps a shirt laying down on the ground around my arm.


    "What are you doing?" He asks.


    "I''m scared." I reply, holding my arm.


    He hugs me tight and says things will start getting better. But I don''t think that could be any farther from the truth. I hold onto him and I cry. This is the first time I''ve hugged Jakecub in a long time. He takes the scissors and puts them in his pocket and moves the hair out of my face. He smiles at me and picks me up off the ground.


    "What?" I ask.


    "Instead of hurting yourself, lets give you a change. Come to the bathroom with me." He says, walking towards the bathroom.


    I follow him in curosity. "What are you going to do?"


    "Sit down." He says.


    I take a seat on the toilet and watch him as he grabs some bandages. "You''re going to clean my arm? That''s not really a change."


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.He doesn''t respond, he grabs my arm and starts cleaning it in the sink. It burns, but he tries to do it as delicately as he can. He waits for it to stop bleeding and dabs it try before putting a bandage on it. He then looked at me and started cutting my hair without even asking me. Hair was flying everywhere, he told me to not move otherwise the haircut would look stupid and he would have to cut it all off. Freaked out, but kind of amazed, listened. After he was done, my hair looked amazing. I hugged him and thanked him. He took the scissors and put them back in his pocket and kissed my head before leaving. I sat there staring at my hair and playing with it. It was really short and stylish.


    I got up and was starting to head back to my room when Ii started thinking about Jared and what I had said to him. I sighed and walked towards his room. I put my hear up to the door and heard nothing. I opened the door and walked in to see him laying on the bed. He turned over to see who it was. When he saw the change, he got up and asked me why I changed my hair, and then said nevermind and apologized for asking a question. I frowned and closed the door, walking over to him. I stared at him for a moment and he stared back in confusion. He asked what I wanted and I smiled. I got on top of his lap and kissed him slowly. He grabbed my hurt arm to pull away and I yelled. He looked at my arm and looked back at me.


    "What did you do?" He asked.


    "It''s nothing."


    "Are you okay?"


    "Of course." I said, smiling.


    Before he could ask another question, I had kissed him again. I kept kissing him until he stopped trying to ask anymore questions. I pushed him down on the bed and took off my shirt, putting his hand on my breast. He instantly got a hard on. He asked me if I was sure I wanted to do this. To be honest, I wasn''t completely sure myself. But at some point you just stop caring and I nodded. And as you''d think, we continued. After we were done, he fell asleep but I stayed awake lying next to him. Eventually I sneaked out of his room and went to get some dinner. I just ended up making myself some cereal and I went back into my room. I shortly fell asleep after eating.


    I woke up that afternoon to my mom on the phone. She told Damien that dad was coming back today, but that he may not be the same guy we knew. His entire unit except two people died. He got hurt though, his entire left leg was injured and he couldn¡¯t walk the same way he did before, and his bone in the right arm was shattered. Which was his more dominate hand, so everything would be hard to learn again. But I guess it was something we would have to work through. As a team.


    However, instead of it being the day we were told he was going to come back on, it became a week instead.He wouldn¡¯t speak to us and Spike basically turned into his caregiver, and when Spike wasn¡¯t caring for him, the gay couple and their young son did. The two men were always the one''s who gave dad a bath. To be honest, I don¡¯t think he liked gay men bathing him, but he just wouldn¡¯t speak to anyone. He was just so broke and I¡¯m not sure I wanted to know what was in his head, but at the same time, I really wished I did. Maybe I would be able to relate.


    He also frequently had to do exercises for his leg and arm to get it back to normal. It was so stressful to try getting him to do them though. He would yell and scream, and make you not want to try at all. He would also throw the materials at you and when it was time to take his medicine, he refused. He was weak now, and childish. I wanted to hit him sometimes for being so disrespectful to me, to mom, to everyone. But I didn¡¯t like it when he looked lost and afraid, like he was replaying the events over and over in his head a million times over, I wasn¡¯t sure how to help him. So eventually I just stopped thinking about it and let it be.


    Two months later, the Army, Air Force, and Navy along with the rest of the military pretty much died off trying to fight this never ending battle. It also became my seventeenth birthday. It was sad to know that a lot of good people died on my birthday. I hated today, all it really meant was that I survived another year of this bullshit. It felt more like a year closer to my death, and another year full of misery and pain. And every military man who fought had been ate to their bones. There was nothing left of them. It was becoming evident that the human race may not live pass this.


    As a result of the fallen, the Black military guys took half our rations and destroyed our garden. They were now in complete control and could do whatever they wanted as they wished. We couldn''t leave because of them, we couldn''t eat because of them, we couldn''t sleep because of them, talk, laugh, sing, we couldn''t do anything. We were prisoners of our own home. The Black military didn''t care about us at all, just about power. As a result, we lost many more people and the wall started to be destroyed.


    Our population drastically changed throughout the next few weeks, more people were getting sick and more people were dying or being ate. I overheard a guard saying that the government needs to make the ultimate decision already and wipe out everyone. While the military left to a different planet. They said our survival wasn''t necessary, and that other planets were much more evolved than us. They wanted to leave us to die. It made me so unbelievably angry, but there was nothing anyone could do. We had nothing and they had everything.


    I didn''t even want to try and think about what that meant for us. My mind couldn''t take the thought of what they would do, I couldn''t even comprehend the fact that they would just let us die without trying. Not just two days later we looked outside to see the dead crawling everywhere. None of us even knew what to do, we just threw the curtains back down and sat on our couch, not saying a word to each other. I knew all of us wondered if we were going to die. I surely didn''t, not today at least... And I know everybody who has survived this long doesn''t want to give up just yet. There was no military in sight, and for the next day and a half, all we heard was gunfire. We assumed it was from the civilans trying to take matters into their own hands. But the gunfire quickly died down. And I knew the fight was over for them.


    Everything was quiet, you would drop a pin on the ground and everybody within a twenty mile radius could hear it. Nobody came out of their houses and nobody moved inside them it looked like. We all should be used to this by now, but none of us were. We all were still terrified of those things. We all knew the damage that they caused.


    A month later, we all started to get use to those creatures again and our dad finally decided to protect us. He took a gun and sat outisde all day long, shooting at anything that looked even half dead that came near us. But as he was outside, he started seeing missles flying towards us. He yelled bombs over and over again, and just as he opened the door, they started hitting, knocking him down on the ground. The sounds made the house tremble and roar as they hit the ground. I just happened to be on the couch when this happened and when the first one hit, I fell to the ground.


    "Calm down everyone, it''s alright. Nothing will hurt you." Damien said.


    "W-what''s going on? what was that?" I said.


    The room fell silent again and Damien looked at mom with a worried look. "We will be okay." He said again. Although, at this point, I think he''s just hoping we will be.


    Dad gets inside and closes the door, he puts chairs up against it. "I guess the killing starts today huh."


    We all look at him but don''t say a thing. I grabbed my knees and put my head down, they kept hitting, one right after the other. He sat next to me and held me tight. We all started cuddling together, holding each other tight and hoping this wasn''t our last day. Even though things were happening so quickly, everything was going in slow motion. This didn''t seem real. I wished it wasn''t real.The ground started to shake and break apart and smoke filled the air making it hard to breathe.


    Mom screamed, and the babies cried, but their sounds got muffled in the loud booms. You couldn''t hear anyone, you could hardly even hear your own thoughts. Then a plane went across the land and dropped gas bombs everywhere, everyone started to get sleepy and we all were out. My last thought was that I wished they did that first before killing us, before weknew what was going on. All in all, it was absolutely terrifying and nothing was going to change that. We were living on hell called Earth. Perhaps, death called Earth now.