Rated for blood, violence, language, zombie horror, and some disturbing scenes. No nudity or inappropriate scenarios
Two large ravens pounded their wings against the air, looking for a high perch to escape the scene below them. Their blue-black wings reflected the crimson of the ground below. The birds finally found a suitable tree-top to escape the insatiable creatures that infested the once pleasant Virginia town. For now there was silence, but the echoes of sheer agony and desolation remained, sending an atmosphere of danger to nearby animals.
What the ravens had witnessed was enough to leave anyone sick and afraid. Humans, once annoying takers of land, had turned on each other in an apocalyptic feeding frenzy. These birds had never seen humans as cannibals. Perhaps they were sick?
A low snarl from below made them quiver, ready at any moment to take off. Although, their wings were already sore and weary. One of the birds peered down cautiously, head tilting to get a good look.
One of the sick humans was sniffing the air. It was a male with wild, sandy hair and a reddish tint to the whites of his eyes, almost as if something was irritating them. His throat issued quick raspy breathes that held an almost continual snarling. It reminded the birds of the sound a human’s car makes when it wakes up. His throat must be torn from the shrieks it uses as a hunting call, and perhaps caked with the blood of his species.
The predator’s face, clothing, hands, and arms were covered in scarlet liquid that the ravens could smell from their perch. They tried to sink into the dark green of the tree’s needles. The sun was in the later stage of setting, so darkness was beginning to set in and the shadows impaired the typical human’s vision, but whatever it was that made these sick ones what they were, it enhanced their sense of smell and hearing.
The bloody man raked his nails against the tree. Both birds’ hearts were beating exceedingly fast, on the brink of bursting. He drew back his hand and sucked the blood from his self-inflicted wound, mumbling meaninglessly to himself. For a second he seemed to remember himself. His body shook in fear and he looked around at the shadows and trees, then back down at himself. He knelt down on his knees and let out a cry full of angst and self-hatred, but the gentle trickle of blood from his mouth threw him out of his moment of humanity and back into the sickness. His eyes glazed over and he rose, heading back towards the town.
The ravens flew off to a different tree, deeper in the woods.
The sick human with sandy hair stared blankly at the houses as he passed. Bloody hand prints smeared on the walls, and windows and doors everywhere were shattered and splintered. Some creatures like him wandered in and out of them, nibbling on the leftovers, gnawing on bones until the ivory color showed brightly. Bloody water murmured its way down a drain, soapy from the last person who washed their car. The streets were strewn with the entrails of unlucky victims. The sound of growling intermingled with sobbing and whimpering could be heard among the streets. Every once in a while, the sick would remember they were sick, but most of the time they were just hungry. No one was left. Either you ate, or were eaten. You killed, or were killed.
For this town, it was already over.
Chapter 1
I woke up in a cold sweat, shivering violently. The moonlight filtering in from the window cast a blue light across the paleness of my skin. I felt bile rise up in my throat and rushed to the bathroom. Holding my hair back tightly, I began emptying the content of last night’s supper into the toilet via mouth. Even after it was all out, I continued gagging and coughing.
Moments like these reminded me why a lot of us in the Haven needed counseling. We’d seen too much, and it plagued us with nightmares and memories no one should ever have. This place was safe though, miles from humanity in the Alaskan wilderness. Fortresses and security ensured safety, although nothing ever came out here. But when the world almost comes to an end once, you try harder than ever to ensure it does not happen again. Places like this were on every major continent. The world governments had issued Haven’s to be built far before the breakout as a precaution to secret experiments that the UK and the US began. The rest of the world wanted to be ready also. A third World War had almost begun when Germany, Russia, and Japan had objected to any experimentation whatsoever. If only we had listened…
I washed my face and swished some mouthwash. The pale blue lighting seemed to make my eyes look clear because the color matched so well. It reminded me of my brother, so I averted my gaze to the faucet. I closed my eyes and sighed, leaning against the sink counter.
I jumped, imagining I heard a loud noise. No, it was just the past getting to me. After two months of living every moment in fear, you’re imagination begins to play tricks on you.
I headed back into my bedroom, stepping over the beautiful dog that had kept me company through my entire ordeal. He was a wolf-husky mix. Ever since he was a pup, he’d been my shadow. During the outbreak, he’d really showed his courage and strength. My dog had literally saved my life. If only he could have saved my brother…
Still shaky from the nightmare, and up-chucking dinner, I decided to stay up. My savior must have sensed my discomfort, because he got up and padded over next to the bed. “I love you Caleb.” I ruffled the fur behind his ears. He wagged his tail and butt happily.
Sometimes I’d notice him twitching in his sleep. He barks at strangers when they come up to my front door. It’s obvious he remembers too.
Caleb jumped up on my bed and laid his huge frame across my legs. His fur was a lovely blue-grey with typical white husky points, like the dots over the eyebrows, and he has the loveliest ice blue eyes to match mine. My parents got him for me when I was fourteen, five years ago. I patted his head absently, staring into space as I tried to block out the scenes playing before my eyes. Caleb and I both jumped as my phone rang sharply.
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