Digging my toes in the sand, I take a quick look around as I reach into my pack for a quick bite to eat. Pulling out a bruised banana, I zip up my bag and put it back on. I quickly unpeel the banana but take my time eating it, allowing it to melt in my mouth first before swallowing. The sweetness makes my teeth ache, but my stomach is lessened by the constant strain of hunger, momentarily.

I glance up and down the beach, but still no one or nothing in sight. Content, I toss the peel and continue walking up north on the beach. I take my time when I’m walking on the sand, allowing myself to slow down and remember days of old.

“Days of old”, I chuckle to myself. “Only 33 years old and I’m saying shit like days of old.”

Shaking my head, I laugh silently until my eyes meet another’s.

Eyes wide, I reflexively reach behind my back where I have a 15-inch machete readily available. The other person catches my movements and throws back their head to let out a bloodcurdling scream. I hurriedly get my machete out as they start to double over, vomiting up blood.

I take a step back as this continues until finally, it stops, and they fall face-first into the pile of their own refuse. I linger for a second before taking off past them as fast as I can. In the distance, I start to hear other screams like the one I just heard happen. I turn to head back into the brush and off the beach, out of open sight. Crashing through the brush, I continue running, afraid to take a moment's rest. . .

A few hours later.

Nightfall.

After staying put for hours inside an old rotted-out tree trunk, I made my way silently through the night, continuing north. I saw some fires in the distance throughout the trees, but I made sure to keep away. Nobody was to be trusted anymore.

My destination was north, because, well, I wasn’t sure exactly why. All I knew was that down south, where I came from, there was no more home, no more family, no more love. My world had ended, and the real world along with it. . .

3 months earlier. . .

‍

“Did you watch the news today?”

“What was that on TV?”

“Did you see that?”

“There ain’t no fucking way.”

I walked past the group of people outside of the TV appliance store, taking a quick peek myself. I wasn’t able to catch much but what I did see, brought me to a complete stop.

“What the fuck?” I asked no one in particular as I stepped closer to the storefront window.

There were roughly 15 individuals surrounding me, all unable to look away from the multitude of TV screens all showing the same image. The camera had fallen over somehow and was showing us a room from the floor's point of view. It was dark in this room, minus the light off of the camera. If you listened very intently, you could almost hear the sound of someone throwing up. That’s odd, again, what the fuck is going on? I wondered as I continued to watch the screen. Nobody couldn’t or wouldn’t pull their eyes away, even though nothing was really happening, yet.

Down the street to my left, I heard a scream, but not as if someone was scared or in danger. It was an unnatural scream; it was very frightening to hear. I turned to look towards my left and my eyes widened in horror.

Roughly a block away from myself and the TV-watching group were 20 or more persons screaming that terrifying screech. Then all at once they fell to their hands and knees just throwing up unnatural amounts of blood. After a few tense moments, they all passed out into their own pools of blood.

Slowly, the people in the TV group started to move. Some were looking at each other with so much confusion on their faces. Others were starting to walk away, looking back every now and then to ensure no one was following them. But who? What was going on? I just continued to stand and stare at the fallen group in front of me. What happened to them?

I thought I saw someone shift slightly, did I? I continued to stare and started to even slowly walk towards the horde of unknowns. They did move! I saw the fingers start to contract and grasp at the ground. I stopped walking forward and waited to see what would happen next.

One by one, they were all starting to stir, slowly making their way to a standing position but acting as if in a complete and utter daze.

“Uh. . . hello?” I asked softly, ensuring that I had some space between myself and the closest person. For what reason though? What was going to happen? Why did I feel as though something horrible was about to take place?

Once the entirety of the fallen group was on its feet, I started to back away slowly. Everyone possessed such an unearthly stare about them as if they were completely unaware. However, one of them locked eyes on me and opened their mouth but no sound came out. Only globs of spittle and blood fell from their mouths as they started to amble their way towards me.

That was enough! I turned around and started to run away, only to be stopped short by my wife, standing there in the same way, throwing up all down her front.

“Babe?” I asked softly.

She didn’t seem to hear me but her eyes made their way to mine and she started to walk towards me. I held my arms out, but I was unable to move my feet. I glanced behind me to see that the fallen group was making their way behind me, with my wife in front of me.

It felt as though time had stopped at that moment. I looked at my wife’s soulless eyes, I couldn’t see her anymore, just the shell of who she was. She looked foreign to me. I shook my head, bringing myself back to the present, she was about to grab the front of my shirt when someone grabbed my arm and pulled me inside of the TV store.

I was pushed away from the door so my rescuer could lock it back up. I looked at them in bewilderment, still trying to process everything that had taken place in the past. . . What? 10 minutes? What the fuck was going on?!

“Than-Thank you,” I managed to say as I continued staring wide-eyed at the door. My wife was on the other side, just staring at me, her palms pressed against the glass.

“Don’t mention it,” they replied as they started placing unopened TV boxes in front of the door. I finally pulled myself out of the staring trance with my wife and assisted them in the barricading.

Once finished, they motioned for me to follow them to the back of the store where there was a break room, an office, a bathroom, and a back alley door. Locking the door that stood between the storefront and the back, they turned to introduce themselves.

“My name is Jonas, I’m the owner of this store, well, I guess I was. I don’t think those are buying customers out there,” he chuckled a little.

I gave him a half smile, holding out my hand to shake his, “My name is Alice, nice to meet you, under the circumstances.”

‍

1 month later. . .

I was lying in our bed, my wife beside me sound asleep. I reach over to touch her, to assure myself that this was real. I touch the small of her back and she jerks her head up to look at me. Blood starts to pour out of her mouth, nose, eyes, ear. . . I scramble out of bed, my heart thumps erratically in my chest. She just laid there, staring at me as blood continued to pour out of her, one hand slowly reaches out to me, her mouth opened to say, “Help me.”

I awoke with a start, sitting straight up, my heart racing, my body drenched in sweat. I sat there for a moment, trying to get my surroundings in order. Reaching underneath my backpack that I used as a pillow for the machete I acquired along my journey. Looking around, I didn’t sense any immediate danger so I focused on getting my breathing under control.

“You okay Alice?” Jonas asked as he stirred quietly, sitting up slowly and stretching.

“Yeah, just a bad dream is all, I’m fine,” I answered as I put my weapon down and wiped the sweat off of my face and neck.

“About your wife again?” He asked solemnly.

“Unfortunately,” shaking my head I stood up to dust myself off and started to get ready for another day’s excursion of travel.

It had been a month since we had left the TV store that Jonas owned back in Palmetto. Since then, we had made our way west towards the other coast, after hearing word that there may be assistance for those in need that way. If there was still help. We had lost signal a few days ago, leaving nothing but static on the open channels.

There was nothing else to do but continue on. We had encountered more of those people with blood covering their fronts, and they were starting to come towards us with more aggression in them than they had at the beginning of this mess. We still had no idea what was going on, what was causing them to behave this way, and how it was affecting some but not others. We were still lost, on so many levels.

I had found my machete after ransacking an army surplus store, that was a few blocks down from Jonas’ TV store. We also stocked up on MREs, filling up army survival backpacks from there. Jonas had a crowbar he took from his store that was his weapon. Fortunately for us, the infected humans were slow so we could walk past them if we wanted. We could easily dispose of them with one quick bash to the head without fear of them reaching out to us first if it came to it.

Before leaving Jonas’ store, I took care of my wife. I felt I had to. I grabbed his crowbar and went out the back door, finding myself in the alley. I walked slowly around the building, peering around the corner towards the front. I could see her, still pressed up against the front door. The others were stumbling about, oblivious. I sidled towards her. When I got within a few feet, she must have sensed me because she turned slowly to face me. Her eyes locked on to mine and her mouth opened slowly. Sweat started to pour out of my hands, I was losing my grip on the crowbar.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered as her hand brushed against the front of my shirt, raising the weapon above my head and bringing it down swiftly upon hers. I felt and heard the sound as the crowbar struck her scalp and then broke through the skull. Her fingers trailed slowly down my front as she fell to her knees and then fell over onto her side.

“Should we get a move on?” I asked as I shouldered my backpack, tucking the machete away securely.

“I’m ready,” replied Jonas as he nodded towards me.

A few days later. . .

I shook Jonas, trying to wake him up so we could get a move on.

“Hey man, it’s time to get up,” I said, my voice starting to tremble slightly as realization dawned on me.

I saw the pool of blood too late. Jonas had cut his wrists in the middle of the night, the blood starting to coagulate as I touched it hesitantly.

“Fuck,” I sighed as I stood up, tears welling up in my eyes.

“FUCK!” I screamed as the tears rolled down my face.

I knew that Jonas was scared but I didn’t realize how deeply he was affected by all of this chaos. He always did his best to cheer me up and yet, I never thought to check in with him. He never opened up much about his past. We were both so confused about what was going on that, we never really discussed much else but theories on what was the cause of all of this. And now he was gone. . .

I heard something rustling in the bushes nearby and turned abruptly, my hand reaching for the machete attached to my backpack. An infected being stepped out, put their eyes on mine, and opened their mouth to let out a high-pitched scream. I covered my ears and backed away slowly as they walked towards me, however, their gaze shifted once they saw Jonas’ body. I watched in utter disgust as they reached him and knelt beside his lifeless form. One hand grabbed his wrist and pulled it towards them, at first to sniff the ragged cut and then they bit into it, tearing a chunk out and chewing slowly.

What the fuck?! I thought as I continued watching, unable to move or look away. What the fuck were these things? Were they, were they zombies?

Shaking my head, I walked towards the thing eating Jonas, bashing its head in with my machete and then separating the head from the body. I fell to my knees next to Jonas’ body while tears started to fall from my eyes again. Eventually, I brought myself together and started to dig a grave for him, placing a pile of rocks to mark his grave.

Gathering my items and what I could take of his, I said a quick farewell and continued west.

Present day. . .

I’ve been on my own for 2 months now.

After burying Jonas, I holed myself up in a small supermarket I came across, unable to bring myself to continue walking alone in the world just yet.

Depression is not something you have the luxury to endure when the world has gone to shit.

Fortunately for me, I came across the supermarket after walking for only a few hours after the burial. Luck was still on my side it seemed because no one had ransacked the store yet either. The owners had the sense to bring the shutters down before things really took a turn for the worse. They must have viewed the same broadcast I saw, when was that? Only a month ago?

During my time in that store, I slept for undeterminable amounts of time, ate whenever my body was about to be sick from lack of food, and repeated that cycle until I heard the crackle of static coming from nearby. I had holed myself up in the mini-break room in the back of the store and the sound seemed to be coming from the next room, the office.

1 month before. . .

“Hello? Is anyone there? I repeat, is anyone there?”

Jerking my head up, I looked around to make sure I wasn’t tripping and ensured it was only me present. Did I hear something? Or am I just losing it?

“Hello?! Is someone there?! My name is Ridley, I’m a police officer looking for any survivors. If you can hear this, please respond.”

Shaking my head, I wasn’t losing it, I did hear someone else’s voice. It seemed to be coming from the office. I got up from my pallet of cardboard boxes in the break room slowly and shuffled my way to the office door, opening it and looking around. There was a small high window in the office and the moon was fully out, shining brightly through, illuminating the contents of what was inside.

I looked around until I found the source of the noise: a little CB radio located on top of a small desk in the corner. I walked towards it, plopping myself into a nearby chair before I hesitatingly reached out to pick up the receiver and pressed the button.

“Hello? This is Alice. Are you still there?”

Nothing but the faint crackle of static came through for what felt like the longest minute, until finally. . .

“Yes! Hi Alice, my name is Ridley. It’s so nice to hear your voice.”

A smile broke across my face, relief flooding through my whole body. I never knew hearing another’s voice would bring about such a feeling of ecstasy.

“Yours, too Ridley, I didn’t think I would hear someone else’s voice again.”

“Where are you located, Alice? Are you with others? Are you injured?”

Tears started to form in the corner of my eyes as I recalled the memory of Jonas and then my wife, feeling the effects of being alone in this crazy world cascading upon me. The isolation had taken a huge toll on my mind, body, and soul. I was so certain that I was going to die alone in this little store but then I literally heard a voice from the other side of this chaos. What a relief!

“I’m holed up in a small food store outside of Somerset, I’m originally from Palmetto, been headed westbound until now. I am all alone and no, I am not injured.”

“I’m relieved to hear you are unhurt. I am currently on the west coast up north, just across the border of Cannon. I am here with a small group of individuals; we have a durable fort built with plenty of provisions to last us for a few years. Do you think you can make your way here?”

I rooted around in the office desk drawers and thankfully found a map of the surrounding area and beyond. Looking for my location and circling it, I traced a path up north along the west coast with apprehension. From what I could tell, I was roughly a few states away from Ridley’s location.

“Not sure how long it’ll take me to get there but I’ll pack up and head your way first thing in the morning.”

“Sounds good Alice, make sure to bring the radio and some extra batteries. I won’t reach out to you until you reach out to me first. I wouldn’t want to attract anything to your location. Take care of yourself out there. Over and out.”

Placing the receiver down, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding in. I guess I was leaving this place in the morning. I turned the radio off, grabbed it, and turned to get my pack ready for departure.

Back to the present day. . .

I crossed into Cannon a month after leaving the supermarket and hearing the static of hope over the CB radio. I could only wish that Ridley and whatever survivors there were, were in fact still alive. I came across a gas station past the border line and after a quick search to ensure no one was around, I made camp in the small office for the night. I pulled out the CB radio, turned it on, and did my best to contact someone on the other end.

“Hello? This is Alice. Ridley, are you there?”

I released my finger on the receiver and waited a few tense seconds before attempting again.

“Officer Ridley, this is Alice. I just made it over the border approximately half an hour ago.”

Again, I waited.

“I found a gas station to hole up in for the night, if you can, please let me know your position before daylight tomorrow. Over and out.”

Sighing, I placed the CB on the floor beside me, keeping it on, and rummaged for something to snack on, settling myself in for the night.

A few hours later. . .

Static crackled loudly on the CB radio. I awoke with a start and grabbed the receiver, holding it close to my mouth, ready to respond while listening intently. Static continued as I waited, and what sounded like moans?

I swallowed hard and pressed my finger down.

“Hello? Ridley, are you there?”

I released the button and waited.

Static continued and then the sound of gunfire and screams ensued.

Fuck. Fuck! FUCK. FUCK!

I closed my eyes tightly, tears streaming down my face in anger as my last shred of hope disappeared over the sound of static.