Chapter 1

“The Start”

It’s 2015, three years after the world was supposed to end. Though it didn’t, something happened on the day of December 16th 2014, something catastrophic happened. No one was expecting it because we all thought the world would end in 2012. Boy, were we wrong…
It was obviously a normal and boring day for me, just sitting in my English class, tapping my pencil against the desk impatiently. JEEZUS, I thought to myself, why won’t this class just end. I lay my head on my desk and the teacher takes notice of me.
“Miss. Fayth would you like to tell me what we are talking about” Mrs. Voss said.
“I don’t know, Mrs. Voss, maybe something English related, cause you know, this is an English class” I said in a sarcastic tone, making the class chuckle.
“Maybe you would like to receive an F on your next quiz. Pay attention in class, Miss. Fayth.”
“Sorry Mrs. Voss.”
“Alright, back to the lesson.”
I look back down at my notebook and pretend to take notes, but really start doodling. Suddenly the intercom comes on. I thought they were just going to call a kid out to go home, but they said something else. Something no one was expecting.
“All classes go to an emergency assembly in the main gym. Teachers walk your classes in a single file line to the gym and wait in the lobby after your class is seated.”
The class all cheered happily for no more class.
“Now class, settle down and form a single file line in front of the door.”
As we all get up to walk to the door I make sure I stand by my friend Isabella.
“Dude, do you know what’s going on?” I ask.
“Not at all,” she replies. “I didn’t even know we were going to have an assembly.
“Yea neither did I. I hope it’s not some S.A.D.D. meeting again.”
“Yea, that would suck.”
We both chuckle and walk out the door into the main hallway.
As we’re walking down the hall to the gym I notice all of the school staff seems scared. Scared of what, I don’t know. None of the other kids seem to notice it though; they’re all too caught up in their conversations of what they’re doing over the holidays.
We arrive at the front of the gym and get escorted to the seats. I go to sit with my usual click, the “nerds”. I wave hi to them and we all sit down. Everyone is talking but me it seems. I’m still monitoring the staff; they all have the expression of terror. It’s not scaring me, just making me feel… worried. I don’t know what of, but this is the first time we’ve ever had to do this “Emergency” thing. I’m pretty sure it’s something serious.
The principle, Mrs. Cole, quiets down the gym when she walks onto the gym floor, though she was accompanied by not the JROTC, but actual soldiers. There were three walking with her. I could hear whispers throughout the crowd saying things like “How cool is this!?” or “Are we having an army presentation?”
“Hello students of MHS,” she stared. “We have a slight situation on our hands. Now don’t be alarmed, but we have a certain outbreak of a new kind of flu going around.”
“Like the swine flu?” Some student in the crowd blurted out.
“Yes, something along those lines.” She continued. “The military has issued a mandatory sweep for anyone who has come into contact with the virus. Now don’t be afraid, I was told that it hasn’t reached our area where we live yet. Here to talk about it is Lt. James.”
The principle handed the microphone over to Lt. James and was escorted out side into the lobby by one of the other men.
“Hello.” He said. “I am Lt. James here to talk to you about this outbreak that is occurring.”
By then most kids lost interest and started whispering about what they’re going to do over break again. I’m not one of them though, instead I text my mom asking if she got a call from the school saying something about an assembly. She immediately replies saying no and asking what the assembly is about. I just tell her it’s some kind of virus sweep the military is doing. She responds quickly again saying she’s coming to the schools and picking us up. By us I mean me and my three brothers, Noah, Caleb, and Seth. I told her it’s okay and to calm down, but she insists on picking me up.
“Dude,” I say to Isabella “my mom is coming to get me.”
“Why?” She asks.
“I dunno, I told her the military is here and she told me to get ready. Anyways, do you want to come with us?
“Naw, I still have to get my homework from history class, thanks though.”
“Yea no problem.”
I tuned back into what that military guy was saying, nothing but nonsense if you ask me. I only started listening when he was done though.
“All of you kids at the school will be released onto break right after this assembly; the buses are already waiting to take you home outside were they normally are.” He was saying. “Though we supervise you all to stay inside, wash your hands constantly and take a flyer outside that has more safety precautions. Thank you and have a wonderful day”
“Well now,” I turn to Isabella. “The ride home is still up for grabs.”
“Yea, yea, thanks.”
We both laugh and walk out into the lobby and grab a flyer, like all the other kids. We wait for my brother in the lobby as all the kids rush to the bus. My brother Seth is a senior this year. He’s on the varsity football team and has all the characteristics of a football player. He’s 6 foot 4 inches and his afro makes him look even taller than that, buff, and did I mention tall? He’s very sweet though, and what you could call “a lover, not a fighter” (though I don’t think he’d need to fight, he scares the shiz out of everybody) Isabella and I catch him as he’s walking out the double door to go to the buses.
“Yo Seth!” I try to yell over all the kids.
He turns around to find who called him. Seeing as how I’m short he can’t see me over the crowd, so I have to wave my arms at him to get his attention.
“Oh, Fayth and Isabella.” He responded. “What is it?”
“Mom’s going to pick us up and Bella is riding with us.”
“Thank god, I didn’t want to ride the bus.”
“What about Noah and Caleb?” Isabella butted in.
“Yea Fayth, what about Noah and Caleb?” Seth continued.
“Mom is picking them up too, she should almost be here.”
“Well text her to make sure, I’ll text Noah and Caleb so they won’t get on the bus.”
“Alright.”
Noah and Caleb are my other brothers. They’re both 7th graders in the middle school across the street from the high school. Those two are the craziest kids you will ever meet, It doesn’t help that their twins and love to play the “Swap-A-Roo” game with their teachers. They’re both shorter than me by a head (I’m 5’8 myself) they have brown wavy hair, and beautiful piercing green eyes like my mom, yet have the fashion sense of a rock.
“Alright, Noah and Caleb are walking over here, lets meet them at the cross walk” Seth said relieved.
“It’s like you doubted me that I would forget about them.” I said.
“Your Fayth, you’d forget your wallet if you didn’t keep them in those same pants you where every day.”
“Hey, in my defense these pants are comfortable.”
“That’s… not the point you retard.”
“You’re a retard.”
“Ugh, never mind, let’s just go get them.”
“That’s right we should go and get them.”
“You just don’t shut up, do you?”
“You just don’t shut up… do you?”
“… I hate you”
Isabella was laughing at our senseless fighting the whole time. Though I’m pretty sure it was more likely the fact that I don’t shut up just as much as the fight.
We start walking to the cross walk from the gym, it was only about a couple hundred yards away, but we had to maneuver around the buildings that were all inconveniently placed to make a box like court yard. They called it the “Patio” but it always reminded me of the schools lame attempts to making our school have more “class”.
We get to the parking lot where the buses were now departing. Across it, we see Noah and Caleb at the cross walk; waving at us like they haven’t seen us for years. In other words, just being dumb. Isabella, Seth, and I all walk over to the cross walk where they were standing. I was still a little worried about what was going on around school, why had we been released, what was so important to cancel the rest of the day? Though I tried not to think about it because I tend to creep myself out with that kind of stuff. I mean seriously, this will be just like the swine flu epidemic, or avian flu epidemic, it will get over-dramatized by the media to scare people, then be played down and make it seem like it never happened. Though why the military had to get involved was WAY over my head.
“Did you hear, did you hear?!” Noah said like we didn’t know what was happening.
“Yea, did you?!” Caleb doubled in.
“Guys,” Seth said annoyed. “I’m blind, not deaf.”
“Sorry… But did you?!” Noah and Caleb responded, like they didn’t hear a word Seth just said.
“Nooo,” I answered in a sarcastic tone. “We just happen to be standing here because we all decided to leave our future careers in education to become circus performers.”
Noah and Caleb stared at us blankly; like we had just described quantum physics to them. Not as if I know exactly what that is but, you catch my drift.
“It’s weird isn’t it?” Isabella said, trying to break the silence.
“Who Cares?” Noah cheered happily.
“We get out of school!” Caleb added!
“You guys are stupider than me…” I said “And THAT’S saying something.”
“Fayth, don’t be a dick.” Seth said.
I looked at him and was going to say something witty but was interrupted by a teacher.
“Excuse me,” The teacher said weekly “But where are you kids supposed to be?”
“Oh, hey Mrs. Ferriday.” Seth said. “We’re just waiting for my mom to pick us up.
The teacher didn’t look to good. She was very pale and had dark rings around her eyes. It looks like she wanted to throw up but was fighting the urge to do so.
“Well hurry up,” she said. “Teachers can’t clear campus until all students are gone.”
“Alright Mrs. Ferriday, have a nice day.” Seth said.
She waved bye to us as we turned around to walk to the pickup loop where some other kids were waiting for their parents.
“Have a nice day?” I said to Seth, mocking his very rare politeness.
“Shut up.” He replied very snappily.
Just because I said he’s sweet, doesn’t mean he’s sweet towards me.
“Anyways, did you noticed how sick that lady looked?” I asked.
“Who, Mrs. Ferriday?” Seth asked back.
“Yea, she seemed… sick.”
“Oh, well I didn’t notice it.”
“Yea neither did I.” Isabella added.
“I guess I’m just worried about the flu then.” I chuckled very sheepishly, but again, no one notices the bad details but me.
We arrive at the pickup loop and happen to see one of Seth’s friends, of course the one I don’t like, Nick. I avoid the conversation and tell Seth I’m going to go walk around with Isabella, and ask him to text me when mom gets here, of course he’s so caught up in his conversation with Nick he answers me right away without even thinking. Noah and Caleb are just running around the loop so I don’t bother asking them if they want to come.
Bella and I take off to just walk around the parking lot, at least that’s what we were going to do until I saw that same teacher get escorted into the main building by two military men.
“Did you see that?!” I ask Bella.
“Yea, what about it?” She answers.
“You don’t find that weird at all how the teacher had to be taken inside by military men?”
“Well not really, I mean… Fayth, we aren’t going to follow them, are we?”
“You don’t have to, but I want to find out what’s up with that teacher.”
“Well I’m going back to Seth and them. Have fun”
“Thanks for your support, pal.”
As Isabella starts heading back, I peek into the door window and see the military men taking the teacher around the corner towards the main office. Of course I was scared but I wanted to know what was going on around here. I quietly opened the door and made sure it shut softly. After that I crept along the wall and slowly moved my head around the corner enough to see the military men and the sick teacher. There was standing the principle, the three MM (military men), including Lt. James and the teachers. I over hear part of they’re conversation.
“Well we know it’s not airborne because otherwise this whole school would be infected.” Said Lt. James.
“Why do you say that?” Asked Mrs. Cole.
“Well this teacher right here is infected.” Said Lt. James pointing to Mrs. Ferriday with his pistol in one hand.
“How can you tell?”
“Well for one, look at her face and completion. She looks out of it, has dark circles around her eyes, and is very, very pale.”
“How did she get infected?”
“She must have gotten bitten, by something… or someone.”
Ha! I knew it! I thought to myself, I knew I wasn’t overreacting to the whole situation! But what does he mean someone? Just then my phone went off and I forgot it was on full blast.
“What was that?” Mrs. Cole said.
“Men!” Lt. James yelled.
“YES SIR.” They both answered instantly.
“Sweep the area, now.”
“YES SIR.” They both answered again.
I saw one of men go down the hallway where the English wing was, and the other was coming down the hallway I was standing in. F**KING SETH. I instantly silenced my phone and sprinted out of the doors as fast as I could. I ran all the way to Seth in at least 5 seconds. (best 50 meter dash I’ve ever done)
“Yo Fayth moms he-” Seth stared before I interrupted him.
“YOU DICK, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF HOW MUCH TROUBLE YOU COULD HAVE GOT ME IN, HUH?!?!”
“Whoa dude, calm down.” He said. “You told me to text you remember?”
“YEA WELL MAYBE YOU SHOULD… Not… Do… SHUT UP.”
“Just get in the car so we can get home.”
“Fine…”
We all get in the car and sit in our normal arrangement. Mom driving, dad sitting passenger, Seth and I sitting in the middle two bucket seats, and Noah, Caleb, and Bella, all sitting in the back three seats. It was all quite for the first minute but then Noah and Caleb broke the silence with their obnoxious outbursts.
“Momma, we don’t have to go back to school until January 5th!” Noah said.
“Yea!” Caleb joined in. “We have some kind of flu going around again!”
“Flu, is this what the early release is for?” Mom asked.
Noah, Caleb, and Bella all explained to my mom and dad what was going on. While this was happening, I started to tell Seth what I heard in the hallway.
“I have to tell you something Seth.”
“What?”
“Well, when I was in the school I saw the MM talking to the principle and staff about the flu thing.”
“So..?” He said expecting my explanation to be really stupid or made up.
“And, they said that Mrs. Ferriday was ‘infected’.”
“What?”
“Yea, they said she was infected with whatever is going around and she was bitten by something…”
“Well she might have been bitten by a spider or something.” Trying to deny what I was about to say.
“But wait, they said something or someone…”
“Where are you going with this?”
“Well, something is one thing, but someone is another…”
“I know what you mean but what are you implying?”
“Alright, don’t call me stupid but, they referred to Mrs. Ferriday like she had no mind, like she was… dead, or even soulless, not unresponsive.”
“What you think this flu is a zombie infection or something?” Seth laughed “You play way to many horror games.”
“Alright then, riddle me this, Seth,” I said getting angry that he didn’t believe me. “Why did we have to have military officers or whatever come to our school?”
“Well maybe we-”
“Or why did teachers and students look sick when this occurred, coincidence? Or even why where they armed as if they knew something bad could have happened here?”
There was a short silence, then Seth finally saw from my point of view.
“Dude..."
“Exactly! Do you think I would lie about this?”
After I got seth to see what was going on here, I needed to get my parents to belive. When we droped Isabella off at her house and started driving home, I decided I would tell them too.
"Mom and Dad, I have to tell you something."
"What?" My they both answered.
"Today at school, well, you heard about the new flu right?"
"Yea, Noah and Caleb told us all about it."
"What did they tell you?"
"They told us that there's some new, more powerful type of swine flu going around and they sent all the kids home." My mom answered.
"Well, It's a bit more complicated. Now don't call me stupid, but. I really think there's going to be a huge flu epidemic that caused things like... Zombies, maybe?"
Both my parents started laughing thinking I was joking. When they didn't hear my laughter, or Seth's, they knew it was somehitn serious.
"Come on." My dad said. "Be serious."
"Dad, Fayth is telling the truth." Seth told them.
My mom still skeptical about the situaction asked in a very joky voice, "Why do you think this exactly?"
As I described to my parents exactlly what I said to Seth, they really didn't want to hear it. They both thought it was a prank Seth and I where pulling on them. Both of my parents were getting angry about this "joke" and told us to not bring it back up.
When we got home I opened the front door and walked into the house. Well, I thought to myself, at least there's no "infection" in here. As soon as I step into the kitchen, my dogs start barking up a storm. Then when they realize it's me they start to whine about wanting to go outside. But it wasn't their normal whine to go out. It's like they could sense something. Something that we can't.
I walked outside and open the door so they could go out too. But instead of their normal fun run, something was different. I know dogs smell the air and ground, but never like this. They all looked as if they were working together to track down a man who had just escaped prison. They did this for three to five minutes and so I just finally called them back inside.
What was that about? I wondered to myself. Could my dogs sense the flu, or is the military thing related to them at all? No, couldn't be. I decided to calm down for a while. I took a shower, climbed on my bed, and watched the news on T.V. Nope nothing strange yet. Well, I guess I am over reacting a little. Well anyways, I went to bed to try to start winter break right.

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 06.10.2011

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