Out of Time

I was sitting on the couch watching TV with my younger brother Jason, when someone started banging against the front door. I got up and quietly walked over and looked through the peep hole. A guy was standing there his eyes blood-shot and his skin a greyish-white colour, I looked back at my brother.

"It’s a vampire, he wants to suck our blood" I teased trying to scare him; he simply shrugged before looking back at the TV. “Aww no fun" I chuckled.

Still smiling I open the door, the security chain on so only allowing a small gap, and looked out at the guy. He had black veins running up the side of his face, his left arm seemed to hang limply at his side and his clothes seemed to be heavily stained with dark liquid.

"You ok mate?" I asked, the guy started to growl and proceeded to slam his body against the door, I stumbled back, the chain groaning with each impact as the man repeated his assault.

“What the hell?" I shout as I quickly shut the door and locked it. The door took more blows and I could see it starting to buckle around the frame. What was this guy on?

I sprinted over and grabbed Jason's arm and pulled him upstairs, before suddenly the front door slammed open, banging loudly against the wall. The guy stumbled in, slowly approaching us. I lead Jason into our room and locked the door just as the guy started to bang against it. I backed into the corner with my brother putting my body between him and the door, as it shook again.

"Stay behind me" I warned Jason,

 As he was about to answer, the door exploded inwards causing the guy to fall forward but before I could react he slowly got up and lunged at me. I tried to push him back but was not quick enough and the guys teeth tore into my left wrist, I yelled in pain as I felt blood running down my arm.

I pulled my arm out of his mouth and he tried to bite me again, but I pressed my feet to his chest and pushed him backward with all my weight. The guy stumbled backwards and fell onto a piece of the door, impaling him. It had gone through his heart, but the injury didn’t even faze him? he kept writhing, trying to get to us despite having what should have been a fatal wound. My eyes widened in realization, he was impaled through the heart, yet he was still moving… I had seen enough zombie movies to know, and if he was a zombie then…

“Shit, shit, shit” I start cursing, I have been bit, I was going to turn.

I looked down at my brother, his eyes locked on the Zombie. I had to get him to safety before I turned, I didn’t care if I turned, I only cared if he was safe.

“Let’s go bro, we are getting out of here” I told him standing up, my hand on my wrist to try to slow the bleeding.

“A...Are they Zombies?” he asked slowly looking at me.

I nodded looking at him, there was no use lying “Yeah I think so, but we need to get out of here” I Said, walking over to the guy who was slowly getting up, I pick up a bit of wood and slammed it down onto the guy’s head, over and over until he finally stopped moving.

My brother looked at me, his eyes widening with the same bleak realization “If… if they are zombies then you have been bitten, are you going to turn?” he said his voice shaking.

“I don’t know bro, but I’m going to get you to safety first, maybe they already have a cure” I said with a smile, turning away so he didn’t see the fear in my eyes “Let’s go, we can get some tools from dad’s shed”

I slowly walked downstairs, glancing out the front door before heading into the kitchen; I pulled the first aid kit down from above the fridge and grabbing out a bandage and wrapping it around my wrist to slow the blood flow. I then headed into the back yard.

I looked back to make sure my brother was following me and caught him looking at the bandage, I covered it with my other hand and give him a thumbs up as I opened the shed door and headed in. Flicking on the light I started to look around. I passed my brother a hammer, and grabbed myself a crowbar, then picked out a few extra tools and slid them onto my belt. I turned on the little TV that sat in the corner and flicked over to the news, hoping they were talking about a safe haven. I watch it for a couple of minutes before the news reported started to talk about a military controlled zone about an hour’s walk from here. I turned it off and turned to Jason.

 “Let’s go, I don’t know how long I have” I told my brother and headed back inside grabbing a backpack each and filling it with medical supplies and food, then we headed off. We tried sticking to the backstreets keeping away from most of the zombies that were stumbling down the street, but a couple of them wandered into the alley way. I quickly glanced around for a way to escape, but when I couldn’t find one other than the way we came I told Jason to hide behind the dumpster.

I walked towards the small group of zombies in front of me, but suddenly my arm exploded with pain, I yelled out and looked down, black lines were growing up my arm from the bite they were already passing my elbow, I stick my other hand in my mouth to stop myself from yelling again, as more pain shot up my arm. I glanced behind me and saw Jason staring at me, his eyes wide with fear. I looked forward and saw the small group of zombies stumbling towards me. I got up, grabbing my crowbar off the ground and walked forward, swallowing the pain. I had to get my brother to safety, no matter what. I brought my crowbar up slamming it into the side of the first zombie, causing it to crumple to the ground. As I swing at the next, I slammed my heal down on the fallen Zombie head, it exploded beneath my foot at the same time as my weapon connecting with the next one. I then stepped forward, bring my crowbar up and under, stabbing it up through its jaw but I felt teeth tear into my calf, looking down to see a legless zombie that must have been hidden in the garbage. I howled in pain, and brought my other foot down onto its head. In a couple of minutes, I had killed all of them. Breathing deeply, my arm pulsing with pain, I tried to cover the black lines growing on my arm and my new bite as I walked back over to my brother.

 “Are you ok?” I asked.

He nods “A...Are you?” he asked looking at me with concern.

I smile “Perfect” I say “We should head off though” turning and heading down the alleyway. I checked the map we had grabbed and worked out where we were, and where we had to go.

“About 20 more minutes” I tell my brother as we keep walking.

When we finally got to the military controlled zone, it looked impressive, military guys everywhere, keeping an eye on everyone. I groaned as I felt the pain grow up my neck, I checked a window and saw the black lines creeping up my neck. I sighed; I had a feeling when they got to my head I would be done for.

I turned to my brother and crouched down “Bro, this is as far as I can go, but you will be safe here”

“No you have to come in with me” he says grabbing my arm.

“I can’t little bro, I’m going to turn soon you need to get in there to be safe”

“No I am not losing you” he says tears welling up in his eyes “I need you”

I pull him into a hug “I know bro, I am sorry but you need to be safe, and you can’t be safe with me around” I say as he starts to cry but he turns and walks to the front gate where two guards meet him. I wipe the tears from my eyes as I turn away, walking off back into the town. Though I couldn’t see it, I knew the moment the black lines reached my brain, I yell out as a searing pain fills my head and my eyes roll into the back, and I finally collapse, my heart stopping. An hour later I awake, no longer human, and no longer dead, but as a zombie.