The Red Waves

It all began to go wrong on Friday the 15th of June 2016. At precisely 12 pm, the small town of Ashford Creek was the first to be attacked. From an underground laboratory, a strange mist seeped through a security door that wasn't closed properly. It moved very quickly. People stopped whatever it was they were doing.

They watched in disbelief as the redness began to cover everything in its path. Many tried to run, but it was no use. The mist continued onward, carried by the wind. By the time night fell, hundreds of human lives were lost. That was only the beginning...

Kristen Harkness woke up on Monday morning, to an empty house. She came into the kitchen and saw her brother Neil hadn't finished breakfast. Their parents would have already been up and gone to work. The coffee was still hot. Thinking it a bit odd, but not really a concern at the moment, she poured some cereal and drank a glass of juice.

She showered fast and put on her waitress shirt and pants, with boots. So it wasn't the best paying job, but she saved up as much money as she could. Her co-workers were of all ages and mostly nice. Her boss was a friend of her mother's. Kristen worked four days, 9am-3pm and had one weekday off. She was sometimes called in on a Saturday.

She was brought to a sharp stop out front. Both her Mum and Dad's cars were still in the driveway. The bicycle Neil rode to school on, was leaning by the porch steps. Now this was making her worried. She saw patches of dark red on the gravel. It looked like blood. Kristen dug into her pockets for her phone. A faint ringtone came from back inside the house. Nobody in the Harkness home just left their mobiles behind.

Showing up for her shift at the cafe` flew from her mind. She was going to get to the bottom of this. Kristen returned to her bedroom and changed clothes. She also slipped on more comfortable shoes. She found her sunglasses on the coffee table. She threw a bottle of water and some snacks into a back pack.

Kristen tried to dial for the police but the line was busy. She then went outside and locked up, despite the feeling that none of them were going to come through that door ever again. Her priority was her family. She had no idea what really happened or even where to start searching for them, but she couldn't allow that to stop her.

Walking at a brisk pace, along footpaths that she'd known since she was little, Kristen seemed to be the only person around. This was not your typical day in town. She saw no other signs of life. In the center of South Acre Point, all was quiet. No stores were open. The church was deserted. The library doors swung off hinges.

Kids were absent from the park playground. Vehicles had no drivers. Or passengers. There was rubbish everywhere. Even windows of buildings had been smashed to pieces. A telephone pole had fallen across the main road. She didn't see any visible activity in the police station either.

Kristen caught movement inside the Glass Moor Cafe`. She entered cautiously all the same. Shuffling footsteps almost made her feel safe. Key word: almost. She turned slightly to her left. What Kristen saw come stumbling towards her, could only be described as a walking corpse.

Her skin was pasty white. Her eyes were totally blank. There was dried blood on her apron. She also smelt something bad like rotten meat. Still, Kristen would have recognized the woman anywhere. It was her boss Josephine. She emitted a low growl when she spotted the frightened girl. More figures appeared as if they were called by her.

Kristen ran back the way she came. They attempted to follow her. Shots rang out. She paused when she heard the bodies fall. Five men and one woman in uniform, stood there. Six or seven civilians were frozen in horror behind them. Some of the faces looked familiar to her. The man in charge shouted at the group to move their asses. In a lower tone as Kristen passed by he said, "The name's Dennis. Keep on running kid."

She didn't need to be told twice. The remains of the police force opened fire on the things that were chasing the normal humans. They sped around a corner and didn't stop running, until Dennis pointed to a vacant building. Surprisingly all the windows were still intact. They piled everything against the doors as they slammed shut.

Once she got her breath back, Kristen spoke first. "Zombies? Seriously?" Never in a million years would she have expected to say that. Dennis nodded, taking a quick peek out of one of the windows. "Most of you have probably seen those dodgy movies. It's a good a name as any for those things. Lucky for us, they're not too bright. They've just passed this hideout without giving it a second glance."

"That's something, I guess. Any ideas as to how this current disaster came about?" A young girl named Veronica piped up. "I saw something like a thick red cloud pour over everyone. I don't know why I wasn't affected by it." David, sitting beside her, offered a suggestion. "Maybe we're the select few who are naturally immune to the stuff. It doesn't harm animals. My dog was okay, but he ran off."

Mr. Higgins, who taught English at Kristen's former high-school voiced his own thoughts. ''It's possible. Maybe others have survived too. Alright, so we have what looks to be an air born contagion. Not entirely unheard of these days. Now either it was accidentally or deliberately set loose into our atmosphere. Who's to say how far it has gone?"

Dennis was finished reloading his guns. His troops, such as they were, waited patiently in silence. He moved into the circle made by the people he had just saved. "I know one thing, we can't stay here forever. We must find some more food and drink. We need other basic essentials too. Alcohol and cigarettes don't count. There's no better time like now to quit.

We should also stock up on any weapons we can get our hands on. I don't think the locals will notice if we sneak into their houses and snoop around." Kristen struggled with the fact that Neil and her parents must have been infected. She felt a weight pressing down on her shoulders as she thought about them. She didn't even realize she was crying, until someone gave her a handkerchief.

"Thanks." "No problem. I had a bit of a snivel myself earlier. " Kristen smiled at Gina Davenport, an elderly widow. Everyone knew her as the cat lady. She held hands with a teenage girl. "This is my granddaughter Elsa. She came visiting for the school holidays." "I'll bet you guys never saw this coming."

"Too true. My cats will have to look after themselves. Let's get going." "Right behind you." Accident or not, their lives were still in danger. To try and find a way through what was left of the world was a risk. But it was one they were all willing to take, zombies be damned!

THE END