Strange Aftermath

The beginning.

Year 2225.

March 15.

*

Earth turned into a grave.

The minute the disease escaped the mental facilities, starting with New York City.

Figures occupied the roads fast as each individual tries to scram away.

It started with an antidote.

One simple antidote to cure mentally ill children, but the scientist who created this antidote, was a lunatic… however, insanely brilliant.

The story goes…

His youngster was unfortunately part of the mentally ill children and because of this, he couldn’t bear to see his son suffering.

So, he took it upon himself to find any antidote possible but, the side effects were more severe than the serum itself…

Starvation, bloodshed, transformation to the fleshly form.

Everything that comes from a dreadful film happened before his lunacy eyes, and might I add… this might have been his plan all along, but who can say…

*

“Baker News.

Reports show of unusual growling escaping the mental facilities.”

*

“Crave News.

We have unconfirmed cases of citizens acting violet.”

*

“Bower News.

Bodies pile the streets; violent citizens are racing to attack each other.

Unknown cases of the disease spreading throughout the world.

Don’t hide in the dark, wood your homes, stay clear of them,”

*

“Tuned News.

Military forces are used against the diseased.

The president gave his last speech today. And right after he quit.

Cities are on lockout.

All diseased must be burned.

Severe cases of attacks, a whole new level of unidentified creatures are stalking the night.

There’s no cure…

There’s no cure…”

*

The dead finally made themselves upon the streets and Earth, as we know it…

Is a dead planet with scuffling feet and growing flapping mouths?

*

Year 2225.

August 1.

In the morning hours.

*

My skin slides against the wooden floor, leaving pieces of splinter stuck inside, “Issabella, get up, now!”

Fresh blood enters my nostrils; mom’s grim view frightens me, “Why are you covered in blood mom? Where’s dad?”

Her weight doesn’t leave the door, “Something attacked your father… he’s asleep now, but I-I don’t know what’s going on outside, they broke through the door.”

Her red polish digs into the wooden door, causing my trembling legs to force upward, “Mom, what are you talking about?”

“Issabella, there’s things out there… people attacking each other… shit, hide now! Please,”

I can hear them…

Red substance knots in her hair, her black colouring drains on her cheekbones… her lips shivers, her petite body trembles to keep her posture.

One moment she hesitates to answer, only her greens demand, and the next.

Her palms throw me toward the restroom.

“Bunny, hide p-please,” “Why mom? What happened? What’s going on outside?” I glare at her white knuckles shivering against the wood, afraid to let go of the handle.

Her lips parch slightly with each breath, “Issabella!”

*

I slam the door close and crawl into the corner, I don’t know what’s going on, but by the sounds of the growling and scuffling, it must have something to do with the virus reports.

Why would she hide me when I also fight? I can help her, but she denies me with every time I call her.

I poke around the room for any practical exit, I remember six months back, my parents wood the house, stock on supplies… they went all out for this thing.

I lift my courage together and stand, I’m alive, I can beat this… whatever the fuc- this is…

“What’s that? What’s making that noise?” It must be them… they’re so close… shit!

Constant banging on the wood stings me, “Mom,” A split appears, and a scream accompanies. My hide aches against the sink, “Mom! Answer me,”

Her screaming echo behind the head forcing through, “N-no, this can’t be, why are you doing this? What’s wrong with you?”

Blood peels from his forehead… his fingers shred from trying to break the wood… I crawl into the corner watching him closely.

“No, stop doing this… p-please…” Grey circles, pale trim, red liquid drains from his sickening grin… “Dad!” His hailing sounds frighten me; his shredded skin revolt me.

“Dad!” He crawls through… and without warning, falls forward… and choking screams fill my bedroom.

I keep focusing on dad… what happened to him? Why was he acting like this? What the fuc- is going on? “Dad, dad,”

A loud piercing sounds echo through the room, I hesitate to touch his skin, his used to know face, his used to know blue eyes.

To scratch his black messy hair, I remember dad and I used to knoogy each other… and now we can’t… we can’t do a-anything…

Instead, I rock before him, my screaming echo through the room, noises I’ve never liked, cared for, and all I’ve done is screaming.

“I-Issabella, please, get out, go to Riles… Miller will keep you safe,” “Mom? Mom?” I stumble over dad into my room…

“Mom? W-where are you?” I snatch my crossbow from the floor, and wipe my cheeks quickly, I can save her, I can save myself…

I carefully walk toward the door; I shiver on the icy metal in a twist… “Wha-what happened? Did s-she kill all of them? Mom… no,”

I trample over them, holding tightly onto my crossbow, in case one of them becomes my nightmare.

Pale, bloody skins, red substance covers the light brown tiled floor, shredded skin, shredded bones, I cuff my lips in disgust.

No sound…

I stroll further down the hallway, passing the enormous staircase toward their room, shredded wallpaper, blood stains all around…

My vision strolls over the broken railing toward the lower floor.

“M-more bodies? Oh, no, how’s this possible?” The front door is indeed broken off, blood piles rest on the light brown soft carpet.

“Mom… p-please be okay…” My fingers shiver against my lips, hesitating to open the door.

Hesitating to know if mom is still mom.

I reach for the handle and twist the icy metal slowly, cracking with each push, I jump over the pile of red liquid, and continue…

“M-mom, I’m scared… where are you? P-please… answer m-me…” Her pale skin enters my view, red substance sliding off every part of her blush skin.

“M-mom? Please, talk to me,” My watering pedals wobble the view before me, her red polish grip onto my shoulders.

I can’t move… I can’t defend myself against her demanding greens… I spot the gap from her neck, oh, no…

“Shit!” My hips ache from her landing… “M-mom, no, what’s wrong with you? You’re hurting me,” I battle against her grip… her savage noise frightens me… just like dad…

I push her jaw away… I can’t hold her… I can’t-can’t… I push her off and scramble to the side. I scramble to my feet… “Shit!” A puff escapes and I force once more upward.

I sprint toward the window. “Oh, shit, no,” My skin hits the wall… “M-mom, p-p-please…” All I can think about is escaping…

She turns slowly, bends head, lifting her left side shoulder. “Mom? Mom!” She sprints toward me, I jump out of the way and her head slams into the blue wall.

Her growling echo throughout the room. I force my lift and sprint lousy toward the window once more, “Oh, no!”

I cover my face whilst I jump through… “Ah, no, shit… shit!” I roll on the grass like a sack of potatoes… a squeal escapes whilst minor pieces of glass slide into my skin…

That was stupid… stupidest idea ever! Another squeal whilst I brush them off, I don’t have the energy to stand, or even move, despite the burning in my skin, I can’t deal with this now.

Why did this happen? Why my parents?

“Shit!” An echo crash next to me, I force upward… her moaning reaches toward me, “Shit… sprint… sprint faster,” I slam the garage door close in a puff.

I wipe my cheekbones and climb the jeep.

What am I supposed to do now? How am I supposed to survive a world like this on my own?

I may be in my twenties, but as a hunter, I still need their guidance, I still need their learning from our culture.

I exhale, puffing whilst I brush the glass further off me, ah, damn it… it hurts so… much, small specks of blood smears across my legs.

How-how in the bloody world is this possible? How does this fuc-ing happen without a damn warning?

I search the keys underneath the foot mat, I snatch it, and shiver it into the ignition… I start the old jeep… I rotate the gears into reverse. “Calm down… calm… down… shit!”

I cover my face whilst pieces of glass smash everywhere.

Hands battle their way through the window… I step on the peddle and slam against the garage door… I rotate the gears again and slam into the bitter…

“Shit, the car…” I rotate the gears and reverse harshly backward, sweeping the bitter along with me, “One more…” I change gears and drive forward, change gears and reverse again.

“Yes! Come on… come… on,” I keep pushing the pedals and finally break free… I change the gears and spin onto the lawn… toward the road.

Leaving my life behind, my parents, my memories… leaving behind what I need the most.