The First Day of the Rest (Or End) of My Life

The day started out normal, I woke up, got ready for school, and left for school. It was about 7:00 when I got there: I always like being there early, so that I can talk with my underclassmen friends like Quinn or Alex. I went to class, Science then English... then Social Studies. I was halfway through Social Studies when I got called down to the office. “Lynn to the office with your belongings, please.” The entire class “oooed” and said “you’re in trouble...” Was I? I’ve been in trouble once before and I didn’t want to finish my last month of middle school with another flaw on my personal record. I grabbed my bag from the locker and made myself a sticky note to email my teachers for any homework we have the rest of the day, then headed down to the office to find my mum in a chair starring at the ground. Instantly I’m worried, “Mum, what’s wrong?” I ask, but she doesn’t answer. A few minutes later Scott- my little brother comes into the office with his things too. He looks like he just woke up, I wonder if he fell asleep in class again... honestly, that boy... Mum leads us out of the school frantic, she still won’t tell is what’s wrong and she’s starting to worry me even more now.

As soon as we get in the car mum instantly starts talking “the zombie apocalypse has started, we’re going to grandpas I called JJ and Lois and there meeting us there... we’ll stop by the house, you have 30 minutes to grab whatever can fit in the Fiat. Lynn you go to the basement and get all the coolers you can find. There should be like 4, Scotty you go to the garage and get the extra gas can thats in there. After you get that pack up anything you need. Get pillows, blankets, clothes, maybe a couple things of value. Scott no toy guns- there’s no room. Pokémon is fine. Bring puppy (his stuffed dog he’s had for most of his life). Whatever will fit in a duffel bag.”

Once we’re finally home I rush downstairs to find the coolers when I remembered Oreo, my bunny. I knew I couldn’t take her with us, that’d be too much work and she may be safe here, so I grab the giant bag of food I have for her and dumped it into her playpen. I grabbed every cooler I could find (mum was right there’s only 4) and rush upstairs to bring these to mum. I fill up a few cake pans full of water and bring them downstairs to Oreo, if I can’t bring her I want every chance of her survival possible. I remind myself to take the drain off of the house before we leave then maybe if it rains the rain will get in the basement and she’ll have some more water if she needs. Again, I rush upstairs, plug the bathtub and turn it on, this way the cats will have some water too. I even leave the toilet up so if they need... Thank God mum just bought some more cat food, I left it all out for them praying to the Lord they won’t binge eat it. Some people say animals can sense when things are wrong, I hope my pets will understand this. I take a giant bowl of cat food and another of water and put it in my hedgehog cage. Clover is the one I worry about, but am sure she’ll be fine for a while. She doesn’t eat much because she’s so small. The only problem I’ll have with her when- if- we come home is the smell.

Now that I have all the animals taken care of I sprint upstairs and pack. I have three blankets, jeans, shirts, jackets, shorts, anything for any kind of weather. Even though it’s getting pretty hot out I put on jeans, they could save me from a scratch from the... infected... I grab a few books, my softball stuff (only my bat, gloves, ball, and mask- I figured if I needed they’d come in handy), the picture frame that has a picture of Lauryn and I- she’s my best friend, and I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do without her. I pack my stuffed whales that Cam won me at the School Carnival, Cam... my other half, I might miss him more than Lauryn, he’s been there for me when ever I need him. With those items, I grab a few more, some toiletries, some special things to me. I even bring my phone charger and headphones, I don’t know what electricity will be like, but there’s a chance it’ll be alright. But I’m definitely going over my data limit this month...

The ride up to grandpas was quite. We only made two stops. Mum drove past the bank but there were guards standing at the entrance. I heard them say something but I’m kind of out of it so it’s just mumbling. We stop at Casey’s and mum fills up the gas tanks. I want to go inside and see if I can get more food for the family, maybe some sweets to take their mind off what’s happening, but I can’t seem to find the strength to move. Its like I’m just in this haze. Mum pays for the gas and we leave again.

While mum was outside getting gas JJ called. I couldn’t picked it up but I was too afraid of what needed to be said on the other side of the phone. But when mum listened to the voicemail and tried to call him but got no answer, I began to regret not picking up the phone. She called Lois and told her not to stop unless she needed to... I knew then it wasn’t a hoax. I began to pray.

I hadn’t stopped praying ten or so minutes later when I heard a child crying. I looked up and saw a little blonde haired girl literally running for her life and without any thought of the risk I yelled “Mum, they’re chasing the baby!” She runs the “creatures” over jumps out of the car and rushes over to the child. Next thing I know I have a crying four year old on my lap. I attempt to calm her but mum is freaking out asking her “did they touch you?” She shakily replied “No. once I heard mommy scream I hid under the bed.” And continues crying in my arm. I let her cry, I burry my head in her shoulder and let myself cry too. What if those things were her parents? What if they ate her parents? This little child is now an orphan because of this outbreak. And then I start to think “what about Quinn, Lauryn, Cam, and all my other friends? Will I ever see them again? Will they survive this? Oh Lord please help us...” The world will never be the same now and this is my life.

I zone out everything I can, the radio, the people- the little blonde toddler (who I later found out her name was Emerson) was asleep on my shoulder, clutching me tight like she had ever since mum threw her on my lap. I focused on the trees, and before I knew it we were at Grandpas.

We unloaded everything into root cellar- mum felt like it was safer in here than the house. Once we got everything in the cellar, we ate sandwiches with the bread and meat my mum packed. The girl still clung to me. I tried to get her to to eat, and she ate a bit but not much. JJ makes us all agree that if we become infected we’ll kill each other before we become one of them- if this is how the worlds going to be from now on, I want them to just kill me now. I dont that aloud though, it’d break everyone’s heart to hear me say that.

Tonight we will sleep in shifts. I don’t understand how anyone could sleep after today. I try to sleep but I can’t, so I pull out my phone and I know this wont work but I’m going to try. I pull up iMessages and open Cam’s and I private text, and I write out how I actually feel about him. I tell him what I need to tell him, I promise him I’ll see him again one way or another. I tell him I love him and I press send, I hope it gets to him but who knows. I lay my head down in my pillow to muffle my cries as I try to sleep.