End of the World: Infected Part 1
A.E.R. Kingsbury
Published by A.E.R Kingsbury, 2017.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
END OF THE WORLD: INFECTED PART 1
First edition. March 31, 2017.
Copyright © 2017 A.E.R. Kingsbury.
ISBN: 978-0995898004
Written by A.E.R. Kingsbury.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
In the beginning
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
To be continued.
About the Author
For Pat and the kids, thank you.
For anybody who’s ever loved a great Zombie story. Enjoy.
For any writer who has yet to be published, keep following your dreams.
In the beginning
Everything felt different the day declared the end of the world. They could still hear the sound of yesterday’s sirens over and over in their heads. They could still see the chaos of warfare and the horror of bloodshed fresh in their minds. It was an unexplainable phenomenon that shook humankind to its core. People went to bed healthy and woke up sick with flu-like symptoms. Congested coughs, fatigue, fever, body aches, vomiting and more were all common complaints as local hospital emergency rooms worked understaffed and overtime to try to help.
Despite the bizarre happenings the Government health officials called it a freak influenza epidemic, nothing more they hadn’t cured before – they were wrong. People were encouraged to seek their local hospital emergency room, a place where the infection had a chance to spread at a rapid pace. Like a game of dominos, one by one people began to get sick and before long, people began to die. This infection was like nothing else, it brought the dead back in mutated form. Once the heart finally stopped beating, the infection would take its final toll. Bodies would slowly regain consciousness, angry and rising to their feet. Necks bent and limbs stiff they would begin shuffling around growling and hungry to find a victim to feed their need to infect. The world was becoming a thing of nightmares, one person at a time.
Like any illness, some people showed signs of immunity; they did not catch the virus but they were not any safer. Contact with an infected by being bitten or even scratched could easily change that. As the infected attacked, good people fought and worked quickly to gather what they could as they left their homes and ran for what was left of their lives. People became frantic, angry and scared as they rioted, breaking into businesses and shops killing each other in attempt to scavenge what they could and save themselves like a bunch of terrified rats. Fear brought mankind back into the dark ages. This was the end of the world and it was time for mankind to rebuild what was left.
***
Neighborhoods had become overrun by infected within a matter of hours radio and television stations had gone silent. Landen had just finished his shift down at the docks when he noticed strange things happening. He had been out on the boat most of the day with his co-worker, Vic. The two men were shocked when they docked and saw the chaos that now took over their once quaint and quiet little southern town. They grabbed what they could to use as a weapon and tried to make their way home to their families. Landen witnessed his co-worker become the victim of an infected. As he ran off ahead he could hear the shrill screams of horror from Vic. Scared of what he would find when he got home, Landen took no chances on the infected. As soon as one came close to him he swung his metal rod as hard as he could, learning by hitting them directly through the skull was the only way to kill them for good. There were so many of them, Landen’s heart broke each time he had to defend himself against his fellow townspeople. These were people he joked in the hardware aisle at the shop with, drank coffee at the local diner with, people he worked with and people he was raising his family with.
When he arrived home, he witnessed the most horrific sight he had ever seen; worse than what he had just saw right outside his own front door; his wife and their son being devoured alive by an infected. As he stood in the foyer of his family home, he felt his body become numb in a state of shock, panic and uncertainty. Not knowing what was going on he tried to defend them with the gun he had hidden in his nightstand but it was already too late. By the time he raised that gun, the infected were ready to turn onto him. Grabbing a dining room chair, he smashed it through the side window of his house, quickly climbing through and running for his life. Escaping with only the clothes on his back, his pistol and six rounds of ammo, Landen ran out in search of anybody he knew who might still be alive, anybody who might have answers.
Just down a few blocks from his house, he could see his best friend Matt running frantically across the grass lawns as a group of infected made their way in his direction.
He came running toward Landen, covered in blood. He grabbed his friend by the shoulders to quickly examine him.
“Matt! You’re alive!”
“What the hell is going on? I went home and everybody...” Matt trailed off, his jaw clenching as he tried to resist crying out loud. He had never felt as scared in his life as he did at that very moment. He looked around and saw nothing but chaos everywhere. Everything they knew was gone, everyone they loved were now dead.
“I know...we have to get out of here, now! Come on!” said Landen as the two ran towards his car and got in. Landen struggled to get the key into the ignition; his hands were covered in blood and trembling tremendously. The noise they had made slamming the car doors alerted infected who slowly began stalkily walking toward the car, reaching for them through the dirty windows. The sound of the engine starting was something Landen and Matt never thought they’d be happier to hear. With the car finally started, they pulled out of the driveway, the car bumping as they ran over bodies making their way toward the exit of the town. They had to get away from Somerville and unearth the truth behind the end of the world.
Chapter 1
As the sun set over the country view, Landen sat on the bumper of a broken down pick-up truck that marked the survivor’s campsite and gazed out through his binoculars. Stretching his back, he swigged the last of the sun-warmed water from his flask. He wiped his brow with his handkerchief and took a deep breath; he had been there watching for several hours already, scoping the land for any infected. With his rifle in hand, he was ready for anything. It only took one to attract others. There was no way he was going to let them pass through on his watch.
Landen and a small group of survivors now lived in the middle of nowhere. It was a hidden place away from the terror that ravaged every major city. It wasn’t much but it was safe haven, it was a place to rest their weary heads and call home. It was a place they called the Campsite. When the big cities became infected, those who survived the outbreak, evacuated. It must have been fate that led Landen and Matt to that bus on the highway that day.
The main highway and only way back to any major city was overrun by infected; pile ups of cars attempting to escape crashed into each other. There was carnage for miles, infected taking advantage of the poor souls trapped in their mini vans, jeeps and cars. In the midst of smashed up vehicles, an overturned bus full of people trying to escape was on fire. Landen could still feel the heat of the flames on his skin. He could still hear the shrill screams of those they were unable to save. Not everybody survived on that highway that day and those who did came together to re
build their crumbled lives after all of the bad the world had become.
It was their only chance at saving what was left of the human race. Many a simple man and woman faced fears and nightmares they never dreamed of having to face. They had to defend what was left of the world they once knew. Every man, woman and child was learning how to fight in a world where they were once taught fighting was wrong.
A population of eleven people were left from their group of survivors. They made up the camp site with five poorly crafted tents. They were small and uncomfortable but they kept the wind and rain out. Landen and Sydney met that day on the highway along with the other nine survivors. Her sister Kris and Matt shared a tent, they were always together, always close in a friendly way. In the campsite there also lived an elderly couple, Cal and his wife Mae. They were lucky to have survived although Mae’s health wasn’t always the best. She and Cal shared a tent with their adopted grandson Leo. Two brothers, Tom and Alex shared the last of two tents while James and his wife Lisa had theirs. The community was small but everybody always worked together to make sure they could survive.
Animals were few to be seen; like humans they too perished or went into hiding for the sake of their species. They prayed for their world once taken for granted to somehow come back. Families, homes, towns and entire cities were destroyed when the infection took over. Going back was not an option, this was now home. Everyone was free to go as they pleased but would have to face the threats that lived beyond the campsite’s fence.
It was a different world when the power grids and radio towers finally gave out, it took humans to run them and infected took over. Food production and water filtration systems soon failed, leaving survivors with little to scavenge as supplies began to run low. Living in the darkness; there were no computers, no internet or working radios at the campsite. The people of the campsite relied on salvaged candles, batteries or generators (if they were lucky enough to find one) to be able to light their tents, cook and heat water to wash. Food was a rare resource; the camp had to ration what they grew from a small garden on one side of the campsite or what edible food was found during a scavenger hunt.
People took shifts tending to the garden and storing vegetables that grew, when they grew. It was always difficult to grow anything during a dry season and what they did grow was never enough to feed the entire camp for much longer than a few weeks at a time. It was difficult to find healthy seeds or grains to grow. It was up to the strongest and best skilled people to head out on hunts at least twice a month or more if they could.
In the center of the campsite was a fire pit. It was made out of old tire rims. They fueled the fire with wood and any other flammable garbage people gathered. The fire pit was used to cook their food, boil water, dry their wet clothes or simply try to keep warm on a cold, bitter night. Like everything else, the fire pit was rationed and lit only once a day, near sundown when it began to get cooler.
***
Landen could hear footsteps coming up behind him; he had been at his post quite a while. It was a matter of time before someone was sent to check on him. Sydney stood beside him and swept her auburn hair from her green eyes. She gazed ahead at the land in front of them. The silence of the outdoors was almost terrifying. She closed her eyes and imagined the life she once knew.
It was the good life she had always dreamed of. She had the perfect house to call home, a hard working husband and beautiful children. The infection took everything from Sidney that day, including part of her soul. She remembered how she felt herself grow colder as she watched her family change into monsters before her eyes. She did things she never thought she would have to do. She was on that bus when Landen found them that day.
"We need to go for another supply hunt. I don't know about you but I'm starting to get worried about the food supply." Sydney spoke softly, holding Landen’s arm in hers. She looked up at him and he had a serious look on his face. The kind of look that told her he was having some quite concerning thoughts. He took a deep breath before speaking.
"We’ll go tomorrow. There’s an old abandoned ‘rest stop and shop’ not far from here. We might be able to get through and find something there."
Landen was the untold leader of the camp. He had never asked for the role of the leader; it had happened naturally, people trusted him. They followed his words as if he was some sort of saint. Their group was fortunate to be strong enough to fight for their survival. They had been on their own for what felt like an eternity although it had probably only been months. Sydney nodded in agreement, they needed to get out searching, the sooner the better.
"Matt, Kris and I will go with you on the hunt. We don't need to risk any others." Sydney was stern. She knew the others wouldn't volunteer their own lives; they weren't as strong as she.
She cared about the people of the camp as if they were blood. She felt it was her duty to help Landen protect them. He hated it when she volunteered herself on these hunts. She knew the dangers as much as he did. He felt as if she was doing it to spite him, he knew how competitive she could be. There was nothing he would not do to ensure the safety of his people, especially the woman he loved. It was a rare thing these days but love was there. Sydney put her arms around his broad shoulders.
“Don’t worry so much, I’m a big girl Landen.” She smiled.
She loved that he was so protective of her but she was brave and knew what she needed to do for herself. He knew it was best not to argue with a woman of her kind.
“Let’s head back to camp. We’ll let the others know what’s going on.”
Landen put his arm around Sydney’s shoulders and the two began walking back to the fire pit, he pulled the shabby wooden gate closed behind them.
***
Kris stood several feet in front of a target she created from an old stack of hay and a piece of ply wood, bow in hand; she had been teaching Lisa how to handle the weapon, even though she lost about five of her hand whittled arrows in a matter of minutes. Lisa was not a fighter, unlike Sydney and Kris she didn't grow up having many serious problems. Everything had been given to her by her wealthy family; living in a makeshift tent that leaked when it rained was not something she had ever dreamed her life would become. One thing Lisa could do was cook, that was her job; the camp chef. She could whip up a meal for ten people with little rations; she tried her best to make sure everybody ate.
"Ladies, you're needed at the fire pit; the boss wants to talk to us."
James stood at the edge of the path; he never liked to get too close when his inexperienced wife had a weapon in hand.
Lisa’s husband, he was an ex-security guard in his old life. He was injured in the line of duty when he fell running after a petty mall thief and was ready to retire early when the infected took over.
"We're coming. One more shot!" said Lisa as she pulled and released, hitting the target directly in the middle.
"That was pure luck!" said Kris jokingly.
Lisa smiled and went to retrieve the arrow. The two joined James and headed to the fire pit where Landen and the others were already waiting.
Landen stood up from a crate he had been sitting on, "thanks for meeting everyone." he started.
"Tomorrow we head out to check out a shop, we are low on rations and need whatever we can find."
"Matt and Kris, you two are coming with us." said Sydney. They nodded in agreement, it wasn't often they turned down a hunt. James and Tom stood side by side.
"We'll hold down the fort, as usual boss." said James.
Tom nodded while he shuffled his feet. He was a pharmacist and knew a little about medicine, he had never held a gun let alone killed anyone or anything before the infection took over. Now, he was part of the campsites guard.
Landen gave him an odd look.
"Stop calling me that!" he said
"Sorry boss." said James.
Landen gave him a friendly handshake. "Well, it’s late and we have an early start tomorrow." Everybody went their ways to their te
nts.
***
Morning came quickly, another blessing in disguise. The world was thankful to see another day. Landen crawled out of his tent, stood up and ran his fingers through his hair. His eyes squinted as they adjusted to the morning light. It was never comfortable sleeping on a bed from a cardboard box and old blankets.
Everything was still quiet at the campsite as the sun had just begun to rise. He grabbed a shirt off the clothes line between his and the tent next to it. The shirt wasn’t very fresh smelling but at least it was clean. It seemed he was one of the first to get up and moving. He walked toward the fire pit which was almost completely out. Nothing but embers left from the night before. He could still smell the once burning wood.
“Good morning, brother!”
A very bright and chipper Matt was always good at startling people out of their deepest thoughts.
“You can’t sneak up on a guy like that man!”
Landen laughed and gave a brotherly hug. They had been best friends since before the end of the world. There was always an unspoken bond between them; they always had each other’s backs.
“The van is all gassed up and ready to go. Where are the girls?” Matt looked around.
With his rifle in hand and his heart in the right place, he was ready for a hunt. He was always very adventurous although the others would have argued him to be reckless.
“They’ll meet us at the van.” Landen said as he walked back toward his tent giving Matt a peace sign.
“Be ready to go in ten minutes, brother.”
Sydney and Kris were already sitting on the back bumper of the van waiting by the time the men arrived at their meeting spot.
“Let’s go gentlemen! Clock’s ticking!” Sydney banged on the back doors of the van to encourage them to hurry up.
***
A cloud of dust surrounded them as they traveled down the old dirt road; it was bumpy and uncomfortable in that old green van. Rust covered half of the exterior and the interior had mostly been torn apart. The once plump leather seats were deflated with rips and tears on them. The rear-view mirror was taped on with duct tape, they weren’t even sure if that mirror belonged to that van. It wasn’t much to look at but the motor worked and it brought them roughly where they needed to go.
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