“The second stage they begin to lack the ability to give into the urge. Their body starts decimating and facial features change. They start lacking normal communication skills and forget human basics. For example, they can knock on a door but cannot turn the handle. The violence starts when they stop resisting the urge to eat cells. The second stage lasts between 2-8 weeks.”
”The third stage is where they have an intense urge to feast on everything in sight. They become violent while trying to chase their captors. Their hearts eventually stop beating at this point, in which they lose all control and die. They are actually the undead. They want flesh and brains. They are undead so there is no more time to the stage. The only way to kill them is to put a bullet in their brain or decapitation. This seems like a scary movie, but let’s face it sister, it is a scary movie become reality,” he continued.
“What I don’t understand is how you know all of this information. I don’t mean to be rude, but some of it is farfetched. Don’t get me wrong, some of it seems dead on but walking dead people? Come on. You are right; the whole thing does seem like a scary movie. Like a zombie movie,” I replied.
“Little miss, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Do you see all of those clinics in each town? I developed those. I am the creator of the “Z” clinics. People who are infected are taken into the “Treatment Centers” to be studied. There are no cures yet and no known treatments. People who enter there are test subjects. Yes, they are taking them out of the public to save the rest of humanity, but they know so little about the virus to actually help anyone. Little lady, you are just gonna have to trust me on this. Do your best to protect yourself. Don’t have any skin exposed if you can help it. Even one little scratch and you are a gonner. And for love’s sake carry around a gun! The government is about to give out a free handgun and 3 months supply of ammo because they know they are having trouble getting this under control. Once you see this on the news you will know that everything I’ve been saying is true.”
“Mister, thank you for the information and thank you for caring enough to let me know. I will carefully consider everything you told me today, but I never did get your name.”
“My name is John little lady. John O. Now I’ve gotta go. The big misses is waiting for me at home. You go take care of yourself now,” he said as he briskly walked away.
What a strange encounter. Who was this man? John O? He created those clinics? Confusing, but I think he was onto something. Either he was a crazy little old man, or he had inside information. I guess I’ll find out if the government starts offering free guns and ammo.
Chapter 4
ZOE
“Where the heck have you been Breanne?!! I’ve worried myself sick the last 20 minutes! Do I have to beat some sense into you? We made a deal! Nobody leaves the house without a buddy. Remember the buddy system?” I raged.
“Yes, Zoe I remember. It’s just that you and Chris were sleeping so soundly that I didn’t want to wake you up. We needed some milk and the store is literally just around the corner. I figured it would be fine,” She argued.
“Seriously don’t ever do that again or I’ll kill you myself!” I yelled.
Breanne interrupted my yelling with some ridiculous story of some old man she met and his take on the whole zombie idea. Some of it made sense but some of it was out there. Chris seemed to believe the whole story.
“I guess we will know it’s true if the government starts handing out free ammo,” Bre laughed.
Just then Chris’ phone rang. Next thing you know he was asking me to drive him to Fresno to pick up his friend Zeke.
“Why in the world would I want to drive there again Chris?” I snapped.
“Please sis! His parents have both been admitted into the clinic there and he has nobody,” Chris pleaded anxiously.
I let out a huge sigh, caught a nod from Bre and said, “Let’s go.”
Chris couldn’t have jumped into the car fast enough and we were on our way. Back to Fresno, back to the craziness, back to Chris’ world. I don’t know why he loved it there. Maybe it was the busyness of it all. Maybe it was the fact that he grew up in Porterville with nothing to do then finds himself in Fresno with everything to do. Either way, I loved my brother and would do practically anything for him. I was soft when it came to him. After all, he was all I had left. I knew mom wasn’t coming back so that made me hold onto him even harder.
Zeke was ready to go when we got there. The kid was only 18 years old and looked much older. He was well over 6 foot tall, African American and very easy on the eyes. His hair was in perfect rows and he wore only name brand clothes.
The car ride home didn’t seem as long as last time even though we were traveling in the middle of the night. Zeke is hilarious. He is witty and funny and knows all of the right jokes. I think he dealt with his pain by making people laugh. Either way he was fun to be around.
After a short night’s sleep I woke up to the inviting aroma of bacon. Zeke had taken it upon himself to make everyone breakfast. He made scrambled eggs, homemade biscuits and gravy, bacon and toast. It really hit the spot. This guy can cook, I thought.
My thought was quickly interrupted by a knock at the door. Startled, I loaded my shot gun and opened it. A man stood there and then lunged at me. Chris quickly slammed the door shut before I could blow his head off. It suddenly hit me that is was Mr. Jones from apartment 5b.
“Why did that guy come at you Zoe?” asked Zeke.
Chris took the time to explain everything to him while I tried to brush off that shaking experience. Bre stood there in fear with her jaw dropped for a long part of the time.
Breanne briskly snatched me into her bedroom and reminded me of everything the old man said to her. What Mr. Jones did is one thing that he specifically mentioned. Zombies can knock on the door but do not remember how to turn the handle. This all seemed to be too much of a coincidence and now I have to worry about my neighbors being infected. Were we even safe at home anymore?
I watched out of the window as Mr. Jones went from apartment to apartment knocking on doors and I eventually lost sight of him when he turned the corner. How strange.
Just then there was another knock at the door. This time I had Chris swing it open and I fully intended to blow a zombie’s head off.
“Don’t shoot!” Maria screamed in horror.
“Oh, Maria!” I was so happy to see her. “Oh my God, come in!”
“Wow, what a greeting I get at your place Zoe!” Maria couldn’t conceal her nervous excitement.
“Hey, can’t be too careful with all those zombies running around”.
We all laughed. I am not sure if it was nerves or if it was actually funny.
“What the heck are you doing leaving home Maria?” Bre asked her.
“I needed to see you. I can’t stand staying in the house any longer!”
We sat around the living room with all eyes on our new guest.
Zeke seemed especially interested in her; More like enamored. She was beautiful after all.
“So has anyone you know become infected?” Bre enquired of Maria.
“Not that I’ve heard. Mom and Jack are ok and I haven’t heard from anyone else. Chicho did call me last week and said he was ok.”
“Well that’s good,” I responded.
“So seriously, what made you leave the house? It’s really not safe to go out like that,” Bre questioned.
“Like I said, I couldn’t stand being at home anymore. I am sick of looking at the same thing over and over. My mom and her new husband Jack are happy to be with each other and watching them makes me want to puke. So can I hang out here for a while? I mean would I be imposing to stay a few nights?”
“Heck no! Girl, we would be happy to have some fresh blood around here!” Bre retorted.
After getting Maria’s stuff all settled in
Bre’s room we made a big dinner; Chicken tacos, rice and beans. Maria even made homemade tortillas. I could not believe how good they were! The smell of the tortillas as they were cooking was like no other smell. The fragrance of garlic, cilantro, and onions danced in your nostrils, tempting even the strongest of men to satisfy their carbohydrate urges. The tacos tasted like a little piece of heaven.
We decided to play shooting games on Chris’ Play-station until midnight. It was a ton of fun and a much needed distraction from the craziness of the world. Bedtime was fun. Maria and Bre bunked together and Chris and Zeke shared the living room hide-a-bed. It was nice to have a full house. It was even nicer to know my brother was safe and sound in my care. Nothing was going to happen to him with me around.
Chapter 5
BREANNE
Last night was exceedingly needed. It’s been a long while with no other human contact. It’s not like I am bored with Zoe and Chris, I just need more. I guess you don’t realize how much you need people until you are taken away from them. Plus we needed time for fun. It’s been a while since we actually let loose.
It’s funny watching everyone interact with each other. Maria is usually cold to men because of them treating her like an object but she really seemed to connect with Zeke. I think they are starting to like each other. It’s cute but it’s really a bad time to start something. There is so much uncertainty right now, it is just really risky.
This morning we woke to the smell of breakfast again. This time Zeke made us coffee, pancakes and eggs. I could get used to this. Zoe and I are usually the type to eat cereal in the morning. This is really spoiling us.
Maria wouldn’t leave the bedroom until she was showered and made up. She is the type that doesn’t want anyone to see her without her makeup on. She casually strolled into the kitchen, fashionably late. She sat next to Zeke at the bar and he poured her a cup of coffee. The two of them sat there in the kitchen until it was lunch time, talking about everything it seemed like. They were getting to know each other. I marveled at this. They are much braver than I am. There is no way I would start a relationship right now.
Maria made us lunch. Same thing again, she and Zeke hung out in the kitchen until dinner time. I popped a frozen lasagna in the oven and we sat in the living room and joked around for a long time. Then the pessimist in me made an entrance. Things were going to change. People were getting hurt all around us. What if it happens to one of us? What will we ever do if one of us catches this virus? I kept my thoughts to myself and enjoyed the time I had with my friends.
Our fun was interrupted by Maria’s loud ringtone. She went into the bedroom and emerged 20 minutes later with a giddy tone to her voice.
“You won’t believe what my mom just told me!” Maria squealed.
“The people who were renting their rental house were admitted to the “Z” clinic and my mom paid the CDC to clean the house of the virus for us. She said that I can have the house! Its huge, it has like 10 bedrooms and 11 baths. But I don’t want to stay there alone. I was wondering if you guys would like to stay with me there. It’s a cute house on the outskirts of town so we would be somewhat away from all the craziness, but close enough to come to town when we need to. Oh and it has a state of the art security system and huge fences. Thoughts anyone?”
“Wow, really?! You would let us stay there with you? Are we talking long or short term?” I asked.
“As long as you want to. Mom said the house is mine. She’s signing it over to me. There would be a roommate agreement of course, but nothing real serious. Since the house is paid for all we have to cover is the yearly taxes and utilities. I would love it if you would stay at least until the craziness of the virus is over.”
“What do you think guys?” Zoe asked.
“Sounds amazing,” Zeke stated.
“Yeah, sounds good to me. When do we move in?” Chris chimed in.
“We can go look at it now. Mom said we can move in anytime we want. The house is empty and just sitting there. Do you want to go take a look at it?” Maria asked.
“Sure,” I replied.
We all climbed into Maria’s Black Chevy Suburban. As soon as she turned the key Beyonce blared out of her stereo system. It wasn’t a long drive to the house from our dinky apartment. It was just nearly on the outskirts of town like she said. We pulled up to the front gate and a sign said WELCOME TO WESTWOOD MANOR. After putting a quick security code in the box, we were in. It was such a beautiful house. It was nothing like I’ve ever lived in before. The house was 2 stories high with beautiful white marble all over the front. It has one of those fancy water fountains in the front that had dolphins shooting water out of their mouths. This house was immaculate and well manicured. I couldn’t believe Maria’s family RENTED out a house this nice. I could only imagine the house they lived in.
I didn’t think the house could get any better until I walked in the door. The foyer was all white marble like the outside and had tall ceilings. The smell of the house was of milk and honey; a fond memory of my childhood. This place smelled like home. The entry had antique furniture and fancy paintings. It must have cost a fortune just to furnish this home. Next we entered the family room/kitchen. This is the open concept home I’ve always dreamed of. The kitchen had a massive stainless steel stovetop and dual ovens. The matching stainless steel fridge probably cost about 6 month’s rent at our apartment. The cabinets were stained a beautiful cherry wood and had a gorgeous shiny gloss. This place is perfect, I thought. I can’t wait to do some baking in this kitchen!
From there we were led through a seemingly endless winding staircase where many bedrooms met us at the top, each having their own personal bath. I was assigned the room at the end of the hall. The bedroom was massive. The floors were expensive hard wood that shined like nobody’s business. The walls were a neutral tan color that had a calming effect. The bed is what I had always dreamed of. It is an exquisite king size 4 poster bed with drapes. The linens were amazingly soft. They probably had them imported. The room was a dream.
At one end of the room were some French doors and a personal balcony. The view was spectacular! I observed French landscaping, an outdoor dining area with a gazebo, lots of tall trees, a pool, a mini golf course and a baseball diamond. On the other side of the fence were rows and rows of orange groves.
The walk in closet was as big as my bedroom at the apartment. It was surreal. The bath that connected had a huge Jacuzzi tub and a separate all glass shower. It is exactly the bath I’ve always wanted. The floors were heated as well as the toilet seat. It had granite counter tops and a French petite white vessel sink. My bath window completely overlooked the pool which was probably as big as the pool I saw outdoors at Hearst Castle as a child.
I was certainly ready to settle in. The maid met me at the door with fresh towels and warm chocolate chip cookies. This is pure heaven, I thought. Everyone eventually gathered out by the pool area. Soon the maid met us with chamomile tea and cookies in the gazebo. We laughed for a good hour. Maria spoke with us about our roommate agreement and we unanimously decided to move in the next day. That evening we spent several hours packing. We didn’t get to sleep until 2am. This move was going to be more than worth it.
The next morning we got up, packed our rental truck and headed to our new home. Maria gave us the code to the new house. It was all falling into place. We were doing it. We spent all day moving and settling in. None of us really had a lot of belongings. But soon we were going to have to go back to Chris and Zeke’s homes to get the rest of their personal belongings. Everyone was relieved to have their own space and get settled in for the night.
That night we ordered some pizza for delivery and watched some pay per view movies. It was nice to veg out and live in another world for a while. The movies were over and everyone else went to bed. I couldn’t sleep so I took it upon myself to explore the house. Walking down the hall I came across the study.
That room would be frequented a lot by yours truly. I loved reading. This room had wrap around bookshelves with a neat ladder that reached the top. I knew I would be spending a lot of time there. As a matter of fact, I spent my first night in the library. I fell asleep in the chair reading Twilight for the 5th time.
Chapter 6
ZOE
I woke up that first morning in our new house on the floor. I’m not sure how I got there but I must have slept hard. The pillow top bed was much better than the creaky twin size bed I slept in at the apartment. Everything was much better than my apartment. My new bedroom was way more suited to me. The walls were a stale blue. The floors had a massive Persian rug next to the bed. Everything was great from the closet to the attached bath. The only thing I didn’t like about my room was the hideous blue flowered drapes. It was safe to say that I loathed them. They were way too girly. First chance I get I am going to buy some new ones. The thing I liked most about my room was the 42 inch TV that sat on top of the wannabe fireplace.
Breakfast was great. Not only does this place have a maid, it has a cook! It’s not that we can’t cook, just what we can make is limited. Having a cook also meant having breakfast waiting for you when you got up. I arrived in the dining area to a table filled with a variety of fresh fruit, crepes, and waffles. Chris and Zeke had already devoured a ton of it by the looks of it but there was more than enough for all of us. Bre and Maria followed shortly. Bre only had coffee and toast. She isn’t much of a morning eater and it was only 7 o’clock.