Epidemic

Chapter 1

I violently awoke, my body drenched with sweat my hair plastered against my forehead. The nightmares only seemed to get worse the more I tried to sleep.

Shifting the covers off my body I sat up, looking around the darkened room. Only a few streams of moon light entered through the cracks in the boards that were nailed over the windows.

When the world went to hell about a year ago, I figured it'd be over by now. That maybe the CDC would have found a cure. Boy was I wrong.

I still remember the radio announcements that they used to play. The one that made me come to Atlanta. When I got there the whole city was in chaos, military personnel scattered through the streets trying to handle the situation.

By the time I made it to the CDC, they had burned through most of their resources. More than half of the scientist had made a run for it, leaving only a few dedicated workers. I barely made it through the doors with my life, when they found out I was a government worker.

They held me in a room for a couple days until I told them what I was doing there. So I told them what happened at our facility. The looks on their faces told me everything. That they wanted me to pay for what I did.

I just sat there staring up at everyone, not being able to do much. Hoping that they would understand that I wanted to help, that I wanted to right what had happened.

It didn't play out that way though. That's when they started taking their frustrations out on me. A few punches here and there, making my vision blur. Some guy cut me from my eye down around my cheek to the bottom of my chin with a scalpel. After that I blacked out, letting the darkness consume me.

By the time I came too, everyone was gone. My things were still in the room and I was untied thankfully. Grabbing my stuff I decided to leave, they obviously had their heads shoved so far up their asses that they didn't want my help. But when I got to the top there was only one man left. He was standing alone watching the computer monitors.

Jenner was a good man. I don't know why he stayed behind. He never told me and I didn't bother asking. He asked me to stay though...

So I stayed. I worked with him for hours; days trying to analysis what this mutation did to people. All our work came crumbling down around us when Jenner got an announcement over the short wave radio unfortunately.

Atlanta was going to be decontaminated. This is just a fancy word for dropping bombs.

Jenner told me to leave and never look back. That's what I did; I grabbed my things and took off. Just as I hit the city lines the bombs dropped. Fire exploded and shrapnel in every direction. People screaming, screaming as the fire consumed their bodies as the monsters fed on what was left of them.

I see that fire still every night when I close my eyes. It's what causes my nightmares.

Running a hand through my hair, I stood up trying to forget what happened. The floor was cold beneath my feet making my body shiver as I made my way to the window. Carefully I peeked out, making sure I didn't make any sudden movements or noises that would attracted walkers.

There was nothing though. Just a darken yard. I made sure to secure the perimeter before I fell asleep, but it doesn't always mean you're safe. You always have to sleep with one eye open. I couldn't even tell you how many times I woke to walkers breaking in.

Turning from the window, I grabbed my sweatshirt from the chair. After sliding it over my head I sank to the floor, pulling my knees against my chest. Giving a faint whistle I called for Gage.

I smiled when he slowly came towards me a big goofy grin painted across his face.

"Hey boy." I reached my hand out, rubbing his head.

Gage was all I had left in this world. I found him in my desperate attempt to escape Atlanta, and ever since he continued to follow me. He's a good dog, doesn't bark unless something's dangerously close. He usually lies with me as I sleep keeping watch.

Sitting there quietly, I dropped my head hoping to get a few moments of sleep before daylight.

That's when I heard Gage start growling low and the door knob on the front door began to jingle.

Giving a faint whistle, he stopped. Dropping his head he slowly made his way behind the door. As he did, I reached over grabbing my crossbow that was sitting on the table.

Quickly loading an arrow into the bow, I made my way to the door. Slowing my breathing I began preparing myself for what could be waiting for me outside. It defiantly wouldn't be the first time some dick burst in trying to take over the house.

Reaching out I gripped onto the door handle, if it was a walker they'd give up if it stopped moving. For creatures that enjoyed killing they sure had short attention spans.

Shrugging of my thoughts I focused again. The handle was still turning, so it definitely wasn't a walker.

With one swift movement, I slammed the door open. Knocking whoever was trying to get in onto the ground. Moving quick I kneeled down, my knee against the guy's chest my bow pointed at his head.

"Freeze asshole." I spat, watching a middle aged guy in a cop uniform looking up at me.

"Hey there, I mean no harm" He calmly said raising his arms as if I didn't have a weapon to his head.

I didn't move my ground or say anything. My eyes just watched him, waiting for him to pull a weapon out to take me out.

That's when I felt the front end of a revolver push up against the side of my head.

You'd figure I'd be more concerned for my life, given the circumstances. I mean most people would be begging for their life, pleading.... Maybe even praying to God. Not me, God and begging haven't been in my vocabulary since... Never actually.

"Daryl." The man sternly muttered. His eyes giving a look that this guy Daryl probably understood.

"Get off him, or I'll shoot ye." Daryl snapped.

"And If I don't." Rolling my eyes I stood up to face him. My voice being surprisingly more confident then I actually was.

His blue eyes burned into me as I stood eye to eye with him.

"Bitch don't play me." His face was cold, and emotionless. One of the many consequences from living in this world.

"I'm not playing and my names not bitch its Hadley." I glared, my chest pressing against his. His eyes still burning into mine, but he seemed a bit surprised by how bold I was being.

"Oh just shut up, sugar-tits." Within a few seconds something hard hit my head, sending me stumbling into Daryl. My eyes blinking rapidly trying to get my vision to un-blur.

Gage was growling loud, but I managed a whistle before my vision went dark.

"Tie her up and bring her back with us." Was the last thing I heard before I drifted into the blackness.

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