BOOK ONE
She had her whole life planned.
What she didn't plan for was the zombie apocalypse.
Eighteen-year-old Arryn Lycaster just graduated high school. With aspirations of becoming a veterinarian, she's ready to take the next step forward in lif...
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Time became lost in the void of the darkness.
Arryn found it hard to distinguish the beating of her heart against the pounding on the door. The wood cracked with every strike, growing weaker. It would give soon, and she had nowhere to go. By some miracle, the door's heartbeat fell silent. But the blessing was short-lived as crunching and squishing filled the place of the knocking.
With the demons outside at bay for the moment, her own demons ate away at her mind. Lincoln killed her mother. He turned, just like the article said he would. And the only thing that stopped him was a shot to the head. The blows she inflicted slowed him down, but it didn't stop him. How was that possible?
Surely, the rabies virus couldn't cause what Lincoln had become. A monster... a zombie. The thought alone felt ridiculous. Zombies were monsters created by Hollywood. They didn't exist.
Did they?
Would her mother become what Lincoln had? A cannibalistic, black-eyed monster who didn't recognize her own daughter? The article mentioned human to human bites spreading faster than animal ones. How long would it take?
Her life had taken a drastic turn in a matter of hours.
She was tired of crying all the time. These past few days, the tears always seemed to lie in wait, looking for any ample opportunity to strike. She thought surely by now her supply would run dry.
But tears came anyway as she sat cowering in the dark corner, hiding behind a shelf in hopes the creatures outside would stay out there. The deer, the dog, Lincoln... it was all too much. Drops warmed her skin, acting as a reminder that she was still alive-- by some miracle.
A vibration buzzed from her back pocket, accompanied by a loud alarm. It repeated twice.
Her phone. In the midst of the chaos, she had forgotten about it. This could be her ticket out of here. Her ticket to safety. Pulling the device from her pocket, the screen's glow lit up the small room. A notification showed on her screen. She squinted to read the alert.
Her heart fell. The virus seemed to be spreading fast. How many people had already turned?
Underneath the emergency alert, several missed call notifications from Claire and her father showed along with a few text messages from each.
"Dad," she whispered, swiping the notification to call him back. Every passing ring constricted her heart tighter.
"Hello." Her dad's voice came through the speaker.
Instant relief flooded her. "Dad! I'm so--"
"Sorry I missed your call. Please leave your name and number after the beep. If you are looking to purchase a house, please leave a name, number, and any other contact information so I can get back to you as quickly as I can. Or, try contacting my associate Dante Stryker at 555-0150 for more information. I look forward to returning your call. Thank you and have a blessed day."
