Apocalyptic Love

Time to go

"We go slow and stay hidden. If you see one of them hide or run but we do it together" My father instructed "This only works if we work together" The man was scared, it was undeniable as the sweat slid down his forehead and he didn't scare easy. "Katie, you always stay close to your brother, if we get split up you bring him straight back here and hide".

My hands were latched into the small boys' hands as he looked up to me, his ocean eyes staring at me with innocence. He didn't know what was happening, how could he? His life consisted of toys and superheroes, not monsters. "So this isn't a trip to Disneyland?" Tilting my head I watched my brother grin under my shadow while my parents did the same.

The journey was simple, stick to alleys and sideroads, don't make noise. Cars were scattered through the barren streets, doors pried or left ajar; People got out in a hurry, diminishing their lives to just backpacks. A few corpses were scattered across the roads, dried blood pooling around their bodies, I tried my best to shield my brother from the scenes but if this was our life now he would have to see the nightmare.

My father halted us in our tracks, gesturing us to duck behind the small brick wall. My arms wrapped around Kyle's small form and pulling him against me, I knew if it came to it, I would give my life to protect the boy. I brushed my hand across his mouth gently as two shadows slugged down the road, whispered grunts echoing from their hollowed souls. Their moves were uncontrolled and jaded as they slugged down the streets.

We waited in silence until they were a safe enough distance for us to venture to our location, the rest of the journey was surprisingly easy, we didn't stumble upon anything. The once lively town id spent my childhood was now left to dust, a ghost town avoid of any living souls. We hoped for a cure to this disease but even if they did, nothing would go back to the lives we took for granted and that was heartbreaking.

The doors of the small convenience store were left unlocked, our father went first holding a hunting knife swift in his palm as he looked around the dim store "Pack anything that's, food drink or medicine".

The store was scarce from any danger, but it was shambles; shelves were destroyed leaving only battered leftovers, tills were forced open with cash scattered across the tiled floors. "Okay Duckie" I whispered to Kyle who was still at my side "I'm going to get us some snacks okay, I need you to stay here until I'm done" His sizable eyes watched me as I pulled a chair for him.

"Can you sing to me Katie" The boy puffed his lower lip knowing the danger of noise.

"I can't duckie, it will make too much noise" The gleam diminished from his eyes as he turned his head down, his ringlets falling across his forehead "How about I hum" The boy nodded eagerly. When dad was away he had no clue of what was going on, Mum was always in bits worrying over my father, so I would crawl into bed with him and sing until he drifted to sleep.

My hands worked vigorously across each shelf, packing anything we would use while humming the wheels on the bus. Each time my eyes drifted to him his small hands were acting the words and I couldn't wipe the smile etched across my face. He was too good for this horror; he exhaled innocence, and I knew this world would take that from him soon enough.

My mother was working her way around the back of the shop while my father was scavenging the back rooms, all of us working in sync making sure to be as quiet as possible.

But as i turned to look at my baby brother a lump caught in my throat; an empty chair was the only thing remaining where I'd left him.

My body was shaking vigorously as I searched around each shelf, the trembles growing each time I found nothing. "Mum, dad, Kyle is gone" Both their faces drained of colour as they joined the search, frantically pulling the shop apart. We were shouting his name at this point, the danger outside was nothing compared to the worry rushing through our veins.

This was all my fault; it was the only thing clouding my mind.

The moment the groans outside the shop intensified we knew something was wrong, a crowd as joined outside huddled in a circle reaching towards the floor. We stood in silence, watching the monsters with our hands covering the sobs escaping our lips.

My mother let a ear-splitting cry as her eyes were the first to notice the small converse dashed across the gravel, the tears clouded my vision as I noticed dashes of blood staining the shoe fabric that once belonged to the small boy that made our family complete.

"No. Please. No" My hands flattened against the cold glass.

"Baby" My dad tried to shake my mother out of the emotional trance she was locked in "We need to go" his shaky voice cried as the dead started hammering themselves against the thin glass I was leaning on.

I didn't want to move; I should have just let them take me. Kyle didn't deserve this fate.

"It's too late. We need to go".

Edited