think - either they push you aside or hurt you outright. Help was almost impossible to find in times of catastrophe. So, when Caite

ook at her properly? Come on, me and my friends used to taunt her online for petty reasons-stupid jokes that spiraled

hands moved slowly, deliberately, as if dragging out the moment would somehow make this less uncomfortable. I slipp

dy.Caite reached out hesitantly, brushing a strand of hair fro

ing myself to

red under her breath. "Y

What could I even say? That I agreed? That I hated myself for not being abl

pen, ready to heave out a sigh of relief that we we

left hand was gone, causing it to burst dark blood everywhere. My wide-ey

managed t

was t

, sending them both crashing to the ground.

her!" I

, her grunts of effort mixing with the wet

se quarters-but the rod... The rod felt solid in my hands as I gr

very first step to accomplish that. Before she could get up, I pinned her back on the g

y gonna kill her, bu

y killed yo

to a full stop. Rushing thoughts

an

eading on our way stopp

t i

e, looking out the car wi

he metal rod from my grip. Caite grabbed my hand and we dashe

time when we ran over the woman who attacked us earlier. On top of that, I find myself const

looked back to Caite. "I mean why are you even here? How come

dad... he invited me to the grand re

er all these years of declining

still didn't attend. I changed my mind because I rem

r further. I turned my attention to

re answering. "Your phone is not that h

y grip harder, then carried myself into the front seat. The car jerk

my phone has an encry

is so confident to let yo

, you knew and

odded. Two palms covered my face, ashamed of

sed? Oh well, at least hi

assed a group of people with pure white eyes, six of them standing together as if they were eagerly anticipatin

he asked, shiftin

e," Cait

d by everything that had happened that night. T

t once. We were still in the middle of nowhere, and knowing

crossed my arms. "What th

and act like z

ountered. "Even recent stu

nowadays," he retorted. Caite nodded in agreement, w

use she quickly shifted her eyes outside.

hink the explosions earlier may have

g. I frowned at her words. W

saying those who died from the explo

risen back

lence env

uld you-" Before I could finish, she pul

e loud music and screams from below filled the air. It looked li

ing crowd, but in reality, it was a scream born from fear. I recognized m

d focused intently on the scene, especially when I saw the woman w

platform while nearby police officers

ple; he snatched her big teddy bear and released her before passing it to one of his colleagues. They p

stopped abruptly as she sat

her shoulder, seemingly asking if she was okay. But when she looke

ied to separate the two, but the bloody woman's gr

her in terror; only her victim's fingers remained

ited the ferris wheel because she turned in different directions as if looking for s

way-the camera had night vision so

burns covering its body; their skin was so crusted that they were barely rec

dn't see much now that she blocked the lens

t me too stunned to speak as Ca

d quietly. "There was no pulse or response, but there was a

come one of those creeps? Die

sly. "Isn't there still enough

'zombies.' Plus, they remind me of those green walking

ft? What

ur grandparents tell you

d returned his attention to the road. "M

came to an abrupt halt. "They're basically creepers 'cause they only ac

bothering me now is how they tra

I'm guessing some toxins affecting neurological responses have

nces before he shrugged

-a brown discoloration causing mild sharp pains whenever I moved. Vivid images flared up in m

en and how dark blood splattered from her mo

poisoning our minds and tri

urd yet strangely log

rly to conclude anything definitively, but most likely we've all bee

ut tightly; I'd been

We found ourselves at the edge of a dark street with few homes nearby-we were liter

he continued. "Why is this happening to us? Are there

n, our enemies might be using radiobiological warfare against us-so

ctual for once-but that was ju

ain with curiosity lingering in my eyes. "We should g

anyway." A sigh escaped me; they were right after all-my father was vi

ina and Gabby?" I

welled up in his eyes as his hands tre

ping grove," he said quietly before ma