“David!”
“Huh?” he said, looking at her as if snapped back from a dream.
“Do you hear anything? Sirens? Rescue?”
David shook his head. He suddenly felt very cold. Alone. He sat, hugging his knees to his chest, wishing for the sounds of sirens.
Though they were right in front of him, he watched Nicole and Ryan as if they were miles away. Ryan’s blank expression looked even farther. As Nicole hugged the younger boy, rocking him back and forth, David wondered if it was too late for Ryan; after everything that had happened, is he lost forever?
David shivered along with Ryan, wishing someone would hug and comfort him as he began to wonder: when will it be too late for me?
DAY 2 - LATER
ALEX
Normally, Alex’s walk to school was a short one. However, when he ran away from his house and Mr. Watts, he went in the opposite direction. Even after he decided to head to Colby, he kept walking the wrong way, disoriented and scared, jumping at every-thing that moved. And everything he heard.
For most of the walk, there was no noise at all. No traffic sounds. No airplanes flying overhead. No people talking. No construction. Nothing. It made the noises he did hear far worse. A loud ‘BANG!’ as if something far away exploded; what sounded like gunfire. And, as close as the next street over, screaming. Gut wrenching, painful screams that made him lock up each time he heard one. When the sound faded, he would hurry on, faster, and tenser than before.
When he finally did walk in the right direction, he didn’t get very far. Down the street ahead he saw three people looking for something. He almost called out to them before he noticed how they walked. They shambled mindlessly, just like Mr. Watts.
They have the disease, too. He couldn’t go that way.
He heard a crash behind him. Startled, he quickly turned and saw a garbage can roll into the street. Following it was another one of the diseased. This one was close enough that he could see the blood covering it. But it wasn’t looking at him, so he had a few seconds to react. Looking around, a great relief came over him.
Mark and Jeremy’s street! Jeremy lived past the people down the hill, but Mark’s house was only a few down from where he stood. Keeping an eye on the shambling figure behind him, Alex darted to the closest yard, hoping the shade from the houses and trees would hide him. Shadow started a low growl, but she stopped when Alex shushed her. He kept his eyes on both ends of the street and made his way to Mark’s.
The door was locked, which he had actually hoped for. Safer. He slowly and quietly opened the mailbox, flinching and freezing each time it squeaked. He looked around, but no one seemed to notice him. He found their spare key, fumbled it into the lock, pulled the door open and ducked inside. When the door was relocked behind him, he felt safe again. Once the street cleared out on either end, he’d make his way to the school.
He let Shadow go, and she entered the unfamiliar surroundings cautiously, sniffing at everything she passed. Before she left the front hall, she looked back at Alex.
“It’s okay,” he told her. “Go look around.”
She walked off, sniffing again.
Alex tried to call the school again. If Dad had gone to the house, or if the evacuation people had showed up, he’d be worried sick.
Nothing. Not even a busy signal. He clicked the receiver and realized there was no sound at all. No dial-tone, no beeps when he dialled numbers, nothing. The phones were dead, too.
He peeked out the front window. The person who had knocked over the garbage can stood in front of the house. It staggered around, exactly like Mr. Watts, though it looked much worse.
Its face was smeared with dark red blood. Its shirt and right hand were also covered, only more thickly, and studded with dark pieces of flesh. Its left arm was gone. Dripping red strips hung from the remnants of its left sleeve. It left a trail as it walked; now a puddle as it stood, mindlessly staring at nothing. As it started to turn, Alex ducked down below the window. He was safe as long as they didn’t see him or hear him. He just had to be quiet, and do as little as possible while he waited.
When he peeked again, it was gone, leaving a bloody trail. It probably wasn’t far though, so Alex decided to wait it out a little longer.
He found Shadow in the den, sniffing through a pile of papers. This place is a mess, Alex thought. He thought back to what his own house had looked like when he got back the day before; the same. A speedy evacuation, with no thought of the mess left behind.
His stomach rumbled, though he certainly didn’t feel hungry. He had only taken one spoonful of cereal before he put Shadow outside. The last meal he had eaten was a sandwich at lunch the day before. If he had even eaten it.
He checked out the fridge, taking his time to look around. This fridge could stay open all day for all he cared. He wasn’t staying long, and there were bigger problems in the world than the Wilsons having to deal with spoiled food.
He found some ham slices, mustard, and a block of cheddar. A loaf of bread on the counter made the meal. “Not too bad,” he said, as he began making his second sandwich in as many days. He’d be sure to actually eat this one.
Shadow came into the room, staring up at him as he peeled open the package of ham. She had eaten breakfast, but she had a rough day, so Alex decided she could eat again. Fortunately, Mark’s family had a dog too: Buster, a big German shepherd. Buster was a very mean looking dog,
