I sigh as I open the door to the science lab. Every single day is the same. I wake up, go to school, go home, go to sleep, wake up and the cycle continues. It just gets exhausting after a while. I look around the room and spot my best friend Jenna, she’s reading something on her phone. She looks up as I walk over and smiles.

“Erin! Hi!”

“Hi Jenna, how was your weekend?”

“It was alright, I didn’t do much to be honest, how was yours?”

”I just binged the Lord Of The Rings movies”

The bell rang signaling the start of class. We part ways to go and sit at our desks.

While the teacher drones on about the Theory of Evolution, I pull out my phone and start scrolling through social media. Suddenly I get a text from Jenna.

Jenna🙃:

Did you see the news???

You:

No...why??

Jenna🙃:

There’s a woman in a hospital near here with an unknown disease. Apparently her skin is starting to rot, while she’s still alive!!

You:

wtf?! Eww!

I’m sure they’ll figure out what it is soon and find a cure :)

Jenna🙃:

I hope so ‘cause what if it’s contagious???

I don’t want my skin to rot!! 😫

You:

haha lol 😂

I’m sure everything will be fine

Suddenly I’m interrupted by a shadow looming over me. I look up to see Ms Birch standing by my desk with her arms crossed.

“I am appalled by your utter lack of respect Ms Green” she glares at me. “Hand over your phone”

I sigh and place my phone into her waiting hand “Sorry Ms Birch, it won’t happen again”

”It better not, I’ll see you after school for detention”

and with that she struts back up to the top of the classroom and continues teaching.

I sigh for the gazillionth time today. Detention was the last thing you wanted to do.

“So who wants to go shopping after school?” Cleo asks later on that day at lunch.

“I can’t” I groan “I have detention”

”Again? Why?”

”She was caught texting in class...again” Jenna responds picking up her sandwich.

“It’s not fair, You never get caught” I grumble stabbing my pasta aggressively “You text in class just as much as I do”

Jenna shrugs “I’m just better at hiding it”

Sabrina collapses into her seat next to Cleo “I swear maths is going to be the death of me”

”Tell me about it” Jenna says, her mouth full of sandwich.

”What’s the point of maths anyway?” Cleo complains.

”I know right, it’s not like I’m going to wake up one day and be like “Finding the circumference of a circle is vital for my survival”” I roll my eyes.

”Oh my god!” Jenna suddenly exclaims slamming her hands down on the table

”What?” Sabrina asks, slightly startled.

”Did you guys hear about that weird disease that turns you into a zombie?”

”Yeah, that’s why I have detention today, because you absolutely couldn’t wait to tell me during science”

Jenna glares at me playfully “It’s your fault for responding”

”It doesn’t turn you into a zombie” Cleo says “It just rots you from the inside out”

”I heard that the people who have it turn really aggressive and start trying to bite everyone around them” Sabrina says “And that’s how the disease spreads”

”What the hell?” I place my fork in my now empty container.

”Yeah, that’s why everyone is calling them zombies” Jenna rolls her eyes.

The bell rings bringing lunch to an end.

“I better get to class” I say pushing my chair back and standing up.

”Yeah, you don’t want to get another detention for being late” Jenna teases

”Shut up”

I walk out of the school building  after detention that evening. I heave the heavy folders up on my hip and fix the strap of my school bag on my shoulder as I carefully make my way down the steps. I feel like I am drowning in homework lately. It’s like all of my teachers think I don’t have a life outside of school.

Suddenly I lurch forwards as I miss the last step. All my folders tumble onto the ground and I stumble into the person walking in front of me almost knocking them over.

“Hey, watch where you’re going, you klutz!” He glares at me.

“Sorry, missed the last step” I laugh nervously as I scramble to pick up the fallen folders.

“Watch where you’re going” he repeats before walking away. As I pick up my phone I glance at a notification from Daily News. It’s a new article with the title: Woman Bites Onlookers In Shopping Centre

A/N

Hi! I wrote this a while ago and my writing style has changed quite a bit since then so I’m not too happy with this chapter. I hope you enjoyed and I’ll see you in the next update!

Amy x

I roll over and clumsily tap around on the screen of my phone trying to switch of the alarm. When I am unsuccessful, I groan and sit up picking up the phone and turning off the alarm. I yawn and rub my eyes tiredly before standing up and making my way to the bathroom. 

Half an hour later, when I am ready for school, I walk into the kitchen to make myself some breakfast. My mother was sitting at the dining room table watching the news. 

“Good morning this is the 7 O’clock news.

Last night a woman who was admitted into hospital displaying symptoms of the newly discovered disease turned violent and attacked the doctors and nurses in the room with her. 

Those who were bitten have started displaying symptoms of the disease. 

They are currently being quarantined at the hospital”

My mom switches off the TV and turns to look at me. “I’m sure it’s probably nothing” she says “They’ll find a cure soon” she stands up and pushes in her chair “Get your breakfast. I’m going to work now, see you later ok?”

”Yeah ok, bye” I say giving her a smile. She smiles back and walks out of the room closing the door behind her.

A bit later on that day, I’m sitting in the library during English. I’m supposed to be reading the assigned book but everybody is whispering to each other instead.

”Did you see the news this morning?” Cleo suddenly whispers holding up the book to cover the side of her face. 

“Yeah” I whisper back

”I overslept, what happened?” Sabrina says quietly

”A zombie woman went crazy and attacked everyone in the room with her” Jenna tells her “Now everyone that was attacked are turning into zombies too”

Sabrina’s eyes widened “that’s crazy”

”I’m telling ya, the apocalypse is here” Jenna responded. We all quietly laugh. 

“What do you want to do after school?” Cleo asks. 

“Well providing Erin doesn’t get a detention by the end of the day” I playfully shove Jenna’s shoulder “why don’t we go see that new movie that just came out?”

Cleo shrugs “sure”

”yeah let’s do it” Sabrina says

I nod “I’m in too”

”Omg you’ll never guess what happened to me yesterday-“ I’m interrupted by the crackling of the intercom speaker 

“Good Afternoon students. We have just been informed that a group of infected patients from the hospital nearby have escaped. In the interest of the safety of all students we have decided to send you home early today and keep the school closed until the infected are found. Please stay at home and stay safe”

I look around at my friends, wide eyed. Around me students excitedly began standing up and making their way towards the exit.

”Well I guess that’s us done for the day” Jenna says stuffing her book and pencil case into her bag. Cleo bites her lip anxiously “I hope they find them soon”

”Oh relax” Jenna says “Their zombies, they’re not going to make it very far” 

I close the zips on your school bag and pick it up off the floor, fixing the straps on your shoulders. I walk with my friends through the hallways of the school, making my way towards the exit while pushing past the other students.

”I guess I’ll see you guys tomorrow?” I say once I get to the gate. “See you tomorrow” Sabrina says. Cleo waves at me. “Call me when you get home!” Jenna yells after me as she walks in the opposite direction.  “I will!” I yell back. 

15 minutes later I arrive back at my house. I lock the door behind me, dump my school bag in the corner and make my way into the kitchen to make myself a snack. 

I walk down the hall to my bedroom, searching for Jenna’s contact on my phone. I sit on my bed and take a bite of my sandwich as my phone dials. 

“What’s up bitch?” Jenna says when she picks up. 

“I’m just sitting on my bed eating a sandwich” I shrug. 

“Same” Jenna groans “except I’m eating crackers not a sandwich”

There was a comfortable silence between the two of us. I take another bite of my sandwich and flop onto my back to stare at the ceiling. Suddenly Jenna gasps “You know what we should totally do?” She asks.  

“What?”

”We should totally pack an apocalypse backpack!”

”Why?” 

“I don’t know. I’m bored and you never know we might need it. Besides even if we don’t all you have to do is unpack it again”

I shrug “Sure. Why not”

”Cool. Let’s do it” I hear Jenna roll off her bed and walk around her room. I get up too, leaving my plate on my bedside locker. I put Jenna on speaker phone and toss my phone onto the bed before walking over to my wardrobe and rooting around in the bottom of it and pulling a backpack meant for camping out of it. 

“What should we put in it?” Jenna asks.

”Um clothes I guess” I shrug. 

“Yeah that’s probably a good idea”

I pull out a drawer and grab a few t-shirts, leggings and underwear and stuff them into the backpack. And then on second thought I grab a hoodie as well. “What else should we put into it?”

”Some form of entertainment” Jenna says “You know incase we get bored”

”K” I say grabbing a random book off my bookshelf and shoving it into the backpack. “We should probably pack some food and water too”

”That would be smart” Jenna hums. I go to the kitchen and take some take a couple of tinned peas and beans out of the press. I grab an armful of bottled water from the cupboard too before heading back to my bedroom to squeeze the food and water into my backpack with the rest of my stuff.

“Is that it?” I ask. 

“Yeah, that should be enough right?”

I shrug “I guess” I toss the backpack into the corner of the room and jump back onto my bed. “So... how long do you think it’ll take for the escaped zombies to be found”

”Mmm” Jenna hums “I bet they’ll be found within the next hour or so, if the haven’t been found already”

”Yeah, I mean zombies are supposed to be really slow right? How far could they have gotten”

Jenna snorts “Probably down to the entrance gate of the hospital” 

I laugh “Probably”

At around 2AM that night I lie in bed scrolling through my twitter feed when I hear the sound of glass breaking downstairs. I frown and sit up, my heart starting to speed up. Then I hear a chair being knocked over in the kitchen. With shaking hands I unplug my phone.

Turning on the flashlight I make my way to my bedroom door. I take a deep breath and slowly turn the door handle, creeping out into the hallway.

I jump when suddenly I hear my mother scream down the hallway in her bedroom. “M-Mom?”

I continue tip-toeing down the hall, my heart pounding in my ears. “Are-are you alright?”

I walk into the kitchen. There’s broken glass across the floor and a cool breeze floated in through the shattered window. I carefully make my way over to it. 

“What the heck?” I whisper. I hear movement behind me “H-hello?” I call out and turn around.

I scream as I’m met face to face with what looks like a rotting corpse. I scream again as it lunges towards me, it’s mouth wide open and it’s rotting teeth on full display.

I reach behind me and grab a saucepan off the draining board. Using all my strength I whack the zombie over the head with it. The creature stumbles to the side and I use the moment that it’s distracted to sprint down the hall to my mothers room.

”Mom?” I call out, flinging the bedroom door open. My mother is lying on the floor beside her bed, blood gushing out of an open wound on her arm. It was too late, she had been bitten. 

The sound of movement in the kitchen startles me into running back to my own bedroom. I shut my bedroom door and barricade it with my desk.

I hurriedly unplug my phone charger and grab my portable battery before shoving them, along with my phone, into the backpack I had packed earlier that evening. 

I hear the sound of heavy footsteps in the hall. I swing the backpack onto my back and with trembling fingers I clumsily open my bedroom window.

The door handle begins to shake as the zombie attempts to get into my bedroom. I jump out of my bedroom window and take one last look at my home before running aimlessly into the night.

A/N

Not completely happy with this chapter. Thank you so much for reading, see you in the next update!

***Amy x***

It’s day 10 of the beginning of the end. Most of the city has been bitten and those who haven’t been bitten are hiding.

My phone battery ran out a few days ago. Yesterday I broke into someone’s abandoned house and slept in their hot press. I’m running low on supplies so today I’m going to the abandoned petrol station a few miles down the road. 

The whole city is like a ghost town. Everywhere is empty and silent. I haven’t met another uninfected person since I climbed out of my bedroom window over a week ago. I’ve only ran into a handful of zombies which I fended off with the kitchen knife I stole from the local supermarket.

I haven’t really had time to process my mothers death. I’ve been solely concentrating on surviving. It’s only when I find somewhere safe to sleep do the tears start to fall. I never let them stay for long though, quickly wiping them away and squeezing my eyes shut, desperately searching for sleep.

I walk along the empty road, constantly looking around me and listening for any sound of movement.

I shiver and pull the coat I stole from someone’s wardrobe around me more tightly.  I wonder what my mother would say if she knew how much I steal these days. But I am desperate and desperation can make murderers and thieves out of anyone. Besides it’s not like anyone was going to miss the coat or the socks or the bread. The people I stole from were long gone, most likely dead or infected.

It all happened so quickly. One minute everything was completely normal, the next it was anything but normal. 

When I jumped out of my bedroom window over a week ago I ran towards the nearest police station, hoping to find help but I was only met with more blood and zombies. After that I ended up in an old dilapidated building. I spent the next day there, shivering in a corner, too scared to leave. I had to though when a zombie had made its way into my sanctuary.

I tried calling Jenna several times before my phone died but she never picked up so I assume the worst. I assume the worst for all my friends, I have to in order to solely concentrate on myself and my own survival.

Since then, I’ve jumped from abandoned house to abandoned house, only staying a few hours in each one. I try to catch a few hours of sleep during the day and stay awake all night because that’s when the zombies are most active and I have to be completely alert at all times.

I enter the petrol station through a shattered window around the back. Someone had clearly gotten there before me and had ransacked the place. It looked as though a fight had broken out inside too. Food was scattered all over the ground and two of the shelves had been knocked over.  

I cautiously creep around the shop, picking up tinned food and shoving them into my backpack. I crouch down beside one of the shelves rummaging through the bread, trying to find a loaf that was still in date. I find one and push it into my backpack not caring if it gets a bit squished.

I straiten up when I hear movement behind me. I look around while slowly reaching into the front pocket of my backpack, fingers locking around the handle of my knife.  

I hear the shuffling noise again and freeze. I’ve heard the noise enough times by now to know it was coming from a zombie. I carefully swing the backpack onto my shoulders trying to make as little noise as possible. While the zombies sight isn’t the best I’ve learnt that they have extremely good hearing. They can also move pretty fast when they want to.

I slowly edge along the shelf wielding my knife, preparing myself for a rotting corpse to leap at me at any moment. I turn around the corner of the shelf and there it was, clouded, lifeless eyes staring right at me. I jump and stab it in the jaw as it reaches for me. The zombie lets out a strangled gurgle and I use the split second that it’s distracted to stab it in the eye. 

The zombie shrieks and lurches forward. I step out of its way and run for the shattered window. I hastily climb through it managing to cut my shin on the broken glass in the process. I hiss in pain and stumble and fall onto the dusty tarmac.

Behind me, the zombie is clambering out of the window. I quickly pick myself up off the ground and reach for my knife which had fallen on the ground beside me.

I almost scream as a second zombie comes running at me from around the corner. Great now there’s two of them. I can barely defend myself against one, how am I going to fend off two zombies at once and walk away alive?

I take a step back, considering just dropping my backpack and just making a sprint for it but then I hear a familiar gurgling sound from behind me. I spin around and come face to face with another zombie. This time I really do scream and slash the zombie across the face. 

Spinning around again, I wield my knife and prepare for the oncoming attack from the other two walking corpses.

They run at me, dead skin flapping on their rotting faces. I take a deep breath and stab them both. One in the head, the other in the throat. Then I turn to the side and slice zombie number three’s ear off. It falls onto the floor with a dull thud. 

I start walking backwards, backing myself against the shop wall. Big mistake. Big fucking mistake. All three zombies run at me at once. There’s no way I’m going to be able to fight all of them at once and not get bitten. 

I throw my knife at zombie number two hoping to kill it or at least distract them long enough to give me a chance to run away or give me a head start at least. The knife lodges in its shoulder but doesn’t slow it down. I don’t think the zombie even blinked. 

Well this is it I think as the zombies get closer. I’m either about to be savagely eaten or I’m about to become a walking corpse myself. Either way, I’m about to die. 

I screw my eyes shut and pray that it will be a quick death. But instead of feeling the painful throb of teeth biting my skin I hear the sound of weapons slicing through the air and a multitude of thuds. 

A/N

Teehee 🤭 can’t wait for next chapter! Hope you enjoyed!