Chapter 1

Another fight broke out in the grocery store. Two ladies wrestled for the last piece of stale bread.

A few days ago everywhere had been normal— adults going to work, children jogging to school and me, reading the latest issue of the book I loved.

‘The Zombie Apocalyptic Nightmare’. It was the trending genre on book-tok and I was invested in it like crazy!

The author emphasized on how she had dreamt about a certain virus infestation. It would go on to eat the brains of people.

Turning them to zombies who in turn infected others as well.

She was really good with her descriptions because her words painted live images in my head.

As I turned the last page of the book I saw a string of letters form on the blank page. It was written in a liquid that looked like blood.

I flung the book into the waste bin beside my desk.

“What would you do if that was your reality," it read.

Bullshit! I thought. **********

Approximately ninety-six hours later, a huge explosion was heard in the middle of the city. Everyone began to run helter-skelter towards it.

From my window, they looked like moths attracted to a light source. I wanted to join them.

So I did— out of curiosity. But not without putting on a CRBN gas mask I had thrifted a few years ago.

Just as I had suspected, a green gaseous substance hung in the air. It exuded from the crater created by the explosion.

Everything it touched instantly withered.

The green plants turned ecru, the animals gasped for air and then it struck its first human victim.

I watched in horror as the young lady began to scream in pain. Her eyes bled blood and her ears turned into long strips.

The color of her skin faded into a greyish color. She looked like a ghost of her former self.

She turned to look at me, her neck snapping but still staying intact at the same time. It was an horrendous sight.

My stomach began to churn. I was going to puke.

My jaw tightened. I turned my back on her and began to run. She chased after me.

One by one, others changed into grotesque sights. There was no form of coordination in their movements.

Eventually, I managed to reach the front door of my house. The pain from bruises on my knees were nothing compared to the dread welling up in my chest.

I didn't want to become one of those things.

“Mom, open up!" I yelled, banging consistently on the wooden door. Then she finally opened.

The sight made her faint instantly. I rushed inside and slammed the door on their faces. I was safe.

I dragged Mom to the sofa in the living room. Placing her gently on the pile of soiled laundry.

I walked back to the door and bolted it firmly. "This should hold them off for now”.

Spritzing to my room, I took out the book from the waste bin. I wiped the cover with the back of my palm.

The words burned in my mind. What was I going to do? How was I going to exist?

This was literally akin to the end of the world.

I let out a maniacal laughter and fell to the floor. I rolled on my side until I began to cough uncontrollably.

First off, we needed supplies. Mom was a hoarder so I was relieved when I found the fridge stocked to the brim.

Cleaning supplies, stationary sets, and bags of water filled the pantry. I took a bottle of soda and chugged it down in one gulp.

My eyes darted to the spice rack. It was empty. That was unusual, and also meant I had to brave the chaos and go get some.

Mom was still blacked out on the sofa, and my younger sister was probably playing video games on her console.

She was a different flavor of shut-in like me— it ran in the family.

I didn't remove my gas mask when I stepped out again. The zombies lunged at me but I had thought ahead for this outcome.

Carrying a metal stick with spikes that Mom had improvised to ward off reptiles the last time they infiltrated our home.

I used it to whip them while heading to my destination.

The grocery store was by the corner so I arrived there in less than five minutes. People were scrambling to grab as much supplies as they could. **********

“I took the pizza box first,” one lady yelled as she hit a young girl on the head.

The girl retaliated back by pulling her hair and soon they began to wrestle in the store. A man attempted to separate them but ended up getting beat himself.

I hid in a corner. Luckily for me, it was where the spices were stacked. I found a polythene back lying on the floor.

I quickly grabbed it, filling it with every single spice my hand felt.

Then another fight broke out. This time two ladies were fighting for a piece of bread. They were at ear’s length. Just behind the cupboard filled with spices.

The last thing I heard was a large crash. Their squabble had escalated and one pushed the other, the force making the cupboard fall in my direction.

“No." It was a dead end for me because I was hidden in the corner. I said a silent prayer and surrendered to my fate.

My eyes closed shut but my mind kept racing. I didn't feel like I was dying, neither did I feel alive.

I heard one of the ladies rush to my side. She attempted to do CPR on my chest, removing the gas mask from my face.

When there was no response from me she left. Nobody else offered to help.

A few hours later, the store was deserted and I was the only one remaining in it. At least I thought I was.

A mysterious sound began to ring in my head and I felt like a computer at that moment. [HOST IDENTIFIED.]