Memory Lane

She gargles her throat… "Thanks again," "Yeah, sure, no problem," Her smile holds beauty… her shredded clothing lacks sleep.

"Do you live far from the mall?"

"No, but we can't return, those damn things are hard-core trackers," She forms her lips in an O form, "W-where are you from?"

She keeps her staring in front of her; I guess we all have a backside story, right? "Here actually, before this, I was a cop…"

Year: 2025.

"We have a situation in the front entrance of the Luke mall, a man threatening civilians and causing damage, any officer near to check it out."

I slip the radio from the dashboard, "Officer Fond, will check it out, it's near to my location, over." "Will have back up ready, if needed, over."

I break the car examining the surrounding area a homeless man, wandering around, screaming at people.

I exit my car and slowly make my way over toward him, "Is there a problem here?" His pale skin freaks me out, along with black circles appearing around his eyes.

"Sir, I need you to stop this right now." His head snaps at me, I withdraw my weapon whilst he slurps toward me, "Sir, back away now, or I will shoot."

He turns another direction and gawk at the blond-haired girl, talking on her phone. He rushes over toward her, and without notice, start feeding on her, her screams fill the air, shock rushes through me, I can't move…

I shiver my aim, killing a civilian can mean serious jail time, I shoot his back… and he stops, what? He struggles his stand in a growl.

"No, fuc-ing way, how can you still walk?" Blood peels from his corners, red substance colors his dirty clothing, he rushes over toward me, and in another shiver, I shoot both his legs, he falls forward, crawling toward me.

The bullet pierces through his head, and he stops moving… "How is this possible?" I gawk at the bloody man before me. What is going on? Where is this coming from?

I turn toward another piercing scream… "Help m-me…" I sprint toward her position, and without warning, my skin bruises against the minor gray rocks.

"What…" Growling jumps on top of me, causing a puff to escape, "Get off me," I push him backward, and shoot without thinking.

I battle my stand toward a chaotic surrounding "What the heck?" People attacking each other, others screaming, children running away.

I sprint back toward my car, and rush my climb, I slip the radio from the dashboard, "We have a serious situation, people are acting savage, killing each other…"

"Fond, get out of there, now," Her panicked voice stresses me. What is going on? "Is someone dealing with this situation? What is going on?"

I flicked the radio a few times, "No, not yet, just get out of there… no! Stop them, damn it," "Via… Via, answer me damn it," I flicked the radio a few times again, nothing but static.

I start the car and drive away from the screaming… I can't save them, even if I wanted too…

She trails off… I still glance at her and swallow hard, "A-and you?" "Well…" I thought of a short, simple way to say straight who I am, I know well about the scientist and their experiments.

I know what they did and when they released the animals into the wild things just got a handout, then the gas appeared and Earth changed into something mother nature never approves of well.

"I lived in Japan, grew up there, spend a majority of my time there, until I joined the military from there on, lost my parents a long time ago,"

Her burning blues gawk deeply at me, "It feels good to see another face bright like yours, such a pleasant laugh, it's been a year…"

"H-how did your family die if I may ask?" I keep my gawking in front of me… there's no need in spoiling my emotions…

Year: 2225.

In the morning.

My eyelids flutter to the sound of yelling; I raise and snoop through the window. "What the heck?" The groups succeeding them howl, and at some parts of the road, some are destroying others.

I throw the blanket off me and jerk my bedroom door open; I race down the stairs, two at a time, and stop right behind mom, standing frozen.

Red substance colors the floor, but her appearance faces the wall, strictly, "Mom." Something cracks open and someone yanks me inside the staircase cabin.

"Dad, what's wrong with mom? Why are we hiding here?" He hushes me, I bump into Alfie, sobbing into dad's armpit.

"Dad, what's happening?" "I'm unsure lad, just remain calm," Beating against the cramped door frightens us; the narrow door can't hold the hands struggling to breakthrough.

"Go, Ethan; take your brother and cover," I kick the wood in, and worn through the cap, I snatch Alfie and start pulling him.

"Alfie, please, there's no time for this," He screams and dad pushes him toward me, and just this, the door cracks, "Alfie!"

He plunges into my arms; I comfort him, shoot up the starts, and bang the door close.

"Mama, papa," "Alfie, please, quiet down," I pluck him into a hug to safeguard him, but he keeps screaming…

I lead toward the window; we need an exit fast, "Alfie, no, don't," Within seconds, he plucks the door open, and before I can save him, mom is the first to grab him and everything shuts down around me…

I jerk the small dagger under my pillow and within moments, they all left dead…

I crouch down… "Alfie? Alfie, please, wake up, say something," Red substance piles all around them, my screaming echo throughout the room…

Anger fuses inside of me.

From this day, I will fuc-ing kill them all, I will make sure they pay for this.

I sniff swiftly, keeping my balance on the steering wheel, "I'm sorry Ethan," "T-thanks…" "I didn't even experience that, you know, my parents died in a car accident, two weeks before this outbreak,"

I glance at her hands rubbing nervously together, I should add I also feel the heat dancing on my forehead… "Whoa, hold up, what's that?"

I break intensively before an immense tree stump blocking our path, "I'll be right back, stay in the car," She nods swiftly at me, I scan the surrounding area whilst I make my way over toward it, "Stabbed? Something trying to get us?"

I gather my strength and lift the tree stump, her screaming interrupts my moment, I throw the stump into the jungle sideway, and sprint toward her position…

"Get away from me! Ethan," I drag the immense scorpion away from her, "I told you not to attack the road, why don't you listen to me?"

I swing him around, and he flies from my hand back into the forestry, their rushing feet bolts through the forestry toward us, I sprint toward the car and rush inside, "Ethan…" "I know,"

I step on the pedal… "Shit, look out," She pushes me aside, as soon as a tail stabs through the roof, "Damn it, that's it, I told them…"

I stop the car and jump outside, "What are you doing stabbing my damn car? This isn't your area to attack, move it," Without warning, the car reverses backward, and almost ran me over.

"Ethan, get inside, now!" I jump inside, and she speeds away, "Are you crazy? Are you trying to get us killed?" I shift uncomfortably in the seat and ignore her quick glancing.

"They know better…" "Hold up, it mutated everything? Animals? Mother nature? Y-you were communicating with them… can you talk to animals?"

I snicker at her serious face, "Don't be crazy, I can't talk to animals, we just have a mutual understanding, but since you were along, they didn't keep their bargain of the deal…"

"Their bargain of the deal? Do you know how crazy this sounds, Ethan?" I ignore her burning once again, "Yeah…"

I can never tell her the truth, she won't take this lightly, I can see her fierce attitude, her strong will, she will kill me if she knows that I know, not that she frightens me, but I can tell…