​Survivors of the Z’s- Cal Moore, Ashford City, California

WHEN IT ALL HAPPENED-

               THE WORLD WE KNOW 

                         WILL PERISH 

             LET OUR SINS FALL UPON        

                                  US…

That’s what the sign said and all I could do was think about Ellie. We listened to the radio and all they spoke about was the virus that had suddenly risen. Mom switched off the radio and we drived In silence back home. I gave Mason a glance who Looked horrified. He stared at the back of the seat then looked at me.  

   “Did that… did that just happen?” He asked 

   I nodded, “it was like she was possessed or something”

   “Did you see her mom, what the hell”

   “I hope she’s ok, I didn’t really get along with her, but I hope she’ll get better”

I looked at mom in the mirror and she glanced back at me. 

   “You boys ok?” She asked 

Her words fell silent as I saw a helicopter pass by. I followed it and when it vanished in the distance I looked down. A large traffic jam was up ahead.

   Mom sighed, “you kidding me, doesn’t anybody have work to go to?”

I heard beeping.

A lot of it

I felt a little uneasy 

You know…

Like something wasn’t right

Like something was going to happen at any minute 

You know that feeling?

I looked up once again and saw another helicopter and this time it had stopped not so far away from us. 

   “The hell is happening?” She asked, she got out of the Car, “stay here guys” 

I looked on as she got out. Other people came into view from the side of the car. Skateboarders and bicyclists along with pedestrians who checked their phones. I watched them all as they looked on at what was going on in front of us. 

   The door opened, “Mason,” I said, “What’re you’-

   “I wanna see,” he told

Mom wasn’t there, so I decided to get out all so. I slowly got out and kept my gaze forward. The helicopter hovered not so far and the traffic had built up behind us. The line of cars was huge. A lot of beeping was happening.

   “Can you see my mom?” I asked 

   “Yeah, she’s all the way over there,” he answered

   “Bro, have you seen this?” Mason asked

   “What?” 

   “Look on your phone, check facebook”

I quickly got it out and got on to it. A live feed was shown and it was the exact same place where we were. 

   “You on it?” He asked

   “Yeah”

I looked on and focused. The live feed came from our friend from school, Devon. What it showed was a crash of four cars. They were all completely wrecked. The Camera went closer into the gathering crowd and I suddenly heard his mom in the background. 

   “Devon, don’t get too close”

   “Chill mom,” he told

   “Everybody get back please,” a policeman said

Police cars and ambulances stood by close along with the fire service that helped out. Police stood round the sides whilst the paramedics and firemen and women dealt with the victims. It was horrible to watch. The victims were helped out of the wrecked cars slowly. They held their necks and legs as they cautiously carried them on to the stretchers that were close by. The camera zoomed in more on the action on one of the victims. She had a neck brace on. She was unconscious. They quickly moved the stretcher to the ambulance. Whilst the camera was focused on her a cry was heard.

   “Arrgghh!” 

The camera pulled back and I immediately saw a paramedic being bit by the man on the stretcher. Tensions began to rise and the situation grew stranger. A few of the victims were supposed to have been dead, but then…

They weren’t 

   “Get him off!” The paramedic cried 

The camera showed the crowd begin to stir

   “Devon, get back in the car!”

   “Wait mom”

   “Devon!”

The camera then wobbled and it was taken off of him. The live feed then stopped. All that was seen and heard were the crowds and the commotion.

   “That was some other type of crazy right there,” Mason spoke

   “Something doesn’t feel right,” I said, “where’s mom, can you see her?” 

   “Yeah, she’s coming now”

A gun blast was then heard from the same place and the crowd began to lose it. People began to run in different directions and cars began to rush by.

   Mom rushed back, “get in the car,” she told
PRESENT TIME-
What he said

What he told me

Weighed heavily on me and clasped everything in my head together and made it thump

I was worried for all of us

Having that burden on me was a lot. I didn’t want to tell anybody, because I knew if I did. They would’ve probably kicked him out and I didn’t want that weighing on me

The guilt

Even though he didn’t ask me to keep it to myself. I still felt like he would’ve wanted me to do that.

   “I should’nt have told you that,” he said, “I’m sorry, you’re just a kid, I can’t have that weighing on you”

   I shook my head “No, no it doesn’t matter, it’s fine, I can handle it”

   “It may not matter for you son, but it matters to me”

   “I can take it, I’m fine”

   “Maybe you’re, but that doesn’t give me the right to shoot you with it”

I got up and walked toward the door and stopped

   “You were panicking in your sleep, was it about them?” I asked

   “I’ve done some screwed up shit in my time kid, it could be any on of those, but it doesn’t concern you, I’ll deal with it”

I walked out and left him to it…

Filed under: Season Three