"The attacks numbers have come in, more than half of the population in Steeleman Valley have been infected and thats more than 10,000 individuals infected by this unknown virus-" the television cut off due to the building losing power, I looked around my room as my step father and mother were running around to get everything packed up, my brother was writing down all of his bag contents and my sister was still a now show.

"What are you doing Alex?" my mother asked me, while her facial expression showed fear and what that fear could mean or bring an I think that scared her the most.

"Already done packing and now Im just waiting for you guys to be ready." I blurted out the answer without giving myself time to think to see how it would effect my mother, but this day was totally different than most days. I cut myself some slack and so did my mom.

"Go to the Garage and get your gun box that your grandfather bought you last year." my mother just shook my answer off with her motherly magic and kept a straight face on and tried to show no fear for us kids but she knew we could see through that.

"Yes ma'am." I responded with respect and I got up an I did as she instructed to me as any dutiful son should do.

I moved as quickly as I could down the stairs but moving as fast as we did it didn't occur to me to take guns or weapons of any kind with me, which in my case wasn't my best option but I found a metal pipe on ground near the door to the basement. Just before my hand touched the door knob, I heard the most sickening crunching sound, a low-growl followed afterward, my hand clenched the pipe as tightly as possible, I took a deep breathe and I flung that door open to find a small group of fleash eating creatures that didn't resemble their old human state. I swung the pipe at every one of the creatures, I didn't stop because my heart was pounding faster than the pipe smacking into their skills as blood and brain matter splattered on my face an t-shirt , I stood there for a moment as my arms grew to heavy to swing no more. I came back to after a few minutes had passed by, I quickly searched the corpse's in the room, I found a machete with a holster, I found an empty duffel bag, I found some scrap for crafting items and some electrical wiring an some other electrical trinkets that could come in handy. I found my gun box, I quickly left the horrified room behind to get back to my family, thankfully they were un-harmed, I closed the door an locked up just for good measure I set my stuff down on my bed. I opened the custom metallic an wooden box with my name was on it 'Alexander Thomson' etched and chilsed into it. I found two 9mm Berettas that were made during the Vietnam War, my father 'Jack Thomson' gave them to me on my 17th birthday, just before his death six months later, that was the day he told me how he got sick an how he counter acted the virus himself to give him more time, it all happened during his tour in Vietnam but this wasn't a regular war, he told me that he saw his own friends that had missing limbs or half of their bodies torn to shreds, they started to come back alive and they were pissed. My mother never believed his stories because she thought that his mental problems were triggered by war an they weren't the truth other than his mind trying to make some rational sense out of something traumatic.

I loaded up my pistols, sheathed the machete, put my shoulder gun holsters along with two dual clip holsters as well, I attached the machete to the back left side of my backpack, creating room for more movement, I saw my father's military jacket hanging in the closet, I walked over to the closet and I immediately put it on an thankfully my hoody was on underneath it because it wasn't the most comfortable jacket but I had my father close to me, trying thats what mattered the most in that moment.

"Really? You're gonna wear that little brother? Does it make you feel close to the crazy son of a bitch!" my brother charged at me as he slugged me in the face a few, he screamed at me as he tried to tear my fathers jacket off of me, I grabbed my brother after he punch me a few times, I threw a jab that landed on his throat and I kicked him in the left side of the face, I stood over him for a moment or two as he laid there motionless. I turned around an surveyed the room, my mother looked at me with disgust and shame, Jeffery McCoy my step-father pointed to the door and I left with my belongings. on the way out my sister was coming in, she didn't say anything, I guess when shit like this happens, it changes you in ways you'll never quite understand.

*Ring*

*Ring*

*Ring*

My phone ringed an vibrating in my pocket, I look at the number, it was marked unknown, I answered it against my better judgement.

"Hello?" I asked quickly before moving from my current location.

"Alex? Ah, thank God you are okay, it's Aunt Mary I need to talk to your mother-" but before she could finish that sentence because the hole electrical grid started to shut off. I ran down the street looking for a vehicle,

I saw a car door was open with the key's in he ignition, no one was inside it or using it, I threw my bag in the trunk next to it were a few totes, a box and I immediately decided to go to my grandparents house in Rocky mountains, the gas tank was at full an giving it was a 4 cylinder car the gas mileage will go by smoothly. I started to the engine, I put the car in drive and drove off to the unknown. I didn't know if I would find good people or bad people along this hellish journey but I had faith that I was doing the right thing.