It was just an ordinary day, the night before the start of school—I remember it well. There were no prior warnings, not even a bad feeling; it just happened, all of a sudden, when everyone was expecting the dawn of a new day.
I was sleeping soundly, unaware of the time. Later, I would discover that it happened exactly at 11:24 PM when everything changed. A noise outside my room woke me up—a growl that sent shivers down my spine. The night was filled with those sounds, followed by a chilling scream that made me tremble.
I jumped out of bed, fear gripping my chest. I wanted to run to my parents; like any child, I thought they could protect me. I left my room and walked down the hallway leading to my parents' room. As I passed by my little sister's room, I heard strange noises. I wanted to go in and see what was happening, but before I could turn the doorknob, something slammed against the door so hard that I fell backward.
Trembling, I got up again and reached for the doorknob, but a chill ran down my spine when I felt a hand gripping my arm. My scream was muffled by another firm hand over my mouth.
"Don't do it," my father's voice whispered, filled with warning.
The hallway was almost dark, barely lit by the faint glow seeping from my room. Still, I could see his face. It was pale, his eyes wide with fear, his chest heaving. The most terrifying thing was the blood staining his face and pajamas.
"We have to get out of here. Don't make a sound," he whispered urgently.
I looked at him in fear, unable to say a word, and slowly nodded. Another thud echoed behind my sister's door, making me shiver. I wanted to ask what was going on, I wanted answers, but my father didn't give me time. He grabbed my arm and hurried me out of there.
As we passed my parents' bedroom, the door was slightly ajar. It was just a moment, but I glimpsed the silhouette of a body lying on the floor. My throat tightened, and my heart pounded wildly.
My father grabbed the car keys from the table by the door, and within seconds, we were in the vehicle.
"Dad… what's happening? Where's Mom? What about Ashley? I heard noises in her room! She might be in danger!"
My father didn't answer. He started the car in a rush, his hands trembling as he turned the key. Outside, the screams were unbearable. They were inhuman, accompanied by roars straight out of a horror movie.
"Buckle up," he ordered in a grave tone.
I was paralyzed, my mind unable to process what he was saying.
"Put on the damn seatbelt!" he shouted in desperation.
His tone shook me, and I obeyed immediately.
The car sped off, and through the window, I saw our neighbors' houses. Some had their lights off, others were still on, but in all of them, the same screams of pleading and those terrifying roars could be heard.
My father's phone rang. He answered without taking his eyes off the road.
"William, what the hell happened?!" he exclaimed furiously.
On the other end, a shaken voice responded.
"Alan! Thank God, I thought…"
"Damn it, William! What the hell happened? Jane… she turned into one of those things, and… and Ashley…" My father's voice broke.
"Alan… everything went terribly wrong…" Static interrupted the call for a moment. "We've failed."
My father sobbed, his face distraught. My fear grew even more.
"Dad… what's going on?" I asked in a whisper.
"Alan… is that your son?" William asked from the other end of the line.
"Yes… he didn't turn into one of those things. We're in the car, but I don't know where to go, I don't know what to do, William."
"You do know, Alan. Follow the protocol. Go to one of the shelters and wait for me there. We'll fix this, we'll get through this. Have faith."
"You know damn well there's no fixing this!" my father exclaimed, despair evident in his voice.
Suddenly, something hit the car. It all happened in a blink. I felt gravity disappear, and the world spun violently around me before everything went completely dark.
When I regained consciousness, I heard William's voice faintly coming from the phone, the car alarm blaring, and a sharp pain in my head. Everything felt distant, blurry. I looked around, trying to orient myself. I searched for my father, but the driver's seat was empty.
I heard footsteps approaching, followed by a guttural growl. Despite the darkness of the night and my blurred vision, when I turned my head to the window, I saw them—enormous, cat-like red eyes staring at me intently.
Imagine a day when everyone you know—friends, neighbors, family—turn into monsters straight out of the most bizarre horror stories.
Without warning. It just happened.
One night, at exactly 11:24 PM on August 31st, in every corner of the world, humanity transformed into beasts, into demons. Amorphous creatures, devoid of any sign of humanity. Their gray skin was cracked and steaming, their bodies stood between two and three meters tall, and their red eyes shone like a cat's in the darkness. Their claws could cut a person in half effortlessly, and their jaws crushed flesh and bone with ease. These beasts preferred human flesh above anything else.
We called them the Fallen.
Humanity was drastically reduced. The few survivors barely exist. Any trace of government or society vanished. In just a few years, the world was engulfed in darkness. The remaining humans gathered in small colonies, trying to resist the insatiable hunger of the Fallen.
It has been 15 years since Day Zero, and the world is no longer what it once was. Hope is as scarce a resource as food.
Or maybe not?
My name is Zeck Rivers, and this is my story in this messed-up world.