Axel

Death Toll: 9,867,008

The smell was the worst part of the job. The mix of the metallic smell of fresh blood mixed with bile was something that wasn't so easily washed off of your clothes when you went home after a shift. 

Or, whatever was left of your home. 

Breathing into his contagion mask, Axel grunted as he lifted the body bag roughly, and threw it into the back of the truck. He swatted at the flies that has swarmed around him. He usually was able to ignore them, but with the raising temperature, it was harder to do so. 

"Lets go kid, we still have 6 more blocks before our shift change," came a low voice from the inside of the truck. Axel raised his dark hazel eyes to meet his partner. Who was writing on the clipboard, taking numbers of the dead. His arms covered with long, thick rubber yellow gloves. His mask covering the second half of his face. 

Axel backed up as his partner jumped down from the back of the garbage truck. Pushing a button, they watched as the trunk slowly closed. Locking away part of the smell. 

Axel pulled down his mask and took a deep breath. It didn't help much. But it was better than nothing. Sweat lined his chin and forehead that was hidden under his dark brown hair. His curls sticking to it like a fly in a tape trap. 

"How many is that?" he asked his partner, who pulled his mask down to reveal the graying stubble on his chin. Looking down at his clipboard, he sighed

"That makes 78 in the last few hours," he said. Axel shrugged

"That's nearly twice as less than yesterday. Maybe this thing is-"

"Don't get your hopes up kid. This shit isn't going to stop anytime now," his partner said, giving him a level look. Axel sighed and went around the truck, hopping up and getting into the passenger side seat. The driver's side door opened and Axel watched as his partner struggled to get up. Grunting in pain as his older bones settled into the seat. 

"Earl, I can drive if you-"

Earl slammed the door shut, and buckled his seatbelt in. Eyeing the younger worker next to him

"Shut up. I may be old but I ain't never gonna let a kid drive my truck," he said. 

"I'm not a kid. I'm 21 years old," Axel said. Earl sent the kid a smirk and started up the truck

"You're a kid. Now, shut up so I can finish this shift and we can hit up the bar," Earl said. 

Axel smirked and reached up, gripping the handle above the door as Earl stepped on the gas. 

Wren and Avery

1 Year Ago

Death Toll: 20

"In other news, researchers are still trying to figure out what caused the death of the 20 people found in the woods outside of Pittsburgh the other day. They've ruled out suicide, as their wounds tie more into disease-"

"Ugh, that's enough of that." Avery mumbled, grabbing her remote off of her bed and flicking the TV off. She pulled her books closer and went back to studying. As her girlfriend looked up from her sketchbook and smirked at her

"Do you not like the gory things our wonderful media portrays to you?" she asked, raising a dark brow. Avery looked over her shoulder at her and rolled her eyes

"I should be used to it by now. What with all the horror movies you make me watch with you," she said.

Avery looked back down at her books, only to blush and smile when she felt Wren come up behind her and run her nails down her arm. Sending shivers down her spine. 

Wren moved Avery's hair away from her neck and gently kissed the skin. Avery laughed and pulled away a little 

"Knock it off you goon. You know I gotta study. It's almost finals week," she smiled. Wren rolled her dark blue eyes and pulled away 

"Fine. Ya nerd," Wren mumbled, scooching off of the side of Avery's bed and setting her sketchbook on her desk. 

"What about getting something to eat?" Wren asked, turned to her girlfriend on the bed with a knowing raised brow. Avery looked up from her books at her and clicked her pen a few times. 

"Damn it," she laughed "Fine," 

Wren smirked and grabbed her keys off of Avery's desk. 

Axel

Axel and Earl pushed through the heavy doors to the only working bar left in town. The Underground. The name seemed fitting for the situation of the world. 

"It still feels weird to never be asked for ID anymore," Axel said, taking his usual seat at the bar next to Earl. The bartender gave them a slight nod and began making their usual drinks. 

Whisky in a glass and a beer. 

"You really think underage drinking is the world's biggest problem right now, kid?" Earl chuckled, sipping on his whisky as Axel opened his beer and took a swing of the amber liquid. 

"I guess I'm still stuck in the old times, the way things used to be," Axel mumbled, his dark eyes clouding over a little. Earl sighed a little and looked straight ahead 

"Aren't we all?" he grumbled. 

Axel cracked the bones in his neck and slowly turned around on the stool he was sitting on. He casually looked around the bar. People were trying to make the best out of what the rest of civilization seemed to offer while the world outside kept going to shit. 

It's crazy to imagine how quickly things change in a year.

Pushing up the sleeves of his black undershirt, he caught a glimpse of the many tattoos that marked his arms. Some from before the sickness came, and some from after. He really should try to give himself another one before-

A sudden strange feeling washed over him. A chill running down his spine. Making the hairs on his arms stand on end. Axel looked over, and noticed a table of strange looking men staring at him. They all wore similar outfits. Long black trench coats, black hats, and dark glasses. They looked straight outta Men In Black. 

Axel snarled a little bit and whipped back around, still feeling their eyes on him as he leaned into Earl 

"You know those guys over there? Cause they seem to think they know us," he mumbled. Earl cocked his eyebrow at him, and looked over. 

Just in time for Earl's face to get shoved down into the wooden bar table. His glass of whisky shattering on the floor. 

Axel jumped up and glared at the men "What the fuck are you doing?" He barked. His hands turning to fists. 

One of the men roughly grabbed at Axel, only to have him quickly dodge the man's grasp and punch him square in the face. 

"Get.. Out of here kid!" Earl grunted, trying to get out of the man's grasp. 

They reached for Axel again, as he bolted towards the back entrance of the bar. Shoving people out of his way as he did. 

Busting through the back door, Axel breathed hard as he ran down the back alley way. He could distinctly hear them chasing after him. 

Grabbing a few stray trash cans, he pushed them down. Hoping to give him some time as he came up to the tall metal fence in front of him. 

"Shit!" he cursed. Stealing a glance behind him to see the men gaining on him. Axel growled and grabbed the fence. He had to climb-

He barely made contact before his ankle was snatched and yanked back roughly. Pulling him to the ground, he was forced onto his back, his hands being bound behind him. He winced when he felt one of the men's knees digging into his shoulder blades. Keeping him secure

"What do you want!?" Axel yelled. 

One of the men tilted his hat back, slowly coming down to kneel in front of Axel on the ground. 

"You're safe now," the man smiled a crooked smile. His teeth gapped. 

"Safe?! I hardly call you tackling me safe you bastards!" Axel yelled. Struggling against their hold. 

"You're safe now," the man repeated. Reaching up and covering Axel's nose and mouth with a wet cloth. Axel yelled curse words into the fabric, as his vision began to get blurry. 

The last thing he saw before passing out, was the man's crooked smile. 

Wren and Avery

"Ugh, I hate it when my mom sends me pictures of my cat. She knows how much I miss him," Avery sighed as she scrolled through her phone. Wren smirked at her and turned down the radio.

"So I found an apartment today," Wren said. Avery looked up from her phone and looked at her girlfriend, her face breaking into a smile. 

"You did?" Avery asked excitedly, leaning forward. Her converses were resting on Wren's dashboard. Her favorite position. 

Wren briefly looked over at her girlfriend and smiled. Her blue eyes brighter than they normally were as her dark hair blew from the wind coming in through the opened windows.

"Yes I did. It's right on the coast too. And allows pets," she added, with a wink at her girlfriend. 

Avery felt herself lean back against the seat, her eyes tracing Wren's face as she drove. Wren slipped her hand over and slid it into Avery's. 

"You're staring at me love," Wren chuckled, giving her hand a squeeze. Avery bit her lip a little 

"I'm sorry... I guess I'm just realizing I've never really been this happy before," Avery said softly. Her gray eyes filling with love. 

Wren looked over at her, and her lips lifted up into a smile. Showing her teeth. The smile only meant for Avery. A smile she didn't often show anyone else. 

"Wren watch out!" Avery screamed suddenly, looking back at the road and seeing a man hunched over in the road. 

Wren ripped her hand away from Avery's, gripping the steering wheel. Slamming her foot down on the breaks, tires screeching on the pavement. 

But it was too late. 

The girls shrieked as the car ran head on into the man. Sending him up, smashing the windshield. Blood sprayed onto their faces. Wren whipped around and the car halted to a stop on the side of the road.

The smell of smoke and blood filled the car. The only sound was the radio still playing one of Avery's song picks and their heavy breathing. 

Avery opened her eyes slowly, and let out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding. She slowly looked over at Wren. Who's eyes were facing forward, unblinking. Her hands gripping the steering wheel so hard her knuckles were white. Blood splattered across her cheek bones. 

"W...Wren.. Are you-"

"Oh my god!" Wren screamed. Her eyes widening as she screamed "I killed him!" 

Avery flinched and quickly unbuckled her seatbelt "Wren.. We don't know that-"

"He's dead!" Wren sobbed covering her eyes and shaking. 

Wren whipped off her seatbelt and opened her door, sprinting out of the car

"Babe, wait!" Avery yelled, yanking off her seatbelt and quickly rushing out of the car after her girlfriend. 

"Wren!" Avery gasped, rushing over to the girl who was standing in the middle of the road, staring down at the puddle of blood that was smeared across the pavement. 

"He's gone..." Wren whispered, she looked around. On the verge of a mental breakdown "Where did he go!? He was just here!" 

Avery grabbed her shoulders and shook her hard, making their eyes meet "Wren. Stop it. This means we didn't kill him," she said. Wren pushed her off 

"Avery! I. Hit. Him. With. My. Car!" she yelled "We have to find him! He could be hurt... Or... Worse.." 

Avery ran her hands through her long blonde hair, as her eyes slowly followed the blood trail to the side of the road. Into the woods. 

Wren went to head that way, when Avery grabbed her hand 

"Babe... Please. Please can we just wait for the police? We'll be safer if we do," she asked. 

Wren looked back at the blood trail leading into the woods, then back at her girlfriend 

"Wren please. I'm scared," Avery pleaded with the taller girl. Wren looked into her eyes and slowly blew out a shaky breath. Pulling out her phone 

"Okay. Head back to the car while I call the police and let them know where we are," she said softly. Avery swallowed hard and nodded, quickly walking back towards the car. 

She sniffled and wiped at the tears that had started to fall down her cheeks. She pulled her hand away and let out a gutted sound at the sight of the blood she had wiped off of her face. 

With her legs feeling like Jell-O, Avery slowly crawled back into the passenger side seat. Sitting down, and slowly resting her head back against the leather seat. The metallic smell of blood was wafting in her nose, making her nauseous. It felt like the universe was in slow motion, as she watched Wren talk on her cellphone, the taller girl's eyes were haunted as they stared at the blood on the pavement. 

Squeezing her eyes shut, Avery sobbed weakly. Not wanting to freak Wren out anymore than she already was. 

After about five minutes on the phone, Wren slid her phone back into her pocket and slowly headed back to the car. Getting into the passenger side seat, she closed the door and continued to stare forward as the blood on the pavement. 

Avery looked over at her, and carefully reached over, gripping Wren's hand in her own "It's going to be okay," she whispered, trying her best to keep her voice from breaking. 

"I don't... Understand," Wren choked out. Avery felt the girl start to shake, as Wren slowly looked over at her. Her dark blue eyes filled with horrified tears "How did he just... Walk away from that?" 

Avery shook her head, unable to give the girl a response she would even come close to accepting. 

The truth was, she had no clue. Avery had seen what had happened. By every law of nature, that man should be dead in the middle of the road. Especially with the amount of blood there was. 

To walk away? It was unfathomable. A damn miracle.

Wren turned back and went back to staring straight ahead, as the sound of sirens grew closer in the distance.