I look out my bedroom window. It's one o'clock in the morning. I woke up half an hour ago. Now I can't fall back asleep. Ambulances and cop cars race by. It's usually quiet on this street. I walk down stairs. A half eaten cake is in a pie dome on the counter. Yesterday, was my fifteenth birthday hence the cake.

A bang on the window startles me. I run to it. I rip the curtain back. A man is pounding his fists on the window. He's soaked in blood. His eyes are dilated. Blood pours out of a bite mark on his right arm.

"Please, I need help," he says.

I retreat from the window. My hands shake. I sprint to my parents' room. I swing the door open. Their bed is vacant. The closet, drawers, and nightstands are all open and empty. The man outside repeatedly bangs on the window.
Where are my parents? I open the door to my little brother's room. He's gone, too.

Where did they go? Did they leave a note somewhere? Why is there a man covered in blood outside? I go back into the kitchen. The man is gone. I grab my phone off the counter. I call my mother. She doesn't answer. I leave a voicemail.

"Where are you? Why aren't you and dad here? Please call me," My phone dies seconds after.

I plug it in before sitting at the table. I'm panicking. What would they leave for? Why didn't they bring me with them? I hate this. Sitting here waiting for the phone to ring while thinking about the worst that could have happened. I jump at the sound of knocking on the door.

"Please, kid, you got to let me in! I'm hurt badly. I need your help," I hear on the other side of the door.

"No, get off the property, now!" I say.

He jiggles the doorknob.

"If you don't open this door, I will find another way in."

I grab my phone. I have had enough. I'm calling the police. What the hell? My phone didn't charge at all. I flip the light switch. The room remains dark. I don't have electricity.

A brick flies through the window. The glass shatters into millions of pieces. The man climbs through the window frame. He growls at me. I grab a knife off the counter. I bolt up the stairs. I enter my room. I shut and lock the door. I close my eyes. Please let this be a nightmare! I just want to wake up and see my family safe.

I shudder at each bang on the door. I hear the man kick it open. I look at him. He grabs my shirt and pulls me close. He snaps at me. Flesh is stuck between his teeth. I push him back. He charges at me. Please don't make me do this. I stab him in the eye. He ceases all movement. He falls. I killed someone. I murdered someone. He might have a family. Kids who will miss him. I drop the knife. Outside people are attacking each other. The lights flicker on. I turn on the tv and put on a news channel.

"An outbreak of an unknown virus is now spreading rapidly across the world. People infected with the virus are known to become aggressive, angry, and in some cases resorting to cannibalism," The female news reporter says.

"The number one sign that someone is infected is dilated pupils. Please, do not approach individuals that are affected by these symptoms,"

The lights turn off. I lost power again. The man was obviously infected. We were face to face. Does that mean I now have this virus? Where do I go from here? Maybe I could go to the animal shelter I volunteer at. That seems like the only plan.

I walk outside. It isn't far. Walking down the street is like walking through hell itself. Chaos ensues all around me. Houses are on fire. Everyone is screaming. Cars zoom past nearly hitting the frantic pedestrians.

I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look behind me. An infected woman is behind me. She snarls at me. A girl a little older then me sneaks up behind her. She stabs the infected woman in the back of the head.

"Run! There's more coming," the girl says.

A mob of the infected are rushing towards us. We take off. The infected are only inches behind us. One of them grabs the girl's hair. Before I can do anything, the infected are tearing her apart. I finally reach the animal shelter. I get inside and lock the door. How did things get so messed up in so little time?

"Kyle, what are you doing here?" One of my coworkers asks.

It's too dark in here for me to see his face.

"Noah? Have you seen what's going on out there? People are killing and eating each other," I say.

I turn on my flashlight. He has a bleeding bite mark on his neck. His eyes aren't dilated.

"Yeah, one of them got me," he replies.

"Are you alright?" I ask.

"No! I'm not alright! Does this look alright to you?!" He yells while pointing at the wound.

I think I might be locked inside with an infected person. I hear screeching outside. I gaze out the window. One of the zombies is responsible for the horrible sounds. It's calling more of them. I stare at the odd sight for far too long. I turn around to see my coworker gone. Where the hell did he go?

I pull out my knife. I cautiously step through the shelter. The few animals that were here yesterday are gone now. I follow the blood droplets that dot the floor. In front of me is the office. The door is cracked open.

A bloody handprint marks the door. I slowly push it open. Noah is slumped over the desk.

"Hey, are you okay?" I ask.

He doesn't respond. I don't think he's breathing. I tap his shoulder. He doesn't move. I hear him groan. He lifts his head up. His pupils are now dilated. He looks at me with a cold, blank stare.
He leaps over the desk and grabs my throat. We crash onto the floor. He snaps at me. The knife landed a few feet away. I reach for it with one hand and push Noah back with the other. I grip the knife. I stab Noah in the side of the head. It takes all my strength to push the body off of me.