I never met my mum, all I knew is that she didn't want me, my dad also told me she was a horrible person who didn't care about anyone but herself. The only family i have left is my dad, Daryl, and my Uncle Merle. I got in a bit of trouble at home, not that there is much of home. Merle is always in and out of jail, Dad well he tried his best to raise me, i may not understand a lot of the reasons behind what he does but i love him all the same. I've tried my hardest to understand what the world has come to, its all but ended. A virus is going around turning people into dead people but they can walk around and kill other people. It scares me alot, I am only twelve.

When everything began we instantly moved to the road. Dad ran into my room to get me and put me in the truck while Uncle Merle was on his bike. We stuck together. On the highway we ran into a few people and they were talking about making a camp near the quarry a few miles in the mountains. Dad and Uncle Merle followed. There were a few families and other people. Amy and Andrea they're sisters, Dale, Glenn, Morales and his family, Carol her husband Ed and their daughter Sophia, she's the same age as me, Jim, and then there is Lori and her husband Shane and their son Carl, who is also my age. I think there are a few more but I know who these people are. I'm not like the other kids; they had a better lifestyle than I did growing up. They probably had all they toys they could ever dream of and they probably stayed away from dirt, camping and hunting. Yeah, they are the opposite of me. Dad and Uncle Merle taught me to hunt from the moment I could walk and it's something I enjoy doing. I never played with dolls or any other stuffed toys, I was always outside in the mud near our house, it may have been small but it was ok for me. Not long ago Dad and Uncle Merle started teaching me how to use weapons when I hunt, not just tracking. I like the crossbow. But it's heavy.

We've been in this camp for a while and I don't think anyone really likes my little family but they have to live with it now because we get everyone food. I tried speaking to Sophia and Carl but its hard when you've never really been around other kids, I never went to school. We couldn't afford it. Sophia seemed nice but she was very quiet and then Carl, I didn't really like him; he's upset because he just lost his dad. I was confused when he said that because I thought Shane was his dad, no Shane is just his dad's best friend who got Carl and his Mum out and to safety. Nowhere is really safe but our camp will do for now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I walk up to Dad who is getting ready to go hunting.

"Daddy, why can't I go with you?" I ask him.

"Because Aurora it's safer here, go talk to the other kids" he says

I sit down in front of him pouting.

"Rory" I say with a smile "I don't want to play with the other kids, they don't like me"

"I want you to stay here, go see your Uncle" he replies looking down at me

I just stare at him "Uncle Merle went to Atlanta with the group remember" I say "fine, I'll stay" i say crossing my arms in front of me "but I'm going to dig up worms on my own because the others won't want to" i add.

I hear a slight laugh come from him and he gets up and walks into the woods. I get up from where I'm sitting in front of our tent and walk over to Carl and Sophia. Lori is teaching them something from school that I don't understand. Lori is nice I like her. They were just finishing up when I walked over.

"Hi" I say quietly

"Hello Aurora, do you want to join us?" Lori asked while smiling

"It's ok, I was wondering if Carl and Sophia wanted to play with me" I said shyly

They both looked at Lori waiting for a reply

"Just let us finish up here and I'm sure they'd love to" she smiles

I walk away with a sad face and go back near my tent and start digging on my own.

A few minutes later I see Sophia running off to her mum and the radio goes off. Everyone quickly moves to stand around the radio. The person on the radio says he's heading to Atlanta, and Amy tries to reply but he can't hear us, so Dale tells Shane to try, because he has experience with radios, he was a cop before all of this.

I wish Glenn was here, he's nice and actually attempts to talk to me, I think he's funny. One day I was talking to him and he told me what he did before all of this, he delivered pizza. When he told me that, all I could do was laugh, I thought it was the funniest thing I've ever heard. It doesn't seem like that is something that he'd do. I wish I could talk to him now but he went with a group to Atlanta, he's with Uncle Merle. I wish daddy was here too, I feel lonely because I everyone I talk to is gone. I don't fit in with the other kids. They are all running around playing together and laughing. I decide to walk into the tent that I share with Dad and Uncle Merle and lay down because there is nothing better to do. Can they all hurry up and come back?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Published: 18th February 2018

Words: 1001

Edited: 3rd June 2018