This chapter contains character deaths and suicide.

Alicia Troy was barely into her second semester at med school when the virus began. She was going to be a neurosurgeon, of all things.

It was Friday night, which usually meant Alicia was locked in her dorm room with her roommate, Nora, watching TV. Alicia had her headphones playing classical music that always seemed to help her study.

"Nora, could you turn it down just a little bit more? My headphones aren't as loud as they used to be." Nora nodded and grabbed the remote, turning it down just enough that Alicia couldn't hear it anymore. But the voices in the screen still buzzed. "Thanks."

"Yeah. Hey, did you hear that Professor Martin wasn't in class today? Mylie said he looked sick yesterday." Nora asked and Alicia paused from writing, turning to her roommate.

"Seriously? I thought he never missed a day of class." Nora shrugged and turned back to the TV.

"Maybe he died." She joked and let out a soft laugh. Alicia pulled her headphones out, a frown on her face that Nora was quick to question about. "Oh, come on. I was joking."

"What if he did? He's always going on about how 'in my 30 years of being a professor, I've never missed a single class.'" She stated, mocking their professors voice.

Again, Nora shrugged. "Maybe he got really sick, then. I'm sure he'll be back Monday. You done studying? They're about to play SVU." Alicia turned to her book and sighed. She could survive without a little bit of studying.

Alicia slapped her notebook shut, hopping onto Nora's bed as the intro to Law and Order: SVU started, and Nora began reciting it in a deep, joking voice.

"In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate—" Nora stopped along with the voice over as the broadcast changed to the news channel.

"Hey! It's a new episode I can't miss this." Nora complained as Alicia sat up, a worried look on her face.

"Authorities are advising everyone stay indoors. Do not leave your house for any reason! Run if you see anyone like this!" Alivia flinched as a picture of a disheveled woman appeared on screen. There was a strange fungus growing on her face. Alicia and Nora shared a look as the door to their room swung open.

"You guys see the news?" Kody, their dorm neighbor, asked. He looked ready to shit himself. "Mylie and Henry are saying it's a zombie apocalypse."

Nora laughed nervously. "A zombie apocalypse? That's not possible." Alicia's eyes widened in fear and she turned to her roommate. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Professor Martin. Kody what did he look like yesterday?" Alicia wondered and Kody cleared his throat.

"Like he was dying? Dudes like 70, but he was coughing the entire class and kept on grumbling and twitching." Alicia slid off of the chair and pulled a plastic bin out from under her bed. "What are you doing?"

"I'm getting the fuck out of here!" Alicia yelled, grabbing a spare backpack and started shoving all of her dry and canned food into it.

"Didn't you hear the news lady? We aren't supposed to leave." Nora reminded as Alicia stood up.

"Do you think I want to stay here and risk having that happen to me?!" She pointed to the TV screen. The picture of the woman finally disappeared and Nora let out a shriek, covering her mouth. Kody turned away and grabbed a bucket, puking. Alicia frowned at them in confusion and turned to the TV.

She dropped the bag in sheet terror. Someone from the crew, who was certainly infected, was eating the news lady's throat. Blood covered the backdrop and the news woman's eyes were wide open, staring at nothing.

"Oh my god." The trio turned to the door as students started scrambling down the hallway, screaming. A guttural sound echoed down the hallway and Kody looked out. He immediately slammed the door and locked it shut.

"We need to go. Now!" Kody looked around and grabbed a pair of scissors, snapping the blades apart. He handed one to Nora and the other to Alicia.

"What the hell am I going to do with this?!" Nora yelled as she started frantically packing a bag of her own.

"Protect yourself the fuck do you think?!" Kody slid the window by Alicia's bed open and broke the screen off.

"Kody! We'll get in trouble!" Nora kept yelling as Kody tossed Alicia's bag onto the roof, and then Nora's.

"Who fucking cares?! The world is ending let's go!" Kody ushered for Alicia to climb out the window, continuing to look to the door as someone started to bang on it.

"Let me in! Help us!" Someone begged before letting out a scream of terror. Blood started to seep from underneath the door.

"Go!" Kody started crawling out of the window as Alicia grabbed her bag. Nora dug through hers for her keys.

"My truck is in the parking garage." The three started hopping down the roofs, stopping to see that in the matter of minutes, their entire campus had turned into chaos.

"Oh my god... That's Kennedy." Nora looked down to see Kennedy, who was chasing after another college student before tackling them to the ground. She started tearing the poor student apart as they screamed for help.

"Guys, we need to get to the truck. People are going to try and get out." Kody said as they all started running again.

"Where are we even going to go?" Nora asked as they made it to the ground. The three stumbled back as they had jumped right in front of another dead college student. "Gabe... Oh my god."

"Nora, we don't have time for this." Alicia grabbed her friends arm and pushed her along. They started running again. "We can go to my parents. They live a few miles outside of Austin. It should be far enough from the—"

The three stopped as they heard a deafening explosion. A wave of heat blasted their backs and they turned around, eyes widening in horror as their dorm was now a pile of bricks.

"Go! Get to the truck!" Kody started sprinting, followed by Nora and Alicia. They ran up the parking garage and towards Nora's truck. Kody was the first inside, sliding into the backseat as Nora took the drivers and Alicia, the passengers seat.

Luckily, not many had gotten to their own vehicles yet. Nora slammed on the gas as soon as she started her truck up, speeding out of the parking garage.

It only took them a few minutes to get into town when another bomb went off. Alicia and Kody ducked, peeking out of their windows in time to see a building completely collapse in the distance.

"They're bombing the whole city!" Kody stated the obvious as Nora started swerving to avoid hitting people.

"They need to stop the spread somehow. So they fucking kill all of us?!" Alicia yelled. Nora looked to the two.

"How are we even supposed to survive this if they keep destroying everything?! Do they think everyone knows how the fuck plants work!?" She wondered as Alicia opened her backpack.

"I got food that could last us a few days... My dad is a freak he's got canned food that could last a few people a month or two. We should be good for a while." Alicia looked at the canned chicken noodle soup. She never thought she'd actually touch the food under her bed.

"A month or two? Do you see how much I eat?" Kody shook his head. "I could probably survive off of your dads canned for for two weeks max."

"Well, I guess you'll have to learn how to control your damn hunger, Kody!" Nora snapped, skidding her truck to a stop before she could crash into the car in front of her. "Come on DRIVE!"

"They can't, Nora! The entire highway is jammed!" Kody gestured out the window.

"What the hell are we supposed to do then?" Nora frowned hard as Alicia and Kody slowly looked at her like she was the dumbest person on Earth.

"Nora, we are in a truck! Drive off the fucking road!" Alicia yelled and Nora spun the steering wheel, speeding away. There was another bomb right behind the three and it rattled the ground.

"This is insane. This can't be happening, right?" Kody shook his head in disbelief, looking out the window towards the highway. His eyes widened.
"Nora look out!" Another truck started driving off the road, which Nora didn't have time to avoid as it slammed into the drivers side. Alicia and Kody yelled as Nora's truck spun a few times before rolling down a hill and landed upside down.

Blood trickled down Alicia's forehead and into her ear, causing her to wake up. She was laying on the roof of the truck, and Nora was nowhere to be seen.

Alicia cried in pain as she crawled her way out of the truck. "Nora!!" She yelled, looking around. "Kody!"

Alicia scrambled to her feet and spun around. Kody was face down a few feet away from the truck, grunting in pain as he tried to sit up. "Kody! Kody are you okay?!" Alicia ran to him, lifting him up onto his feet.

"I think my arm is broken. Where's— Oh God." Kody stared ahead, Alicia slowly following his terrified gaze.

"No!" Kody followed after Alicia as she sprinted to Nora. Blood seeped out of a gape in her neck, blood pouring out of her mouth as she tried to breathe. Alicia lifted Nora into her lap. "No. Nora please. Nora!" Tears clouded Alicia's vision and Kody backed away, covering his mouth. She couldn't call out for help, she knew no one would. Everyone was trying to save themselves.

Nora stopped breathing and she fell limp. "Nora... Please.." Alicia pulled her friend close, ignoring the blood that started to soak her shirt.

"Alicia. Alicia we need to go." Kody tried to pry Alicia off of her friend as she cried.

Alicia looked back down at Nora, sobbing. "I'll come back for you, okay? I can give you a nice burial and I'll— I'll come back." Alicia slowly stood up, leaving her friend behind.

They never came back for her.

———

It had been hours. Sometimes, Kody and Alicia had to run. They had come across a shed that was the middle-point between the city and Alicia's home. It was getting dark when they got to that shed, and Kody suggested they stayed there until morning came, and safer.

"I need to know my parents are okay. They're probably having heart attacks because I forgot my phone—"

"They'll be okay, Alicia." Kody reassured, holding her shoulders. He couldn't stop staring at Alicia's shirt, covered in the blood of their friend.

Alicia looked around, pulling a string that had been attached to a light. It flickered on for a few seconds before sparking, and everything went dark again. "Shit. Do you have a flashlight?"

"I don't have anything." Kody huffed. He hadn't exactly planned on the world ending in a matter of minutes. "Do you think my brother is okay?"

Alicia stayed quiet. She couldn't answer that. For one, she didn't know. And two, who knows how many people have been killed in the last few hours? She couldn't give Kody false hope.

"I don't know." Was all she could say before dropping her backpack. It clattered from the cans on the bottom, a little thankful Kody had offered to carry it for a while. She handed him a can of soup, but he set it on a shelf. Of course, he was starving, but he didn't have the energy to eat.

"Water?" Kody asked quietly as he started scanning the shelves in the dark. Alicia hummed, digging through her bag before pulling out two bottles of water. "Thank god, I'm parched."

Alicia let out a tiny laugh. "Since when do you use a word like 'parched?'" She asked, standing up and walking towards a covered window. She peeked through the cloth, wondering if there were any other of those monsters outside.

"What do you think started it?" Kody asked after taking a long gulp of his water. He sat down on the ground, which puffed up a tiny gust of dust.

"It looked like a fungal infection. Might have come from food. Spread to America." Alicia turned back to Kody. Even in the dark, she could tell he was trembling. "We'll be okay, Kody."

"You don't know that." He chuckled softly, nervously. She walked over to her friend, kneeling beside him and took his hand.

"We'll keep each other safe. My parents have a car. My dad has hunting weapons and I know how to handle some of them. When it's safe for us to leave, we can head back to Boston, find more supplies and stock on food." Kody stared at Alicia for a long time, nodding slowly.

"Okay." He answered almost silently. Alicia stood back up, rummaging through the shelves. "So, what, your dads a survivalist?"

"I guess. He doesn't have a bunker for stuff like this, but he knows how to live off the grid if he had to." Alicia stopped as something metal and cold touched the tips of her fingers. "Holy shit."

"What is it?" Kody stood up as Alicia picked up a hunting rifle. She brushed the dust off of it, staring ahead as she ran her hand down the barrel.

"It's a rifle. This should keep us safe for a while. Try and find some ammo." Kody started his search on one side as Alicia did the other. They both found a box of ammo, which only had a few bullets. "It should be enough. We're pretty far from the city. I don't think we should come across anything."

"What about people? What if they try to take our stuff? I... I've never killed someone before."

"Good thing you haven't. You'd probably be in jail right now being slaughtered by those... Those things." Alicia looked out the window again. The moon wasn't out, so it was almost pitch black.

"I can't kill someone... They're just trying to survive."

"So are we, Kody. It's everyone for themselves now. I don't want to do you just as much as you, but I'm not ready to die." Alicia looked down at her clothes. Her shirt was stuck to her left side from the blood that had soaked it. She sucked in a deep breath and set the rifle down. "I need to change."

"I'm not going out there, dude." Kody gestured to the door and Alicia rolled her eyes.

"Just turn around, dumbass." Kody snapped his fingers and pointed to the air.

"I can do that. Solid plan." He turned around and slapped his hands over his eyes. He hissed in pain, Alicia turning to him.

"You okay?" She asked in a far more worried tone than she meant. Kody rubbed his eye, nodding.

"Yeah. Yeah my hair just... Stabbed me in the eye. I'm fine." He laughed awkwardly, covering his eyes. Alicia hummed in amusement before digging through her bag for a new shirt and slipped her dirty one off.

"Alright. I'm dressed." Kody dropped his hands and sighed, doing another look around the shed.

"I was hoping there would be more stuff in here." He mumbled and Alicia nodded. "Guess you can't expect much when the world is ending."

"It's all right. We'll have everything we need when we get to my parents."

......

Kody dragged behind Alicia as they approached the porch to her parents home. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, except the chickens were all still in their coop rather than running around.

"I thought your chickens were free roam?" Kody frowned as he stared at the coop. Alicia looked at it then, a worried look crossing her face. She turned to the front door. She rummaged through her pockets, pulling out the keys.

The front door creaked loudly, and Kody's brows raised. "Yeah. Definitely not menacing."

"Shut it." Alicia warned, stepping inside slowly. "Mom? Dad?" She called out, looking around the kitchen and living room. "You guys here?"

Kody walked over to the fridge first, opening it and sighed in relief. "Thank god. They still have electricity." He laughed, pulling out a carton of apple juice. "Sweet!"

"There's a generator in the basement. My dad hasn't payed the electricity bills since I was a kid. I have no idea how he did it." Alicia opened the guest bedroom on the first floor, frowning when no one was inside. "Mom! Dad!?" She yelled, walking up the stairs.

After a few minutes, Alicia came back down to find Kody reading a note and drinking apple juice. "What's that?"

"A letter... From your dad." He spoke half heartedly, and was fairly upset. "Your mom got infected when she went into Boston yesterday..."

"No. No you're lying. Give me that." Alicia rushed to Kody and snatched the letter from his hands, reading it quickly.

To whoever finds this, which is most likely Alicia,

I don't know if you made it out of the college, Alicia. Frankly, I hope you didn't. But if you did, then I'm so sorry. You're mother was acting frantic all night, and I thought it was because of what was happening. But this morning, she attacked me. I didn't know what else to do...

If you do find this, I took everything out of the shed behind the chicken coop and left it in the basement. If you and Nora made it out, it should supply you two for a while. Please don't go in the shed.

I love you with every breath I take, my little girl. I wish there was more time for me to tell you how proud I am of the woman you have become. Never stop fighting.

You know how to take care of the chickens, and one of the cows are pregnant. They'll keep you fed for a long time.

Protect yourself, Alicia. And protect those who cannot protect themselves. I love you.

Dad

A tear hit the paper and Alicia set it on the counter. Kody reached for his friend and she pulled away quickly, walking towards the front door. "Alicia wait—"

She stormed down the porch, walking towards the chicken coop. Towards the shed. She stopped in her tracks, noticing a pile of dirt near the apple tree she planted as a child. And one cross.

A lump formed in Alicia's throat and she took a step back, covering her mouth. She turned back to the shed, now hesitant to look inside. She reached for the handle, swinging it open and let out a loud cry.

Her father hung from the ceiling, a chair from the dining room knocked over from underneath him. Alicia fell to the ground as she continued to cry, Kody now running over and knelt beside her, holding Alicia tightly.

"It's okay, Allie. I'm right here." Kody whispered, turning Alicia so she wouldn't face her father. "Let me get you out of here."

Kody lifted Alicia to her feet, holding her close as he guided her back to the house. She was a jumble of a mess by the time they reached the couch. Kody laid a blanket over Alicia and knelt down, rubbing her shoulder.

"I'm going to take him down, okay? I'll be outside for a while. If you need me, just yell, alright?" Alicia nodded faintly, looking up at Kody.

"Thank you." She mumbled. Kody gave her a small smile.

"Like you said. We gotta take care of each other."

initially, I wasn't going to give Alicia a friend just for the plot of her character, and then I had the sudden idea to just throw a third person into the escape, and now I'm in love with Kody.

I pinky promise I won't kill him. He's a sweetheart. Can't kill a sweetheart, it's against my rules.

Anyways, I hope this was an impressionable prologue. I'll try my best to keep these chapters fairly well written and long. Slow updates are going to happen!