Six months earlier...
I was driving home from work in my trusty 1998 Dodge Ram, the warm spring sun setting over the Pennsylvania landscape. As a mechanic, I'd spent the day fixing cars and trucks, and I was looking forward to a relaxing evening at home. I was on the phone with Nick, my best friend since high school and roommate. Nick was the owner of a construction company, and he'd had a long day of managing projects and dealing with clients.
As I drove, I noticed people running and screaming on the sidewalks. Cars were honking and sirens were blaring. I mentioned it to Nick and he immediately sounded alert.
"What's going on?" Nick asked, his voice firm and commanding. "Sounds like chaos."
"I'm not sure," I replied, "but it looks bad. I'm going to get home and see what'shappening."
Just then, Danielle pulled up behind me at a red light. Danielle was a good friend of mine, and she'd been working as a nurse at the local hospital. My phone rang, and I glanced at the screen. "Nick, hang on, Danielle's calling me," I said.
I answered Danielle's call. "Hey, what's up?"
"Dylan, what's going on?" Danielle asked, her voice laced with concern. "I saw people running and screaming. Is everything okay?"
"I don't know," I replied. "It looks like some kind of chaos. Meet me at my place, and we'll figure out what's happening."
"Okay, I'll be there soon," Danielle said. "Be careful."
I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. "Will do. See you soon."
I got back on the phone with Nick. "Danielle's on her way to our place, we'll all meet up and figure out what's going on."
As I turned onto my street, the scene became even more chaotic. People were shouting, pointing, and backing away from something. And then I saw it. A body was moving, it's eyes cloudy, its skin gray and decaying.
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the bizarre sight. "Nick, I think you need to see this," I said, my voice calm.
"What is it?" Nick asked, his tone sharp.
"Just get here ASAP," I replied. "I'll fill you in when you get here."
I pulled up to the house, and Nick was already there, parked in his 2013 Chevy Silverado. He got out, his eyes scanning the area, his expression focused.
"What's the situation?" He asked, as I joined him.
I nodded towards the chaos unfolding on the street. "People are getting attacked. I don't know what's causing it, but it's spreading fast."
Nick's expression turned grim. "Let's get inside and get a better idea of what's happening."
We quickly entered the house, and I turned on the TV. The news was filled with reports of violent attacks and chaos spreading across the city. We watched in stunned silence as the news anchors struggled to make sense of the situation.
Danielle arrived soon after, looking concerned. "What's going on?" She asked, as she entered the house.
"We're not entirely sure," I replied. "But it looks like some kind of outbreak. People are being attacked, and it's spreading fast."
Nick nodded. "We need to get a plan together. We need to figure out what's causing this and how to stay safe."
We started gathering supplies and preparing for the worst. We stocked up on food, water and medical supplies, and made sure our vehicles were ready to go.
As we worked, the TV continued to broadcast reports of the chaos. The news anchors were getting more and more frantic, and it was clear that the situation was spiraling out of control.
The government was scrambling to respond, but it was unclear what was being done to contain the outbreak. We knew we had to rely on ourselves to stay safe.
"You have survival gear, right?" Nick asked, his eyes narrowing.
I nodded. "Yeah, I've got a stash of supplies in my room. MRE's, water, medical supplies... and some defensive gear."
I headed upstairs to my room and opened the closet, revealing a stash of gear that would make any prepper proud. I had enough food and water for at least a week, as well as medical supplies, camping equipment, and a small arsenal of firearms and ammunition. I started packing everything into duffel bags and backpacks.
Nick noddede in approval as he saw my gear. "I've got some gear in storage. I'll go grab it."
"Where's your storage unit?" I asked, shouldering one of the backpacks.
"It's on the outskirts of town," Nick replied. "I'll go get my gear and meet you back here in 30 minutes."
I nodded, and Nick headed out to his truck. I finished packing up my gear, feeling a sense of relief that we were prepared.
As Nick drove off to get his gear, I made sure all my gear was ready to go. Danielle helped me load the gear into my truck, and we waited for Nick to return.
Twenty-five minutes later, Nick pulled up in his truck, with several large totes in the bed. He hopped out looking relieved.
"Got everything I needed," he said, unloading crates of supplies. "Food, water, medical supplies... and some defensive gear of my own."
I nodded, impressed by the amount of gear Nick had accumulated. "Looks like were set for a while," I said.
Danielle looked at us with a mixture of concern and admiration. "You guys are really prepared for this kind of thing, aren't you?"
I smiled. "Let's just say we've been planning for worst-case scenarios."
Nick chuckled. "Dylan's been preparing for the apocalypse since high school."
I shrugged. "Better safe than sorry."
With our gear loaded and ready, we stood back and assessed our situation. We had enough supplies to last us for a while, but we knew we couldn't stay here forever. The outbreak was spreading fast, and we needed to come up with a plan to stay safe.
"What do we do now?" Danielle asked, looking at us for guidance.
Nick and I exchanged a look. We knew we had to make a decision, and fast.
"We need to get out of the city," Nick said. "Find a safe place to hole up and wait for the outbreak to pass."
I nodded in agreement. "I've got a place in mind. Let's get moving."
With our gear loaded and ready, we stood outside the house, discussing our plan.
"I think we should head to the cabin," I said. "It's secluded, and we can fortify it easily."
Nick nodded. "Sounds like a solid plan. But before we leave, I want to check on something."
"What is it?" I asked, curious.
"I'm not sure if it's relevent, but I want to check on my parents' house," Nick said. "They has some supplies stored there, and it might be useful to grab them."
I nodded. "Okay, go check it out, we'll wait here."
As Nick drove off, Danielle and I stood there, waiting for him to return. As we waited, we heard a strange noise in the distance. At first, it was just a murmur, but it quickly grew louder.
"What's that?" Danielle asked, looking around nervously.
I turned around to see a hoard of infected shambling towards us, their eyes fixed on us, with a hungry gleam.
"We need to go, now," I said, grabbing Danielle's arm and pulling her towards the truck.
We jumped in and I started the engine, just as the first of the infected reached the truck, I put it in gear and we took off, speeding away from the house as zombies gave chase.
"Where's Nick?" Danielle asked, looking back at the receding house.
"He went to check on his parents' house," I replied. "But do you think we'll be able to get him safely?"
I glanced at her, seeing the concern etched on her face. "We'll try," I said. "But we need to get out of here first. We'll come up with a plan to get him once we're safe."
As we drove, I kept an eye on the rearview mirror, Watching as the zombies gave up the chase. But I lnew we couldn't stay here - we needed to find a safe place to hole up and regroup.
"Hold on," I said, taking a sharp turn. "We're heading to the cabin. It's the safest place I can think of."
Danielle nodded, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. "Let's get there before more of those things show up.
As we drove towards the cabin, the silence between us was palpable. We both knew that Nick's disappearance was a major blow to our survival chances. I couldn't shake off the feeling that I might never see my friend again.
The cabin was a few hours away, nestled deep in the woods. It was a aplace I had inherited from my grandfather, and I had spent many summers there as a kid. I knew it was remote, but I also knew it was safe.
As we drove, the landscape around us changed. The urban sprawl gave way to desnse forests and rolling hills. The air grew cleaner, and the silence was only broken by the sound of birds chirping and leaves rustling in the wind.
After a few hours of driving, I saw the turnoff for the cabin. I slowed down, and we bounced along the dirt road, the truck's tires kicking up clouds of dust. Finally we arrived at the cabin. It was a small, rustic place, surrounded by trees and a babbling brook. I breathed a sigh of relief as we pulled up to the door.
"Welcome to the cabin," I said, smiling weakly at Danielle.
She smiled back, looking relieved. "It's beautiful," She said
As we unloaded the gear, I couldn't help but think about Nick. Where was he? Was he okay? I pushed the thoughts aside, knowing I had to focus on getting us safe.
We spent the rest of the day securing the cabin, checking the perimeter, and gathering firewood. As night began to fall, we settled in, our guns still at the ready.
As I looked at Danielle, I knew I had to tell her something. "We need to talk about what happened back there," I said, my voice low.
Danielle looked over, her eyes locked on mine. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, about the outbreak," I said. "I think I know what might have caused it."
Danielle's eyes widened, and she leaned in closer. "What is it?"
I took a deep breath, knowing the story was about to unfold.