Chapter 2: Rise and Shine There’re Zombies to Greet
San Diego, CA
Vzzzzzt, vzzzzzt, vzzzzzt. Rachel groggily opened her eyes as the sound of her cellphone awoke her from dreams. Rolling to her left side Rachel reached out with a half-hearted attempt to grab her phone on the floor, while her other hand rubbed at her eyes to try and clear gunk in from the corner. Upon grabbing the phone, it fell silent again and without bothering to check who called Rachel tossed the phone back onto the floor and checked her clock. Grunting in frustration she turned over to go back to sleep as she read it say 7:05 am. She had only been asleep for 3 hours. Having to stay late at her Marine Biology internship last night until the early morning to take care and check up on a sick baby sealion Rachel was exhausted by the time she was relieved that morning. If it was work she would just have to say she slept through the phone call. If it was someone else or even worst a telemarketer who cared. No sooner had Rachel closed her eyes again to dose off back into dreamland when her phone went off again. ‘No sleep for the wicked’ she thought angrily as she flipped back over and threw off the warm covers, exposing her body to the still cool morning air. Shivering slightly Rachel grabbed the phone and hitting the answer button on the screen hissed out “What do you want Mark? I got home late last night and you just woke me up. Why are you even up this early you don’t have to be to the fire station until 11 am. Can’t you sleep in for once?” Rachel didn’t get any further with her barrages of questions because Mark ignored her questions and shut her down with a whispered “Rachel be quiet for a second okay. Are you safe?”
“Safe??? Why wouldn’t I be safe?”
“Just look out the window and tell me what you see okay?” Confused Rachel got out of bed. Mark and she had been best friends for years now and Rachel felt like she knew him pretty well. From his constant joking manner to his happy and carefree approach to life Rachel was starting to feel a little worried about how Mark was acting. If this was one of his pranks she swore she was going to be pissed at him. Not that it would last long since he would made it up to her which was usually in the form of a day at the park or chocolates with a note saying how amazing she was. Pushing her curtains aside bright morning light flooded in the room and Rachel squinted and threw her hand up to shield her eyes against the harmful light. Ready to ask Mark what this was all about Rachel stopped as her eyes adjusted and she saw the scene outside. Multiple cars where either abandoned in the street with doors wide open or crashed into polls, walls, and other cars. Houses down the street had doors open and windows smashed and in the streets were hundreds of people shambling along as they bumped into each other. Peering closer Rachel noticed most of them had gashes on their bodies and even a few were missing limbs and other body parts. “What is going on?” Rachel said quietly to herself as shock and disbelief overtook her body.
“Rachel, Rachel, RACHEL!”
Coming back to the real-world Rachel realized she was still on the phone with Mark though the phone had slipped from her fingers as saw the scene outside. Grabbing the phone, she put it back up to her ear and said “sorry sorry, I’m here. Mark what’s going on? There’s car accidents in the street, houses look like they’ve been broken into and there are people walking like they are half asleep, but who walks around half asleep while they are bleeding out or have missing limbs!”
“Rachel I don’t know much besides the fact that news says all of this might have something to do with that virus outbreak a few weeks back. Now I need you to go and check your apartment to see if your sister and you are safe. Then go and lock all the doors.”
“Sam is gone remember, she left 3 days ago when she got transfer to one of the hospitals in Arizona to help monitor recovering patients.”
“Okay well text her later to make sure she okay, I don’t know how long the cell service will last, but for now go downstairs and lock all your windows and doors. Then give me a call back.”
Hanging up the phone Rachel tried to remain calm and not let her nerves get the best of her. ‘Just go downstairs make sure the doors are still locked and call Mark back’ Rachel thought to herself. Grabbing the handle to her door she turned it and opened her door a crack. Listening for a second Rachel breathed a sigh of relief as she heard nothing. Opening the door more she prepared to walk down the stairs when she heard a squeak. Again, the squeak came and Rachel quickly closed the door and locked it at the same time trying to make as little noise as possible. Knowing that the only squeaks in the house came from the stairs Rachel wasn’t taking any chances of seeing who it was. Climbing down on to all four and then flatting down onto her stomach Rachel tried look between the creak that was the bottom of her white door and the gray worn down carpet. Rachel noticed her breathing start to quicken and her heart felt like it would thump right out of her chest. Trying to calm herself Rachel tried to focus instead on listening and scanning what little she could see. Almost a minute went by and Rachel started to wonder why she heard nothing. “What’s out ther-?” Covering her mouth with her hands Rachel scrabbled back away from the door and bit down on her knuckles to stop her from unleashing a screaming. Moving to her bed she slummed next to it and replayed the image that startled her. Just as she was about to finish her question a grotesque looking foot had appeared in front of her door not three inches from her face. The foot was bleeding and the skin had a sickly yellow tint to it which along with the disgusting smell made Rachel’s eyes water up. The worst part was that the foot was bent crooked inwards as if it was broken and the person hadn’t even noticed. Trying to stop herself from hyperventilating Rachel grabbed her phone to call Mark. Pausing, she instead texted him to be safe not knowing if whoever was outside her door would be able to hear her. Can’t call, someone is in the house, Safe for now, stuck in my room. Holding her phone tightly in one hand Rachel brought her knees to her chest and bowed her head as she waited for a reply and wondered to herself when she was going to wake up from this nightmare. Rachel’s eyes flew open as her phone vibrated in her hand for a second indicating that Mark had texted back. Opening the text Rachel read the four words from Mark I’m coming for you.
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