Outbreak The Beginning (The Outbreak Series Book 1) Read online

  “I know what to tell her.” I shake my head. “I know what to do.”

  I grab my purse, looking for my phone. I dial my daughter’s number. It’s ringing. I can’t believe I let her move out, I mean how was, I really going to stop her, she’s twenty? I can’t keep her home forever.

  “Hello mom,” Tabitha says.

  “Hey baby, I need you to listen to me.”

  “Mom have you seen the news? There’s a bunch of shit going on,” Tabitha says.

  “Tabby stop!! Listen to me, I need you to pack up your things clothes, food, water anything you need and get to my house now. Don’t stop anywhere, I mean it. GO get your stuff and come to me.”

  “MOM what’s going on?” Tabitha says.

  “Tabby PLEASE get to my house, I have to get your brothers. There is some really bad things going on, you just need to get here. I will explain everything when you get there I promise. Don’t stop for anyone!”

  “Ok MOM I’ll grab my shit. I’ll head over … give me an hour. Hey MOM?”

  “What baby?”

  “I love you, and I’m scared Mom.”

  “I know baby, so am I. Just get over to the house, we will be safe.”

  Hanging up, I have to wipe my eyes. Tabitha is my baby girl. I know she’s smart but damn if she’s not hot-headed. She lives in Salem, it’s about twenty minutes from us looking at my watch it’s 9:03am. I’ll give her until 10:30 to be there. Looking over at Hank, he’s talking on the phone to my mom. Telling her to make sure all the doors are locked and not to answer the doors or go by the windows. Man the world is going to shit in a handbag.

  Chapter 3

  Nate & Liam

  West Reserve School

  Stepping off the bus, I look around to see the same confusion on Liam’s face. Wow, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of kids getting off the buses. I look over to the student parking lot, there’s a lot of cars missing there too. Maybe they’re getting sick. Maybe we won’t have school tomorrow until this flu thing is over or better yet maybe, just maybe we will get to go home early today. Cool!

  “Hey Liam, I’ll see ya at lunch, save me a seat,” I say.

  “Ya ok whatever Nate,” Liam says.

  I watch my brother walking to the left going down the hall to his locker or wherever he’s going. Turning around, I head to the cafeteria, I’m starving and I didn’t eat anything at home before we left, stupid me. Mom always has great stuff to nosh on. I see a few of my friends standing in line so I walk over to them. I came to this school 4 years ago. Back then I didn’t want to make new friends, I liked the old ones I had at my old school but I guess I really can’t complain, I mean they are pretty cool, I guess.

  “Hey Sam, hey Jimmy, what’s up this morning, a lot of kids are missing, are they just skipping school?” I ask looking around.

  “Naw, a lot of them are sick or getting that way,” Jimmy says.

  I smack Sam in the back of the head. “Move up, I’m starving and you are off staring at that kid in the corner.” I do a double-take of that kid, he’s kinda green in the face and his forearm is bandaged, blood is coming through a little bit.

  “Hey guys what’s wrong with that kid over there? He really doesn’t look well?”

  Jimmy looks at me and says, “I don’t know, he was at the nurse’s station when I got to school this morning.”

  I look up and it’s my turn, so I grab a tray and set it down on the rail. Slowly I make my way forward, sliding my tray as I go. Wow we have a lot of choices this fine freaky morning. Let’s see, hmm, egg McMuffin looking things, bananas, apples and boxed cereal. Hmm, I grab the egg thing and a banana and move down the line like I do every morning. Now what to drink?

  I think I will skip this part and just go to the pop machine in the corner. I stop when I’m in front of the cashier. I punch in my number and she tells me to have a great day at school. Yay, like that is going to happen. The only classes I like are woodshop and gym ….

  Moving my way through all the kids and trying not to run into any of them, I find a table to the right. I start heading that way and finally get there. I set my tray down and looking over my shoulder I spot where I need to go next. Letting out a sigh, I head that way, so I can have my fix this morning.

  Stopping at the pop machine, I dig into my front pocket of my shorts and grab two dollars. Feeding them in, I push the button for a Mountain Dew Live wire, yeah that should do it. I’ll be running circles around everyone. Laughing, I turn around and head to the table where I see that Sam and Jimmy are already sitting and eating.

  I join them and start eating. Shit, I have only eight minutes to eat, I had better eat and run for workshop is my first class and boy, Mr. Hutch doesn’t like it when I’m late. He’s an ass, he will call my mom. I stand up to toss my stuff at the garbage can and take off in the direction of my first class.

  Jimmy runs up to me and punches me in the arm.

  I look at him and shove him into the locker. Shit, I look around to make sure no teachers have seen me. Looking at the lockers I see there is another dent. “Come on Jimmy, really, do we need this every day and if I have to pay for another locker door I’m going to be pissed, not to mention my Mother is going to kill me.”

  Jimmy looks over at me with a stupid grin on his face and says, “Man, Nate, if I had a mom as hot as yours …”

  He doesn’t get to finish because I have him by the shirt up against the lockers. The other kids around us stop what they’re doing and watch what’s going on. They start to circle around us figuring there is going to be a fight. “Jimmy that’s my fucking mom you’re talking about.” I slam him into the locker. “If I were you I’d shut your damn mouth!!” By this time a few of the teachers are coming out. I happen to see one of those teachers is no other than Mr. Hutch.

  “NATE, let go of Jimmy this instant and get into class … don’t you think we have enough going on without you trying to kill Jimmy because he has said something stupid again?”

  I let go of Jimmy, not without shoving him one more time. Walking into class I go over to the workshop to resume work on the shelves for my mom, when Mr. Hutch walks over and grabs my shoulder.

  “Nate, don’t bother with them today.” He looks over his shoulder to see if anyone can hear us and continues, “Nate, something weird is going on, very weird. Don’t say anything but I saw two kids being strapped to the beds. They had ….” He gulps! “…. They had bites on them.”

  I look at Mr. Hutch. “They had what? Insect bites on them?” By the look on Mr. Hutch it was worse than that. “You mean like bite marks from another person?”

  “Yes Nate, I know it sounds crazy, but I’m telling you the truth, I know what I saw. Just be careful, I don’t know what’s going on. So today it’s just a free class and Nate ….” He looks me in the eyes and says, “…. Here’s the code to go out the back door.”

  Looking down I see the piece of paper in his hand I reach out and take it. I look at Mr. Hutch. “Why are you telling me this?”

  “Listen Nate, if things go to hell in a handbag, or you need to get out of school fast, come here, you can lock yourself in and get out. Your brother is in math, you know where that is right?”

  “Yes,” I tell him.

  “Good Nate, now I’m going to see what I can find out and Nate, tell no one else about what I gave you.”

  “Ok Mr. Hutch, I won’t.” I really don’t know what’s gotten into him today. He and mom went out a few times and they still talk but man that was weird. I walk back to my place and sit down. Pulling out my phone, I see I have five new text messages, looking at the first one it’s from my mom. Clicking the button to open it I look around the room and start reading it.

  Nate, this is no joke I’ll be there at around 10 to pick you up. Get your brother and meet me at the front doors there’s really some bad shit going on I’ll explain when we’re together, DO NOT GO NEAR ANYONE that looks sick or has bite marks, do what you need to do GET YOUR BROTHER and stay together!!

/>   Looking around the room, I need to tell Mr. Hutch but he’s not here. I know my mom and I know she’s not joking about this. I shoot a text to Liam and then text mom back … Ok mom we will be there.

  All of a sudden there’s screaming in the halls and the fire alarm starts going off. I race out of my seat to see what’s happening. I look out into the hall and there’s kids running everywhere. One girl grabs a hold of my arm and is crying. I grab her by the arms and look her over up and down.

  I tell her, “Stay behind me I have to go down to the 10th grade hall and get my brother.”

  “NO!!” she screams! “We have to get out of here NOW … people are eating each other … there’s blood everywhere!!”

  I grab her hard. “Stop that now or you can stay here by yourself. If you come with me I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise but for fuck’s sake stop screaming … and you wonder why I don’t have a girlfriend all this crying shit and screaming and the fucking drama.” I shake my head at her.

  She wipes her face and nods her head.

  I grab her hand and start out of the class room making sure I close the door and that it clicks behind me. Now I know why Mr. Hutch gave me the code. So I could get back in here and it would be safe. That’s if we can make it back here.

  When we get into the hall, I can’t believe my eyes. There’s kids running around, there is blood all over the place. There are kids on the ground not moving. SHIT what the hell is going on?? This is like out of one of my mom’s zombie movies, shit I can’t think about that now. I pull the girl along after me and start to the other side of the school. Liam should be coming right at me this way, shit.

  Jogging down the hall I notice kids trying to get into the lockers to hide, I see a kid get off the floor with his guts hanging out, he screams and takes off after some girl huddled in the corner.

  I tell the girl behind me to stay put, that I would be back and I run for the girl in the corner. I get to her just as the kid, looking all crazy, does and we both stop. Looking at him I notice that he’s looking at both of us. Thinking fast, I grab hold of his shirt and slam him into the lockers. He slides down, looking dazed but I know that’s not going to last long so I grab the girl and make a run for it. I go back the way I came, towards the girl I left in the corner. Breathing hard I stop running and look at both of them, shit I know them. Their names are Jen and Cathy. “Ok guys we have a ways to go, come on I have to get to my brother.”

  We start off back down the hall at a run. I see kids fighting each other and some are trying to climb out of windows. Shit, the corner is coming up so I slow down and I slip and hit the ground hard. I jump back up and look down at myself and all I see is blood all over me. Shit this is gross! I hear someone screaming my name. I whip my head around. SHIT, it’s Liam and he’s pinned on the ground by a huge motherfucking kid.

  Chapter 4

  Letting go of Jen, I run for my brother full force, slamming into the kid that is on top of him and we both go flying. My fist connects to his jaw and I feel the squish as my punch knocks it clean off. Shit the smell!! What is wrong with this kid? Gagging, scrambling away on my ass, I start to get up and am thrown back on the floor. This kid is trying to bite me. I’m fighting with everything I have and all of a sudden Liam comes running over and swings a fire extinguisher at the kids head and he tumbles forward. I jump up and look at my brother and then back down at the kid on the ground. Choking on bile, I cover my nose and for the first time in my life I have more respect for Liam then I ever did before.

  “Listen Liam, Mom’s going to meet us at the front doors but there’s no way we can get there. We need to go back the way I came and get into the woodshop.”

  “Nate, it’s a coded door we won’t get in there.”

  “Yes we will. I have the code. Mr. Hutch gave it to me … we need to go now Liam, I don’t know what’s going on here, it’s almost like they’re zombies.” I choked out.

  Liam looks at me and for the first time I think my mom might be right.

  “Nate, they can’t be zombies, mom can’t be right.”

  Grabbing his arm, I say, “Liam we need to move now, so let’s move.” Looking over to where I left the girls, I notice they’re not there. Damn I could have helped them. Liam and I start back the same way I came, only it’s worse, more kids on the ground, the screaming, the blood and whatever is hanging out of them. SHIT, what are we going to do? The corner is coming up so I slow down, I don’t want to fall again, I have enough blood on me to feed a vampire. I don’t need any more. The kids are everywhere and the door that we need is being blocked shit!!!

  “Liam, listen to me, the door is blocked by those things. We have to get in there, it’s still our best chance to get to mom. We have to think of something to do NOW.”

  “Wait,” Liam says and points.

  Turning, I see what’s making that noise.

  “Nate, it’s Mr. Hutch, he’s luring them away from the door for us.”

  Mr. Hutch is leading them away. Grabbing Liam’s arm, we make a run for that door! Digging in my pocket I grab the code and read it. It’s 8472, I keep repeating it. We run, slamming into the door. I punch the code in.

  “Nate, hurry they’re coming back this way. Shit, shit come on damn it, open up.”

  I reenter the code and hear the bolt sliding. Opening the door, I run in with Liam and Mr. Hutch behind me. Mr. Hutch slams the door closed and I fall to the floor, breathing hard. I pull my phone out of my pocket. “I have to text mom what’s going on.”

  I start typing MOM had a change of plans couldn’t make it to front doors we will be in woodshop, we’re safe for now, locked in the room you have to come around back to the shop doors, and mom we love you. I hit send and look around me. Liam is looking out the door at what’s going and Mr. Hutch, is leaning on the wall. He’s holding his side.

  “Mr. Hutch what’s wrong are you hurt?” I ask.

  “I’ll be ok Nate, it’s just a scratch. Are you boys OK?”

  “I’m fine Mr. Hutch, just sore and freaked out,” says Liam.”

  “I’m good too, what’s going on here, this was just supposed be the flu, not this? People are going crazy and they are eating each other, on top of all that they are getting up after they are dead or look dead and doing the same stuff,” I say.

  Mr. Hutch runs his hands through his hair and says, “Nate, Liam, I think this is what is going on in China and everywhere else for that matter. I think that this is going to spread fast, very fast. I think you need to get home, hamper down and wait it out.”

  My phone buzzes and I grab it, opening it up to read the text that came in. Nate, I’ll be there in 15 minutes, Hank is dropping me off at home to get the SUV. He’s going home to make sure Mimi is safe. Stay where you are and be safe it’s crazy out here. Love you boys. I’m coming for you, no matter what…

  “I just heard from mom, she’s coming and told us to sit tight.” Thinking to myself, I know she will, there isn’t anything that could or would stop my mom coming to get us. She’s a hard woman, not crazy, I don’t mean that but when her mind is set on something nothing can change what she will do or can do…..

  Chapter 5

  Driving on the way back from where that poor guy was getting eaten, well at least that’s what it looked like, I knew we were waist deep in a zombie movie. What are we going to do? I mean this really can’t be happening. Looking over at Hank, he’s sure not acting himself, I wonder what he’s thinking, probably thinking the same as me. Shaking my head, I look out the window of the truck. It looks like every other day, I mean the wind’s blowing softly, the grass is green. Some yards are cut others are not, a few look like hay fields. I wonder if those people are sick, or if they know what’s going on? Have they seen what we just witnessed?

  I glance back to Hank. “Hank, what are we going to do, stay in our homes until this passes?”

  “Hell yes, I would think that would be the best thing to do don’t go around helping others, just stay indoors.”<
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  “Honestly Hank, I don’t think this is going away. What Nate said in his text message was the ones getting bit were getting up and attacking everyone else!”

  “I hope you’re wrong Egypt. That would be very bad. How could we even survive?”

  We’re getting closer to home. We have to hurry up. I need to get my boys. We turn on Berlin Station Rd. I look around. Damn the second house on the left is on fire.

  “Hank, that house is on fire!!!!”

  “Gotta help them.”

  He starts to pull over and I scream at him, “We can’t Hank, I need to get the boys, Tabitha is coming over and you need to get to mom.”

  He hesitates but pushes on the gas. We go down the dip that is so familiar to me, we are almost to my house. I reach into my purse and grab my gate and garage clicker. I hit the first one to open the twelve foot gate. I had to get this installed because of the neighbor’s pit bulls always coming over. It wasn’t safe for my animals. They are only little Chihuahuas. I open the truck door. Hank grabs my arm, I look up.

  “Listen Egypt, maybe I need to stay with you, I don’t feel right about leaving you.”

  “Hank, you need to get to mom. I’ll be ok. You have trained me well in case of emergencies.” I can tell that he’s struggling with what he should do.

  Finally he shakes his head. “Damn it Egypt, keep your phone on you and you have my spare 9mm. And damn it you shoot those things if they come near you, even if their kids. You hear me?”

  “Yes Hank, I will be safe, I’ll call when I have the boys.”

  I jump out of the truck, running into the garage. I hop in my 4x4 SUV. Putting the keys into the ignition, starting it, I look up. Shaking my head, I laugh to myself, Hank’s waiting for me to pull out. He backs up. I put the SUV into gear and start to go forward. As I leave the garage I hit the button to close the garage door. Hank’s well on his way down the road by then. I pull out, turning left to head to the school. I click the button to close the gate. Looking in my rear view mirror, I make sure it closes.