‘This, could this be this world’s version of Corona? These cracks in the sky is a world virus instead of a human virus?’ Laying on my back in bed, just staring at the ceiling. I recently got an email from the school saying that I need to come in for attendance, but I just sent a sick note instead. I mean who knows what's going to happen. If meteors start flying from the sky, I want to die, watching MeTube and lazing in bed. If this does blow down after a while, then I miss a few days, maybe weeks of school.Not like school is going to make me rich I mean, that's what WitCoin is for. If this is this world’s version of corona, then does that mean everything is going to be on online web chats and video calls? Should I buy masks and hand sanitizer? Do the cracks in the sky mean a virulent virus or pathogen is going to spread and kill people? If I stay home, then I don’t need masks or sanitizer if I don’t interact with anyone…TOILET PAPER’

I tried going to the grocery store, but there was a crowd already there, people were shoving and pushing to get their items. I don’t want to endanger my well being over some toilet paper, and walking out in the open is something I should limit. I spent a few hours walking to other stores to see what I could find. At worst, I do have about 3/4ths of a 16 pack at home, but I'd like to get 2 more packs if possible. 

“I repeat, keep calm. The images in the sky are but a scientific phenomenon similar to the aurora’s seen in the north. These tricks of light and electromagnetic waves are but a harmless illusion. The sky can’t crack like glass after all, the sky is but blue wavelengths scattering across the planet's atmosphere, and light can’t shatter. Our nation's top scientists are working to uncover the more complex mechanisms of this event, and will diligently come to a solution in a few weeks. There is no evidence of this being a result of global warming, rather the uv radiation and carbon dioxide radiation levels are currently lower than the normal…”

 

‘Those news outlets sure know how to lie.’ *scoffs. 

 

It's been a few days since what people are calling ‘The Shattering.’ For now I’ve been holed up in my apartment, save the times I go out for take out. I don’t want to dip into my stockpile just yet. It seems others are staying away from school as well, as I received an email stating that school will be closed for 1 week, and homework/class notes will be sent via future emails. 

Terra 2012 ab  7 days after ts

 

“A virus seems to be able to infect the dead. Decomposing bodies across the country have risen and are attacking civilians. The national guard has been ordered by the president to mobilize in neutralizing this threat. For everyone’s safety please remain indoors.”

 

‘Zombies? How does the sky shattering relate to zombies rising? No, maybe there’s a necromancer that has invaded Terra? Hmm. I can’t sense any mana or magic being used though. Maybe their location is too far for me to sense. Still the military with all their guns and bombs should be able to deal with them. I mean, like there’s too many zombie movies for the military to not be able to react appropriately. Still I guess I'll order delivery even if it's expensive.’

Terra 2012 ab 12 days after ts

“I repeat. This is a national emergency, all civilians are to evacuate to the nearest military compound. Do not interact with any infected. Do not let the infected bite you. I rep…”

 

“Ah fuck.” Well, I guess it's bunker down time. Let's just try to weather the storm. If zombies really do try to invade my room, I can always get out through the window. I should prepare a travel backpack just in case. But I mean zombies shouldn’t find me if I stay silent right?

24 days after ts

 

Electricity and gas has stopped working, but tap water still flows and my water tester shows its drinkable still. I heard a lot of people moving out the past week, but I don’t dare get out now. From my windows I’ve seen zombies moving across the streets. They're slow, and ugly, but they’re still taking down people. I look back at my door, I moved by book shelf to barricade it, along with a chair and some sticks just to put more stoppage. I also keep my bat with me just in case. Thankfully plumbing still works along with the water, but if that stops, I’ll have to use a bucket and throw it out the window, yuck. The news outlets have stopped playing. Rather my internet is completely down. I’m not sure if it's just my isp, or the world, but I’m stuck with my radio for now. 

30 days after ts

 

I can hear footsteps. Hurried footsteps. I know there were zombies that roamed the halls before, they moved at the same pace as the ones outside. Long dragging movements. But these were hurried, and erratic.

 

Swick swick*

 

Someone was trying to open my locked door. After a few tries, I could hear them moving to the next door, trying again. I figure this kind of thing might happen. But I’m not the saint. Let’s just survive. Once I weather the initial storm, I should be able to move out and start scavenging. 

 

“Hey. Is anyone there?” a young male voice called out. 

 

“Hey we just need some bandages, please,” a strong female asked as she gave a few bangs on the door. 

 

“And some food! If you have any to spare,” a deep male voice asked. 

 

“Quiet, you think they’ll give us food on top of bandages?” the female said.

 

“Well I mean,actually should we just try busting the door open? I mean maybe the owner just left it locked, like muscle memory, as they were leaving for the military compound,” the deep voice said.

 

“If we make too much noise, the zombies will come after us. And busting a door is pretty loud!” she chastised back. “Please our friend cut himself on some glass. Just some gauze or something or anything at all would help.”

 

‘.....exhale*’ I let go of my breath that had started holding as soon as they started talking, I still kept quiet. If I open the door, they could rush me and take all of my stuff and kill me. If they are truthful, then I give them medical supplies and they leave. Both of these scenarios I come out net negative. But still. I shift my eyes. My biggest problem in this pandemic is that I can’t be self sufficient. I can’t stay here forever. My food will run out, stronger thieves could come in with guns one day. If this is like those zombie movies, the biggest problem in this apocalypse, is not the zombies, but the people and supplies. Allies and source of supplies. I could survive for a while longer like this, then go out to scavenge, that was my plan, but going solo is dangerous.

 

I mean I stockpiled because I thought the prices were going to go up, not a fucking zombie apocalypse. 

 

I ponder for a few seconds. Then I go to the door, moving my ears to try and hear more. 

 

“It's locked and we have no key. If we make more noise, we’re going to have to run from the zombies and Jess isn’t in any condition to run again. Even if we do break in, there’s no guarantee we’ll find medical supplies or even food. Electricity is shot, so all the fridge items would be spoiled like the rest of the rooms we found,” the girl said. 

 

On the side, with my nose near the hinges of the door, I take a deep breath through my nose, and very faintly, I can smell it, the scent of sweat, dust,dirt and the iron of blood. 

 

*sigh ‘Either I die now or I die later I guess. Hopefully next time I can at least live long enough to have the famous mid life crisis hah. 

“The people outside, who are you?”

 

“OH SHIT” the deep voice said.

 

Squick ssslleet* I could hear his foot slipping out under him from inside. 

 

“Hey, we mean no harm, we just really need some bandages to save our friend here, she’s hurt real bad and…” the female voice replied.

 

“I know, I’ve been listening, but first who are your people. Your names, age, occupation before the shattering.”

 

“What does that…” the young male voice asked. 

 

“Hi my name is Alice, the one who talked earlier is Zeke,  the other one is William, and our friend Jess is the one injured right now.”

 

…. “Did your friend get cut by glass, or bitten?”

 

“Its glass, and some bruising, but none of us were bitten. We already know the infected will turn.” Alice replied.

 

I fiddle with the bat in my hand. “Bring your friend to the door, and show the wound.” I started to move the chairs and bookshelf towards the opp side of the hinge, only halfway to so that I could see through the peephole. 

 

“Here help me move her, gently.” 

 

“Should we really be doing this, what if they’re psycho or something?” Zeke asked. 

 

“We need to treat Jess now. Also…” Alice started to whisper to Zeke. 

 

I could see a blonde girl, the 2nd tallest, a tan brown haired guy with freckles, the shortest, and a dark skin guy with a super short afro hairstyle, the tallest. Seeing her whisper to the brown haired guy, that’s probably Zeke, and the tallest one is William. Alice and Zeke were carrying Jess by her back and legs, propping her up with her left stomach facing towards the door. There I could see blood seeping through her abdomen where a shirt was wrapped tightly around. 

 

“Remove the wrapping so I can see.” They put her down and removed it, some fresh blood spreading over the dried blood. Lifting up her shirt, I could see it, a long cut starting from her side, ranging down and curving towards her abdomen. Too clean to have been from a zombie’s teeth or nails.”

 

‘Ok well shit, they’re truthful. Do I let them in, and share everything to work together. Do I carry my bat and only let them have some medical supplies. I want to get allies, but just giving them my stuff isn’t a safe or sure way of doing that. *sigh. Shit well I should just act more humane, their hurt and compassion should be a reality not a luxury.

 

I start moving the rest of the shelf out of the way and clear away some of the rest of the blockage. “When I open the door, bring your friend and move them onto the couch. Do not touch anything else. Do not touch anything else” I go to grab some towels and a first aid kit to lay them on the couch ahead of time. Finished I unlock the door.

 

Opening the door, they jump a bit, startled at my appearance, but I move and show them towards the couch. 

 

“Ughh mnng,” the girl Jess groaned, eyes still closed. 

 

Laying Zeke and Alice laid her on the couch, “William, lock the door, and move back the bookshelf to barricade it. Alice go and soak some towels in water in the sink in the kitchen.” I start getting the medical supplies out. Gauze, antiseptics, thermometer. The cut is long, and a bit deep, but not that wide thankfully since I don’t have sutures, I think duck tape could work, but that might be painful. 

 

“Zeke, tell me more about the wound and Jess’ condition.”

 

He was looking around, staring at my kitchen, when my words broke him out of his stupor. “Oh uh, we were running, and we had to get away from the zombies. We jumped down from a floor of a broken building , but Jess landed on a clear partially intact glass. I think it was some window or glass wall partially destroyed, it was around half a meter tall only too.”

 

“What's the situation outside like, what happened to the military compound? The Evacuation? What’s the military and government doing?”

 

“That's uh” Alice came back with the towels.

 

“Nevermind, we can talk after we treat Jess first.”

 

Cleaning the blood and wound, I proceed to apply the antiseptics,  spraying some on the gauze, as tape it around the wound. Moving the thermometer to her head, I wait a few moments. ‘102.5 F. An infection. I don’t have any prescription or antibiotics on hand, but I have some nyquil and common medicine on hand.’ I didn’t see any pus or anything particularly bad on the wound, but I’m no doctor. 

 

“I’ve cleaned and treated the wound, she might have an infection, so she needs to rest and sleep for a while, and avoid moving onto her injured side. I have some nyquil to help ease the pain and keep her asleep.”

 

“Phew” they all let out a sigh of relief as they finally started to smile.

 

“Thank you,” Alice said.

 

“Yeah thanks!” William replied.

 

“Thanks, hopefully Jess will wake up soon. It was really shitty luck what happened to her. A serious infection would’ve been awful to deal with,” Zeke remarked. 

 

Looking at them, I notice now, all of their clothes are dirt and dust stained.Grime is on their faces along with sweat and some dried blood. They all looked worn out, despite their spirited remarks. 

 

I fiddle my fingers, then look back toward the door, where I left my bat, I forgot about it when I saw Jess. 

 

You three can go into the kitchen and have a meal. The water still runs here, and the tap is still clean, so drink from there, cups are in the cupboard on the right of the stove, cans are on the left. Gas and electricity is out. Take some of the dry food from the top left drawer, unless you want cold Chef Royardee. 

 

They gave their thanks and excitedly went to the kitchen, picking their choice of energy bars and chips. Ideally I’d save the energy bars since they’re the most portable, but un-heated canned food is pretty unsettling, and they could use a moment of reprieve for now. 

 

*Crunch

 

*chew

 

“After you eat, there’s a shower down the hall on the left.” Looking at them, their bodies. Alice was taller than me, and my body was more on the slim side. “I’ll give some clean pajamas and gym clothes to wear after. You can hand wash your clothes later.”

“They nodded happily as they were eating and drinking.”