Last On Earth

Chapter 1: The Beginning After The End (Valentine's Perspective)

The world did not end in a bang, or in a whisper, but rather, one scream at a time.

Breaking News: A virus has been unleashed, causing people to turn into zombies.

Symptoms include extreme hunger and an insatiable need to bite others. There is currently no cure; anyone who is affected will turn.

Beware of the symptoms of the infection, please isolate yourself from others if you are infected, note the following changes:

rash and/or a rising fever.

Overheating and coughing up blood,

Loss of motor control.

Loss of colour in the skin

Bruising and/or rashes

boils and/or cysts.

Stay indoors and do not invite anyone into your home. Do not try to contact anyone who has been infected. All survivors please pack supplies and regroup at the nearest radio tower.

Valentine lay in bed, wide awake, her heart pounding. The muffled sound of groans filled the air, sending shivers down her spine. She froze, not daring to make a sound. She knew what those groans meant: the undead was outside her door. The outbreak had started about 3 days ago and her entire neighbourhood was almost gone.

She'd seen the news before the power went out, and watched in horror as her neighbourhood quickly descended into chaos. Her dad had left about 4 hours ago to 'get food', when was he coming back?

What if he wasn't coming back?

She'd heard the way the infected attacked and sensed the desperation of those trying to survive. And now, she was trapped, alone in a house that was about to be filled with monsters. She crept from her bed, stuffed some random items in her bag, put on a jacket, and then cautiously crept down the stairs.

As she crept through the dark house, she heard the banging of the infected outside her door. She had to move quickly, or they would be inside and on her in seconds. She could hear her breath as she thought of how to escape her home.

"Come on Val, think." She mumbled to herself as her eyes darted across the room. Her sight landed on a small window near the kitchen that surprisingly was unnoticed.

"Bingo."

Valentine slid open the window and climbed out into the darkness, the groans and moans getting louder as she ran through the streets. Infected emerged from the shadows, their eyes fixed on her. But Valentine managed to dart around them, disappearing into the darkness.

10 minutes of running led Valentine to a park, her mind racing with fear and adrenaline. The groans and moans of the infected followed her wherever she went, but she refused to look back. She knew that if she stopped, she would be caught and torn apart by the bloodthirsty monsters.

She kept running, her legs aching and her chest heaving, until she suddenly spotted a familiar figure in the distance. It was her father, standing stationary on the sidewalk. Her heart leapt into her throat, and she broke into a run, hoping against hope that he was still alive.

As she approached, she saw that he was clutching his stomach and groaning in pain, his face pale and sweat-soaked. She recognized the telltale signs of infection, and her heart sank with dread.

"Papa!" she cried, as she rushed and engulfed him in a hug. He tried to speak, but his voice was hoarse and barely audible.

"Oh Papa, please don't tell me..." she spotted a huge eye-sore bite mark on his neck. Her heart froze, and she pulled back, staring at him in shock.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice trembling. He looked at her with pained eyes, his face etched with remorse.

"I love you, Valentine," he croaked, his eyes filled with sadness. She threw her arms around him again, tears streaming down her face, and he hugged her back, his arms weak and trembling. It was a moment of pure hell, knowing that she was about to lose her father.

"You need to go, Valentine," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Leave me here, it's okay. I'll be with your mother now. You need to survive."

"Oh, papa..." she sobbed. "I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry, I should have forced you to stay with me I-"

She saw that he was clutching something in his palm, and when she opened his hand, she saw that it was a locket. Inside was a picture of the two of them, smiling and happy, before the outbreak. She gazed at it, feeling an overwhelming wave of grief and loss.

"Please... Take it," he groaned, his voice raspy and broken.

"Papa, no... Don't..." Valentine choked out, tears coursing down her cheeks. Her dark-skinned hands were in his pale-almost lifeless ones.

"Do it!" he managed to yell, and she realised that he was trying to protect her, to save her from the fate that was about to befall him. She took the locket from his hand.

"I love you, little Valentine," he whispered, "Now go."

"Where?" She inquired, voice breaking.

"Wash...Washington D-DC." He was struggling to say "Y-you have to send the worldwide radio message to meet and destroy..."

"Destroy what?" His face suddenly went blank as his eyes fluttered closed for the last time.

"Papa?..Papa no! Please...Please."

She took one last look at him, lying motionless on the ground. Then, she stood up and ran, leaving him to die with the others. It was a painful moment, a memory that would haunt her for the rest of her life, but she couldn't afford to let her emotions get the best of her.

This was the start of a new person.