population control

Chapter Three- Lianna

"I wish every last survivor the best of luck and i-"
As soon as I saw the reporter pause and the camera cut, it didn't take a genius to connect the dots at this point.
"Wow umm...that's...alot to take in huh?" Danny stated.
Danny seemed a little worried about the situation. Don't get me wrong, I was too. But my fight or flight had already kicked in so I was more worried about survival then anything else.
"No family to go back to. How do you feel about that?"
I couldn't tell what he meant by that. Did he want something out of me? Get me to show emotion? Get me vulnerable?
"Wdym by that?" I asked.
"Well..." I saw the look on his face. He was hurt. Scared of leaving everything behind. I get it. He continued- "you wake up, see your family for the last time without even knowing next thing you know...poof! Your gone."
That was the difference between Danny and I. He classified 'family' as people he grew up with. People who he's known his whole life. People he woke up to every day. I classified my 'family' as people who got your back. People who help you when you need help, and people who actually care for and about you. Although Danny wasn't wrong. I too had lost my family when I moved to this shitty town And lost contact with everyone slowly but surely. I could feel Danny's heart ache cuz it hit him all at once. Better to rip off the band-aid.
"Family shouldn't be something we should worry about right now. We should focus on survival."
As I walk away, I stop. I can feel Danny eyeing me. Maybe he wasn't the only one who would be struggeling with loneliness on this adventure.
"You coming with?" I wavered over to Danny but before he could respond the doors of every classroom had flung open! Every adult in the school had been zombified. They were fast. You would think they walk with a limp like in the movies but I guess that's not how muscle memory works. Next thing you know students were running and screaming.
"DANNY RUN! COME ON! LETS GO!"
We ran as far away as we could. Away from the town, away from people, but that didn't mean the chase was over. We reached a cornfield about a mile and a half north from the school. We stopped to catch a breath.
"Where (gasp) are (gasp) we even (gasp) going?"
"I dunno. (gasp)"
Another minute of silence goes by until we hear running and panting.
"Wait up!"
Danny and I look over to see the direction we came from and-
"Man, y'all ain't gotta run THAT far!"
"AJ, what the heck man!"
THAT'S where I knew him from! AJ was one of Danny's friends. They sat next to each other during first period.
"I couldn't find ANYONE else I knew so I followed y'all" AJ said in his heavy ass southern accent.
AJ was a big guy, but don't be fooled he was still strong as hell, smart as hell, and fast as. hell.
"I don't mind him tagging along" I said. "Maybe he can help us figure out our next move."
Danny looked at AJ. AJ looked at Danny. All of us confused on what to do next.