WORLD OVERRIDDEN

Help?

"Hello?" I say shakily.

"Alex? Are you ok? There was this outbreak and the people went crazy and everyone was screaming or being eaten and-" James. A wave of relief and guilt swept over me. I hadn't even thought about what might be happening to him while this was happening.

"James, stop. I'm fine. But mom.....she's like them. She's not mom. I don't know what to do. I left the hospital as quick as I could but what if she comes back here. What if she gets me and-"

"Don't even think that. I'll try to get there as fast as I can. Just lock the doors and don't let anyone-"

I heard a bang and screams from his phone. The phone hung up abruptly.

"James?JAMES?"

Great. That's great. I go over to the living room and turn the TV on. I watch the news lady explain everything that isn't making sense, fighting back sobs.

The news anchor didn't look as polished as usual either, sitting behind a desk on a raised dais. Her blond hair was slightly disheveled and her eyes were wide and startled. "America is under attack right now. We don't know what these things are but scientists are figuring it out now as we speak. I must inform you to stay inside your house and don't let anyone in. Do not trust anyone, don't get near anyone that you might suspect be infected. Don't even trust your family. Not even the closest ones. Scientists aren't sure but they say that these things are some kind of adapted zombies, they are ancestors or have some relation to them. The ways you could turn into one of them is to get bitten and the only way to tell if they are human or a monster is if they have sharp teeth. The scientists are calling them Z's. Do not approach them. Don't get near them. If you see one, don't try to hide, just run."

I turned the TV off and went to the window looking out on the porch. I needed to get out of here. Need to get away from these things. These monsters. But what about James? I can't leave till he's here. Or even if he's alive.

"Ding Dong"

Crap!! Someone's at the door. SOMEONES AT THE DOOR!!!!! What do I do? What do I do? I look out the window next to the door and see my friends, Miranda and Cavin. I debate on letting them in. Miranda's hair is pulled back, which never happens unless she gets freaked out, and Cavins ringing the doorbell like a crazy man.

"Open your mouth," I shout through the door. Cavin and Miranda look at each other, but not in a surprising way. They both show me their teeth, results of straight non-sharp teeth. They shout back at me, "Open your mouth." I opened without question and showed them my non-sharp teeth. With their nod of approval, I opened the door and quickly rushed them inside.

"What are you guys doing here?" I ask them, slamming and locking the door behind them quickly.

Cavin replies with, "Our families are gone and we just saw the news. We ran here as fast as we could since we have nowhere to go."

"Oh so you're just using me for shelter. Well I feel special." I say back to him with sarcasm and humor to him. He doesn't laugh. Or smile. Just gives me a dead-pan look. My face falls and my shoulders slump.

"Where's your mom?" Miranda asks.

I look at her trying to tell her with my eyes though I get the feeling it's not working.

"She's one of them I guess."

"You guess?" Cavin questions, urgency and exasperation evident in his voice.

"Well either she turned into one of them or she just went crazy and started her cannibal diet." I snapped at Cavin with annoyance. He was really getting on my nerves.

"What are we going to do now?" Miranda asks quietly, unusual for her.

"I was going to leave but I want to wait for my brother to make sure he's alive. We should pack some supplies for when we do we do leave." I peered at them from the corner of my eye. "If you're leaving with me?" I said it more like a question.

"Wow, you seem like you've got it all figured out Sherlock," Cavin says, ignoring my half question.

I punched his arm, tired of his voice, and he whined about how much that hurt as he cupped the probably bruising part in his other hand.

Bang. We all jumped as a man's distorted face appeared at the window, his expression twisted with hunger and rage.

Cavin stared at him with a mix of disgust and fascination. The man stared down at his arm, pushing himself up against the glass, hunger so plain in his eyes it almost looked painful. "Wait... can he..."

"Cavin don't be dumb." Miranda said, fear leaking through her words, but Cavin wasn't listening. He rolled up his sleeve, exposing the already purpling bruise from Alex's punch, and stepped forward.

The man threw himself against the window with new fervor, and Miranda whimpered. "Cavin!" She pleaded. "Stop that, you're making it worse." Another Z crashed against the window with a loud bang, eyes rolling wildly in her head, and I squared my shoulders before marching into the kitchen.

"Alex?" Cavin's face twisted in distrust. "Where are you going? Are you going to just leave them there?" He looked back at the people at the window and stepped back, Miranda behind him.

I rolled my eyes and dug into the freezer, pushing aside frozen breakfast packages until I spotted a lone wrapped beef. "Gotcha," I murmured, pulling it out and striding to the window on the other side of the door. Their eyes didn't stray from Cavin, thankfully, and I edged the window open enough to push the package of raw meat out before slamming it shut again. Immediately the creatures fell on the food, clawing through the plastic and stuffing it into their mouths. "You underestimate me, Cavin," I sniffed, before turning to walk up the stairs. "Now let's get packing."

Okie Dokie. That wasn't intense at all, -A