Stories From VO1.2

Mona

Mona's parents had prepared for this moment their entire lives. Before them, her grandparents had prepared for this moment their entire lives. Before her grandparents, her great grandparents had prepared for this moment their entire lives. 

Every single generation dating back to her namesake, a survivor of the first zombie apocalypse, had prepared and waited for this - this second coming on the apocalypse. 

Second coming sounded so dumb. Like something from a movie rather than real life. She didn't know who coined the term but if she could she would punch them silly. Second apocalypse would have been fine. Second coming was just dramatic. 

But no amount of preparation could have prepared her parents and herself for the intense reality of the situation. It helped for sure. They had food and water stores and a mobile home that hit the road the moment the news aired the vicious train station attack. 

 Perhaps by then it was too late. Maybe they should have hit the road but the first little sign of a virus. They had done it before. When Mona was young every whisper of VO1 meant a 'family vacation'. Two weeks stuffed in the mobile home with all of her uncles, aunts, and cousins while they waited for an outbreak that never came. 

Eventually the extended family began to drop off. Next they only said out for a week and a half, then a week. Now her parents were sure that they could tell a legitimate outbreak from a hoax. 

Well they were wrong. The one time it mattered they were wrong.  Funny how life worked like that. 

Still, their response time to that man biting that man's face off was fast. Stores were swapped from van to house and house to van. Her father quit his job, her mother called all the neighbors to tell them to get on the move, and they drove the mobile home out of town. 

Their time on the road was short but eventful. Mona watched her phone as her friends passed on videos of bordered up houses, burning buildings, and riots. People were refusing to go into quarantine. There were rumors that they were actually killing people who got really sick.

When she asked her dad if they would really do something like that his response was,

"If they die without you know knowing and got a hold other people then there'd be an even bigger problem."

His words unsettled her. It sounded as though he was condoning their actions. But Mona didn't have the guts to complain. Each ding of her phone was another gruesome video that she didn't have the strength to watch. Quickly she put the device in silent mode and hid it a drawer. 

The phone was still in the drawer when the police confiscated the vehicle and had it locked up at impound. 

Mona forgot about the device until they were given a cot tucked into the corner of the local gymnasium. She wanted to catch up with some friends while her parents discussed a way to escape town with only two guns, a hunting knife, and their wit. After ruffling through her bag she determined that it was indeed missing. A clear destination did not come to mind. 

"Shit." 

***

If only out of sheer boredom Mona joined her parents in their convoluted scheming. 

She strolled around the town, noting where and when there were policeman stationed. They were keeping a tight lock down on everything. Another family was caught attempting to leave town and they were immediately thrown into jail. The kids too. 

"Well, this is serious," her mother mused. 

Mona agreed but she continued to patrol around town, reporting positions to her parents.