Chapter 1
The only reason I remember when this all started was because PVRIS come out a few months before this all happen. I was blasting their song Fire on my iPod walking through Manhattan going to Barnes and Nobles to spend a 50-dollar gift card there. I love reading just as much as I love music. I was on Union Square 14th street and it was January 10th, 2015, five days after my sister’s birthday. She was now 18 and will soon be a college student. You’re wondering who I am and where I am going with this so just wait and see.
It was a fairly cold day in the city but not as cold as Far Rockaway. I lived down the street from the beach and it was ten times colder there than on Union. Anyway, I was walking up the block to Barnes and Nobles and that’s when shit hit the fan. Through the loud music, I heard a loud piercing scream then it just stopped. I turn around and saw the women ripped out another and woman’s throat out. I reacted fast and pull her off of this woman and I tried to stop the bleed. “Hey, stop crying you’re going to be okay,” I said trying to calm this person down.
I watched as the life slowly drains from her eyes and cursed. Other people were trying to hold this woman down. She looks bad like she herself was hurt. People ask if I was a doctor or a nurse and I said no. The only reason why I know about first aid was because I was in the National Guard for a few months then ask to leave because I wanted to be on active duty and not guard and travel the world within the army. So I knew what I was doing from some basic medical training.
I asked the three men that were holding her down to hold tighter because I was going to try and see what was wrong with this person. She was rabid. Blood was flowing out of her chest and sides but she was still kicking and fighting as if nothing was wrong. “Miss I need to calm down you are hurt” I spoke loud and clear to her. She wouldn’t stop, and then she tries to take a bite out of one of the men holding her down. I quickly grab her head to try and keep her still to look her over. That’s when I notice her eyes. Her eyes were bloodshot and it looks like she was crying black blood but it was more sludge-like then blood. I started to take into account how blood was supposed to look like and her blood did not look bright red from her wounds it was a deep dark red almost black and it was gross to touch.
I look over to the woman who was lying on the floor and notice that her blood looks the same as well. Then she shot up and starts running towards us. I yelled at people to run and not to get near her. But it was too late. She attacked a small child and her mother. I watch and run to them, to try and help them but I was too late. They were lying on the ground and that’s when NYPD show up and shot her. But she didn’t go down. She was still standing running towards them making this growling sound. I got close to her and tackled her to the ground while the cops came and put cuffs on her. They started asking me questions about her and I told them I saw her get her throat ripped out and watch her died. They looked at me as if I was crazy but I had witnesses to confirm my story, and not to mention she was missing a part of her neck.
Then about two blocks away I heard yelling and screaming and what I thought to be an explosion. Then more gunfire. I was looking around and saw more people with this reddish-black like fluid coming out of their mouth and eyes and what looks like to be bite marks on them. I just stood there trying to understand what was happening until one of them notices me and took off towards me. I wasn’t dumb, I ran like hell. I was always in the city so I know where I was running to. Someplace where it was less crowded and with more open space. During the cold months, a lot of people still went to central park however there fewer people there and more places to hide. I took out my phone and open up chrome to see what the fuck was going on. Everything was fine at first then all hell broke loss. I was reading different articles that was being pushed out by all types of media sources. I was reading one saying a new virus broke out and it was crazy and another with the headlines with the words zombie outbreak in bold letters. I mean who really wants to be in a zombie outbreak area. No one that’s who. But here I was in the middle of it all. It was a cold damp day and would get colder when the sun goes down. I couldn’t believe what was happening. I mean I was always joking with my friends about being in one and here I fucking was in the middle of one. But it just wasn’t Manhattan it was also a very small part of New Jersey but that was it. No other place around the country was experiencing this.
It was only noon and hell decides to fuck shit up. All I knew was that I had to get out of the hot zone and make it home. But that was going to be hard since everything is going to be at a standstill. I could walk home but that would take all day and go into the night. I had to choose between staying here or going home where this could also be happening. So I make the choice to stay. Maybe I made this choice because if my family turns into one of these things I would enjoy killing them if it could die. So now here I was hiding in one the greatest parks ever during some type of outbreak. I mean I figured it was zombies but at the same time something else. This was like the movie 28 Days Later it started out as a virus but so did every other zombie movie ever made. It was weird to think about. So I just hid and try to form a plan.
It was not four in the afternoon and the sun was slowly setting. It was getting colder and I knew I need to find someplace warm to stay and to form some kind of plan and survive this night. I was pretty close to 81st on the west side of Manhattan. My favorite place was there, the American Museum of Natural History. I slowly made my way there. Stopping every time I heard someone yell or one of those things growling or clicking its teeth. I think those things were blind. I remember seeing the lady’s eyes before the other women got up and attack someone. It was like she knew I was there but only because of the noise I was making and the fact that I was touching her. Other than that her eyes stare off as if she couldn’t see me.
I put that thought to the back of my mind so I can focus on not being seen or heard by anything or anyone. I made my way out of the small clearing and was now facing the museum. The streets weren’t crowded and I look both ways to make sure no one saw me. I quickly made my way to a car that was abandoned. I hid behind it for a minute and then peek out over the hood and saw nothing. I made my to the front entrance but then thought better than that. I went to one of the side ones and check to see if anyone or anything was there. The coast was clear for now. The glass door was open and I thought to myself that I should block it. I was thinking of how I should block the doors then I saw the retractable dividers. I was happy that I had my pocket knife with me. I just had a gut feeling to bring it was me today; I took off my bag and jacket and started to work on blocking the doors. An hour later I step back to look at my handy work. I took the dividers and cut them and braided them. It was to make the blending stronger and tied it through the door handles.
Then I took the bars to make a small barricade. I went deeper into the museum to look for more dividers to make the barricade a bit stronger. But I didn’t just do one entrance I did them all. That meant the subway and the main and the back ones. It took a little over five hours to fully finish. I was beyond tired but I was glad I was the only one here. I check and recheck all of the barricades I had made and turned off the lights. I didn’t want anyone to know I was here and try to get it. I know that was selfish but it was about surviving. I made my way to the top floor of the museum to see if any of the offices that were there were open. Just my luck one was open. I made my way it and lock the door behind me. I went to the window and saw the last of the bright colorful sky and the street lights came on. I wonder how long that would last.
I just sat quietly by the window until my phone went off. I’m not going to lie it scare the ever-loving shit out of me. I pick up the phone and saw it was my mother. I round my eyes; it took her all of ten hours to reach me. I debated with myself to pick up the phone. In the end, I did. “Hello,” I said in a tired voice. “Jackie, where you are why aren’t you home yet I will lock this door if you’re late again” she yelled into the phone. My mother didn’t know what was happened and how I was in the middle of it all. “Mom I’m still in the city some weird virus is out there killing people and no I’m not joking and I’m telling you the truth. Watch the damn news and you’ll see it and I am stuck in the city” I said to her in a calm manner. She yelled at me again and I got pissed off and hang up on her. I turned off my phone to save the battery and so she wouldn’t call me again.
I walked away from the window and sat in the big chair that was in the office and made myself comfortable. I was tried and I just wanted to sleep, but sleep did not come easily to me and so I just stare out the window wondering what will happen tomorrow. Soon sleep took over and I dreamt of nothing but darkness as if it was an old friend.
