Chapter 1

Chapter 1. Duty

115 miles south of Moscow, Russia, is my home town, Pай. There were only 1000 of us.. until the outbreak. Now there are only 30 of us left, me, my brother Ivan, my sister Vera, and other remnants living in our own camp.. the walls are 8 ft. high, made of metal, concrete blocks, and garbage surrounding the whole block. A white Red Cross tent stands next to the Kopeika. Neighboring is the Billa, where we all sleep. Next to the Billa, is a small decaying apartment complex. Across the street are three small beautiful houses with the colors white, blue, and red.

A voice nearby yells “Yakov? Yakov where are you?”.

“I’m over here Ivan” Yakov mutters. “You have to be quiet, we don’t want them to hear us”.

“I’m sorry Yakov, I thought-” Yakov cuts off Ivan

“It doesn’t matter what you thought, just be quiet!”.

“Sorry brother”. I whisper in Ivan’s ear,

“Where is Vera?”

“She and Alina went to try and find more supplies.”

“She’s only 12! I told you not to let her out of your sight - whatever. She’ll come back, she always does.” I turn my back from Ivan, and start to walk out the door.

“Brother, wait. Vasily wants you on patrol tonight.”

I sigh. “Okay.” I take a big breath of air and step outside. I look across the road and see my friend Galina opening a crate with a crowbar. I wave to her and she smiles back. I walk over to her.

“So, what is it?” I ask.

“It’s one of those supply drops the military lost a while ago. Hopefully there’s something good in there.. seems jammed though.”

“Good as in?”

She laughs, “Medicine, food, water, anything really. Hey, Vasily told me that you have patrol tonight.”

“I know, Ivan told me.”

“Best of luck then!”

I start to walk away “Thanks”. I slowly walk to the Kopeika and see Vasily, a big man with a long beard.

“Comrade, how are you?” he booms.

“I’m fine. I heard that I have patrol tonight..”

“Yes, yes. You start in one hour, yes?” He hands me a saiga hunting rifle. I sling the rifle over my shoulder and shove a dozen slugs from a nearby table into my pocket.

“Good luck, and try to be silent.” He says. He reaches under his chair and hands me a flashlight, a 6 inch long knife.

“Thanks, I will.” As I walk away, he picks up a clipboard and writes something down. I sit down by a tree and close my eyes. A girls voice yells “Yakov!”

“Vera?”

“Yakov! I found something for you!”

“Vera, I told you that you weren’t supposed to leave without telling me.”

Her voice cracks.

“I told Ivan, and he said I could go if I went with Alina.”

“Well you don’t listen to Ivan, you listen to me. And I told you, you cannot leave.” She stares at me with hatred in her eyes. A golden necklace lands on my lap. Astonished, I look up to thank her, but she’s already gone. I let out a sigh and think to myself “Why me.”

I stand up and see Vera talking to Alina on the blue houses doorstep. I walk over to the front gate and stand guard. In the distance, I see a figure slowly walking towards me. I raise my gun and stare at it in my scope.. I yell “We got a viral.”

A mans voice yells back “Take him out.”

I steady my rifle and point the scope at the creatures head. A gunshot rings throughout the compound, everybody staring my way.

“It’s just a viral, everybody relax” the guard says. “Don’t panic.” I sit down on a foldable chair and rub my arm.

The guard walks up to me, “Good work.”

I smile “Thanks.”

“You know, you’re a pretty good shot. Have you had any practice before?”

“Not really - well I used to shoot a BB gun with father when I was younger.”

“Perhaps you should help teach the others to shoot.. they aren’t too experienced. What do you say?”

“Well I guess -”

He cuts me off. “Great! Start tommorow, yes?”

I nod.

“Wonderful.” He sits down and opens up a magazine titled “Zhivopisets”.

I look over at him “So what did you do before all of this?”

He closes his magazine. “I was a..” A gunshot from nearby rings throughout the town. The guard looks down and see’s blood leaking out of his shirt. His eyes close and he falls forward.I push my chair backwards and scream “We’re under attack!” I scramble to my feet and run to the Billa. I see Vasily handing out guns to the adults, while others throw down old car tires and debris for cover. I see Vera sitting next to Ivan and Alina.

“Brother, w-what is going on?” Ivan stutters.

“Come on! We are leaving in one minute, pack everything you can get. All of you. Go now.”

The three stand up and disappear inside of the Billa. I survey the other men get into position to ready themselves for the attack. Ivan and Alina step outside with their backpacks.

“Where is Vera?” I shout.

“I’m here.” She runs out.

“Let’s go.”

As we ran to the wall I heart Vasily call out my name.

“Yakov? Where do you think you go, huh?”

I don’t respond. I boost Vera and Alina over the wall and me and Ivan climbed out way over.

Gunshots ring out nearby; we sprint our way through the town without looking back.

A voice nearby yells “Yakov? Yakov where are you?”.

“I’m over here Ivan” Yakov mutters. “You have to be quiet, we don’t want them to hear us”.

“I’m sorry Yakov, I thought-” Yakov cuts off Ivan

“It doesn’t matter what you thought, just be quiet!”.

“Sorry brother”. I whisper in Ivan’s ear,

“Where is Vera?”

“She and Alina went to try and find more supplies.”

“She’s only 12! I told you not to let her out of your sight - whatever. She’ll come back, she always does.” I turn my back from Ivan, and start to walk out the door.

“Brother, wait. Vasily wants you on patrol tonight.”

I sigh. “Okay.” I take a big breath of air and step outside. I look across the road and see my friend Galina opening a crate with a crowbar. I wave to her and she smiles back. I walk over to her.

“So, what is it?” I ask.

“It’s one of those supply drops the military lost a while ago. Hopefully there’s something good in there.. seems jammed though.”

“Good as in?”

She laughs, “Medicine, food, water, anything really. Hey, Vasily told me that you have patrol tonight.”

“I know, Ivan told me.”

“Best of luck then!”

I start to walk away “Thanks”. I slowly walk to the Kopeika and see Vasily, a big man with a long beard.

“Comrade, how are you?” he booms.

“I’m fine. I heard that I have patrol tonight..”

“Yes, yes. You start in one hour, yes?” He hands me a saiga hunting rifle. I sling the rifle over my shoulder and shove a dozen slugs from a nearby table into my pocket.

“Good luck, and try to be silent.” He says. He reaches under his chair and hands me a flashlight, a 6 inch long knife.

“Thanks, I will.” As I walk away, he picks up a clipboard and writes something down. I sit down by a tree and close my eyes. A girls voice yells “Yakov!”

“Vera?”

“Yakov! I found something for you!”

“Vera, I told you that you weren't supposed to leave without telling me.”

Her voice cracks.

“I told Ivan, and he said I could go if I went with Alina.”

“Well you don’t listen to Ivan, you listen to me. And I told you, you cannot leave.” She stares at me with hatred in her eyes. A golden necklace lands on my lap. Astonished, I look up to thank her, but she’s already gone. I let out a sigh and think to myself “Why me.”

I stand up and see Vera talking to Alina on the blue houses doorstep. I walk over to the front gate and stand guard. In the distance, I see a figure slowly walking towards me. I raise my gun and stare at it in my scope.. I yell “We got a viral.”

A mans voice yells back “Take him out.”

I steady my rifle and point the scope at the creatures head. A gunshot rings throughout the compound, everybody staring my way.

“It’s just a viral, everybody relax” the guard says. “Don’t panic.” I sit down on a foldable chair and rub my arm.

The guard walks up to me, “Good work.”

I smile “Thanks.”

“You know, you’re a pretty good shot. Have you had any practice before?”

“Not really - well I used to shoot a BB gun with father when I was younger.”

“Perhaps you should help teach the others to shoot.. they aren’t too experienced. What do you say?”

“Well I guess -”

He cuts me off. “Great! Start tommorow, yes?”

I nod.

“Wonderful.” He sits down and opens up a magazine titled “Zhivopisets”.

I look over at him “So what did you do before all of this?”

He closes his magazine. “I was a..” A gunshot from nearby rings throughout the town. The guard looks down and see’s blood leaking out of his shirt. His eyes close and he falls forward.I push my chair backwards and scream “We’re under attack!” I scramble to my feet and run to the Billa. I see Vasily handing out guns to the adults, while others throw down old car tires and debris for cover. I see Vera sitting next to Ivan and Alina.

“Brother, w-what is going on?” Ivan stutters.

“Come on! We are leaving in one minute, pack everything you can get. All of you. Go now.”

The three stand up and disappear inside of the Billa. I survey the other men get into position to ready themselves for the attack. Ivan and Alina step outside with their backpacks.

“Where is Vera?” I shout.

“I’m here.” She runs out.

“Let’s go.”

As we ran to the wall I heart Vasily call out my name.

“Yakov? Where do you think you go, huh?”

I don’t respond. I boost Vera and Alina over the wall and me and Ivan climbed out way over.

Gunshots ring out nearby; we sprint our way through the town without looking back.

Author's Note

Hoping to get some feedback!

Reviews

[bob, small b. aka invs]

my first impression when i saw this was 'do we really need another zombie book?' so my mood going into reading this was no the best and it didn't get any better as i read. i'm confused. this is 132 days into this situation? seems to me all of the conversation that takes place in this chapter would have taken place well before 132 days. watches would have been set up. they would have known each other's pasts, etc. so i guess i'm saying that either the story should start earlier or you should find a better way of filling in the back story. flashbacks, etc.
i don't want to discourage you from writing, but what you write has to make sense. keep at it.