Chapter 1: From The Beginning

A Chapter by Otaku-chan99

This is in Zoe's point of view as she starts off the story. This is just a quick background info chapter. The next one will be in Calix's point of view, then the story will officially start. Enjoy :)

When I opened my eyes I was in some sort of lab. It was dirty and dusty, and also in ruins. I tried to move my hand; nothing. I tried again with the other one. Again nothing. It was tied down by something. I lifted my head up. The only thing I could see was a man on the other side of the room swishing things in beakers. I put my head back down and closed my eyes. ‘Maybe it’s just a bad dream. I’m probably just having another one of those dreams. Calix’ll probably come and wake me up for breakfast any minute now.’ I waited in silence. Then I heard a ‘tink’ noise, like something made of glass being put down somewhere. I opened my eyes again. I was still in the same place. In that dark and ominous lab, still strapped to a bed. The guy in the lab coat was still swishing his beakers and writing things down on his clipboard. I put my head back and closed my eyes again. Then I felt something cold and clammy on my arm. My eyes shot open and I instantly turned my head to the thing touching my arm. It was another guy in a lab coat. He was looking at me with that crooked smile. He started pinching my skin. “St-stop!” My voice was horse and my throat was dry. He guy looked up at me his glasses falling a bit down his nose. This guy was a bit older than the other one across the room, and more creepy. He pulled at my hair. “Ow! Qu-quite it!” Every time my voice cracked he just laughed more. He had a thick british accent when he spoke. “T’is ones a feisty little brod a’int she.” The other guy just grunted in response. “Come on love don’t be like that.” He held me by the chin then put his other hand over my mouth. I bit him and he instantly pulled away. “Leave me alone.” He stared at his now bleeding hand. “You little B***H!” He grabbed my by my face and raised his hand. I was waiting for him to slap me when nothing came. A woman’s voice was heard from somewhere else in the room. “Leave her alone Frank. You are not allowed to hit my patients.” “But she BIT me Julia.” Frank said through clenched teeth. “I don’t care. Touch her again and you’ll be the one strapped to the bed.” Julia finally came into view. She was fairly old, but looked to be in her late 30’s. She was really pretty. She walked over to the bed and smoothed back my hair. “After we run a few tests you can go back and join the others, okay?” I just stared at her. I probably looked so scared and pitiful because she kissed my forehead then held my hand. She seemed very nice. Why was she here with them? She turned to the other guy at the end of the room and motioned Frank to go get something. “Patterson how are her results?” The guy stopped writing and fixed his glasses. “They are outstanding. She is truly one of the best subjects we’ve had in years. She will be able to carry out the experiment along with the others.” Julia nodded then Frank came back pushing a tray. Julia picked up a needle with some weird blue serum in it. “You’re only going to feel a slight pinch okay? Just don’t move.” At those words I started freaking out. ‘What is that?! And why is it going into me!?’ She stuck the needle into my arm and my body started convulsing. I could hear them yelling and Julia telling me everything was going to be okay. I could feel the tears running down my face, then silence. All I could see was black….

Wait a second. Who are you? Have we met before? No? Then what are you doing here? Oh. I see. You came for the story, and have no idea what I’m talking about do you. Haven’t you been paying attention? What? You just got here!? Oh sorry. Well wanna hear it from the beginning? Really? Well if you insist, alright here goes.

Last night I had a dream about a forgotten memory. Me, my bother, mother, and grandma, we were all sitting in the living room of our small house. It was my birthday that day and I asked my grandma to tell us a story. She agreed and told us about our great-grandparents and how they met. She also told us about how the “Turned” virus skipped a generation in our family and is usually passed down to the women, but in this case my older brother got it first. (Even though I was born with it). We we’re all laughing and having a good time. I got so many presents, but the thing that I loved the most out of everything was that my family was together, but then the knock came. It was really loud and it scared us all. No one got up, we all froze. No one should have found us. We lived out in the woods for crying out loud. My father already died trying to make sure we were safe. Then the knock came again louder than the last. We waited in the silence to see what would happen next. It was quiet for a really long time until these really big men broke down our door and shot my mother in her stomach. The blood splattered onto my face and my mother fell to the ground. She wasn’t dead, but the shot knocked her back. My grandma quickly grabbed us and told us to hide and stay quiet. We did as we were told and ran up the stairs to the attic. We could see everything between the cracks in the boards. My brother told me to stay quiet and sit with him. He told me not to look, not to listen, but I couldn’t help myself. I had only just turned five and my curiosity got the better of me. I should’ve listened to him. I should have blanked out, and stopped listening. Just like when my father died. What I saw next was so…. horrific. What I saw was something no five year old should have seen. They stabbed my grandma and watched her bleed out. I can just remember them laughing as another man pulled up my mother’s dress and then took off his trousers. He raped my mother as she slowly bled out. She looked up toward the ceiling and saw me through the little hole. The last memory I have of my mother was her smiling face as I watched a man rape her. She mouthed the words, “I love you Zoey.” Then died.

Me and my brother were up in the attic for the next week. Those men didn’t leave for a really long time. When they finally did me and my brother buried my mother and grandma on the side of the house next to my father under the tree. I stopped eating and my brother was getting sick. We stayed in the attic for a really long time after that. We were close to death until he showed up. He opened the attic door and I was blinded by the light. The guy carefully picked me up in his arms then grabbed my brother. He took us down stairs and out the door. He put us in a carriage and the last thing I saw was our house getting smaller and smaller. The man took us to his house. It was always night when I woke up. He took care of my brother and always told me stories when I couldn’t sleep. He told me about the woman he loved, and how she was infected with the virus, but she was killed…. along with their unborn child. After my brother got better the man took me some place. Some place during the day. At least I think it was day. It was raining really hard and the sky was dark. He said he had to split me and my brother up, because I had the virus and he didn’t. He didn’t know. After that I never saw either of them again…. A few months after I got to the “Turned” village they didn’t treat me fairly. I was given a house to myself and was also the youngest child there. The others picked on me and I usually stayed in the house; isolated from the others. It was really quiet in that big house all by myself. I remember trying to play with the other kids once. It was during winter, and they were having a snowball fight. I went outside and asked to join but instead I was pelted with snowballs. I knew they were going to do that. They were just mad because I was a lot smarter than them. (Fact: the younger you are with the virus, the smarter you become over the years). I was alone for the next six months, then he showed up. And by “he” I mean Calix Hobson. A boy who was born a “Turned” like me, and he was about a year older too. He used to live with his mother before they were separated. His father was a “Turned” also. I met him when he first arrived, and boy was he mad. Actually more like enraged. He was thrown out of the carriage kicking and screaming. The guards pulled off his restraints then pushed him through the gates. From the looks of things he had bit a few people and hit one of the guards, causing his rude welcome. He sat in the snow for like an HOUR! I was getting bored. He was assigned to live with me and I couldn’t wait for him anymore. I walked in front of him my arms crossed. “Hello~? Earth to Mr. Grumpy. You in there?”

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