Michael

 

While Jack was holding hands with Ray and the brothers rejoice their reunion. Jeremy was in the middle of the group, listening to everyone's story. He was glad for Jack and what Jeremy is hearing about the brothers, well he was a little jealous but he didn't mind. Everyone would be if one of their loved one's kind of came back from the dead. It was understanding for Jeremy because it's logical but the thought did always come to him at night, he would be waking up one morning in his bed. Jeremy thought about his bed but realized that he didn't remember much, all he knew was that he was home again. He went downstairs to the kitchen and there he would see his family, it was like a morning, casual breakfast.

 

He would sit down and enjoy the typical TV breakfast, eggs, toast, bacon, and orange juice to wash everything down. Halfway to his breakfast though, everything starts to change. At first, the morning sunlight quickly turns into midnight, the lights in the house are dimmer. Jeremy's parents were, at first talking to each other, but then their skin starts to slowly shrivel up until a skin piece falls into their plates. Jeremy would try to get out of his chair but it felt like he was glued to it. He would try to struggle and try to look away, but all he saw was flesh being torn apart now. He looked down on his plate and he saw what the rest of the family was eating, people, kids similar to Jeremy's age. On his plate he notices that chunks were missing and then he realized that he had eaten some of it, he tried to throw up but the sick feeling was overwhelming and it wouldn't come out. He then notices his own skin turning paler and then he would feel some of his teeth aching. He put a finger in his mouth to investigate and discovered that some of the teeth were rotten and was falling out. His skin slowly began itchily and he would scratch until he notices blood on his hand. Jeremy freaked out and fell backward and was free from his chair, but so was his family, they finally notice their son and their eyes were black and inside Jeremy could see the hunger that drove them to attack their own son.

 

Jeremy ran to the bathroom upstairs and locked the doors behind them, he knew he had to leave, he knew that the door wasn't going to keep them out for long. He planned on going out of the window, it wasn't a fatal jump but Jeremy knew he would have to face the consequences after he escaped from his folks. He didn't do that because something caught his attention.

 

 

It was a reflection of himself, but it wasn't the boy he saw. In the mirror he saw his face all scratched and bleeding violently, he opened his mouth and inside the veins and his tongue was turning black. It was like his body was dying. He looked at his eyes and it was turning into something similar towards his folks, all black and dead. Was Jeremy turning into one of them, that's impossible he didn't get bit. He tried to look around his body for marks but as he frantically looked for the mark he made himself more tired. His legs weren't functioning like they used to, it was like they were dying. Eventually, Jeremy was forced to sit down and he did but he could see the door breaking down from the pressure of his family trying to get in.

 

There was something in his lungs, he felt it and tried to cough it up only when he finally got it out, it turned out that it was blood. When he saw the blood on his hand his brain started to hurt. It first felt like a headache, but the pressure just kept increasing, so much that Jeremy was slowly forming a ball on the bathroom floor. Every part of his face was bleeding. His nose was dripping a dark red color while his ears bled a lighter shade. His vision was fading, but he did see one more thing before he passed out.

 

It was the door opening up and he could see his family rushing towards him.

 

Someone tapped Jeremy on the shoulder and that made him jump back into reality, it was Mackenzie. "You ok?" She asked and Jeremy shook his head, "Just a bad thought, that's all." She pulled me away from the middle of the group and Jeremy and Mackenzie were now on the right side of the group. They figured they can watch the right side while they chat. "So what's up, why are you so moody today?" At first, Jeremy didn't answer her but then she kept forcing the question and Jeremy eventually told her about his nightmare. Once he was done she shook her head and said, "And here I thought you were the normal one in the world, I guess everyone has their ticks in the world." She patted his shoulder and said, "It'll be ok, it'll pass eventually." Jeremy shook his head, "The thing is I haven't seen them when the plague started. For I know they could be alive out there, not knowing that their son is still alive."

 

Mackenzie allowed the thought to last and then she shook her head, "We all think that at some point in life but we all have to face the fact, the dead are coming back to life and the only people alive are kids of a variety of ages and now that number will dwindle due to the fact that the same kids could, in fact, get infected." Jeremy said, "Which doesn't make sense, why now? Why couldn't kids get infected until now? It's just adding to the list of 'Things that's could possibly end the human race' and to some people, it seems like the end of the world even though we're already there." Jeremy's voice was rising without him realizing, but Mackenzie knew, which is why she slapped Jeremy in the face.

 

"Quit it. You know damn well that we have to keep going, even if things are looking tough we can't just give up and roll over and die." Jeremy notices the tear that was present in Mackenzie's eye and the stinging sensation of the slap has calmed Jeremy down. He said, "I'm sorry." Awkwardness spread between the two but at the same time they looked at each other and began smiling, "You are a handful you know that?" Said Mackenzie and Jeremy laughed and said: "It comes with the world."

 

 

With the remainder of the trip, everyone was socializing with each other in their own group. The brothers were catching up while Ray and Jack spend quality time with each other and now Jeremy was with Mackenzie, trying to help each other keep going throughout the days of the living dead. Until finally they saw the prison.

 

The prison was to say secured at the most part. There was a group of the undead surrounding what looks like an entrance. Frank said something on his radio and told us to wait, after a couple of minutes we heard noises coming to the side of us and the undead was following the noise and revealed the pathway in the prison, Frank told us to hurry and we ran to the entrance and the entrance was a large gate that was chained up with a lock attached to it. Randy tossed something small towards Frank and once Frank caught it he went to the lock and a couple of seconds later the gate was movable and soon after opened. We all rushed in and was faced with another gate. At first, we were still hyper but once everyone got in and Frank closing the gate he told us that we were done.

 

Currently around us was the gate that we just passed through and surrounding us is a layer of fences keeping the undead from getting to us temporally. Next to us was a building and Randy escorted us in and once everyone was in Frank closed the door behind us. There was a table in the room and once everyone quiet Randy said, "Welcome to the first step into entering our luscious prison, first thing first is your weapons." He pulled out his weapon and set it on the table. "That's all you have to do, piece of cake." I stepped forward and ask, "Why?" Randy smiled like he was expecting the question and said, "Well we can't have you causing a mess all because you were a little jumpy." A couple of kids in my group giggled quietly and since nobody else said anything. I was the first to place my sword on the table and soon after others followed my lead.

 

The last person was Mackenzie, once she saw that everyone else had given up their weapons, she was peer-pressured into giving up hers. Needless to say, she wasn't happy with being defenseless. Once she placed her knives onto the table Randy clapped his hands together and said, "Great! Thank you all for your support and don't worry you'll get them back once you've earned our trust." Randy was acting like a tour guide and he was also sounding like one too and it seems like he's enjoying it. Frank said something again and while Randy was being a tour guide, Frank was slowly acting like a bodyguard of some sort, it was like we were the president and Frank was telling HQ that we were on our way in.

 

Frank told us to follow him and we left our weapons on the table and we saw that there were two more kids coming towards the other side of the gate that leads us to the prison. One was a girl with blonde hair and there was a guy who had red curly hair. They came up to the gate and Frank approach them and was whispering something to the two. Randy came over to me and whispered, "The boy in red is Charlie, he's the head scout, he tells us where to go and look for supplies. The girl is Amanda, she's one of our medical staff, she was probably sent out to see if anyone is wounded, luckily that haven't happened." I said, "Not exactly before you or Frank showed up we did have someone else. Listen I'll tell you more but first I have to ask, do you know anything about getting bit by one of the undead?" Randy questioned me but when I didn't tell him that I was kidding he shook his head, "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean."

 

I told him I'll explain later because Frank was done and he turned and gave us the signal to follow again. Charlie and Amanda were with Frank and Randy was following them with us behind them. We were walking in the middle of what seems like two layers of fences. It was a long narrow path that led us to the prison's entrance. I could see that there was a tower that overlooked the entrance and I could barely see that there was a figure in the tower. He signaled something to someone and once we approach the gate they started to open up and inside it revealed a boy. He was smiling and something told me that this guy was intimidating.

 

“Welcome to Warlow, names Michael, please to meet you all.” Michael was still smiling but not in a friendly manner but like a shark looking for fresh prey. “If you would all follow me, you’ll be put in a separate establishment until we gather our information.” Jeremy didn’t like that, I could tell but I could tell that he was scared to say anything. So did Michael. He came forward and up to Jeremy’s face and challenged him, “You have something to say? No? Good. The quicker you learn that, the better.” Michael stepped away and while his back was turned Jeremy was stunned in fear, I could see the color vanish, Mackenzie pulled him in the crowd, whispered something to Jeremy and took his place.

 

Michael signaled us to follow and we did, this time Frank and Randy was by Michael’s side, they were saying something and all Michael did was nod. He didn’t say anything at first, then he spoke aloud, “Will the person in charge of this hefty group please come forward and state your name.” We stopped and he turned around and looked at us. He must’ve been talking to me, I was going to step forward but Ray’s hand tightened. I looked at her and put my free hand on top of her, I whispered, “It’s fine.” I removed my hand from her and stepped forward. “My name is Jack and these are my people. We don’t mean any harm.”

 

He looked me up and down and slowly walked up to me, Michael was a taller boy, his face was covered in acne, his hair was short and brown. He was so close to me I could see his eyes, they were blue and the closer I looked at him the more I realized he has a scar on his cheek. He held out his hand and smiled, “Pleased to meet you.” I hesitated and then shook his hand, before I knew what was going on, his gripped tightened and his other hand punched me in the gut. All the air in my lungs escaped my body and I fell to my knees, my head was facing the dirt ground and the drool in my mouth was slowly dripping. Michael grabbed my head and pulled it up so I could see his face, he was still smiling, “Got to be fast than that bucko, if I was your enemy you would’ve been dead.” He dropped my head and walked away from me, I don’t know what got over me but the pain felt like they were going away and I tried to get up but the joints were fighting me back. Eventually, I got up 

 

I spit on the ground and I looked up and I saw Michael looking back at me, “Well it seems this boy got the genitalia to stand up to me, that’s a big no here.” He approached me and grabbed my collar and lifted me up, my feet couldn’t touch the ground anymore. “Try that again in front of my people, you’ll regret it, but at the same time, I respect that, what was your name was again? Jack? I’ll remember you boy, I want to see what can break you. Frank, get the boy ready in one week. It’s time that this place gets a little exciting here.” Michael threw me to the ground and walked away and told Frank something else but I couldn’t focus on what he said. Jeremy held out his hand and pulled me back up, once Michael was out of earshot he asked, “You ok? That looked like it hurt.” I got up and held onto my stomach, the punch was going to leave a mark. “Yeah, I’ll be fine, he seems like a nice person.”

 

Frank approached me and said, “We have to keep moving, after that we need to have a little chat. Randy take the rest to the holding cells, I’ll take our precious idiot to see Marbles.” Randy saluted him and rounded everyone and told them to keep going, Ray was looking at me worryingly and I held up my hand to signal that I’m fine, she nodded and eventually left with the rest of the group. Once they were gone Frank slapped my face, “What the hell was that? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Because of your actions, you have a week to prepare for your test.” The pain and the way Frank was talking confused me, “What do you mean test?” Frank blew a mouthful of air and said, “Test of your survival, follow me and I’ll explain on the way.”

 

Once we started walking we continued, “Michael’s test is derived from three things: cunning, strength, and willpower. He wants to break you mentally, if you fail, death will look like a blessing.” We kept walking but what Frank said kept me numb, “How bad is it?” he stopped and looked at me, the look Frank gave me told me it was bad, “You seem like a good kid, I’m going to try my best to help you but there’s not much I can do though. What Michael is doing is barbaric and no one should go through it but we can’t do anything. People are too scared of him.” Yes, he seems like a nice guy all right, now I understand why Alexander was the way he was. “I saw the way you were looking at the girl earlier if I was you I’d avoid her.” That statement caught me off guard, “Why’s that?” frank replied, “Remember when I said he was trying to break you, he will do anything.” Now I know how Jeremy felt too, this was going to be a long week. What the hell did I get myself involved in?

 

We circled the prison and entered the back, inside the walls were closer together. I guess they were meant to keep the prisoners in line but in the apocalypse, this could be a kill zone or a place where if you’re in the middle and the undead can come from both ways. Good luck. Frank was leading me pass the tight corridor, and eventually we come to a room where the walls expanded and I could stand by Frank's side I then saw other kids passing by, some were wearing gear like Frank and Randy. They didn’t care for me and Frank didn’t acknowledge them either, it was like they weren’t there. I barely notice that both of them were wearing a neon wristband. Frank saw me noticing them and said, “They are Michael’s generals, trust me they aren’t that special but they’re good people, at least some of them are.” He said that while meeting up with another kid, this one was wearing a wristband but just like the feeling I got from Michael, this kid wasn’t friendly either. “Marbles,” Frank said nodding and Marbles didn’t acknowledge Frank, but he was looking at me. He was a big guy for his age and he was intimidating like he’s hunting me.

 

 

"This him?" Asked Marbles, he was asking Frank but at the same time, his eyes were asking me. "Yes, Jack meet Marbles, he's a buddy of mine and he's going to help you." Marbles looked me up and down and asked Frank what weapon I used in the field, Frank answered him and Marbles laughed, "Frankie you know you could teach the kid your techniques, your one of the fastest swordsman I've ever seen." Marbles weren't wrong, I've seen Frank in action, one second he's bare fisting a fight and in the next, a flash comes over an undead face and boom, no more undead. "What do you mean techniques?" Frank sighed and said, "That's why I'm coming to you, do you think that he can handle it? You always have a way of knowing stuff like that." Marbles didn't think about it, he just laughed again, "Boy it only depends on one thing, do you think you can teach him." I looked at Frank and he was returning the stare, he was processing something, that I knew but he didn't say anything for a while. "Get me two training swords from the armory and meet me in the usual spot." Marbles nodded and walked away from us, Frank told me to follow him again and he was leading me the way we came from and soon we were outside again.