Rage a story of survival - Daniel

A story about what happened at ground zero, the start of the outbreak. A short story from the world of RAGE a upcoming book i am writing.

I don't have long, I can feel it coursing through my blood changing me, but I suppose I should start from the beginning. My name is Daniel and I am a reporter, or rather I was a Washington D.C. Reporter. If you are reading this, it is an account of what has happened to me and the city in the last twenty four hours.

It started with me working a job, reporting on the crime rate at the local university. The camera light suddenly cut out during the story, and the camera man told me to wait while he checked it out. We were outside the campus when this happened, and while the camera man was looking at the camera, I took a look around. I noticed all the traffic was at a standstill, and many people were getting out of their cars. I was confused, and pulled out my phone to call work to see if I was needed to report on an emergency. I was surprised to find that my phone was not functioning either.

I would have continued examination, but that is when the first bomb struck. I don't remember seeing it in the sky, but I remember hearing the explosion, it was a few block from me but I still felt the shock wave as it knocked me to the ground. The next two minutes are hard to remember. I think I blacked out from the explosions and noise.

The next thing I remember is standing up and seeing smoke and fire in the skyline wherever I looked. My first instinct was to get the camera rolling and capture it on film, but I remembered then that it had been malfunctioning. I looked around for the camera man, and found him lying under a pile of debris, lifeless. I was shocked and ran from the scene, not able to keep a hold on myself.

I don't know how far I ran or even in what direction, I was panicked, I saw other people, some injured some dying and many panicking like me. I regained myself partially, and started moving towards one of the bomb sights. fighting against the traffic of people.

I found the sight, and saw a small crater in the street from the impact, though I failed to see any signs of an explosion. I did notice a few people lying on the ground, and quickly checked their pulses. Finding them alive I moved them onto some nearby grass. After I had done this, I checked my phone again but found it to be dead, before I could question it I heard a voice.

“What? Where am I?” The voice is coming from one of the formerly unconscious people, and I move over to him He is a tall man, with a pale complexion, and blue almost purple tinted eyes.

“There has been a bombing, you are safe, but the city seems to be in chaos.” The man seems panicked, and I explain everything that I have seen happen so far, and after he hears it, and has time to calm down we set about waking the other survivors and doing the same for them. Once they are conscious, and calmed down they leave, probably going to check on their families or friends. When the last one leaves, the man turns to me.

“I am Alex, thanks for helping me calm down. I am going to check on my family now, they live a few blocks from here.” I don't have a family here, and I am a little glad of that. I moved to D.C. to become a reporter, and to live on my own. I have done pretty well at that so far.

“I am Daniel, do you want me to come with you? I don't have anyone to check on, and I am sure you could use a hand.” My companion nods his head, and we move towards his house, there is a lot of panic and people are flooding the streets, and I start to fear we may not make it because of the frenzy, but we somehow manage it, and are lucky to find Alex's house unharmed.

We are careful to move over the fence and to the back door. Alex finds it locked and knocks on the door, I hear movement from inside coming towards us.

“Hey! Its' me if you are in there, could you open up?” The door is unlocked, and I see two little girls behind a women, they pull Alex and me inside, and embrace Alex. After the embrace he explains everything that had happened to him.

“Thank you for helping him home, you are welcome to stay here, I don't know what's going on, but I can't send you back outside. Especially not since you helped bring Alex home, I am Alex's wife, Mary.” I am glad that I don't have to leave since, from the sounds of it, the panic outside is getting worse, I agree and we soon set about blocking the doors and windows to make sure no violence comes inside the home.

I find my phone and see that it is still dead and unresponsive, and think to check the lights in the house and find that it is the same for them. Whoever launched the bomb must have had some way to wipe the power out as well, that would explain why there has been no city emergency response.

With the work of making the house more safe done, the family starts to prepare a meal, using what they have in the fridge and freezer since it will soon go bad. We are lucky that there is a gas stove, and it seems to be working just fine. We cook all the food that they have, saving canned or dry goods and some things that wont spoil, and have a very hardy meal.

Afterwards, the family makes a bed for me on the couch, and we all go to sleep. The rioting does seem to calm down a little, and exhausted from the day, I fall asleep.

I was awakened suddenly by a scream and jump up. I look towards the source of the scream, and see it is in the direction of Alex and Mary's bedroom. I run over and find one of their daughters in the doorway, standing petrified and when I look inside the room I find out why. Alex is standing over the corpse of his wife. It looks like her throat was torn out, and his mouth is covered in blood.

I only get a second to look at the scene before Alex turns to look at us, and I notice his red eyes and chalky white skin. He starts rushing towards us, and all I can think to do is move in front of his daughter. He grabs me and with an inhuman strength pulls me toward him, I remember his wife, and move my hand up to stop him from biting my neck.

I scream as his teeth rip into the flesh on the side of my hand, and feeling his grip loosen I push him back with all the strength I have. He falls over, and his head hits the corner of his bed frame with a loud crunch. I don't even need to check to know that he is dead, I take a moment to look at my hand and see that it is nasty looking and that it hurts quite a bit, but does not seem to be bleeding too badly, I look around for the daughter, but don't see her.

I walk into the parents bedroom and find some cloth to wrap my hand, and after wrapping my hand I leave, closing the door behind me. I can't think of what I have just done and what has happened, but I have killed a man. For now, I need to take the orphaned children to some kind of authority, and explain what's happened.

I go towards what I think is the girls' room, and see a sight that sickens me to the core, their window is broken and glass is everywhere. There is a pale person next to the two girls on the ground, biting chunks of flesh off of them. I am so shocked I can only leave the room and run outside.

I vomit and start crying, I don't know what else to do so I run from the house. Once I hop their fence and make it to the street I find dozens of chalk white, red eyed people chasing down and attacking everyone in sight, it is total chaos. I don't understand what's going on, and don't know where to turn. I run back to Alex's home, and find a pen and notebook and lock myself in the bathroom.

It must have been some disease, something that infects people, that's why I didn't see signs of an explosion at the bomb sight I found. The only thing that makes sense is if it had been a biological weapon. I don't know how it worked but it would seem that only those near the bomb were affected. I put the paper and pen on the side of the tub and get inside it, breaking down once again.

I wake up the next morning and am resolve to try and get out of the city. I am sure that things will calm down eventually, but for now I want to be somewhere with less people. I get out of the tub, and pick up my pen and notebook telling myself I will write all this down later, and am stopped when I see myself in the mirror. I see my skin, paler then it has ever been before, and my eyes starting to turn a reddish color. I realize then that whatever this disease is, that had been released, it may not be airborne, but it can still be spread. It must have been some contact, I feel a twinge of pain from my hand, and understanding comes to me. I don't know how much time I have left.

That is when I started to write, I can feel this disease taking over, all I feel is anger. I am trying hard now to focus on finishing this journal. I hope that someday, someone reads this, it would mean that there is still hope. I have to stop now, I feel myself slipping, I hope this journal can be of use to somebody.

Goodbye,

Daniel Peters

If you enjoyed the story and are interested in the book, check out my blog for it at.

Author's Note

I like all criticism, you wont hurt my feelings.

Reviews

[Flarare Weet]

On the twelfth paragraph, second line 'women' should be woman. And on the fifteenth paragraph, third line 'wont' should be won't.
The Rage reminded of the opening to the Dawn of the Dead movie, nevertheless this was still a unique take of a zombie apocalypse scenario. More specifically, how the protagonist has been bitten and he is now writing a journal about his transformation. A good read.

[Veggiekat70]

Very nice imagery. This definitely has a feeling of desperation that fits the scenario. I was a little curious about your use of contractions. It stuck out that I am was never shortened to I'm. I was wondering if you were planning on using changes in speech pattern for the narrator as he changes.