Chapter two — OUTBREAK DAY

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     CHARLOTTE WAS ENVELOPED WITH FEAR. The young woman closed her blinds with shaky fingers, filled with terror from what she had just witnessed. She couldn't believe it, despite her past assumptions of her neighbor being a sicko from the amount of times he'd find ways to inappropriately touch her at work and make disturbing comments, she never thought she'd walk out of her house one night and find the man tearing into his wife's body. She was desperately trying to focus on taking deep breaths which only made them more shallow. Charlotte ran up the stairs of the home she and Ben had only bought five months ago and headed straight for the closet. On her knees she tried to unlock the safe to grab her husbands revolver. No combination she tried worked. She tried birthdays, and she even tried their wedding date even though Charlotte knew her husband was far too self absorbed for the code to be that.

The sound of glass shattering froze Charlotte in her spot. Inhumane like growls echoed through the house. Charlottes eyes landed on a baseball bat leaning against a nightstand. She was quick to grab it, but as a fault she made noise as she did. The stairs creaked, startling her even more. She took the bat and hid behind the door.

Her neighbor walked into the bedroom, crouched over, noises in between growls and coughs coming from him. Charlotte took her shot and swung at his head. The man fell to the ground but not a moment later he was back on his feet and tackling Charlotte.
Being pinned to the ground Charlotte got a good look at what used to be her shithead neighbor. Snapping his head at her and growling. A string like substance coming out of his mouth, his eyes pale and veiny. The young woman couldn't think of a worse way to die. She was fighting for her life in the literal matter, but knew she wouldn't win this fight in the end.

The wood of the bat was splintering into her palms, she pushed, using all her strength but it was no good.

A loud gunshot went off and the force Charlotte was fighting had disappeared. The man was pulled off of her and there stood Ben, a shotgun in his hand. "Lottie, get up baby we gotta go." Ben said helping his wife up. He searched her body for injuries. "You alright?" Charlotte didn't know what type of fucking question that was but she just shook her head. Ben opened the safe and handed his wife the revolver. There wasn't enough time for Charlotte to question anything, so the two ran out to their car.

Once they were on the road, the couple noticed that they were low on fuel, and would not make it much anywhere. "We'll head to Joel's. We'll be alright." Ben said shaking his head. Repeating his words for more of his own benefit rather than Charlottes. When they reached the Millers residence, No vehicle was in the driveway. "Shit they're already gone." Ben punched the steering wheel and got out the truck. He paced around and Charlotte got out to calm him down.

"Charlotte!" The young woman heard her name being called and she turned to find Sarah running out of the Adlers house. Charlotte took the young girl into her arms just as headlights came into the two's vision.

"Get in the truck!" Joel yelled getting out. "Right now! Move." He took Sarah and Charlottes arm lightly pushing them towards the vehicle. Loud growls and the sound of bones cracking interrupted them. Joel's neighbor Nana fell to the ground. Her head snapped up focusing on Sarah. The old lady started off crawling before she was up into a full sprint at the group. "What are we doing Joel!" Tommy hollered, his rifle raised and ready to shoot, but before he could Joel swung at the old lady with the wrench he had in his hand. The man then dropped the wrench turning towards his daughter.

"You killed her." Sarah whispered in shock.

Joel pulled Sarah into a hug. "Baby I'm sorry."

"Joel we gotta go." Tommy reminded.

"Cmon Charlotte." Ben spoke, pulling at her elbow. The two got in the backseat, soon after Sarah joined them, placing herself in between the two for comfort. Joel got in last after yelling at his neighbor to stay inside. Tommy sped off, hitting two people with solid pale eyes and bloodstained shirts on.

"Daddy-"

"We don't know." Joel responded before Sarah could ask.

"They're saying it's a virus, some kind of parasite." Tommy spoke.

"Is it from terrorists?" Sarah questioned.

"We don't know." Joel repeated.

"Are we sick?" Sarah asked her breathing speeding up.

"No of course not." Joel told her.

Charlotte rubbed Sarah's warm back to slow down her breathing. It didn't seem to help, the more questions the young girl asked her breaths just got more shallow.

"How do you know we're not sick?" Sarah asked.

"They're saying it's mostly people in the city. That's why they got the highway blocked off." Joel explained.

A burning house came into view. The blazing orange was hard to miss on the dark road. "God, it's Jimmy's place." Tommy muttered.

"The Adlers would take Nana into the city. To the hospital for stuff." Sarah realized.

"That's right. They would, that's probably why."

Sarah continued to ask questions, her mind was everywhere. "We're fine Sarah, we're not sick." Charlotte told her softly.

Shouts from outside the car caused Tommy to slow down. "Hey what are you doing?" Joel asked his brother.

"They got a kid Joel-"

"So do we. Keep driving." Joel demanded.

The shouts faded and the engine grew louder as distance was put between the family on the side of the road and the one in the car.

"Somebody else will come along." Joel muttered.

"Fuck!" Tommy exclaimed as traffic came into sight.

"Looks like everybody had the same fucking idea!" Ben grunted.

"All right, all right, let's think it through, we'll think it through." Joel stressed.

"The field, take the field." Charlotte said as a car flew by them.

"Yeah, the field, we cut across and we pick up on the, on the west side." Joel agreed. 

Tommy nodded turning into the field. "Alright hang on." Tommy drove through the bumpy field. The headlight illuminated their path until the town's lights appeared. Helicopters flew above. "Shit, fuckin' army!" Tommy cursed.

"Isn't that good?" Sarah questioned.

"It's good for them but that's not the highway we're tryin' to get to." The truck came to a slow stop.

"Alright keep movin'. Head North." Joel told his brother.

"There could be a lot of people." Ben spoke.

"Well, we can't go south, we can't go east, we can't go west, hell else we supposed to go?" Joel stated. "Tommy come on!" Tommy started to drive North, still unsure of his brothers decision. "This can work." Joel muttered.

"Yeah but then what?" The younger Miller brother questioned.

"I don't know. Mexico. Just far. Far as we can. How much gas?" The brothers discussed what would happen next as Charlotte felt a tug at her hand.

She looked down towards Sarah, her eyes filled with fear. "I'm scared." She whispered.

"I know, I am too but we gotta be brave, okay?" Sarah nodded leaning her head into Charlottes chest.

A line of curses came from Tommy as a plane flew dangerously low above them. Sarah covered her ears as more flew by.

"Son of a bitch we gotta go around, grab something." Tommy ordered. A line of police cars stopped ahead of them, causing the group to have to turn down another road. That road didn't do them any good either, people were fighting in the streets, Tommy slowed down the vehicle, making Joel yell at him to keep going, a larger crowd of people ran in their direction causing Joel to change him mind, now yelling at his brother to go backwards.

Charlotte turned in her seat, a plane was coming down straight towards them. "Tommy!" She yelled hitting the back of his seat. Tommy's eyes went wide, and he was yet again driving forward.

Charlotte watched in horror as the plane crashed behind them. Flying parts of the plane shot everywhere, one hitting the truck causing it to crash.

The ringing in Charlottes ears faded as her husbands yells filled grew louder. He was yelling at her to get up. He had pulled her out of the Truck just in time before another car came crashing into it. The crash caused a divide between Tommy, Charlotte and Ben and Joel and Sarah.

"Head to the river! We'll find a way." Tommy told his brother. Joel continued to look for a way around the car.

"Get her out of here Joel!" Charlotte hollered. Joel disappeared from the window surrounded by flames.

  ————————————————————

Charlotte, Tommy and Ben were able to get away from all the infected, and sprinted down to the river, finding Joel already there. A solider had a gun pointed right at Joel. Tommy didn't hesitate before firing his weapon, hitting the man in the head. "Oh god." Tommy whispered afterwards, but it took Charlotte a moment to see that he wasn't speaking in relief for his brothers life or to the fact he had just killed a man.

Heavy panting drew Charlottes eyes away from Joel and to Sarah.

"Oh no, no, no." Joel repeated as he made his way over to Sarah. "You're okay, you're okay, move your hand baby." Sarah removed her hand from her wound. Charlottes hand covered her mouth at the sight of it. Blood covered majority of her pink shirt and it only continued to spread.

Joel tried to lift Sarah up but she kicked and screamed in pain.

"I know baby, I know, I know, I know. I know it hurts." The man repeated his words, telling her she was okay, but everyone but Joel knew it wasn't. The wound was too fatal.

"I know, I know, I know, I know, I know. Tommy help me!" Joel cried out.

"Joel-"

Sarah had gone completely limp in Joel's arms.

"Joel we gotta go." Tommy choked out. Joel had not moved from his position, he was now in complete sobs, holding Sarah's body close against him.

"Joel we can't stay here." Ben uttered. Joel still had not made any movements, except for rocking his daughter back and forth. Ben raised his shotgun to look out for danger.

"No, no, no we c-can't leave her. I- I can't go without her." He stammered.

Charlotte bent down a few feet away from Joel. "Joel, Joel look at me." — Joel's eyes found Charlottes, glossy and in shock. "We'll die if we stay here."

Joel glanced back at his daughter, his shuttering movements stopped, and he placed a kiss on Sarah's forehead before carefully laying her down on the ground. He stood to his feet, his face embedded with vacancy.

And he walked.

Tommy and Ben followed, with concerned looks on their faces. Charlotte took one last look at Sarah's body, finally taking in the events of the night.

Nothing would ever be the same again.

A/n: One more chapter before the time jump.
Rip Sarah.