ATTENTION.

ATTENTION.

This is the Emergency Broadcast System. Take shelter immediately. Do not leave your home. This is not a drill.

Repeat: This is not a drill. A government facility has been breached. Take shelter immediately and stay connected to this frequency for further instructions.

The message was repeated three times. Then total radio silence.

Mass panic erupted across the nation. People ran from their workplaces; taking shelter in the comfort of their homes. Some called their children and cried when they received no answer.

Twelve hundred missed calls later and a sinking feeling in their gut. Generation Z would never leave their phone unattended. Especially not in a time like this. Not unless they were dead.

Weeks passed. The government didn't return. Rumours circulated over social media. Ships containing important political personnel had left the docks. The military bases were abandoned.

Power was slowly shutting down with no one to keep them running. Water was no longer pulsing through the tap. Citizens across the globe were starving. Meals of rice only sustained them for so long. There wasn't any wood for them to light a fire, now that they couldn't light their stovetop. They'd have to go outside for that. But still, they stayed put. The internet had told them everything there was to know. Do not go outside. Board your windows and lock the doors. It was better to starve to death than face the grim scene that awaited them outside.

Some people grew anxious. They paced in their homes. Should they go outside? Their children still hadn't returned home, and it had been four days since they had last heard from them. Besides, there was no food in the fridge. They hadn't bothered to go grocery shopping on Monday morning. It was much easier to go on Tuesday night. Petrol was cheaper then. They would get groceries and refuel on the trip home.

But now? They were hungry. Two days of canned vegetable soup had left them with their stomach growling. Surely, whatever was outside wasn't as bad as it seemed.

The government had said that a facility had been breached. At worst, it would be the prisons outside of town. They'd just need to avoid the criminals. The military would be patrolling the streets if that were the case. They hadn't heard any military vehicles. Come to think of it, they hadn't heard anything at all. It was probably a false alarm.

Someone would be at the local grocery store. If not, then they wouldn't mind if they took some food and left money at the counter. The manager was always so nice. The security cameras would show that they were being honest. They would understand. Not everyone had enough food to last them for several days. Most people did their groceries on Tuesday.

Citizens began to leave their homes. They'd leave notes and slip away into the night. Always making sure to bring the spare key and lock the door behind them. Their notes promised that they'd return soon, with enough food to last them the month. It might be canned, but at least it was edible.

Some did return the following morning, bearing harrowed eyes and broken smiles. There wasn't any food in their packs. They had seen something they hadn't wanted to see.

Bodies were strewn on the ground. Half-eaten. Stomachs torn open. The people died slowly, painfully, and yet, no one had heard them suffer. What could have killed a person in such a way? Animals didn't make those marks.

What did?

Humans.

There were prisons outside of town, but the citizens hadn't been told of any cannibals. Not in their jail cells anyway. Their country had plentiful amounts of food, and people were highly educated. They would know the dangers of eating human flesh if they even ate it at all.

Nothing was making sense. There would be food at the store. No one would eat another person when they could just walk an extra hundred metres. Especially not if you had to tear them apart and eat them raw.

Besides, the theory of the prison breakout didn't make sense. People across the globe were facing the same situation. They received the exact same broadcast from their respective governments. Do not leave the shelter. Await further instructions Do not go outside. Not one government hinted to the real reason behind the global emergency.

Everyone knew the government was lying about the breach in their facilities. It didn't require a genius IQ. The people who were supposed to protect the citizens of their countries were hiding crucial information from them. Prime Ministers and Presidents alike. Even the revered Queen Elizabeth had disappeared. The information that they were withholding was killing their people, and yet? Nothing. As if they didn't care. As if they weren't in their buildings anymore.

No one was going to protect them.

People began to plan their escape. They packed their bags; stuffed them with canned goods and warm clothes. Rummaged around in their daughter's bedroom for her favourite teddy bear. A chocolate bar for good luck.

No one knew where they were heading. Just that they needed to leave before it was too late. Before their supplies ran empty and they were trapped in the confines of their homes. They would come back for their children. When they found a safe place. Their children would be fine. They had to be. Their phones were just flat.

The teachers were looking after them at school.

So, how did they leave? Some went on foot. Others ventured to the docks; planning to steal an old fishing boat. No one would notice it missing. Even an old kayak would do. Anything that would help them find shelter.

Radio communication spoke rumours of uninhabited islands still on Earth. If they could just find one, they would be safe. They could farm. It couldn't be that hard. They took agriculture at school. Once the fields were sewn, they would contact their family. Give them directions to the shelter. Wait until the whole situation blew over.

Everyone knew it was just wishful thinking. But still, people left. They fled; their backpacks heavy on their shoulders. Few escaped. When the next groups of survivors fled, they always found the bodies. Half-eaten. With backpacks brimmed with food still attached to their backs.

No one was ever brave enough to take the food. 

Hi everyone! 

A big thank you to everyone who read the prologue and gave my story a chance. When I first posted this story, I didn't think that anyone would be able to find my story (let alone read it!) amongst all the other amazing zombie novels. So even if you decide to put this novel down now, I appreciate you all! 

I have big plans for the SURVIVE series. The main series will be three novels, but I also have plans for a novella from one of the perspectives of the characters - Ttod. 

This novel is accompanied by a number of graphics including aesthetics, gifs, chapter banners, artworks and quote art. You can find these at the back of the novel. 

Please give this chapter a vote if you enjoyed it. I'd also love to see your comments on this story throughout the chapters. It's really motivating and so much fun to connect with you guys! 

Happy reading x