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❝𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕨𝕖 𝕥𝕠𝕠 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤...❞

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𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 :: 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉,, 𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓,, 𝒂𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕,, 𝒄𝒓𝒖𝒆𝒍 𝒇𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓,, 𝒂𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒆,, 𝒗𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆,, 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈

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CARRAN, IRELAND
2050

It's been two months since the major outbreak. It had wiped out most of the country's population. And the majority of the world's population too. Leaving people as shells of themselves. Those who were lucky to remain unaffected had to flee from their hometowns to avoid catching the illness or being bitten. They now have to fight for themselves, fight to survive.

In a forest on the outskirts of Carran, a group of friends have just arrived back at their cabin after making a trip into the town to receive more supplies. They narrowly dodged a run in with the living dead. Or so they had thought.

Erin O'Cleary couldn't ignore the uncomfortable feeling in her arm. It was itching and it almost felt as though it was burning. Her fingers brushed against her sleeve, which now had a fairly big hole across the forearm. The fifteen year old could just about get a glimpse of the puncture on her skin. She didn't want to pull it back fully, to face the truth. She knew she had been bitten, there was no denying it but seeing the bite would make it all to real.

She looks up at the group around her. Her brother, Hugh O'Cleary, was talking with Victor Jay and Pastella McAlister. The three were going through the food supplies they had taken from the abandoned town, making sure there was enough for everyone.

Erin looks to the rest of the group, who are closer to her. Willow Dean-Song, Hallie Jameson and Chloe Madden. The three were organising the other supplies, which consisted of many different things. Blankets, medicine, books and such.

They were all occupied with something and didn't notice Erin's state of distress.

Erin returns her gaze back to her sleeve. She slowly pulls the fabric back with a trembling hand. Just as she had dreaded, there was an undeniable zombie bite settled on her arm.

Erin could feel her body temperature rising. She didn't know if it was from the bite or from her panicking. Her eyes filled with tears at an alarming speed, blurring her vision.

Erin walks over to Willow, Hallie and Chloe. When she speaks, her voice falters, "Guys."

The three friends look up from the piles they were sorting. They immediately notice the wound on Erin's arm and their faces fall. Chloe takes Erin's arm into her hands, studying it closely. Hallie looks like she's about to start crying herself. Willow rests a comforting hand on Erin's shoulder and calls out for Hugh.

Hugh looks over at the sound of his name being called. He feels a sense of dread, having a gut feeling that he already knows what's happened. He sprints over, followed closely by Victor and Pastella.

The atmosphere of the forest changes in an instant. It would've been completely silent if it weren't for Erin's (and Hallie's) crying.

Without another second of hesitation, Hugh carefully grabs Erin's arm and slings it over his shoulder. He leads her further into the forest, ignoring his friends' calls for him to come back. The siblings don't stop until Hugh's sure that they're far enough away from the cabin.

Hugh slowly lowers them both down to the grass. Erin's head rests in his lap and Hugh brushes the hair away from her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Hugh." Erin mumbles, staring up at her brother with tear-filled eyes.

Hugh shakes his head and shushes his sister, "It's not your fault, okay? You didn't ask for this. None of this is your fault."

Erin shakily brings her hands up, unhooking her necklace for around her neck and places it in Hugh's open hand then closes his fingers around it, "Keep it. So you never forget me."

Hugh takes the necklace and holds it close. He chuckles softly, "Don't be stupid Erin. I'd hardly forget about you. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did."

He leans down and kisses her on the forehead, "I love you, little sister."

Hugh opens his eyes and looks across at the horizon. He can see the dead starting to consume Erin's mind and body.

The rest of the group have caught up with them and they start to pull Hugh away from Erin.

"Hugh." Victor says, "Come on. We have to go before she turns."

Hugh fights against his friends' grasp. "No! I have to stay with her!" He's struggling. Angry. Upset. Fighting every instinct in his body to leave Erin's side.

Hugh turns to his girlfriend, "Chloe, there has to be something you can do!"

"Hugh–"

Hugh shakes his head and cuts Chloe off, "No! Chloe, come on. Please! At least try, Chloe! Please, I'm begging you! I can't let this happen to her!"

"Hugh.. I'm so sorry. You know there's nothing I can do. If there was I'd do it in a heartbeat."

They finally manage to pull Hugh far enough from Erin, though he is still struggling against them and fighting his way back to her.

"No!" he yells, his voice getting choked up. "No! No! Erin!!"

Hugh is trying his best to escape his friends' grasp and get back to Erin. His face is full of tears now but that does not stop his attempts.

Hallie stares at Hugh in surprise. She was used to him being her protector and the anchor of the group. The shoulder to lean on. Hallie had seen him cry before, but never anything like this.

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James Murphy stares at the sight of his dead wife, Aisling. He let go of the gun and it falls to the floor with a clatter. His hand covers his mouth as what he just did finally sets into his mind.

His hands shake and his legs feel like they could give out at any minute. He had to do it, he had to. He couldn't just sit by and watch the love of his life gradually change into a shell of herself. He would have had to do it eventually, he thinks to himself.

Azealia Murphy has just returned from walking her dog Poppy. She closes the door behind her and calls out to her parents.

"I'm back!"

Silence. Azealia takes off Poppy's lead and has a nose around downstairs, looking for her parents. When she doesn't find anyone, she walks over to the bottom of the stairs and calls up.

"Mom? Dad? Are you there?"

There's still no response. Azealia makes her way up the stairs. Something just felt off and she wants to know what and why. The fourteen year old notices that the door to her parents room is opened by a few inches. She treks over and pushes it open.

"Mom? Dad? I'm–"

Azealia stops in her tracks. She stares at her mom's bloody and limp body, then at the gun on the ground. The girl's lips part open. A million thoughts are flowing through her mind. Her mom was alive and breathing before she left. What happened? Why did this happen?

Azealia's eyes trail up to meet her father's, who's staring at her with immense hatred. She flinches as a picture frame is hurled in her direction and smashes into pieces after hitting the wall, right above her head.

It felt like hours that Azealia was forced to endure James's rage. He screamed at her, threw things at her.

James had backed Azealia downstairs and into the hallway. He stormed towards the door and flung it open.

"GET OUT!" He roared, his face red with rage.

Azealia's heart dropped. Tears continue to rapidly stream down her cheeks. She can't believe this. She knew her dad didn't like her much but she didn't think he would ever take it this far.

"What..? Dad.. you– you can't be serious. Please, I–"

"GET OUT! NOW! AND TAKE THAT BLASTED DOG WITH YOU!"

James grabs his daughter by the wrist and pulls her forward until she's out on the porch. Poppy whines and instantly follows after the young girl.

Azealia opens her mouth to try plead with her dad again but the door is slammed in her face and she hears the sound of the key turning before she can.

Azealia stares at the door in silence. For a moment, she doesn't know how to feel. This can't actually be happening. Maybe her dad's only messing with her and he'll let her back in after he has a few minutes to cool down.

But when James doesn't return to the door after fifteen minutes, Azealia starts to panic.

She bangs a fist against the painted wood, crying desperately, "Dad! Dad, this isn't funny! Please, open the door! Dad!!"

Poppy whimpers and nudges her head under her owner's hand that remains by her side, hoping to offer some comfort to the young girl.

Azealia kneels down to Poppy and wraps her arms around the golden retriever. She sobs and her body is trembling as reality sets in for her.

She's on her own now.

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author's note ::
hii! really angsty way to start off the book but it's needed to get the story going, if that makes sense. i know the oc appearances weren't exactly evened out but again, the prologue is to get the story going. i will do my best to make oc appearances as even as possible but please do not he upset if your oc doesn't get as much time as another. i'm only human and can only do so much! i haven't proofread this, it's midnight and i seriously need to sleep. so there's probably grammar mistakes and i've probably gotten stuff wrong as well. there's also a chance i made a mistake with pronouns, if i did i deeply apologise and please let me know! i will fix it as soon as i get the chance to! reminder to vote and comment. please don't be a ghost reader <3. anyways, i hope you enjoyed the prologue!

request a scene for chapter one ::

xx, izzy

ocs mentioned {in order} ::

erin o'cleary {xrosegoldqnx}

hugh o'cleary {xrosegoldqnx}

victor jay {Biggirl568}

pastella mcalister {-lilithiinpariss}

willow dean-song {-twilightzone}

hallie jameson {-venusflytrap}

chloe madden {_roscxpctals_}

james murphy {xrosegoldqnx}

aisling murphy {xrosegoldqnx}

azealia murphy {xrosegoldqnx}