Legendary [On Hold]

Prologue

"The plague has now effected almost the whole of Europe." The news presenter states trying to hide her fear. "The death toll is now well and truly over two million." She quickly clasps her hands together staring directly at the camera. Like she was looking straight at me. "Medics advise that if you are in an infected area, stay at home, avoid crowded areas and wild plants. All airports and public transportation has been closed." She pauses looking intently at her piece of paper. "Temporarily." She adds giving me a comforting smile. Like one day this whole plague thing will just vanish.

The TV screen turns black, mum clenching onto the remote. "I told you to stop watching that stuff." She whispers her skin a ghostly pale. She was hit the hardest by the situation. Mum was a flower as dad put it. Whatever splashed her that wasn't pure would wilt her fragile petals. I stand to my feet my backpack in my hand.
"Are you sure you want to go to school?" Mum asks for the millionth time today still holding the remote.
"Mum, I'm fine." I assure her sliding my bag on my shoulder. "Don't worry, the infected are being taken care of." I give her a smile and walk towards the front door.
"I'll drop you." She shouts after me grabbing the keys out the bowl.
"Okay." I say hesitantly, not sure if she should go outside. Although the infected was confined everyone else was becoming panicky. Crazy sandwich board people yelling at you and on the other side of the street, you would have priests pleading with you to repent your sins. It wasn't utter madness but the way things were going one slip up would send the whole town into Hell.

I slip into the front seat the crispy morning air stinging my cheeks. Mum jumps into the car her eyes watery. Her hands shook as she fumbled with the keys. I knew she was scared. I knew she hated going outside the house but she did it for me. She started the engine the sudden noise startling her. She reverses out the driveway her hands tight on the steering wheel. My school was literally around the corner but I knew she was having trouble going this far from home. She stops at the intersection staring out the window. She stiffens, her knuckles white on the wheel. I lean a bit forward noticing the dark crimson stain of the footpath. She stares at it her skin, to my surprises, goes paler. I need to distract her. "Hey, I'm pretty sure dad's making beef stew tonight." I smile lightly touching her forearm. She jumps at my touch whipping around to see who it was. She relaxes a bit pulling a forced smile. "Yeah." She comments taking a left after checking the road.

She stops at the gate her body relaxing. I should probably stay at home with her. Home alone for four hours everyday was taking its toll. She ate very little and slept only to be confronted with nightmares. Maybe I was just being selfish. School was a babysitter. I distraction from the horrors of the world and I craved it. I longed for things to turn back to normal and I only felt like that at school. But sure enough when the bell rang the reality hit. The world was dying and we all knew it. No vaccines or antibiotics could control the plague. I think what scared people the most was that it could affect anyone. Somehow the plague would selectively choose a victim and three days later, if you were lucky to live that long, you would be a deflated sack of meat. There was no stopping it. Females was mostly at risk. No one knew why but many mothers, daughters and wives were now dead.
"Bye sweetheart, I love you." Mum calls after me. She knew I hated it when she did that in public but this time I waved back mouthing 'bye'. Who knew that would have been the last time I saw her alive.

I open the glass double doors the hallway suspiciously quiet. That's weird. Even if their was a plague lurking around you could still hear the gentle chatter and the often sobs of grieving kids. But now there was nothing. Silence. I walk in, my boots echoing down the hall. I speed walk to my home room probably missing something important. No one was there. Everything was exactly how we left it yesterday. I walked around to the other home room classes the emptiness creeping me out. Where is everyone? I walked to the gym loud murmurs and steps echoing as I got closer. I stopped at the door not sure if I should open it. There was definitely people inside but I couldn't bring myself to open it. It was eerie and dark in the hallway, my heart beat pounding in my ears. I swallowed the large pit in my throat, breath uneven. I could clearly make out the whizzing and coughing coming from inside. The door swung open Heidi's pale milky face coming into view. Blood dripping from her mouth. I stare at her frail body my head pounding behind my eyes. She tries to smile at me but she just breaks into a coughing fit. She quickly turns away covering her mouth. I hurriedly walk to her side reaching out to rub her back.
"Get away from me!" She snaps stumbling only inches away.

"Heidi?" I call pulling my hand to my chest.
"Go home, Lillian." She never calls me by my first name. I hesitate before taking a small step towards her. "I can help." I whisper trying to convince myself. She pauses and turns to face me blood all down her T-shirt. I slowly turn to look into the gym my eyes growing wide. On the floor laid about one hundred people. All coughing and whizzing. Spitting and groaning. What shocked me the most wasn't the amount of sick but the pile of dead in the corner. All the bodies mangled and twisted. My knees weaken as I scan the area. My home group was in there and most of my year. Half the gym was taken up with girls suffering as they hold onto their lives. I close my eyes hoping that maybe it was all a prank. Maybe Heidi was joking around like she always does. Maybe my mangled boyfriend Jake in the dead pile is just a prop. A hot tear flows down my cheek my chest heaving.

Only the other day I was laughing with him. Only the other day we were holding each other. Just the other day I felt his warm lips on mine. Just the other day... More tears spill over, my legs visibly shaking. I slowly open my eyes drying my tears. I look over at Heidi her eyes sunken and lips blue. I give her a comforting smile trying not to scare her. "You'll get better soon." I assure noticing the teachers providing water for the dying students. She smiled back looking me in the eyes. "Of course, you still owe me ten dollars." I try to keep smiling but the urge to just squeeze her and cry was high. Her smile quickly fades as she goes into another coughing fit. It wasn't fair. She didn't do anything wrong. I walk up to her grabbing her shoulders before she could step back. "After you get better I'll take you to that ice cream shop you always wanted to go to, okay." Another tear falls but I quickly wipe it away.

"O-okay." She starts crying her body so delicate and bruised, I feared I was hurting her with my touch. I quickly take off my bag pulling out water and some antibiotics. I place them in her hand knowing it won't help. It won't change the fact that she's going to die. At least I have the opportunity to say goodbye. To hold her for one last time.
"Thanks, Lil." She holds the water close to her chest her tears jumping off her chin.
"Just concentrate on getting better, okay." I slip my backpack on giving another quick look in the gym. She nods her knees shaking and chest heaving.
"Okay, um.... see you tomorrow." I mumble pulling her into an embrace. She leans her head on my shoulder her body relaxing. "See you then."

I run out the building nearly tripping on the uneven path. I don't know why I was running but I just had to. The school was no longer the safe haven it once was. The wind whipped my hair as I sped past the houses. I could still hear my friends voices in my head. Laughing with me, cheering me on. Like when I won the championships in our year group. Like it was another stupid race to win another stupid metal. Jake? I still didn't believe he was gone. Even though I saw his body it was like he was right behind me. Like we were playing chasing games like we used to. I quickly look behind me but no one was there. I could still hear him.

"Hey, Lillian."

He's here. I came to a sudden halt my legs tired and my heart strained. It's like he's just behind me but every time I turn to look he disappears. I whip my head violently in all direction my vision blurry form tears. He's here. He has to be. I was with him yesterday. We were talking and being kids. He was fine. Why can't I find him?

"Over here, Lil."

I grab my head screaming at the top of my lungs. It's not fair. "Leave me alone!" I fall to my knees my loud sobs echoing throughout the streets. I could see flashes of us together. Laughing and playing. Just the other day he was embracing me telling me everything was going to be okay. Everything was fine. When did that all change? When did the world change? When has it become so cruel and merciless. I take in sharp breaths the voices starting to dissipate. They are truly gone. Death has taken them so soon. I slowly stand up my heart twisting in pain. It hurt. It hurt so bad. I can't stay here though. I must get back. It's not safe outside and it never will be.

Hope you guys enjoyed the prologue. Feel free to comment your thoughts about the plot or characters or anything you find interesting. I feel very passionate about this story and hope one day to publish it and share my ideas with the rest of the world. Until then enjoy and remember you are the muffin man. :P