Skin Walkers

Chapter 1

I awoke in a cloud of haze, blinking once, twice and a third time to straighten everything. It wasn't enough. I looked to my left to see roses and daisies, now dying, on the side table. A sharp pain grew in my chest, as a scream built up in my throat. I swallowed it down roughly and bit my lip. Biting my lip harder,the world suddenly felt heavier and quiet. I pull the IV from my arm and suddenly felt dizzy. I ripped some of the sheets off the bed and tightly tired it around my now bleeding arm. Stumbling,I made my way to the door and pressed my ear to cool hospital door. Silence. Only sound that came from the other side of the door was a faint buzzing noise. I put my hand on the handle, the coolness leaving a trail of goosebumps up my arm. I took a shuddering deep breath, trying to clear my still cloudy head and push the door open. Sticking my head out of the door frame, I am hoping to see a face of innocence. Of answers. All I saw was darkness, besides the flickering light above my head. Medical needles and scalpels are scattered all over the tile floor with blood smearing over the walls and floors too. I limped and stumbled down the hall pressing my hand against the wall for balance. Coming up to an elevator, some thing caught my eyes. Writing. "God Forgive Us" written in blood, but I couldn't see any bodies. Grunting, I raised my hand and pushed my finger against the call button, only to hear nothing. No clicking of gears. Just silence.

Confused, I looked up to see "stairs" with an arrow. I followed the sign and opened the door to the stairs only to see complete darkness.I gasped, always having been afraid of the dark, and searched for a light switch. Not finding one, I climbed down the stairs, stepping on, when seemed to be, water or blood. Finally, reaching the bottom, and opened the door leading out of the stairwell. Glee spread over me as sunlight spread across my cheeks. I made my way to the front doors and pushed them open. Stepping outside, my stomach started doing somersaults and heaved at the stench. My nose wrinkles up as I threw a hand over my mouth. Bodies. Some burned, other put into straight lines, covered up with blankets.Slowly, I walked down the steps. Wake up, Mel. I kept saying to myself. Wake up.

I reached the first row and bent down and lifted the blanket. My head started spinning as I observed the corpse. A part of the small girl's cheek was bitten off. Her teeth were showing through the cheek and were now yellow and rotten. Her black tongue sat behind her teeth seeping through the hole. Her hair is missing in several places. Her eyes are glazed over gray and had no pupils. Her tongue flickered slightly and I jumped back dropping the blanket and turned on my heels and started running. My eyes didn't know where my body was heading, but my feet knew. It was like they have a mind of their own.

When my eyes allowed my brain to connect to where I was, I was home. Stepping up the creaky porch. I opened the front door and called out. "Mom?" Silence. "Dad?" Nothing. I ran through the living room into the kitchen. Sour milk and eggs filled the room. I coughed and stumbled out back into the living room. Pictures, that used to sit on the side tables, are now gone. Family photos, baby pictures, family gatherings. Gone. Confused, I went to my parents bedroom and searched their dressers. Their clothes are gone. Gasping, I took a couple of steps back, feeling betrayed and lost. "Mom.... Dad..." I limped into my room and stopped in the door way. A suitcase laid on my bed, opened. Clothes, shoes, toiletries, and bottles of water sat inside. On top sat a newspaper with the headline:

                                                              UNKNOWN VIRUS KILLS THOUSANDS

                                                           ZOMBIE-LIKE CREATURES ARE WALKING

                                                                        GOD BLESS US ALL.

Across the actual article read: "Mel? We are alive. Find us. Summer 2010. Sorry." written in black sharpie.

I stared at the newspaper for a while, trying to make sense of it all. I dressed putting my long curly brown hair into a ponytail. I slowly took off my hospital gown, well aware of my bandages around my wrists and thigh. I slipped on underwear and a bra. A loose button up with jean capris and back low top converse. I looked again at the note from my parents left me.

In case I ever came back? Do they think I am dead? Why did they leave a note? Mom was always the miracle kind of person.Maybe it was her idea.

I picked up the newspaper to see a pistol laying underneath it. I picked that up too and put the safety on. There must be a reason they left this too. I put the barrel in my hip and walked out the door, through the house and outside. Sitting on the front porch, I looked out to see what my new reality turned into. Trash was blowing in the gentle breeze that barely made the leaves blow. Blood covered the road and some houses had the windows boarded up. Everything was quiet as the sun was getting closer to the horizon. Then a blast came from the left. A gun shot, I recognized. Someone was alive.

"Look Daddy! You killed him!" Screamed a little kid, sounded like a little girl. I quietly got up from my seat putting the newspaper in my back pocket and started down the sidewalk towards the father and child. I turned the corner and saw them. A black man with a daughter who was examining the corpse her dad just shot in the head. The man was older and have very strong muscles. His biceps seemed like they where going to rip the red shirt he was wearing. The little girl had beads in her hair and was now jumping up and down pointing at the bloody corpse. She suddenly stopped and looked at me. "Daddy! Another one!" She squealed and I felt my eyes grow in terror as he turned to look at me. He smiled and raised his gun pointing it right at me. I took a step back throwing my hands up. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the fatal blow. Then I heard the gun shot, but felt no pain. I open my eyes and look down only to see my clothes are still clean. Blood-free. I heard a growl and a thunk behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw her. My heart dropped, I knew that black hair anywhere.

I walked over to the now dead body and crouched. I moved her hair out of her face and gasped falling backward. "Jessica?" I whispered and tears spilling from my eyes. My best friend. Dead.

The man moved closer to me and squatted down beside me. He put his hand on my shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. "Come on ma'am. Lets get you some food and fix those bandages. It's getting late" I looked up at the man , our eyes meeting. I don't know this guy, but he was human. That was enough for me. He stood up and helped me to my feet and followed him around the corner to a small yellow house. I stepped inside and watched his daughter run and jump on the bed. I turned and watched the man bolt the entire door and put a piece of wood across it.

Silence filled the air until he spoke first. "Have you been bitten?" I shook my head no and he nodded. "My name is Charles. This is my daughter, Nancy."

"Hey!" She peeped up and I smiled.

"My name is Mel." I said quietly. and crossed the room and sat on a very soft chair. Sinking to the bottom instantly.

"What are your wounds?" I watched him eyes my wrists. My head started spinning again as the memories flooded my mind. Glass falling from the punched and bloody mirror in my bathroom. The blood dripping from my wrists as a glass shard pulled itself across my skin. Tears of pain, emotional and physical, spilling over my cheeks.

"I..." I bit my cheek . He deserves to know the truth. I looked down at my untucked laces. "I caused self harm. I guess I was in a coma from blood loss. I'm not exactly sure. I woke up in the hospital earlier." I nodded towards the hospital bracelet still on my wrist. "I went home and Mom and Dad weren't there. Just this." I reached in my back pocket and handed him the newspaper. He took it from my softly, and read it.

Setting it the side and he said "Let's treat those wounds."