The Soulless

1: End of the World

Sang

I was cooking eggs when I first heard of the virus. Everything was seemingly normal in our home. My father was sitting on his favorite brown recliner watching the news. Mother was picking up all of my little brother's toys and my brother was running around acting like his favorite hero, Superman.

I felt the sting of oil popping from the bacon when an alarm started blaring over the tv.

Then the voice of the president was next stating all citizens to stay inside their homes. Saying there was a virus spreading rapidly throughout America. That this was possibly a terrorist attack.

No specifics about what having the virus would actually do to you. No mention about the violent behaviors that would be brought out. Nothing about the fact that you would die then rise again with no recollection of your past life.

No mention of the fact that you would want to rip the flesh from your neighbor, your children, the man who used to deliver your mail, your best friend, or any person that came into your line of sight.

The soulless would keep the same amount of strength and endurance as before but add that with no fear and pain. It was a disaster, still is. Humans can do anything when they do not have anything holding them back such as fear or pain.

I was a fourteen year old girl at the time. Long blonde hair, green eyes, fair skin, and a petite build. I was innocent and sweet. Had no care in the world and a loving family. A loyal best friend that I could share anything with.

My mother was the first to start having symptoms. Her shiny long blonde hair a little lighter shade than mine started to fall out in clumps. Her eyes that were so bright with life began to dull down. It didn't help that the whites of her eyes began to turn red.

She had been asking to see my brother but my dad and I didn't want to risk it with his young immune system. My father tried to stop me from seeing her as well but I wouldn't listen.

I was holding her hand when blood started leaking out of her eyes, mouth, and ears. I was holding her hand when she began to convulse. I was holding her hand when her heart stopped.

I was inconsolable. I stayed in that room for the rest of the night still holding her hand. She was cold to the touch. Her body starting to stiffen when her eyes shot open.

"Mom? Mom! You're alive?" I was overjoyed but hesitant because I knew it was impossible but I couldn't help but hope.

I got close to her and grabbed her hand when I realized how cold she still was. She was looking at me with an expression I couldn't read but still brought shivers up my spine. I started to back away when she jumped up from her sweat soaked bed and tried to attack me.

She almost bit me when a hand threw me to the ground and I heard a loud noise. Then I was covered in blood. I looked up and saw my father breathing heavily. I wasn't able to connect in my mind that my father had just shot my mother in the head.

My father was a strong man. He had short dark brown hair with flecks of grey in the side and light honey colored brown eyes. He was breathing heavily and his eyes were filled with tears that he tried blinking away.

This was a man that loved his family so much and sacrificed the love of his life for his children's lives. I felt that he had come to terms that his wife was already gone when she wasn't getting better. As if he knew something we didn't.

We lived day by day after that. Boarding up the house and trying to figure out what to do after the food and water ran out.

I was inside my room with my brother playing checkers when I heard someone screaming. It wasn't the normal soulless screams but a girl screaming for help.

I got up quickly and moved some wood around so I could catch a glimpse of outside through the window. That's when I saw my best friend, before the world started to end, running for her life from one of the soulless. I had quickly shut the window and told my brother to stay in the room. I ran out of the house with a baseball bat not acknowledging the shouts from my father asking what the hell I was doing.

I couldn't leave her.

There was only one behind her and I couldn't see any other so I didn't have to worry about a hoard of them coming for us. When she saw me her hazel eyes filled with hope.

"Sang! Oh my god. Let's go!"

I wasn't listening as I got my bat in position and swung. It was a woman that looked more skeleton than anything. I couldn't stop swinging the bat at her head over and over again.

My dad had finally grabbed me and brought me inside the house. Everyone silent. I couldn't believe I had just killed someone. I mean it couldn't help what it was doing but it used to be a woman who had a family that loved her.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up at my father. "You did the right thing, Sang."

He then picked up Sam and left the room. That's when I noticed my best friend still in shock on the couch. Her long dark brown hair was a mess and her skin was so pale. She was rocking back and forth.

I kneeled in front of her and grabbed her face. Wiping her tears off with my thumbs. Her hazel eyes finally focused on my face.

"Danielle, are you alright? Talk to me."