Walking Dead-Carl Grimes

Intro

I sat quietly by the window, watching the red and white flash in front of the neighbors house. Mama sat down on the bench beside me, she laid her hand tentatively on my thigh. At first, the government said that an extreme case of Leprosy was going around. Causing your skin to rot, and limbs to fall of. But soon they figured out that the people had no pulse, no mind, no mercy. The army protected each neighborhood, patrolling the streets, killing any Lepers who happened to wander out of houses and down the street. I had learned in school that Lepers were just sick people they could think, walk, and especially speak. But these Lepers just limped around and moaned. Mama kept my siblings and I away from the most brutal 'executions', as my brother liked to call them, but we still caught sights of a lot of gruesome scenes. Stabbing, shooting, decapitating, etc. At the time, I was only 11, I didn't understand much of what was happening then, but I got a good gist of it. The government had made a requirement that every person who wasn't sick had to take karate, fencing, and army training. My favorite was fencing. Who knew just how useful those classes would be in the future. One day, my oldest sister Tabitha and I decided to sneak out. We broke into a convenient store and took everything our 3 large duffel bags could carry. You see, the government decided we still needed a money system even though every thing should be split equally. My family was middle class, which didn't mean much. We got 2 meals a day (which consisted of a stale piece of bread each, cheese, an apple, and water) a weekly supply of clothes, a small amount of batteries, and anything we might need for a medical situation (other than Leprosy of course). Tabitha and I stole a large amount of batteries and medical supplies like pills and bandages that filled one entire bag, clothes and blankets that filled another, and food and water filled the last. We came back every week and stole the same thing for about 3 weeks until we had 9 duffel bags full of necessities. Soon, the lower class citizens started dying of starvation, dehydration, and sickness. My brother Harry also had gotten sick from trying to help a Leper who wandered in front of our house. He had told me he loved me and apologized for everything he had ever done. I haven't seen him since. My step father (I sadly have never met my real father) Mark, tried throwing my mom to a group of 3 Lepers, but instead got himself sick and shot down by the army. I hate to say it, but I took pleasure in watching the gruesome scene. Mark was highly abusive to my siblings and I, to my mother also. I was the only child born from my mother, Tabitha was adopted when she was 3 (she's 15 now), Lenny was adopted 2 years ago (he is 5), Tom was adopted a month ago (he is 17).

"Is Jake sick, mamma?" I asked, my eyes still glued to the flashing lights. A stretcher was pulled out of the neighbors house which as covered in a stained sheet.

"He was honey, I'm sorry. He came over yesterday but he seemed si-" My mamma was cut off by a fit of moist coughing coming from down the hall. My mamma sighed then stood up, making her way down the hall. Tabitha, Lenny, and Fawn are all sick now. Mamma is taking care of them and hoping it's just a minor flue. But the next day, they all went missing. Mamma became depressed after that. Soon, we found that she had caught Leprosy from one of my siblings and she had to be put down, as the President called it.

"Put down. It's like we're dogs. Or horses with a limp!" My brother, Tom, spat with his exotic british accent.

Tom's dad had died after being attacked by a Leper so my family adopted him.

"C'mon Val, we're leaving." Tom announced, packing all of the duffel bags filled with supplies that Tabitha and I had collected over the past few months.

"Do you think Leprosy has spread to Florida, where granny lives?" I asked hopefully.

"It's not Leprosy Vallory! They don't breathe, they don't drink, they don't speak, they don't think, and they don't regret. They bit mom! Fawn sat up and tore a big bite right out of her god damned shoulder! That's how she got sick. Sound familiar Val? You use to love these movies. People walk around, moaning, eating each other, you get infected by a bite or just when you die in general! DOES THIS SOUND LIKE LEPROSY?! NO! IT'S THE FREAKING APOCOLYPSE!" He shrieked.

That night, Tom and I robbed the stores one last time. Gathering anything crucial that Tabby and I had missed. Camp supplies, gas, and weapons. Tom had gotten me a long, freshly sharpened katana and machete. I had also gotten a small hand gun and holster. Tom had a shot gun and medium sized pocket knife. We drove out of town in Mark's old pick up truck and took refugee in Atlanta, Georgia, 12 miles away.

We survived a year and a half, before , of course, Tom got bit. We had become very close and he told me he loved me and that it wasn't my fault. He then ended it. I lived by myself after that, avoiding groups of people, moving when large groups of infected invaded my current 'hiding' places. My brother was right, this was not the work of Leprosy. This was the Zombie Apocalypse.