Writing Contest 1/Headaches

This is Headaches to the first ever writing contest on the Undead Fan Stories Wiki. It features the comic series version of Allen, Donna, Billy and Ben. It is titled, Gonna Be Okay.

Gonna Be Okay:
Donna sits in front of the television in the same apartment in Gainesville, holding a mug full of tea. It’s late, very late, but she has left the curtains open on purpose. Billy and Ben are fast asleep in their shared room. A rerun of Friends plays, she’s never really got into the show but it’s the only thing on that’s bareable. Unless she turns to one of those channels, but she doesn’t approve of them. Donna looks to her watch for the umpteenth time before walking over to the window, wrapping a blanket around her shoulders.

She can see across all of Gainesville from here. But she can’t see the one person she wants to see right now - Allen. The mall where he works shut three hours hours ago. And, Donna keeps hearing things coming from other apartments. There are banging, screams, groans, scruffles. She thinks there must be a rat or, maybe, a skunk infestation.

Donna watches the road below and feels a sigh of relief as Allen’s car begins to drive up the road. But, before he can stop, another car comes shooting down the road, on the same side as him. Allen swirves, trying to avoid it, but they hit each other.

Like she knows he would, Allen gets out of the car, slams his door and walks to the other man. Donna can hear the other man shouting even though she is on the third floor. She can’t make out what he’s saying but he sounds worried, definitely not annoyed like Allen.

“Mommy...” Donna lets her eyes wonder to Billy, who has appeared at the doorway to his and Ben’s bedroom. “My tummy hurts.”

“Just go back to bed, honey.” She forces a smile as she sips the tea, realising that it’s cold.

“But, Daddy always tells me a story when my tummy hurts.” He whines.

“Come here, then.” She gives in, holding her blanket open so that Billy can snuggle close to her. “There he is, down there.”

The two watch as Allen shouts at the man and the man shouts back. All of a sudden, Donna jumps as she spots a figure limping towards Allen. The figure’s arms straighten and it’s hands reach out.

“Behind you!” Donna is now half-hanging out the window, calling down to Allen. He swings around and sees the figure. It’s not a man... Allen dives to the floor to his right and the thing passes by him, reaching into the car and grabbing the shouty.

Allen’s face drops and his mouth falls open as he stands up and sees the figure sink it’s teeth into the man’s kneck. Donna’s face drops too, she can tell that there is something wrong by the way Allen is standing. Suddenly, Allen turns and he begins to sprint into the appartment block.

“Go back to bed, baby.” Donna ushers Billy back into his room, quickly shutting the door. She waits next to the door for Allen, and opens it as soon as she hears him knocking.

The first thing he does once he’s inside is hug her. A long, drawn-out hug.

“What’s going on?!” Donna quickly blurts out.

“There are things... Creatures. They look like people. But, their skin is grey.” Allen’s voice shakes as he speaks quickly.

“Slow down... Breathe.” She tells him. “Start from the beginning.”

He takes a seat in the armchair. “I was just closing the shop up at the mall when I heard screams coming from the second floor. I looked over the balcony and didn’t see anything too different. I thought it was just some teenagers messing about, so I went back to locking the shop up. But then, I heard another scream. And another. And another. So, I looked back over the railing. And, there were these people. They were cannibals, chewing on people’s limbs. The floor began to be stained with blood and the walls soon followed. I was going to confront these people but I noticed something different. They had grey skin, pale eyes and hair falling out everywhere, just like a dog.”

Donna opens her mouth to speak but nothing comes out. She can’t believe what she’s hearing. Allen walks over to the bookshelf in the corner of the room. He grabs it and begins to push it across the room to the door. He struggles, but eventually he does it.

“Let’s just go to bed.” Donna suggests her husband.

“We can’t sleep! We’ve gotta wake the boys up and get out of here!” Allen tells her.

She puts a hand on his chest and speaks. “Come on, we’ll deal with it in the morning.”

Allen knows not to go against Donna's word as she takes his hand and leads him to their bedroom.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

The next morning, Allen sits watching the news, perched on the end of the sofa. An african-american woman stands in a studio.

“A terrible infection appeared across the globe yesterday, causing riots in several major cities. The infection causes death to be reversed and for the dead to rise. But, the undead become flesh-hungry. It began it hospitals as people died and soon spread as more and more of these walkers came in contact with the outside world. If your loved have been bitten or scratched by the infected, then you will turn into one of them. The military has told us to gather up food and stay in big groups. They have suggested that people group up and board themselves inside places like schools and office blocks.” The news reporter’s head jerks to the left as a bang comes from the other side of the studio and a few groans become louder. A tear rolls down her cheek and falls onto the desk. “This is Misha Collins for NBC news. Unfortunately, this will be my final broadcas-”

Allen turns of the television as he sees Billy and Ben enter the room. They both have backpacks on their backs. Billy’s is blue and Ben’s is green.

“Is it nearly time for nursery?” Ben asks.

“No...” Allen shakes his head. “Nursery isn’t going to be open for a long time.”

“Awh.” Billy pouts. “But, I promised Tia that I’d play with her today.”

Allen laughs, patting Billy on the top of his head as he calls to Donna. “Donna, pack the breakfast up! We’ve gotta leave!”

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Allen drives the four-by-four down a busy road. Donna sits in the passenger seat, looking out of the window. Billy and Ben play with action men together in the seats behind the pair.

“Where are we going?” Donna speaks up.

“Some place safe.” Allen tells her.

“And where is that?” She asks.

“I don’t know.” He admits, shaking his head. Suddenly, the radio bursts to life.

“This seargant Timothy Green of the U.S. military. We are clearing out the city of Atlanta in hopes it will become a safe-zone. Any survivors in the south-east of the USA are encouraged to come to the city. We promise food, water and safety.”

Allen can see cars turn off the road up ahead, onto the highway and towards Atlanta.

“Quickly!” Donna calls, pointing to the turning ahead. “Go!”

Allen smiles as he drives the car and turns off the road. “Y’know, I think we’re gonna be okay.”

''Donna died ten days later in Wiltshire Estates. She received a sudden fatal bite from a walker to the face and immediately died. She did not reanimate as her brain was destroyed by the walker.''

''Allen died two weeks after his wife, being bitten on the leg by a walker. The leader of his group, Rick, amputate his leg to try and stop the unfection from spreading. After a long struggle against blood loss and a serious infection setting in, Allen died in his sleep. Rick sent a bullet through his brain before he could reanimate.''

''Billy was the next of the family to die, four weeks later. He was murdered by his brother, Ben as Ben believed that everyone reanimated if their brain was not damaged during death. He did not reanimate.''

''Ben died the following day at the hand’s of the leader’s son, Carl. The group wondered if they should kill Ben to protect themselves but took no immediate action. Fearing for his groups lives, Carl snuck into the van where Ben was locked up and shot him through the head. He did not reanimate.''

So, Allen was wrong, they were not going to be okay.