Apocalypse Life/Issue 2

Busy Living
This was it. Julius had to shake his nervousness or else this world would eat him alive. He still couldn't stop his hand from shaking, and his forehead from sweating. His heart was still beating fast. He still thought he would die in a blink.

He ran through the parking lot, where numerous police cars were parked in the driveways. All of them had their doors opened, with nobody inside it. The lights still flashed red. He couldn't dare look at the other buildings; who knows who could be eating who in there. There were many opened doors, but very little people. Julius passed by a woman on her bathrobe, holding her bleeding neck. He saw a man who had just come home from work come right back to his car, then drive away into another car leaving. Chaos, though very minute, was seen throughout the complex. Julius, as much as he wanted to see less of it, stood in shock.

Two walkers started limping toward him. Once he noticed them, he quickly ran for his car, which was only two feet away. He pressed the unlock button on his car keys. Before he could open the front door, he saw one of his neighbors beat him to it. It was Judith.

"Julius... pl-please... Julius..." she cried, blocking the door from him.

"L-let us have the car... my daughter, her dad--"

Judith sobbed, as she looked back at her daughter, who was just exiting from their apartment.

"Please, let us have it--"

Julius, in shock, forgot about the two walkers right behind him. He was caught in a trance; it was either their lives in trade of risking his, or pushing them away to run away from the walkers behind him.

He ran toward Judith, and handed her his keys, quickly slipping them into her hands. "Keep your daughter safe, please..."

Julius then turned back, and pushed the two walkers away from him. Once he heard his own car start, he quickly ran away from it, and looked for another exit out of the complex. While he ran, he noticed Judith's husband chase the car. He already turned.

Julius just couldn't believe everything he had just seen; more walkers, a cheery woman who was overcome with grief, his own car vanishing in front of him, and yet another neighbor who isn't the same person anymore. He wanted to stop and collect himself, but the circumstances didn't permit it. He ran, looking for a quick shortcut out of the apartments.

As he ran, Julius passed by another family attempting to stuff their items into their car, only to be interrupted by a few infected officers. He saw a man set fire to his own apartment, slowly walking out of his door. He even saw a few people who weren't around there, looting a room, but was quickly interrupted by another walker. All of this chaos, something he thought he'd only see in TV, was right in front of him.

As he ran, he thought of the changes he needed to make in his head. This town isn't the same. Every step of the way, there's danger. You can't expect everyone you knew to be the same. These infected people... they're dangerous. As he thought of these things, some tears dropped from his eyes.

He needed to live. Not just for his family, but for himself. There's too much he hasn't accomplished. He hasn't ridden more than five roller coasters. He hasn't come close to proposing to anyone. He hasn't made his parents proud by graduating. He's still in the middle of being a student and an independent person. He wants to experience these things.

No matter what it was, he just couldn't die now. He decided from now on that whatever puts him in harm, he'll try to get out of it. He decided that whatever he could accomplish, he'll do it in this new world. Maybe he'll find more friends. Maybe he'll prove himself to be useful around people he loves. Maybe he'll find even more purpose in living. Maybe he'll be able to live long enough for this to blow over.

All of these thoughts surged in his head, speeding up his sprinting. He finally found the shortcut, which was in between two buildings, and lots of plants. --- Julius walked the streets. Everything that was once in order were now in shambles. Shops with destroyed windows, cars burning on the streets, people eating other people. It was something that was hard to get used to.

Julius hoped to reach Henry, his boss and close acquaintance. He lived in a suburban area, one that was highly populated. Julius figured that now would be a good time to practice on his swinging, since he's sure he'd find many of them there.

It wasn't long now. On his way, fast-moving vehicles passed by him. He swore he noticed a few S.W.A.T cars along the way. Hoping that he'd at least find some sort of relief in the suburbs, he wasted no time and sped up his movement. In no time, he found himself standing in front of the entrance.