On the road, somewhere in Washington State

1996, July 22nd

11:23am

Layla awoke in a crashed military transport…

She never got to finish her breakfast, after another twenty minutes or so similar armed men that took Steve exploded, and flooded into her apartment, guns raised, but not shouting, or even speaking at first, they just rammed into the apartment, and one approached her and THWAP! She was out. Last thing she remembered what the dead look in the soldier's eyes…

After laying in the window of the transport truck for about another hour or so (or at least she thought) reality began to swell beck to her eyes. The first thing she saw was fires, lots of fires, she got up noticing how badly cut up her hands were. Her hands were not fully intact, it was her right-hand pinky finger that was wanting to make her lose that Cream of Wheat she remembered having, her poor pinky looked like a half-squished sausage pack when you are trying to get the last remaining bits out. She closed her eyes. She noticed no pain yet, and new she needed to get out of this truck. It was also begging to burn. Layla, with her left-hand got up and started towards the transports back exit. She managed to crawl out onto the street. Getting up she looked. The other fires were engulfing an extensive line of trucks that spanned down the road, adding to the summer heat of Washington. Not that she knew where she was at the time, what was concerning her was nothing more than what she could see. Bodies, people were scatter like bloody ragdolls throughout the street full of bullet holes, they had also stretched down the road with the transports.

While Layla was unconscious, an attempt to flee was made by the leading transport. This causes the whole line to stop, gunshots rang out. Other soldiers almost activated and left their posts to help the others. The attempt was successful, and it turned into a bloody riot, people began pouring onto the streets like a rouge tsunami from other vehicles. There was shouting, machinegun fire, people biting scratching, some began to flee for the open plains, many didn't make it off the road, but some had managed to escape their zombie like pursuers heading north... The remaining living soldiers started to march towards where they intended to take the prisoners. Why they shot and killed most of them was unknown to Layla or anybody at the time.

Layla had saw a lose first-aid kit with other supplies on the road and dealt with her finger the best way she could. After she walked along the road, staring at the bodies. The sweet smell of death had filled her nostrils suddenly and tears began to swell in her eyes, and she gaged. Looking away not wanting to throw up on the bodies she thought she noticed and old man standing in the plain, but she blinked and saw that it was probably just her imagination. Continuing she thought of why this had happened, what went wrong. She collapsed on the road looking towards the sky she wept loudly…

"Hello there." A voice came from above her. Startled she looked up, it was an old man, he was looking down at her with kind bright eyes and had a full beard that was white from age. His attire was casual, and clean. He didn't seem to be part of the prisoners, but Layla was just happy to see a living person.

"Thank God your alive." She spoke wiping tears from her eyes. The man knelt down. Grasping Layla's hurt hand and producing a clean rag from his back pocket, he helped wipe dry blood from her face and tears, Layla surprisingly didn't mind this regardless of it being a stranger, she wondered why.

"Bad, bad business this is. Indeed, the worst yet." He said, Layla looked at him with a confused expression.

"Oh, I see, I have seemed to be going off again, I am Arthur Merriam. I am here to help you, I know it is dark and grim at the moment and all seems hopeless, but we must leave before his servants return, and before you say anything no you cannot help them, they gave their will to what is he calling himself now, The Director is it, sheesh." Arthur then released Layla's hand.

"Up child, don't tell me and old man such as me can have more endurance." He said chuckling. Layla rose.

"Now quickly we must find shelter or a tree line quickly, he has other means of catching you besides men." Layla looked at the elder

"Wait, I must get home, find my family- "

"You can't do any of that caught now can you?" Arthur turned and headed towards the plains his eyes scouting for guards. Layla follows somewhat reluctantly, many different emotions and thoughts came flooding to her at once, her head began to hurt her face ached, and she slowly saw the world collapse around her, she fainted.