Among the Dead

 I was running. No- skipping through a beautiful meadow. Wildflowers of all colors surrounding me. Butterflies and other winged insects all doing their jobs. I felt free. I only ever felt free in my dreams. It's how I was able to realize I was dreaming. I slowed down to a walk, taking in the last few remaining moments of freedom and peace I would have. Because when I awoke, I'd be shipped off overseas to some bullshit bording school where I'd spend my final year of high school. My parents say I'm too much. I party too much. Skip school too much. Never home enough, and so on. But I won't dwell on that. It's my last night of freedom and peace in my own bed. I'm gonna enjoy it.

I sat down in a clearing. I turned my head up and looked at the sky. I hoped I would continue these vivid, lucid dreams. As long as I can remember, this is how I have always dreamed. And once I realize I'm dreaming, I can alter whatever I want. It's so real, I can smell the fresh air. I can-

I shot up straight in my bed. The alarm blaring from my phone on my nightstand. I can hear the alarms ringing from my parents room as well. Snatching my phone up and unlocking it, the alert reads as follows: DEADLY VIRUS OUTBREAK! STAY IN YOUR HOMES! LOCK ALL WINDOWS AND DOORS AND DO NO, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, COME OUT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! I snorted, no way. Shaking my head, I walked out of my room. "Celine?" I heard my little brother say. 

 "No worries, Avery. Go back to bed." I pushed open my parents door, but they weren't in bed. Or in their room at all, for that matter. I started back down the hallway when I heard the sound of glass breaking. I took off into a sprint, went down the stairs taking two at a time. What in God's na- "Celine!" I heard my father yell, "Get back upstairs! Get to your bro-" his command cut short by gurgles and what I can only assume to be spilled blood if my sense of smell serves me right. 

 But I didn't waste any time. I turned on my heels and ran back up the stairs, going to my dad's side of the bed first in search of his 9mm handgun. Opening up his nightstand drawer, there it lay. He taught me how to shoot this gun a few years back when our quiet little neighborhood was struck by a band of thieves. Around that time, he was traveling a lot for work. And our mother was hardly home. She worked the night shift at our local hospital. So when she was home, she was sleeping. "For emergencies only," he'd said. Well dad, I reckon this is one hell of an emergency. 

 I ran back down to Avery's room and pushed open the door. I slammed it shut and locked the knob. Avery is only 12. Smartest kid in his grade, plays every sport available, tons of friends. The stereotypical it boy. But I don't hold any of that against him. He and I have a bond. You would think an older sister and a younger brother hated each others guts. But not us. Never. We've never even had an argument before. "Hey," I whispered, "you have to get up now. Shoes on your feet, laced up and ready to go." 

 Confusion washed over his face, "What's going on? Is dad okay?" Ah, shit. So he heard, then. I'll have to lie to him to at least get him out of this house. Screw what the alert said. There's something in our house and it killed our father, and I am assuming our mother as well. I can't risk Avery's life by sticking around to find out. "Everything's okay. Dad said we need to get out now. That's all he told me. Come on, hurry up." 

 I opened his door, "Do not open this door for anyone. Only me. I'll use our secret knock." He nodded. I crept out into the hall to check if the coast was clear. So far, so good. I bolted across into my room and hurriedly slid on my shoes. The sweatpants and t-shirt I went to bed in will have to do. I checked to see if the hallway was still safe and made to bolt back into Avery's room when something slammed into me. In the dim light of the streetlight pooling in from the windows, I could see it was my father. Or what used to be him. 

 Gaining my bearings, I stood up. My shoulder was burning where I had landed apparently pretty hard against the wooden floor. "Dad?" I whispered. Dad, or whatever he was now, whipped it's head around to face me. His eyes, even in the dim hallway, I could see they were white. Glossed over with death. Not Dad, then. I quickly tapped our secret knock and then barged into Avery's room. I've seen enough movies to know what was happening. And I will not be the one to deliver the final blow that'll send my father's soul to peace. Slamming his door shut and locking it, I ran to the window. 

I unlocked it, and slid it open. Nothing else was out there. As far as I could see, anyway. I motioned for Avery to come. "Step through, quietly." He did as I said and I followed behind him. "I won't lie to you," I whispered. He looked up at me, confusion still plastered across his face, "Something really awful is happening right now. And if you want to somehow make it out of this alive, I need you to promise me that no matter what, you'll do as I say." He started to blabber, "Promise me, Avery." 

He nodded his head, "I promise. Now please, tell me what is going on." I sighed. Thank God I have never been one to panic in dire situations. Something about me has always been... calm. Blood? I'm good. Vomit? Still good. Broken bones? I'm alright. Breaking God awful news to someone? I could spill my stomach contents at just the thought. Our parents are dead, no doubt. And believe me, I'll hurt over this for the rest of my life. But right now... right now I have to move on. Forget about it. Because if I don't, we won't make it through the night. Which begs the question, when will this begin to hurt and how long will it last? 

"They're gone, Avie. I'm sorry." His eyes filled up with tears, but he didn't let them spill. He only nodded, and waited for me to tell him what on earth was happening. "I'm not sure exactly what. I got an alert on my phone instructing everyone to stay inside and lock up everything. That there was a deadly virus outbreak. I went to see what mom and dad thought about it when I heard glass breaking in the kitchen. It was dad." Avery leaned his head back against the house. Probably trying to picture it all, same as I do when someone tells me a story. 

 "He told me to get to you, so I did. Only I ran into him again in the hallway... and" I paused, why couldn't I hear what used to be dad in the hallway? If he is what I think he is, he should be really pissed that his hot meal left so soon. I shook my head. I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. "I think the deadly virus outbreak is one that turns everyone undead." His eyes snapped open and he faced me, "What? Like zombies?" 

"Yeah, like zombies." He stared at me, blinking a few times. And then he laughed, so loud I thought for sure we would be dead in no time. "Avery! You have to be quiet! I'm not joking around!" He laughed some more, and that's when we heard it. The thump! thump! thump! against Avery's door. "I guess that's a zombie about to break my bedroom door down, then?" still chuckling. I shook my head. "Avery, look at me." He turned his attention from the door, which was almost off it's hinges, by the way.

 "I have never been more serious in my life. You have to be--" SMASH! The door slammed into the floor. And there stood used-to-be-Dad.