A Quiet Apocalypse

Elliot had just dropped off Wei at her house when he got a call from his mom. As he was talking with his mom, he heard Wei scream. He hanged up his call and rushed to see what was going on inside Wei's house. He knocked the door but no one answered so he ran under Wei's bedroom window which was open and climbed up using the sewer pipe. He saw Wei and her father Mr. Ming who was holding a knife over his head and was ready to attack her. She was on the floor on the left side of her bed, her eyes were closed and she was screaming and trembling. Elliot got inside and tackled Mr. Ming on the floor. He got up quickly and forced the knife out of Mr. Ming's hands. "What's wrong with you Mr. Ming?" Elliot asked.

"He's not dad. I could feel it," Wei said. Elliot lent her a hand and picked her up. Mr. Ming got up. They looked at his face which was expressionless. His eyes looked milky, even his pupils which were a dark brown shade looked dead and white. He didn't speak anything, he just looked around the room for something which he could use against Elliot and his daughter. He picked up a lamp from his daughter's bedside table and climbed over her bed. Elliot took Wei's hands and asked her to stay behind his back. Mr. Ming was still above the bed with the lamp in his hand but he didn't attack. It seemed as if he was observing both the kids. "Let's get out of here," Elliot said to Wei.

"You run towards the door, I'll cover you and follow straight after. Run straight to the car."

"But what about my dad?"

"I'll try to talk and calm him down. You call nine one one."

"Okay."

Wei stepped out from Elliot's back and ran towards her bedroom door and down the stairs. When Elliot was sure that Wei had gotten out he looked at Mr. Ming again and asked "Hey. Douche. What the hell is wrong with you?"

Mr. Ming didn't answer, he just kept looking at Elliot with curiosity. "Answer me," Elliot screamed. But he didn't get any verbal response from him. Suddenly he jumped at Elliot and started choking him. "Let me go. You son of a gun," Elliot pleaded gasping for breathe. Mr. Ming didn't respond and kept choking harder. Elliot thought he would die. He tried to punch Mr. Ming but he didn't flinch, he tried his best to get out of his grasp but he pressed so hard that Elliot was feeling helpless. "Maybe sending Wei downstairs wasn't such a good idea after all," he thought to himself. He was starting to lose his consciousness when he heard a loud bang and he felt the grasp loosening around his neck. He couldn't see clearly what was happening, everything was blurry. "Hey. Are you okay?" Wei asked in a concerned tone.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry. I'm okay."

Wei had come upstairs and she just struck her father with an empty beer bottle. "Good God. Now get up quickly and let's take my dad to the hospital. I tried to contact nine one one but the call didn't go through and after that I lost reception on my phone."

"Alright," Elliot said as he got up. He was a little dizzy but nothing serious. "Let's go." He lifted Mr. Ming's feet and Wei held his hands and both of them carried Mr. Ming downstairs and out of the house. Elliot let go of Mr. Ming's feet lightly and opened the door of his car and both of them carefully put Mr. Ming in the backseat. Elliot rushed to the driver's seat and Wei carefully put the seatbelt on his father and sat beside him and closed the door.

"Even I don't have any reception. Do you think it might be those alien spaceships who are responsible for all this?"

"What? No. I don't know. Could you please hurry? He's bleeding."


"Sure."

Elliot started his car and drove off the street. As soon as they took a right turn, they saw people walking mindlessly in the middle of the roads. Elliot tried to sound the horn but they didn't seem to care. A lady was walking on the streets with her baby stroller and then she let go of it, Elliot quickly got out of the car and rushed towards the baby stroller, a car was heading straight towards them. Elliot reached the stroller and was able to get the baby out of it in time and then he jumped towards the pavement. The car rushed past him and struck the baby stroller and sent it flying away twenty meters ahead and then it stuck a traffic pole. "What's going on?" Elliot wondered. The mother of the baby was on the other side of the road and she began walking in a straight line and others followed suit.

Elliot rushed with the baby towards his car. "Hold on to this little guy for a moment please," he said to Wei. "What are you doing? Did you just kidnap this baby?" Wei asked. "No. Just look at the baby's mother, she's right there, the one with the red sweater. She also acted like you dad, her eyes were all white too. Something strange is going on and I think it has affected all the people around us. They're not in their proper mindset."

Wei looked outside and saw that the people had formed a straight line and started walking north of the street. She had never seen anything like this before. Elliot got inside and put on his seat belt. "Let's rush to the hospital and then I need to go home and make sure my mom's alright," he said took out his phone from his pocket, "There's still no reception."

"Turn on the radio. We might get some information."

Elliot quickly turned on the radio of the car. He set the channel to a news station and the heard the following broadcast:

"THE ALIEN SPACE SHIPS WHICH HAD LANDED A YEAR AGO IN A FEW DIFFERENT PLACES AROUND THE GLOBE HAVE MOBILISED."

"AROUND MID DAY, AN UNUSUAL GASEOUS ELEMENT WAS DETECTED IN THE ATMOSPHERE AND IT IS BELIEVED TO BE RELEASED FROM THE SPACE SHIPS."

"SCIENTISTS AROUND THE WORLD BELIEVE IT TO BE SOME KIND OF PATHOGEN WHICH CAUSES THE PEOPLE WHO INHALE IT ENTER INTO A CATATONIC STATE."

"THE INFECTED ARE BEING KEPT UNDER OBSERVATION AND NO DETERIORATION IN THEIR HEALTH IS OBSERVED. ALL THE VITALS REMAIN NORMAL."

"IT HAS BEEN ADVISED TO WEAR MASKS IF YOU ARE ON THE OUTSIDE AND STAY INDOORS AT ALL COSTS."

"DON'T TRY TO GET OUT OF YOUR HOMES."

"NEWS OF AN EMERGENCY NATION WIDE LOCKDOWN MAYBE CONFIRMED AND ANNOUNCED ON THE RADIO AS THE SATELLITES CONNECTIONS AND WIRELESS CONNECTIONS HAS STOPPED WORKING ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY."

"STAY TUNED FOR FURTHER UPDATES."

Elliot and Wei looked at each other, whatever they heard on the radio seemed unbelievable. "They said it was a pathogen. Does it mean that we're infected too?" Wei asked, her tone was trembling. "I don't know dear. This all seems so unrealistic. Why the aliens would wait one year before attacking?" Elliot asked and turned on his car and started to drive carefully to the hospital. They saw people on the streets and they all walked in a straight line northwards. The alien ship had landed twenty miles away from their little town and the people were seemingly headed towards it. Elliot tried his best to avoid any casualties while on the road but he saw a severe traffic jam ahead. He knew it would be impossible for them to get through the jam. He got out of the car and looked around him, people were running amok on the streets. The people who were infected walked mindlessly towards the ship and those who weren't panicked as they tried to stop their family or friends. He saw a man who was dressed up in a grey suit and he ran after an old woman and grabbed her, "Mom, stop. What's wrong with you. STOP." The lady didn't respond. Some of the people who were following the queue, broke off from it and they began attacking the man in the suit. They mobbed up on the guy and after they were done they started walking in a straight line again. The old lady looked down at her son who lay all bloodied up and might have been dead, she looked up and started walking like it was nothing. It was horrible. Vehicles were starting to line up behind Elliot's car. When he was inside, his face looked a ghastly pale. He couldn't believe what he just saw outside and he glanced a look at Mr. Ming and then Wei. "What happened?" Wei asked.

"We can't reach the hospital using this way. We should try to back out and take the other street."

"Okay, just hurry please."

"Yes," Elliot said and he began sweating profusely from his fore head. The put the gear on reverse and turned back. Soon they were on the main road when they saw that reaching the hospital would be impossible now. There were cars stuck on the street in jams on all four sides and they were seemed to be trapped in the middle of it.

Wei's father woke up, he seemed calm but his eyes were still the same milky white. "Dad. Are you okay? Dad," Wei asked. He didn't respond, he looked outside and tried to remove his seat belt. When Wei tried to stop him, he raised his head and tried to choke her with his hands. "Dad, leave me. Please dad." Elliot stepped out of the car then opened the the door and tried to release Mr. Ming's grasp on Wei's throat. He was able to get Wei from Mr. Ming's grasp and then he dragged him out of the car. He got up and started walking with the others in the queue.

"Dad. Please stop," Wei pleaded gasping for breathe. She got out of the car and tried to run behind her father. Elliot grabbed her and stopped her. "You can't go after him."

"Why not? Leave me. He's my father."

"Did you try to stop him at your house?"

Wei stopped for a breathe and answered, "Yes. I got inside using my key as he didn't answer the bell after I rang it twice. I dropped my bag on the couch and went up. Dad hadn't been feeling well since the last two days so when I heard a noise from his room I went to look. His eyes were like this and he didn't seem himself. As soon as he saw me, he got up from his bed and walked towards the door. I told him to stay put as he needed to rest for a few more days before he could get back on his feet. Then all of a sudden he got violent and he picked up the kitchen knife which I had put there to cut fruits for him and then he started chasing me. That's when you came inside from the window."

"Yeah. I thought so. When you try to stop the infected from reaching the nearby space ship, they turn violent."

"Let me go! I have to stop dad."

"You don't."

"What is wrong with you? Just let go of me," Wei got out of Elliot's arm and rushed towards her dad.

"Dad. Don't leave me," she screamed. But Mr. Ming kept on walking. He didn't look back. Wei rushed to his side and pulled his shirt hard. He turned and the others nearby stopped walking and they all looked at Wei. They broke out from the queue, Elliot rushed to protect Wei from the mob. Mr. Ming knocked Wei down and as the mob were about to surround her, Elliot came running and picked Wei up from the ground. Elliot was screaming, "COME WITH ME!" Wei was in tears. She looked at her father as she being pulled away by Elliot. She didn't want to leave her father like this. "Quickly, get inside." Elliot said and they closed the door. The infected surrounded the vehicle and tried to get inside. Wei could see her father outside, his hands and face were on the window, she also put up her hands on the window. Elliot locked all the doors. "We shall stay inside."

The baby who was besides Wei started crying from all the commotion. Wei picked up the baby and wrapped her arms her, she was wearing a pink sweater with the name Delilah knitted near the chest on it. "Don't cry Del. Everything's gonna be alright. We'll get your mom back. And my dad too." Delilah quit her crying as Wei was slowly swinging her arms and was humming "Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars" and then she fell asleep after a while. It had been half an hour when the infected stopped trying to get inside the car and continued walking. Wei kept looking at her father who joined the queue and didn't even turn his head back once to look at her. Tears rolled down her eyes. She put Delilah back on the seat and started crying.

"Hey, hey, hey… Everything will be back to normal and nothing's gonna happen to Mr. Ming."

"How would you know? What if they got inside the space ship and the aliens take them in and fly away."

Elliot didn't answer, he kept quiet. "We must head over to my home now. I need to make sure whether my mom is infected or not. And I believe if we aren't infected yet then we must be immune to the space virus. There's no way I'll be able to back my car out of this mess. I'm gonna have to leave her here. Let's go Wei."

They started walking, Elliot was holding Del in his hands now. They walked on the pavement towards Elliot's home as the infected kept walking in the opposite direction. It was strange that there were no kids who had joined the queue. They heard a noise above their heads in the sky and saw four fighter jets whizzing past them towards the direction of the alien ship. "Thank God. The Airforce's here."

There were thousands of people who were walking towards the alien ship and none of them paid attention to the kids. "You know, I had always been a great fan of zombies and the apocalypse. But never thought that I would live long enough to see and become a part of one. These people, they aren't even violent or in need of human flesh."

Wei didn't speak at all. She kept walking in silence. Delilah was fast asleep in Elliot's shoulders. "I think we should get some milk from the super market for Del," he said as he saw a grocery story in the vicinity, Wei was still not speaking. They entered into the store, it was all empty, Elliot wandered how different is all this from the apocalypse that he had imagined. He thought people would be running wild, trying to loot stores and ganging up but no, it was all very peaceful and quiet and pretty organised. The infected were pretty intelligent compared to your fictional zombies. They knew how to open door and they had a goal in their mind towards which they kept walking, they also didn't attack other humans unless provoked or made to change their paths.

The store was empty, there was no one present on the cash register. Elliot picked up some milk and a baby sucking bottle and headed over to pick up some snacks, he grabbed two bags of chips, some candies and a pack of bread. He headed over to the empty counter and placed the exact amount and got out of the store. Wei waited outside for them, "Hand over Delilah to me. You must be feeling tired by now."

"Hey, it's fine. I don't mind holding her."

"No please. Let me hold her as you're holding the grocery bag already," Wei said and Elliot could see her tearing up. He handed her Del. Wei held her over her head and said, "I'm gonna protect your forever Del." And hugged her with a smile. Elliot smiled too and they continued walking towards his home. It was almost seven thirty in the evening. The streets were silent and empty except for a few infected who passed by the kids here and there.

They reached Elliot's house, the lights were off. Elliot reached his door and rang the bell, no answer. He took out the key from under the mat and opened the door. "Mom," he called out, no answer. "No, no, no. He went upstairs, his mother was fast asleep."

"Is she there?" Wei asked. "Yes. She's here. You can put Del to sleep in my bed. Let me make you some PB&Js."

"I'm not really hungry."

"You gotta eat something. Here take the Cheetos while I make the sandwiches and bring milk after boiling it for Del."

"You want me to help you?"

"No. You two girls rest now."

"I should've gone after my father."

"We still can. The alien ship is located forty miles outside the city. The infected are walking, and they aren't walking really fast which means it would take them around ten to fifteen hours to reach the ship. You rest for another hour or two after that we can pack our bags with emergency supplies and take my mom's car and start looking for your dad. Also, the air force is here and the military would do something to stop the aliens and save the people"

"Okay," Wei said and laid down on Elliot's bed. Del was also sleeping beside her.

Elliot went down, he took out the milk carton and the bread packet from the bag and went into the kitchen. He took out a boiling dish from the utensil holder and put it over the gas stove and heated it after that he poured the milk in it. He took another dish, filled some water in it and boiled it. He put the baby sucking bottle into the water filled dish after cleaning it. He went to the fridge, grabbed the peanut butter and jam and walked over to the dining table where he had kept the bread ans started to make the sandwiches. He made two sandwiches for each of them. He switched off the stove, took out the bottle after sterilising it and poured hot milk inside of it. He laid out three plates and arranged the sandwiches on them.

Elliot remembered that his father had an old radio in the basement so he went there to look for it. He opened the basement's door and switched on the light, he started walking down the stairs and then turned left. It was dusty and covered with cob webs, he pushed his old tricycle aside and walked further into the basement. There were a lot of cartons, labelled with different names like, 'ELLIOT'S OLD STUFF', 'SIV'S OLD STUFF' and finally the box which he was looking for, 'JAMES' OLD STUFF'.

James was Elliot's father who had served in the army. He had to retire due after he was diagonised with blood cancer. After that Siv, Elliot's mother, took care for him until he died. Elliot was made to go to therapy where he met with Wei who had lost her mother in a car accident. Elliot walked over to the box and opened it carefully, there was a family album in it, he opened it, and quickly sorted through the pages and took out a picture in which all three of them were present and looked like the perfect happy family. He folded the picture and put it into his back pocket of his jeans and took out some from old stuff from the carton and put it aside and then he finally found the radio. But there were no batteries in it. He could take out the batteries from the television remote, he thought and kept the carton back in its place and walked up. He took out two AAA sized batteries and put them inside the radio and it worked.

He kept it on the table, went into the kitchen, took the plates in his hands and arm and went upstairs. He put down a plate in his mom's room and the other two in his room and also Del's milk bottle and went back into his mom's room and quietly woke her up.

"Is that you, Elliot?"

"Yes, mom."