A Day on Death's Door

It was a warm Thursday, or at least I thought it was. Time has been hard to tell since “the incident”. In fact, she should be back by now my wife that is. Her name is Laura and mine is Steven. It has been just over 5 months since the outbreak happened It started when an asteroid hit the earth. Most humans went underground, the ones that were too poor to go were killed. Nearly all animals and insects were wiped out. I go to grab breakfast and realize we have nothing. Well, I guess it is time I look for my wife. “Laura, do you read me, over.” I was starting to get worried, she had always answered her walkie talkie, even sometimes before I finished speaking. Come here Killer! Come here boy! That was my dog Killer, he was a German shepherd that was just over 5 years old, he was a guard dog of sorts. Me and Killer head to the garage to get on the bike, I could feel Killer knew I was worried. When the apocalypse started, we had put improvements on our bikes so that killer or even another person could get on and pedal without any issues. We get on the bike, and we ride for a mile or so when we spot the first corpse, there were no shortage of corpses These days. “WOOF BARK GRRRRRRRRRR WOOF” “what is it boy!” he barked like this whenever he saw food. That is when I noticed it and piece of bacon and a small can of dog food. To say I am starving is an understatement, I had not eaten in a week and a half, that is why she was gone. And now so was the food. It was already in my belly; I used the bacon as a spoon and ate it. I only thought of Killer when I heard him whining. “Oh no, what have I done. Killer has not eaten in a few days we saved the dog food for him and that too had run out. Suddenly he I hear him bark again, but this time it was not food, it was a sprinter, and he was coming right at us! I saw Killer jump on like leg and bite with all his might I grabbed a metal rod I had put in the bike seat and clobbered him. Then I heard a lot of groans, and I turn around to see a bunch of walkers coming at us and the corpse on the ground was turning as well. “Get In Killer! We have to go NOW!” It had seemed that we were free when another horde surprised us. One sprinter ran onto the wheels of the back tire. That made us fall over. “KILLER RUN!” he looked back and then he ran. I Tried to fight them, but one metal rod was no use for the zombies. I got bit and a random zombie that had snuck up behind me. I was thinking “It was over, I hope Lauren is okay” I lay rest. After about 10 seconds I notice a heart shaped locket one of the walker’s neck. The same one I gave Laura for our 5th anniversary. No, it cannot be. “LAURA!”

After I scream, I could feel an electric surge go through my body waking me up, that is when I realized I was in a machine. I look at the thousands of people next to me and I see that same locket. Laura, I think, she is safe! “YES!” I accidentally scream alerting whatever the robotic guards are keeping this place under control. As the robot’s approach, I pretend to be still having a dream and lay there with no response to anything they do to me. After a quick inspection they head off I know that this is going to be a hard task but hopefully it is worth it. From what I see the whole human race. I can see at least a hundred guards guarding a big red button and a few patrolling. After an hour It looks like they do 1 round with 5 guards every 10 minutes. I wait for the guards to do there last round and then I sneak over to Laura’s set-up and spit on the head piece and the electronics frying them. She Jolts up “where a-. “I put my hand over her mouth. “We are in a system like the matrix pods.” I whisper. We have to go quickly the guards come every 10 minutes.” I say softly and urgently. Then there is something I did not expect, 2 guards come around. I take the metal arm holders and beat the robots to death. This makes a lot of noise so all the guards rush over, me and Laura hide underneath the chairs. I Notice her praying with the locket in her hand, so I decide to join her in her prayers. After we are done praying, we crawl under all the chairs and people careful not to hit anything as that might trigger the guards to investigate, we need them to be distracted. I bump someone’s leg and I hear a loud red alarm, Blair. I thought I was dead. But then I realize that is the alarm form the robot I killed earlier. We reach the middle with the guards but there gone, “how dumb.” I was thinking. Then Laura whispered, “It might be a trap to get us to get out of hiding.” But there too far away. By the looks for this it was a emp. I sprint to the red button I get snatched “It was a trap! I scream. Laura takes the distraction I just made to hit the button. It felt like being put in an electric chair, but all the robots and electronics turned off. “YES!” We both screamed as all the people wake up with a lot of groans and a lot of screams as they realize where they are.

We hear a cluster of loud bangs, one of the scientists concludes that it is all the remotely powered satellites in the area are crashing down. We all walk outside to see the spectacle it was amazing, that is all I could say. It was like a meteor shower, all the bright lights. One of the things that caught our attention was the huge asteroid crashing near us. As it approached us it looked like it was going to crash down. “Get to cover!” I screamed. As panic settled in, I tried to search for any food, they must have been feeding us, right? I asked one of the doctors, or at least she looked like one, to look for IV’s or machines that might feed us. “Yeah, these look like your average IV’s,” “I am surprised they haven’t developed the technology to make this more advanced.” She remarked “ok, since this is familiar, where are the areas with the food, when the asteroid hits, or at all there is going to be a panic search for food.” I replied. “They should be over by the- “I heard a loud crash, no, crash is and understatement. I witnessed millions evaporate. Then I blacked out. Then I heard a muffled voice “Steven” I look up and I see Laura, “How long have I been out?” I ask weakly, my whole body hurt, and I could not feel my arm, and my leg hurt a LOT, like I had broken it. “About 5 hours! We have to go, NOW!” She practically screamed. She picked me up and dragged me out, I heard groans and screams. A lot more intense than the ones I heard when the people were disconnected to the matrix like machines. She dragged us back to the house we used to live at. She could see the pain I was in. “are you okay?” she asked. “I think my leg is broken and my arm doesn’t have feeling.” I responded with a serious tone. “Okay you are in no condition to move stay here I will be right back.” She said with urgency.

This is the 5th month of the apocalypse, or at least I think it is, time has been weird since it happened. Today has been weird to says the least, I Laura was supposed to go scavenge for supplies today. But I felt something weird, like déjà vu. I told her not to go, or at least wait a few days. Laura thought that it was a better idea if I went tomorrow, because this déjà vu might have been a past self. I never believed these things; however, it was hard to think of a reason I should not go. After all, my injuries healed last month.

Alright, I am getting ready to go and I equip my walkie-talkie and call killer, “Come here boy! Come here Killer!” we get the bike from the garage, we had made improvements to it when the apocalypse started, it can have 3 people on it and pedaling with no sweat, it was like a manual car. I ask Laura for some breakfast for the road, she makes me a half an egg, she had the other half. It was all we had, that was why we needed to scavenge. We get on the bike and ride for about a mile or so when we see a pair of 2 corpses, this was not unusual, but then I saw the locket I gave Laura, heart shaped and all. The one next to it looked like me. That sent a few chills down my spine, I pressed on. But that turned out to be my biggest mistake. I spotted a horde, not just any horde, but a one full of sprinters! We pedaled as fast as we could taking shelter in a run-down department store. But that is when I heard it. A groan, the sprinter lunged at us, killer managed to bite him giving me time to pound him. But then a walker bit Killer! I pounded it, every blow getting stronger, harder, and with more intent. “WHY ME WHY!” I screamed. I solemnly told the news to Laura, but then. I got cut off by the horde form earlier, I was stupid to think I would not attract the horde! They busted down the door in little to no time, I fought but sprinters were too strong. As I was being bit, I Opened up the channel. So, she knew what was happening, rip off the band aid right. I also saw my life flash before my eyes, all the great time me and Laura had and that is when I saw it, my dream I had in the chamber. That is the déjà vu, the reason I felt like I had done this before. But now, I had no control, no changing my situation. If I had done this earlier maybe I could have saved me, Killer, and Laura. I felt so bad for dragging them into this. But nevertheless, my time has come. I feel my life leaving me. These were my final thoughts “why did this have to happen, live would have been so much better without robots.”