The Outbreak

• Jake Hedges, Grade 7, All Saints College - St Joseph's Campus
• Short Story
• 2015

Excellence Award in the 'The Write Track 2015' competition

It was years ago the outbreak had started, with no idea what we were faced with. All scientists, including me, studying the cells and the brains of these creatures, with no idea what this virus does and how it infects you. Running tests over and over, with no success, just mutated rats. But one day in the laboratory, there were strange noises coming from the experimental room, loud, croaky moans. I go investigate, every footstep the moans get louder and louder until glass breaks and shelves collapse. My friend soon eaten alive. I run as fast as I can until I run out of breath.
2 years later
A sound appears, realising this sound is something that you have never heard before, almost like a dog eating something, and thoroughly enjoying its meal. You immediately look to your left and see your best friend, being eaten alive by a creature so disgusting and so foul, you vomit all over your bed. You look to your left as fast as you can, looking for your fathers gun, given to you when he left, nearly a month ago, never knowing what to use it for, until this moment. You pick it up as soon as you can and aim and your friend, trying to aim perfectly on the creature and not your friend as this creature is moving all around his body then a big noise, louder than the lightning strikes outside. Then a loud scream, then a croaky, long moan with blood all over your friend, soon realising, he isn’t human anymore. His mouth chomping on his own leg, dizzy from the blood and the gore all over the ground. Going through your mind is to kill this foul creature, but your heart rejecting. Clenching the trigger, trying to shoot but your finger, suddenly stops moving and starts to twitch and shake, you throw the gun, then all of a sudden a loud BANG! The creature falls, with blood splattered everywhere.
You see two figures appear from the shadows, they speak to you but you can’t hear anything. Your eyes twitch open and closed until eventually your eyes close completely. You are soon awoken by the sound of gunshots and explosions. One of the stranger’s help you up and passes you a gun, soon realising all these gunshots has attracted a hoard of creatures, charging at the bottom of the hotel doors, one person you are standing next to is shooting and when you look out of the window, bodies start dropping. You immediately realise, this, is the end.
You make your final stand, aggressively shooting at every moving thing below you, soon deafened in one ear but without realising. They break down the door and charge up the stairs. You set up defences around your stairs, and when time comes, you shoot down the stairs, showing no mercy, they come in one big group destroying everything in its way, overrun, outnumbered, your friends have been eaten alive, as well as you. Your vision slowly fading until, there is no vision at all.