The screaming seemed like it never stopped, it kept me awake at night. I figured by now she'd of been dead. But I assume that wasn't the case considering the sound of her death could still be heard. The pain she must be in is unimaginable. But her screams still made you want to rip out your own ears. None of us could sleep, so we all adventured to the dinner table, where we all were holding our ears. We all had the same thought, we wanted the screaming to end, and for it to end immediately.

  Before anyone could make another move, five shots were fired at the noise, and suddenly, everything grew silent again. I didn't think it was possible, but hearing the silence was more sad than hearing her screams. However, both were horrible to think about, and under those circumstances, it was impossible to want either.

  After the gunshots, everyone slowly walked to their rooms. I sat on my bed trying to get the screaming out of my head, it was like a ringing that never went away. I began thinking different scenarios for what had happened to her. Maybe that girl was high and her boyfriend or husband attacked her. Maybe her son choked on something and died and came back to eat her? The possibilities were completely endless. But that screaming… That screaming was one that you'd never be able to get out of your head. It would drive you crazy before you'd forget. Everyone else was probably trying to get her screams out of their heads as well. I mourned over the way she died, how she had to lose her life because of some filthy animal.

  I turned on my T.V. that night to the news. Reports came back from a local lab saying that the "Doctors" had gotten signs of sickness caused by their patients. Nausea was the first symptom they got. Then massive migraines, delusions, feeling lost, and slow progression of symptoms. None of the Doctors turned into one of those creatures yet, but something was definitely happening to them.

  They informed everybody to be alert and careful of their surroundings. They said how they think we are getting sick. They think it's either airborne, or transmitted by body fluids. Such as being bit, kissing, sex, coughing, sneezing, or other things that revolves around passing on bodily fluids. They said anyone showing any of those symptoms should be taken to the hospital immediately for observation. The last thing the doctors said was under no circumstances, tell the government you heard anything that's been said. Otherwise, bad things would take place, like suddenly losing your memory. I felt as if this was a video mocking the other science video on the epidemic. But it was hard to tell. After all, this video could be a way of reminding everyone of whats going on.

  The scientists believe that if this disease, or virus, or whatever this may be, if it was airborne, then that would be the end of humanity as we know it. That life would cease to exist, no one would survive. But the other scientists already ruled out the possibility of it being airborne. Along with the documents I've been reading. I couldn’t imagine losing my life at 16, but if it's airborne, that could very well be the case. Yet, I felt like the governments word heavily outweighs some local lab. One thing was certain regardless of what side you were on, a cure needed to be found. But no one really knew how long that could take, or if at this moment, it was even possible.

  All of a sudden, one of the patients that were supposedly announced "dead", came up and attacked the man doing a biopsy. Red lights, gunshots, and loud sounds all roared through the facility. The camera fell, and all I saw was feet running around and screaming as the camera was getting kicked around like a soccer ball. Then in the distance, a lab guy fell down and cracked his head open. His eyes bulged out of his head as blood poured. Three of the creatures surrounded him and started tearing his flesh apart. Blood splattered everywhere. The creatures peeled his skin apart and dug out his eyes. Bloody red mouths feasted on the scientist as he screamed “God help us all!” over and over again. The only thing you could see was red, red everywhere. Then the T.V. went dead and all I heard was static.

"Go to bed!" Mom yelled, throwing me off my bed, startled.

"But mom," I pleaded hoping to stay up a little longer, "have you even heard what’s going on at the labs? You've got to let me stay up and watch this! This virus, the sickness, everything that's going on. We need to get ready for this thing!"

"I don't have to do anything. Go to bed before I take away everything that’s in your room, your mind doesn't need to be corrupted by the madness on this silly television screen… The world may be going threw a bad thing right now, but that doesn’t mean I have to allow you to watch these things. Nothing will happen to us, our city is completely save. That wall being up keeps us away from everything on the outside. You have your ancestors to think for that too.” My mom said as she grabbed the remote to turn off the T.V.

“But mom, our ancestors never build that wall! We did! I did, I kept a log of every day I was out there building that wall. The only reason we don’t remember, that you don’t remember is because the government drugged us somehow, the president himself order it! The other scientist talked about it, don't you remember?”

“Don’t you ever talk about such nonsense to me again Elizabeth.” my mom walked over and slapped across the face, “I don’t know where your mind goes, but it’s certain not in reality sometimes. The government is not like that, the president is not like that! Now get your ass to bed! Before I beat you to china.”

"Okay, goodnight." I mumbled, holding my face and getting up off the floor as she walked out the door.

  A few minutes later, I could already hear the TV, flicker on in the next bedroom as my mom gasped at the sight of horror. I snuggled up in my bed and let my mind wander to the horrors. I wondered for a moment if this was just one huge hoax, I’d like to think that was the case anyway. Some big movie producer pranking Defective for whatever reason. But then I realized that just wasn’t the case. This was real, and everything felt like it was going a hundred miles per hour. Although I didn’t feel sad or mad or even angry, I felt constantly vulnerable to the possibilities.

"This isn't real, everything’s fake." I kept telling myself, but as the night grew longer, it got harder for me to believe. Luckily, before I realized it, I was fast asleep, and everything was peaceful for awhile. Until my alarm went off. Beep beep beep...Beep beep beep...Beep beep beep. I got up to turn it off when my mom busted in with a worried look on her face.

She said, "Sweetie... I think you should just stay home tonight. No going out to hang with your friends or anything like that right now okay? The government made an announcement last night that everyone might be safer in their homes, and to only come out if you absolutely have to. Extra steps are being made to make the surviving states more livable. It's a little messed up right now, but it will get better. We just have to deal with this mess for awhile, so do me a favor and no going anywhere for awhile. I’m going to tell your siblings the same thing. Also, relocation is going to happen in a few days for people who are outside the wall.

  It's not a big worry or concern yet, I just think you'd be better off inside the house than outside in the open. Plus, it gives you more time to study so you can pass your tests. A military unit is being assigned to us. They’re coming to our state in a few days and checking every house out of any sign of any possible sickness. In the meantime, you're brother went to the store to stock up on as much food as possible. Let’s just hope he comes home safe and no one gets hurt. You should go back to sleep. I'll wake you up when breakfast is made."

"So you believe the government when they say exactly the same thing as I did, but you won't believe me, who was in fact correct?" I said.

“Oh Elizabeth, don’t be a child. I just want my children safe. I thought you were acting irrationally over the school. It’s not like they teach you anything about the real life anyway, so how was I to know you were telling the truth?”

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“Wow, thanks mom.”

“I’m sorry sweetie, just stay home.”

“But mom…” I said quietly, "Jaried and I are supposed to have our first basketball game tonight. I have to go to the game or the whole team will kick me off... I'm the only girl, and there’s a lot of pressure on me right now, they are counting on me to be good. Also… I don’t want to be stuck with my family all day long, it’s boring and it's not like anyone pays attention to me anyway. It’s cramped and always loud and annoying in this house. With all these children... I wished you’d just save your income and get a bigger house."

"I thought there was no school anyways due to the sickness that's going around? If they can't excuse you from one game with an issue like this going on, you don't need to be on that team anyways. Do I make myself clear? You are staying home whether you like it or not, I don't need you hurt. And I don’t see anyone paying me to raise you disrespectful children, so I don’t want any input. I have to do it all on my own, and not that it's any of your concern, but I just got a letter in the mail telling me that there's a house in Baker City that I can have for free, that allows most of you to have your own rooms. Damien and Jakecub’s room is also outside in a barn, where they can feel more like an adult. Last I heard, we will be moving in two weeks. "

"School events are different, the coaches are counting on us. Thanks for ignoring me though. But okay, fine, be like that then, I don’t care. Can I at least play video games? Or will that be too dangerous for me too?"

"Don't be a smart ass with me Liz, you need to watch yourself. You’re on thin ice. Play your videogames, I need to start breakfast, I love you darling and I would start packing up things you don’t use if I were you."

"Love you too, I’ll start packing tomorrow."

  As my mom left my room, I started my regular morning stretches to wake me up from the long night of listening to the screaming T.V. This morning seemed especially distracting for some reason however. It was like every inch of my body said that something bad was going to happen today, that something was off or not right. I had a huge sickening feeling in my stomach that weighed me down. But since I had no visible proof of anything wrong, I decided to focus on something else that would ease my mind. Aaroon walked in as I was drawing. He sat down on my bed and started throwing things at me.

“Hey Lizzy, have anything planned? Mom told me to go keep you company.”

"Yeah, I’m sure she just wanted you to spy on me instead, and since when do you care what I do?” Aaroon asked.

“You’re right, I don’t care at all. Just making conversation I guess. You’re right though, she does want me to keep an eye on you to make sure you don’t leave without her knowing. Keep up the good mind reading loser.”

“Hey, Aaroon? Why don’t you shut up?”

“Whatever, big baby.”

“You’re such a dweeb.”

“Least I’m not a cry baby.”

“Want to play some videogames? We can be on the same team if you’re just going to cry about getting beat by me."

"Fuck that! You never play fair, I hate playing videogames with you. You're a cheater." He said.

"It's not cheating if you're just that good little brother, now calm the fuck down and come play videogames with me. I need someone to hang out with and since no one is allowed to go outside, and Damien's still at the store, you’re left. It'll be boring without you...I mean I guess anyways."

"Yeah, no thank you. Why don't you go ask your boyfriend to come over? I'm sure he would love to play videogames with you or something else you know, wink wink."

"You suck Aaroon! He isn't my boyfriend and never will be. I don’t have feelings like that for him and I never will!" I yelled.

"Geez, way to friendzone a guy.”

“I’m not friendzoning him. I never did feel that way for him and I’m not stringing him along because he makes me feel better.”

“Yeah, that’s what they all say!" Aaroon yelled as he was walking away.

  Soon mom called the entire family to the dining table for breakfast. Everyone started talking about their morning, like they always did. They talked about the dreams they had, what they did differently to wake up this morning, the whole works. I found it almost always annoying, not to mention pointless and boring. However, I found it rather amusing this morning that everyone wanted to pretend that they were fine. When clearly, nobody was. I knew just as well as anyone that that screaming we heard last night ruined everyone. Everyone was thinking about it, and you could tell we were all restless from the thought of it. Although we were all awake and at the table, we still moved sluggishly in our seats.

  Once again, the feeling that something was odd swept through my body. I sat awkwardly in my seat watching the crowd of family talk among themselves as I was off on the sidelines. I felt as if I've become an observer in the family instead of a member. I felt like I was watching them behind glass. I watched as mom fed the twins, Jerry and Justin. I watched as Aaroon and Jynx played with their food, and I saw Alexandra, Jasson, and Sammi play with action figures and Barbie dolls. Then I heard Jakecub come out of his room, he came to the table and mom asked him if he was going to stay for awhile. He didn't give any kind of response and just grabbed food before walking back to his room. Sammi tried playing with him, but he pushed him away. 

  As for me, I wondered if I'd even survive this epidemic. It didn't seem likely, even though according to my journals, I did fight those creatures before, this time could be different. One wrong move and I'm dead. Luckily, I didn't have to face those creatures yet, I wasn't ready to either. I'll never be ready to face those monsters, but eventually I knew I'd have to. At least, I'm sure I'd have to. No one knows what's going to happen in the future though, maybe they find a cure before I have to fight. But I still worry. I barely touched my breakfast, I couldn't. The odd feeling was to much for me to handle. Food make me feel sick at the thought of it.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" My mom said with a concerned look.

"Nothing, I'm just thinking. I'll be alright..." I mumbled.

"You've barely touched your breakfast. It's not like you, what’s bothering you?"

"Nothing mom! Like I said, I'm alright, when is the military unit supposed to be here?"

"Shhh, Don't say anything, I don't what the kids to find out what’s going on..." Mom whispered.

“Well… It’s not like it’s going to be a secret for much longer when they just all the sudden show up now will it?”

"What are you guys talking about...?” Aaroon asked.

"Nothing sweetie, finish your breakfast." Mom stuttered.

"Better tell them before the military comes knocking down our door, ready to kill us all. Better coming from you than a gun in our faces." I snapped.

"What? The military men are coming to take us away? Why? We didn’t do anything." Aaroon said.

"No honey, nothing is going to happen. We are fine. Your sister just isn’t thinking right, that's all." Mom said, glaring at me to shut up.

"Yeah, we're all perfect aren't we mom? But I’m the crazy one." I said as I stormed off to my room.