Michael and Alicia stared at the emergency alerts on their phones. The two sat in front of a desk long enough for them to share. On top were a few textbooks and notes, which were now being ignored. Instead, they exchanged looks at each other between staring at the phones growing nervous. “A terrorist attack?” Alicia asked out loud.

“I know as much as you do,” Michael answered back.

Michael reached up to scratch his head. His fingers brushed through the cardboard brown strands of hair that reached down to his face. His brown eyes were as lost as ever. “But… what is this?” As he asked, they both received a message from the group chat. It was Makayla. Michael and Alicia both texted back claiming they were okay.

“What are we supposed to do?” Alicia said.

“Shelter-in-place like it said, I guess,” he retorted.

Alicia stood up and looked out the window over Michael’s bed. She hoped to get a glimpse of the road in front of the house but was met with a brick wall. As she gave up, Alicia turned to Michael and studied him. He wasn’t skinny, but everything about him was underwhelming. He didn’t have any prominent features that signified strength or endurance. In the case they had to defend themselves, Michael was as helpless as her. There’s an emergency, and I’m stuck with Michael, she complained to herself.

Michael read the incoming messages which suddenly halted. “Uh,” he began, “Hana, Darnell, Raj, Illyana, Ryan, and Teemo haven’t answered their phones.”

“What?” she exclaimed, rushing to her phone. Sure enough, the messages ended without a word from the rest of their friends. Alicia bit her fingernails in anticipation of a single message. Her eyes remained glued to the phone until Michael spoke up, “Alicia?”

Alicia jumped then decided to set her phone down, “I’m sure everything is fine,” she fretted, “Hana is with Darnell, Raj is with Makayla, and Teemo is… well he’s Teemo, he’ll be alright.”

Just as she finished talking, the doorbell rang. They froze at the sound like deer in headlights. “Were you expecting someone?” Alicia asked Michael.

“No…” he answered.

The two ran out of the room in unison. Michael’s room was on the second floor. Immediately in front of his door was a tight hallway and a railing overhanging the front corridor, with a view of the front door. Alicia and Michael ran up to the railing to look at the front door. There were two glass panes on the door that allowed them to make out a single figure standing outside.

The doorbell rang again. “I’ll get it!” Michael’s dad shouted from the living room. A stocky man came into view, Michael’s father, as he passed under the overhang, making his way to the door. “Who is it?” he shouted. Michael and Alicia watched with anticipation. Surely, Michael’s father had seen the emergency alert, they both thought.

There was no answer, just another ring of the doorbell. His father motioned behind him and whispered to Michael’s mother, who was out of sight. Michael and Alicia could make out something about a pistol. Suddenly, the figure outside began slamming its fists into the door. Everyone ducked at the outburst. “Trisha, hurry!” Michael’s dad shouted.

In the next moment, a fist bursted through one of the glass panes and swung around. Alicia screamed at the sudden fright. The glass shards flew out at Michael’s dad who retreated back. Sounds of chaos outside entered the house. As the arm waved around in a frenzy, it received a plethora of scrapes and gashes. But it was undisturbed by the grotesque wounds it had acquired. Everyone in the house froze in horror to gaze as rivers of blood streamed the arm and dripped onto the floor.

Alicia’s hands covered her mouth. The intruder’s hand fumbled around more until it reached the door’s locks. Everyone immediately picked up on the scheme of the man outside, but Michael’s father couldn’t stop it in time. It managed to unlock the door and it swung open. On the other side of the door, a man in a light blue dress shirt and khakis was covered in splotches of red and brown stains. He glared at Michael’s dad like a hyena eyeing its prey. His tongue hung out of a sinister smile and he began cackling slowly. The sight of which nearly caused Michael to throw up in his mouth. Michael’s mother came back just in time for four more men to suddenly appear, screeching and howling as they swarmed into the house. No one even had time to react before they tackled Michael’s parents to the floor. Michael screamed “No!” and bolted to the stairway but Alicia managed to grab his arm and stop him.

“Stop!” she shouted at Michael.

“I have to help them!” Michael tried to fight her off.

The two struggled until they crashed on the floor. As Michael fell, he was able to stare directly into the eyes of the man who had punched through the glass. His hand was drenched in blood, but he was unbothered. He just stood there smiling. Through the chaos of the fighting below them, he could hear the man giggle as he licked his lips at Michael. Michael felt a primal fury explode within him. He shoved Alicia off of him and stood up to look over the railing at his parents again. The four men willingly released his parents, getting off of them and revealing their bodies. Michael’s father had multiple bite wounds on his neck, face, and arms. His body shook like he was having a seizure. He could only see his mother’s feet and they were spasming as well. The other four men looked up at Michael and smiled with teeth stained with his parent’s blood. Michael looked on in horror as the bodies of his parents fidgeted around until they became motionless. His entire body froze. He felt like a snake had coiled around his throat and all he could do was quiver.

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All five of the men began charging up the stairs. Alicia managed to drag Michael away from the railing and into the bedroom without resistance. She slammed the door and locked it, then fastened a chair under the knob.

“Help me barricade it more!” she shouted at him, but it was like talking to a mannequin. Michael just stood there, blankly staring into space. “Michael!” she screamed again and Michael jumped. He turned around to see her on one side of the desk. “Help me move this to the door!” she said.

“O- oh.” Michael uttered as his wits returned to him.

The two managed to lift the desk long enough to place it right in front of the door. They pushed it against the door, making sure there wasn’t any leeway. They stacked boxes, chairs, and even Michael’s mattress onto the door all while the people outside banged on it.

The two stood in the middle of the ransacked room with their focus on the barricade. “Now what do we do?” Alicia said.

Makayla and Raj wondered the same thing when the emergency alerts took over their phones and the television.

The two were at Makayla’s home. Makayla agreed to the task of teaching Raj how to cook a Spanish omelette. The stove burned away as they stared at the television in shock. Only a few moments ago, they were goofing around and enjoying themselves. Makayla loved to tease Raj’s skinny physique, and this time she remarked that he should eat at least 3 omelettes every morning so he doesn’t starve to death. So Raj struck a deal that he’d eat every omelette they made, if she ate one of his Pakistani dishes. Makayla agreed by rubbing her knuckle into Raj’s smooth and black hair. Then, Raj flipped her hair over her face to return the favor.

The heat from the stove and their playfulness started to make Makayla sweat and she ended up turning on the A/C. Raj wasn’t as bothered by the heat due to his nearly hairless skin. Raj’s skin and face were so smooth, there was a running joke among the group of friends that he was “if butter grew legs and started walking.” The kitchen was only separated from the living room by a bar, so they could see the TV from the kitchen. On the screen was a display of chaos and madness. Curious, Raj walked around the bar into the living room and turned up the TV. A news helicopter broadcasted an upturned city with people scrambling around roads, stores, parks and more, like ants. Fires, explosions, accidents, and break-ins were painted all over the city.

“You seeing this?” Raj mumbled.

“Hmm?” Makayla went, from the kitchen.

“Makayla, come over here.”

Makayla turned around from the stove and looked at the TV. Her eyes narrowed. She could see it clearly, but was urged to move closer. She walked up beside Raj and watched dismayed as the events on the screen unfolded.

“Oh my god…” she muttered.

Then, the emergency alerts went off. The alerts went off on their phones and blocked the screen of the TV. The two shut them off as fast as they could. Before putting her phone down, Makayla went into the group chat to find out if everyone else had gotten the alert. Michael and Alicia confirmed it, then Tristan, and that was it. Makayla ran to the window next to the TV and lifted one of the blinds to see outside. So far, nothing was occurring in their neighborhood.

“Okay, I don’t see anything, maybe we’re safe,” Makayla said.

“Maybe we’re safe?” Raj mocked her with a raised eyebrow.

She walked back over to him, “Yeah, you know how the media likes to blow things out of proportion.”

“Makayla! Look!” he pointed at the TV screen, “The city is on fire! P- people are eating each other!”

Makayla’s eyebrows narrowed at the last bit then circled back around to the TV. Surely enough, Raj hadn’t misconceived the display. It was very visible that hordes of people were assaulting others, then leaving their motionless bodies to rot. Only for them to suddenly rise up and join in the chaos.

“This is the freaking apocalypse man!” Raj screamed as his hands held his head, “It’s not here now but it will be!”

“Oh my God, oh my God!” Makayla started panicking, pacing around and ranting in Spanish. Raj looked at her like she was crazy and could barely make out words like “stupid,” “house,” and he could swear he heard “dance.” Makayla suddenly stopped and shouted, “Raj! Turn off everything!” then ran into the kitchen and shut off the stove.

Raj scurried for the TV remote and cut it off before Makayla started turning off the few lights they had on. Makayla kept busying herself while Raj tried to keep up with her. He ran into the kitchen and saw her with a flashlight looking through the pantry. “Oh my God how long will this last us?” she whispered to herself.

“Your family always has more than enough food anyway,” Raj reassured her.

“That’s because those niños could eat mountains- AAHH!” Makayla suddenly screamed out, startling Raj.

“What, what is it?” he yelled, he had his hands ready to catch or to run.

Makayla turned to him, “They’re still at the daycare!” she bolted past Raj and almost knocked him over in the process. Raj ran after her, inquiring, “Who? Your little brothers and sister?”

“Yes!” she shouted as she threw on her sneakers that she left at the front door. Raj caught up and grabbed Makayla by her shoulders and faced her towards him. Raj looked Makayla in the eye and asserted, “Makayla, you can’t go out there! That’s suicide!”

Makayla’s face twisted in anger as she violently shook him off. Raj could see the flames in her eyes as she only got even more furious. Makayla shouted at Raj violently, “You do not tell me what I can and can’t do for my family!” Some of her Spanish accent broke through the threat. Raj backed off immediately. He’d only witnessed Makayla get like this a handful of times in the years he’d known her, and it was terrifying every time. Makayla continued as she tied her shoes, “I don’t care if it’s the end of the world or los muertos! I’m not leaving them on their own!”

She finished her sentence before swinging the front door open and running outside. Raj stood perplexed about what to do. He watched her run to and across the street. His foot started tapping as he looked back and forth between Makayla and the living room. “Screw it,” he grumbled and took off running after her.