Growing Pains - Chapter 1

The engine of the car hummed as we cruised down the street.

The thickness of the Mercedes SUV blocked off what little sound was coming from outside.

But leaning against the window, I could still hear them moaning. Groaning.

I saw them all watching us drive by.

They all went after us. Some running. Others in a slow trudge.

My brother is at the wheel, and me in the passenger seat, and supplies and equipment accompanying us in the back.

No one else.

We've lost all contact with the rest of our family.

And we don't know what happened to most of our friends.

We are just by ourselves.

The radio is off. Neither of us are talking. There was nothing to say.

We drive in silence to one of the only places we could go that we know is somewhat "safe."

Isolated from all the madness.

My brother, Fermin, is driving carefully going around any of the people stumbling around on the road.

I could see how bad they wanted us. To become one of them.

We continued on driving passing the police station.

As we passed, we both looked over at the parking lot, hoping to see some kind of help.

But there was no one.

I couldn't help but think what had happened a few days back.

It was present in my mind and it wasn't planning on ever leaving.

I stared out the window watching everything pass by.

The lush green woods to the side of the road made it easy for me to get lost in thought.

We reached the center of town to the Watchung Circle. It's more crowded here.

We drive in the round-about along the Watchung lake.

Some of the infected people have wandered into the water.

Halfway there. We turn away from the lake up the hill to the left.

A wooded isolated area.

I have lived in this town my whole life. It looks the exact same. However now, it feels empty. Cold. Lonely.

Sniffle

I slowly turned to look at my left to see my brother, tears rolling down his face.

He wanted to breakdown.

I could see that he was trying to hold back his sadness.

I don't know how I feel. I know what I should be feeling. But that emotion just isn't present.

I've become numb.

Numb to the shit-hole that the whole country has become.

There was just only one emotion I could feel. That everyone could feel. Fear.

It reminded my brother and I, and who ever else was alive out there, that we were not infected.

Fermin slowed down the car. I hadn't realized that we had already arrived.

He pulled into the driveway and I kept looking at the house. This will be my new home. My new family.

We got out and walked up to the front door. These people are our friends. People very close to us.

I needed to see familiar faces to distract me from all that's happening.

Fermin pressed the doorbell and I could hear the chime go off inside the house.

A few seconds passed and I could see shadowy figures moving around the house.

I reached out to ring the doorbell again when the door finally opened.

I froze in place. And I stared down a barrel of a rifle that was pointed right at me.