The Day My Life Changed

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

The Day My Life Changed

It was late. I would usually be at home having tea. Not tonight. My parents were probably worried; I’d forgotten my phone today so there was no way to let them know I was fine. My footsteps, heavy with tiredness, echoed in the cold, dead street. Shop windows that, only hours before, had been full of life and people were now shrouded in darkness, the shutters were closed, everyone had gone home. I was alone.

I hurried along the old cobbled street, desperate to get home to the warmth of my house. Why was I late? Because my teacher seemed to think it was her duty to make sure I missed my bus, going on an on at me about how I need to concentrate more… blah, blah, blah. So I had to get the later bus, It doesn’t help that my school is in the middle of nowhere and I was at the bus stop for almost two hours before I realised that it probably wasn’t going to show up at all! On my way home I hadn’t passed a single soul. So now here I am, cold, hungry and seriously hacked off.

My footsteps, the only sound in the silence that seemed to stretch around me, It was strange, I thought. Usually town would be busy at night, especially on Friday, full of people laughing and drinking, but there was no one. A shiver ran down my spine as I pulled my hood further over my head and quickened my pace. Suddenly, I heard a crash of a dustbin being knocked over as I spun round to find the source of the disturbance, I thought I glimpsed something shift in the corner of my eye, I glanced over my shoulder, a glint in the shadows? No, there was nothing there.

I was nearing the edge of town now, only ten minutes from home, my pace became less anxious and I let my thoughts wander but for some reason I could feel my heart beat quicken as though it was gripped by the menacing vice-like grip of panic, slowly being squeezed tighter and tighter. I stopped. I had suddenly noticed something. Something was wrong, very wrong. There were no cars, nobody around. It may not sound that strange but I live on the A6, it’s always busy. As I was stood there, frozen by fear, I heard a moan. It was low and guttural, full of pain and something else; hunger. Down the street to my right I saw something moving, lurching in the darkness of the alley, as if it was painful to move. “Hello?” I called out, my voice catching in my throat, “Who’s there?” Another groan, hesitantly, I took a step forward and that’s when the light fell on the shape. It was a woman, barely recognisable under the sores and rashes that covered her face and limbs. The stench was repulsive I gasped and wrinkled my nose in disgust. Hearing me, the woman wheeled round, her movements were wild, animal like, its eyes locked onto mine. I was frozen, my gaze locked onto the monster’s eyes, they were empty of emotion as if the life had been drained from them and replaced with a rogue, feral glint. The things mouth turned up in a snarl, something red trickled down from its lips, blood. I screamed.

Pounding along the pavement, the wind tearing at my face, I have to get away, are my parent’s home or are they gone too? Like everyone else who has disappeared, maybe that thing had gotten them. The houses blurred past me as I sprinted by, tears blurred my vision as the icy wind took the breath from my lungs and whipped my hair from my face. Almost there. As I turned the corner onto my lane I glanced behind me and went flying as I tripped over the curb. The thing was chasing me and it was fast, faster than I thought it would be. I picked myself up off the unforgiving pavement and ran up to my door, it was wide open, I dodged in and slammed it shut behind me.

I took a deep breath and allowed my pulse to slow. I could hear the TV in the other room; the smell of coffee filled my nose and drew me down the hall into the kitchen. I had to find my parent and get the hell out of here. What was going on? “Hello?” I called out tentatively, “Mum? Dad? Are you here?” No answer. The kitchen was empty the coffee was piping hot just sat in the cups, waiting to be drunk. They had just been abandoned. The back door was also open, I hurried over to it and quickly shut it, there could be more of those things out there. I went back to the hallway and heard the muffled noise of the TV again; I pushed open the door and stepped into the room. There was no one there. I was just about to go back out when I heard something that made me turn back round. It was the ten o’clock news, “…and so now we go back to our studio to find out more about what’s been happening in Lancashire,” Lancashire, that’s here! I was rooted to the spot my eyes fixed on the screen. “There has been a mass outbreak of some sort of plague which has not currently been named, the area has been sealed off and is under quarantine. As of yet, we have not been able to contact any of the civilians in the quarantine zone, we will be updating you as more information becomes available…”

What was happening to the world, a plague in Lancashire? My parents! Where were they? Maybe they hadn’t been eaten; maybe they had become one of those things...
BANG! Something hurled itself at the window. I run back into the kitchen, I heard the smash as the glass exploded and tinkled to the floor. I grabbed a pan, my only weapon against the monster in my house, and faced the door; today was just getting better and better...