All Hell Breaks Loose (Prolouge)

[Simon Ryan]

These past few days had been the worst time of his life. Simon was in school like any other day. The teacher, Mister Harris, was writing math equations on the board when suddenly he couldn’t stop coughing and he fell to the ground. Nobody knew what to do. Jimmy Murdock went over to tap his shoulder and Mister Harris jumped up and bit Jimmy in the neck. They both went down to the ground and Simon stoop up in shock. He had no idea what to think or what to do. The other students ran for the door as Mister Harris went for another student, just missing Simon as he hopped out of the way. Simon decided to follow the other out of the room and could see other students running like maniacs out into the hall. The fire alarm then sounded. By the time he got out there, he stopped to look around at the chaos. Students and teachers running away from other students and teachers. But the ones chasing them looked different. They looked dead.

“What the fu-” Simon was caught off as one of the other guys’ from his baseball team, Another, had tackled him to the ground. Simon groaned as he quickly got up and looked over at him. “Anthony, what the hell is going on here!?” He yelled over at him. The other boy quickly got back up to his feet as well, and then started to charge. “It’s the end of the world man!” he yelled back at Simon. Anthony wasn’t paying attention to what was going on around him and suddenly his English teacher attacked him from behind and starting to eat him alive. With a sharp gasp Simon spun around and started to run along side the lockers. People kept pushing into him, trying to get by. He made his way down the pool hall were not as many people were running around as he made is way outside. He couldn’t believe the sight. He looked to see a bus crash int oa telephone pole and the infected townspeople started climbing all over it. Simon knew he had to get home as fast as he possibly could.

Three days later…

His father went out to get some supplies, Simon begged him to tag along but he said it was too dangerous and he had to stay here in case anything went wrong. Well, apparently something did go wrong, but not at the Ryan house. When he got back he had been bitten by one of the infected. Lucky, none of them had followed him back, but things weren’t looking too good for him. They tried to wrap it up, and his mother asked Simon if he could put Thomas to bed. His little brother did not need to see this. So, he brought him up to his room and shut the door. He brought him over to his bed by the window and walked over to his short bookcase and pulled out a Disney story book. “What should we read tonight?” He asked is brother as he squeezed in next to him on the bed. “Peter Pan tonight!” he said excitedly. So Peter Pan it was, and he started reading until little Thomas Ryan fell to sleep on Simon’s arm. Obviously he wasn’t going anywhere, otherwise he’d fall asleep.

Before he knew it, his eyes were getting heavy. He put the book down gently next to the bed and quickly fell asleep right next to his little brother. He wasn’t sure just how long he had been out, but before he knew it, Thomas was shaking him to wake up. He quickly blinked his eyes and leaned forward. He right arm was tingling a bit as he rubbed his eyes with his fists. “What’s wrong, little guy?” Simon asked and then he heard a crash. He quickly turned to the door and his heart skipped a beat. He knew something bad must have been going on outside. He got up from the bed and looked down at Thomas. “Stay there, okay?” He said and waited for the little one to nod his head. He went over and opened the door where he saw Anna approaching the stairs. She told him to stay with Thomas. Without a word he nodded and went back in, closing the door tight behind him.

He walked back over to Thomas with a concerned rather fake smile. “What’s wrong?” he asked with a sad and pouting face. He shook his head and ruffled the boy’s hair gently. “Nothing, buddy, just come over here to the corner just in case.” He said as he lifted Thomas off of the bed and ran him over to the corner of the room. He put him down and went over to look outside when all of a sudden he heard somebody run up the stairs. Two people, actually. Then the door slammed. He heard the pounding and walked over to the door, gently putting his ear next to it. He very slowly turned the doorknob and opened the door ever so slightly as he saw his father was now one of the infected. He was pounding Anna’s bedroom door, trying to get him. His eyes opened wide and he quickly but carefully closed the door. He turned to Thomas who was in a human ball, rocking back and forth in the corner of his bedroom. “Don’t worry, kiddo. Everything is going to be just fine.” he tried to keep things positive for his sake.

Suddenly he heard Anna’s door being broken down. He took in a deep breath and heard a gun shot. He jumped a little, it was so sudden. Then after a few second he heard another one. Thomas started to sob in the corner and Simon ran over and picked him up, gently rocking him back and forth. He couldn’t help but think the worst has happened. He couldn’t help but hope Anna was alright. Then she quickly came into the room and told them they had to leave. They quickly packed a bag and ran out into the hall. As he went toward the stairs Simon saw his mother’s body laying on the ground, hanging outside Anna’s bedroom doorway. He sucked it up and followed. When they went outside, Simon ran to the car and through the stuff inside. Thomas had fallen down and hurt himself. “Shit, is he okay?” he asked his sister and she said it was going to be fine. They got in the car and drove away. Anna was shaken up and Thomas was hurt. What the hell were they going to do next?