Return To The Apocalypse

Wandering through the carpark burdened with a dozen grocery bags, Natalie spotted her mother's anxious expression within a blue BMW and ran towards her.

"Mum!" Natalie cried. It's been 6 years since she last saw her mom. A mixed bag of emotions caused tears to well up in her eyes and she lunged for a hug.

Anna looked surprised at her daughter's sudden affectionate behaviour, but patted her gently anyways.

Eyeing the dozen of bags her daughter was carrying, Anna raised an eyebrow "Why did you buy so much?"

"I'll explain later. " Natalie felt a foreboding feeling. Her brother wasn't in the car. "Where's Chase?"

Natalie hurriedly scanned around the car park but couldn't spot her father.

Her mom furrowed her brows. "Your brothers are having their exams. Your dad is at their school, he'll pick them up once they are done."

Oh no!

Natalie glanced down at her phone. 12:00PM

1 hour before the zombies hit my school. The roads around here will be blocked off in another 20 mins at latest.

We have to head off now or we'll never make it to the piers.

A flood of panic threatened to overcome her but she pushed the emotion away. Go now? Mom would be with me.

Dad could…

Her brothers' school was too close to the outbreak points, if they waited for the exams to finish, the vehicle pile ups on the road would probably make it impossible to even reach home.

What was dad doing at this point in time in her past life? Did he make it out then? Did she endanger him even more by sending him to a school?

She could make it to the island with her mom. But they probably would never make it out of their schools.

No. I won't abandon them. Not this time.

Even as she made this new resolution and abandoned her escape plans, Natalie moved on autopilot.

Nothing I could say would get them to leave in the middle of their exams, but leaving early? It's possible.

Mind whirling with possibilities, Natalie urged her mom towards her brothers' school.

Anna furrowed her brows, she complied but hesitantly voiced. "Are you in some sort of trouble?"

Natalie looked at her searchingly. Tell her the truth? No. She'll think I was going mad… I need to tell her something though. Then Mom can persuade Dad.

"I hacked into some government servers, there is going to be a disease outbreak. It's getting serious and spreading fast but there is no cure. The government is trying to prevent panic. We need to get home."

Anna glanced at her serious expression, her hands tightened on her driving wheel. "A disease outbreak? That sounds -" farfetched.

Natalie huffed and flipped through several news reports around the world to prove her point.

"Still it seems like an overreaction…" Anna smoothly turned into St. Marcus. "We shouldn't pull your brothers out of their exams. They are nearly done anyways."

"No!" Natalie looked at her in horror.

Anna frowned at her and Natalie could practically feel her mom growing steadily unimpressed.

She scrambled for words. "They can leave the exam before the last 15 minutes anyways, it's just for checking papers… I am explaining really badly but the reports were serious and the disease is spreading incredibly fast and schools would be the worst place to be-"

"Why are schools the worst places to be?" Anna questioned.

"Too many people-" Natalie's voice was caught in her throat. Crap!

"That is not the point!" She deflected hurriedly. Running a hand through her hair in frustration, she considered her options.

Can't wait. Won't be able to get home.

Can't go. Dad is still not home. Brothers…

Natalie felt choked with frustration. She shut her eyes and the encroaching panic attack at the edge of her consciousness threatened to overwhelm her.

Anna's eyes softened at her obvious distress and she caved in. "Fine. I'll call your dad." Waving a hand in the direction of the school, she sighed. "Go fetch Cale."