The Only Way Out

There they were, surrounded; the only way to freedom was to jump to an undiscovered world.

One month earlier...

Everything was perfect except for one thing: the toxic air surrounding them.  When people were first brought to this land, they created an injection that would keep them healthy from the toxins.  There were three teenagers that had the unlikelihood of meeting. Their names were Peeter, Katara, and Eric, and they weren't your average utopian teens.

After his parents died, Peeter lived a quiet life, never really talking to anyone but himself.  He was never really was very social ither. He was alway secluded from the world and had his nose in a book.  During school Peeter was always picked on and teased about what he wore; a white tee with black skinnies and combat boots.  Although he worked out and was much stronger than the boys at his school, he was scared and didn't want anything to do with them.  When school got out, he silently walked home pondering about the world around him, how oblivion was inevitable, and how everyone will eventually die.  Little did he know that may happen sooner than he thinks.

Katara had lost both her parents when she was really young. Her mother died after she was born. Then when she was ten, her father became very ill and passed away. When her father was still alive, he had home schooled her and taught her about life. She still lived in the abandoned hotel where her parents use to live.  Katara continued to learn and eventually developed an eidetic memory. This helped her navigate through the lonely streets of her town. She could map out the streets and escape routes to make it easier to get around. She was rebellious, she wore black skinny jeans and a band tee. Her long brown hair fell on her face as she moved. Her flexibility and speed helped her climb over obstacles easily. Little did she know, this would come in handy in the future.  

Eric, unlike Peeter, was energetic, self centered, and greedy. If he didn’t get the better part of the deal, he wasn't interested. His family wanted him to follow in their footsteps, but instead he decided to be a biker and moved out. Now he has black quiffed hair with red on the ends. The only thing he wears are leather jackets with dark colored shirts, black boots, and dark pants. When he talks, he's upbeat and happy, but the things he says are rude and discriminating. In school he was the popular kid everyone wanted to be like him, but he was always jealous of everyone else and wanted to be like them. He likes getting revenge on people who have wronged him or made him made.

(Theme starts to develop) Katara was plantigrading around the alleyway, jumping over obstacles that were in her way.  Then she bumped into two bodies.  Peeter and Eric. Peeter had his nose buried in a book as he walked to the abandoned hotel and Eric was on his way to get more oil for his bike.

“Hey, watch it punk!” Eric yelled.

“Sorry,” Peeter muttered.  

Katara just kept walking not even acknowledging their presences only looking back once. (Theme starts to develop when they all run into each other.)

The following week, word had gotten around that the injections weren’t working and people have been hospitalised. Many people worried what would happen to their population.  (Twenty years ago the injection failed and there were hardly any survivors: they almost died out.)  As more people started to become affected, the land broke out, setting buildings on fire and starting riots. This wasn’t like what happened twenty years ago. This time it’s different because the people were mutating into zombies.

The townspeople started getting out of control and soon, there were very few buildings left standing. The abandoned hotel that Katara and Peeter lived in had burnt down as well. As they searched for a place to live, they found a small area where others were living. Half of Eric’s mansion had been destroyed and was left for ruinens. All he had left was his bike and a few supplies he managed to take with him. In the middle of all the tents set up in the camp, was an area where they could eat what food they managed to find. Katara was lucky enough to have food from her previous home to eat, others were not as lucky.

“Would you like a slice of bread?” Katara asked a boy sitting in front of her.

“Yes please,” the boy said turning around. “Thank you.”

“Wait. I know you from somewhere...” Katara thought. “You’re one of the boys who ran into me the other day!”

“Actually, you ran into us, but yeah... my name’s Peeter,” he said faintly.

“What?” Katara asked.

“I’m Peeter,” He repeated.

“Oh. Hi I’m Katara.”

(Theme continues to develop) They continued to eat and talk until they heard someone yelling just on the other side of the camp. By the time they get their, there were swarms of people crowding the area. When they got close enough to where they could see what was happening, Eric was there yelling at a young boy.

“Give me back my food!” yelled a young boy.

“No. It’s mine now...” shouted Eric. “You shouldn’t have given it to me.”

“I didn’t give it to you. You stole it from me! Give it back.” said the boy trying to take the sandwich  back..

“Too late! It was very yummy though,” Eric licked his fingers as he pushed the young boy out of his way.

“That wasn’t right,” Katara mumbled as she walked away. Then, she turned towards Peeter, who had his head in a book again.

“Do you ever stop reading?” she slapped the book out of his hands and dragged him behind her.

Once they got close enough to Eric, she let go of Peeter’s arm. Peeter stood up straight, aware of what Katara was about to do. She marched up to Eric and shoved him back a little.

“What!” Eric yelled.

“What is wrong with you!” Katara fired back.

“Excuse me, but I don’t know who you think you are. So you better watch it!” Eric yelled getting in her face.

Katara shoved him again, this time a bit harder than the first. Peeter slowly walked towards them. He didn’t want to intervene.  Eric didn’t like getting shoved, especially by a girl. His ego was way too big to let her get the best of him, so he pushed her back. It was so forceful though, that Katara fell on the ground. Now, Peeter stepped in and helped Katara off the ground. After Peeter helped Katara off of the ground he went after Eric. He took a step forward then

Eric started laughing and said

“What are you going to stick up for you girlfriend because she's too weak and come after me now?”

Before any of them could say anything an announcement came on “Attention Utopian society, to whom this may concern the patents we had looked up in quarantine have escaped. There are now seven zombies on the loose. Again to whom...” Then it got cut out by people running and screaming frantically. The sound of moaning started coming from down the street, everyone froze. Could the people infected by the toxins really have escaped? Peeter, Katara, and Eric stood there listening. Then, they saw them, zombies reeking havoc on the town. The zombies had a sloppy gait as they approached slowly. Their jaws were dislocated showing their torn tongues and blood stained teeth. They moaned as they smelled the blood in the air and ate those who went by pinning them on the ground. Skin peeled away from their bones and organs, showing their black hearts. Although they did not beat, you could see that organs were torn, how their blood had turn into a thick turbid brown and how their stomach slowly digested the flesh that was there own.   

Together, they ran as far away from the zombies as they could. Finally they reached a vacant building and crawled inside; hiding in the shadows as the moaning grew closer. One stray zombie stumbled along the road past the building. Peeter and Katara held their breath as it passed. Eric, on the other hand, moved towards another exit getting the zombie’s attention.

“Run!” Katara yelled.

Peeter shoved open the wooden boards leaving a small opening for them to go through. As the zombie entered, the building collapsed leaving the zombie trapped inside.  They kept running as far as their legs could take them, never looking back.  Soon they found an Ikea, with the Ikea monkey safely inside.

Using all the supplies they could find, they guarded the door. They found what little food was left as they sat down for a short break while listening to Uptown Funk.

“We’ve got to find away out of this!” Eric exclaimed

“We wouldn’t be here if you didn’t run for the door!” Peeter declared

“Stop it you guys. We all know it is Eric’s fault, but that doesn’t change anything. I have this city mapped out in my mind.”

“Oh how cute you have it mapped in your head. How reliable, you probably know your way back to your house to go cry to your mommy and daddy,” Eric laughed.

“For your information... I don’t have parents anymore. And I know more about his town than you do, sitting in your man cave all day long,” Katara fired back.

“Well at least I have a house to go back to each night and I don't have to trespass on other peoples property and live in abandoned places.”

“Guys stop it. She knows her way around, you’ve got half a house, and I am smart. We can get ourselves out of this, but only if we work together,” Peeter silenced them.

“Oh shut up book boy, at least I have a house. And I will never work with you dweebs.”

Just then they heard a loud crash coming from the front door. It was the monkey. He was moving the furniture that was blocking the door. Soon, the doors swung open and many zombies stumbled in. Running to the back entrance, they broke through the back door and ran outside. Luckily, the zombies were focused on the front of the building so they didn’t hear them leave.  As soon as they got out they ran.

“Can...can we take a break?” Katara breathed.

“Yeah in a little bit okay, hold on a little longer,” Peeter reassured.

“Okay...there should be a gas station up ahead.”

They ran a little farther ahead on the road and katara was right, there was a small little gas station that they could find supplies at.

“I’ve never been out past this gas station before...” Katara looks at Peeter then at Eric, “where do we go now?”

“Don’t worry I have a cottage out this way that we could stay at for the night, I doubt there will be any zombies out there,” Eric’s lie slips smoothly from his mouth with the others not knowing.

“Yeah that sounds good,”  Peeter said.  They sat in silence for a moment rethinking everything that has happened, when the sound of moaning accompanied by screams drew closer.  Peeter, Katara and Eric decided to start heading towards the edge.

Soon they reached the cottage that Eric was talking about earlier.  It was fairly large with thick wooden doors and large stained glass windows.  Katara and Peeter walked inside amazed, they’ve never seen something so beautiful before. There were beautiful stained oak floors and large fur rugs on the ground.  There were two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen, a living room, and everything you would want to have in a house is in this cottage.  As Peeter and Katara were busy admiring the cabin, Eric walked back outside, slowly grabbing two frying pans on his way.  He slowly approached a large herd of zombies and clanked the pans together to get their attention. The zombies stood there staring at Eric, then in a split second they charged trying to get him.

“Peeter! Katara! zombies are coming we have to get out of here!” Eric Yelled smiling slightly as he ran back to the cottage.

Katara and Peeter rushed outside to see all the zombies headed for them. Quickly, they ran back inside and slam the wooden doors behind them.

“What do we do now? We’re trapped here!” Katara worried.

“It’s fine, the doors are too thick for them to break through,” retorted Eric.  Just then, the doors flew open and a bunch of zombies rush in.

“Spoke too soon..” Peeter laughed as they ran out the back doors and back outside.  They ran closer to the edge before turning around. There they were surrounded; the only way to freedom was to jump to an undiscovered world.

“There is nowhere for us to go!” Peeter yelled.

“I guess we’ll have to fight them off...” Eric said sheepishly.

Just then, Eric grabs the two frying pans and gets in front of Peeter and Katara. Their backs were towards the edge and he started to walk towards the zombies.

After he took a few steps forward, he turned around with an evil smile on his face.

“Like I told you losers, I will never, nor did ever work with you. And now I won't have to worry about you two numbskulls coming in thinking you’re better than everyone else and trying to run how we escape the zombies. I run things around here, not you! And I see you haven't learned that yet, so let me teach you!” he roared at them.  

Then, out of nowhere he hit them both in the head with the frying pans knocking them out. He put his foot on their backs, and pushed them off the edge, falling to nowhere.

5 years later...

Peeter and Katara ended up landing in an ocean, washing up on a hot island on Earth. Now, they are building huts out of palm trees and creating a new place to call home. They hope to start a new society of their own, and intend on having a family soon. They don’t like being alone on the island.

As far as Eric goes, he took over the zombie infested land. Now he is living out his dream of being in control. He has only gotten close to dieing about ten times. All those who disobey him are either killed or burned. All in all, they are all living a pretty good life so far.