My name is Marley Faye and I'm about to tell you a story to beat all others. I'm going to tell you how this world became this way, and how I got my place in it. To whoever may be reading this… I hope you make your days last. It's everyone for themselves out here. Good luck.

May 21st, 1999, was when my journey began. I was born smack dab in the middle of the United States in Wichita, Kansas. My life was pretty boring through my early years. I had a 12 year old brother named Noah and a 4 year old sister named Elise. The only thing semi interesting in my life was my parents divorce. It was an ugly one indeed that affected my entire family in different ways. My mom and my siblings moved to Manhattan, New York. While I remained in Wichita Middle School.

It was May 30th of 2014 and it was my mom's year to have me for the summer. She drove from Manhattan, New York to St. Louis, Missouri to pick me up. My dad drove me to St. louis. From there I jumped into the front seat of my moms suburban, gave my dad a hug goodbye, put my headphones in, and went on our way to Manhattan. We were 6 hours in and it was midnight and I told my mom I needed to use the bathroom. I ran in with Elise.

Elise said to me, “I missed you so much Marley!”

As she said this, she wrapped her arms around my legs to hug me. I picked her up and gave her a big hug and said,

“I missed you too Elise, now go to the bathroom we gotta get back on the road”

As I was waiting for her to use the bathroom, I heard some commotion going on outside the room. I peaked my head out to see what was going on. There was an older man with a gun pointed at the counter,

“Give me it all, all of the money now! I don't want to have to shoot you!” He said angrily

As i was peering out of the room Elise ran out trying to race me to the car, I tried to grasp her arm to keep her next to me but she slipped out. From there it was all as if it was in slow motion. I saw the man aim his gun towards Elise. So i jumped into action. I dove in front of her and the estranged man with loaded gun. We fell to the floor, and i could hear a loud bang but i couldn't feel any pain. Matter of fact I couldn't feel anything. I could hear the man drop the gun and fall to the floor. I rolled over and stared at the ceiling. I could see Elise crying over me as my mom rushed to me crying. The last moment of memory i had was my sister, brother and mom telling me to hold on. I tried to mutter “i love you” to them, but that's when it all went black.

I woke up to see an older but a familiar Elise next to me.

“Shes awake, Hurry shes awake!” She screamed.

I my eyes were still adjusting to the lights.

“Elise?”

“I’m right here Marley, I’m here.”

“Why do you look so different? Where am I?”

“You're In East Ohio Regional Hospital” Said a deep and unfamiliar voice.

I sat up to see who is was, only to see an older boy with a familiar face.

“Noah?”

“You're awake finally you're awake.” He said grinning.

He came over and gave me a big hug, i hugged him back, and i could feel Elise jump on top and hug me as well. As they got off i went to get out of bed, i took my first step on the cold floor and collapsed. Elise and noah ran to me but i told them i've got it. I stood up again and started to regain my remembrance of walking. I turned around and asked,

“ So what happened after i got shot?”

“You were rushed to this hospital, just in time to save your life. But the doctors told us you lost to much blood, so much so that it put you into shock and that you were too far gone and the best hope for you was to put you into a medically induced coma and let you wake up on your own. So that's what we did. Mom and Dad came together and decided that that was the only option. A year went by and mom and dad and us moved to ohio, so we could be closer to you. Me and Elise would come after school everyday to see you. But it took you four years to wake up.”

At this moment i was still trying to process what he said but all that came out my mouth was,

“Where is Mom and Dad, and the doctors?”

Elise began to cry, and Noah put his head down at the floor

“What is it?” i said

“They're dead, They're all dead.”

I began to laugh hysterically, as if what he had just told me was truly the funniest thing i've ever heard.

“What do you mean they're ALL dead” I asked noah.

“4 months ago the CDC had accidently let out a test subject that had rabies 4os3 in it. They were trying to weaponize the disease rabies to use in the upcoming war in Iraq. However they made a terrible mistake in the process, They put too much of something and tested it on the monkey they inquired. They thought it had just killed the monkey, but it did so much more. It infact heighted every sense except its vision, and it made it so hungry and blood thirsty that ran for the nearest scientist and took a chunk out of his arm. They killed the monkey thinking the outbreak was finally over, til the scientist become filled with the hunger and blood thirst that it bit other scientist and the outbreak started from there.”

“Oh my…”

I paused and took a deep breath.

“So what happened to Mom and Dad?’

“When this all happened Mom and Dad and us refused to leave your side at the hospital. You were still on life support and we wouldn't risk losing you. So we grabbed food and guns and whatever we needed and barricaded ourselves into one of the abandoned hallways being evacuated. About 2 weeks ago Mom and dad went out on a food run, something they've done several times before. But only Mom came back with the food and with her was a bit on her arm. She didn't have much time before she turned, we tried to make her stay, but she walked into the hallway through the window we could see her get mauled to death and turn into what we call Canines. Her last wish was that we keep you safe and survive. And thats what weve been doing, but this place has been becoming unstable and more breeches have been piling up. We were going to ride it out until you woke, but now we've got to go.”

I layed down on the bed and told them both to give me a few minutes to process this information and get ready.

“Breath Marley, Breath.” i said to myself

I reached for the clothes that noah layed on my bed and put them on. Next to it was a gun and a gun holster to strap on my hip. I had shotton many guns with dad but never have a carried one on my hip. I walked out into the hallway, still getting used to my stepping. Elise was sitting in a chair playing with a beaten up baby doll. I looked to my left to see Noah Patrolling the hallway. I looked back to my right to see a lonesome figure roaming the end of the hall.

“Hello?” I said

The figure started to run, in fact it started to sprint for me, and the closer it got the more i realized it was a rotted human being with flesh torn out of its face i picked up Elise and ran towards Noah, as I was running the gunshot went off and the chasing canine collapsed. I looked at Noah and he put his gun back into his holster.

“You have to shoot them in the head. It's the only thing they'll die from.”

I caught my breath and put down Elise.

“You way more than i remembered” I joked at Elise.

We shared a laugh and then noah said

“It's time to go,”

So he threw a backpack on and grabbed car keys.

“Follow me closely and watch your back, Elise get between me and Marley and stay close.”

So that's exactly what we did, we followed him closely and quietly down the 6 flights of stairs, til we hit the door that said exit. He told us that from here we are going to make our way to the suburban that was Moms car.

“Okay...1...2...3!”

The door swung open and the light hit me, I forze for a second, enough time for something to grab my arm. I looked over to my right to see that Noah and Elise had made it to the car. I was scrambling and fighting this thing off me, but it was so strong. It was dripping all sorts of gunk all over me, as i was throwing and kicking and pushing trying to get it off. I looked to my left to see a huge heard of them start running for me. I looked back right and i saw naoh running at me shooting as many as he could. He shot the one dead, it released my grip and i ran forward, but he ran towards them.

“Noah no!” i screamed

“Run Marley, run! Keep Elise safe and head south. Head to grandmas, the last mom heard they were safe down there! Now go! This is the only way.” Said noah

I froze once again, long enough to see them swarm around Noah and hear his screams. As i was standing there, one of the canines looked up at me, I made a run for it to the car, hoped in the driver's seat, put it into reverse and ran the cannie over. We sped out of there as fast as we could.

“Wheres Noah, what happened?!” Elise asked as she began to cry

“He sacrificed himself for us.”

From there is was a long 4 hour drive with sniffles and big bursts of cries. My whole world had fallen apart within 8 hours. My family was gone, expect for Elise, and my dreams for my future were shattered. All i knew from that moment on was i was determined to keep Elise safe and alive, and we are going to make it to grandmas. As we drove down highway 71, I couldn't help but think to myself, this is only the beginning of the end.