Rise of the undead

 The two of them decided to walk back to the city where Abby's house was located. Since they couldn't retrieve the truck and the highway was gridlocked, they set off on foot.

As they walked through the field, making their way back to the neighborhood in New Jersey, Ava, the little girl, turned to Abby and asked, "Do you know your house number?"

Abby glanced at Ava and formed a small smile, rolling her eyes playfully. "Duh! Of course, I need to know it! They teach it to us in school," Abby replied confidently.

It was evident that Abby was a clever girl, much more so than Ava had initially thought. "Okay then, I'll let you lead the way," Ava said, feeling a mix of apprehension and trust toward her friend.

However, as they drew closer to the neighborhood, an anxious feeling crept into Ava's heart. She grasped Abby's hand tightly, subtly signaling with her other hand for her to be quiet. Abby nodded in understanding, taking Ava's hand into hers as they proceeded cautiously.

The neighborhood they were approaching looked devastated, and hints of despair filled the air. They could see that there was something sinister lurking within the once-familiar surroundings.

 It was eerily quiet, except for occasional distant sounds, and they spotted a few cars that had been set ablaze. Papers littered the ground, and the sight of mangled bodies torn apart at the sides of the road sent chills down Ava's spine, making her sick to her stomach as they past.

 The horror was overwhelming, and Ava did her best to help Abby look away, not wanting her friend to see the gruesome scene.

They both remained silent, doing their best to hide behind the vehicles so that no one could catch sight of them.

Ava's heart raced as they quickly ducked behind a yellow car just as a creature passed by. She raised her hand to Abby, gently closing her mouth with her fingers to keep her from making any noise.

Ava then covered her own mouth with her other hand in a gesture of silence.

They remained still beside the car, watching cautiously as the creature moved to the other side of the vehicle.

 The creature emitted a foul smell of decay, and its heavy crawling made the ground beneath them tremble with each movement it made.

Ava felt like she was holding her breath, silently sending little prayers in her mind, desperately wishing that the creature would simply pass them by without noticing. They remained hidden there for what felt like an eternity—almost thirty long minutes—until the sounds of the creature faded away.

 As soon as Ava felt certain that it was gone, she carefully removed her hand from her mouth and looked at Abby, signaling to her that they still needed to be quiet. Abby nodded, her eyes wide with understanding, and Ava slowly took her hand away from her mouth.

Their eyes locked, sharing a moment of silent understanding, and then Ava took Abby's hand in hers.

The two girls cautiously moved from behind one car to another, then quickly and quietly slipped towards a nearby house where they could hide away from any lurking dangers.

Abby pointed excitedly, whispering to Ava that her house was right across the street.

Ava nodded at her, but before making any move, she carefully scanned their surroundings to ensure the coast was clear. She then used hand signals to show Abby that they needed to run to the car first and then dash to the house quickly to avoid drawing attention to themselves.

When Abby comprehended the plan, she gave a quick nod, brimming with determination, and the two girls tightened their grip on each other's hands.

They dashed towards the red car, which was engulfed in flames, finding a place to hide behind it. After a few tense moments, when the coast seemed clear, they quickly made their way towards the house.

Panic was rising within them, urging them to act swiftly and decisively. Abby was a smart girl and remembered where her key was hidden. She swiftly located it, unlocked the door, and they both hurried inside, closing the door behind them as quickly as they could, relieved to have made it to safety.

As soon as the door clicked shut behind her, Ava found herself sinking down with her back pressed against the door.

 She slid slowly down to the wooden floor, feeling the coolness of the surface beneath her. The weight of the world seemed to settle on her shoulders as she finally came to rest, sitting there on the floor. Next to her, Abby was already sitting cross-legged, her head resting against the solid wooden door, her breath coming in measured, calming inhales and exhales as she tried to steady herself amidst the chaos that surrounded them.

It wasn't long before Ava heard a faint sound that made her heart race.

 Instinctively, she arched her back and stood up, scanning the room with wide eyes. To her surprise, she noticed a woman with flowing blond hair emerging slowly from behind the white sofa.

The moment the woman with striking blue eyes caught sight of Abby, her expression transformed, and her eyes lit up with recognition and joy. In that instant, Ava understood; this was Abby's mother. The resemblance was unmistakable—the same bright eyes, the same golden hair, and similar features that spoke of a shared lineage.

"Mommy," Abby whispered, her voice barely above a breath as she sprang to her feet and rushed toward her mother, wrapping her arms tightly around her in a heartwarming embrace.

 Ava felt a rush of gratitude that they were being so quiet, for it was a beautiful sight to witness the reunion of mother and daughter, a moment filled with love and relief.

 However, just as she was absorbing the warmth of this scene, Ava felt her phone buzz in her jacket pocket, the vibration cutting through the moment. With a quick motion, she fished out her phone, pressed the button to silence it, and switched it to silent mode, hoping the creators outside wouldn't hear the noise.

 She glanced down and noticed there was a message waiting for her. Her heart began to race again as she unlocked her phone and saw it was from Lucas.

A flicker of hope ignited within her, and she instinctively brought her hand to her mouth as tears began to flow silently down her cheeks. It was a message from Lucas, and she felt a mix of relief and anxiety as her fingers trembled while she opened the message to read it.

"I got your missed calls… where are you, and are you okay? Me and Bladen are at the radio station. I am worried sick about you, Ava. Please let me know."

Ava's body shook with the shock of his words.

 The worst thoughts had crossed her mind—she had feared that Lucas might be dead, and now here he was, reaching out to her.

 Her eyes caught Abby's mother, who was looking at her with a gentle expression, signaling with her hand if Ava would like something to drink. Ava nodded her head in agreement, grateful for the kindness in the midst of turmoil.

 They had to remain silent, as the creators were still outside, their footsteps echoing as they searched for something or someone to prey upon.

Ava turned her attention back to her phone, her fingers trembling as she attempted to craft a reply to Lucas's message.

"You have no idea how happy I am that you are alive. I miss you, and all I can think about is us and you. I am at someone's house and safe for now. Is Anya with you? Are you okay? I love you."

With a shaky breath, Ava pressed the send button, and for a fleeting moment, it felt as if her heart might stop.

She tried to calm her breathing, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly, but the numbness had settled in her body where she sat, and she knew that moving would only intensify the shock coursing through her.

Before long, Abby's mother was kneeling beside her, offering her a bottle of orange juice. Ava gratefully accepted the bottle, whispering a soft "thank you" as she took it from her. Her hands were still shaking as she brought the juice to her lips and took a long sip from the bottle.

 It was the first drink she had since waking up that morning, and the taste was refreshing yet surreal amidst the chaos that had unfolded throughout the day.

 As she collected herself, Ava noticed Abby's mother pulling out her own phone and typing a message before handing it to Ava.

Curious, Ava took the phone in her hand and read the text aloud, "Thank you for bringing my daughter home to us. My name is Taylor."

Ava turned to the woman, a smile breaking across her face as she wiped away her tears and quickly typed a response, "It's a pleasure. I am Ava." She handed the phone back to Taylor, who was now sitting beside her, and noticed Abby coming to sit next to her mother, holding a bottle of cool drink.

 Abby laid her head down on Taylor's lap, seeking comfort in her mother's presence.

Taylor soon sent another message back, handing her the phone again. Ava took it and read, "I know how it all happened. My husband told me that scientists had been experimenting with a virus that was frozen away for centuries. They were not supposed to reopen it, but somehow it leaked into the water. People who drank from that water became the creators. The creators are the ones who attacked people and turned them into zombies to follow them. This virus was supposed to be hidden and never exposed to the world."

Ava felt her heart stop as she read the chilling message.

The words echoed in her mind, reminding her of the news report she had heard about certain countries being cut off. It was true; the virus had spread through the water, and that explained why her father had been so sick.

She quickly cleared the message from her screen and typed a new message to Taylor, "My father got sick and went to the hospital. Could it be that he has been exposed?"

After handing the phone back to Taylor, Ava felt her own phone vibrate with a new message. She glanced at the screen and saw it was from Lucas. Her heart raced as she opened it quickly, desperate for good news.

"I love you so much and miss you. I thought that I almost lost you and was going out of my mind until I saw there was miss call from you on my phone. I don't know how to tell you this, but Anya is gone. One of the creators has taken her, and Bladen almost lost his arm trying to save Anya. I am so sorry. Please be save Ava and stay there were you are and hide far away from this things."

Ava felt as if the ground had been ripped from beneath her.

The phone slipped from her fingers and fell onto her lap as she pressed her hand to her mouth, trying to stifle the sob that threatened to escape.

She was overwhelmed with grief, her heart shattered into pieces as she processed the loss of her best friend. She noticed Taylor looking at her, then down at the phone resting on her lap, reading the heartbreaking message. In that moment, words were unnecessary. Taylor pulled Ava into her arms, enveloping her in a comforting embrace.

 It was then that Ava felt her body begin to shake as she closed her eyes tightly, allowing the tears to flow freely.

The reality of losing Anya, her only friend in this chaotic world, hit her like a tidal wave. Though they hadn't known each other for long, Anya had been the sweetest, most vibrant person Ava had ever met. And now, she was gone.

 As Ava felt Abby's small arms wrap around her as well, she couldn't help but break down completely, tears streaming down her face as the weight of her loss and grief consumed her in that moment.