For the second time that day, I found myself sprinting down streets I barely knew, turning random corners with little strategic thought and panicking and swearing in my head. I couldn't hear any growling behind me, but still I ran. I ran and I ran and I ran until I was completely out of breath and could run no more. Which was about four blocks.

Gasping for air with my hands on my knees, I perked my ears for sounds of growling, or running, or walking, or shambling. My eyes darted around my limited field of vision. The people from the clinic hadn't followed me. For the moment, I was safe.

The obvious next course of action was to return home, something I probably should've done in the first place, and would have if the newspapers had been kind enough to notify me of "HUMAN-RABIES OUTBREAK AT LOCAL CLINIC – DON'T GO THERE TODAY BRO". Even an article on page two would've sufficed.

Once I caught my breath, I righted myself, made a guess at where I was, and started walking back home. The streets were pretty deserted, to my great relief. Maybe the police got to the clinic and managed to contain everyone. That must be what happened, I reasoned.

I rounded a familiar corner and heard the barking of a familiar dog. I was back on my route to the shops, being hassled by the same old mutt that always suspected I would break into his house and slit his master's throat when I walked past. It was comforting.

I passed a familiar gardener, and smiled at him. For a moment, he didn't respond, standing unnaturally still. Then he turned to me with a dark expression in his eyes. My stomach was in freefall.

The gardener growled and started moving towards me. I heard a roar from somewhere behind me, and another from the left, and a wailing from the right. A suited business man, a jogger, a housewife, and a kid who'd abandoned his bicycle were all slowly shambling towards me, sharing a hateful look in their eyes.

And there were even more behind them. A pizza delivery guy, a policeman, an old lady. It would have been a beautiful picture of human solidarity if not for all the snarling and bared teeth.

This was not how I'd wanted to die.

Chapter 1 Drive Through

***

Tonight the dream was on a lake. It looked endless, that lake, like it was the size of an ocean but you knew that you could reach the other side easily. The surface was glassy, reflecting the clear blue sky. Well, actually now it was green. Now Purple.

The bright sound of children’s’ laughter split through the air of the small grassy clearing beside the lake.

“Make it pink,â€? shouted Amanda, a seven year old girl with black hair and expressive light blue eyes.

Actually, seven and a half (don’t you dare forget the half in front of her).

“No! Wed,â€? demanded Reven, a three year old going on seven. He always had to have the last say with his sister, even at this young age. He also had black hair, but his eyes were an endless deep blue.

Nancy and Brad Erie sat near them. Brad let out a jolly laugh. Nancy merely smiled in her quiet way and raised a hand to the sky. Suddenly swirls of red and pink twirled and twisted above their heads, never mixing but always moving. Both children squealed in delight.

“Pwetty,â€? was all Reven could say. He glanced at his parents to see them holding hands and smiling at the sky. He felt happy too.

“I wanna try!â€? Amanda stomped her foot, “How do I do it momma?â€?

“Now, Manda you know you can’t yet. I know that told you that at school, that’s why we send you all the way to Rome. Besides, you’re going to be like daddy. Someday you will protect someone just like he does mommy.â€? When Amanda looked unconvinced she added, “ You know how you remember these dreams? Mommy doesn’t. Isn’t that better? You’ll remember this beautiful sky and the beautiful reflective lake, all I remember are occasional flashes.â€?

“Wha abo’ me?â€? inquired Reven, “Wha wi’ I be?â€?

“Well Reven, do you like to draw?â€? supplied his father. Reven nodded. “Do you like look at pictures?â€? Reven nodded again. “Do you like to get wasted and sing loudly?â€?

“Waswed?â€? Reven looked confused but nodded anyway.

“Brad! He’s three!â€? Nancy scolded, though you could hear the laughter in her voice.

“Sorry Nan, I couldn’t resist. Sorry young man the all powerful has spoken. That subject will have to wait until you’re older, but in all seriousness, you’ll be just like your motherâ€? Brad’s eyes sparkled.

“Don’t worry son when the time comes I’ll…â€? Suddenly pain flashed across his parent’s faces and they froze. Intense, blinding pain and they collapsed upon each other.

“Momma? Daddy? Whas wrong? Sis?â€? he turned to his sister only to find she was gone.

He looked back to his parents to see their eyes focus on him.

“God!â€? was all that escaped his father’s lips at first.

“Manda too? Brad what happened?â€? his mom whispered.

His father shook his head, “We’re dead Nan, all three of us.â€?

“Reven,â€? he focused his attention on his son,â€? You didn’t feel anything did you? You’re ok?â€? Reven shook his head. “Thank God!â€?

“Reven, I need you to listen to me carefully sweetie. Your father, sister and I are about to leave. I’m so sorry. Please, be strong for us. Will you do that? Will you be strong?â€?

“Where you go?â€?

“Far away. But we will always be with you. We love you so much.â€?

Reven watched in confusion as his parents began to fade. Was this some new trick? Was Manada hiding somewhere?

“Its ok. You’re going to be fine Reven,â€? and the last remnants of his family faded away, leaving him alone by a giant lake and alien sky.

“Momma? Daddy? Manda? Where you go? Come back!â€? no one appeared.

Were they playing hide and seek again? He ran around looking behind trees and started to cry. When he found no one he began sobbing and fell backwards to sit down, but the world disappeared around him.

***

He opened his eyes to see wreckage everywhere. Smoke and dust filled the air. He couldn’t breathe.

He tried to move and suddenly realized he couldn’t. He couldn’t move at all.

He tried to scream, to cry for his dad who would surely save him and couldn’t.

All he could do was look around in terror at the disaster area that was his house. He focused on the wall where the door to his parent’s room used to be but instead saw only the front of a truck.

But it wasn’t the strangeness of the semi-truck in his room that made him want to scream even louder; it was the horror inside it.

Because, partway through the windshield was a monster.

It was black with red gleaming eyes that looked up and straight at him. It’s fanged mouth quirked up into a grin so full of malice that Reven couldn’t look at it anymore, only close his eyes and cry silently, waiting for it to hurt him.

The pain, however, never came, so he opened his eyes and whipped away the tears that were blurring his vision. All that was in the cab now was a man with his torso half out of the windshield. He wasn’t moving. Red seeped from so many places on him he looked painted.

Reven sat up and found he could speak again as well.

“Momma? Daddy? Manda? Where are you?â€?

Suddenly noise erupted all around him: sirens, voices, scraps and bangs. “Did you hear that? Oh God, there’s a child in there!â€? The noise of moving rubble intensified.

Reven’s voice slowly rose in volume until he was screaming for his parents and crying, “Momma! Daddy! Where did you go? Take me too!â€?

Suddenly a person in all yellow broke through the rubble next to the truck. A firefighter. He was soon followed by two others. The first one ran to him and lifted him up.

“Get him out to the paramedics. It’s a miracle he survived. That bunk bed must have saved him!â€?

“Wait, son, did someone sleep on top?â€? Reven nodded still sobbing.

“James, check the top bunk and damn it Ralf I said get that kid to the medics. NOW!â€?

The last things Reven heard as he lost consciousness again were the heavy foot falls of them man carrying him away and the muted, “Fuck it’s a little girl, she’s dead,â€? that followed him out.