The First Days (As the World Dies 1)

The mother stumbled a little and her little boy helped her stand up straight.

"My wife and daughter need immediate medical attention," the man continued.

Curtis looked at Jenni and they both sighed.

"When were they bitten?" Jenni asked.

"What?" The man didn't register her words. "What?"

"When were they bitten," Curtis asked. "They aren't doing too well. We can tell they were bitten. "

"Yesterday. The front door was broke into and two got into the house.

Daddy killed them, but they got Mom and Angie before we stop them. But it's just small bites. It was a little kid who jumped on both of them. Nothing major. Just little teeth marks," the oldest daughter said.

Curtis sighed softly and Jenni looked down at her boots for a moment.

"Well, that was enough," she said finally. "And they are both as good as dead. We can't take them with us. "

"What do you mean? You can't leave them here!" The man's face flushed red and fierce. "They need a doctor!"

"There are no doctors alive in this town," Curtis said softly. "And there is no cure for the bite. They're as good as dead and we can't take them with us.

It's dangerous for all of us. "

The little boy began to cry and cling to his mother. S

he looked down at him sadly. Her eyes were sunken and her cheeks hollow. Her color was very bad and Jenni was sure she didn't have much time left. The father backed away from them, clutching his ailing youngster in his arms.

"We just can't leave them behind," he protested.

"You have to if you want to come with us. We have a safe place were many survivors are staying. If you want to come and be with us you will have to leave them behind," Curtis said in his best police officer "everyone stay calm" voice.

Jenni considered just killing the mother outright, but it seemed too cruel. But they couldn't just stand here and argue.

"Let's go," she said simply.

Curtis hesitated, then nodded. "Okay. "

The teenager looked at her father desperately. "Daddy? We can't stay here. "

The Father was holding tightly to his youngest and backing toward his wife. "We're not leaving. "

"Yes, you are," his wife said firmly. "I can feel it burning inside of me.

Cold and hot. I'm going to die here and I will be one of those things. Give me our daughter, Douglas. "

Douglas turned and looked at his wife with a desperate expression on his face. "Catherine, I'm not leaving you here. "

"Give me Angie and take our kids to a safe place. "

He shook his head and looked down at his daughter. Her breathing was ragged and she looked worse than the mother did.

"Give me Angie, Douglas!" The wife held out her arms to him.

The teenage girl grabbed hold of her brother and pulled him back away from their parents.

"Mom…Mom…"