We all remember the day it happened. Where we were, what we were doing, and who we were with. It came without warning. If only we knew. Time pushes on while we remain lost in our past memories like animals in a cage trying to survive. That's all we can do now. Just Survive.
“Wow you look so mesmerizing,” I said as I watched my soon to be wife get into her wedding dress.
“Hey what are you doing, don’t you know it’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding,” Ashline said promptly.
“You know how stereotypical you sound right now, but really you look amazing. Oh yeah, apparently there is heavy traffic so a couple guests are running late.”
“Dad?! What are you doing you can’t see mom right now,” a small voice from down the hall said.
“Wow Lily between you and your mom. Fine I’ll go do my own thing somewhere else”
“I love you honey, don’t take to long it’s about to start soon,” Ashline commanded.

Creeeeeeekkkkkk….
As I walked into the bathroom, to freshen up before the wedding, I walked in to find a small bathroom that was dimly lit with 1 stall and 2 urinals on the left side, a small window in the back, and to the right was a sink with a mirror. I walked over to the sink, splashed water on my face, and looked at myself. I remember how I looked, dashing and posh, in my tux with a clean shaven face with right under my eyes the bags from my past life.
“Wow these bags under my eyes sure are gucci.” I said trying to show my humor.
“ughhhhh..” said by what sounded like a man in pain coming from the stall.
“Hello? you okay in there?”
“Ugh bro nah dude my girlfriend bit me and it hurts like ----.”
“Oh dang I’m sorry here take these paper towels,” I said trying to help.
As I reached down to hand him the paper towels the man reached out his hand and I saw this pale ghostly arm with all the veins sticking out as though any second they will burst. At this sight I backed away slowly and headed for the door.
“Hey dude.”
“What the!! Dude Alex you scared the ---- out of me.”
“Sorry didn’t know the top navy seal could be startled that easily. And wow you look like you’ve seen a ghost. Well whatever it is forget it we have to hurry or you're going to be late.” Alex said with urgency.
“Wait what time is it?
“It’s already a quarter after.”
“Oh ---- okay let’s go.”

As we walked I could feel the excitement start to build for I am about to marry one of the most beautiful women in my entire life. I looked across the street and notice a dog and 2 girls playing, well at least I thought at the time it was playing, in the back yard. There was something very peculiar about what they were doing. For a second I could see that the dog had a gash on his side that was bleeding. After what seemed like a while the dog ran behind the house and the girls followed.
Snap!
Crack!
Yelp!...
“Alex did you hear that?”
“Yea I don't know what that was, but really stay focused.”
“Hey what’s happening over in the city, there is a lot of smoke.” I said looking at the rising smoke cloud in the city.
“Yea, I heard that some fire broke out which I have no idea what was the cause of, but it's causing a lot of traffic. So we might not be the only late ones to the wedding.”
Since I was being a fool and staring up at the smoke cloud, I did not see the crack in front of me. Which I then tripped over. Luckily I was able to play it off as though I went to tie my shoe. As I rose I looked up to see a sign that clearly read “Marriage today” and underneath it read my name John Wright and my soon to be wife Ashline Wright. Behind the sign was a freshly painted church with a large bass wood carved door that was swung open. We walked inside only to be greeted by Ashline who had a look of...
“Where the heck were you?”
“Sorry we are late I had to go to the bathroom.”
“Thank you Alex for going to get him.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Alright now you guys can you please get up there so we can start.”
“Okay, sorry honey. Let’s go.”
We walked up to our spots for the wedding. As we got to our spots Alex nodded to me and I nodded to the priest. As soon as the priest gave the word, which was now a fully packed church, all the guests rose and my beautiful Ashline came walking down the aisle with her dad by her side.
 
“Well since most weddings bore people, I am going to just skip past the wedding and move us along to the end.”
“Awe he always leaves out the romantic parts,” said Lily quietly so that nothing else, but them could hear it.
“Hey I’m the one telling what happened just go see if you could help Sarah keep watch. Okay back to the story.”

And soon the priest said, after what seemed like so long, “You may now kiss the bride.”
We both kissed happily and everyone cheered. After the wedding was over we all headed out the back door of the church to a court yard which was lit up by strands of light bulbs that hung from the center tree to the adjacent roofs. On the tables, surrounding the trees, were perfectly place napkins, plates, utensils, and name tags with a vase with flowers in the center. It wasn’t long before the guests all started gathering and talking. I looked up to the sky and watched as the sunset far past the horizon. I looked to the left where the smoke still rising higher and higher. As I kept staring my mind went racing with images of the dog, the girls, and then man in the stalls. What was happening to them. Faster and faster my mind raced.
“Boo!” came from a small voice.
“Gosh Sweetie you scared the ---- out of me.”
“Oh sorry Dad I didn’t mean to.”
“It's okay, I think your mom needs help go see what she needs.”
“Hey there John, well congrats on the marriage of my daughter.”
As I turned I was greeted by Ashline’s father who was a short beefy business man, and worked for a start up company know as Subcast.
“Hi Mr Smith, thank you I have never loved anyone more than your daughter. She makes me the happiest person in the world.”
“Well I am glad to hear that and please your part of the family now call me David. Well see you around.”
As David walked away the band, we had hired to play at our wedding, started for the stage. As they got set up and started to play, tons of the guests gathered around to dance. I looked over to see my wife crouched over helping Lily with her hair. They both looked absolutely perfect. When Ashline was done Lily ran off to play and she looked over at me and smiled. That smile didn’t last long as it changed to a horrified face. I immediately turned around to see what was happening, that she could be looking at, and to my horror there were, what seemed like, people climbing over the fence and darting as fast as possible at the guests. In panic everyone was running in all directions and screaming. For some reason my body had froze there and I couldn’t do anything, but watch. A man not to far in front of me was tackled by these things and got bit on the neck. Through all the running someone hit whatever it was, knocking it off the man. Soon the man on the ground started to shake rapidly and as fast as he got tackled to the ground he was standing up right. The man twitched, clenched, and let out a blood curdling screech. It then turned and stared straight at me. Immediately it bolted right at me as fast as it could, yet I just stood there knowing this is now how I end. As I accepted my fate the creature leaped at me just as a chair out of nowhere hits it knocking it far away.
“John what the ---- are you doing,” Alex said running over to me.
“What? Where is Lily and Ashline!?”
“I’ll get them, you find us away out of here! Okay?”
“Okay, yea hurry though please!”
As I thought where to go, Alex came running back with Lily, Ashline, and Bella my cousin.
“Did you find a place?!”
“Yea lets go! Stay close!”
“Daddy I’m scared.”
“I know, don’t worry everything will be fine. Okay let’s go.”
As we ran we went past people getting eaten and tackled, yet we kept running as fast as we could knowing there was nothing we could do. As we ran two of those things caught us in their sites and started bolting for us. As soon as we turned the corner we managed to get in the bathroom and close the door fast. The things following us just ran past and we were for the time being safe. I looked around at the bathroom, Lily was on the floor being held by Ashline, Alex was at the door, and Bella was behind me.
“Alex what the ---- are those things?”
“Don’t be stupid, you have played plenty of video games and seen movies to know that they were zombies.”
“Are you serious?” I said even though I could tell from the look on his face.
“Well you tell me, you were the one who almost came face to face with it.”
Running….
“Ahh!” Lily yelped in fright.
As soon as she did this Ashline grabbed her mouth, but it was to late the now passing zombies had stopped, turned around, then started to bang at the door trying to push it open. In a split second Ashline and Alex both started to hold the door trying to keep it from bashing open.
“Hold it tight!”
“This is crazy! Are we just going to stay in here till those things come in and get us,” Bella said as she slowly backed up. As soon as she did out of the stalls bursted out the man from earlier and dove right into her, and started to eat her. I let go of Lily and ran over, grabbed the zombie, and took it into the stall. I closed the door behind me so Lily wouldn’t see and I then took the back of the toilet seat and slammed it into the zombie. When I walked out, my shirt was covered in blood and I saw Lily looking at what now is dead Bella.
“Daddy why did you kill it?”
“I had to or it would harm us.”
“Dangit John, Take Lily and get out of here through the back window. Alex and I will hold the door.”
I walked over to the back window and started putting out Lily, which she wasn’t too happy about. And I turned back to my wife who was teary in her eye.
“GO!”
“I’m not leaving you behind!”
“I will be right behind you.”
“ UGH!” I said as I climbed out the window.
Lily then ran over to me and I picked her up.
“RUN!” Ashline and Alex both yelled.
I then slammed my hands on the wall in anger, then ran off through the ally way. As I ran I heard the door from the bathroom burst open. I knew It was over for them so tears started to roll down my face and in that moment, Lily wiped them and I knew that my new purpose is to protect Lily at all costs. For 10 years all we did was fight, hide, and survive. The one thing Navy Seal has taught me is how to survive.