I wake up in the middle of the night to police sirens. Dozens of cop cars and emergency vehicles zoom down the street. I open my eyes and I can see the lights flash on my window as they pass. I can hear every siren know to man as they go by.
I look over at the clock on my bedside table 3:21AM. It's so late for so many sirens. I get up and walk over to the window to see what is going on.
I pull back the curtains and I see them heading toward the city. I can see smoke coming from multiple buildings. The whole city is lit up. Every light is on. Something big is happening.
I grab my remote off my bedside table and turn on the TV. It seems like every channel is out. Nothing but static one every channel I turn too. — What is going on? — I flip through the channels trying to find one that is still on the air. After about 20 channels I find one, KING 5.
There is a woman standing on the shore of Elliott Bay opposite of the Seattle skyline. Seattle is on fire behind her. Flames are roaring around most of the buildings. Tree branches stick out against the flames burning their leaves away. The woman on screen is giving a report.
"Officials aren't saying much. As of now, all we know is that there is a confirmed new virus that has never been seen before. It is spreading rapidly. Officials aren't sure how it is spreading. If you see someone who may be infected keep your distance. If a member of your family is infected please stay home, do not try to go to a hospital. There are too many people on the roads now. Separate them from the rest of the family until officials start coming door to door. People infected appear to have blood—"
She cuts off and begins to scream. A bloody, screeching man comes running at her. He attacks her. Hits her and knocks her to the ground. The reporter screams louder and louder, trying to push the man off. The camera drops to the ground on its side.
The cameraman is now in frame trying to pull the man off the reporter. The man turns on him, screams and attacks him, biting the cameraman's arm. Pulling flesh from bone. They fall in front of the camera and the man bites the cameraman's neck and pulls the flesh away and looks to be eating it.
The screen cuts to static.
I look back out the window. There is more smoke than before. I still can't see any flames but from all that smoke something big is on fire. There is so much smoke hanging over the city. The fire or fires have been burning for a while.
Five helicopters fly over the house and toward the city. They split up and head in five different directions to different parts of the city. Suddenly there are 5 explosions all over the city. Huge fireballs and black smoke rise into the night sky. The loud booms of the explosions cause all the dogs in the neighbourhood to bark.
Every light in the city went off the second the bombs sounded. The house shook and our lights flickered. The government just dropped bombs on the city. What in the hell is happening?! What could be so bad that the government bombs the whole city? That had to be the government right?
The lights flicker again and I run out of my room, tossing the remote on my bed.
"Mom? Dad?" I call out but no answer.
I run down the stairs. Taking them two at a time.
"MOM? DAD?"
I jump the last three stairs and run down the hall.
"MOM! DAD!"
I run into the living room. They are standing in front of the TV. It's static. They must have been watching the same channel I was.
"This is bad we need to go Toby. We need to ru‒‒‒"
"Mom. Dad. Do you know what's happening? There was a man attacking a news reporter and then these government helicopters dropped bombs all over the city. Why would they bomb the city? What is happening?"
"I don't know sweetie. We were watching the same channel. It's a virus. That's all anyone knows..."
My dad sounded like he was just as freaked out as I was but like he was trying to sound calm for my sake. It wasn't working.
"Go upstairs and pack what you absolutely need. We need to pack light. Be quick Zelda."
My mom always has a plan.
"We have to leave as soon as we can. The roads are going to get backed up fast and the back roads are going to get closed down. I'll stay down here and pack some supplies."
I turn around a run back upstairs to pack. Mom is on my heels. Dad stays downstairs to pack food, water and medical supplies.
I grab on to the post at the top of the stairs and use it to turn the corner faster. I pull my suitcase out from under my bed and blindly toss some clothes from each draw from my dresser into it. I grab my backpack off the back of my desk chair and start loading it with stuff off my desk. Laptop, a big notebook, a few small notebooks, my pencil case. I grab my camera bag and stuff it in too. I toss my handbag wallet and keys on top and zip it up.
I hurry to change out of my PJ's into a maroon tee shirt and a pair of black skinny jeans and throw on a pair of converse. I toss my other pair of converse and a couple pairs of boots into my suitcase and zip it up. I grab my phone off my nightstand and toss it into the front pocket of my backpack. I grab my bomber jacket off the back of my desk chair, put it and my backpack on, grab my suitcase and head back out into the hall.
Mom comes out of her and dad's room at the same time carrying two bags. We run back down the stairs as dad is coming in from the car. He grabs a bag from mom and we all run out the door.
As we run out to the car and throw our stuff into the back all I can think is that I don't know what is happening but I feel like our lives are about to change forever.