Love, Apocalypse

Alexis, or Lexi for short, looked out the bus window as it bounced down the country road, staring idly at the fields as her best friend Mel rambled on. Not that she was intentionally ignoring her, but if she had to listen to one more story about Mel fucking a guy she was going to pull her hair out.

Instead she was more focused on what would happen after high school. In a few weeks she would graduate a senior and attend Washington Community College. The same college her father taught at. Not that she didn't like her father. But how was she supposed to grow with her father so close?

Lexi became nervous at the thought. She was always the shy one and never really broke out of her shell. Losing what friends she did have and making new ones seemed like a daunting task. It would be easy to rely on her father for support. She wanted to be an adult in all the sense of the word, not just a title.

"I swear he came as soon as he put it in me..." Mel trailed on.

"Must have sucked." Lexi replied, twirling her light brown hair around her finger. Not that Lexi would know. She had been in relationships before. But they were always few and far between. After she earned the reputation of a prude she let her next boyfriend feel her breasts, but was so freaked out she broke up with him soon after.

It's not that she didn't want to have sex. She often thought about it. How some guy would sweep her off her feet, set up a romantic date, and finally deflower her on a proper bed. Not in the back of Steve Millers truck.

Suddenly she felt herself slam forward as the bus screeched to a stop. She barely had time to react and put her arm out to brace herself. Several of the students were tossed around as they weren't sitting properly.

"What the fuck!" One called out. She tried to see out the window but could only see the rear ends of the other students.

"Lexi is that your Dad?" Another random voice called out. Alexis stood up and pushed her way to the front just as her dad was climbing in. Finally she could see why the bus stopped. Her father had parked his car across the lane.

"What's going on?" Lexi questioned. This wasn't normal behavior for her dad. He was a well respected biologist, and could have taught anywhere but chose Washington so he wouldn't force his family to leave. Even after his wife left him for another man, he held his head up and stayed put for Lexi's benefit.

"There's something horrible happening." He started. "As crazy as this may sound, the dead, well, the dead aren't staying dead for long."

Lexi looked at her dads face. She knew he wasn't joking but had he gone mad?

"Dr. Dawes, like zombies?" A boy asked. Laughter erupted.

"I'm good at killing zombies on Black Ops, let them come!" Another remarked. More laughter came.

"I'm not saying it is or it isn't. I deal with facts. And these facts are no laughing matter. Now I'm going to take Lexi and do what I think is best for her. I hope your families do the same for you."

Well, I almost made it out of high school without too much embarrassment, she thought to herself as she followed her dad to his car. She buckled in and took a deep breath.

"Really Dad? Zombies?" She looked at him, studying his face.

"Some say it's zombies. Some say it's just the Russians. And others yet are saying Russian zombies. All I know is some colleagues of mine, whom I put my full trust in, have reported the dead rising. This isn't the Walking Dead. This isn't a movie or television show. It's factual life. Soon people will be evacuated and the military will try to contain the bigger cities. Life as we know it, is over."

Lexi let his words sink in as she stared out the window. They were driving the wrong way to their house, but she noticed suitcases in the backseat.

"Lake house?" She asked.

Her father nodded. "It's secluded enough and away from the big cities. It will be our shelter for now."

She could tell her father was really shook up, but still found it hard to believe. How could this be possible? Would she ever find love? Or a normal life after this? She wondered what her dad packed for her. Did he even think about bras? Deodorant or razors?

The monotonous scenery of farm fields finally put her to sleep. She dreamt of every horror movie her conscience remembered and not just the zombie ones. Suddenly all creatures and killers were after her. She could hear the scrape of Freddy's razors, the laugh of Chuckie.

Lexi woke with the sound of a car door. The sun was setting and they had been driving for a few hours already. Her dad had pulled into a gas station.

Something was off though. Even in the small town they stopped at there was a line half a block long. She could hear conversations outside. The same conversation her Father had with her hours ago.

"It's already getting bad Lex. Looting and riots have started. Fear has taken over. It will be a lot harder to contain now."

It took some time to make it to the pumps. Lexi took the chance to stretch her legs and use the bathroom. If the line for the gas was long, the bathroom was twice as long.

She washed her hands and looked in the mirror. Her shoulder length brown hair hadn't been brushed since this morning and was looking rough. She put it in a pony tail with a hair tie she wore on her wrist before turning sideways. Her school shirt didn't flatter her petite frame but she admired her breasts. Not huge by any means, but a nice handful that could draw the attention of men if she wore the right clothes.

"Lexi! Over here." Her dad called for her at the door. He had a sack full of snacks and drinks. It would still be another hour or so before they arrived at the lake house.

The lake house had been the family getaway growing up, but after her mom left Lexi and her dad decided it was best to avoid it. Now she's glad to be going back. If it was that crazy in the small town she'd hate to see Washington. Or even Chicago for that matter.

They finally pulled into the long drive down to the big white house on the lake. It wasn't the only house on the lake, but the neighbors were spread out quite some distance with almost like a forest of trees in between.

Dr. Dawes unlocked the door for the first time in years and hit the lights. Lexi saw the white sheets covering the furniture and was reminded of her dream.

Grow up, she thought to herself. But the more she thought about it the more it freaked her out. The dead was supposed to stay dead. If zombies were real, what else could be real too?

"You know what Lex, just take the master bedroom." Dr. Dawes said as Lexi brought in her own luggage. "I'll just take the room by my study."

"I'm gonna take a shower and turn in for the night. Love you Dad."

He kissed his daughter on the forehead as she passed him for the stairs. Indeed it has been a long day for everyone, he thought, but to barely be an adult and not experience life except for this? Would he even have had a daughter if he knew what would happen? He quickly pushed the thought out of his head. Of course he would. Lexi brought him more joy than he ever knew.

Lexi found the master bedroom and threw the suitcase on the bed. "Okay Dad, let's see what you did." She said aloud to herself. She unzipped it, half expecting a zombie to pop out. But instead, she saw some pajamas and jeans. A few t shirts here and there. Shampoo and conditioner.

Lexi let out a sigh of relief. Thank God he remembered bras. She dug around some more. Underwear and socks.

Mortified, she pulled out a black thong. "Kill me now." Her cheeks flushed red at the thought of her dad packing the most racy pair of underwear she owned. She only bought them because Mel had dared her to.

The thought of Mel brought her back to the real world. Would she ever see her friend again? Hear her stories of how she let a guy cum inside of her? She would do anything to get those awkward conversations back with her best friend. She tried her phone but hadn't had service in hours.

She picked up a pair of old shorts and a simple black t shirt and headed for the bathroom attached to the room. At least the apocalypse comes with some perks, she thought as she pulled her shirt off and discarded it to the side. She found towels that didn't smell the freshest, but they would have to do.

Lexi took a look in the mirror after what was probably the fastest shower she ever took. Her pubes were definitely growing back but she decided to skip shaving this time. She poked at her hip bones, they always seemed to be sticking out some. She wasn't too skinny, it was just always those hip bones.

Lexi noticed how hard her puffy nipples had got and it sent a shiver through her. She quickly got dressed and dumped her belongings on the floor. She would have forever to clean up.

She thought about rubbing her pussy to the thoughts of Channing Tatum, or her PE teacher Mr. Jenson. Or even Steve Miller but it just wasn't in her. She thought about the dead. But being back at the lake house reminded her of better times. And for the first time since the bus, she felt like life could go on.

Weeks passed without incident. There had been no sightings of the dead where the lake house was, and as far as Lexi could tell this could all be a hoax, until one morning the power grid was offline.

"What does the radio say?"

"Same things it always says Lex. Stay away from the quarantined areas, have plenty of supplies. Beware of looters. We will have to conserve batteries since the powers went out. Who knows when it will be back on. We might have hot water for a bit longer but I'm afraid the heater has to have electricity. The water itself should continue to run. I'm not worried about that being shut off."

She thought about her situation when the doorbell rang. Her dad looked at her from the table and grabbed a handgun from his desk.

"In these times Lex it's always beat to play it safe." Lexi smiled. Her Dad wasn't big or intimidating, but she knew he would protect her at all costs.

The visitor happened to be an older lady traveling with some kids. She happened to get lost and simply wanted directions. But soon visitors became more frequent as people fled the cities and headed out west. Not that west was any better. Some wanted a bit of food or water. We tried to help people, but letting people stay the night was beyond our comfort zone.

One night Lexi was sitting down at the table by her father when the doorbell rang.

"Kind of late for a visitor." She spoke, not looking up. Her dad was already making his way to the door, gun in hand. There hadn't been any crazy or violent people, but you always had to be safe.

She heard voices exchange with her Dad's when all of a sudden her Dad yelled. It caught her off guard.

She looked over her shoulder and saw three men all pointing guns at her dad.

She screamed as they easily took control of his weapon and one of the goons deliver a punch to his face. He fell to the floor.

"Look what we got here!" One said, pointing at Lexi. "Looks like a nice set of tits under that t shirt! What do you say Daddy?" The goon continued, kicking Lexi's dad in the stomach. "Wanna watch me ram my hard cock up your babys tight ass?"

His two friends laughed as they made their way past Lexi's father. Lexi froze in fear. Even as the first one approached her and traced his hand down her cheek. He smelled fowl, like he hadn't showered in weeks and he had a maniac lust look in his eyes.

"Please..." Dr. Dawes cried from the floor. "Take anything you want. Just leave her alone."

But the goons didn't even pay any attention. Lexi closed her eyes tightly but the tears kept coming. She couldn't stop herself from shaking as the main one put his hand on her butt.

"RUN LEXI!" Her dad screamed. He had noticed a knife in one of the goons boots. At the right time he grabbed it, leaped up and stabbed one of them in the throat, all while he grabbed the hand the gun was being held with and making one goon shoot the other.

The gunshot took Lexi out of one trance and put her in another. The main goon spun around and shot her father just as her father fired another bullet. She didn't know if her dad hit his mark or not. She was already at the backdoor and running into the woods.

Wearing only a t shirt and some shorts and not knowing where she was going, she was completely and utterly lost.

Lost in direction and spirit Lexi sprinted from the porch steps and towards the woods. She wasn't very athletic but adrenaline carried her farther than she would have got on her own. Her feet ached with every step. Rocks cut into her soles, and branches smacked her face as she tried to outrun her horror.

Lexi's thoughts began to move as fast as her body was. She should have spoken up. She could have saved him. Would she let three strangers rape her? To save her dad, she thought. Of course. But she was a coward. She stood there and froze. She ran faster as she felt the man's fingers trail on her cheeks. She could still feel where he touched her butt.

She tripped over a branch and scraped both of her knees. Lying facedown Lexi cried into the dirt.

"I could have saved him." She tried to scream but it was barely a whisper. She didn't have the strength to stand up.

The birds woke her before the sunrise did. Her eyes were still swollen from the tears. Tears she no longer could cry.

Lexi was in survival mode. She wiped herself off then peeled her shorts off to relieve herself. Looking in the direction of which she came, she couldn't see the house or any sign of the lake. She pulled her pants back up and started to walk.

Every step hurt but she took her time. She knew she should be hungry but the pain wasn't there. She was on autopilot, like some mysterious force guiding her. Tree after tree she passed until she came to a road.

Fear took over. She shook at first at the danger of the road. If the goon was alive she would easily be spotted.

"Why bother hiding?" Lexi spoke aloud. "Why not let him finish the job? Just rape me and leave me to die. Or leave me for some zombie to eat."

Lexi hugged herself as offering comfort as she crossed the road and headed back into the forest. She made her way as far as her feet would take her before she collapsed at the base of a large tree.

She woke up to the sun setting. Her hunger caught up with her and the pain of her feet was searing.

"Let me die." She uttered to herself. It would be easier, she thought. Instead of depressing thoughts she allowed herself to think of her few friends from school. The music she would listen to.

"I hope Tyler Joseph isn't a zombie." She moaned.

Even the smells betrayed her. She knew the smell. She had smelled this summer time after time. A time of outdoors and trips. A smell of happiness. Not zombies.

She came to understand she had a choice. She could quit now. Just give up and let an animal, or other creature take her. Or she could live.

She mustered up all the strength she had and she chose to live.

**

Lexi watched the house for what seemed like hours. It had taken her a few days to get here, and she was being cautious. So far she survived on scraps she found at campsites, food that was discarded by rushed campers trying to make their way to safety. If there ever was such a thing. She had torn pieces of cloth off her t shirt to tie around her feet. Not much protection but better than nothing. After wondering around for so long she almost rushed up to the house on first instinct but remembered how dangerous people can really be.

After what seemed an eternity she slowly made her way to the front door. Peering through the windows Lexi couldn't see anyone.

She braced herself and knocked on the door.

Her heart thumped against her chest as she knocked again. She didn't really want to meet anyone. But she was hungry and needed to try.

After determining the house was empty she reached for the handle. It was unlocked.

Not too long ago the house was warm and welcoming. Strangers faces stared at her from pictures hanging on the wall. A little boy smiles on a bicycle. She walked cautiously as stepping through a minefield when she spotted the kitchen.

All bets were off as Lexi ran in, grabbing a box of cereal from the counter. She ate handful after handful from filthy hands.

"Maybe I should wash up first." She laughed at herself. A shower would be nice. She looked around on the main floor before making her way upstairs.

She stepped into the bathroom and her heart dropped. She was sure it was the boy from the picture. He was in the arms of an older man. Both of them were dead.

Lexi threw up.

She looked in the mirror, trying to ignore what was probably a father and son. Her face was thinner. Her clothes were torn and filthy. She tried to find the Lexi she knew but that Lexi was lost.

She crept quietly downstairs as to not wake the corpses. She had no idea how the zombies worked. She collected her thoughts and found some shoes. They were a little big but it was better than nothing. She tied them as tight as she could.

This time she ignored the kitchen. She couldn't eat another bite.

Lexi walked outside and checked her surroundings. There was the forest she had grown accustomed to. Or she had a field. She chose the field.

In the dying sunlight against the field she saw them. She could faintly hear the moans of the dead, and see them walk like the drunks coming out of bars. The cause for all her problems. She balled her fists up and started walking slowly towards them.

Lexi imagined it hurting at first. But then again she had grown accustomed to pain. Soon she would see her dad. She had to believe that.

"I'm coming." She reassured herself as she came closer and closer to her death. She closed her eyes and imagined her dads face when all of a sudden she was tackled to the ground.

She waited for the biting to begin but it never came. She could feel a body on her. A hand covered her mouth. She squeezed her eyes even tighter.

It must have been the goon. She began shaking and tears streamed down her face. She felt something stiff at her waist. He came to collect.

She felt something warm. Blood? Lexi thought. But then she realized she lost control of her bladder.

"Shhh. You're gonna live." A voice said in a whisper. But it wasn't the voice of the goon. This voice was softer. With whatever courage she had left she opened her eyes.

Soft blue eyes stared into hers. This wasn't the eyes of the killer.

"Are you with me now? You gotta do as I say or we are both gone." The whispering continued. She nodded yes. "Good. I'm gonna let you flip on your belly. We only got a few feet to crawl. Can you do that?" He said slow and steady.

Lexi froze at first but rolled on her stomach. She felt his hand on her back push forward. She crawled, all the while the boy gave hand signals on where to go. Finally she noticed a hatch. The boy crawled up next to her.

"When I say go we open it and run in. Okay?" He had a soft but concerned look on his face. Lexi nodded.

He counted down on his fingers.

"go!" He said standing up, lifting the door with him. Lexi didn't move. Fear took over.

"Sorry Miss." He said as he lifted Lexi into his arms. He climbed down the stairs pulling the door closed behind him. "Just gotta make sure its locked."

Lexi clutched to his body like a koala in a tree as he carried her into the darkness. Without putting her down he lit a lantern.

She got a good look at him for the first time. He looked young, and kind. A slim figure with a slight build. Lexi noticed the gun by her elbow and started to panic.

"No no no. Here look." He said, placing the gun on a table. "Please Miss no need to cry. These guns here ain't for people. No Ma'am they are for the dead."

He comforted her in his arms before finally setting her down.