Housewives of The Apocalypse

Chapter One - The Beginning Of

Betsy stood in the kitchen quietly humming to herself while flipping flapjacks for her beloved children, while her husband David stood not more than two feet away making his pre-work coffee while listening to the morning news play on the radio.

She loved every moment of her family mornings, and hated the crazy disband that was always sure to follow after between school, sports, and work. The Eatons always had something going on.

"Traffic will be busy as usual day for downtown and the 102, so plan to try and leave early this morning if you wanna beat the morning rush hour. Up next we've got weather and trending with Dan."

"That's my cue." Said David, as he sipped the last of his coffee and grabbed his briefcase, leaning in for a solid kiss from his wife.

"Bye honey." Betsy responded returning his kiss before he leaned down to hug each of his children.

"Will you be able to make my baseball game tonight, dad?" Mike hesitantly asked, glancing at Ruth, his little sister.

"Yes, buddy, I'm going to try." David hurriedly responded before dashing out the door, leaving Mike with a disappointed look.

"Don't worry honey, I'm sure he'll make it." Betsy reassured him as she set his flapjacks down in front of him.

"He almost never makes it." He sighed, grabbing his fork to poke at his plate.

"He will this time, I'm sure of it." Betsy responded, as she turned the radio back up.

"We have reports coming in now of what looks to be a riot spreading through downtown Morento, police are advising to stay inside, and lock your doors until further notice as it is spreading throughout the city."

"Oh, David." Gasped Betsy, picking up the phone to call her husband.

"Come on...Pick up!" She huffed in frustration.

"You've reached David Eaton, I'm not here right now-" She hung up rushing over to lock her front and back doors.

"Mommy?" Ruth asked looking over worriedly with her brother.

"No school today guys, why don't you go up to your rooms and play, mommy will come see you in a few minutes."

"Okay..." They responded in unison, each going upstairs.

Betsy continued going around closing the blinds before pausing at a figure in the yard. Carefully, she slid behind the wall, and peeked out at the figure.

He stood tall almost drunkenly, as he swayed back and forth in her yard, with what sounded like small groans coming from within him.

"Oh, David." She sighed again, her heart skipping a beat. She began to flip the last few blinds closed until...

The figure, it saw her, he was looking right at her! She felt her breath leave her body as she met his eyes, the color completely drained from his face in a jaundiced form. A low grow ensued as he began to stumble his way up the yard, towards Betsy.

She swallowed hard shutting the curtains, leaning against the wall, she didn't know what to do...

"Mom?" Mike called, coming downstairs around the corner.

"I told you to stay in your room!" She whispered. Hearing another low growl outside, closer this time...She could feel her chest tightening with his every nearing step.

"I'm scared." He insisted.

"I promise you, there's nothing to be scared-"

Just then, a loud crash came slamming through the window, as the figure began to claw and growl, attempting to fight his way inside.

"GO TO YOUR ROOM!" She yelled, peeling away from the wall, and running to the kitchen to grab a knife.

Michael ran up the stares as quickly as he could, slamming his door behind him, and locking it. Leaving his mother downstairs to deal with the monster, or so he thought as he didn't realize the monster had lost self-interest in his mother, and was clambering up the stairs, straight for him.

Betsy reeled back around the corner knife in hand, she locked eyes with the ferocious man now stumbling up the stairs, raising the knife she landed it square in his back causing him to let out an even louder growl. Arching his back and throwing himself backwards, he sent both himself and Betsy tumbling down the stairs.

Landing on top of her, he began to claw at the precious pearls encased around her neck. She struggled trying to reach for the knife, still stuck in his back behind her, just beyond reach.

It was a pure panic between the two of them, her hands shook violently as she willed herself to grab his jaw forcefully with her hand to pry his oozing mouth away from her neck. Reaching around with her other hand, she finally gripped hold of the knife, and ripped it away only to thrust it back into the side of his neck.

He roared, leaning up, as she let out a grunt, continuing to stab him in the head, over and over, until he slumped onto her. Letting out a cry, she rolled out from under his now dead body. She was covered head to toe in blood, sweat, and guts. Tears began rolling down her cheeks as she dropped the knife and scooted away to grip the banister sobbing.

Not seconds later she heard another set of foot steps begin to thud slowly towards the window followed by a lowly growl...

Betsy quickly glanced up at the window attempting to smooth her dress in a trembling panic. She didn't know if she could do what she just did again.

Suddenly the streets erupted with the screams of Betsy's many neighbors.

The approaching footsteps paused momentarily, pulled into the curiousity of the sudden riot behind them.

Betsy held her breath, waiting, as the footsteps began to thump away in a quickened pace. She slowly stood, still gripping the knife tightly in her hand.

"The kids." She whispered, turning to creep up her stairs and gently rap on their doors.

Silence.

"Kids? It's Mom, open up, I promise it's safe to come out now." Small footsteps started to patter across the floor, each door opening with a tear-stained child.

"Oh, sweeties, I know, I know. Mommy knows..." She said through a cracked voice.

"We're scared." Ruth said, as her and her brother leaned in to be embraced by their mothers familiar arms.

"Me too," she acknowledged, "but we have to get out of here. I want each of you to quickly pack a bag of things. ONLY what you-"

Just then, another thump had filled the downstairs. Betsy could feel the color draining from her cheeks.

"Hurry!" She nodded at her children before firming up her grip on her knife and flying back down the stairs, quiet as a cat.

Another thump, but this time it was coming from behind the front door. She quietly inched closer, peering through the eyehole only to let out a sigh of relief. It was Jill, from across the street. She hadn't a speck of dirt or blood on her, standing in a bathrobe, curlers still in her hair.

She was rapping violently on the door waiting, Betsy turned her locks once more, opening the door for her.

Jill's eyes lit up in relief as she saw the door open, she stared at Betsy with wide eyes, opening her mouth to speak, but soon stopped as she found herself in a loss for words.

Betsy sighed, her lips forming a thin line as she pulled Jill into a hug, shutting the door behind them.

"I don't understand..." Said Jill, through a cracking voice. Betsy could feel her small tears begin to form a damp spot on her shoulder.

"I don't know what's going on Jill, where's Tom?" Betsy asked.

"He left for work an hour ago, but I don't know if he made it..." Responded Jill.

"I'd have you try calling him, but I can't get through to David either." Said Betsy.

"I've already tried." Jill sighed.

"I have the kids packing up so we can go try and find him." Said Betsy.

"We can take my car." Jill nodded, before continuing. "I have to find Tom as well."

"Sounds like a plan then, let me get my things." Betsy nodded back, turning to go upstairs and pack her own bag of things.

Each child appeared before Betsy fully dressed, and holding their backpacks as she reached the top of the stairs.

"Good job you guys, I'm going to get my own things, Mrs. Jill is downstairs waiting for us, we are going to use her car since Daddy has ours."

"Okay." They both nodded going downstairs.

Betsy wasn't entirely sure what to grab as she threw her bag onto their bed. She assumed she would need a change or two of clothes, maybe her toothbrush, she continued fitting what she could into her bag before pausing to look at a photo of her and David that sat on their dresser. She would bring this as well.

Zipping her bag closed, she grabbed Dave's steel bat from behind the bedroom door and set off down the stairs to meet Jill and the kids.

"Alright children, Jill and I are going to go next door real quick so she can get her things and we can grab the car." Betsy began, "Michael, I want you to stay here with Ruth and keep this door LOCKED. Do not open it for anybody unless you hear our 'Secret No Strangers Knock' okay?" She asked.

"Okay." Michael nodded, leaning a little closer to his sister. He wanted to be brave but he was more scared than anyone knew.

"Good, we'll be right back." Betsy nodded back. She hoped.

Betsy handed Jill the steel bat, returning her knife back to her hand. Jill slowly peeked through the peep hole before opening the front door, taking very cautious steps as she and Betsy started across the street. Michael closed the door tightly behind them and re-locked it.

They each took a glance at their surroundings, taking in the scenery: There were crashed cars, dead bodies, streaks of blood mixed with trails of belongings and others just blood, but then there were the monsters...

They weren't near, yet not far from the girls as they continued in a quickened pace. Jill gripped her bat and began to open the front door.

"Wait!" Betsy whisper yelled, hearing a clunk. Jill glanced over at the window and slowly tip-toed over, she could see a shadow in her living area.

"There's one inside!" She whispered back almost in a panic, she could feel her face getting hot as tears began to form around her eyes.

"Don't worry, I know what to do!" Whispered Betsy, she didn't really want to deal with what awaited inside but she knew Jill wasn't capable on her own.

Slowly turning the handle, Betsy went inside signaling Jill to stay by the door. She gripped her knife and began to quickly patter across the floor towards the monster. Seeing her as she approached he threw his arms up to rush forward and grab her, but her knife met his forehead halfway. Ripping it out she stabbed him again, watching him drop to the ground as she released him from her knife.

She lightly gave him a girly kick before running back over to the door. "Hurry!"

Jill rushed up the stairs pulling her curlers out along the way, before grabbing her own bag and piling it full of whatever was lying around. She couldn't believe what was going on, she questioned herself many times on if it were real before stopping in front of her bedroom window in tears.

"Jill?" Betsy asked, lightly opening the door.

"I, I guess I didn't realize how long I was up here." Responded Jill, slightly turned away, wiping her face.

"That's alright, why don't we go downstairs and find what we can for a few snacks and drinks in case we end up needing them?" Betsy asked.

"Yeah, the car is out front, so we can load it up and then go." She nodded, picking up her bag and heading back downstairs.

Jill grabbed another bag and started filled it with fruit, crackers, and a few other things. She then grabbed a few waters and other necessities so Betsy could carry them to the car.

Hopping in, both girls pulled back up to Betsy's driveway so she could get out and get the kids. She crept out and up to the door giving their secret knock, Michael opened the door holding his own little bag of snacks, and Ruth tightly gripped a pack of juice boxes.

"Good idea." Betsy smiled, carefully escorting both of them over and into the car, they were ready to go.

"Now what?" Ruth asked, settling into the backseat with her brother.

"Now we go find Daddy." Betsy responded, as Jill backed out and put them into drive towards downtown...