DEAD AND LIVING

    The commotion and noise coming from the street and drifting into the bedroom on the first floor of the house is what woke Martha on the 8th morning of summer. Its 6:10 on the timer. She turns to her husband Franklin to see he is still deep in sleep. She gets up slowy from the bed, still drowsy from sleep and walks over to the window, she pulls back the drapes to see the reason for the noise.        Mr Lee and his Family,the next door neighbors are packing some of their things out of their house, they seemed to be in a hurry, they are rushing in and out of their house, still in their night clothes carrying things out, screaming at each other. Martha has never really liked her neighbours, in her opinion they always liked to cause a scene and disturb the entire neighbourhood. Throwing parties every now and then like teenagers.       Martha contemplated going back to bed but she finally decided to make herself a cup of coffee since she was awake now, she reaches for her morning robe on the dresser, puts it on and runs a comb through her hair,she walks out of the room. She descends the staircase slowly, admiring her house, a nice urban contemporary master piece of architecture. The noise from her neighbours had diminished into silence, replaced by the gentle purring of a car engine then the sound of tyres on the road.      "I hope they're gone for a very long time" she says to herself. She walks into the kitchen and puts coffee into the coffee maker, taking her time, spoonful after spoonful, she puts the coffee on and walks into her living room, shes about to turn the TV on when the noise from outside starts again.     "Back so soon?" She asks rethorically, she walks over to the window to check what is going on again, the noise is coming from opposite the house this time, its the Andrews, they're also packing things out of their house in a hurry, they're taking clothes and packed food and just stuffing them in the trunk. She  searches for the key frantically, she must have left them upstairs she thinks to herself. She goes over to the window and opens it.      "Jennifer, what is going on?"  she calls to her neighbor      "Martha dear, I cannot believe you are still here, haven't you seen the news" Jennifer sounded terrified.      "No, is a storm coming in?" Martha called back      "I'm sorry Mrs James, we have to leave now, you should check the news?" Mr Andrews had just come out of the house and was going to start the car.     "Martha, go pack a few things and leave, Immediately" Jennifer managed to say before her husband started the car and zoomed off.      She thought to go and check her other next door neighbors, find out what the sudden hoilday is all about but they are definitely on one of their numerous business trips.      The coffee is done. The beep echoes throughout the house. Martha goes into the kitchen to pour herself a cup, the aroma of the freshly brewed coffee awaking her senses and calming her nerves. She takes her cup to the living room and turns the TV on. Her favourite family drama series is showing, she decides to watch it,whatever is on the news can wait.      Her children were in the woods camping, they wanted to celebrate leaving high school and escaping from their parents into the liberating arms of college. She had tried to no avail to convince them of a better way to spend their time but they would have none of it,so she finally let them have their way. The series is over, She remembers she is supposed to check the news for information, the reason why everyone is going on an impromptu vacation. She changes it to the news station.        On the screen is a laboratory, in the ward there's a man strapped to a bed, he seemed to be in a lot of pain. His skin is very pale,when he coughs, coagulated blood and saliva drips from his lips, his flesh was falling off in places he was struggling against the strap. Its a very gory sight, she changes the channel. On the local news, there is a new virus and its spreading fast.    "I see what the rush is about" she giggles to herself. She was a woman who believes in absolute cleanliness and order. There was no way any virus was coming near her home. She takes a big sip of the coffee and exhales.she continues watching the TV "They are calling it the Death virus." the reporters even voice says. "the disease is highly infectious and spreading fast. Those still in town are advised to leave as things are starting to get out of hand. The number of infected keep increasing by the minute. There is no cure for the virus now. If you see anyone exhibiting these symptoms, stay far away from them." There's the video of the man tied to the bed again.       She grips her cup with fear, the kind of fear that sends chills and goosebumps all over you. Her first instinct is to go get her husband, pack a few things and leave, but she remembers her children, they are still camping in the woods, oblivious of the deadly virus that is swallowing the enrire town slowly. The cup in her hand crashes to the floor. Her eyes are filled with tears. She runs to the kitchen and grabs her phone, dialing a number she knows too well. She pales when it goes directly to voice mail. She dials the other number and gets the same result. Time is going, she keeps dialing the numbers, again again and again, the tears are flowing freely now. One last time, she tells herself not knowing that was the last time she was going to dial any number, it goes to voicemail again. She sinks to the floor, dejected, sorrowful, she is wailing. Her husband Franklin is awake now, he's rushing down the stairs, he had heard her crying from the bedroom       "What's wrong?" He asks, his voice heavy with concern, concern for the love of his life       "The children"  she replies, hiccupping with teary eyes. "I can't reach them."      Down the street, the first one emerges, Then the second, then the third, then more. On a morning like this with the sun barely up in the sky, from afar they look like normal people, tired after a long busy night. They sway from side to side, twitching with every step, emitting inhuman sounds, teeth snapping, Dead and alive. The street is quiet because all the houses are deserted, the only sounds are from a  television and a wailing woman from the house with No54 on its mail box. They advance on the house, with growl and groans.    Frank hears it first, the scratching on the front door, he looks to his wife, signals to her to be silent by placing his index finger on his lips and covering her mouth with his palm.     "Who is it?" He approaches the door cautiously. He takes a glance at the television on the wall and stops in his tracks. On The 50 inch LED TV is a CCTV footage, a girl with a missing arm attacks a pregnant woman and starts eating her, the woman screams but no one comes to help her, rather they join the girl at the feast. What catches his eyes is the information blinking below in red light.   "EVACUATE THE TOWN TO SAFETY".       "What the f**k", Frank yells.    The scratching had advanced into pounding, on the door and also on the window . He backs slowly into the kitchen. The living room window shatters, one of the things had thrown himself at the window, cutting himself in half in the process, the lower body was lifeless at the window sill, blood was dripping from it into house. The other half was crawling towards Frank, teeth snapping, dragging its intestines behind it tainting the white rug with blood like a painter's brush does to a clean canvass. The others had start to come in through the window too.      "Holy. Mary. Mother. Of. Jesus" Martha gasps and faints.