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Chapter 1
August 16th, 2005
4:00 pm
“A state of emergency will be in effect beginning at 7:00 pm.” Says a newscaster over the television as the clock strikes four. Rain is pouring on the roof of a safe little house on the corner of Market and Maple. People run to the closest dry place; anywhere they can find.
“Honey, do you think we need to stop at Otshore? We need a new pump for out basement. I don’t want to end up like the last time we had a flood. Remember?” The tall slender woman approaches the recliner in the living room. Rain pounds the roof harder, like it is trying to muffle the television. And it is doing a good job of it, too.
“The fol . . . bents . . . ockt . . . thi . . . days . . . cas . . . nite.” That is all the man sitting in the chair can hear. Whenever he turns up the television louder, the rain seems to match its volume.
“Gene! Are you listening to me! Do we need to go to Otshore?!” The woman screams over the rain and the television. As she grabs the remote and turns it off, the rain then slows down considerably.
“Fine, let’s go before the rain picks up again.” Gene gets out of his chair unwillingly. “What should we do about Jon, Carmella? Just leave him here?” Gene stops halfway out the door.
“Fine, we’ll take him; we just need to hurry and be back before seven.” Gene looks at his wristwatch and gives a heavy sigh at his wife’s remark. “Jon, honey, let’s go, we need to leave. We’re going to Otshore!” Carmella tells up the steps. A door slams from upstairs and then someone runs down the steps, a seventeen year old, reeking of weed. His Hair reaches down to the bottom of his earlobes, each with two piercings in them. There is another piercing in his lip. Jon jumps into his combat boots and slips on his black trench coat. He stands at the door, waiting for his parents.
“Alright, let’s go. I don’t have all day.” Jon grabs the keys swiftly and runs out the door to start the car. He drives it around to the front of the house. He parents come running out of the door. Gene jumps into the driver’s side while Jon gets into the back. The family takes off in a hurry, trying to get back before seven o’clock.
4:26
“Come on Gene, will you go in and get it, please. I don’t want to get wet.” Carmella pats Gene on the shoulder. He simply sighs and gets out into the pouring down rain. Jon decides to lie down across the seats in the back and tries to fall asleep. Every time he is about to fall asleep, he is awoken by a thunderous boom. Jon, after being awoken for the sixth time, rolls over onto his stomach and begins to day dream about his mate. Jon slips into a peaceful zone. He is then pulled out of a doze by his father honking the horn at a truck cutting them off on the road.
5:19
“Whoa, holy s**t Dad, what just happened?!” Jon grabs the seat in front of him, trying to slow his heart rate.
“Jon! What have I told you about using language like that?” Carmella scolds, “Now apologize to your faaahhh!” Carmella screams, grabbing onto the dash. Gene swerves an oncoming car, sending them over the side of the road. The car slides off the road, but it appears no one is injured.

5:22
I-Is every one a-alright?” Gene looks over at his wife, then back to his son. Both nod at him and Gene tries to start the car again. One, two, three times Gene tries to start the car. He smacks the steering wheel. “s**t!” Gene sighs and leans his seat backwards until he is almost lying down. He looks over at his wife and sees her staring out of the car, dumbfounded. Gene sits his seat into the upright position again. “Honey, what’s wrong?”
“Uh, dad, I think we have company.” Jon points out the back of the car at shadows approaching. Both Jon and Gene gulp heavily. Gene searches and finds the door lock button in the dark. He chuckles and then smiles at his son. But then the front of their car begins to life off the ground. Both Gene and Jon clutch their seat in sheer terror. Carmella is unfazed by what is happening. The expression on her face dos not change (The same expression of shock, amazement, and horror at the same time). She then falls back in her seat. The car is now only sitting on its rear bumper, but does not flip over.
“Jon, whatever you do, do not move, Alright? Because the slightest movement could flip us over or stand us upright again.” Gene then leans forward, trying to put the car back on all four wheels again. Gene is unsuccessful and he sits back in his seat. The car begins to sway then falls backwards. Jon and Gene grab onto what ever is closest, screaming, trying to make everything seem better. But then the car stops in mid air. Jon hears crunching coming from outside. He looks out his window and can see a floating, torn, threadbare robe. Under the robe is two feet, decaying and falling apart. Then Gene’s window is knocked in and he is pulled out of the car. Gene screams. Crunching can be heard and Jon winces. The screaming is then stopped after Jon hears a loud crack, lick the breaking of a neck. Gene’s dead carcass falls to the ground and stares in Jon’s window. All Jon has the courage to do is to scream.
5:16
Jon is woken up by a truck’s horn and he is in a cold sweat. Jon pants heavily, looking around wondering what just happened.
“Yo M-Mom, when’s dad gonna be back? I hafta get home! I’m waiting for Jamie to call.” His mother jerks out of a sound sleep. Carmella then looks down at her watch. 5:16 pm. She sighs and tells Jon to go out and look for his father. Jon runs into Otshore, looking for his father. He looks around and posts his dad in the check-out line. Gene waves to his son. Jon just rolls his eyes and walks back out to the car. “Hurry the hell up.” Jon mumbles to himself. He stops suddenly. Jon looks into the rain. But rain has stopped falling. The rain has now turned to snow. Jon then looks across the parking lot to a digital time display at the bank. Time reads 5:19 and the temperature is 64 degrees. What the hell is this? Shouldn’t snow melt at like 50 degrees? I know I’m not the most intelligent person around, but I know it’s not supposed to snow at this temperature. Jon thinks to himself.
“Jon! Watch out!” Someone screams. Jon looks around and sees a truck coming at him. Jon freezes with fear. The truck moves closer and closer to him. Suddenly, without realizing what was happening, Jon was now on the ground, his mother screaming.