Escape Part 1

The family were dining with each other like every other day although the kids, this time, were racing to finish first. The excitement of wanting to play the game console had them slurping the food rather than chewing it.

"Boys eat slow," Anna kindly reminded for the third time. William lowered the book below the bridge of his nose, messy bangs lingered too close to his eyes but he didn't try to fix them. An illusion of darkness loomed at his glance when they shoved half of the bread in one bite, munching in rapid speed as they checked each other's progress. Alex finished off fast while Max was barely able to finish his sandwich.

"Boys eat slowly." William repeated with a warning and they immediately stopped, a shiver slid down their spine.

"Y-yes father." Daniel responded as they slowed their pace significantly. William and Anna shared a brief look. She smiled wide at his help and he returned to his book, relaxed.

"Thank you for the food/mother, " Daniel and Alex said simultaneously, sprinted out of their seats towards the sink to wash their dishes and then ran towards their room to start a new game. Max watched with a pout on his face since he couldn't eat fast enough to join them. It felt like he was eating forever.

"I love you mommy," Max expressed his affection as he chewed on the last remnants.

Anna smiled as she wiped the table. "I love you too."

He grinned happily as he licked the crumbs off his tips. He got off, placing his plate on the sink and got on the chair to wash his dishes. Anna and William shared another look again.

"What? Jealous?" she teased.

He raised a brow and scoffed, in disbelief at the insinuation. "From a child?"

She giggled and huffed in fake belief as if she was resigning to his whims. "Fine. I love you William."

"You just wanted to say that." William almost rolled his eyes, shut the book close as he walked off to their bedroom.

Max was listening as he put the plate on the rack and jumped down with a frown. "Mommy, why didn't daddy say, 'I love you too'?"

At the question, Anna tapped her chin in thought, trying to figure out how to explain it. "Hmmm your father doesn't know how to show affection."

"Like Alex?" Max asked. Anna laughed. "Yes, like Alex."

"How do you know daddy loves you?" He tilted his head. Alex was expressive. He is embarrassed to show affection but it was obvious from his face or action. With William, he doesn't see much emotion from him.

"Sometimes you just feel it right here." Anna pointed at Max's heart. Max touched his heart then smiled, nodding. "Oh, I get it now!"

She grinned at him and as she was about to send him off, she heard the sound of drums.

"Max! How long will you take?" Daniel near the stairs yelled. "Come on."

"Coming!"

As she watched Max's retreating form, the smile on her face crestfallen.

"Sometimes... I wish he would tell me he loved me." She bitterly spoke to herself. A word of affirmation was all she needed because sometimes... she doubted it.

__________________________________________

They all walked towards the counter where they had to set their bags in, but they didn't really bring any load, so it went smoother for them than others. William had informed the airport management and Air Navigation Services to stop accepting packages and prioritised a speedy move rather than delaying it. He found it odd how it hadn't sunk in. He thought people would panic. It might have been two days but people were too relaxed just because it happened in London first. They all sat down in the lounge room with Anna. The wait was slow but William spent that time thoroughly checking on the kids and having some of his more well-deserved rest.

"Is your pain gone?" William asked Anna for the tenth time.

"It stings but it's nothing like before." Anna stretched her leg. The antibiotics weren't that strong but at least it subdued what would have been a nightmare. They went back to silence, waiting for their number to be called out. The glass of empty landscape and people walking restlessly were the only source of amusement they had. Just then, a group of military men passed by. While there were many soldiers in every perimeter, the commanding presence of a certain manstood out despite doing nothing out of the ordinary. Anna didn't see him but from the corner of her eye, William leaned forward, his expression bewildered.

"What's wrong?" Anna was now worried, following his gaze. Soldiers saluted at his presence. He didn't spare them a single glance.

"That's commander Victor." Where has she heard this name before? It rang a bell when she remembered her husband's past. "Wasn't he the person you hated back when you were under his division?"

William didn't look like it but he used to be a delinquent and a school dropout despite his parents being both lawyers. At a young age, he had joined the military out of his bloodlust for fights. Military ended up shaping him well and he left a reformed man before he joined medical school.

"You said he was two-faced?" Anna mused, trying to recall the details.

"People used to compare my conduct to his. But I've never seen a man with a more screwed up sense of justice than him." He puckered his lips when a flood of unpleasant memories filled his thoughts. A couple of the military soldiers started to disperse, just a few left among the crowd.

"We should squeeze in somehow for the next flight." William sighed as he stood up, preparing himself to come up with any excuse to get in one. The kids noticed and stood as well.

"Why? Our turn will be in another hour or so." Anna used her own knees to support herself.

"I don't have a good feeling about this…"

William foreboding feelings ended up being true in a way nobody expected. His preparation was for this moment to force them in when he wanted. The staff had no choice but to include them in the list. The walk went by steadily as each family went ahead. Down the escalator to the bus, waiting to reach the plane destination. People either sat or stood, holding the hanger. The sound of the engine soothed the hearts of many into their thoughts. William, Alex, and Daniel were looking through the windows as dawn faded away while Anna's thoughts were filled with enduring her pain. A small tug brought her out of her attention.

"What's wrong, Max?" She placed her hand on top of his head to caress his hair.

"She is acting weird. The flight attendant." He leaned his head on her shoulders, speaking quietly. The woman in question trembled like a phone on vibration. She pulled up a bottle from her pockets, dropping a pill on her hand and shoving it in her mouth, swallowing. Those were anxiety pills; Anna recognized them.

"She is nervous Max."

"She's scared," he corrected.

"Everyone is." She wasn't the only one shaking; there were many family members in the bus displaying similar symptoms. Even she's unnerved.

"She's not like everyone." Max's strange choice of words had her pause.

"What do you mean?" Anna mused.

"I don't know." He shrugged and she sighed. She must be losing her head to be taking him seriously.

The bus halted into a stop and people started to get out one by one. William didn't hesitate to move them out. The stairs to the plane were there but the door wasn't open.

"Where is the flight attendant?" William quickly went back to the bus before it had the chance to leave. The woman was hyperventilating to a level that was unnatural. He observed her for a minute, making sure she was human.

"How long has she been like this?" William's self question had been answered by Max.

"Since we were waiting at the airport, it wasn't that bad until she came on the bus."

William was a little startled that his son paid attention. He patted his head quickly, giving him a proud smile. He checked her temperature and it was fine, so why was she afraid?

"Do you have a bite?" he asked the necessary question. "Be honest."

"No..."

"Then open the door for us."

"I can't." It sounded like she was incapable of doing it rather than the one in decision.

"What you mean you can't?" People were getting agitated as they murmured here and there about her behaviour. William scratched his head, trying to focus with all the loud noise.

"You know what, we can open it ourselves." A man took charge and the herd mentality followed. William supported their decision but something felt off. As the man climbed to the top, twisted the metallic handle as per the red instructions next to it, causing it to protrude. Unintentionally, Max deciphered it for him. "It sounds like she is afraid of the plane."

At that moment, William connected all the dots. "WAIT! DON'T-"

As the door slowly opened, a horde of zombies dropped all over the people on the highest ladder. Screams of fear pierced the ears as people rushed down. Anna worriedly stared at the window as William patted the window aggressively, yelling. "Close the door."

People rushed in the bus during the moment while the bus driver waited for more people to get in. "I said close the door."

"There are still people out there! They will all die if we leave them there" The driver yelled back and William couldn’t keep his facade in check. "I don't care if they die! Close it!"

The driver looked at him in disbelief and disgust. "And I don't care what you think."

People started to fill in. William glared at the driver. "You are going to risk everyone's lives if you don't close this right now."

The driver ignored him and as zombies started to appear on the front of the bus, he attempted to close it… a human hand stuck in, a man was bleeding from his neck. A zombie on his back chewing. "Please! Please, let me in."

The driver was startled.

"Drive." William's threatening tone had him drive, the human squeezed, forcing his way in with the zombies climbing through his back. The automatic door shut close, locking them in. William rushed to protect the driver. He was scared, swerved far left, away from the airport.

"FOCUS ON THE ROAD! AND OPEN THE DAMN DOOR" William yelled while the rest of the people pushed themselves to the corner to save themselves. Anna and the kids were stuck at the back, into the edges.

"William!" she cried out, squashed at the backseat.

The door of the bus opened and William kicked one as it rushed to him. It stumbled through the door, out. The problem was the next. It looked like it weighed two hundred fifty pounds… it grabbed his leg and he fearlessly grabbed it by the hair, positioning its mouth away from his flesh. He kneed it and let go, following it with a kick. Instead of falling out, it grabbed the unsteady William by his leg causing him to lose his balance. He tumbled forward into the open door. His hair flattered from the rush of air as he grabbed the edge. The heavy weight of the other human sliding on the road loosened his grip on the door.

His fingers couldn't hold anymore. He fell off completely, slamming on the ground brutally rolling and skin scraping. Thankfully, the driver slowed down during the confrontation so it lessened the impact. As if he didn't feel pain, William got on his knees, then he stood up and bolted like he was in the Olympics.

"WILLIAM!" Anna screeched. It startled people away from her. She pushed them out of her way, looking out the windows. His figure was getting closer. The bus went into a stop as they reached back. She got off, the kids right behind her as she attempted to run back to him. She didn't get to ask, he was signalling to her to go. A horde of running zombies were too far to see but still visible to know that the slight shake of the ground was coming from them.

"Oh shit!" Anna's eyes widened. How many people does the average plane hold? Two hundred? Three hundred? She didn’t know. All she knew they were screwed. Behind her, people coming out rather in. People who didn't know. People who were supposed to ride the next plane.

"Mommy!" She looked at Max as he pointed at a less crowded area. She dragged her feet back to the exit and they were able to get through in between their gaps during their confusion. Anna tripped from passing through, landing on her injured leg. The dress had specks of brown. Her recently burned skin have blistered open. She was ready to run up the escalator but her husband was quick to heave her off her feet.

There was no time to even ask or speak, just a mere gasp left her mouth as William hopped on the stairs, never looking back for even a second. Veins popped out from his neck, breathing frantic but he didn't slow down. Just tried to push through the people who also noticed the tragic number and took the same course of action.

Where were the boys? She noticed Daniel, Alex and Max running right ahead of her by a step... Before they became on top in mere seconds, leading the escape. Their small frame and skills made it easy to climb. With Max sneaking in between people's legs, Alex and Daniel ran up the rails of the escalator on all fours.

"Put me down! I can ru-" Anna was startled by the familiar beastly gurgling, leaving the words stuck in her throat. Gunshots were fired.

"Be my eyes." William grumbled, his shirt drenched in sweat, glaring and pushing the guy ahead for the way out before they also contributed into being victims to this feast. If she wasn't feeling sick... if she wasn't injured… If she wasn't such a burden... her weight must have made it difficult but instead of insisting to leave her behind, she decided to help out by watching over William's shoulders. Arms wrapped around his neck loosely so she wouldn't fall out or choke him.

Down below was haphazard. The soldiers at each checkpoint were shooting the advancing zombies with their guns but their efforts proved to be fruitless when some of them slipped through their crack defence. They were targeting the people who also climbed the escalator for survival or attacking the attacker. They were outnumbered...Both of them were near the exit of the narrow path but the zombies, even below, were climbing on top of the pile of bodies that were being eaten by their comrades. They will reach them at this pace.

"HURRY!" she screamed, giving William a sense of emergency to do whatever means necessary to get out of here.

"What's the hold up?" William shouted, getting anxious. As if some God out there was helping them, the pace got faster and the space got wider. William didn't hesitate to move forward and she, as her vision bounced up and down, took in the final sight of humanity struggling to run till their last breath. The sight was soon replaced by the front surface of the escalator set. A bob of blonde hair and two raven were running within her sight. The people behind and, behind the behind, all ran right after them, spreading out on the road to take their own respective route. That's when she saw the head of a zombie peeking out... They reached this far already?

"Willi-" Suddenly everything went pitch black but the movement of her husband didn't stop until a few seconds later. Panic filled her up.

"William...William?" She couldn't hear herself from the drowning sounds of screams. "Daniel? Alex? Max?"

She couldn't see anything! And it was not only her. Widespread blabber with screams blended in together in harmony to also take away her ability to hear.

"Mommy? Alex?" Anna recognized Max's loud whining voice especially that particular tone that usually foreshadowed his crying

William put her down and in amidst, she struggled to hear what Alex and Daniel said.

"We..."

As if this couldn't get worse William had to explain why she couldn't see.

"There is a... Blackout." William whispered to her ear, feeling her forehead, bridge of your nose, mouth and then swiped his hand down her arm.

"Are you fucking serious?" She breathed out, voice increasing to shout. Now of all times? The timing couldn't be any worse.

Some of the screams were subduing, leaving crunching, wet slobs. This weird sound that was beside her was scaring her a little.

"Shhhh! They can hear you." William's eyes couldn't adjust to the darkness. It was completely and utterly black. The fear was gradually instilling itself in his heart and he could feel her panicking from her shaking. How were they supposed to get out of here when they can't even tell where they are going?

Suddenly, lights came back and it blinded all. William blinked, his hand shield to stop it from seeping in. His eyes slightly widen when he saw someone being eaten behind Anna... Its head tilted in his direction and he saw pupils. It didn't stop ripping the man apart but he could tell they were next. He whipped his head to the left to find Daniel, Alex and Max groaning loudly. No... No... He pulled her to him and pushed her forward, his hand outstretched the back of Alex's red shirt.

The lights went out. Something was happening in the generator room and whatever it was, the end results weren't favorable.

"William?" Alex searched for his hand. William kneed down and whispered to his ear.

"Bring your brothers and follow me." William took off his white coat and placed it on Alex's palm, closing his fingers on them. Knowing what to do, Alex tapped on the person right next to him, which is always Daniel.

The lights came back, then went out, came back, then went out for a minute. William used this chance to pull his family along deeper inside, the children seemed to be conscious of the zombies since they kept looking back while William kept his sight ahead in memorizing the route. The lights were out and they waited in place for it to return like usual... Although this time, minutes passed by and nothing changed.

Anna kept quiet, not saying a word but Alex tugged on William's coat as an indication to get to his height. And when he did, Alex climbed on his knees, held his head and whispered. "I don't think the lights are coming back."

William also thought of this as he, and all of them listened to the slightest noises of moving, bumping and growling that resounded everywhere.

He pulled Alex, who did the same with Daniel who held Max's hand. It was as if they were forming a school line by holding into each other. However, William was pushing Anna to go somewhere since she was on front.

"Do you feel a door?"

She was confused but instead of saying anything back, she wiped the walls next to her till she felt a change in structure. A protruding object that she managed to wrap her hand around. It was a knob.

Should she open it? She wondered and when she received a tap on her hand, she did. She lead everyone in with small steps, her hand outstretched to feel any surface and stopped when William let go. A small thud indicated that door closed and a bright flash of light was near her. A flashlight? It was held by William and he quickly opened a stall, a toliet appeared, he then opened the next one and the one after. Behind her were varies other urinals on the wall. Men's toliet?

"Get in." It took only one order for her and her kids to get in except she waited in the entrance watching from the corner of her eyes as William left the flashlight in the other corner end before he stride back behind the door. He signaled her to sit down so she did, closing the door till it had a slight opening when you noticed his hands were settled on a place it shouldn't... He was about to open the door? Why? Max climbed on top of her back to see. While Alex and Daniel went from above the toliet.

William opened it and stayed behind the door for a few seconds. Deciding whether a zombie might come in or not through the henge. When he didn't see any, because he can't trust his ears when there was constant screams, he peeked out and rolled out another flashlight on the floor, having it settle on the entrance. The moment she saw Law quick steps, she backed away, letting him enter the same stall.

Max sat on the toilet lid with Alex and Daniel down on either side of him, taking up the limited space. Anna and William were right in front of them, near the door. The place was so narrowed that their legs tangled.

William would keep guard through the small opening they left from his accessible position for anyone approaching It was nerve wrecking but they all endured the silence. What was William planning?

"Why are we here?" The fact he was using the lights this way was making her confused. "Shouldn't we use the flashlights to get out of here?"

Even though she was whispering, she was afraid she was being too loud for her own good.

William stopped keeping watch for a second to capture her gaze. His teeth dug into his bottom lips, grinding on them. If it wasn't dark she would have seen his incredulous expression. "If we did, we would be like mice waiting to be cornered. Easy to hunt, easy to find."

She frowned. The question is why?

"Because the zombies can see us." Alex interjected, answering her question. His grip on the bat tightened. He imagined them eating him over and over again in different scenarios. He was afraid.

"They can see?" It wasn't like the movies? She realized how foolish she is. Did she really think reality would be like the movies?

"No, they can hear us not see." Daniel whispered harshly, remembering how blind they were when they were chasing him.

"They can see us!"

"They can't! "

Max stared left, right, left, right, as Alex and Daniel went back an forth under him.

"They can!"

"This isn't the time to be fighting!" She was at least glad they didn't raise their voice futher.

"Your mother is right but so were you." He raised two fingers that they could barely see the outline off. "There are two types of zombies, one that can hear us but not see. One that can see us but can't hear us."

Daniel and Alex nodded in understanding. It's not like they thought the other was lying, just misinformed.

"What if..." Max broke the silence for the first time since their escape, his tiny voice cutting through their edginess like knife. He seemed to be hesitant but he went through it regardless. "What if there is a zombie that can both see and hear us?"

Anna's heart started to beat rapidly, face twisting into disfiguration. Her hand istinctly clenched on her dress's fabric near her heart to ease the pain. It was hard to breath. She felt queazy and self aware. This feeling... It felt like she was being watched. She couldn't move a single muscle. It was above her, waiting for her to react to it. As if in slow motion, she rose her head. Never in her life was a task this difficult to do. She expected to see two pair of sockets but nothing was there. She was paranoid.

"It's possible. I'm not sure," William's reply made her realize that she might not be the only one overwhelmed in fear or uncertainty. She couldn't say anything, no, she couldn't trust herself to say anything to counter it.

"What if it can talk?" Max further strange inquires had them shake their head.

"What else are you going to say? It have wings too?" Alex sarcastic response had Max gasp, leaning back and clumping his mouth as if to say, 'how did he know.'

"You must be really scared Max." Daniel patted his back in comfort of him being the youngest and most imaginative of their family.

"For now we should think of getting out of here. I already thought of a plan." William's determination and calmness surprised all four of them. Alex, Daniel and Max mouth hanged open in awe. If they weren't in such horrible situation, that would have made her happy.

"So here is what we will do." At that, all of them got closer to hear, eager to find out what kind of solution he came up with.

"This is the best plan ever," Max whispered excitedly.

"This is… the worst plan I've ever heard of." Anna contrasted. "You are going to risk our children's life for this?"

"I'll do it." Alex firmly decided, glaring at Anna. "Stop treating us like children."

Daniel seemed unsure, hesitating to speak. "I-"

"You are a child!" Anna interjected and both of them seemed like they were about to fight each other. William immediately acted as a referee.

"Darling," At the word of endearment she went quiet. "They are grown now,"

She shook at her head at implications but let him continue. "If you treat a child like a child, they will never be able to grow from that mentality. Their thoughts and actions will be confined to the limits you put them through. Eventually, you and I may end up dead within the next few days, leaving them alone, making decision."

Her mouth set straight and defeat was there. She understood where he was going with this. They had to risk her lives whether she liked it or not. Now or later… she wanted later. Was that too much to ask?

"So I understand your concern but I need them to make the choice themselves." William ended the conversation with her there and instead dropped down on his knee and put a hand on each of their shoulders. Max being in the middle. "Boys, you may die… are you willing to risk your lives?"

Alex's answer came immediately. "Yes."

The conviction and resolution had Max frown while Daniel, uncertain. "I'm willing to risk my life if it benefits us but can't we wait till morning? It will be too chaotic to search at night. People will die… if we do it like this."

"The morning is the worst time. The sun will make it easier for them to see us which will give us more variables to consider… besides, I'm counting on that." William forebod, pointing a finger to the ceiling.

Daniel looked up and his mouth shaped an "O" in realisation, nodding confidently. "Of course. It makes sense now."

Alex and Anna tilted their heads in confusion, wondering what they were talking about.

"What about you Max?" William looked at him to see what he thought of. Max gave the most unexpected answer with a relaxed tone. "No, I don't want to die."

William couldn’t resist the smile. Why does he have such a hard time reading this child? He thought his brothers risking their lives would make him want to "join" too.

"But if everyone dies, I'll die with you because you will be lonely without me!" He grinned. Daniel, Alex and Anna facepalmed from youngest to oldest, like a comedy skit while William giggled. He covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing out loud. Anna looked shocked. He thought this was funny? He barely laughed at anything she said for the past five years.

"I don't think we will be that lonely without you." Daniel humorously remarked.

"So you admit you will be lonely." Max puffed his chest out.

"When did you get smart?" Daniel looked almost offended then with his thumb and index hovered above each other, almost touching, he continued. "Just this much."

"You don't have to worry about any of that because I will not let any harm come to any of you." Alex lightly punched Max shoulder and pushed the hair behind his ear timidly. "Your big bro will always protect you."

"I'm the big brother." Daniel frowned, indignantly. "I'll protect Max!"

"You are the middle brother. I was born early."

"You were only born two days early."

Before they can start their arguments, Max hugged them both which made them both return it contently. Anna and William just watched the kids, letting them have their momemt. When they broke apart, William finally interjected. "Alex and Daniel, time to start scouting."