The Prince's Shadow

You know who they said the world would end without us knowing, because God will be coming back for his people like a thief in the night.

Well, I guess those people must be punching the air right now because it didn’t happen how they thought it would.

There was no monster from the abbess or fire and brimstones falling from the sky. Instead, it was something else.

It ended with a bite, and from there the place was thrown into chaos, with screams and crying.

Now the world isn’t what it once was.

Cities are nothing but wastelands, high rising buildings have crumbled. We have lost all man-made resources, and the natural resources are on its last.

No-one was safe, rich, poor. Black or white, it didn’t matter where you lived. It was the same for everyone.

Ironically, it all happened on Halloween. My friend, who was dressed as a zombie and at a different party than me, started it. I heard that they all thought he was just too into character until he bit an unsuspecting girl in the neck.

***

We were all laughing, drinking, and just having a good night. Everyone was, with the music blasting and colorful lights illuminating the basement floor of the old, abandoned house we were in.

My roommate from university, who was dressed as a male tooth fairy, pulled out a small plastic bag with some white pills inside.

Someone I had never met asked him where he got the goods from, and when he said Andre, everyone backed away.

I guess it’s because Andre was more than a questionable person who got his stuff from odd places.

Like the science lab, he frequents at nights.

By Terry wanted a good time and didn’t seem to mind what chemicals were mixed together to form the substance he swallowed down with a half pint of beer.

Just as the DJ changed the song, everyone’s phones went off with a loud, persistent message that we couldn’t ignore.

This is not a test.

All people are urged to remain indoors or return home immediately from off the streets.

Alert… this is not a test.

The message lasted for maybe two minutes before we could use our phones again, but by that time, the place had fallen into a deafening silence, with everyone exchanging frightened looks.

I could see confusion written all over my roommate’s face and knew he had so many questions to ask, but the drugs he just took were messing with his mind.

I remember him shaking his head a few times as if to get rid of the fogginess of the alcohol and drugs.

Then there was another alert.

Warning… we are under attack.

Terrorists? Someone had asked.

Alert… we are under attack from chemical warfare.

Everyone is urged to find a safe place to stay inside, away from a deadly and unknown virus.

Alert… this is not a test.

Everyone is urged to remain inside.

Warning… there is a deadly virus in the air, and we urge all citizens to stay inside for their own safety.

I held my phone in shaking hands, not understanding what virus could be so deadly that we had to stay inside.

I scrolled through G****e news and every social media platform for more information or at least to see that this was all a prank by someone who hacked the emergency system.

Instead, all I saw were reports of scores of sick people overwhelming the hospitals, and it wasn’t only happening here in Jamaica, but everywhere else in the world.

They were saying it was worse than Covid, and no one knew what it was or how it started.

All they could say was to stay inside, take precautions and that it was the worst outbreak in history.

Then I saw a video and whoever was looking over my shoulder called everyone’s attention to it.

To say it was a horrific scene was putting it lightly.

The girl was bleeding from the neck, and instead of helping her, everyone pulled their phones out and went live.

He bit someone else, and then after a minute, the first girl went crazy. She began to screech and was biting the closest person next to her.

It didn’t take long for the other party to fall into a scene of confusion, and I guess those who just stood there were all petrified by the horrific scene.

And then I knew what they meant by fright or flight.

Someone else’s phone showed the city of Kingston in complete shambles.

The place looked as if it had just experienced a three-year war in the space of minutes.

The place was chaos, and businesses were on fire, with smoke billowing in the night sky, creating a gray haze over the city.

Someone blamed the Halloween parties that were happening, saying that our country never used to celebrate such things, and the one time it was allowed, it brought the devil and his children here.

It made me wonder then and there if these people are stupid, because it was happening all over.

Even in remote parts of the world.

This was a horror movie brought to life, and even though they said to stay inside, people were running around like headless chickens.

Looting stores and vandalizing business.

It was sick, but that’s just humans.

And instead of coming together, we were fighting for survival.

Then it happened, right before my eyes.

My roommate, who was dressed in a pink tutu and white wife beater, bit someone in the arm and took out a chunk of flesh.

The boy, as if on reflex, punched him in the face, but that seemed to have no effect.

Now, we were all screaming and running, fighting to get out of the small basement that was packed with people who shouldn’t have been there.

A girl clung to me, and I doubt she even realized it. She was only looking for a safe place to hide, or maybe reassurance that things will be ok.

And even though I can’t promise her any of that, I held her hand and guided her through the crowd of frantic people who were desperate to seek an escape.

When we finally made it outside, my guess was that we were safer in that basement because the streets of Barbican were a battlefield.

With sirens wailing through the night, cars turned on their tops and houses on fire.

I still pulled at the girl, encouraging her to run because I’m sure that my house would be the safest place right now.

I lived in a gated community, and I knew just how to get there without being on the road.

‘’What’s happening?’’ the girl was finally brave enough to ask, but her voice was so shaky and low I almost missed what she had to say.

‘’I really don’t know,’’ I replied. ‘’But we saw the same thing, people biting people.’’

‘’Like zombies?’’ she asked.

‘’It sounds crazy now that it is said out loud, but yes.’’

Then she paused in the street and began to cry. ‘’This can’t be happening. Shit like this isn’t real.’’

‘’I am still in disbelief, but we both saw the same thing. Whatever is happening has turned my roommate and best friend into mindless creatures that were biting people.’’

She then looked around. ‘’Where are we even going?’’

‘’To my house, I live in Cherry Hills. We will be safe there.’’

‘’But that’s too far.’’

‘’Yes, but I know a few shortcuts that will get us there fast.’’

Together, we sprinted to the back of a house.

And as my legs carried me, my heart pounded in my chest. With me hoping and praying that I was right.

Before we could cut across the field behind the old church, there was a scream, and a woman covered in blood ran out from behind a wall.

At first she looked around as if confused as to where she was, then her eyes landed on us, and she wobbled to where we were.

‘’Oh my God,’’ my new companion covered her mouth.

‘’Help… me… please.’’ The woman’s words came out weakly.

But from I was standing, I could see several teeth marks on her skin and knew that it was only a matter of time before she became one of them.

And from what I had seen, it took a minute after being bitten to become like those creatures, and who knew how long this lady was attacked?

‘’Please, I just need a safe place for the night until I can meet up with my sister.’’

She muttered a few other words that came out in almost intangible growls, and I had to pull the girl along with me.

She looked back, and I wanted to tell her that at this moment we have to look after ourselves.

We had to now become selfish and not show compassion. Because the minute we offer assistance, might just be the same moment we die.

And I guess we began to run at the right moment, because a man with a bulking body emerged from the shadows, as if he was using the woman as b**e to lure us in.

And I made a chilling realization. These zombies might not be like the dumb slow creatures we see on tv. But they might be smart, they were humans after all. So, who's to say they can’t be just as calculated as us?

‘’We should help her.’’

‘’Trust me, we have to save ourselves first before trying to help anyone.’’

But I was wrong about them working together, because the man jumped on the already half dead woman. Ripping into her flesh and biting off a chunk.

The girl who was running beside me sobbed out as the woman’s agonizing scream carried off into the night.

I almost laughed to myself, because of all the times my friends and I would joke that Jamaica would be one of the safest places from zombies, vampires, aliens, and Godzilla. Mostly because aliens only visited the USA, vampires hated the sun and zombies would most likely be in a first world country and we would have enough time to close all ports.

But after COVID, I should have known better, someone who was infected could have entered the country long ago. Maybe even today, who knows?

There were growls and several screeching sounds from all around, and I could feel her gripping my hand.

‘’Don’t worry, we are almost there.’’ Which was a lie.

We had close to another forty-five minutes to go, if not longer.

Simply because I had taken a wrong turn in my panic, but got back on track after going into the churchyard.

‘’I wonder if my mother is ok. She works at St Anderw’s Hospital.’’

‘’Damn,’’ was all I said. I didn’t want to get her hopes up, and truth be told, I had forgotten all about my parents.

They both were politicians. While my mother was out campaigning to be reelected in the next election, I know my father, and know that he must have been out under some woman while all this was happening.

‘’What about your father?’’ I asked, trying to calm both our nerves.

‘’Never met him.’’

‘’Oh sorry.’’

‘’For what? It’s not like you were the one who killed the guy.

There was a scream just to our left. I looked back and saw her eyes widen.

‘’We have to move faster,’’ I said in a hush tone.

She nodded, fighting back tears. While I lead her to where I could see the community just before mine up ahead.