Watch the World Burn

By Amber White

People are getting sick. People are dying. The world is ending. Four teenage friends are sent away by their parents to a secluded cabin to wait it out. A week into their stay, they get a call. They have to run. They have to save themselves. They have to leave their friends and their families behind. They have to find a way to live.

The exciting prequel to 'Tonight the World Dies', 'Watch the World Burn' takes you on the adventure that started the insanity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amber White
• Release date: Oct 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311909749

Amber White

Born and raised in Vacaville, California, Amber started showing a taste for all things horror and grim at the age of two, when she watched her first horror movie. She also developed a fondness for creating her own stories early on, and the combination of the two seemed only natural.Amber now lives in Northern California with her dog and two kitties.

Book preview

Watch the World Burn

By Amber White

Prequel to Tonight the World Dies

Smashwords Edition

Copywrite 2013

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Chapter 1

How do you expect to get on the wrestling team if you can’t even beat me? I taunted my friend Dean.

Oh, you are so going down! He said.

Yeah, right. I scoffed.

I play the winner next! Sully said from the couch.

It wasn’t hard to wrestle Dean to the ground. I had been raised as the only child of an ex-military man, and could take down an entire football team with my bare hands. I had him pinned within three minutes.

Good match, for a girl. Dean laughed. He looked happy enough, but I knew it hurt him, losing to a girl.

Sorry bro, if it makes you feel any better, I wasn’t raised like a chick. I told him.

Yeah, but I still lost to one. He grumbled, joining his sister on the couch.

Sully stood in front of me. You ready? He asked.

Ready. I nodded.

We tore into each other. He was stronger than Dean, and a lot more experienced in wrestling and fighting, having three older brothers. Within a few minutes, he was close to pinning me down, so I pulled the dirtiest trick I could think of to distract him: I strained forward under his grasp and kissed him.

It didn’t work out the way I expected. Instead of him loosening his grip enough for me to overpower him, he pinned me flat to the carpet, his body on mine, and returned the kiss.

You can’t cheat like that. He whispered. I cheat back. He slid off of me, grinning. Looks like I’m the champion! He said.

I grumbled at him and hopped to my feet. I have to admit, I smiled good naturedly at him. You beat me fair and square. I patted him on the back and returned to my spot on the couch, shoving Dean playfully towards his sister to make some room.

The four of us squeezed together on the couch, sweating and tired, to watch a bit of TV before dinner was ready. I turned the set on and flipped through the channels, stopping when I saw a news broadcast. A reporter was standing in front of a hospital a few towns over.

The patient had been admitted to the hospital with an unknown infection. While in the doctor’s care, sources say the patient became increasingly deranged and angered before finally attacking the nurse attending to him, biting her hand and removing a chunk of flesh. It is still unknown what caused this outburst, or what the patient was sick with, but sources do say the nurse that was attacked is being treated for her wound, and is being monitored overnight for possible signs of a similar infection. The reporter said into her microphone.

Somebody’s been watching Night of the Living Dead a little too much. Billie laughed.

Or they have rabies. I said.

What? Like Cujo? Billie asked.

Not everything can be related to horror movies. I said. But yes, a bit like Cujo.

You kids need to go get washed up for dinner! My mom called from the kitchen.

Okay Ma’. I called back.

Second time this month, My dad mumbled, coming down the hall.

Dad? I asked.

Yes? He said.

What was the second time this month?

An attack like what they just said on the news.

There was another one? I asked.

Last week. In New York. He answered.

Do they know what’s causing this?

They won’t say. Government cover-up if I ever saw one. He said and walked into the kitchen.

Your dad OK? Sully whispered behind me.

He’s fine. He’s just concerned over what’s been going on. I whispered back.

Who wouldn’t be? Sully said, softly before springing up off of the couch.

We raced down the hall to the bathroom. He beat me by a hair, skidding inside and standing squarely in front of the sink, blocking my way.

Bitch. I teased.

Jerk. He said with a laugh.

I heard Billie and Dean plodding up behind me.

Come on, hurry up! We’re hungry! Billie said, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

We washed quickly, playfully splashing water at one another and rushed to the table, nearly running each other over.

Calm down you kids, there’s plenty for everyone. My mother said.

You know Mrs. Dagen, this has to be the best lasagna I have ever tasted, Sully said, mouth full of pasta and cheese.

Don’t talk with your mouth full dear, but thank you. Mom said.

Weeks ticked by, and more and more people were getting sick. It was an epidemic like we had never seen.

Finally, near the end of the school year, it happened. The halls and classrooms were buzzing with shocking news after lunch. The infection had finally reached our little town. TVs blared from every class, each playing the same news station, the story recapped repeatedly all afternoon:

Alarmed neighbors called police when they heard a woman screaming from inside the home. Police arrived on the scene to find Ralph Weaver, a local truck driver, bent over the body of his dead wife, consuming chunks of flesh he apparently ripped off of her while she was still alive. A police spokesperson reported that the officers on the scene opened fire after Weaver charged them. The spokesperson has reported the officers involved are in the hospital for overnight observation, but will not reveal their condition. Sources say this could very well be caused by the same infection plaguing the rest of the country.

It continued like that for a few hours before it was leaked that not only where the officers in the hospital for overnight observation,but that they were in an isolated wing, and the CDC had been called in. The townspeople were in a panic now. The teachers were considering sending everyone home early when the Principal’s voice boomed from the loudspeakers:

Students are to remain in class until the designated release time. They are then to leave their classrooms and the parking lot in an orderly fashion after the final bell. Please remain calm. That is all.

It was difficult to concentrate on my work with my fellow classmates talking over each other, panic sending the voices of the girls into dog whistle territory- high pitched and annoying as hell. My cellphone buzzed in my pocked. I looked around. The teacher was speaking in hushed tones to someone, his head down, the receiver of the class phone pressed firmly against his ear. I pulled my cell out and checked the screen under my desk. Mom was calling.

Quickly, I pressed the end button and started a new text message. ‘Can’t talk.In class. What’s wrong? Is Dad ok?’

A minute later, her response popped up: ‘Dad’s fine. We’re concerned with what’s going on. Come home as soon as you get out.’

‘Will do.’I texted. After that, the bell couldn’t ring fast enough. If my parents were worried enough to try to call and text while I was in school, this had to be worse than others were letting on.

As soon as I entered the front door of my house, my mother ran up to me and flung her arms around my neck.

Is there something I should know? I asked, pulling away slightly. This was not like her.

One of my Army buddies’ sons told him that the cops were starting to show symptoms of the ‘infection’. My dad said from the couch, It’s spreading even quicker now. That boy also overheard the CDC fellas talking about how it’s already spread through most of Asia, and it an’t showing signs of slowing down.

Come inside dear, sit down. My mom said, pulling me toward the couch.

Look Joanna. We started talking to your friends’ parents today while you were at school. As bad as things are getting, we decided to send you kids up to the cabin for a week to wait things out, see if it gets any better. If it doesn’t, we’ll try to join you and figure out a plan. We need you to pack a bag, bring enough clothes for two weeks, just in case, and your mother and I will pack up some of the MREs we have here so you can have something in case you get stuck on the road. My dad said.

He wasn’t kidding about this.

Ok Dad, I said quietly, rising slowly.

Double time, girl. He said.

This was really happening. My parents had to be really worried- no- afraid to send me and my friends to the cabin alone in a situation like this. He preferred to ‘keep the unit together in emergencies’.

I hustled to my room. He was right, this was no time to drag my feet. Grabbing my larger duffle bag, I quickly and carefully packed all the clean clothes I could reach, being sure to load my knives within easy reach, a box of matches in one pocket, a few lighters in another, yanking my canteen off the hook by my door and filling it in the bathroom.

With my duffle slung over my shoulder, my canteen around my neck, I stood in the living room, facing the kitchen.

I’m ready, I called.

Dad walked in from the garage, hefting a backpack with one shoulder, car keys in hand.

You’re taking the crew cab, He said, I nodded.

I’ll see you next week, I told Mom.

A tear ran down her cheek as she stepped forward, hugging me tightly.

I love you, Mom. I said.

I love you too dear. Be safe. She said with a sob.

I will, I said giving her one last hug.

Outside, Dad helped me secure the bags in the lock box before pressing a small key into my palm.

The key to the gun safe? I asked.

Just in case. He said. Your friends are going to meet you in ten minutes at the front entrance to Andrew Park. Call me on the radio when you get to the cabin, and I’ll give you status updates every day at thirteen-hundred hours. Be careful. He patted my shoulder, and then pulled me into a hug.

"I will, Dad. I love