Young Writers Society

When the World Starts Dying

A Prequel

It came out of nowhere. No one really knows how it started, where it originated from. One moment the world was as it should be, the next, absolute chaos. It happened so quickly, it took everyone by surprise. Major cities fell within weeks, and after four months, the entirety of Eurasia was a black mark, cut of from the rest of the world. The Americas had a bit more time, they managed to close towns off, stem the wave of terror and death. However, there isn't a lot anyone could do when the animals started going down too. Africa followed shortly after North America did, and the last words that came from Australia definitely weren't a positive. South America seemed to be the last to fall, the only other contact they had was with England.

And as far as anyone in the British Isles know, they're the only ones left.

Six months into the chaos, England sent out a radio broadcast, to every country, on every station. Radios of any kind should be able to pick them up, and if anyone can find one that works, and can hear and understand the message, they might have a shot at safety.

England is all that remains standing.

Plot

A strange disease has washed over the planet, infecting humans and animals. The only creatures that don't seem to get infected are birds and aquatic life.

You somehow managed to survive the initial six months, watching everything fall down around you, your friends, family, people you've known your whole life changing, attacking people. You noticed some people, after being bitten by the infected people or animals, didn't seem to turn. But they did start to change. You chose to stay away from these people, just in case they're carriers.

Alone in a desolate world, you struggle to keep yourself alive. Your only option at this point, would be to find other survivors and team up with them. Yet finding someone you can trust in a world slowly crumbling away seems an almost impossible task. Convincing yourself that your survival depends on it becomes a daily task.

Until you find a radio, alone in an old shop, emitting a low drone.

You turn the volume up, and you hear it.

The broadcast.

England is taking survivors.

The Disease

No one knows where it came from or how to fight it. The disease started in Spain, the country hit the hardest and the first to fall. From there, it spread rapidly throughout the rest of Europe, and then Asia, and somehow to other continents before anyone could get a hold of it. The disease had different effects on different people and animals, the only consistent signs of the disease being a strange, orange-yellow mould growing through the skin. When the disease has taken over an entire body of its host, it starts to take root, sending its tendrils right into the ground where it slowly drags the dead body down with it. These mounds of pale yellow mould can send out spores when disturbed, which if breathed in, will infect its host immediately. Some people believe that the disease was created by terrorists of the government, but there is no proof, and those that could have sought a cure are dead. Some people or creatures seem stronger than others, the disease taking longer to take hold. The first signs someone has been infected is the whiteness of their eyes, which indicates blindness. This effect can take twelve hours to three days, but is the first sign regardless. The second symptom is tiny tendrils mould growing out of any open wounds like paper cuts or bite marks. Later stages, the mould breaks through the skin to keep growing, and finally, taking over the entire body.

The Infected

So what is it exactly we're up against? They've been dubbed The Infected. They're not exactly dead, better described as dying. You can hear them long before you see them, piercing, twisted screams haunting your mind. They're screams of pain, because the Infected are in complete agony. They are covered in tendrils of orange-yellow mould that grows from open wounds. Any visible skin is rotting and decayed, sometimes falling off the body to dangle on the ground, leaving the Infected with a haunting, grizzled effect. Their eyes are white, and they rely on their other senses to find you. The more decayed Infected seem to find movement difficult, so they're not too much of a problem. When the disease has taken over a body completely, they are planted to the ground and turn into a mound of wiry, pale yellow mould. Humans aren't the only ones at risk of getting infected, either. Every animal that isn't avian or aquatic can get infected. Somehow, there seem to be animals and people that, no matter how many times they come in contact with the mould, remain unaffected.

The Immune

Whether they've been exposed to the mould or bitten by an Infected, the Immune don't contract the disease. There is no way of knowing whether someone is immune or not, either. Over active immune system, blood types, genetics, cell mutations, could be anything, and there is no way of finding out. There is also a possibility that the Immune are carriers of the disease, but that isn't certain. After an Immune has come into contact with the mould of an Infected, their body kills the disease before they are infected. No one can really tell why this happens to certain people and animals, no one knows what the defining traits are, but every Immune's body seems to stop producing melanin, and colour begins to fade away, starting at the eyes, which can really confuse anyone that isn't infected. The Immune aren't exactly welcome with open arms, and tend to be loners, and not always by choice. If you're an Immune, it is a blessing and a curse, but at least you have a higher chance of survival?
(An Immune is only safe from the mould, they can still get sick and die from wounds, they're not immortal.)

Rules

No God modding
No Mary Sues
No killing off characters or injuring other characters without permission from the character's owner
No major plot changes without consulting me
Swearing is allowed, but no excessive cussing.
No intimate scenes described in detail
Gore is allowed

Character profile