Chapter 1

"Kayla, come away from the window, the news is almost on." Dr. Gray's voice carried from the living room to where Kayla stood, staring out their kitchen window. Her long brown hair swung heavily around her waist as she turned to look at him.

"Papa, there's an ambulance at the Delany's cottage," she told him, voice full of concern.

"I know, girl. Now, come here, we'll see if the news is telling us anything more cheerful tonight." He patted the couch next to his recliner, trying to encourage Kayla to sit down and stop fretting. Deep down, he knew the Delany's were just another in a long string of neighbors to become ill and they were as likely to die as the rest.

Kayla gave the kind of deep sigh than only a teenage girl can achieve but left the window and curled up on the couch. Dr. Gray leaned further back in his recliner and Kayla neatly tucked her legs, gangly with youth, under her.

"Good evening, viewers. Welcome to the world news for Tuesday March 13, 2012," the news anchor's voice was thin and hollow sounding. "Tonight's first, and really only story, the Avian Flu Pandemic continues to ravage America." The news anchor shuffled her papers, looking grim. Kayla could see how sunken the woman's cheeks were and wondered if she was ill. If so, they would have yet another news anchor by tomorrow night.

"Efforts to halt the virus are beginning to bear fruit as military test subjects are now showing immunity to the virus. However, thousands of Americans die hourly as the virus moves through large populations."

Dr. Gray set his hand on Kayla's arm as she squirmed restlessly. "We'll be fine, acushla. We haven't gotten sick yet." He smiled warmly at his daughter but in the back of his mind his greatest fear was dying and leaving Kayla alone in the world.

"I know Papa, but what about all our friends? Or neighbors?" she whispered. Dr. Gray had no answer, he simply pat her hand as he mentally reviewed finishing an emergency kit for her.

" ... congress has stated that the military will continue the vaccine trials to ensure the safety of the drug but state politicians are crying out to have the experimental drug pushed to citizens now," the news anchor's voice cut back into their conversation. "They state that due to the high mortality rate and highly contagious nature of this pandemic, the civilian population is at grave risk without even an experimental vaccine."

"For those of you just joining us or if you've been living under a rock for the last few weeks," the anchor gave a humorless laugh, "this virus has been classified as a virulent form of avian flu, thought to have originated in the Philippines over two weeks ago. Since its discovery, this virus has spread worldwide and is thought to have killed more than one million people, over two hundred thousand in the last day alone."

Kayla shot her father a distressed look and ran to the kitchen window again.

"Kayla!" Dr. Gray called to her in hopes that she would come back to the television. It was one thing to watch a plague ravage the nation through the safety of their television but another to watch your friends and neighbors carted off in the night.

Kayla returned to her spot on the couch, head hanging. "They're gone, all of them. The lights are off in the house."

"We'll be ok, Kay."

"Papa, that's the third family on our block!"

"Kayla, please hush and watch the telly, we can't do anything about it right now."

" ... again the Red Cross and the Word Health Organization are urging everyone to remain in their homes unless absolutely necessary, do not travel, and only consume food from reputable sources." The news anchor shuffled her papers again and tried to muster a smile. "Now, we'll turn it over to Jim with the world outlook."

"Thanks, Amanda. Viewers, as Amanda stated, this virus has already killed over one million worldwide, mainly in large cities as foreign travelers spread the virus. The almost every country in the United Nations has closed its boarders to travelers, only allowing essential imports to cross into its land. The United States has begun to enforce strict port and board control which has led to the death of thirteen Mexicans and four Canadians from two incidents in the last two days from overzealous border patrol workers. The US Customs and Border office has stated that a disciplinary hearing is planned, however, three of the five agents involved in the two incidents have already succumbed to the influenza."

"The World Health Organization is reporting that the currently mortality rate of this virus is roughly seventy five percent," he cleared his throat and gave an almost imperceptible glance to his co-anchor, "However, they are reporting that a small portion of the population is immune to the disease." He gave a falsely cheerful smile to the camera then moved on. "In other news, there are wide spread reports of rioting in larger cities such like New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles as people fight to gather what medicines they can. Local morgues and crematoriums are working non-stop to deal with the overflow as-"

Dr. Gray clicked his remote and turned off the television. "I think that's enough news for one night. Come; let's go over your studies from today."

"Papa!"

"No, missy. Just because the world is falling apart doesn't mean you can skip your studies."

"But Papa, the other children in the neighborhood didn't have to go to school today. Can't I have a day off as well?"

"Pah! The other children aren't homeschooled and aren't geniuses. Now, tell me what you learned about thermodynamics today." Kayla sighed but listed off what she had read.

The next few days showed little change other than the death rate rising exponentially. Kayla continued her studies while her father continued working in his office while more of their neighbors were carted away in ambulanced. Kayla was aware that he was on a brief sabbatical from West Virginia University, where he was their premier mining engineer, but other than his knowledge helped her own studies she rarely questioned his work. It wasn't a question of secrecy, merely privacy. Her father allowed her more latitude than the average fourteen year old girl and she respected his personal space as well.

She knew that he was working hard with her to get to her ready to go to WVU in the fall. Kayla would be one of their youngest students but having her father as a professor and on campus daily eased the minds of many of the staff who thought she was too young for the college experience.

Chapter 2 »