Epidemic Scale

The attacks continued even after precautionary measures were taken to protect the public from harm. The TV set was on and the local news station was teleprompting a list of emergency rescue and collection depots. Javier sat on the couch in the living room staring at the set. They've been repeating the same list for the past two days and the sight of the same bold white words scrolling along a blue background was boring him half to death. At least the local networks weren't airing the prompts on a twenty four hour basis, he thought.
"Anything new?" asked his brother Alex as he walked into the room.
"Same old crap," answered Javier. "If they have nothing new to tell us than why keep on airing the same thing. I mean I would rather see someone talking to me telling me what new developments have arisen."
"You know the reason they air this is to keep reminding us that there are some places we can go when the shit hits the fan."
Javier just shrugged on the couch. His brother was right, but he still felt that it was better to have someone live and in person sitting in a news studio informing people about what was happening. It didn't matter if the anchor had two days worth of grime on their face, or wearing the same clothes for the same amount of time. At least it meant that people were still alive and trying to get the word out on what was happening.
Everytime that prompt came up Javier feared that it would not go away. What if the news people never come back on again, he thought. The fact that news was still broadcasting kept the public from reacting irrationally. In his own Bronx neighborhood, apartment complexes had become barricaded fortresses. Windows on the first floor were nailed shut with wooden planks or steel bars. Front entrances were also reinforced and kept guarded by apartment residents on hourly shifts.
Needless to say this area was self quarantined. Other residents from other neighborhoods managed to escape and based their camps in the streets outside the apartment complexes before the area was sealed off. Javier walked over to his barred second floor window and looked outside. People were walking around carrying bags on their shoulders, others were talking with each other. Cars were parked at odd angles and blocking street intersections.
"I'm heading out," said Javier. "I can't stay in here I need to see if there's anything going on outside."
"Why bother," asked his brother.
"I just need a breath of fresh air."
"Fresh air?" said Alex. "Don't you mean shit air."
Javier smiled. The quality of the air outside was starting to smell rather rank.
"I'll be back in a bit. Try to keep a ear open for any new reports."
His brother just nodded.

Javier opened the latch to the roof entrance and stepped outside. The afternoon sky was a clear blue horizen with a few scattered clouds floating around in random spots. Staring out across the rooftops of other apartment buildings you couldn't think that anything was wrong. The only obvious signs were the random fires and large columns of smoke that rose into the sky, and the sound.
He walked closer to the edge and realized the sound was louder now then it ever was. The sounds of the dead at first came floating in the air like a low hum and it grew louder indicating that their numbers were increasing, as well as the fact that they were moving. How long before they tried to attack this area, he thought. The barricades were well constructed, but they wouldn't last forever.
He sniffed the air and their stink filtered into his nostrils.
"The shit stink is getting worse."
"Javier where are you?" called his brother through their walkie talkies.
"What is it?"
"You better come down here and look at this," he said. "There's a news update that's airing some important stuff."
"I'll be there in a minute."
Javier took one more look around his neighborhood then looked toward Manhattan. He wondered if the others were okay before he turned and walked back inside.

"What's going on?"
"Check it out," answered Alex.
A news anchor was sitting behind the desk looking disheveled as ever. Messy hair and a thick five o' clock shadow decorated his demeanor.
"Once again the military has annouced that measures to eradicate the epidemic has proven unsuccessful," announced the news anchor.
"Well that was a given," said Alex.
"Yeah it just means that there are more zombies walking around."
"While the effort to eradicate the infection and its carriers will continue," said the anchor. "A larger plan of action to contain the epidemic and possibly start evactuations is being put into motion."
What were they planning to do, thought Javier.
"Again to reiterate, this zombie epidemic is starting to grow out of control. The military along with local and state authorities are devising plans to deal with the matter and primarily assist the public."
"What should we do?" asked Alex.
"Nothing for now. We're pretty safe here and if things get crazy we'll deal with it."
The news anchor continued to talk in the background. Javier knew they were doing to right thing by holding out here a little longer. The building was well fortified, and he was prepared to fight back if needed to protect what was his. He had to keep trying to communicate with the others. He only hoped that they were still alive.