[center][h2][color=teal]Rachelle[/color][/h2][/center]

[center][i]So much had happened in a small window of time. All it literally took was one moment. One scream of panic- absolute terror, in fact, before all hell broke loose on their small town. One short, cut off, staggered scream. The world as they knew it fell completely apart.[/i][/center]

Working at the skate shop had proved useful for her over the years. Not only did Rachelle continue to practice her skill, but she was able to make valuable contacts that she knew she could use in the future. She had her eyes set on the next X Games- they would be in town within the next few months. Nothing would make her deviate from that plan, even her big sister. Especially not her big sister. Even though the women had found common ground over the last few years, they still were often at odds with each other. All Rebecca would talk about is her little sister finally getting a real job and finding a man, settling down, blah blah blah.

There was no way in hell that was happening anytime soon. Chelle hadn't even thought of a man in a romantic sense since she had been a young teenager in high school- and that relationship turned out to be nothing but a headache. She had decided to swear off men and just reign in all her energy for her ultimate goal of champion. That didn't stop Becca from pestering, though. 

And she continued to pester all the way from her extended trip.. Every few minutes it was Will this and Will that. It quickly turned nauseating. It almost made her eternally grateful to hear that her sister's visa was up and she had to come back home without the annoying sidearm. It was sad to think, but Rachelle was almost looking forward to her sister's heart being broken- maybe then she wouldn't want to talk about the annoying male species. Unfortunately, the complete opposite happened. Her big sister talked non-stop about the 'lovely gent' and how she had wished that he had followed her back to Canada. Becca had never seemed happier, and Rachelle secretly loathed her for it. 

[center][i]It's funny how in the blink of an eye, all the useless thoughts in your head that you had previously thought so dire, were suddenly so incredibly dumb and unimportant.[/i][/center]

It had been weeks since the first outbreak was seen in their hometown. After Rebecca had thrown herself into the shop to grab her sister, they had both taken off together to try to find shelter. Their own apartment complex had already been cornered off; there was no going back to their belongings. All they had left was what they each had on them. A letter opener from the shop, a nail file just because...Useless items. If they had been better prepared, she could have prevented anything bad from happening to them. She could have saved them from becoming just like the infected. So many things she could have done if she had just paid [i]attention[/i].

And so it was that they were hiding out in an abandoned apartment complex. It had been the first place they could think of going that probably wouldn't have very many people near it. Becca wanted to try to find other survivors; Rachelle wanted to tough it out on their own. They didn't need anyone other than themselves. How stupid she had been. How stupid she had been to allow her only sibling to try to find some supplies on her own. How stupid she had been to have just watched her only sibling been bitten by one of them and done nothing to try to help her. [i]How stupid[/i]. 

She didn't even notice the man who had found Rebecca and put her out of her misery.

Her thoughts were muffled by a loud, heart-wrenching scream. Took several moments before she realized that the sound was coming from her very own lungs.