original

Last Chance at Life

Author: Ki_Acker

Chapter 1: CHAPTER 1

My eyes cracked open, and I groaned as I pulled myself up from the edge of the pier. A bunch of foreign strangers were huddled together doing their thing - collecting shells, messing around with seaweed, and totally ignoring me.

I heard the sound of seagulls cawing and distant shouting, but my head was pounding too hard to make any sense of it all. I sprang to my feet, scanning my surroundings for any sign of danger. The rocks that kept the tide in check curved around, and I bolted down the wooden pier, my heart racing as if my life depended on it.

The rocky walls fell away, revealing a massive beach on my left and the endless ocean on my right. Two dudes in medieval gear were lounging nearby, listening to a radio and cackling.

I picked up the pace and raced past them, taking in the boats lining the shore and the ones bobbing in the ocean. I could see a rental service booth with a chain-link fence around it, but no attendant in sight. Jackpot.

I vaulted over the fence and landed inside the empty booth. Pens, clipboards, and keys were scattered around, and I was juggling Mars bars and a bottle of water I'd picked up. Suddenly, the two dudes from earlier sprinted past the booth, and the air filled with panicked conversations and shouting.

My heart sank as I realized what was happening. There was no time to waste. The commotion grew louder, and soon people were screaming and running for their lives. I shoved all the keys into my pocket and grabbed the Mars bars and water. Time to make a run for it.

I bolted out of the booth and headed for the biggest boat I could find. The crowd was getting closer, and I knew it was only a matter of time before they caught up. But I was already ahead of the game. I knew about the outbreak, and I had a plan.

I was freaking out, my hands trembling as I tried to fit the right key into the boat's ignition. I'd grabbed all the keys from the booth and was trying them one by one, hoping to find the right one before it was too late. Around me, chaos was erupting. People were screaming and running, and I knew I had to get out of there fast. The first key didn't work, and neither did the second. I was sweating and swearing under my breath, struggling to keep calm. The third key was a bust, but on the fourth try, the engine roared to life, and I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

As I pulled away from the shore, the noise and panic faded into the distance. I knew what was going on back there wasn't good. All I could do was focus on the open sea ahead and be ready for what was to come. I'd been through a lot in the past few weeks, and I was determined to survive. With the little food and water beside me, and the boat at my disposal, I felt like I had a fighting chance. The fight had only just begun, and I was prepared to survive.

Hours had passed since I found myself stranded on a boat, surrounded by the vast ocean and far from any signs of civilization. As I scoured the boat for anything that could help me survive, I stumbled upon a mini fridge stocked with a few bottles of beer, water, and a cheese sandwich. In addition, I also found a fishing rod and a box of bait, which I knew could be a valuable asset for my survival. However, I still needed a weapon to protect myself from any potential threats, whether they were zombies or humans.

I was well aware of the danger that awaited me in a post-apocalyptic world, having seen countless zombie outbreaks in movies and TV shows. I carefully assessed my situation and realized that the beer would not be of much use to me, as it would only dehydrate me. The two bottles of water and the cheese sandwich would only last me for a short period of time, but I also had two Mars bars and a bottle of water that I had found earlier in an empty booth.

Feeling overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation, I slumped down against the boat's wall in the engine room. None of this felt real to me; just moments before, I was investigating a government facility for my YouTube channel. Now, the world as I knew it had come to an end. I couldn't help but reminisce about the events that led me to this point.

Five days ago, I had sneaked into a Biomed facility to investigate the government's illegal experimentation on human consciousness. During my stay, I witnessed things beyond my understanding. After two days, I managed to escape the facility safely. However, the two scientists responsible for the illegal experiments had accidentally created a zombie while attempting to remove autonomy from the human consciousness. The zombie had bitten one of the scientists who had checked on it, unknowingly starting the outbreak.

After escaping the facility, I fled on my motorbike, attempting to outrun the government security soldiers who were after me. However, while racing towards the edge of a cliff, my motorbike's wheel had been shot, causing me to lose control and fly off the cliff's edge. Fortunately, I had managed to narrowly miss the sharp rocks below and woke up on the shore, surrounded by strangers.

I had no memory of anything before entering the Biomed facility, but I could recall everything that had happened afterwards. As I sat in the boat, stranded in the middle of the ocean, I knew I had to focus on survival. I carefully planned my next moves, knowing that every decision could be the difference between life and death.

Using the fishing rod and bait, I began to fish, hoping to catch some food to last me for a few days. I also tried to conserve the water and food I had, rationing them carefully. As I waited for a catch, I thought about what I would do once I found land. Would I try to find other survivors or attempt to navigate my way to safety alone?

Regardless of my plans, one thing was certain - I had to be prepared for anything that came my way. The world as I knew it was gone, and survival was my only goal.