When the World Ended and We Were Invaded: The Complete First Season

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Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

Episode 7

Episode 8

Season 1, Episode #1

Freshman 15

ELLA & SHAY

Knoxville, Tennessee

A scream hitched in Ella’s throat.

Taking a deep breath, she swallowed the scream as she carried her last box of belongings from the parking lot to her new dorm. Why did I pack so much stuff? It’s not like I need half of these things. And it’s not like the parking lot was directly across from, or next door to, the co-ed dormitory, either. Between walking back and forth from her car to the building, and dodging and bumping into fellow freshman on campus who had turned the front lawn into a massive celebration for their newfound freedom, this place had turned into a zoo.

Two guys exiting the building nearly knocked the box out of Ella’s hands. One of them mumbled an apology as they continued on, without stopping. Shaking her head, Ella propped the box on her raised leg to open the door with one hand, catching the heavy metal-and-glass frame with her hip so she could squeeze through. Her pink flip-flops slapped against the cream-colored, black-speckled linoleum floor on the way to the elevator. Pressing the button, the arrow lit up with an orange glow, and Ella waited to take her final ascent to her new residence.

Glancing around, she admired the modern architecture, how sleek the contemporary couches were in the common area. Several white tables and faux-wood chairs were clustered nearby. A perfect place to finish up some homework…or check social media, she mused.

The bell chimed twice—once when the doors opened on the main floor, and once when she reached her dorm floor, three stories up. She repositioned the box from her side to her front, so it wasn’t too bulky, and slipped by two girls standing in the hallway, decorating their door with multicolored, fake flowers—minus the stems. A dry-erase board had Let’s party! scrawled in black ink and was hung in the center of a giant heart made from red construction-paper hearts.

Ella didn’t have any decorations. Well, not for her door, anyway. Other than clothing, school supplies, and snacks, the only thing she brought that reminded her of home was a picture of her and her mom taken at Tybee Beach over the summer—her mom had bought a seashell picture frame at one of the tourist shops to hold the captured memory—and a tiny stuffed panda she’d been given when she was a little girl.

Ella halted at the entrance to her dorm room. The girl on the other side was a welcome surprise. Ella wasn’t sure she’d have a roommate, or if she’d get lucky and have the room all to herself; it was already late in the day, and nobody had shown up.

The new roommate unpacked her clothes from a duffel bag atop her bare mattress, taking each piece and slipping a hanger inside the collar. Turning around, she took two steps to the tiny closet and hung her shirt. Her black, curly, shoulder-length hair was pulled back in a half-up, half-down ponytail.

I take it you’re my new roomie, Ella said, smiling as she entered the room and set her cardboard box on the floor beside her bed.

The girl stopped unpacking and wheeled around, a little startled but returned a warm grin. That’s me. I’m LaShay.

Ella wiped her right palm on the side of her shorts and reached out. Ella.

Like Cinderella? LaShay joked, shaking Ella’s hand.

Ella winced. Yeah, something like that. She was always surprised nobody has used Cinderella as a nickname.

Well, you can call me Shay. That’s what my friends and family call me.

Picking up one of many boxes on the floor, Ella set it on her bed and joined the unpacking party. Are you from around here?

Shay shook her head and replied, Nope. Born and raised in St. Louis.

Oh, wow. So, you’re a long way from home.

Holding her index finger and thumb centimeters apart, Shay said, Just a little bit.

Ella knew it was too early to gauge whether or not Shay was cool, but she had a feeling they’d get along without any problems. Breathing a sigh of relief, she continued sorting through her belongings. She’d been worried about what college would be like, if she’d make new friends, if her roomie was a decent person. But now, at least one of those items had been checked off her list.

What’s your major? Shay asked, continuing to sort through her clothes and hang them up.

Business Management, with a minor in Finance. You?

Video Game Programming and Design, said Shay.

That sounds like fun.

Yeah, I figured since I love games so much, I might as well get a job doing something in that field.

Ella stopped sorting through a box of clothes. I’m jealous.

Shay stopped mid-step to the closet. Why?

Because I don’t know about my major. I just picked something that would look good on a resumé.

You don’t know what you want to do? Shay asked, returning to her piles of clothes.

Screams echoed from outside, cutting off their conversation. Ella and Shay shared an inquisitive glance as Ella took a few steps towards the window. Peering out and down at the grassy area below, it didn’t take long for Ella to identify the culprit: a female running in wide circles around a shade tree. She had something in her hands, but the guy chasing after her—plus the smile on her face—were dead giveaways that they were just messing around. He caught up to her from behind, wrapping his arms around her stomach and lifting her off the ground as she squealed. Whirling around a couple of times, they swayed and tripped over each other.

What’s going on? Shay asked, joining Ella at the window.

Ella pointed at the couple. Just some harmless flirting between those two. She watched as they stood up, the guy checking one of his hands. A cut was her first thought. Probably on a rock or tree root. Ella returned to her side of the room and, grabbing the scissors she brought with the rest of her school supplies, opened another taped box sitting on top of her bed.

Shay meandered to her new closet and pushed aside some shirts to make room for more clothes, the plastic hangers screeching against the metal bar. You know, she said, I had hoped I wouldn’t be rooming with some stuck-up bitch.

Pausing at that statement, Ella turned and faced her.

But I’m glad to see you’re not one of them, Shay finished.

Suppressing a laugh, Ella responded, You’re not so bad yourself. I was worried—

Blood-curdling screams ripped through the air. They were so loud, they sounds like they came from just outside their window, not three stories below. And they were definitely not as loud as the previous one.

A sound of disgust left Shay’s throat. Not again. Seriously, those two need to give it a rest. There are other ways to flirt without acting like kindergarteners at recess.

I second that, mumbled Ella.

This time, however, there was more than one. Scream after scream tore out of people’s throats, followed by loud shouting. Both the girls thought the same thing: this wasn’t some isolated incident, with two people flirting. This was something more serious.

Sharing a quick look, Ella and Shay bolted to the window. The same guy, who, seconds ago, was chasing after a girl he obviously wanted to be with, now had a man pinned to the ground.

What the hell is he doing? Shay asked.

Ella silently wondered the same. And why was everyone screaming?

Then, he turned his head to the side, and something loose dangled from his mouth.

"What the hell is that? Shay whispered, as if she was afraid he’d hear her. It looks like pizza with sauce, minus the toppings."

Noticing blood on the pinned man’s cheek, Ella’s stomach flipped in all sorts of directions. That’s not pizza. That’s his fucking cheek!

Shay and Ella simultaneously screamed and covered their mouths as they stepped away from the window.

I can’t look. I can’t look, Shay chanted.

"Oh, my God. What the fuck is wrong with him? Who in their right mind would chew on someone else?"

Shay sat down on her bed, planted her feet on the floor, and rested her elbows on top of her knees, cradling her head in her hands. I think that’s the point: he’s obviously not in his right mind. Ugh, she groaned. I think I’m gonna be sick.

No wonder everyone was screaming. Holy shit. I’d be screaming if I was close to him, too.

Taking deep breaths, Shay mentally told herself, Don’t you dare pass out. The edges of her vision allowed a darkness to creep in, and she feared having another one of her panic attacks. Damn it. She was supposed to be past all this. At least, that’s what her therapist told her when she was cleared for college.

College will be good for you, the therapist had said. Challenging, but good.

Shay was starting to reconsider whether or not this was a fantastic idea. Her mom had stood behind the decision, because she wanted Shay to make a life for herself. But after this event, Shay wasn’t sure she wanted to be here anymore. What kind of drugs do they have on campus that would turn people into cannibals? Growing up, she was surrounded by drugs and violence her entire life. College was her opportunity to escape. But now, that dream wasn’t looking like a dream; it was more like a cruel reality.

Ella continued to watch the scene unfolding before her eyes: the crazed student spat out the wad of flesh from his mouth and froze, eyeing someone across the way. Ella’s gaze followed his, and she inhaled sharply, holding her breath. The girl he had flirted with less than twenty minutes ago slowly approached him. He was crouched, like a lion waiting to pounce on its prey.

Oh, don’t be stupid, Ella said, wishing the girl could hear her. Why didn’t she seem to notice that her boyfriend, or lover, or whatever he was, was a deranged psycho, who obviously had some bath salts in his back pocket?

The girl was within ten feet of her boyfriend, when she froze. Her lips began to move, but Ella had no idea what she was saying. She flipped the latch on the window and opened it, pressing her ear to the screen.

Josh, please listen to me, the girl said. I don’t know what’s going on, but we can get through this.

What an idiot! Get away from him! Ella yelled, but her words had no effect on the girl.

We can get you some help, the girl continued. I’ll go with you—

She was cut off by a man grabbing her from behind and sinking his teeth into her neck, then ripping off a chunk of skin. The girl screamed so loudly, Ella was sure the entire campus heard her. She attempted to fight off her attacker, but he was too strong. Her boyfriend watched curiously and, moments later, sprung towards the man. Instead of fighting him, though, he joined in, like he was starving, and his girlfriend was a buffet.

Ella’s hand covered her mouth as a muffled cry clogged her throat. She watched helplessly as the poor girl’s body twitched, and her screams died along with her. Her blood-soaked shirt was ripped apart, as the two men clawed at her ribcage and stomach. Eventually, the boyfriend broke through her skin, burying his hand inside her belly and moving it around, fishing for organs.

Eyes stinging, Ella could no longer hold back the tears. Warm droplets gradually cascaded down her cheeks, stopping when they met her hand. She couldn’t imagine dying in such a horrible way. The worst part? She was completely and utterly helpless. All she could do was stand back and watch, unable to aid in any way.

Tell the floor advisors, her mind commanded. Warn them before someone else gets hurt.

Ella wheeled around on one heel and bolted out of the room. Jogging down the hall, she searched for her advisors. During freshman orientation a couple of months prior, prospective students had been told that if they lived on campus, they’d have two advisors per floor. Typically, these leaders were older—possibly seniors—whose gender matched the rest of the freshman on that particular level.

Outside the elevator, a small group formed.

All right. Listen up, said a woman. She stood with her back against a door and, as Ella suspected, looked a few years older than the rest of the girls. We’ve been advised there’s a flu outbreak on campus. This has resulted in disorientation and hallucinatory behavior. If you or your roommate begin to feel nauseous, please don’t hesitate to find me or Lauren—she pointed to the woman beside her—and we’ll personally escort you to the campus nurse. Some of the freshmen in this building have exhibited these symptoms, so they’ve placed us on lockdown.

What does that mean? one of the freshman girls asked.

We’ve been quarantined, the advisor stated. A few of the girls began whispering to each other, their eyebrows furrowed. Just until we can be sure none of us are infected.

Something about this didn’t sit well with Ella. She was glad they were quarantined from the rest of the campus, but the flu? Yeah, right. So, you’re seriously telling me this is a flu epidemic? I just saw a man get his cheek ripped off and eaten by a crazy dude, and then I saw the same guy, plus another, chow down on a girl, like she was his dinner. The flu doesn’t do that to a person.

Conversations among the freshmen grew, their voices drowning out the advisor’s pleas for them to quiet down.

In the distance, muffled popping noises resounded. What the hell was that? Ella wondered.

Ella! Shay screamed from down the hall. Ella! She turned the corner, slightly out of breath. "The cops are out there now. They keep shooting them, but they aren’t slowing down. They aren’t dying. And there’s more now. Lots more."

Shay didn’t have to repeat herself—Ella took off in a sprint down the hallway. Plenty more footsteps followed suit, the others seemingly just as curious about what was going on outside. Ella and Shay made their way back to the window, and everyone else crowded around them, trying to catch a glimpse of the chaos on the lawn below.

The girls watched as the girl who was bloodied and still moments before slowly sat up, blinked a few times like she waited for her surroundings to come into focus, and then rose to her feet. Her skin was pale—probably from losing so much blood—but Ella and Shay knew better. Minutes ago, she was dead. And now, she wasn’t.

A police officer stood less than ten feet away, gun raised. Don’t move! he ordered her. Don’t move, or I’ll shoot! Put your hands where I can see them at all times!

But the crazy girl on the lawn wasn’t listening.

The group of freshman, and the two floor advisors, stood around the window, waiting for the crazy girl’s next move.

Slowly, she turned towards the cop, her lip peeling back to expose teeth. She lunged. Pop, pop, pop! Three shots, and she still didn’t go down.

That’s not right, Shay said, panicking. That’s not normal. Her voice reached a new octave when she added, Ella, tell me that’s not normal. Tell me I’m not losing my shit.

Ella couldn’t keep her eyes off the girl on the lawn. You’re not losing your shit.

Pop! The last bullet connected with her head, which jerked backward just before the girl fell to the ground. This time, she didn’t get up.

Pandemonium reigned in the background. Crazed college students ran after police officers, and police officers ran after college students. It was a snarling, screaming, gory mess.

Still think it’s the flu? Ella asked the floor advisor without so much as a sideways glance. She knew the answer to that. Everyone did.

Okay, listen up, the floor advisor said. Go back to your rooms, lock the doors, and don’t come out unless you hear mine or Lauren’s voice.