I remember sitting on my bed with headphones on.

  My dad was on one of his masculine mental breakdowns again — pacing, yelling, reminding my mom she was worthless… that she’d never be anything… that he was the best thing that ever happened to her.

  I knew before long he’d come for me next.

  So I turned on my take-a-hit music and zoned out, waiting for the finger flick from hell that always came eventually.

  But it never did.

  Instead, I felt vibrations through the floor — heavy thuds, things hitting the ground. That wasn’t unusual when he was pushing her around.

  Still… something felt different.

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  I pulled off my headphones.

  That’s when I heard it.

  A wet… crunchy sound coming from the hallway.

  “Mom… are you okay?” I called, sliding off the bed and creeping toward the door.

  Before I could even peek out, she slid into view and shoved the door open just enough to push me back inside.

  I caught a glimpse.

  A man who looked like my uncle… kneeling over my dad’s body… eating the lower half of him.

  My mom shut the door as softly as she could.

  “Baby,” she whispered, her face cold and calm in a way I had never seen before. “I’m going to need you to be very quiet and listen to me.”

  My heart started pounding.

  “Climb out the window. Go to the safe bunker.”

  “What about you?” I asked, frozen in place.

  She smiled and pulled me into a hug.

  “Te amo mucho, mi vida.”

  Then she pushed me toward the window.

  As I stumbled back, I finally saw it.

  Her right arm was gone.

  Completely ripped off at the shoulder.

  Shock locked my body in place until a voice roared from the hallway.

  “FOOOOOD!”

  “Go. Now, Maria.” she said — quiet, but firm.

  Those were the last words I ever heard from her.

  The door exploded inward.

  My uncle — or whatever he had become — rushed her.

  I didn’t think.

  I opened the window and ran.

  But the world outside was just as terrifying.

  Screams. Fires. Sirens. Shadows moving where people should have been.

  Somehow, I kept my composure.

  Somehow…

  I made it to the bunker.