So, I bet you're wondering why no one is worried about the council's decision, that's because we've all been groomed to be subservient to them.  Ten years is a long time to have a bunch of women and kids locked underground, we are all dependant on those guys. Sometimes I wonder if the apocalypse even happened but then I remember Z day. 

Ma and I were waiting for my Pop to come home with some special breakfast, probably donuts and frozen coffee drinks. It was taking him a while but we thought he was in traffic or the line was long or something. Mom was just about to give me a snack when he came bursting through the door. He was covered in blood and screaming at us to get up and move we had to go right now. "They're coming, come on! Maddie move let's go!" I was scared and confused, my Pop never yelled. I went to get my stuffed platypus and just when I grabbed it he scooped me up and we were all running out of our house. 

"Don't look baby, close your eyes." He said but it was too late, I already saw. People were going crazy, screaming and begging god to kill them.  The others, the Dead were emitting a high wail while they devoured anything they could touch. The wet, thick sound of flesh being torn from bone has stayed with me. My Pop hid us in this cellar for a couple days but we got hungry and I couldn't stop crying. My folks decided that we had to find another place to go and the noise outside had stopped. I remember begging them not to make me go, I was so scared I could taste copper on my tongue. 

"Listen baby, we have to go but it's gonna be okay. I'm going to carry you just like last time. Do you have Captain?" 

I couldn't talk so I just showed him my platypus. "Good. He'll protect you now come here. Let's go." 

We left our cellar slowly, listening for anything moving but it was quiet. My folks started walking, following the road probably hoping to see the military or something. The Dead weren't gone though, they were just waiting. All of a sudden we were running again and I was screaming. I don't remember what happened next, I blacked out. They doctor said it was to protect my mind from some trauma. All I know is that after I woke up we were in front of a scary man with a gun and my Pop was crying and begging that guy to save us. I guess it worked but we had to leave Pop behind, I didn't get it then but I do now. 

The surface is full of hungry dead and our underground village is run by pervs. It should be a great 18th birthday. 

#zombie #Y/A #adventure #female lead 

Women and children first. That's what They said when we had to go underground and when the world is ending you don't argue. It's been 10 years since the dead started to walk and we had to hide. The movies were wrong, the dead don't stop when you shoot them, they just get pissed. The Z word is outlawed here because they don't want us to panic but we all know what those things are. Anyway my name is Maddie, i was only 7 when my mother and I were forced underground. They said women and children first but I think they just wanted us to themselves. They are the Council, a group of six men who decide everything that happens here. My father is not one of them, he's still up there, on the surface. The council has decided that we need to increase our dwindling population and in a few weeks they will pick a group of 15 young girls over the age of 18 to be "honored mothers." Basically they're going to breed those chosen, there are two problems. 1) the honored mothers don't have a choice and 2) I turn 18 next week. 

Chapter one

Micah sat outside the principal’s office for the fourth time since school started three months ago. She could hear the muffled voices of her mother and the principal arguing inside. Her hands clenched into fists as anger, and anxiety fought inside her.

"I hate this school. I hate these people. I hate myself." She thought, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. Lost in fury, hatred, and teen angst she missed her name being called by her mother.

"Micah, come in please. You need to be here for this." Said her mother firmly.

Micah stood and stomped her way into the office.

"What?" She snapped, contempt dripping through her voice.

"Mr. Oswald" started the principal.

"Miss." Interrupted Micah’s mother.

"What?"

"Micah is a girl. The proper address is miss, not mister."

The principal sighed.

"Martha, Micah has male genitalia, he is a boy biologically. Which brings us back to the reason you're here. Micah must change for gym in the locker room in accordance with his gender."

"Micah has not been a boy since she was 10. She is not comfortable changing in front of boys. Is it the school’s policy to alienate those who are different?"

"No ma'am." Stated the principal, his voice gone to steel.

"Good. I think we're done. Come on Micah, let's go."

Martha started walking to the door but before she left she turned and spoke to the principal again.

"Oh and Mr. Schneider, if you call me in for anything regarding my daughter's gender again you'll be speaking with my lawyer."

Micah held back a smile as she followed her mother out of the office, leaving Mr. Schneider speechless.

In the car Micah spoke.

"Hey Ma, thanks for that stuff. What you said in there about being a girl and all."

"Micah, I wanted a healthy baby when you were born. Your gender never mattered, it will never matter. I love you."

Micah began to cry. In a world where she is constantly being told that she's not a "real girl" or that she's less of a person, her mother always made her feel like she could conquer it all.

At school a few days after the office incident, Micah found a note in her locker. In curly feminine script it read:

"Micah,

I saw you in P.E. yesterday and I was too shy to say hi in front of the other girls. I was going to do it after class but I chickened out. I think you're really cute,

Joan."

The note was signed with hearts. Upon reading it, and rereading it Micah still didn't know how to feel. No one had ever shown any interest in her before. She was cute, but hadn't really transitioned so boys stayed away and most girls treated her like she was invisible.

"Oh god, what do I do?" Thought Micah in a panic. Her heart raced, she felt sick, sweat began to bead across her forehead. Her heart beat grew faster as anxiety took over, she could feel herself hyperventilating. Suddenly a clear thought burst through the panic.

"Who's Joan?"

When one believes in God they believe in the inherent goodness of the universe. Though there are those who perpetrate evil, God is there to comfort us. To believe in God is believe that we are never truly alone, that even in the face of death we have a comforting embrace to turn to. God is there in the face of every new mother who hasn't slept in months, God is there when a child laughs for the first time. To believe in God is to believe that one can do anything they wish, God is there when we succeed and when we fail. To believe in God is to be home. God is love, God is strength, God is empowerment. 

Joan turned out to be a cute girl with Raven hair and piercing green eyes. Micah noticed her in gym class the week she got the note and couldn't understand how such a stunning girl could possibly be interested in her. Joan was a little taller than Micah but not by much, she had a lithe frame, one that Micah thought belonged on an angel or depiction of Aphrodite. The young girl was stunning and Micah had no intention of approaching her. It would turn out however that Joan had bucked up enough courage to approach Micah. 

In the hall after class, while Micah was putting away her class materials, she heard the sweetest voice she could imagine. 

"Hey Micah? I'm Joan, I know a note is kind of childish but I just got so nervous. Anyway um do you want to go out with me this Saturday?" 

Micah froze. Panic and anxiety coursing through her body while she tried to choke out a yes. 

"Y..yeah. Um sure, I mean yes." Micah's voice broke and she blushed scarlet. Joan let out a tinkling laugh and arranged to pick Micah up at seven on Saturday night. 

As soon as Joan walked away Micah bolted out of the school and ran home. Micah crashed through her front door to find her mother in the kitchen.

"Mom, a girl. A girl asked me out!" She said between gasps of air. Micah recounts the note, and the conversation in a hurried voice. When finished she looks at her mother beseeching,

"What do I do?"

"Whatever you're comfortable with." Martha said, trying to hold back her laughter.

"It isn't funny! This has never happened before. I don't know what to do on a date." Micah yelled, before adding quietly "What if she doesn't know I'm not a real girl?"

Her mother stops and looks at her. "Micah you listen to me. You're as real a girl as I am, and if this girl wants to date you she will accept you as you are."

"Thanks Ma. So, what do I wear?"

Saturday came before Micah was mentally prepared for it. Her entire wardrobe was strewn across her bedroom and she was face down on her bed lamenting her lack of dating experience.

"Micah, what on earth are you doing?"

She only groaned in response.

Martha took over, pulling an outfit together out of thin air, or so it seemed to Micah.

"How, how did you do that?" She asked in wonder, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Micah was dressed in stylishly ripped jeans, a black tank top, red zip up hoodie, and her signature black chucks. Her mother dabbed the smallest bit of lip gloss across Micah’s lips and she was ready.

Just then, the doorbell rang and Micah hurried to answer it.

"Hey Micah, wow you look great." Said Joan. Joan was dressed in a soft pink dress that fell just below her knees. The pink made her green eyes sparkle, she was stunning.

"You, gosh Joan, you look, wow." Stumbled Micah, her face flushing bright red.

Joan laughed, and took Micah’s hand.

"Let's go."

The date turned out to be a semi romantic picnic at the park. Joan packed a great dinner spread, with a simple Greek salad and grilled veggie kabobs.

"Oh I should have mentioned, I'm a vegetarian."

"That's cool, I'm transgender." Micah blurted, she felt the embarrassment of such a random statement settle like a rock in her stomach. There was a thick silence before Joan let out a huge, gut shaking laugh. Micah was stunned, no one had laughed at her for years. She could feel tears filling her eyes helpless to stop the heartbreak spilling down her cheeks. Joan noticed the tears and stopped laughing abruptly.

"Oh honey no, don't cry. I'm only laughing because I knew, and the announcement was so sudden. I'm sorry really." Joan pulled Micah into a gentle hug.

"How did you know?"

"I just did."

Micah turned her face up to look at Joan, they were close enough to kiss. With a start Micah realized that she could have her first kiss right now and quickly backed up, stumbling over words.

"Hey Micah, don't worry. I'm not going to kiss you first. I'll let you take the lead there okay?" Joan smiled and Micah melted.

From their first date on the two girls were inseparable. Joan was always at Micahs house, studying, goofing off, or helping with chores. Martha treated Joan as her own daughter and the three became a family I'm no time. Everything was perfect in Micah’s world, she thought nothing could take her happiness.

Like all good things, someone had to come along and try to mess it up. In Micah’s case, it was three someone's.

Three very large boys surrounded Micah in front of her locker.

"Hey gayboy, what are you doing prancing around holding hands with a girl?"

"You're a boy, you gotta act like it."

Micah was frozen in terror, surrounded by boys twice her size. They continued to throw insults as her, getting more cruel the longer she didn't respond. Her tormentors had enough of the verbal abuse and began to move closer to Micah, "we'll show you how a man is supposed to act." One spoke, menace dripping from his tongue. Before they could touch Micah, Joan came running into the middle of the almost fight.

"Leave my girlfriend alone, you homophobic, misogynistic, jerks!" She bellowed. Joan yelled and berated the bullies, getting louder as she continued. A crowd started to gather and the three boys were about to leave when a teacher approached, the teacher took reports from the two girls and escorted the three large boys to the principal’s office.

"Joan, you're so brave. Thank you."

"It's nothing. Guys like that love quiet victims, if you make a scene they leave you alone."

Micah stood in front of Joan in awe of the other girl’s bravery. Micah froze when confronted but Joan, Joan stood her ground. In that moment Micah knew that she wanted to be brave like her girlfriend, so she did the only brave thing she could do. Micah kissed Joan for the first time. It was an extraordinary first kiss, sparks flew, warmth fluttered in her stomach. When they parted Joan looked into Micah’s eyes and in her soft beautiful voice she said.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Micah knew then that everything would be okay.

Micah sat outside the principal’s office for the fourth time since school started three months ago. She could hear the muffled voices of her mother and the principal arguing inside. Her hands clenched into fists as anger, and anxiety fought inside her.

"I hate this school. I hate these people. I hate myself." She thought, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. Lost in fury, hatred, and teen angst she missed her name being called by her mother.

"Micah, come in please. You need to be here for this." Said her mother firmly.

Micah stood and stomped her way into the office.

"What?" She snapped, contempt dripping through her voice.

"Mr. Oswald" started the principal.

"Miss." Interrupted Micah’s mother.

"What?"

"Micah is a girl. The proper address is miss, not mister."

The principal sighed.

"Martha, Micah has male genitalia, he is a boy biologically. Which brings us back to the reason you're here. Micah must change for gym in the locker room in accordance with his gender."

"Micah has not been a boy since she was 10. She is not comfortable changing in front of boys. Is it the school’s policy to alienate those who are different?"

"No ma'am." Stated the principal, his voice gone to steel.

"Good. I think we're done. Come on Micah, let's go."

Martha started walking to the door but before she left she turned and spoke to the principal again.

"Oh and Mr. Schneider, if you call me in for anything regarding my daughter's gender again you'll be speaking with my lawyer."

Micah held back a smile as she followed her mother out of the office, leaving Mr. Schneider speechless.

In the car Micah spoke.

"Hey Ma, thanks for that stuff. What you said in there about being a girl and all."

"Micah, I wanted a healthy baby when you were born. Your gender never mattered, it will never matter. I love you."

Micah began to cry. In a world where she is constantly being told that she's not a "real girl" or that she's less of a person, her mother always made her feel like she could conquer it all.

At school a few days after the office incident, Micah found a note in her locker. In curly feminine script it read:

"Micah,

I saw you in P.E. yesterday and I was too shy to say hi in front of the other girls. I was going to do it after class but I chickened out. I think you're really cute,

Joan."

The note was signed with hearts. Upon reading it, and rereading it Micah still didn't know how to feel. No one had ever shown any interest in her before. She was cute, but hadn't really transitioned so boys stayed away and most girls treated her like she was invisible.

"Oh god, what do I do?" Thought Micah in a panic. Her heart raced, she felt sick, sweat began to bead across her forehead. Her heart beat grew faster as anxiety took over, she could feel herself hyperventilating. Suddenly a clear thought burst through the panic. 

"Who's Joan?" 

A child, five years old sits and plays on an old worn carpet. Adults stop his play to tell him how handsome he is. The child does not feel like a boy. 

Later, alone with its mother the child says "Mommy, I don't think I am a boy." "Oh?" replies the mother, "What are you than?" "I don't know" answers the small child. 

10 years have passed and the child is no longer a child. 

"Micah! come on we're going to be late!" Micah now 15, comes from her room dressed in what she calls Grunge chic. Ripped jeans, tight tank top, a loose flannel shirt and combat boots. "I'm here, let's go." Micah and her mother are going on a girls day. At the salon Micah speaks reluctantly, "Mom? I don't think I'm a girl." 

"Oh?" replies her mother, "What are you than?" 

"I don't know." 

"That's okay. We'll figure it out together." 

5 years have passed, Micah now lives with her long time girlfriend Joan. Joan is in the kitchen while Micah paces the living room. "Joan, come here I need you." 

"What is it babe? Can it wait?" 

Micah takes a deep breath and walks into the kitchen. "Joan I really need to tell you something and I need you to listen." Tears well in Micah's eyes as she fights the panic building in her chest. Her mind screams that she shouldn't do it as she chokes out the words. 

"I don't think I'm a girl." 

"Oh, well I know." Says Joan. 

Micah stops, confused. "What do you mean you know?" Micah asks, suspicion heavy in her voice. 

"You just don't read 'girl'. I'm a lesbian I know girls, and you Doll are not a girl." 

Joan hugs Micah close and lays a kiss on her cheek. 

"I'm not a boy either." Whispers Micah, their voice breaking. 

"What am I?" They ask, tears falling from her eyes. 

"An experience." Says Joan.  

Whoever is reading this now,

I am probably dead. The dead have risen from the grave and they are after us. There is no way to stop them, the movies were wrong. The dead can not die, the only way to survive is to dismember them so much they can no longer bite or claw. We all had plans for this kind of thing, fun discussions about what we would do but no one really thought this would happen. We don't even know how, or why this is happening. People are screaming outside while they fight off the shambling remains of people they used to know. They bang on my door, trying to get help but I'm not letting them in. The newly dead are the worst, they can still talk and scream. There is no hope for us, its been hours and no one has come to save us. People bang on my door but God help me I won't get infected. I have to help myself, I won't die like this.