by D. K Lake
“Alex, go and get in the shower.” Josh said.
I opened my mouth about to speak but Josh talked over me, “Now!” he snapped.
“Josh, this is silly, I shouldn't be in here, I'm putting everyone at risk.”
“Not if you keep to yourself and don't share anything with anyone. No one needs to know, we'll keep it low-key for now.”
“What happened last time?” I asked, wondering what he had meant when he was talking to Stacey before.
“That's nothing for you to worry about, right now I want you to go and clean all of this blood off before anyone sees it.”
I trudged past him expecting Lane to follow me, but Josh was already talking to him in hushed whispers while Lane wiped himself down with a rag.
“Lane? You coming?”
“No, you go, I need to talk to Josh about something.”
“Like what?”
Plotting my demise didn't really need a secret conversation, one bullet would do the trick.
“Alex, just do as you're told and go get cleaned up.” Lane said.
I left the pair of them to their secret conversion and stalked off to the shower rooms. The changing room was empty. I dumped my bag on the floor, and quickly stripped off and left my disgusting blood-stained jeans and top on the floor, my hoodie wasn't too bad so I hung it up. I discarded of my underwear and grabbed one of the spare towels off the bench and took it into the shower room with me. I felt like this was a pointless exercise, I felt as though I was getting cleaned up just to be killed. I knew after my shower Josh would come and find me and I would be marched outside and shot in the back of the head. But I couldn't imagine Lane letting that happen without a fight, I could imagine Lane begging for my life and him then dragging me out into the hills to spend the rest of my remaining weeks with him. Ugh. No, thank you! I'd rather go out gracefully, with a bullet in the brain, it was quick and easy. I stood under the warm spray from the shower losing track of the time, the warm steam created a cloud around me, consuming me. I slid down the wall and sat on the floor, water dripping down my hair and face. I didn't cry. I didn't do anything. I just sat there unable to move. I felt sort of numb on the inside. I was infected. It was a weird feeling, I wasn't sad about it, but instead, I felt angry... angry with the world, angry with the government, angry with the zombies, angry with Jasper... with Stacey, even with Lane. Knowing I was going to die was worse than not knowing when I would die. I think I would have preferred to go out quickly, unaware, like snuffing out a candle. This was torture, I knew I was going to die, only now if Lane had his way I would be around for longer, contemplating death... how lovely! But for how long, three weeks, four weeks? I'd never seen the infection up close, I only knew what I had heard from others, the infection could take up to a month to claim you. I could be stuck here for another month, suffering from fevers, cold sweats, possible seizures... not the way I wanted to spend my last days. No. There was no way I was going to let that happen. No way in hell!
After I don't know how long, I finally dragged myself to my feet and began cleaning last night's memories from my arms. I stood in the shower for longer than necessary, savoring the moment, thinking it was probably going to be my last shower. I watched as the dried blood gradually washed off and trickled down my arms and swirled down the drain... and I wished I could go with it.
Chapter 2
Day 1 of being Infected.
My limbs ache a little, no other obvious symptoms, apart from the nasty bite mark that looks skanky. I do feel a little tired, though, but I think last night is taking its toll on me.
When I reemerged from the showers, my dirty underwear, socks, hoodie, jeans, and top were gone, only my boots were left.
I sat on the bench with a towel wrapped around myself, staring at my feet, Stacey had painted my toenails turquoise a few days ago. Turquoise was my favorite color. I completely zoned out, wondering where everyone had disappeared to. Maybe they were in some sort of group meeting about my future. Maybe they were voting on what to do with me. Either way, I didn't care, I just wanted to stare at my toes. As I moved my feet my nail polish glistened as it caught the light at different angles, it reminded me of a memory, one from when my parents and I went over to visit my auntie (my dad's sister), who lived in California. Her name was Noelle, (I use the word was, because, let's face it she's probably dead now). Noelle was the complete opposite of my dad, my dad was down to earth and easy going, but Noelle was more money-minded and married a wealthy man. She had a daughter, Cami, three years older than me, I think I was six when we went to visit, we only ever went over there the once, though. It was a lovely warm day and my parents wanted to make the most of the weather, but Noelle didn't want to come to the beach with us because she had just had her hair done, so my parents took me and Cami out for the day. I remember playing on the beach with Cami. I remember the warm sand between my toes, the smell of the sea, it was the first time I had been to a sandy beach. We all made sand castles, went for a dip in the sea, and had ice cream. Afterward, when we returned home, Noelle barely stayed in touch, Cami wrote me a few letters now and then, but they soon fizzled out when she started high school.
A figure in the open doorway caught me off guard.
New girl. I thought when our eyes met. How long has she been standing there watching me?
Three days ago a small group of four people turned up. One girl and three boys. I couldn't remember their names, and I hadn't even said “hello” to any of them.
I briefly glanced at the girl and went back to staring at my toes.
“You okay?” she asked. “I just heard what happened in the town.”
I wondered how much she knew, she was one of the newcomers, maybe she meant she knew about Jasper being dead.
She didn't leave and was still waiting for me to speak to her.
“No.” I finally answered.
She walked over to me and sat down on the bench next to me. I turned my head to look at her, wondering what she wanted.
“I'm Lena,”
“Alex,” I replied, looking at her from behind my hair.
She was a skinny thing, I didn't know how old she was but she looked close to my age. She had long, brunette hair which she had braided into a single, side plait. I had seen her once with it loose, halfway down it was lighter from where her ombré highlights were growing out, it also had a natural wave to it and it made me regret chopping off my own hair. Her brown eyes drifted to my pale arms, which were currently dotted with cuts and scratches. I had spent an extra ten minutes in the shower checking for glass.
“They look sore.” she said, biting her lip, like she wanted to help but didn't know how.
“They are.”
“Can I do anything to help?”
I let out a frustrated sigh. “No.”
It was obvious she felt sorry for me. I wondered what she would do if she knew I was infected, she probably wouldn't be sitting next to me.
“Lena!” a boy hissed from the doorway.
I looked up and saw a scrawny boy, he reminded me of Jasper, he had the same tall-skinny-build, and he liked his superheroes. Today he was wearing a Flash T-shirt, showing off his skin which had a slight tan to it. His wavy, caramel blond hair fell into his eyes and he brushed it away while watching me with guarded eyes.
I looked sideways at Lena, she didn't look in a hurry to do as she was told.
“Oh, give it a break, Dan. She's not contagious. Well, not unless I make-out with her or share her toothbrush.”
Dan muttered something inaudible and disappeared out the door.
“Ignore him,” She turned to me.
“You know?” I asked, surprised and confused at the same time.
“They're in the staff room talking about it now.”
“Josh told me he was going to keep it low-key.”
“He is, but he wanted to include us in the conversation, you know, 'cause we're headed that way.”
“What way?”
“Oh, uh... Jo
sh will tell you.”
“Tell me what?” I asked, rubbing my face and yawning, suddenly feeling very tired.
“Tiredness is one of the first stages.” she said.
“Well, I don't plan on finding out what the other stages are. As soon as I get my hands on a gun I will put an end to it. I don't want to risk infecting anyone else.”
I stood up and looked around for my clean clothes and then realized I hadn't brought any into the shower room with me.
“Do you want me to fetch you anything?”
“No, I'm not completely useless yet.” I snapped at her without meaning to.
“Sorry!” she mumbled, standing and leaving me alone.
I hadn't meant to be so snappy with her but I was still pissed, not at her, though, she just happened to come under my radar.
I stood up holding the towel close to my chest, and picked up my boots and wandered out into the corridor, only to be greeted by Josh. I had my head down and managed to walk straight into his chest. He stepped back and I noticed a pair of black leggings and an over-sized gray sweatshirt hanging over his arm, he even had a pair of spotty, red knickers and a pair of socks in his other hand.
I frowned at him, not liking the idea of him rummaging through my stuff. I grabbed the clothes from him and walked back into the changing room. I dumped my stuff on the bench and picked up the knickers, and looked over my shoulder to see Josh standing in the doorway. Great, I had an audience. Just because I was basically a dead-girl-walking, didn't mean I wanted Josh gawking at me while I changed.
“Do you mind?”
He crossed his arms, but didn't leave, instead, he turned in the doorway and leaned back against the door-frame, staring at the other side.
I let out a sigh and gave up. I suppose my dignity was the last thing I needed to worry about. I slipped on my knickers under the towel, then I let the towel drop and pulled on the sweatshirt. I sat down on the bench and looked at him. He had his eyes fixed on a point on the door-frame.
“Where's Lane?” I asked, pulling on my clean socks.
“He's with Dudley.”
“Dudley?” I said, yanking on my leggings.
He glanced at me. “Yeah, Dudley, they're trying to see if they can get in touch with a base in Colorado.”
“Why?”
“Lane said something about finding his brother.” Josh mumbled, avoiding eye contact.
I thought about it while I pulled on my boots, my boots were still covered in spots of blood, I had no idea whose blood, though.
“So after I'm dead he's planning on going to Colorado to find his brother?”
“Not exactly, he's taking you with him.”
“What!” I stood up and stalked toward him.
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“I think you should talk to Lane about it... Right, I'm off, I need to go and pack.” he said, turning away from me and walking off.
“Why, where are you going?” I yelled, my voice echoing down the corridor.
“I'm coming with you.” he called back.
“What the hell?” I shook my head and marched the opposite way down the corridor, heading for Dudley's den.
Dudley had his own little room on the ground floor. The room had television screens, a computer, and a desk with a swivel chair, which would have originally been where one of the prison guards would have been stationed. There was a side door which led into another small room with no windows. The room consisted of a grimy couch which had been turned into a permanent bed for Dudley. There was a scratched-as-fuck coffee table in front of the couch with piles of questionable reading material (dirty magazines) stacked on top. At the back, there was a small kitchen area with a table and two chairs, a coffee maker and a microwave, and a box of Pop-Tarts Dudley had been collecting.
Dudley had claimed the room as his own 'Den' as he liked to call it.
When I arrived at the main door it was slightly ajar, I pushed it open and saw Dudley, Luke, and Lane huddled together, deep in conversation. Luke was nodding attentively and Lane was rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
“Hope I'm not interrupting anything important.” I said, making my presence known. “What's going on?” I asked.
Luke shifted around on his feet watching me carefully, a little wary of me.
“Don't worry I'm not that catching.” I said, looking at his uncomfortable stance.
He relaxed a little and perched on the side of the desk.
“Well, what are you all doing in here?” I looked at Dudley who was faffing around with the radio equipment.
No one answered me and I was getting irritable. I was about to ask again when Lane came over to me, grabbed my arm and led me into the other room that had various items of Dudley's clothing lying around on the floor, and the whole room smelled of stinky feet.
“Lane, we need to deal with this.” By this I meant me. “Look, there's no good drawing this out, I think we should get it over with-”
He pushed his finger to my lips. I frowned and knocked his hand away, not liking the idea of skin-to-skin contact.
“Lane!”
“Alex, stop, it's going to be okay.”
“What?!”
“We just need to get you to my brother, he can help you.”
“Lane,” I sighed. “He can't help me, no one can, I'm beyond help.”
Lane shook his head. “No, that's not true, my brother can help.”
“How?”
“He can fix this. I know he can fix this. It's what he's been doing since the virus started, working on a cure. Everything is going to be okay.”
“Okay? Am I the only one that's been paying attention? There is no cure! Nowhere. Not in Colorado, not in Mexico, not in frickin' England. Not anywhere!”
“You're wrong.”
“Where is this coming from?”
“Alex, it's simple, my brother is in Colorado,”
“Yes, and?”
“He's a medical researcher, if anyone knows about a cure it will be him. He can help.”
“You want me to travel to Colorado to find your brother because you think he has the cure?”
“What else are you going to do?”
“I'm gonna blow my brains out, that's what!”
“You'll have a job, everyone's been ordered not to let you near a weapon of any kind.”
I placed my hand on my hip and raised an eyebrow at him. I assumed Josh was responsible for that. The pair of them were working together, I never thought I'd see the day when those two would agree and see eye to eye.
“Alex, this is what's happening, so either get on the train willingly, or I'll drag you on.”
I let out a groan. No one could help me, Lane was deluding himself. Maybe he was in shock, he obviously wasn't thinking clearly.
“My brother is working at a research lab in a place called, Argon, somewhere between Denver and Colorado Springs. Argon has a hospital running, there's even a school, the town is still running like normal.”
“Really? Who told you that?”
“That couple that passed through last month.” Dudley chimed in from behind. “They said Argon's still going strong.”
I turned back to Lane, “And how do you know your brother is still there?”
“I don't for sure, but that was where he was the last time we had contact. Dudley managed to contact a Military base, they're located not too far down the road from Argon, and they said the place is still up and running as far as they know.”
“And how does Dudley know it was really the Military base he was talking to? It could have been anyone, it might be some kind of trap to lure people over there. This is stupid! Your brother probably isn't even there anymore.”
“Well, we won't know until we get there.”
“It will be a wasted journey.”
He shrugged.
“You could die!” I said, trying to make him see sense.
“So could you.”
I smacked my head with my hand.
/> “Lane, think about this, if there was a cure or a way to fix this don't you think they would have found something by now and we would have heard about it? The reason we haven't heard anything about a miracle cure is because there is none. They haven't found anything and us traipsing across the country is suicide, I'm gonna start getting sick soon, and I'll be in no fit state to travel. Your brother can't help me. I think we should say our goodbyes now and be done with it.”
“No.”
“No?”
“You're not making this decision, I am. And you're coming with me.”
I shook my head.
“Alex, what else is there? It's either you die here, or we head to Colorado and die trying. It makes no difference, we're all gonna die someday... some sooner than others.”
“There is a difference, you're putting your life at risk unnecessarily... and Josh's 'cause he thinks he's coming as well.”
“Without you, I don't have a life.”
His words took me by surprise and I was left staring up at him in mild shock. I hadn't thought about how Lane would cope without me. I suppose it was because I hadn't really taken into consideration what I really meant to him. I was much more than a ride in the back seat of a car to him.
“I won't let you do this.” I said.
“You don't have a choice, we're going and that's final, and there's nothing you can do about it, even if it means I have to drag you the whole way.”
“No. I'm not going.”
“Alex, you either go willingly or-”
“Or I'll tie you up myself and carry you.” Josh interrupted.
“I thought you were packing?” I said.
“All done.” Josh replied.
I looked at both of them and rolled my eyes. I followed Josh back into the other room, he leaned toward Luke and whispered something to him, Luke glanced at me and nodded. I crossed my arms, straining my ears, trying to hear what they were whispering about. Then Josh winked at me and left the room. Dudley opened a bag of chips and started chomping on them, managing to make as much noise as possible.