“So what are you planning to do about the sleep schedule?” She asks ruining the mood.
I pull my hands away and rub them both against my forehead, “I’m not sure yet. But I do know that we can’t stay here forever. It will be cold soon and I don’t want to be caught off guard.”
“Do you think the others will be ready to help us on the road?” she asks.
“Honestly?” I ask biting my bottom lip. She nods yes, a solemn look on her face. “No. I don’t think they are being shown the right things. You, Penelope, Connor, and I have survived so long because we know what to expect. The others have been sheltered for so long… they have no idea what they’re in for.”
“Are we even going to be able to prepare them for any of the challenges?” she asks.
“I’m not sure,” I answer, “Hopefully Connor has a few answers.”
I turn away from Kennedy again, this time taking steps toward the living room door. I knock loudly on the door and wait for a response. Nothing. I look back at Kennedy who shrugs at me. I turn back to the door and pound on it even louder than the last time.
“WHO IS IT? WHAT DO YOU WANT!?” Connor’s voice booms through the closed door.
“It’s Damian,” I respond loudly, “We need to talk.”
I can hear rustling coming from inside the room before the door slightly opens, Connor’s head peering out from the crack, “look is there any way we can talk later? I’m with Natalie in here.”
“We need to talk now,” I say standing my ground, “just give me a minute to get dressed and I’ll come out.”
“Get dressed, and tell Natalie to get dressed and join the others in the office,” I tell him. Connor looks irritated before giving in and closing the door. I look back at Kennedy, “get Penelope. This is something we all need to discuss.”
Kennedy nods and slips into the office leaving me alone again in the hallway. I pace back and forth as I wait for everyone. Penelope and Kennedy come out first. Penelope still looks tired, her eyes barely able to stay open. Natalie comes out after a few minutes, an evil look is plastered on her face as she stares at me, her eyes almost stare right though me. The three of us enter the living room, Connor is standing in front of the fire with his back turned to us.
“What’s so important you had to ruin my night?” Connor says in a deep, unnerving tone.
“Would it help if I say sorry?” I ask.
“No, not really,” he responds.
“Good because I wasn’t going to,” I bark at him.
“What is your problem?” he asks turning around, “I mean basically you’ve been a sleep the last few days. Did you wake up with a grudge?”
“No, actually I woke up lost and confused. I looked in the living room and saw you with Natalie. I can understand that you wanted to be alone with her but did you even think about the other people in this house?” I ask.
“I tried with them. They aren’t willing to train or learn,” Connor argues.
“Maybe not, but you shouldn’t have them on such a serious sleep schedule so soon,” Penelope argues.
“If they aren’t willing to fight with us then the least the can do is learn to sleep like us,” Connor says punching the wall. His face is red with anger, and a vein starts to bulge out the side of his neck.
“Give them time,” Kennedy says softly. She seems to be the only one who hasn’t lost her temper. “They’ve only been here less than a week. They’re not all soldiers you know.”
“And they never will be. I can almost guarantee the first step they take outside gets them killed,” Connor says softly and deeply, “And I can’t stop and protect them all.”
“You can’t expect to protect them. You have to let them learn to defend themselves,” Kennedy says assuredly.
“And you’re not the only one protecting them,” Penelope says, “We are all capable of watching over them.”
We continued to argue in circles for more than an hour. Each of us agreed that arguing seemed hopeless, prompting us to disband from the room without reaching an agreement. Connor stays in the living room, turning his back to us. I go back into the bedroom where my bag and sword were stashed. The bodies that surrounded me when I awoke are gone, my bag is the lone item in the room sitting with my sword against the wall. I grab my bag and shuffle back out into the hall.
“Their gone,” Kennedy cries out as she and Penelope join me back in the hall.
“Who’s gone?” I ask.
“Most of the survivors,” Penelope answers as Natalie and Fanny creep out from behind the office door.
“Matthew told them you weren’t the leader they needed. He promised them salvation if they followed him and God out of this house,” Natalie remarked.
“He’s insane,” I say angrily, “they’re going to be killed out there.”
“Funny because he claimed you were insane and they’d get killed in here,” Natalie laughs.
“Why didn’t you stop them?” Kennedy asks her.
“What do I look like, their babysitter?” Natalie yells, “If they want to be stupid and go out there, it’s their own stupidity.”
“We have to find them,” I say to Penelope and Kennedy.
“What do you want me to do?” Connor asks.
“I don’t know,” I say turning and facing him, “are you sure you’re willing to put your selfishness behind you?”
“It’s not about them. I just feel like killing something,” he grins.
“You’re terrible,” Penelope says shaking her head at him.
“Look we can argue later, if we survive,” I say getting between them. “Why don’t we split into teams of two? Connor, you and Natalie check the right side of the street. Penelope you and I can check the left. Kennedy, you stay here with Fanny. Keep her safe ok.”
“I can help look you know,” She says with a sigh.
“I know you can, but you are needed here in case they are injured,” I say convincing her.
“Fine,” Kennedy says in a huff.
We each grab our guns, I throw my sword over my back as we head for the front door. I look back and notice Kennedy and Fanny watching as we leave, a sad face on both of them. Kennedy puts her hands on Fanny’s shoulders and pulls her inside. I smile at her and she mouths ‘Be safe’ to me before closing the door. Penelope urges me to join her. Connor and Natalie have already taken off down the right side of the street.
“How are you doing?” Penelope asks halfway down the street.
“I’ll be better when we find everyone,” I reply.
We continue on in silence, I can almost feel a little bit of tension between us but I choose not to address it.
“How far are we going to look anyway?” she asks.
“I’m not sure yet,” I reply, “hopefully we won’t have to travel too far.”
We travel a few blocks without seeing or hearing anything. It’s eerily quiet outside, above us a flock of birds are circling causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand on its end.
“Start backing up slowly,” I whisper to her, my arm outstretched as I usher her backward.
Cawing is heard as the flock begins to break formation, each one swooping down at us. They bite and peck as Penelope and I try to flee. I feel intense pain when one of the birds drives its beak into my neck. I let out a loud cry as another one gets me in my lower back. The pain becomes too much, I drop to my knees, my arms flailing trying to repel the killer birds.
“Get to safety,” I yell out to Penelope when she turns around to help me. The entire flock attacking me.
“I can’t just leave you,” she argues.
“Just do it,” I urge, still trying to get free.
Penelope backs away slowly crying, I continue to wave her away. I fight through the pain reaching the handle of my sword and pulling the blade free of the sheath. I swipe ferociously hitting whatever I can with the blade. One after one, pieces of birds drop around me. My muscles are burning but I continue to fight through, my eyes start watering a
s I start to sob. The pecking stops and tears flow out from both of my eyes. I feel a sensation on my shoulder and I slice my sword backward one final time before hearing the sound of grunting and gasping. I turn around slowly before noticing Chad’s face, blood spilling out as he coughs.
“Chad, I’m so sorry, I thought you were a bird,” I plead with him.
“You promised to protect us,” he says between coughs, “why? Why would you do this to me?” He sobs as he falls to his knees, my sword sliding out as he falls backward.
“Why would you leave? We could have protected you,” I say kneeling beside him.
“We would have died either way. Matthew, Matthew said so,” Chad mutters before spitting out more blood. I watch as his eyes roll backward before his body goes limp, allowing blood to rush out of his wound faster.
I scream, not caring that it might give away my location. I am frustrated and I just need to let it out. I close Chad’s eyes before getting back on my feet. I go to wipe the blood of the tip of my sword but stop.
“PENELOPE!” I call out when I realize I have no clue where she went. I don’t see her anywhere. I scan the area quickly before starting back toward the safe house.
A low rumble is heard behind me. I turn my head and see a small heard of Zombies behind me, each one growling and hissing. “Oh come on,” I cry.
“Quick, in here,” Penelope calls out from an abandoned house.
I race over and join Penelope in the house closing the door tightly behind me, before barricading it with anything we could find in the living room.
“Any other ways in or out?” I ask.
“Besides the doors and windows?” she asks mockingly.
I look at her for a moment before shaking my head at her and rushing through the house looking for a back door. I find one off the kitchen in a mud room. I manage to pull the washer in front of the door before sliding the dryer in front of it. I drop to the ground, my back resting against the dryer as I gasp for air. Penelope slowly walks in and sits down beside me. I watch as her eyes move slowly up and down the blade of my sword.
“That’s a lot of blood on your sword,” she says eventually.
“Well there were a lot of birds,” I say not trying to think of my sword killing Chad.
“How about you? Are you OK?” She asks.
“I’ll live. Just some minor beak marks,” I answer.
“Here, let me take a look,” she says lifting up my shirt.
I take my shirt off gradually, my arms and side burning the higher I lift it. I move away from the dryer and soon feel her soft fingertips gliding up and down my back.
“How does it look?” I ask.
“Bruised, with minor flesh wounds. You won’t bleed out, but you won’t feel good either,” she answers still brushing her fingers along my spine.
I chuckle and twitch as she reaches my lower back, “that tickles.”
“Sorry,” she says softly, “you have a lot of scars and wounds on your back. Are they all new?”
“Most of them,” I answer, “there are a few that I’ve had for years. I know there is one, almost directly in my back that I got as a kid. I was playing with a friend, I think his name was Timmy. Anyway, we were playing in some woods near our houses, you know climbing trees, sword fights with branches the kind of stuff boys do. We were up in a tree and I lost my footing as we raced to the top. I fell after being inches from the top, I landed on the ground hard. When Timmy helped me up he noticed a small branch stuck in my back.”
“That’s crazy,” she says with a laugh. Her hand searches my back for another old scar, “Oh what about this one? It looks interesting as well.” Her finger circles a scar just under my right shoulder.
“It’s really not that interesting,” I reply.
“Aw come on tell me and I’ll show you one of my scars,” she says biting her lower lip.
“Fine,” I say with a sigh, slightly curious what scar I’ll get to see.
“I got the scar about five years ago. I stopped at a gas station closest to my house. I went inside to pay the clerk, figured I might as well get something small to snack on while I was inside. When I was in the back trying to figure out what I wanted, when a burly figure barged in through the door. I couldn’t see much, but I saw that he had a gun. I cowered behind the racks hoping I wouldn’t be seen. All the cashier had to do was hand over the money in the register and the man would have gone away. The cashier, she couldn’t have been more than twenty- two. She refused to give him any money. I watched him grab her by her long blonde hair and drag her across the counter top. He threw her on the ground and pointed the gun at her head. I rushed out from behind the racks and tackled him to the ground. We fought for a little bit, I mostly had the upper hand. I thought I knocked him out when I got back to my feet and walked over to the cashier. The last things I heard was her scream and the gun shot. I woke up a few days later in the hospital. Doctors were able to remove the bullet but the scar has always been a reminder to me. Reminding me that life is worth the risk, no matter what,” I say. “Now, what kind of scar do you have for me to see?”
Penelope smiles at me before lifting her shirt slightly revealing a scar on her stomach, “Well you see, I had my appendix out when I was twelve.” We laugh as she rubs the scar.
“Bummer I was hoping for something better,” I laugh.
“Oh?” She says lifting her shirt higher, “you mean something like this?” she pulls her head and arms out of her shirt revealing a dingy white bra. She runs her hands across her neck and chest, her fingers sliding under the arm straps of her bra, sliding them down toward her elbows.
I bite my lower lip. I can feel my blood pumping, my heart pounding, and sweat beading on my forehead. “Wait,” I say reach my hand out, stopping hers.
“What? Isn’t this what you want?” she asks.
“Yes, so very much,” I shudder slightly as she lowers my hand to her breast, “but it, it just doesn’t feel right.”
“Kennedy wasn’t the only one watching over you after the bunker you know,” I can feel her heart beating faster as she talks to me, “I might not have her skills, but I do care about you.”
“I don’t like Kennedy just because of her skills,” I argue.
“Then why do you like her?” Penelope asks.
I stare into Penelope’s eyes and then down to her hand still on top of mine. Her index finger is slowly rubbing my hand as she waits for my answer. “I don’t know.” I reply honestly.
“Then give me a chance,” she requests, “let me give you a reason to like me instead.”
She releases my hand and finishes removing her bra before running her hand across my cheek coaxing me forward with her fingers. My lips meet hers and her other hand reaches around my back pulling me closer to her. I can feel the warmth of her skin against mine even with the chill coming from outside. She slowly starts leaning back until her head is resting against the ground. She pulls me along with her, my legs straddling her waist as I continue to kiss her. My hands explore her body as my lips work to her neck. I can feel her finger nails digging into my back as we continue on into the night.
Chapter 12
September 23rd, 2037
I awaken the next morning, our naked bodies still intermingled together. It takes me a few moments to realize where I am. I shake Penelope waking her up.
“What? Again?” Penelope asks with a yawn stretching. I can feel her body pressing against mine before she sits up, “its morning!” she cries out.
“I know. That’s why I woke you up,” I say.
“Is it safe to go back outside?” she asks.
“I’m not sure,” I say stretching, “why don’t we get dressed and check.”
She smiles at me before sliding her pants and shirt back on and heading over to the window. “It looks clear outside,” she says.
I get back to my feet, throwing my clothes on hurriedly as I make my way to the window by her side. “We should get back to the others,” I say.
> She nods, helping me remove the barricade from the door. We exit the house slowly, our eyes scouting for any sign of trouble.
“Oh my god,” Penelope cries out before rushing over to Chad’s dead body.
I follow behind gradually as Penelope reaches the body examining how he died, “it doesn’t look like a Zombie killed him,” she says concerned when I finally reach her.
“I know,” I mumble.
“How could you know? We just found the body,” panic fills her voice.
I pull out my sword and hold it in front of her showing her the blood laden tip, “that’s Chad’s blood on my sword.”
“What did you do?” She asks backing away from me.
“It’s not what you think, I swear,” I try to persuade her, “he snuck up behind me after I fought off the birds. I didn’t know it was him. I stabbed without thinking. I didn’t mean to kill him.”
“I don’t know if I believe you,” Penelope says pulling out her gun, “why didn’t you say anything last night?”
“What was I supposed to say? Hey I killed Chad?” I ask upset, “how does that sound?”
“I don’t know,” she says through a sob.
“Penelope, I swear to you it was an accident. You know I’ve been doing my best to protect everyone,” I argue.
She looks at Chad’s body. His mocha skin now has a hint of purple. It’s noticeable that his body is cold now.
“He deserves peace in death,” she says looking up at me.
“The kind of peace I couldn’t give him in life,” I murmur.
Penelope nods, pulling a lighter out of her pocket. She hands it to me before backing away from Chad’s body. I click down, lighting the flint. The orange flame seems to dance in my hand as I kneel beside Chad’s body.
“Anything you want to say?” I ask.
She shakes her head no. I connect the flame to Chad’s pant leg watching as the fire spreads slowly through his whole body. I flick the cap of the lighter down, snuffing out the flame before getting back to my feet and joining Penelope. It doesn’t take long before Chad is completely engulfed by the flames, Penelope sobbing, her head enveloped in my chest.
Omega Virus (Book 1): Surviving the Horror Page 10