Guns? Maybe I was still dreaming.
When there was a sharp knock at the door, my eyes widened. It was definitely real. The world I could reach out and touch wasn’t the dream.
How long had I been asleep for?
“Gwen!” the voice called loudly before urgently pounding three more times. “Hurry up! Let me in!”
Two
I wobbled as I got myself onto my feet. Somehow, I managed to walk through my apartment to the door. Whoever was out there didn’t seem like would stop pounding until I did.
“Hang on,” I muttered, but surely, they wouldn’t be able to hear my weak voice through the door. And I wasn’t even sure if I had wanted them to.
I twisted the deadbolt and unlocked the door just barely stepping to the side as the guy from down the hall pushed past me and closed my door. He looked as though he was just as pale and sweaty as I was.
“You should look before letting someone inside,” Jamie said looking me up and down. “You’re lucky it was me and not some creepy rapist.”
“How do you know I didn’t?”
“Did you?”
I shook my head.
I didn’t know Jamie all that well, only from a few random chats when we’d pass each other in the hallway. He could have been a creep for all I knew, but he seemed like a nice, normal guy for the times I had talked with him.
What I did know about Jamie was that he worked for a package delivery company and that he brewed his own coffee. He had his own disposable cups that he carried on his way to work. I also knew that he left early in the morning for his job and that he was extremely good-looking. It didn’t seem as though he was aware of that fact, but I definitely was.
His brilliant blue eyes looked purple-ish in the red glow of my apartment.
“Can I help you with something?” I asked, my voice groggy. I tried to hide the fact that I kind of wished he wasn’t seeing me at my worst.
In all the time I’d lived in the same apartment building as Jamie Bennett, not once had he knocked on my door. He wasn’t the type to borrow a cup of sugar from a neighbor. In fact, if I had to guess, I’d wager he drank his coffee black.
His mouth dropped open as he stared into my eyes. He slowly cocked his head to the side. “Did you not see what’s going on out there?”
“I saw, but then I got really sick, and honestly that’s mostly all I’ve been thinking about so far this morning,” I said, placing my hand on the wall to help steady myself. My legs were weak, and they were starting to shake. If I didn’t sit down soon, I’d probably crash to the floor.
“Yeah, you look far worse than I do,” Jamie said.
“Thanks? I hope that’s not all you stopped by to tell me.”
Jamie shook his head. “That came out much worse than I intended. Anyway, something is going on out there. Something happened. There was some kind of… attack.”
“An attack?” I questioned, my voice flat. It was almost as if it were the first time I’d ever heard the word.
“Yeah before the power went out, I caught a quick warning one of the news channels just as I was stepping out of the shower.” Jamie ran his hand through his wavy hair. “They said it was some kind of attack, stay indoors, wait for more information, but then the station went out.”
Jamie started pacing, twisting his fingers as he moved quickly back and forth. He stopped abruptly and wiped the back of his hand across his brow.
“It was still dark when I first woke, but it wasn’t long after that I passed out. I don’t know what’s going on out there, but I do know that you are the first person to answer their door,” he said.
“Maybe everyone is still asleep,” I said placing my hand on my stomach. “Ugh, I’m so sorry, but I think I’m going to be sick again.”
“This is going to sound absolutely crazy, but I think whatever it is… I think it’s in the air. Some kind of chemical, or poison.”
“What makes you think that?” I asked.
“The color of the sky.”
I winced as my knees threatened to give out. Jamie dashed over to me and grabbed my elbow. He carried most of my weight as he helped me to the sofa.
“What about your phone?” I asked lowering my head down on a small square pillow with a giant lobster stitched on it. The red colored thread matched the color peeking out from behind my curtains.
Jamie sighed. “I tried calling a couple people before my phone stopped working. No one answers their phone at four in the morning.”
“It doesn’t work at all?” I asked. What were the odds we were both out of battery?
“Won’t even turn on. How about yours?”
“Same.”
Jamie looked toward the window as he crossed his arms. “I don’t know what to do about any of this.”
“There isn’t anything we can do, is there?” My voice was embarrassingly whiny. “Oh, God, if I move I’m going to throw up again.”
“Well then, don’t move.” Jamie flashed me a weak smile.
“I wasn’t planning on it.” I let out a heavy sigh and closed my eyes, mentally begging my stomach to settle itself. I didn’t want my attractive neighbor to witness me vomiting on his first visit. “Were you this sick too?”
Jamie swallowed. “Sick enough. Still feel kind of terrible, but I stopped throwing up about an hour ago. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have been able to leave my apartment.”
“Any other symptoms?”
“Looks to be the same as what you’re going through. Chills, fever, sweating profusely, stomach pain, and vomiting.”
“Sounds about right. At any point did you feel like you might die?” I asked touching my chest as I remembered the squeezing I’d first felt in my lungs.
Jamie’s head slowly bobbed up and down. “It was awful when I first woke. I thought I was being choked to death.”
My stomach clenched, and I exhaled slowly between my lips.
“And now I’m here, in your apartment because I freaked out. I don’t know what the fuck to do about any of this. Shit,” Jamie said combing his fingers through his hair. “Maybe I’m overreacting.”
“Do you think there’s someone out there that knows what happened?” I asked.
“No idea. With the sky that color I’m not sure I want to venture out there to find out. I keep hearing the news reporters voice repeating in the back of my head to stay indoors.” Jamie looked toward the window. “Seems like good advice.”
I wanted to nod, but I wasn’t sure it was a good idea to move my head. “Would you mind grabbing me that bottle of water off the counter?”
Jamie was in front of me unscrewing the cap in a matter of seconds. Even though he barely knew me, he seemed concerned. He helped me raise my head so that I could take a small sip.
“Guess I’m not going to work today,” he said with a chuckle. “Can’t even call in sick.”
“I haven’t been doing that for a while,” I said resting my head back down on the pillow.
“Doing what?”
“Going to work.”
Jamie screwed the cap back on the bottle and set it down on the coffee table. “Sorry to hear that. Maybe I can hook you up with something down at…,” his voice faded away into nothing. “What the hell am I talking about? A possible attack on us, and I’m talking about helping you find a new job.”
“No, it’s fine. I appreciate it. And when I’m feeling better, and this is all over, I’ll appreciate it even more. But for now, my only goal is to not throw up again especially not while I have company.”
“Don’t let my being here stop you,” Jamie said with a smile. “I threw up my share, and honestly with each one, I think I felt a little better.”
“Then I might need to throw up a lot.”
Jamie raised a brow. “I’ll hold your hair back.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” I said unable to stop the small smile from curling the ends of my lips.
“Do you mind if I stay here for a while? You know to ke
ep you company, and definitely not because I was freaking out on my own.”
I swallowed and let my eyes close. “I don’t mind.”
Oddly I didn’t. Jamie’s company actually made me feel a little better, but if I had to throw up again, I wasn’t going to take him up on his offer to hold my hair back. I didn’t know him well enough for that.
“It’s weird,” I said without opening my eyes.
“What’s weird?” Jamie said sounding overly interested in what I was going to say. He was about to be disappointed.
“My brother sent me a text telling me to call him. And before you ask why that’s weird, it’s because I haven’t talked to my brother in a couple years.” I squeezed my eyes shut as my stomach gurgled.
Jamie folded his hands into his lap. “Interesting. Are you worried about him?”
“Yes, and no. He used to be a cop, but it’s unusual he messaged. I’m surprised he still had my number.”
“When was the message from?” Jamie asked.
“This morning.”
Jamie nodded. “Where does he live?”
“Just outside of the city.”
“You live this close, and you haven’t talked to him in years?”
I chewed my lip for a moment. “It’s complicated.”
“Sibling rivalry?”
“Not really.”
“Well, hopefully, that means he’s okay,” Jamie said. I stared at him. “You know, because he messaged.”
I swallowed hard. “Does that mean you think people aren’t okay?”
There hadn’t been much color in Jamie’s face but what had been there washed away. His eyes shifted down toward his feet, and there was no need for him to answer me.
Jamie cleared his throat and pointed his chin toward the bottle of water. “Need another drink?”
“Yes, please,” I said.
“Here you go,” Jamie said softly as he helped me take a drink. I could smell the fresh, brisk scent from the soap he’d used in the shower.
If I thought I’d be able to keep myself up long enough, I would have forced myself to take a shower. Maybe if I could have cleaned up, I would have started to feel better.
I watched Jamie as he walked over to the window. He peeked out between the curtains staring out at the same backyard he’d be able to see from the window in his apartment.
My eyelids started to close. Each blink lasted longer than the last. I wasn’t sure, but I may have dozed off because when I opened my eyes again, Jamie was sitting in the chair.
The bubbling in my stomach seemed to have ceased, and I wasn’t sweating nearly as much. Perhaps whatever had been affecting me was subsiding.
I pushed myself up, leaning my back against the armrest. Even if I was starting to feel better, I was still terribly weak.
“How are you feeling?” Jamie asked leaning forward in the chair. “Need some water?”
I did, but I felt capable of getting it myself. Just as I reached over to grab my bottle of water, something slammed into the wall near my front door.
My eyes darted over, instantly meeting Jamie’s. His voice was softer than a cotton ball. “Expecting someone?”
I shook my head.
There was another heavy thud, followed by a groan. “Help me!”
Three
Neither Jamie nor I moved. Our eyes were locked in an intense, anxious stare.
“Anyone in there? Please! I need help!” the voice called out. Seconds later, sounds of scraping moved across the wall, stopping when they pounded on the door next to mine. “Help!” they called again. “Please! Someone!”
“Should we help?” Jamie asked.
My eyes widened. “I have no idea. I can barely help myself.”
“It’s your apartment. Your call.” Jamie shrugged.
I stared at him for a long moment before swinging my legs over the side of my sofa. The muscles in my calves tensed as if I was on the verge of getting a charley horse.
“What are you doing?” Jamie asked as I stood. He was in a crouched position somewhere between sitting and standing. It looked like he was ready to launch himself forward if I couldn’t hold myself up.
“I’m going to take a peek.”
“Want me to do it?”
I pressed my lips together. “It’s fine. You’re right, it’s my place. But I doubt there is anything I can do to help.”
My steps toward the door were cautious and careful. Whoever was out there was at least two doors down by the time I stepped in front of my door. I peeked out of the peephole, but there wasn’t anyone in the hall that I could see.
The door squeaked as I slowly pulled it open, my fingertips were white as I held it in place. I drew in a breath as I ducked my head out.
“Help me!” the woman screeched in my face as they popped out from around my other side.
The woman reached out for me, but I managed to pull back just out of her reach. She was dripping sweat, her hair tangled in huge knots on top of her head.
“What’s happening to me?” she asked.
I shook my head, unable to stop staring at the red blisters on her face that seemed to be popping and oozing before my eyes. As I opened my mouth, Jamie slammed the door shut and quickly flipped the locks into place.
“Holy shit,” Jamie said practically panting as his eyes bulged out of their sockets.
The woman outside the door pounded with both fists. She screamed obscenities for at least a minute before she broke down in tears.
“Go back to your apartment,” Jamie shouted through the door. “Stay indoors.”
“Fuck you!” the woman shouted before kicking the door. “I’m dying!”
“Sorry,” I called out. “I’m sick too.”
Her sobbing turned into maniacal laughs that sent a chilly shiver down my spine.
“You don’t know what sick is,” the woman kicked the door again before the air was filled with a heavy thud.
I looked out of the peephole at the woman lying on the ground outside my door. Her body was convulsing, and blood was pouring out of her nose. White foam bubbled out of her mouth and dripped onto the carpet.
“Jesus!” I said taking a quick step back.
Jamie stepped forward and stared out of the peephole. His mouth hung open, horrified at the sigh outside my apartment door.
He took a quick step back with his palms out. His head slowly turned toward the window. “We can’t go out there.”
I swallowed hard, my eyes moved over my skin looking for blisters and lesions that weren’t there ten seconds ago. Did the woman contaminate me? Had she touched me? I couldn’t remember, but thankfully my skin was the same as it always had been.
“I need a shower,” I said holding my arms out at my sides as if I were afraid to let them touch my body.
“Me too.” Jamie caught my eyes for a second. He scratched the back of my neck. “Not like that. I mean, by myself. Never mind.”
“I didn’t think, um, yeah,” I said, crossing my arms in front of my chest awkwardly. “Anyway, I’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t let anyone in.”
Jamie snorted. “You can bet on that.”
I grabbed a set of fresh clothing from my room before locking myself in my bathroom. The light that came in through the small window stained the walls bright red.
I turned on the water, undressed and lowered myself into the tub, letting the water rain down on me. I grabbed the bar of soap at the edge of the tub and scrubbed it all over my skin. Twice.
There was a part of me that wanted to stay in the tub. I felt safer. Hidden. Outside of the tub was sickness and confusion.
I forced myself to stand up and dry off. Hearing Jamie pacing in the other room reminded me I couldn’t hide out forever.
I brushed my still wet hair and straightened my slightly wrinkled t-shirt before letting out a heavy sigh. The shower had definitely helped, but my body still felt weak.
Jamie’s eyes darted over to me when I stepped out of the bathroom. They lingered
for a moment before he held up a water bottle.
“I borrowed one, I hope that’s okay,” he said.
“No problem. I’m sorry, I didn’t offer you something to drink earlier. I was a bit off my game.”
Jamie cocked his head to the side. “Does that mean you’re feeling better?”
“I am,” I said, as I walked into the kitchen and pulled down a box of cereal bars. “Would you like one?”
“Sure,” Jamie said.
I pulled out a bar and tossed it to him. He caught it with one hand, ripped it open and ate half of the bar in one bite.
“Hungry?” I asked.
“Yes, and no,” Jamie said, and I nodded, understanding completely. He popped the last half into his mouth. “We’ll find out soon if it stays down.”
It was weird having Jamie inside my apartment, but at the same time, I was glad he was there with me. Unfortunately, neither of us had any idea what was going on outside that was putting us in this interesting predicament.
If it was some kind of attack when would it be safe to go outside? Eventually, I’d run out of food, and we would need to leave. Would someone come for us? The phone didn’t work so we couldn’t call anyone, and without electricity, we couldn’t check the TV or internet for information. Not know what was going on was beyond frustrating. It was frightening. Terrifying.
One of the last things Jamie had heard before the power went out was to stay inside. That was the only thing we could do as far as I was concerned. With the sky bleeding, out there was one of the last places I wanted to be.
I wondered about my brother. Did he know what was going on? Was he okay? Was that why he tried reaching out to me after all this time?
For all I knew, the same thing that had happened to the woman outside of my apartment had happened to him too. Maybe he’d called to say goodbye, or that he was sorry for the hell, he’d put our family through.
“If that was some kind of poison, a chemical, or whatever, do you think since we’re sitting here that we somehow managed to survive it?” I asked turning to the side, so I didn’t have to look into Jamie’s eyes. “Or do you think it could still happen to us?”
The Red Sky Series Box Set Books 1-4: A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Series Page 2