No Where to Run (The Story of Alexis Rose)

by Raven K. Asher

  “We.......should......get.......back......to......the.....others.” I say reluctantly between kisses. I really don’t want to go back with the others. I’d rather drag him back to the house and up to my room.

  He chuckles softly. He knows exactly what I’m thinking because he’s probably thinking the same. He pulls away and grins at me. “You’re so beautiful.” He states, and then rubs his thumb across my lower lip. I smile back at him. Leaning away with a grin on his lips, he whispers in my ear. “Later babe, I promise we will finish this. We have at lot of lost time to make up for.” I lick my lips wanting more now but he just chuckles, grabs my hand and starts pulling me back to the game room.

  Just as we reach the door we hear a horrifying scream come from the other side. We share a wide eyed look then quickly Lucca pulls me behind his back. “Stay behind me.” He whispers as he slowly pushes the door open, quickly scanning the room for any danger.

  Not sensing any danger we slowly walk in, I barely notice Duncan brush past me on his way out the door. My eyes are glued on the scene that is unfolding in front of me. To my right Mel is holding Katie tightly and both are crying silently in the corner. Kane is pacing to my left and is speaking on his phone frantically while waving his free hand in the air. I take notice of all the blood he has on his hands and the panicked look on his face.

  I take a deep breath to prepare myself for what I’m about to see and glance to where Kale is kneeling on the floor.........with Lucy. She is bent over and coughing up blood. Like an insane amount of blood. It’s a horrifying sight, the blood is literally pouring out of her mouth.

  “Oh, my god, what happened?” I cry out and push my way past Lucca who is frozen in place, in shock. As I move closer, Kales gaze meets mine with a pleading look for me to help him. I kneel down on my knees and rub Lucy’s back to sooth her, whispering that everything will be ok as she gags and cries harder.

  I had a feeling it was a lie. I had no idea what was going to happen.

  After a few minutes, Kane runs over to us and kneels down. “They said an ambulance would be on its way as soon as possible. They said to just keep calm.” Even though he looked calm, his eyes gave him away. He looked frantic and helpless.

  Lucy looks up at Kane and we all gasp, there is a steady stream of blood now coming out of her eyes replacing the tears that she was crying, and the whites of her eyes are also tinged red with blood. It looks like a bad scene in a horror movie. I knew I would be having new nightmares about this scene later on. Kale quickly looks away, but I can see the tears streaming down his face, Kane jumps to his feet and starts pacing again.

  “Help me...please, help me it hurts.” Lucy cries out. “God please, help me.....Please.”

  “What hurts baby, you have to tell me what hurts?”Kale asks frantically as he kneels back down to her. She doesn’t even acknowledge him. She just stares straight ahead and starts rocking back and forth holding tightly to her stomach. The look on her face alone shows that she’s in a lot of pain.

  “What do we do, Lexi....what do we do?” Kale whispers anxiously to me as he wraps his arms around Lucy to stop her rocking. I shake my head, unable to come up with anything we can do. I feel so helpless.

  I stand and step into Kane’s path. I need more answers, now. He stops abruptly, then grabs my arm and pulls me swiftly out of the room. I look back to see Lucca following close behind us. Kane doesn’t stop until we are halfway between the house and barn. He lets go of my arm and turns his back to us, running his hands roughly through his black hair. Lucca silently wraps his arms around my waist and I lean back into him. Kane turns back around shaking his head and lets out a loud growl.

  “There’s no one coming.” He huffs out.

  “What..... What do you mean no one is coming?” Lucca demands in disbelief over my shoulder.

  “I don’t know, the lady on the phone said that all the rescue personnel were busy. She also told me not to even try to go to the hospital, something about them being overrun.” He lets out a rough sarcastic laugh. “What’s even crazier is she told me that Lucy is as good as dead. Said that a lot of people have been having bad reactions to the vaccine they gave out. They never tested it before giving it out. Can you believe that shit?” He pauses taking another breath before continuing. “I begged for her to get us some sort of help, anything, but she just wouldn’t listen so I just hung up after all that bullshit. I don’t know what to do. I can’t tell my brother that no one is coming to help her.”

  “What can we do? We have to do something...... anything.” I state to no one in particular.

  “There has to be something we can do, Kane. I bet we can come up with something together.” Lucca encourages.

  We didn’t get to say anymore because Duncan comes running out from the house, his hands full with towels and a bucket. He silently runs past us and into the barn. I glance back to Kane then pull away from Lucca’s embrace to follow Duncan. As I walk away I hear Kane and Lucca talking rapidly, hopefully to come up with a plan. I hope they come up with a good one quick.

  As I walk through the door I pause in my tracks, the scene had gotten so much worse. I had no idea that someone could lose so much blood. There was an even larger puddle of blood in front of Kale and Lucy. My heart sinks to the pit of my stomach. No one can lose that much blood and live. She was now lying on her side, her head in Kales lap and he was chanting to her. “Baby, please don’t die. I need you here.” over and over. I could almost feel his heart shattering.

  Duncan carefully makes his way over to them. “Kale, why don’t you go out and talk to your brother for a few minutes. Lexi and I can handle things while you step away. Lucy will be fine.”Duncan suggests. Kale looks sadly up to me.

  “Kale, she will be alright with us. She looks pretty stable now.” I agree. He looks down to Lucy’s face and rubs the back of his hand across her cheek. He nods to himself coming to his decision, then looks back up to me.

  “Ok, I’ll go talk to Kane. Promise me you’ll come get me if anything changes?”

  “I promise, Kale.”

  I slowly move toward Kale. He looks so fragile. I quickly position myself so I can place Lucy’s head in my own lap. Kale silently watches me move her. He nods to himself when she is settled. Just then she suddenly opens her eyes a little and smiles up at him. “Love you.” She coughs out then closes her eyes again.

  He begins to cry again, and he frantically wipes away the tears. “Love you too, baby girl.” He whispers back to her.

  “Go Kale, she will be fine.”I promise. He takes a few more moments, and then slowly rises to his feet. His pants are soaked with blood, but he doesn’t seem to notice. As he reaches the door he turns back to take one last look before disappearing out the door.

  “Mel, Katie I could really use some help getting Lucy cleaned up. We need to make her as comfortable as possible till help comes.” Duncan commands. I am relieved he is taking charge of this situation. I can barely keep my own emotions in check.

  I look up as Duncan puts a hand on my shoulder. “Lex, do you have any clothes we can change her into?” He asks.

  I nod “I have a bag of clothes in my room that should fit her.”

  “Katie, can you go get that bag for us? Can you also grab a pair of jeans out of my room to give to Kale?” Duncan asks. She nods and rushes out to retrieve the bag and the jeans.

  “Here Lex, wipe her face. Try to keep her calm if she wakes up, while Mel and I clean the rest of her up.” Duncan holds out a wet wash cloth. I take it and start wiping away the dried blood on Lucy’s pale face. I hold back a sob as silent tears fell down my face. She looks so tiny and frail.

  Duncan and Mel make quick work of getting things cleaned up and when Katie comes back with a handful of clothes that will fit Lucy, Duncan leaves to let us girls change her.

  “She stopped bleeding.” I state quietly.

  “That’s a good sign, I hope.” Mel states and Katie nods.

  We sit quietly together for a few minutes
before Kale, Kane, Lucca and Duncan all walk back in. Kale kneels down reaching for Lucy and I gently hand her back to him. She hasn’t responded at all since he left. I stand and walk over to where Lucca and Duncan stand, both wrap me in a giant hug. Duncan steps away and I turn into Lucca’s arms. Kane stands holding Katie in his arms. He looks over to Mel “Can you take Katie home for me?” He asks her.

  She nods. “I don’t have my car though.”

  “You can use our car. I can have Duncan drive me over to pick it up later.” He hands his keys over to Katie, kisses her then gives her a hug before letting her go. Mel takes her hand and they leave quietly together.

  Once we hear the car leave Kane turns his attention to Kale and Lucy. Lucy is deathly pale. He kneels down and reaches for her wrist. “Her pulse is really faint.”

  “We have to get her to the hospital. We can’t just let her die. I don’t care what that lady on the phone said we have to at least try.” Kale pleads looking at each of us.

  “Your right, let’s use my truck and head to the hospital. They can’t turn us away. We won’t let them even if they try. Anyway, her mom should be able to help us in some way when we get there.” Duncan states.

  They all rush into action, Kale carries Lucy, and we all file out to Duncan’s truck. “Be careful and hurry back.” I tell Duncan as he jumps into the driver’s seat.

  “I’ll be back before you know it sis.” He promises. He looks to Lucca who is standing behind me. “Look after her, while I’m gone.”

  “You know I will.” Lucca promises.

  Duncan smiles a sad smile and shuts his door. I watch as they drive off. When I can’t see them any longer I turn into Lucca’s open arms, all the tears I had been holding back come out in forceful sobs. “She’s not going to make it, Lucca. Did you see her? She already looked dead.”

  He sighs and strokes my back. “Let’s go inside and see if we can find any information on the news about what’s going on.” He pauses. “Hopefully the guys can get Lucy to the hospital in time to get her help. There still might be hope, Lexi. We can’t just give up on her. She’s a fighter.”

  I nod. “Your right, Lucca, but I can’t help but feel like I’m never going to see her again.”

  “Everything will work out the way it should, pumpkin’.” He kisses my forehead then takes my hand and tugs me toward the house.

  We walk hand- in-hand into the house silently, and make our way to the living room. We sit down on the edge of the soft brown suede couch as Lucca reaches for the remote to turn on the TV.

  Once he turns it on nothing could have prepared us for the mayhem we see. Every channel is reporting about the people who have gotten “violently ill” after they had had the flu vaccination. From the local news to the national news stations, they are all reporting the same things. I had no idea it was a national problem. I gulp and look to Lucca. He doesn’t take his eyes off the screen.

  I look back to the screen as he turns the channel to the local station. The reporter is standing in front of the hospital. The same one Duncan and the others are heading toward. It’s so completely overrun with people, just like the lady on the phone with Kane had said. It’s so packed that they have had to set up makeshift areas for patients in the parking lot.

  Right behind the reporter a man suddenly falls to his knees and starts vomiting up blood. I cover my mouth and close my eyes tightly. Oh, my god. This can’t be happening.

  “........the hospital is asking if there is anyone that’s watching this report has any experience in the medical field, to please report in at the hospital, they are in need of any help they can get. Furthermore, anyone who does not require medical attention is being advised by local authorities to stay in your homes.....” The reporter continues as the man is drug off camera by a nurse whose light blue scrubs are already covered in someone else’s blood.

  “I can’t watch anymore.” I state as I stand and walk off toward the kitchen. I take a seat at the table and stare absently out the window toward the pasture where the horses are grazing. I can’t process everything in my mind, it’s just too much.

  Lucca walks in a few minutes later holding my phone out to me.

  “Duncan just called. They made it to the hospital. Lucy’s mom took over and got her in. Kale and Kane decided to stay and help out in any way they can at the hospital. I guess they have some experience that’s useful from helping their dad, since he’s a veterinarian and all. I’m guessing if they are staying, then the hospital is really desperate for help. Duncan also told me to tell you that he was going to find out where your mom is. He said he would hurry back as soon as he found her.”

  I let out a sigh of relief and take my phone from his outstretched hand.

  “Come on lets go watch a movie, or something.” Lucca says with a smirk. I laugh out loudly at his “or something” comment, and grab his hand to drag him to the living room couch. He quickly puts in a movie into the DVD player as I lay down on my side facing the screen. As the movie starts he snuggles in behind me, with his arm around my waist. My eyes quickly get heavy, and I find myself unable to stay awake. The last thing I hear is Lucca’s promise to wake me when my mom and brother got home.

  Chapter 4

  Thursday, August 29th

  I abruptly open my eyes to a dark room. It takes me a few minutes to clear my head, and to realize that I’m lying on the couch in the living room. I wiggle a little and feel a warm body behind me, “Lucca”, I smile to myself. The room is dark and the TV screen is blank. Lucca must have turned it off. How long did we slept?

  “Lucca.” I softly shake him, but he doesn’t move.

  “Lucca.” I shake him harder this time, and he moans.

  “Mom, go away.” I giggle at his response, and then shake him harder.

  “Lucca, come on, get up.” He abruptly rolls over to his other side and I find myself falling off the couch and onto my butt. I should have figured that was going to happen.

  I decide to change my tactic, this time I roll him so he’s on his back, while I kneel on the floor. I slowly lift his shirt, brushing my ice cold hands across his abs. I lick my lips wanting to kiss him.

  I look up at his face. He’s still not moving and I sigh. He was always hard to wake but I know just what will work. I smile mischievously as I lower my head so I can lick and kiss around his chest and abs. He moans as I nibble at his hip bone. Hell yeah, I’ve still got it. Suddenly I feel his fingers thread through my hair, I look up toward his face and smile as I lick his abs slowly and seductively so he can watch. His eyes are hooded with want. As I continue, he licks his own lips not taking his eyes off the trail I’m making with my tongue.

  “God babe, if you keep that up I won’t be able to stop myself from taking you right here on this couch.” He pants out. I give one last slowly lick, trailing up his abs to his chest. I climb on top of him and let’s go of his hold on my hair. I make my way up his neck slowly nipping and kissing. He lets out another moan. Then lets out a growl as he grabs my face with both hands and kisses me with such force that I gasp. His hands trail down my body and I can’t help but let out a moan of my own at his touch.

  He lets out another growl, and flips us over so he’s on top of me, his body presses against mine. His hands and kisses get even more demanding, grabbing at my shirt and pulling it over my head. With both of us panting, I grab for his shirt and tug it off of him quickly. He plants kisses all over my body and cups my breasts in each of his hands, running his thumbs over the thin fabric, teasing my nipples. My back arches and I let out a loud moan. As Lucca starts to quickly unbutton my jeans I realize what led to this. I stop his hands.

  “Wait. Lucca. Did my mom and Duncan ever come home while I was asleep?” I ask him, breathing heavy.

  He shakes his head, his eyes still glazed with lust. “I don’t know pumpkin’, I fell asleep after the movie was over.” He stands up quickly and hands me my shirt.

  The moment is over and I try to regain my composure. He adjusts himsel
f and looks down on me with heavy lidded eyes. “I’ll check to see if Duncan’s truck is in the driveway.” He lets out a shaky sigh and runs a hand through his hair, before turning to walk away.

  I throw my shirt back on the floor and grab his to put on instead. It smells like him, like the outdoors and pumpkin spice, I take a deep breath in and groan, still wanting him. As he slides on his boots I grab my phone to check for any messages from Duncan. There’s one new message but it’s from Kale, my heart instantly drops as I read it. I fall to my knees on the floor gasping for air and Lucca swiftly makes his way over, kneels, and wraps his arms around my waist. I hold the phone so he can read the text from Kale.

  Kale: Lucy didn’t make it. She’s gone.

  I can’t believe she’s really gone. It’s too much for me to take and I begin to sob loudly. Lucca picks me up and carries me back to the couch to sit. He places me in his lap and rocks me till the tears stop falling.

  “Babe, I’m so sorry.” He softly kisses my forehead. I don’t respond, I can’t, and I just feel numb. Why do I always lose the ones I care about? None of it feels real, I feel as if I’m stuck in another one of my nightmares. I bury my head into Lucca’s chest until my sobbing slows.

  “I’ve got to go see if your brother and mom made it home. Are you going to be ok here by yourself while I check?” Lucca asks softly with his hands cupping my face, his thumbs wiping away the last of my tears.

  I nod yes, and slide off his lap. I watch his back, not really seeing him, as he steps out the front door.

  My phone suddenly ringing in my hand scares me out of my trance and I let out a small yelp. I look at the screen, its Kane, I answer it quickly. What could he want this late at night?

  “Lexi, is your brother home with you?” Kane asks quickly, I can hear something smashing in the background on his end. Where is he?