by Maira Dawn
She'd reached the building fine and scanned the outside before going in. It looked safe, and when she pulled on the door, sighed in relief to find it open.
Kelsey crept the darkened hallways looking for an employee area. She stopped and listened for any noise before entering a new place. Finally, ending in the basement, where she found what she was looking for, a working shower. Fluffy white towels were even laid out on a shelf beside it.
She stripped off her dirt-encrusted clothing, laying out a new set to put on when she was clean. Kelsey pulled a bottle of shampoo and a bottle of conditioner she had taken from the trash piles. They each had just enough to get the job done.
Kelsey still remembered the brisk feel of the water as it hit her skin, the soft lather of the shampoo as she kneaded it into her hair and the silkiness of the soap as it slid down her skin. Oh, to feel that again.
Finished and dressed, Kelsey stood in front of a mirror as she combed her hair when she heard it. The slap of shoes on the cement floor. A sliver of fear ran through her, and she froze before scanning the area. There was nowhere to hide other than the shower stall, and her tell-tale watery footprints said everything. Kelsey grabbed her pack to make a run for it, but it was too late.
A gun came through the door first, and then a man. He swung the weapon her way and held it on her as he put his back to the block wall. “Well, well, what do we have here?”
Kelsey eyed him but didn’t say a word.
When he demanded her name, she told him but clammed up again. It was only when he lowered his gun, Kelsey could begin to think. The man wasn’t all that tall and was a bit on the tubby side, she may be able to outrun him. Her heart sank as she scanned the distance from him to the door. He was closer to it than she was.
“We have a group,” he said, “we can take care of you if you are alone. Are you by yourself?”
The question felt like a trap so she lied. “No, my dad’s with me.”
The man’s eyes flew to the door. “Oh, yeah? Where’s he at?”
“Just waiting. I better go.”
The gun came back up. “Your dad can be part of our group too, though we have a lot of men. Ladies on the other hand…”
The way his voice trailed off and the look he gave her made her feel sick. Kelsey took a step toward the door. “Let me go. I want to go to my dad.”
“Sure, we’ll do that. Tell me where he is.”
Kelsey’s mind worked in overdrive as she tried to think of a way out of this room. She used a tactic she’d seen in an old movie. “Oh look, your shoes untied.”
The man looked down.
Kelsey raced toward him, knocking him against the block wall. His gun clattered to the floor, but Kelsey didn’t wait to see what happened.
Flying down the hallway, her new tennis shoes squeaked against the tiled floor. Up a flight of stairs and out the front door. Someone stood there, but shocked by her sudden appearance didn’t move until she was out of sight.
Kelsey had zigzagged through the neighborhood, in and out of backyards and alley until she was sure she had lost them.
After finding a secure house, she had locked every door, drawn every blind and laid panting on the couch. She would never try that again. Dirty was bad, but it wasn’t bad enough for that.
Kelsey twirled a strand of her long hair around her finger and shuddered. Since then she’d often heard screams coming from the building. She’d almost paid a terrible price for clean hair. Her dull eyes scanned the eerie, empty street.
Eerie was bad but she’d found worse. Kelsey was used to the lack of company now. Her laughing, chatting friends were all gone as far as she knew.
Nothing is the same anymore.
She wasn't the same clean, happy girl she once was, but it lifted her spirits to visit the way things were even for a little while. She should stop reading, right here, right now.
You know what’s coming. What will come for the girl in the diary, for me, for everyone. What still comes.
Death.
Kelsey scrubbed the tears from her eyes and glanced at the diary, once then twice. She couldn't stop. The bit of imagined normalcy pulled her back in. Her reluctant fingers toyed with the diary, then inched the page over and she began to read.
Chapter 6
Under Normal Circumstances
July 28
So... yeah. Now I am stuck at home again.
No way I can convince the parents that the news was an Internet hoax, though honestly, doesn't it feel like it is most of the time?
I'm trying to hide from all my siblings by staying in my room. I mean, they know I'm in here, where else would I be? But if they don't see me maybe they will forget about me and then I don't actually have to talk to them.
So far, so good.
July 29
No more word on this mysterious sickness. Mom promised that if we don't hear any more about it, then I can go out with my friends and Jason.
Jason and I are texting like crazy. He's imprisoned in his home too, but he's an only child, so score for him.
I love seeing his little picture light up my screen when a new text comes in.
And he likes me! He really, really likes me!
July 30
So can you believe it? Mom's letting me out of the house. Dad has been going to work, and no one is sick there. She checked, and there are no cases of that disease here in Fenton.
I hope Ohio keeps it up there.
Everything would be perfect, except that Jason can't come out and play. He has a cold. Don't worry, Diary, he called me, and said he doesn't feel that bad. He doesn't sound sick at all only a little stuffy.
He'll be fine.
I'll miss him but a day with friends is better than being stuck here.
I'm off.
And I'm back and adding this-
Jason asked me to be his girlfriend! Can you even believe it!
Yes, it was through a text which would, under normal circumstances, be lame but with everything going on is quite okay.
Of course, I said yes right away, maybe even before he was finished asking the question!
He's so amazing!
July 31
I haven't heard from Jason in, like, 12 hours now. I know. It's not like we're married or anything, but he was texting me constantly. Now nothing for 12 hours.
I'm worried.
I’m watching the news and people are protesting that sick people have rights and shouldn't be quarantined. I know it may seem harsh, but it's also kinda necessary if you don't want the whole world to get sick.
August 1
I still haven't heard from Jason, so I asked Mom to call his mom. When Jason’s mom didn't answer her phone, my mom started asking around.
Jason is in the hospital. Their neighbor said it happened really fast. He was fine one minute and couldn't breathe the next, but last they heard he was doing okay.
I begged mom to go see Jason, but she said it isn't safe. If this is the chomping disease, we need to stay far away. I get it, I really do, but I want to see Jason.
I'm so, so scared for him.
August 2
The baby got sick last night.
Kelsey ran a hand over her face. Everyone lost someone, maybe all the someones in their life. How many had she lost?
She pictured them all, one by one, from the first to the last. Then silent as the city around her, she hugged herself and slowly rocked side to side.
A tear rolled down her face, fell onto the opened diary and joined the other dried tears that had stained the book long ago.
Her dirty finger ran down the page tracing one of them. I'm the last one now.
Chapter 7
Sirens
August 2
The baby got sick last night.
One minute she was fine, then she started coughing, gagging as if she couldn't catch her breath.
Dad called the ambulance, and Mom went to the hospital with her. The ambulance’s red light flashed all around me as they took
Mom and the baby away. It felt like it was the end of something, and I was sinking down into the front yard.
Mariah is so little. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Do babies get through this better?
Dad talked to Mom and so far, the baby is doing okay. He says Mom will let us know when we can go and see her.
There are sirens everyone. Ambulance sirens taking away the sick ones, and cop sirens taking away the bad ones. Riots break out all the time now. Dad says it's even dangerous getting groceries, so he watches the news and carefully picks the time of day to go.
The news said some pyro is starting fires on the South side of the city, but so far, they've been able to put them out.
Aren't things bad enough without people adding to the chaos?
Kelsey turned the page, her dirty fingers leaving smudge marks on its edge. The next one was blank. Her mouth turned down. She studied the empty page before continuing on.
Chapter 8
Jason
August 3
August 4
I couldn't write yesterday. I just couldn't.
We went to the hospital to see the baby, and the great thing is, she does seem to be doing okay. So of course, I got bored and irritated at being stuck in the room, especially as the twins were so out of control. I'm surprised they didn't kick us out of the hospital, the way those two acted.
I told Mom I was going to get water or something. She loaded me up with a list of food and drinks for the entire family, then she made sure my gown, gloves, and mask were secure, and off I went.
But before getting the food, I stopped by the nurses' station and asked what room Jason was staying in. No way I could be so close and not check on him.
I was so happy I was going to see him, that's what I remember, bright, shiny happiness.
The door said Family Only, but a girlfriend is like family, right? And that is the last thing he texted me, that I was his girlfriend.
I shoved open the heavy door. It resisted, pushing back against me. I think now it was trying to hold me back from what was inside.
The room was dim with no light other than what the darkening sky offered, only a small glow through the window.
As my eyes adjusted, I thought -- I thought he slept. Peering through the shadowy room, I saw his face turned away from me. I tiptoed over to him, smiling.
I would watch him wake up and see how happy he was to see me. But the closer I got; the more things did not make sense. Somehow, they didn't register. I didn't get it.
Straps held his arms to the bedside. I huffed, wondering why they would do that to him. I wanted to help him, so I walked closer.
Jason's hand twitched. I heard a low groan.
He’s waking up. I smiled and reached out, laying my hand on the bed railing.
Another moan.
He must be having a nightmare. I'll kiss him awake, and he'll feel better.
My mind refused to see what was literally right in front of me. I lowered my mask and leaned up over the bed railing so my lips could reach Jason's cheek.
Dried, bloody spit covered the lower part of his pale face.
That is odd. That was exactly like the girl --
Before the thought finished crossing my mind, Jason turned, lunging at me.
Or what had been Jason.
Horrified I jumped back, my foot catching on a chair. I fell as the chair skittered and banged across the floor causing a racket that fueled Jason's rage.
His upper body arched off the bed. His eyes blazed as he tried to reach me, whining and growling. Only his restraints held him in check.
A nurse rushed into the room and turned on the light. It was then I clearly saw what my beautiful Jason had become.
Much of his tan skin was now so blue it was hard to tell he had ever been another color. Bloody foam dripped from his mouth as his beautiful eyes wildly darted around the room.
"Jason?" I asked, my outstretched arms pleading. He still had to be in there somewhere.
Jason stilled, his questioning gaze lingering on my face. His mouth worked as he tried to form what words his delirious brain allowed.
He called to me, garbled and slurred, but clear enough.
He knew me! I stood and tentatively walked toward him. Jason held his tethered hand out to me as well as he could, palm up, begging me to come to him. Tears filled his eyes, then escaped making little trails through the blood splatters on his face.
My heart seized and fell. I took another step toward him before the nurse lightly laid her hand on my shoulder.
Again, he tried to speak and finally moaned, "I'm sorry."
I gasped, my heart weighing heavy as he struggled with the disease, willing him to overcome it, even though it could never be so.
He lost the battle, twitching a few times before continuing his mindless efforts free himself.
I raised my hands to my mouth, covering my uncontrollable sobs. Tears dripped off my face to the floor below.
My voice cracked as I called out to him again. "Jason?" This time, there was no acknowledgment. He was gone. Bloody spit flung from his face as he twisted and turned searching for freedom. But freedom wouldn't come for him, he would never find it.
My beautiful Jason was a monster.
August 5
The baby died.
All I do is cry now.
Chapter 9
Only Dad and Me
August 6
It's only Dad and me now. Mom and the boys are at the hospital. We came home from burying the baby yesterday and were barely through the front door when the twins sneezed. Both of them in unison. I froze and looked up at Mom and Dad’s pale faces. Her lips quivering, Mom tenderly laid a hand on their foreheads. She squared her shoulders as she said they had a fever and insisted she would go back to the hospital with them.
She and dad fought a bit about who would take them. Someone should stay here with me. They didn't want to risk their last child getting the disease. I know it slipped out, but it was like the boys were already gone.
It's so quiet here now. I miss mom. I even miss the boys.
August 7
Dad has been in touch with Mom. The boys are doing okay so far. Mom talked to some people who said their sister knew some people who were sick and got better.
The news said everyone who catches this dies with no exception, but maybe that's not true. Maybe the boys will get better.
I hope so. I really, really hope so, even if they are a pain in the butt. I wouldn't mind them so much now.
August 8
Dad and I put on our masks and went to the grocery store. Almost everyone wears one now but it's weird. The masks make it hard to breathe, and I hate them. I feel like I'm strangling but then I remember that if I don't wear one, I might suffocate for real. After that, I wonder how the twins are doing. Are they--
So, I try to stop thinking about that.
The shelves were pretty bare at the store, but we were able to get enough groceries to last a couple of days. The grocery guy told Dad that there would be more coming in. It's only low now because people were panicking and buying everything they see, but the store is still getting deliveries. Dad is worried they will soon stop.
As we left the store, Anna and her some of her family entered. We ran to hug each other, but our parents stopped us. We aren't supposed to get that close to other people anymore.
"Anna." For a minute, I could only say her name and stare at her. So much had happened since that day at the movies with her and Jason. It seemed so long ago.
Anna looked at me, her big brown eyes filling with tears.
"Are you doing okay?" I asked. She started crying for real, then I started. I looked at my dad for permission before I reached out and took her gloved hand in mine.
"This is all that's left," Anna said. I knew what she meant, her family. There was only Anna, her mom, and one sister. Her dad, brother, a sister, and her grandparents were gone.
"The baby's gone. The twins are in the hospital. And Jas
on--" I started saying, but I couldn't finish.
She tipped her head. Her voice became shaky as she listed all our schoolmates who were sick or gone. It was a lot. What would school be like when it started up again in a couple of weeks?
We promised to text each other, but I don't know if we will. Something was happening to us. We were sad and afraid, afraid to be close to anyone.
August 9
The news announced the hospital is filled to capacity, and they are sending people to school gymnasiums, but Mom said the nurses promised the boys would stay where they are.
August 10
The boys are still doing okay. I asked her if they were blue or foamy, and she said they were not. I hope she is telling me the truth.
Dad said we need to forget bad things for a little while. We're playing a different board game every night. We gave up watching TV because they break in with bad news all the time, and it makes us more and more frightened.
I tried to get Dad to watch Netflix, but we couldn't decide on a show so, for now, it's games.
My favorite is Jenga. I always beat his butt.
August 11
School was supposed to start in a week or so, but since this AgFlu thing isn't getting any better and the gyms are filled with the Sick there won’t be any classes yet.
Anna did text me only to tell me about more friends that were sick or gone. I'm glad school is postponed. It will only be a reminder of everyone who’s gone, and of Jason.
But, on the other hand, it would also mean things were normal and normal, I have now decided, is just fine.