“What was that?” I asked, looking now all stiff at Justine.He shook his head indicating that he knew nothing about what Peter has said. Well, Peter mentioned something about a man and a woman and that they’re not both infected. And I was thinking, how sure Peter was to say something like that? I mean, we never know. They could be infected, but they’re not yet completely rotten.That’s possible.Justine and I followed where Peter has gone to as we went towards the main gate. The darkness was giving us these eerie vibes, but thanks to the luminous moons above us, it’s giving us some light. The whole place was deafeningly silent and all we could hear was our breath and the fireflies, as well as the noises from cicadas.“Do you think Peter’s right-” I stopped from asking a question when we have reached the main gate.Over there was a blonde woman and a man in his black sando and sweatpants. I gasped when I noticed that the man was being carried by the woman and judging from his dispositio
Gigi didn't say anything anymore after that. She's just there in front of me, both her hands were placed on her face. For some reason, I feel like Gigi and I shared a huge connection with each other. We stayed like that for a moment, and I let her cry. I was holding the band-aid on my left hand, waiting for her to stop from wailing, and when she finally did, I immediately started pouring some drops of betadine on the cotton buds.“How long have you been here?” she asked when she had finally composed herself.I stopped from dropping betadine on the cotton bud and I looked up at her.I smiled. “Probably a week? I’m not really sure. But that’s my estimate,” I shrugged.“With the two of your friends?”I frowned. “Justine and Peter?”She nodded. I smiled at her and started applying the cotto
As soon as Peter said that I rose from where I was lying down and followed him. Of course, I was delighted to know that Ricky was already awake. And when we got there, I saw both Justine and Gigi standing surrounding Ricky. I walked beside them and examined Ricky who was sitting uncomfortably on the bunker bed.“How are you feeling?” Justine asked.Ricky did not say anything at first and he just roamed his eyes around us until it stopped to Gigi. And that’s when several questions came to my mind. I honestly don’t know what their relations are. Although I tried asking Gigi about that the last time, and she just gave me a vague answer. So, I figured out they don’t want to talk about that.“I’m doing good. How long have I been sleeping?” Ricky suddenly asked.The three of us surrounded him as Justine continued talking to him. “You&rsquo
When we got back to the base, it was already noon. It wasn’t really easy because we have to walk past through those rotten and they’re many of them along the road. As usual, the whole place was quiet. But I must say that Justine was right. The rain indeed helped us get back to the base safely and smoothly.And I just learned another thing from that journey.Rotten couldn’t see us nor hunt for their prey when it’s raining. I bet it’s something connected to their olfactory, because based on my observation when it’s raining, their sense of hearing doesn’t seem to function properly, since what they’re hearing first were the rain droplets.“Are you okay?” Justine asked as soon as we got outside the hummer.He had to park the car first as Peter continued to inspect the surroundings. When we finally got inside, Gigi was standing in fr
I don't need to be reminded twice. My fears were soothed by Justine's presence, and I sprang to my feet to fetch my baseball bat. Justine after me, double-checking everything I'd previously inspected. Of course, it frustrates and bothers me, but I kept my mouth silent because he had just saved my life from that life-death situation."What exactly are you searching for?" he enquired as he shifted his rifle gun. "Perhaps I can assist you to make it faster."I cleared my throat. “Anything that could fit us.”Finally, I made my way to the clothing section. Unzipping my rucksack, I began stuffing all the tops that caught my attention. There are sandos, shorts, and several other types of apparel. I grabbed anything that seemed like it might suit me, as well as clothes for my four other buddies. I ended up with around twenty shirts and bottoms in all. I also snatched some undergarments. There are rough
"Refrain from pulling the trigger until you're ready to shoot and attack.That's a significant error a lot of amateurs make while learning how to use a handgun," Justine explained. He was seated on the cushion next to me, and his hands were showing me what to do. "Remove the safety and pull the trigger, once you feel ready."I responded with a question, which elicited a peal of laughter from Justine. "How can I know whether the safety is turned on?"Ah, this is so embarrassing.I scowled at him, hating the fact that my cheeks were on fire with absolute shame. One person shouldn't be able to make someone feel so dumb, but Justine certainly did. Peter, on the other hand, does not laugh, which I appreciate and like about him the most. He just assisted Justine and showed me how to switch the safety on and off, as well as how to grasp the rifle properly and effectively.
I went into the bathroom first thing in the morning, along with a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, a cotton swab, and a new bandage and gauze. I spotted the wound on my lower leg after stripping away the previous bandage. When I went scavenging, I almost forgot I had this. When I looked down at my wound, I noticed it was a reddish-brown hue and gently swelled up whenever I touched it. The injury was mending, but I don't want to risk it becoming infected. So, I gently cleaned it, dried it, and applied a new bandage on it.Then I changed for the day in the new clothes that Gigi had picked out for me beforehand, and I felt terrific. My clothing wasn't grubby, ripped, or drenched in blood for the first time in months. I feel like a whole different person when I wear them. It was weird to imagine that something as fundamental as new clothing might brighten one's happiness, yet they do.Peter, Justine, Ricky, and Gigi were all seated at
The rotten strode out towards us, fighting the current at every step. It was going slowly, but with a clearly defined goal. We were probably the first-ever supper for the month, and it wasn't about to give up and abandon us. Gigi panicked and huddled behind me, expecting that I would be able to shield her. But I have no weapons and no plan other than to defend Gigi. I was the one who recommended swimming, and it's only because of my suggestion that we're in trouble right now. So I'm going to do whatever it takes to keep her safe right now."Gigi, go that way around the rotten and go back to the base," in an authoritative tone, I demanded.“But-”"No buts anymore, just leave!" I yelled as I rushed ahead, toward the rotten.It widened its mouth and screeched once again. It gently stretched out for me once I was within grasp. This rotten was older and less coordinated, swift, o
Peter nodded. “I’ll go find him some clean clothes to wear. The shirt might be a little tight since he’s so big compared to me, but it’ll have to do for now. You should help him get into the shower while I do that. Do you want me to go find the others?” “That’s probably a good idea,” I said. “Once he’s cleaned up, it should go smoothly.” Turning to Justine, I motioned to the stairs. “You remember where that bathroom is, right? Why don’t you go start a nice hot shower and I’ll be up there in a minute?” I sighed. “It’s too early to tell. He did turn and attack someone, but I’m not sure how much of it he remembers, or what kind of lasting affect it’ll have on his mind. I’m hoping he’ll be able to put it all behind him with some time and love and understanding.” “Be careful being alone with him,” Peter remarked. “I know you don’t wanna hear this, but he might be dangerous. I shouldn’t even be leaving you alone with him to go find him something to wear. The only reason I am is because it
Two months later. Joseph screamed, spit flying from his lips as he swung wildly at Clyde. He knocked another man to the ground before he could get out of the way, and he stepped on his back, vaulting off him and leaping at Clyde. He slams into Allen’s chest and drags him down to the ground with a startled shout. Before any of us could even react, he sunk his teeth into Clyde’s shoulder, tearing through the flesh. Clyde grunted as blood welled up and spilled down the front of his chest, staining his white shirt red. Michael and Billie were there in a heartbeat, dragging a kicking and screaming Joseph away from Clyde. I knelt down beside him, pressing a wad of clean napkins to the bleeding wound while trying to ignore the terrified whispers around the room. Thankfully the wound didn’t look too bad, but I’m sure it couldn’t feel very pleasant. Clyde hissed in pain as I pressed the napkins harder against his chest, trying to stem the flow of blood. “What set him off?” I asked. “I’m not
Unfortunately, I was one of the ones closest to the front.The rottens advanced on us, and Billie pulled the trigger again and again. One more rotten dropped, but the second just staggered as his shoulder jerked back from the impact. Peter fired, and the wounded rotten dropped to the ground, unmoving. The rest of them were on us, and I brought my weapon up. My heart was racing in my chest and my blood pounded like a drum in between my ears, creating a roar that blocked out everything except the harsh sound of my breathing.I pulled the trigger and my hand jerked from the force of the shot, but a rotten dropped. Three more drops to the ground courtesy of Billie and Peter, and I took out an eighth. Only four left; Billie took out two of them with relative ease, leaving the last two for me and Peter while he reloaded. Mine was too close to take the time to aim, so I just screamed in anger and hatred, swinging my weapon up before bringing it back down like a hammer, slamming into the rotte
Justine was going to die in the next couple of hours. He’s going to be ripped away from me, and then he’s going to come back. He'd probably end up being a rotten for at least a little bit while we get the cure to work. He’s going to suffer a fate worse than death.The tears streamed down my face and I started to choke. Justine pulled me closer as I cried, but for once it didn’t comfort me; it made me feel claustrophobic and smothered. Suddenly, I couldn't breathe or function. All I could do was cry and gasp for air like my lungs had been punctured or flattened like pancakes. I couldn’t lose him. I couldn’t. Please…Everyone kept their distance while Justine and I cried it out, and I was forever grateful for it. We needed the space and time to ourselves, even if we didn’t have the time to spare right now. I was dangerously close to breaking, and it was wise for them to keep their distance. All I wanted to do was scream and throw things and pull at my hair, cursing Dr. Melendez, the gove
As the celebration drew to a close, Justine and I headed back to our house. We took our time, enjoying the peacefulness of the night, not really minding the cold anymore as we enjoyed each other’s company. The others wandered along behind us, watching us with obvious concern. I knew they saw us together during the song, and I knew they saw how it affected us so deeply, but none of them know why or what to say. So they remained quiet and just watched, looking for any sign that something was wrong.When we reached the house, everyone gathered in the living room, taking up every available seat on the couch, chairs, and the floor. Clyde, Billie, and Michael joined us, and together we made a rough plan of attack. “Unfortunately, we don’t know the layout of this area where the lab is,” Clyde began. “And we don’t know the extent of the disease. So we’re going in blind and to an extent, we’ll just have to hope that things work out for the best. What we can plan for, however, is what to do in
“You did look a little green up there,” Xander said with a smirk.“You did great. It was a speech to go down in history,” Clyde replied. “I told Millie it would be, so she had someone write down the entire thing word for word, so we can put it in our records. People will remember that speech for a very long time.”Billie clapped his hands loudly. “Well, now that the official business is over with, who wants some booze?”“Yeah, what the hell,” Michael said, getting to his feet. “This might be our last chance ever to get drunk.”The two of them headed up to the front and grabbed red plastic cups, searching through the already open bottles of liquor for something to drink. Billie chose what looked like Captain Morgan spiced rum and he mixed it with coke, making his drink very strong. Michael went with seven and seven, using less liquor and more pop to take it down a notch.“What did they mean by ‘this might be our last chance ever to get drunk’?” Justine asked.“The three of us are headi
A quick glance out the window showed that it was no longer snowing, which was good for us. It'd make the drive tomorrow much easier if the roads don’t get any worse, and it'd be easier on us when we had to ditch the vehicles and continue on foot. I’m not sure of the layout of New York, but I assumed we’re not going to be driving straight up to the front door of a top-secret government facility. At the very least I’m sure there would be a fence, and maybe even more obstacles.I tore myself away from the window, sitting on the edge of the bed with Justine while I pulled on my boots. They zipped up easily, and I waited for him to ready himself mentally. He finally sighed and gets to his feet, following me to the door. The others were already waiting for us downstairs, and I saw Clyde, Billie, and Michael were all with them. This couldn’t be good…“What’s going on?”“Just a precaution,” Clyde assured. “Word got out about Justine being here, and there are a lot of unhappy campers. We just w
“If you’re right and you guys do succeed, everything is gonna change. Hope will be alive once again. We can actually begin rebuilding instead of just surviving. People won’t have to be afraid to search for their lost loved ones, or to fall in love again for fear of losing who they’ve given their heart to. So many possibilities, all because of one crazy scientist, and a group of kids crazy enough to go after him," Clyde looked back at us, his eyes shining with unshed tears and the smile on his face growing. “You’ll all have prominent spots in the community if you decide to return. Everyone will know who you are.”Peter’s cheeks turn red. “I don’t know about that,” he said, looking away. “I’ll be happy knowing we made a difference. I don’t need any kind of praise or validation from others. We had a duty to seek out this cure, and we did it. It’s nothing most people wouldn’t have done if given the chance.”“You really believe that?” Clyde asked, lifting one bushy eyebrow. “Huh. I can’t sa
Millie wasn’t the only person in the tent. There were two men in white coats with clipboards, and they ushered us farther into the tent. One closed the flap behind Justine, and he looked us over closely, probably trying to decide where to start with us. While Millie looked after Isabel, he motioned to several nearby chairs. “Take a seat. We’ll take you behind the curtain one at a time and have you undress for a quick examination.”“You’re shitting us, right?” Peter asked, eyes narrowing a fraction. “There is mother fucking snow on the ground. Do you honestly think any of us are stripping?”The doctor didn’t look up from his clipboard. “It’ll only take a moment. We can’t let you any farther into the community until you’ve been cleared. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to deal. The sooner you strip, the sooner you can get dressed again. You’ll be given some hot chocolate for your troubles while you wait for your friends to finish," he motioned to the screen behind him, tucked away into the c