Day 13

Gradually, I peeled my eyes apart with a soft groan.

Ringing sounded threw my hollow eardrums increasing the steady pounding in my head. Ugh. It's like someone took a hammer and smashed me in the back of the head. I dared not move. Everything ached so bad.

I shut my eyes against the piercing light and whimpered softly. I opened my lips to speak, "Help…" But only a soft raspy whisper came forth. I began to tremble. What happened? Where was everyone? I tried to engage my voice again, but nothing came out. My heart beat thrummed in my chest cavity creating panicky music; a rush of blood warmed my ears.

Behind closed lids, my eyes stung. As soon as my head began to shake, pain shot through the back of my skull. My breath caught in my throat as I slowly dared myself to turn my head. I lifted it gently from the floor and screamed out in pain, except it sounded more like a wild silent cry. Tears streamed down my cheeks, my chest erupted in fiery torture. What the hell was happening to me? Ben! Zoey! Help me! Fucking help me! Where the hell are you guys? I sobbed desperately, unable to move for the pain.

Day 8

"Don't forget the Ibuprofen we found in the cabinet." Zoey said as we packed essentials into our backpack.

"I got 'em." Ben replied, tossing them with flare across the room. They bounced off the edge of the table and into the bag. Zoey snorted.

"If only you were that talented when shooting."

"You wish you could be as good as me."

"As if." She smirked playfully. It was good to see them smile again. The last few days had been hard. Granted, I'd only known them for four, but the impending apocalypse left no room for depression. So many at school got sick. Hopefully they were better. Hopefully a cure was being administered in a nearby city. I sniffed in disdain. Not likely.

A pang of sorrow pricked my heart. Daniel. Nightmares still plagued me about the train. God, I hope I don't have to do that to Ben or Zoey. We already lost… lost Sage in a…freak accident. I don't think I can take much more. But I have to do what I can.

I brushed my pants free of loose dirt and groaned at the mud caked around the ankles. My shoes were a lost cause. My mother would have a hissy fit trying to replace them. I wondered who had worn my pants… I shuddered and had the distinct urge to rip them off and go bare. But I relented against the idea of being out in the freezing rain and having the drops slide down my bare calves and thighs. Hell no. Dead body or no dead body, I wasn't going to discard pants that would protect me from hypothermia.

"Chill, woman. A little dirt never killed anyone." Ben leaned against the wall leisurely.

"You don't know that." He shrugged.

"Man, you need to get laid. Maybe it would loosen you up." He winked at me. My cheeks flooded with crimson. What the hell was his problem? But rather than the anger I'd thought I had to fight down, I found myself withholding laughter. He's totally back to normal. Stupid emotions. Uh oh.

"Shut up. It's been four days since we met and I doubt you had any before then."

"What are you saying?" He perked up, intrigued.

"I'm saying that little Jimmy is talking for you." I smirked and threw him a bottle of water.

"You little-"

"We need to get moving. Do you have the map, Ben?" Zoey interjected quickly, but casually.

"Yeah I have it, but my head's just fine! I'm not sex crazed!"

"Coulda fooled me." I retorted playfully and heaved my gun up. Err, this thing is heavy. I pulled it around my back and secured it in place. Yeah, let my back do most of the work.

"… not going to get away with that." Apparently, I had tuned him out. Zoey ushered us over.

"Look over here." We moved over to the glassless windows and peered out over the fence barring our escape to the streets beyond.

"What are we looking at?" I asked. I saw a bunch of large buildings and a few rats. Come to think of it, I hadn't seen much life at all. Not a single bird in the sky, or spider in a web. Other than rats, it remained dead in this part of the city.

"There are lights on in the building." I followed her finger to a distant apartment complex that looked familiar.

"I think my apartment is over there! It's not mine, but somewhere nearby."

"That's back where we came from, Zo."Ben complained in a hushed whisper trying not to kill my excitement.

"It's the only shot we have. There may be help." I paused. No, this wasn't right. This wasn't what we were supposed to do.

"We'd be back tracking." I said quietly.

"It took us days to get here. It's wet and we may find clues up ahead." For once Ben and I agreed on something.

"Mercy Hospital is just around the corner." Figuratively speaking. We could see the green letters lighting up the top of the building. It wasn't far.

"There's no life around here." She gestured out in the open as a gust of wind blew in. I shivered from the nippy air. Stay away wind. I don't want to get sick! I can't be fighting some strange alien flu and the common cold too. My mind went through a million infections I could contract. Staff. Flu. Cold. Cough. Pneumonia. "…stores on the other side. We haven't been able to access anything around here and we're running low on supplies. Better to backtrack than to starve to death or freeze to death."

Ben growled lightly and bit his lip. She's right though. But my gut told me to keep going. "Zoey, we can still make it to Mercy Hospital and get help. It's not far, and I'm sure there are plenty of doctors to help."

"If there are, they're probably administering to the already infected people. They'll still be there when we get back. We're only losing two days."

"Almost three." I countered.

"We'll be lucky if the doctors aren't over run too. How do you know they're not immune to whatever the hell this is going around? We'd be walking into a death sentence." Ben seethed.

"If you don't want to go back and you don't want to go forward, where do you suggest we go?" Zoey folded her arms across her chest in a standoff. Like brother and sister. In any other circumstance this might be cute. Frustrated, he ran his fingers through his hair.

"We go back. We can find a store that's still running, gather supplies and hole up in an apartment until help arrives." No one would see us there though. Unless he hopes CEDA comes back or they find a vaccine in time.

"We need to keep going. We can only defend for so long and there might be help at the hospital."

"Might be."

"There are no guarantees in your plan either, smart ass!" I snapped. This isn't fair! We can't go back now. We can't give up! We have to keep going.

"Would you two shut up?" Zoey interrupted. "We need to work together." The tense air intensified as both me and Ben blew out a huff of hot air. We turned away from each other. Ben pretended to be double checking the backpack even though they had everything and I meandered awkwardly looking for anything could use. We searched this room a dozen times already. "We go back, store up on supplies, and head for No Mercy." We nodded once. Ben didn't like it any more than I did, but it included something from everyone.

Day 10

We backtracked toward the previous safe room as the sun began to rise. We passed the site where Sage's dead body lied covered beneath rubble of the gas station. I found myself walking in that direction. It was so cold outside. I could see my breath mist in front of me as I breathed. I suppressed a giggle as I remembered Sage carelessly tossing his hoodie over his head, proud that he'd been the only one to think ahead.

"Trina?"

"I know, I know." A few loose threads from his hoodie lingered over loose rock. Loose rock? My hearted quickened. As I descended the latter from the lift, I noticed rocks were strewn everywhere. I rushed over to the burial site. Gravel looked as if it had caved into a small crevice where Sage was buried. "Guys! Look!" I heard a soft groan.

"Come on, Trina." We don't have time for this. I felt Zoey at my shoulder.

"Ben, look." She rummaged through the loose dirt and pebbles, letting them sift through her fingers. Ew, don't touch his body. It's probably decayed and withered by now. I squeezed my eyes shut tight.

"Where is he?" Ben's deep voice resonated quietly in the large area. My eyes flew open.

"What?" I pushed Zoey aside and began digging fruitlessly. Where Sage's body had been was nothing but dirt.

Ben tensed. "Be on the look- out."

Zoey's voice came slowly, in disbelief. "We need to keep moving." My heart thumped loudly in my breast and nodded slightly. Sage. He might be alive! We'll find you!

Ben took the lead, walking cautiously and checking every corner. Zoey guarded the back, turning around with gun in hand just in case we were followed. The darkness seeped into our limbs, making the dull and tired. Ugh. My legs hurt so bad. I dropped back to Zoey.

"Hey, I think we should stop soon. We're all feeling the day and I know I freaking hurt all over." We both peered at Ben and noticed his slightly limping gait.

"Hey, dude, let's call it a night and get some shut eye." She called. Ben turned hesitantly.

"We can't stop here. It's not covered." He was right. The middle of a dank alley was no place to make camp. Droplets of water patted against my shoulder. I looked up and blinked. Stupid rain.

"Will this rain ever stop?" I griped.

"I hope so. It sucks not having a weather app to check." That's right! None of us had phones on us. Ahhh. This day just kept getting worse. I hit my head lightly on the brick wall beside me.

Ben came over to us. "Hey, the pawn shop is just around the corner. We'll be dry in there." His light voice left me all tingly.

Day 13

Ben. Ben. Come back for me. You promised you'd come back for me! My body shook with sobs. I wiggled my cold fingers. I could barely feel them. My heart dropped. My entire core trembled in fear. I lifted my hands. So far no pain. My forearms supported by my elbows. I let them fall. I took deep breaths to calm my heart. I could lift my arms! My right arm shook as I guided it to my face. Cold fingers wiped my cheeks.

Ever so slowly, I let my eyes open just a crack. Smooth white curve. My brain registered this as the underside of a train chair. My head roared with pain. Worst fucking migraine ever. A wet sob escaped my lips as the blurriness faded. Why was everything so red? The walls had a reddish hue to them, as if a film at been placed over my eyes. I began to panic again. What the hell is going on? Where am I? I jerked as if to lift myself from the ground and heard a sickening tear from the back of my skull. I screamed in agony, a full throaty screech. I whirled and caught myself on a bench. No, not bench, chair. Cushioned. Why was it on its side? Blood everywhere.

Where my head had been, dark red flesh clung to the floor where my aching skull had stuck. Quaking, I tumbled backwards. My hands cautiously felt the back of my head, my face scoured in tears of red. My fingers found a patch of missing hair and flesh. A terrified cry tore from my lips. I ran from the narrow cart and into a large cavern. No. No, I recognized this place. Uh… Subway. Subway. I curled up into a ball in the corner and cried tears of blood. Someone will find me, they have to.