"Hello?"
"Darien . . ."
"What's wrong Michelle?"
"I don't think we should go out anymore."
My eyes snap open. A Dream? Wait a minute . . . what happened? I was looking for my sister. I just left Kandy and then . . . Did I black out?
The American flag is still draped over me. It seems like it should be a lot of weight on my shoulders, but it's not. It just rests there, covering my back. My thoughts are so odd. Why am I thinking like this?
I'm near the English department. I was at the Nurse's office a minute ago. What the hell happened? I see a few kids in the hallway. I think my vision is fuzzy or something because they look brown. I rub my eyes and look at them again but they are still brown. I know they aren't black kids or anything, I recognize a few of them. They look almost . . . burnt? They keep screaming. What the hell is happening to them? Things seem brighter now. Why is that? My legs feel like Jell-O. But not Jell-O . . . they are shaking but they have this burning sensation. Like I just ran a mile nonstop. This is so weird. I feel weird. Have I blinked? My God. I haven't blinked in a few minutes. Can I blink?
I try not to freak myself out. I've just got to find my sister and then we can go to the nurse's office and everything will be okay. I walk away from the burnt kids and the charred walls. I look into each classroom. They contain unspeakable horror. Each door has a window in it. Half were covered in blood and gore.
I feel lightheaded. I try to close my eyes but I remember that I can't. Why did this happen? Okay. Focus.
I'm being erratic but at least I can tell, so I know I have some control.
What's going on? I keep thinking about girls that I am in love with. There are so many. Why are there so many? Love is supposed to be special. Dammit! Stop this! Focus. Find Caitlin. I've got to find my sister? Why? Before whatever hit, I was content with my family loving me and I loving them but now that I've survived I want to find her.
Stop this! Stop thinking.
I continue down the hallway over charred bodies and some how I'm not repulsed. None of this has really made me physically sick. I should have my head in a toilet somewhere but this stuff isn't bothering me. Why? Even when I was thinking about love it wasn't bothering me. I just don't want to think about it now. Why am I so calm about this?
I have to continue down this hallway. I'm not sure why. Oh yeah. My sister. Caitlin. Have to find her.
Is that her? No. There's a bloody torso where the ceiling collapsed on some kid. What about that girl there? No. That's Mandy Morrison. I've called her Snow White because of her pale skin and short black hair. She hasn't said a word in the four years I've been here. Dammit I've got to stop thinking like this. I keep digressing my thoughts. That is odd though. Mandy is smiling. But it's kinda creepy . . .
I've come to the pool. The door windows are all cloudy, I can't see through the steam. I slowly push the door open.
"Caitlin?" I say.
I take back what I said before. I can't not be physically sick by this. I can taste my dinner surging up through my throat and I can feel the bile burning my gums. The smell is overwhelming. Victoria Burton. Crystal Crowley. Suzie Hironaki. Judy Cronin. They were on the girls swimming team. There was a big meet later today. They were just practicing. My god. It looks like minestrone. No. More like tomato soup, with the occasional potato. Blood and Chlorine. Some organs. Some hair. And their bathing suits are just floating. Why?
"Dear God," I say.
"Oh don't fret, Darien," says a voice. "It doesn't hurt."
I'm insane. It's official. No doubt.
"It's okay Darien. It's me Judy," says the voice.
"Judy? What's going on?" I ask.
"I survived. There was no pain," says the voice.
"How? Where are you?" I ask.
"In the water," says Judy.
"Judy, you're dead. I'm just imagining this," I say out loud to myself.
"Darien. I'm alive. I can feel the others in here too. I'm afraid it was rather painful for them. They are swimming around in my head," says the voice.
"No. You're dead!"
I'm hit with it. The blood and pool water splashes up and hits me in the face. It's in my nose and I can taste it on my lips. I have never tasted death before and I don't like it.
"Dammit Darien. Snap out of it!" Something is happening here!" says the voice. "Can't you tell? I mean haven't you seen your eyes?"
"What about my eyes?" I ask.
"Look," says the voice as I look down at my red reflection. My eyes are white. And not just a plain white. They glow. Almost bright but not like the sun or a light bulb. It doesn't hurt to look into the light.
"What's happening?"
"Everything is changing, Darien. Nothing is the same."
"Darien . . ."
"What's wrong Michelle?"
"I don't think we should go out anymore."
My eyes snap open. A Dream? Wait a minute . . . what happened? I was looking for my sister. I just left Kandy and then . . . Did I black out?
The American flag is still draped over me. It seems like it should be a lot of weight on my shoulders, but it's not. It just rests there, covering my back. My thoughts are so odd. Why am I thinking like this?
I'm near the English department. I was at the Nurse's office a minute ago. What the hell happened? I see a few kids in the hallway. I think my vision is fuzzy or something because they look brown. I rub my eyes and look at them again but they are still brown. I know they aren't black kids or anything, I recognize a few of them. They look almost . . . burnt? They keep screaming. What the hell is happening to them? Things seem brighter now. Why is that? My legs feel like Jell-O. But not Jell-O . . . they are shaking but they have this burning sensation. Like I just ran a mile nonstop. This is so weird. I feel weird. Have I blinked? My God. I haven't blinked in a few minutes. Can I blink?
I try not to freak myself out. I've just got to find my sister and then we can go to the nurse's office and everything will be okay. I walk away from the burnt kids and the charred walls. I look into each classroom. They contain unspeakable horror. Each door has a window in it. Half were covered in blood and gore.
I feel lightheaded. I try to close my eyes but I remember that I can't. Why did this happen? Okay. Focus.
I'm being erratic but at least I can tell, so I know I have some control.
What's going on? I keep thinking about girls that I am in love with. There are so many. Why are there so many? Love is supposed to be special. Dammit! Stop this! Focus. Find Caitlin. I've got to find my sister? Why? Before whatever hit, I was content with my family loving me and I loving them but now that I've survived I want to find her.
Stop this! Stop thinking.
I continue down the hallway over charred bodies and some how I'm not repulsed. None of this has really made me physically sick. I should have my head in a toilet somewhere but this stuff isn't bothering me. Why? Even when I was thinking about love it wasn't bothering me. I just don't want to think about it now. Why am I so calm about this?
I have to continue down this hallway. I'm not sure why. Oh yeah. My sister. Caitlin. Have to find her.
Is that her? No. There's a bloody torso where the ceiling collapsed on some kid. What about that girl there? No. That's Mandy Morrison. I've called her Snow White because of her pale skin and short black hair. She hasn't said a word in the four years I've been here. Dammit I've got to stop thinking like this. I keep digressing my thoughts. That is odd though. Mandy is smiling. But it's kinda creepy . . .
I've come to the pool. The door windows are all cloudy, I can't see through the steam. I slowly push the door open.
"Caitlin?" I say.
I take back what I said before. I can't not be physically sick by this. I can taste my dinner surging up through my throat and I can feel the bile burning my gums. The smell is overwhelming. Victoria Burton. Crystal Crowley. Suzie Hironaki. Judy Cronin. They were on the girls swimming team. There was a big meet later today. They were just practicing. My god. It looks like minestrone. No. More like tomato soup, with the occasional potato. Blood and Chlorine. Some organs. Some hair. And their bathing suits are just floating. Why?
"Dear God," I say.
"Oh don't fret, Darien," says a voice. "It doesn't hurt."
I'm insane. It's official. No doubt.
"It's okay Darien. It's me Judy," says the voice.
"Judy? What's going on?" I ask.
"I survived. There was no pain," says the voice.
"How? Where are you?" I ask.
"In the water," says Judy.
"Judy, you're dead. I'm just imagining this," I say out loud to myself.
"Darien. I'm alive. I can feel the others in here too. I'm afraid it was rather painful for them. They are swimming around in my head," says the voice.
"No. You're dead!"
I'm hit with it. The blood and pool water splashes up and hits me in the face. It's in my nose and I can taste it on my lips. I have never tasted death before and I don't like it.
"Dammit Darien. Snap out of it!" Something is happening here!" says the voice. "Can't you tell? I mean haven't you seen your eyes?"
"What about my eyes?" I ask.
"Look," says the voice as I look down at my red reflection. My eyes are white. And not just a plain white. They glow. Almost bright but not like the sun or a light bulb. It doesn't hurt to look into the light.
"What's happening?"
"Everything is changing, Darien. Nothing is the same."