CONTENT WARNING. This chapter is kinda gory ish. (I use the word blood a lot?)
Also Character death warning. There is killing/death in this chapter.
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Chapter Seven: Listen, For Once.
Everyone sat around the school's cafeteria, picking at old cans of beans with plastic forks while conversing with one another. This is how it was on normal days. Beemo sat in his corner, fiddling with an old Gameboy that he's spent the past week working on to make it work again. Jake sat with his white and daughter, with the addition of Finn. Finn normally would sit with Phoebe, but she was gone now. Shelby, Piper, and Braco were placed near Bonnibel on occasions. Usually they had Cinna with them but he has been bed ridden since last week. They were all surprised he's lasted this long.
This also would be about the time Fionna would join Bonnibel and keep her company as she watched over the group trying to enjoy themselves. But now she sat alone, head leaned back on the corner of the table and one leg crossed over the other. She wasn't eating, she wasn't hungry. She had completely lost her appetite and though her body was starving, she didn't feel it.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw the familiar black hared figure making her own way towards the table Bonnibel was placed at. Marceline sat next to her, avoiding any bit of eye contact. In her hands she had a jar of cherries. She popped on into her mouth as she offered the jar to Bonnibel, whom politely declined.
"You need to eat something, Bonnie." Marceline sighed. She set the jar on the table behind her. She didn't get a response from the girl sat beside her. "I've been here for what, three, four days now? I've maybe seen you eat once or twice." Marceline tried, but Bonnibel continued ignoring her. "Alright, did I do something wrong? You've hardly given me the time of day since yesterday morning." Silence. "Was… was it because we slept together?" Bonnibel allowed her gaze to fall to the floor as her head tilted downward. "Look, Bonnie, if you didn't want to I would've backed off, I wouldn't have-"
"Marceline, shut up." Bonnibel leaned forward and hid her face in her hands. "You didn't do anything." Marceline let out a sigh of relief as she relaxed herself.
"Then why are you giving me the cold shoulder?"
"Because although what happened wasn't your fault, it was a mistake. I made a mistake. I was too caught up in my emotions that I wasn't thinking properly and did something stupid." Marceline had to hold back. That did hurt her a little, because she had grown small feelings for Bonnibel. Even if they weren't strong feelings, they were still feelings.
"M'lady, Marceline, I have finished my meal and was wondering if there were any duties to attend to?" Piper approached the two women, and to Bonnibel's relief ended an awkward conversation with Marceline. Bonnibel looked up at the greying red head. Piper was rather young, it always amazed Bonnibel how he was already growing grey hairs.
"I think we are fine for now, thank you Piper." Piper nodded at Bonnibel. He pivoted on his heal, turning himself completely around. "Wait, Piper." Bonnibel called out for him. "Could you actually go check on Cinna? I don't think anyone has since last night."
"Yes miss, of course." Bonnibel nodded in appreciated towards Piper as he made his way down the hall and towards Cinna's room. It was silent once again with only the sounds of small chatter coming from the rest of the group. Bonnie stood up on her feet, stretching her arms out wide. She faced Marceline. She leaned forward and reached over Marceline's shoulder to pick a cherry out from the jar placed behind her. She ate the one cherry and soon turned around to walk away from the other woman.
"Wait, Bonnie! I wasn't finished talking." Marceline called out.
"I was." Marceline sighed. She leaned back onto the uncomfortable table and looked up at the ceiling lights. Those lights probably wouldn't even turn on if they had electricity.
Bonnibel sat down next to Finn, who had been rambling on about some movie he saw right before the outbreak. She'd never seen the movie herself, but she knew which one he had been talking about.
"Oh, Hey Bonnie! Do you want some ravioli?" Finn offered his can and plastic fork to Bonnie.
"No thank you, Finn." Bonnibel raised her hand and shook her head to Finn, declining his offer. As Finn opened his mouth to say something, Piper came stumbling into the room, quickly looking around to spot Bonnibel. He ran over to her, panting softly.
"Miss, Cinna… he-" Piper paused, trying to catch his breath.
"Piper, what happened? Is Cinna okay?" Bonnibel jumped to her feet.
"He isn't in his room." The cafeteria fell silent. Piper had said that loud enough for the entire group to hear. Everyone suddenly grew worried, because they all knew he was far too sick to even be on his feet, let alone get out of bed and start walking around. Without another second, Bonnie bolted out of the cafeteria, down the hallway and into Cinna's room. She ran inside and looked around. Empty. Her eyes settled on blood splatter that lead out into the hallway. It had been smeared like a foot was dragged through it.
"Oh fuck." Bonnibel cursed. She ran back down the hallway and into the cafeteria where everyone was standing around with worried faces. "Piper, do you have your gun?" Piper nodded, pulling the weapon out from his pants. "Okay, go with Finn and Jake to look for Cinna down the left hallway. Keep your eyes peeled, and be careful. If my theory is correct, he may have turned." The men nodded, all pulling out their own weapons and headed down the hall. "Shelby," Bonnibel faced the lanky man. She pulled out one of her own weapons and handed it to him. "You're coming with Marceline and me down the right hallway, you know how to work a gun, correct?"
"I-I do." Shelby cocked the weapon, getting a feel for how it worked.
"Rain and Junior, stay here and watch over Beemo. If anything happens, you need to keep each other safe, okay?" The girls nodded, pulling out their own weapons. "Braco." Bonnibel paused, sighing to herself. "Just stay in here and keep out of everyone's way. Please." She begged.
"But Princess, I can help!" Braco insisted.
"No! This could be a life or death situation and it is my job to keep you safe."
"But-"
"No! Now stay right fucking here or I will shoot you myself!" Bonnibel quickly turned around and started down the hallway, Shelby and Marceline soon to follow. The trio quietly made their way down the dim hallway, peeking into every door they passed with their guns cocked and ready.
"Bonnibel," Shelby started. "What do you think has happened to him?"
"I'm not sure." Bonnibel whispered. "If he's alive, he might just be disoriented and got himself lost. If he's…" she swallowed the knot in her throat, "he might be infected too."
After just minutes of wondering the halls looking for Cinna, they've come across nothing. No blood trail, not even a sound. The entire school was silent except for the loud pounding in Bonnibel's chest. She had not wanted to admit it, but she was terrified of how she might find Cinna. She wasn't the only scared one either. Marceline was almost petrified. This situation reminded her of a video game she once played a few years back. It didn't involve zombies, but it was a horror game that took place in an abandoned school. And oh, there were many, many jump scares. The silent wondering, the dim lighting, it was all there. She'd never expected to experience this type of fear outside of a computer screen.
They all were so afraid that when a small rat scurried across their path, Marceline shrieked and almost fired her weapon before Shelby stopped her.
"Hey hey hey, it's just a rat, calm down." Shelby whispered as he pat Marceline on the back. Despite the situation, Bonnibel couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her lips.
"What," Marceline tried catching her breath, "You think that's funny?" Marceline frowned.
"A little, yeah. Don't worry, it scared me too."
"Come on guys." Shelby was about to suggest they continue their search, but before he could say much they were interrupted by a loud, echoing scream.
.
.
.
The other three located across the school weren't in a much different position. They searched the hallways in fear, double checking every corner in each room they looked in, every hallway they walked down. The three didn't leave anything unsearched. Piper moved swiftly in front of Finn and Jake, checking the turns down a new hallway before motioning that it was safe to proceed. After so long of searching and leading back to the same hallway they started in, Piper lowered his gun, letting out a deep breath.
"We checked the entire left side of the building and nothing. If he was wondering the school, he isn't on this side. I hope Bonnibel and the others are okay." Piper sighed.
"She's with Marceline and Shelby, I'm sure they are fine." Jake reassured Piper.
"Yeah dude. Bonnibel is tough, and Marceline seems pretty bad ass. If they run into Cinna they will be just fine." Finn stuffed his weapon back into the back of his pants. "Come on, we should go back and check on the others."
As they three headed back to the cafeteria, they heard the same blood curling scream. A scream of help, a scream of terror. They've never ran faster in their lives.
.
.
.
Bonnibel bolted down the halls, swiftly turning every corner until she was back to the cafeteria. She looked around the find Rain and Junior siting in the corner with Beemo.
"Are you guys okay?" Bonnibel panted. The three stood up as they nodded.
"We are fine. We heard the scream, where is Finn and Jake? They're with Piper right?" Rain stuttered. She was worried something may have happened to her husband. She was filled with relief as she saw the three come running down the opposite hallway and back into the cafeteria.
"I heard a scream, are you guys okay?" Jake hugged his daughter tightly before doing the same with his wife. "I was worried something happened to you two.
"Yes darling we are okay. When they came running we had thought the screaming was coming from you guys."
"Rain, Junior… where is Braco?" Bonnibel looked around the entire room, not seeing him anywhere.
"I- I don't know. After you guys went searching he left and laid down in the corner. You don't think…"
"That fucking idiot." Bonnibel cursed. She clenched her teeth with so much force she could have snapped her own tooth. She held onto her pistol and went stomping down the corridors. "Braco!" Bonnibel yelled. The only response was the echo of her own voice.
"Bonnie!" Marceline whispered harshly from a few feet back.
"Not now, Marce." Bonnibel hissed, continuing down the corridors.
"You can't just run off like that alone! Especially not in this situation. I'm coming with you now slow down." Marceline grabbed Bonnie's shoulder to stop her. Bonnibel jerked forward to detach from her hold. She walked further ahead of Marceline as she tried to catch up. The two were stopped in their tracks instantly as they turned the corner.
"Oh, Christ." Bonnibel gasped as she covered her mouth. Marceline gave off the same reaction. They were almost disgusted at what they saw.
In front of them lay a pool of blood on the tiled floor. Blood was splattered all across the lockers and even up to the ceiling. In the center of the hall lay a lifeless, blood soaked body that was almost too beaten to identify. The head was smashed in with a metal pipe that was left in the pool of blood. That's when they noticed a sitting figure just a few yards further. They were in fetal position, rocking back and forth mumbling to themselves.
"Braco…" Bonnibel whispered, slowly stepping closer to the figure. Braco shot up as he heard his name. He struggled to get to his feet, his legs almost like jelly.
"Princess, Cinna. He- he attacked me. I didn't know what else to do, I just wanted to help and-" He began to stammer.
"I told you to stay put." Bonnibel fumed. "You put your life in danger. No, you put everyone's life in danger because you wouldn't fucking listen to me! What would have happened if you were bit, huh? You could have infected this whole god damn group! Then it would be all over for us, because you decided to be a fucking idiot and not listen to me!" Bonnibel raged. She hasn't been this fumed in years. Actually, she's never been this angry. Not once in the 25 years of being on this earth has she ever been this angry with someone.
"Bonnie," Marceline mumbled, resting her hand on Bonnibel's shoulder. She tensed up at the sudden touch, almost about to curse at Marceline too. She quickly pulled away her arm. "Look at his ankle." Bonnibel did look at his ankle. She cursed at herself for not even noticing it before. Braco's pants were torn around his calf, his leg covered in fresh blood. Under all that blood, there was a deep gash in his ankle in the shape of human teeth.
"You…" Bonnibel paused as she tried collecting her thoughts. She took a few steps closer to Braco, now only arm's length away. She looked into his brown eyes with sorrow.
"Princess please, I – I didn't mean to get bitten. I tried getting away but he- he just," Braco pleaded. His tears ran down his cheeks, mixing with the drops of blood.
"Shut up." Bonnibel hissed. There were too many emotions running through her right now. Sadness, annoyance, anger, all of it. It was too much for her to handle. Bonnibel's eyes started to water, hesitating before raising her gun. She pressed it against Braco's forehead. "I'm sorry." She muttered. Braco nodded as he closed his eyes. Bonnibel turned her head to the side as she squeezed her eyes shut. She pulled her index finger back to release a loud crack from her pistol.
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Real talk here. There has been a lot going on with a lot of lesbian characters dying in shows and i know it is hurting a lot of us and affecting us in such harsh ways. I just want to confirm that there will NOT be a tragedy like that in Infectious. No matter what happens (trust me i already have stuff planned and written) No matter what you think is going to happen. There will be no lesbian or bisexual main character deaths in my story. (and by that I mean Bonnibel and Marceline.)