Note: Hello, my dearests! Finally, an update. I hope everyone's been having a great November.

Music: Vance Joy - Riptide

Virulent

Chapter 12

She woke up first, yawning groggily. Today felt different. It was like she had stepped over a barrier.

Crossed a finish line.

Jumped over a hurdle.

She felt like a different person. Then, she realized why. The warm body, partially hidden underneath hers, moved slightly. She lifted her head to see the five o'clock shadow on Edward's face.

She could never understand boys. To think that in a moment of panic and horror, regarding the invasion of Skeletals into the human population, they had had enough time to grab shaving cream. After two and a half weeks in the national park, Jasper and Edward had gotten a reasonable amount of facial hair. Both preferring to be cleanly shaven on ordinary days, they decided that it was cool to shave their beards with the knives that they had brought with them.

It often made Bella feel like she was Jane from Tarzan. She even wondered if Edward would start swinging from tree to tree soon.

From then on, shaving became a routine. Perhaps, it made them feel normal again. The boys didn't shave every day. Usually it was twice a week or, at most, three times a week.

However, she had to thank them for thinking about Aunt Flo. It was a miracle that they had also grabbed some disposable, menstrual pads and tampons from the shops (when Bella had been knocked out). Unfortunately, in terms of timing, Aunt Flo decided to visit Bella last night, after her make-out session with Edward. It made Bella blush but Edward had simply kissed her flaming cheeks and laughed for a bit.

For Bella to still be getting her period, it signified she was a healthy, functioning woman in the midst of a pandemic. She hadn't seen a Skeletal in over a month, at this point. It was a calming thought. It provided her a sense of false reassurance that they could potentially outlive the outbreak. They could hide forever, in the bushes. Two pairs of lovers now, instead of just one.

Bella tried to imagine living off seafood for the next few months in the unforeseeable future. She wrinkled her nose at the thought.

Turning away from her daydreams, she looked back at Edward. Bella kissed Edward's jaw, resting her palm over his heart as she stared at the sleeping man. She peppered his face with appreciative kisses- from his forehead to his nose and to his chin. He shifted slightly, tightening his hold on Bella.

"Wake up, sleepy-head," Bella whispered.

Edward mumbled unintelligibly. Bella felt her head move as Edward yawned and stretched his body, breathing in deeply. He seemed to remember what had happened yesterday as he stared into Bella's eyes with a delighted look of surprise.

He absently played with Bella's shirt as he thought about what could happen if both of them got out of this alive. Suddenly, his thoughts morphed into something dark. No, he thought, I can't think about a future without her. Edward couldn't bear the thought of living through Bella dying. Bella transforming. He couldn't even bear the thought of anyone- Jasper, Alice, his parents- transforming into monstrous creatures.

Bella sighed contently. She wanted to hide in the tent forever. Hide with Edward and pretend that there was nothing wrong with their planet. She wanted to bathe in denial and swim in ignorance. She just wanted him.

The two of them.

Alone but together.

In this world.

But she knew that life didn't work in patterns. Life wasn't fair. The world did not revolve around her. It did not revolve around any of them.

She would have to be grateful for the time she spent with Edward, for any moment could be their last.

He seemed to sense her worry as he advised her to not overthink the future and its endless possibilities.

"How are you so calm? Don't all philosophers overthink?" she said. He chuckled, kissing her soft hair.

"Not all," he replied. In the safety of their tent, they were reminded of old times. They were reminded of a time when all they cared about was a blossoming future for their careers and success stories that they may, one day, tell. Now, they couldn't imagine a future without each other.

They would try their hardest to preserve their happy ending. Even if it meant over their dead bodies.

"We should've remembered to bring a board game with us," Jasper said, one night.

"I don't have any board games though, Jazz," Alice said.

"Yeah but Bella has quite a few," Edward said. "Monopoly, Clue-"

"Don't remind me," grumbled Jasper. "We've got no entertainment."

"We're in the middle of some crazy apocalypse and you want entertainment?" Bella asked, slowly.

Jasper chuckled sheepishly. Jasper's family hailed from Texas, but he had been an orphan since the ripe age of six. He spent most of his childhood adjusting to numerous foster homes. Jasper Whitlock had been the typical bad-boy with the typical, bad reputation. He kissed 'em breathless and left 'em the next morning. But Jasper's agenda took a turn for the better when he met Alice. To put it bluntly, she just wouldn't take any of his bullshit.

"Hey, where's that radio?" Alice asked, looking around her. They hadn't touched that thing in God knows how long.

"Lucas is probably sleeping with it in the car," Bella said.

"He's such an independent kitty," Alice muttered. "We should get a cat too, Jasper."

"Do you think we should update ourselves with what's been happening? It's been a while since any of us have hiked up to the roads to check," Jasper said, talking about the radio. "Hey babe, if you go with me and hike up to the roads, I'll have some time to think about that pussy."

Jasper leaned over, puckering his lips at Alice. He was clearly proud of his joke. She swatted him away and thought, deep and hard.

"I don't think there would be any good news by now. There must be survivor camps being set up though. They might be worth checking out," Alice stated.

Alice had always been a natural leader, but she was one to follow her heart rather than her head. Alice Brandon's parents were divorced after Mrs Brandon caught Mr Brandon in bed with his secretary. The divorce had been a heavy process that took a toll on a nineteen year-old Alice. But it made her a stronger person in the end.

"Isn't it weird that we haven't run into any Skeletals yet? I mean, it's been quite some time and we still haven't seen one since that night that we left," Bella said, looking around the bushes with fear. "Where d'you think they all went?"

"I don't think they went anywhere. They could be hiding nearby. But I think we should be safe for now," Edward piped up. "Or maybe it's just a coincidence that we haven't seen one for so long. Though, it isn't wise to rely on our luck so much."

"You know, we can just stay here," Alice observed. "We can hunt, fish, try to adapt. Maybe we'll become... cave-people. We can outlive this virulent disease. This silly nightmare. We can defeat this whole pandemic."

"I guess we could," Edward murmured. He looked at Bella's worried face, wanting to kiss her again, wanting to push away her distress.

He closed his eyes. The last time she had been in his arms, she was a bundle of love and softness all over. He wanted to hold her and make love to her. All day, everyday. He'd do that if he could. If they weren't stuck in the middle of muted chaos.

Edward noticed Jasper and Alice sharing lovey-dovey glances with each other. They were ready to get it on. Edward shook his head as he quietly laughed to himself. It seemed like they were all healthy, hormonal people despite their unlucky situation.

Edward started to kiss Bella's neck as her giggles filled his ears. Playfully, Bella growled at him as he sucked on her skin, refusing to relent. She's such a tease, Edward thought, smiling. They ended up rolling around on the ground. Kissing. Enjoying.

However, they became unaware of the real, growling noises from the treeline.

There wasn't just one figure. There were four.

As if it was mirroring the four human beings in an eerie manner. As if it was dangling a key image of their demise, painting a vision of what the four breathing, living friends could easily turn into if they weren't careful enough. As if it was presenting a scene, in mankind's history and mankind's future, of what was about to come next. Of what would happen to their fated course.

The golden eyes of the creatures shone brightly under the night sky.

Like carbon monoxide smoking out of an exhaust pipe, luck was finally running out.

Creepy. But hey, glowing, golden eyes are cool!

Love, perpetually.