Shun

What could I do? There's nothing I can do…. Alice was gripping her bitten hand, and crying as she looked at it in horror. I looked on with her. There were so many regrets running through my mind. I didn't admit I care for her. I didn't kiss her…I didn't keep her safe. That one stung the most. After she told me she felt safe around me, and I couldn't even protect her. I heard Dan tell the others behind me, "Ok. Everyone return to their rooms. Please just give us some time with our friend."

Their footsteps faded into the hallway, and doors slammed closed. I felt Dan put his hand on my shoulder, and I looked at it. I knew what he wanted to tell me. He wanted to say, "How's it feel to know that the only person you care about more than anyone in the world, is going to die? Not too fun, is it?" Alice's sobs had started to disappear, and I thought she may be accepting what had happened. She said, "My bite…..It's not bleeding anymore." Dan and I both looked at it. Sure enough, the wound had ceased pouring blood, and seemed to be healing. So far, anyone we had seen with a bite, couldn't stop bleeding and heal.

Dan grabbed her hand and said, "Maybe they didn't bite you hard enough to infect you." Dan was trying to lighten things up. Everyone knew, that once you had been bitten, no matter the severity of the bite, you turned. It was just the way this plague worked. I wrapped my arms around Alice and pulled her against me. She stopped shaking when I did. I then asked Dan, "Could you leave me and her alone for a few minutes?"

He sighed and told me, "Yeah. No problem, buddy. Do whatever you got to." I couldn't tell if he thought I was about to put Alice out of her misery, or just talk with her. Either way, I was happy he left. I didn't know what I was about to do, I just wanted to spend some time with just me and her. She asked me weakly, "What are you going to do?" I could see she was tired, but she still had her normal skin color. She wasn't pale. Most who had been infected this long had started falling victim to the virus.

I told her gently, "I'm not going to do anything. I just wanted to apologize for what happened earlier. You know, between me and you." I saw a tear roll down her cheek, and I wiped it away with my thumb. She told me, "It was my fault. I shouldn't of gone into your room. If I hadn't, then I wouldn't of been chased by those monsters and bitten." It was true. I looked at her and said, "And if I had only kissed you instead of chickening out, then you may of still been in my room safe in my arms."

She turned and faced me, and smiled. There I was again, getting lost in her eyes like I was before. We were leaning into each other like we were back in my room, but this time our lips did meet. I thought I felt my heart skip a beat. Or maybe it was the pain of the fact that this may be the first, and last time we ever kissed. I was enjoying every minute of it though. When we did finally break, we both had to catch our breaths. I heard clapping down the hall, and Dan walked forward, smiling.

It was a sad smile though. He told me, "I knew you two liked each other." He walked over to us, and sat down on the floor. "So, how much longer do you think till- Well, you know…" I wasn't sure. She wasn't showing any symptoms of the virus. I asked her, "How are you feeling, Alice?" She blinked her eyes and looked down at her bite. "I'm feeling…..Fine." Dan and I both looked at her. Was she lying? Does she just not want us to worry about her? Kind of late for that. I held her face in my hand and asked her, "You feel fine?" She nodded her head. Now that I thought about it, she wasn't warm at all when I touched her face or kissed her. Dan then said, "Maybe it's just taking longer on her." I wished it would take forever.

Her bite was starting to scab over, and was no longer bleeding at all. I then had a thought. "What if she's immune?" Dan stared at me, and raised an eyebrow. "Then she's the only person on the planet that won't turn when she's bitten. Wow, you're pretty lucky if you are, Alice." Dan stood up and stretched. "Well, you can stay up all night to prove your theory right. I'm going to bed…And, Alice….I really do hope you don't turn…I don't want to watch anyone else die."

He walked off back to his room, and left us in the dark hallway. I turned my attention back to her and said, "Come on. Let's go back to my room." I stood up, and my leg hurt worse than when I went to bed. It's from when I ran to help Alice. I shouldn't of put that much tension on it. I bent over and clutched my leg. No matter what I did, it still hurt. Alice put my arm over her shoulder to give me balance.

"Here. I'll help you back to your room." I smiled. My leg still hurt, but with Alice taking most of the weight off, it wasn't as bad. We were almost back t my room, but she stopped at the door that the zombies came through and attacked her. I told her, "If there were anymore, they would of come out by now." She nodded her head and said, "I know. Let's get away from it just in case."

She opened the door to my room, and helped me over to my bed. I sat down and massaged my leg. "Are you sure you feel fine? You don't feel sick at all?" She walked over to the window and looked down. There must have been tons of living dead down on the ground.

"Other than sick with worry that I may turn into one of those bastards." I had that same sickness flowing through me. Last thing in the world I wanted to do was either kill her or Dan. She was now standing in front of me, and I looked up at her. I wrapped my arms around her waist, and pulled her onto the bed and placed my lips on hers. I rolled her over on her back, and propped myself up on my elbow; our kiss still going strong. We were going to live to enjoy that night.

Dan

I woke up later that night after returning to my room. Knowing now that those things could bust through the doors, I wasn't sleeping easy. I popped my head out of my door, and looked down at the end of the hall where Shun and Alice were at once. They were gone now. There was no telling where they had run off to. But wherever they did go, I knew they were happy. It took Shun long enough to finally admit it.

I stepped out of my room and walked down the hall. Alice's room was empty. When I went to the other end of the hall where Shun's was, the door was open halfway. I peered inside and saw the two of them holding each other and sleeping. Shun better hope like hell that she doesn't turn. Or else she's going to have breakfast in bed. I reached for the knob and closed the door.

I returned back to my room, and closed my door. I wished that Runo was still with me, so that way I'd have somebody to curl up with like Shun did. I didn't find it fair, that Shun had somebody to be with him, while mine was eating one of my friends. I sighed. My eyes closed, and it seemed like as soon as they did, the sun shone through my window and woke me up. It was one of those nights were it seemed like you just closed your eyes, and it was over. No dreams. No full rest.

No nothing. A faint aroma drifted into my room. Kato's cooking something. I followed my sense of smell down to the dining room. Everyone had a plate set out; even Alice. Kato saw me and asked, "Where's Shun and Alice?" I saw down and started eating the food on my plate.

"Last time I saw them they had moved from the hallway to Shun's room and were asleep. She looked normal though. Not all drooling and dead." Everyone looked at each other, and ate their food. All while Alice's and Shun's grew cold. Please let them both be alive.

Shun

I stretched out a hand and felt Alice's body next to me. I opened my eyes and looked at her, then smiled. I took her shoulder in my hand and shook her lightly. "Alice? You awake?" She rolled over to face me. It was time to see if she was still herself. When I saw her, she looked the same as last night. Her skin was its same warm color, she had no fever, and she smiled back at me.

I felt my heart jump and relief flooded me. I embraced her with a hug. "Thank God you're not one of them." I could of cried if I hadn't done enough last night. Alice has to be immune. It's the only thing that makes sense. But why is she the only one? "Shun, can we just stay up here all day?" I blinked. "Well, yeah. But the others need to know you're not a zombie and that you didn't eat me."

She smiled and took my hand in hers and said, "I'll go with you if they want proof." I smiled and squeezed her hand. "Sounds good to me." My leg wasn't hurting as bad as last night, and I was able to walk on my own. The smell of breakfast foods flooded the halls the closer we got to the dining room.

When we walked through the door, every eye in the room was on us. As if they had seen two ghosts. Dan shot up from his chair and screamed, "You're both alive!" He ran up to us, and gave both of us a hug. I squirmed my way out of Dan's hug, and let him finish hugging Alice. She patted him on the head and said, "Yes, Dan. We're alive. You can let me go now." He released her and laughed.

I walked over to him and said, "We just came down here to tell you guys that everything's ok and not to worry. For some reason, Alice is immune to this virus." They all looked at her, wondering the same thing as I. How did she get immune? She told them, "We're both pretty tired from all that chaos last night. So we're going to go and catch a few more hours of sleep. Kay?"

Kato walked over to us and said, "Do you want me to bring your food up to you?" We looked at each other and I told them, "Sure. Why not? Just set it on the nightstand if we're still asleep." He bowed, and I took Alice's hand in mine and walked back to the room. I knew what I had agreed to. Even when I refused to fall for her until we were safe, I had broken my promise. I was falling, and falling hard at that. Now that meant if she ever did turn into a monster, I would never have it in me to kill her. I'd rather have her turn me into one, or take my own life.

well, i forced out another chapter. now i must bid the good-night. read, review, and other things. ~Copperpelt~