September 27, 2013
"Ah! C-Careful." I wish those weren't the first things I heard this morning. The task already deprived me of sleep, thinking I'd mess up some how. Alvin's sitting on one of the islands in my lab and I'm only a few feet away form him. I can see blood dribbling down his arm and knowing that I did that makes me feel sick- both ways. I almost threw up while committing the task and I can only imagine what everyone else is thinking. At first Ryan thought Jeanette should have cut my brother, being the nurse and all, but the second he put Alvin's pocket knife in her hands she started shaking as if she were in the middle of an earthquake. She'd gone as far as poking him, drawing the first drop of blood. Ryan, clearly having no previous knowledge of science, wanted a quarter of the beaker filled. It doesn't take nearly that much to study, but I can't argue him anymore, I'm already on the edge and if I press on his nerves again I'll be up for debate: keep, or get rid of.
After the skin had been broken, Jeanette handed the knife to me saying she couldn't do anything else without risk of making a bloody mess. She was sweating and shaking and her fearful eyes were the same as before when she saw her first corpse. I had no choice but to push the knife deeper as it only entering Alvin drew very little blood. Alvin is small and the blade in comparison could probably make a chipmunk kebob with me, him and maybe Jeanette or Brittany; I was afraid of going too deep, possibly hitting a bone. The knife didn't have to dive deep to draw enough blood and I watched Brittany hold Alvin's hand as I pulled the knife out. Something tells me it stung immensely. Back to it's bloody state, I threw the knife to the floor and tended to my brother, the others already crowding him.
Th knife bathed in a large cooking bowl last knife with a full melted bar of soap and hot water. This morning when it was time to retrieve it, I gasped at how the water changed. The bowl of water, soap and all, was black. It looked a lot like sludge or oil, but smelled worse. I'm familiar with how it smelled, I've been trapped with the stench for awhile now. Despite how the water looked, I swear the knife sparkled when I took it out. I wish soap was the answer to everything. If that were true, this epidemic wouldn't have lasted these two weeks or effected nearly as many people. There's no telling if the knife is actually bacterial-free, but this was the best we could do.
Jeanette sprayed Alvin's arm with a can of the weird spray Ryan and Xavier found and bandaged it. I can't look at him, I feel too ashamed. Why did I go through with it? He's done everything to protect me and the others and I just sell his blood like that? I had a choice, granted they weren't very good choices, but I could have prevented hurting him. I should have just taken my chances, forced Alvin, Jeanette and the others to continue their lives here while I focus on surviving in some abandoned house. But instead I took blood from my own brother like a coward; watched every drop fill the beaker to the appropriate marker. I'm positive I hurt the others emotionally by going through with it. I guess in the end I had no choice, yet I'm still the bad guy. Alvin seems happy that I get to stay, but I know that if he had a journal there'd be at the bare minimum one thought, one measly little paragraph, a sentence or two, about my betrayal, listening to him and hurting him. I know there's stuff in this journal that I wouldn't share with others.
"It's okay, Simon." He said, over and over again like it was no big deal, "A minor sacrifice for a more-than-worth-it prize." My shame lingers like my scent, floats through the air and infects the others like the virus that infected the rest of the world. I'm trying my best to ignore him. I know he's only trying to make me feel better, but his plan is doing just the opposite. I feel terrible and angry and I can only let my anger out on this piece of paper. I want to be closer to my family, not hurt them.
"Ryan!" I barked, louder than I'd intended, and he turned around with a defiant smile curved on his face, "You got what you wanted, now tell me what your theory is or so help me…" I didn't think past there, I needed to let go of some steam and I took it out on Ryan, not the smartest idea. Heck, I'm surprised I had enough spine to raise my voice around him.
Ryan smirked, "Okay, furball, I suppose you deserve that. Everyone clear out."
"No! If you can tell me, you can tell everyone! Or are you afraid of sounding stupid? Childish?" His smirk faded, replaced with a tough scowl.
"Listen, runt-" He started, but cut himself off at Becca's touch on his shoulder, "F-Fine, you all wanna know? My theory is that some of us are special. Some of us are -what's the word- immune to the virus that the freaks carry. Some of us, somewhere out there, can't turn, they're free from the thought of helping out those who have eaten them."
"You think there's a cure?" Theodore perked up.
"No, I think there are some of us who won't need one."
"How do you expect to get an answer to that with blood?" I asked. It's like looking for a needle in a two hundred acre haystack!
"That's your job to find out," Ryan opened the door out, "Good luck, furball." I think he's mocking me; how is it that even in life or death situations he still finds a way to get to me? What does he expect me to do? Magically use the blood, talk to it and see if it's immune? This is impossible! I turned around at someone's finger tapping my head.
"Here's the blood from a freak Ryan took out while on the mission." Becca handed me a beaker capped with a cork filled with what could have been mud for all I know. Once I took the beaker she presented me with another "gift"- a small bag or purse, "You can keep your findings in here." She gave me a small smile and ran off after Ryan.
"Do you want us to stay?" Jeanette walked up to me, taking the tips of my fingers in her paws. She's so considerate, she doesn't deserve to be in a world like this. Although with her brain, she'll end up being the one who discovers a cure. I wish I could tell her yes.
"You guys have jobs too," I said, "I don't want you getting in trouble.
"Oh." She silenced herself and stepped away.
(A couple hours later…)
I regret not taking Jeanette's offer for company; it's cold in here and it feels like the walls are closing in on me. It's a different feeling from before now that I'm all alone. Any and all noises make me jump out of my fur, and I have no clue what's going outside these walls. I'm trapped in my own little box working on something that may have no end to it. Who knows what the heck I'm doing! I sure don't!
To start off I guess I should examine each blood sample. A microscope, along with slides and the samples were neatly placed on the first island (microscopes are heavy!). I set everything up, using a tiny baster to drip the tiniest amount of corpse blood on a slide and slid it under the scope. I'm just tall enough to peer through the scope without a step stool.
Findings: The blood is darker than our own, average blood, and it almost looks alive. It's scary how it can move, wriggle on it's own without spreading, staining the slide. I'm naming this dead blood because... well because it is. It feeds a dead heart yet a presumed somewhat living brain. How else could a corpse move if the brain stem didn't work? This is dead blood, it moves around like the corpse it came from, but I doubt it knows what to do. First examination- successful… Off to a good start.
I replaced the slide with another, only this one contained Alvin's blood. I'm hoping to find a difference between the two; if Alvin's infected then by now his blood should be dying. If there are similarities I can already assume Alvin isn't immune and remains at the high risk. He could be turning at this very moment.
Findings: His blood doesn't look normal either. It's peculiar, I remembering scraping my elbow once, enough for blood to draw and it looked nothing like this. Of course, I can only see the bright scarlet in Alvin's blood through the microscope. This is not normal blood; pigs blood, which I assume would be the same color, it's not the same. Alvin's is way too light up close, the perfect opposite of the corpse blood. I have no way of telling if he's immune. How does one study blood for that matter?
I flipped the scope to get a closer view. Discovery: something very odd. Like the corpse blood, his too seemed to wriggle on it's own. I lifted my head and reached for the first slide to compare the two. This was both a mistake and an eye-opening success. In an instant I learned a lot from a mistake. Accidentally hitting the microscope, the slide slipped off onto the corpse blood, smashing and mixing the two liquids. But there's finally an upside. Through my thoughts of being so careless, I squinted at the reaction taking place. I didn't need a microscope to see what was going on right in front of me. The corpse blood acted as if it was being attacked by Alvin's blood, which responded like it was trying to eat it. Strange how the ultimate carnivore is afraid of being eaten on the inside. As the two liquids combined, the darkness dissolved! This is it!
I need to inform Ryan!
(Mere minutes later…)
I burst back inside the school and I now have Ryan and everyone else at my tail.
"It's important!" I've been saying this non-stop for the past few minutes, "It's important! It's important! It's-" I stopped abruptly, hearing something fall down or maybe it was a tinkle, down the darkest hallway that lead to the stairs. "D-Did anyone else hear that?" I stammered.
"I'll go check it out." Dr. Rubin volunteered and Ryan handed her his bat, and she slowly stepped heel-to-toe down the dark path.
"She'll be fine." Ryan said, noticing my fearful look, "She's tough for an old lady. Now show us what you found." I did as I was told, bringing the group to the lab and showing them my discovery. At first there was an uncomfortable silence with some mouths gaping open and others snapped shut. I don't think they fully understood what I did, but the message was somewhat clear: I would be able to test them.
"Hm, well done, furball." Ryan complimented, "Now check everyone's blood and see if they're immune."
"But that would mean-"
"Yup. Alvin if you'd be so kind as to give up your knife."
"No!" I stomped my foot paw, "I'm not taking anyone's blood blood! Not unwillingly! You want it, get it yourself!" So much for a happy, exciting moment, right?
"He's right," Becca added, "You have your answer, let everyone choose for themselves." Ryan looks to be considering this, but I don't trust him.
"Okay," He replied, "You want to know how you stand, then give furball here some of your blood. Nurse, don't bandage anyone. It's their choice after-all. You make your own cut, give as much blood as you want, I don't care." At least he's sort of on my side, working in my favor. Everyone leisurely evacuated the lab, and most of the beakers followed. With few remaining, I suppose some survivors just don't care. I put my findings neatly into the small purse, they're important, might as well keep them safe.
It wasn't long until the door shifted open again, hardly enough for a human to make it through. A chipmunk- a chipette scurried into the small opening, carrying a beaker filled with a miniscule amount of blood.
"Here you go." Jeanette said timidly, laying her beaker down in front of me.
"You hurt yourself?" I frowned, "B-But…"
"Si, I want to know." She's smiling, but I think that's just for me. Still I haven't seen her smile in forever and I'll take what I can get. I hope it's for me… I wish she would have talked to me about it first. "Please?" I can't say no to her, the damage was already done. I popped the cork off the beaker, pouring the little amount of red liquid onto a slide, followed by a drop or two of the corpse blood. I don't know if I wanted an answer. It was a fifty-fifty shot knowing if she were safe.
Her blood, it's like it was never there. The second the two liquids met, her blood disappeared, nothing but muddy corpse blood remained. That isn't what I wanted to see.
"That means no, right?" Jeanette muttered.
"Unless… Unless I'm wrong about all of this, yes." I sucked in air, trying to calm myself down. She threw her arms around me.
"Guess I'll have to count on you to protect me." Is she out of her mind?! I don't know what to do. I can barely protect myself, how am I supposed to be responsible for her life? She's smiling- does she really count on me?
(Some time later…)
Over the course of the day, others dropped in to see of they were immune and none showed positive. Each blood sample was "eaten" by the corpse blood. Alvin's the only one who appears to be immune. I haven't tested my own blood- I don't want to. And Theodore didn't want to know either. If it runs in the family, we may be immune, we may not. Jeanette stayed with me all day, from my announcement to now. We gathered with the others at the fire pit, where nice, watered meals were eaten for dinner. Not exactly a five-star feast, but better than the small snacks we made ourselves at home. I kept the purse at my side (don't make fun), if these findings were lost, I'd be devastated. The complications of my findings were written using pages from this journal and were kept with the corpse blood and everyone's samples.
"Has anyone seen Dr. Rubin?" Xavier brought up, raising everyone off their benches in a panic.
"Not since she went to search the halls." Ryan informed.
"I'll go check to see if she's okay." Becca said, making her way to the door after one last bite, "Knowing her, she's mopping a twenty year old stain of the floor-"
"Becca, look out!" Before she could react, the window on the door smashed to pieces revealing the head and arm of a corpse. Shoulder length brown-gray hair and a folding face… Dr. Rubin! She, er, it grabbed Becca, ramming her into the door and clamping it's jaws down on her neck. "Becca!" Ryan yelled and the door broke down and corpse after corpse filed out into the courtyard. I recognize a couple of the corpses- the hall and roof sentries that I saw when we first arrived. Becca pulled back from her former principle and Ryan dragged her away further, stopping at the south wing. I took Jeanette's hand, and used my other to hold onto the purse. We ran to the fence and stopped suddenly. It's barricaded, but chipmunks are able to make it through the crevices. We were quickly joined by my brothers and her sisters. Xavier jumped from his spot, but was instantly tackled down. Grabbing for anything within his reach, he found the spray can that Ryan dropped earlier and tried to beat in the corpse's head. Before going for a second blow, a second corpse broke in and knocked the can out of his hand and into the fire pit.
The clock in my head started ticking, counting each second. That can, any can for that matter, would explode before long.
"Duck!" I shouted and pulled Jeanette to the ground. The can hissed and exploded, sending fire through the air and landing in the grass. A literal fire wall spread between my group of chipmunks, and Ryan, kneeling to a dying Becca. Screams echoed through the evening air and smoke, and through the rising flames I could see the horde rising from where Xavier was, a bloody skeleton taking his place.
"Simon!" Alvin caught my attention, "The fence, we can get out!" I glanced at Ryan, the high-schooler who called himself our leader, rubbing Becca's cheek softly.
"What about them?" I yelled back, hoping the horde wouldn't get gutsy and step through the element. Already I know that's a lost hope, they'll do anything to feed their hunger.
"Simon!" Ryan called out, "You can't save us. Go! Find the settlement and show them your discovery! You can make it through the forest- a day or two's all it takes…"He waved his hand and I forced myself to the exit, "And Simon," I looked back and through the growing smoke I caught sight of his face, his teary eyes, "I'm sorry." I had to be pulled through the obstacles and the chain link fence, unable to move myself. I was dragged through the alley and shook myself out of my daze when we reached the edge of the street, closest thing to the edge of the forest. Watching the dim light of the ever growing fire that probably swallowed the others by now, I feel guilty. We're sitting here while our friends and former bullies are dying. Couldn't we have done something?
"What do we do now?" Brittany said. No home to go back to, I think it's time to listen to what Ryan had to say. I clutched the purse close to my body and Jeanette even closer. We have two weapons between the six of us, that can make it through a forest. We'll be a little hungry by the end of it, but we could drink the rainwater.
"We head to the settlement," I said, "the one Becca was talking about." The others gave a look of bewilderment. I can only imagine what they're thinking.
"Simon, you can't be serious." Alvin argued, "It's dangerous."
"Look around!" I shot back, "It's dangerous here. Any moment now the horde will be done there," I pointed to the school, "They found their way in, they'll find their way out, fire or no fire. And then they'll come straight for us, we'll be hiding for days maybe!" The moment of silence was just more time wasted.
"I think Simon's right." Jeanette finally said, "We should take our chance through the forest." I feel… special with Jeanette by my side, agreeing with my decisions. She's agreed with me and now it's set.
"Fine," Alvin said, "We leave in one hour, for planning." I don't know… That's still more time than we can afford.