September 27, 2013 – 8:00 PM…
"Is everyone ready?" I asked and quickly received nervous nods from the others before I could even finish my question. The plan, though vague, was set. We'd all agreed to travel in groups of two, entering the forest through different ways (This aspect was the most argued),and we'd wait on the other side for anyone who didn't make it through by the end of two days. At least one member of each team needed to make it back by then otherwise the rest of us would go back in to search. If there weren't many resources, we would hold up in the nearest building.
"Isn't that dangerous?" Eleanor had brought up, looking deep into the thick forest. I can't blame her for her fear and concern, the forest was not only a dangerous place, but we were also traveling at night, making the mission twice as hard and a billion times more risky.
"We'll be able to move faster in sets of two," Alvin argued, "We won't have to stop for anyone and the zombies won't be able to scent us as well.
"Don't call them that." I said.
"What?"
"Zombies… Don't call them that- it isn't right."
"Like 'corpse' is any better. Anyway; teams of two, the faster we can move, the faster we can get out, and the faster we can get out, the better our chances of survival. I'll go through with Brittany."
"And we'll be taking the knife." She added, "Alvin's too weak without it." She had a stable reasoning and no one argued- it was his knife, and he needed now more than ever.
"Simon, you go with Jeanette, and Theodore you're with Eleanor." I'm not so sure about these teams… Alvin's team is weak, and Theodore's team isn't full strength either- he's still recovering from his sickness; at least Alvin and Brittany have the knife between them.
"Theo, Elli- take this." I handed them the mini hammer and gave them a reassuring look, "I imagine you'll feel safer with it, and besides," I turned to my little brother, "You're still a little sick, you'll be slow." I knew what he and everyone else was thinking, "Jeanette and I make the only team that's in full health. We can probably make it through first, and if we get desperate," I casually swung the purse, "we'll use this." Of course, it took a little more convincing than that for them to let us go basically unarmed, but with both Jeanette's and my own approval, they didn't have a valid argument. Jeanette and I are a healthy team; we're moderately fast runners, and the only things that could slow us down are the purse, and the unlikely event that one of us loses our glasses.
"You guys stay safe," I said, pulling my brothers to the side while Jeanette did the same with her sisters, "You're the weak links in your teams, but you gotta do your best. I'd better be seeing you on the other side alive." I hugged them and after Jeanette and her sisters finished hugging we regrouped.
After the long tearful hug goodbye, Alvin and Brittany made their way to the section of the forest, and Theodore and Eleanor went to the right, leaving my team with the thickest middle. A nod from my brothers confirmed that they were ready- it's time. Their teams jumped through the wall of forestry and vanished
"You ready?" I asked the other member of my team. With the purse over my shoulder, she took my paw.
"Mhm." She nodded and with a deep breath we advanced, breaking the barrier between the city and the antique trees. Every stick that cracked was a scream in the night, a notice to any nearby corpse that Jeanette and I were here. The smell of death blended with the musk of each tree and the eerie green glow from the leaves killed the brightness from the few stars available past the dark clouds. As far as I can tell we're alone; no voices resonating far left or far right to signal the others were okay. Fifty feet in and I already feel like we're lost. This was a stupid idea, we should have stuck together. Being in a bigger group sounds safer than parading through a forest half-blind. Sure we'd be slow, but I think it would have been a good trade off. What was I thinking? The sky is only getting darker, and soon the blackness would be too deep and we'll have no possibility of continuing onward. It's one direction, but in a forest as symmetrical as this, and vision that was ebbing away as fast as mine, it's pretty easy to end up back at the beginning.
I don't like the idea of spending the night in this deathly woodland, but when the time comes -and I know it will eventually- we'll have no choice but to settle down.
"How do you think the others are?" I whispered to Jeanette, who is currently glued to my side. I can feel her fur stand and her skin crawl with the coldness of the wild beginning to intensify.
"I haven't heard any screams," She replied, "but that can be a bad thing too. I hope they're okay." I tightened the grip on her hand, stopping our descent and viewing her twinkling eyes, two shiny stars against her fur and the surrounding trees.
"They're strong; they'll make it through just like we will." She smiled back and blinked, temporarily depriving me of a happy, innocent sight.
"I know." She nuzzled up against me for a brief second, "They might have the weapons, but I know I'm safest because I'm with you." A soft moan interrupted the heated blush on either side of my face, "Si, what was that?"
"Shh," I hissed, bringing her down lower to the ground, "There must be a corpse nearby." After tiptoeing what I hope to be the right direction, I could make out a darker shadow among the night's blackness. "There it is." I said in a barely audible whisper. The moaning grew heavier as I approached, like it can sense my beating heart and pulsing brain. A deafening clap of thunder forced me to jump and the tiny whimper I let out was enough for the corpse grasp my presence and turn and look down to face me. I doubt he can see my features, but just the fact that there's a life form nearby made it berserk. The second it dove for me, I swung the purse. The blow wasn't hard enough and after bringing it's crooked head back to me, it growled.
"Hey!" Jeanette shouted, tossing the smallest of stones at the corpse, "Over here!" The moving body fell for her distraction, giving me enough time to swing once more. Before long, the purse was coated in dead blood, and the corpse no longer moved.
"Thanks." I breathed, returning to my partner, who checked me over to see if I was okay, and afterwards she hugged me.
"I'm just glad you're okay." We broke our embrace, yet our paws remained occupied fondling each other. I'm drawn to her sweet eyes and for a moment I was lost, out of this epidemic and in our own enclave. I felt myself inching my way closer with my face leaning deeper. Snap! I jerked back and circled around.
"W-We should keep going." I suggested, "While we still can." I shuffled the purse back up on my shoulder. I hope nothing broke, but I won't be able to check until morning. The purse, oddly enough, feels lighter hanging off my shoulder rather than slung across my entire body, but maybe the weight will catch up- just another small problem to add up to the big picture.
"Oh, okay," She said, "but can we stop soon? I'm having trouble seeing." I clutched her paws.
"Just don't let go." Okay, now that was smooth. But as well as my reactions were doing romantically, they weren't intended for that. I just want her getting out safely. Like Alvin said, the sooner we get out, the better. Snap! "You hear that?" I whispered and Jeanette shuddered, "Easy, Jean… We can take on another. Then when we know it's safe we'll stop for the night."
"O-Okay." She's on the verge of crying and I need to stop it. I wish I could comfort her now. Snap!
"Over there," I said, "In the bushes." We slowly approached the rustling leaves. I can hear something, but it's not the normal growl of a lone corpse, nor is it a chorus from the horde. As we got closer, the growling increased, and when we reached the edge of the bush a bark boomed and a swift body bounced over our heads. My eyes followed the moving figure and it snarled. I ripped Jeanette from what I assumed to be a state of shock and pulled her along as we made a mad dash for anywhere safe.
"Is that a wolf?!" Jeanette exasperated as we tripped and picked each other up from an uneven ground.
"Used to be." I panted and felt the purse begin to slip off my shoulder. I made the mistake of looking back. The violent, glowing red eyes shone through the dark terrain, and the snow white foam spitting out of it's mouth was hypnotizing, dribbling down to it's smoke gray fur. It's limping- one of it's back legs nearly torn and if it weren't for that, we'd be dead right now.
"Oh, god." I said and picked up my pace with my hand locked with Jeanette's. The purse slipped further and we had no choice but to pass through a parted tree trunk. "No!" I yelled, feeling weightless with the purse gone, "We can't lose that!" I felt Jeanette's hand loosen, then tighten and jerk.
"Ah!" She screamed, "Got it!" I pulled her back through the trunk and heard a rip as the purse fit it's way through. "S-Simon…" Jeanette said.
"Keep running!" I encouraged and then the obvious hit me in the face, "Wait, up a tree!" I chose the nearest tree and began climbing, one hand still supporting Jeanette's- her grip is extremely loose and I just pray she doesn't pass out.
"Simon… I can't make it." Jeanette whined, as if it hurt her to climb a tree, something she should be used to being a chipmunk. I dropped down a little and through the blinding blackness and the small drizzles of rain coming down I let her cling to my back with her arms wrapped around my neck. I'm starting to think I've gotten naturally strong with all of this surviving, having to carry Jeanette and the purse; I allowed Jeanette to pick a branch to safely rest at and pulled myself up. We settled in an abandoned bird's nest and I stared down at the snarling creature clawing at the tree bark. It stopped and an ear-shattering howl of pain soon followed and I had two thoughts: one, the wolf may not leave or it will attract others, two, that could have been Alvin or even us had it succeeded.
"Whew, that was too close." I said, mesmerized by the ringing howl.
"S-Simon…" Jeanette sniveled with the passing of a few moments, and I turned around as she weakly stumbled my way. I caught a quick glimpse of her before catching her and a realization kicked me in the gut. Her shirt, near the belly area, had been torn or ripped open and blood seeped through the wound spread across her stomach, matting her fur. Already her eyes were beginning to fog and her shaking hand released itself from mine.
"J-Jeanette?" I blubbered as I lay her down in the nest, and she handed me the purse.
"I… I got it." She whispered. Her breathing is abnormal and I'm panicking more than she is, stricken with shock, disbelief. Blood is slowly flowing out of her stomach, but surely the fever would kill er before blood loss. It's not a big enough gash to spill any high amounts quickly. It doesn't matter, but it does…
"Oh," I cried, "I don't know what to do… I don't know what to do… This isn't happening… No, no, no, no!" One of my teardrops hit her cheek and she opened her eyes.
"Simon… It's okay, it's not your fault." She breathed. Her eyes are completely fogged with no violet left in them and it's like she's going blind.
"I-I promised to protect you… You believed in me and I failed." I can already see the tips of her fur going gray. The virus is already tearing her apart…
"You t-tried your best," She weakly pulled me closer, "Besides… If anyone can f-find a c-cure and save me, it's you." How could she still believe in me?
"B-But you can't die…" My eyes are drowning in tears, "I-I love you." This isn't fair! She can't leave, not her! I don't care how desperate I am, she can't leave me!
"You can make this," She said with no tones of denial, "End this epidemic. You're strong and smart and so so brave. T-Tell Britt and Elli I love them… Please?"
"You can do that yourself," I said, picking her up, "C-Come on, we can get you help and… and-"
"Simon, you're crazy if you think I can make another step." She urged me to set her down and I did. "I need you to tell them I love them." She said, "Brittany. Eleanor. Alvin. Theodore. And you, you know I love you too, right?" I shook my head violently, wishing she'd stop talking and rest peacefully. I forced myself to move my face closer, to say goodbye, and when she didn't object I took it as a sign to continue. But before we could interlock lips she coughed and wheezed and every symptom of having the flu was instantly noticeable. She turned her head away and spat a mixture of white foam and darkening blood. When she turned back she lay limp, barely breathing. I leaned in close and kissed her cheek, and then her nose and she attempted a fragile giggle. She's laying here on her death bed and yet she can still smile.
"I-I love you, Jean." I half whispered half cried. My hand interlocked with hers again, but there was no sign she would hold on.
She smiled, "Hold me?" She didn't need to ask, I'll cater to her every whim. I lay beside her and wrapped my arms around her frail body. Something sticky and warm -but getting colder by the minute- hit my stomach and I knew it wasn't the rain, but her blood. At one point her breathing was so heavy, it was more of a heave, at another, it was so light I thought her breath wasn't there at all. She calmed a little when she sunk in my body, sweat rolling down her face and dripping off her fur as the fever hit harder.
"Y-You should g-go before I-"
"I'm not leaving you." I snapped. She was silent for another few minutes.
"I'm glad this is how I could d-" She began then stopped. Her eyes are glassy, making me fear the worst, and without warning her body began to jerk in every direction in a seizure. I don't care if you're supposed to leave a person be during a time like this, nothing will break the hold I have around her. Instead, I constricted her closer, doing my best to ignore any painful shots she took to my body until it stopped.
Jeanette… I'm sorry this is my fault, leading you into the forest like this and being responsible for the wolf coming at us. I said to go to the bush and it's my scent it caught on to. Heck, it was my idea to go into the forest in the first place and now we're both being punished, I'm losing you. I can't imagine this world without you. Maybe that's because you are my world, my secret world or not. And you were all the good in this one that's filled with evil.
All I can think about is how this is my fault and with the raindrop growing stronger, the virus took another victim. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This HAS to be a dream. Another seizure started and I held on for both our lives with dark thoughts in my head, and eyes pounded shut. Her body seemed lifeless when the seizure took over, and I blacked out with her in my arms before it could end.