We spend the drive in silence, this gives me the perfect time to think. When my eyes drift to the clock on the dash I realise I have no idea what day it is, how long any of this has been going, I'm not even sure where on this island I am. I think about asking Britney, the woman who's sat next to me but if I tried she'd probably get freaked out. The idea of looking at her makes me feel strange. Like it's bad or something. I will never forgive Dad for what he did but was it really Britney's fault? I tap her arm. She turns. I can see why Dad did it. She is beautiful, even when she's covered in grime. I tap my throat.
"You can speak now. The worst of it is over"
"Can you understand me?"
"Of course. You just sound like you smoke fifty a day." I sigh and fiddle with lose blue threads from my top.
"Why are you here?" She clears her throat and pulls over onto the curb.
"I came to see your dad."
"What." I really growl. It vibrates in my chest and my neck.
"I came to say goodbye." I turn my back on her and stare out the window. "Abbey you have to believe me. I came to apologise." I make a half attempt at a scoff.
"Yeah sure. Then you and Dad were going to go running off together."
"Abbey I'm engaged. I was supposed to get married today." I turn once again. She's looking at her hand, fiddling with the diamond on her finger. "I'm not happy with what I've done with my life you know. I fucked up pretty bad, I think we can both agree there. But the world has gone to shit and it's time to work together so we can both survive." I stare blankly out to the deserted streets. Cars are crushed against buildings, fruit rotting with flies investing the air. "We have twelve hours before the U.N. arrives. but you know better than me, a lot can happen in twelve hours." That's right I guess. I lost my dad, became a walking corpse and met the last person I wanted to see all in roughly twelve hours. "Abbey. If we are to survive, you're going to have to trust me."
"I'll trust for now. But don't think for one second that I forgive you." She simply nods and kicks the engine back into gear and pulls away. I gaze at the scene that rushes by, not really focusing on anything. "Tim. Where is he?"I think but it ends up coming out of my bruise coloured mouth.
"Alive." She simply says.
"Yes but where?" She doesn't respond. I turn to look at her, she stares out the windscreen, a slight worried look marks her face. "Where is he?" I push more forcefully but still nothing. She stares out the windscreen, a nervous look creasing her perfect skin. Under the few strands that have escaped her ponytail I see her pulse jumping under her skin. As the silence continues I begin to hear a thumping rhythm echo in my head.
Dum-dum, dum-dum, dum-dum
It slowly becomes louder and I continue to watch her neck. The thumps match her pulse. I can hear her heartbeat. She catches a glimpse of me staring fascinated at her throat and the beat quickens.
Dum-dumdum-dumdum-dum
It continues to speed up, she avoids my eyes and scratches her neck. She shifts in her seat. She feels uncomfortable. I ask again.
"Britney, do you know where Tim is?" She nods but doesn't look at me. Her heart is irregular, the rhythm unnatural and jumpy. "You're lying." She shakes her head. "You are. I know."
"It doesn't matter." She reaches round and pulls out a glass bottle filled with a clear liquid.
"What is tha-" Before I finish she clamps a rag soaked in the vile liquid over my nose and mouth. I struggle, the vapours pouring down my throat and setting it ablaze. I stop breathing and focus on pushing her away. I don't feel the normal gasp for oxygen plaguing my mind that I should. Then I realise. I'm dead. I don't need to breathe any more. Britney groans and pushes me hard into the glass of the window.
"Looks like we're gonna have to do it this way." She mutters and then shoots me in the head.
My mind is groggy to say the least when I finally come round. The thumping of Britney's heart is replaced with mine as it rattles in my ears. I moan as I sit up and rub my head. I freeze has my fingers find a small dent in my forehead which is tender to the touch. That'll be where the bullet hit. I feel faint as I remember the sensation of the bullet tearing through my flesh, spinning round and ripping each fibre as it went.
"So I'm immortal now, oh and my voice is normal again. Things are looking up." I shake my head. "Okay... now I'm talking to myself." I look around the dim room and see the thick black bars that enclose me. "And I'm in a cage." It's then I realise I must be in the town's police station or something similar since a metal framed bed is pushed against the wall opposite and to my left a metal toilet. I slowly get up and walk to the bars and peer into the darkness.
"You're awake I see." A young man walks up, carrying a torch. My blood runs even colder as I finally see the face to the voice. "Remember me? It's Jack." I back off slightly. "I'm so glad Alex stopped me from shooting you. Now that you're one of the dead you're going to be very useful." He reaches a dark hand through the bars and strokes my arm. I jump back reflexively. "You better get used to it." He chuckles.
"Jesus you like it dark down here." A click echoes off the concrete and then the room is flooded with harsh fluorescent light. Another man joins us. This one is slightly younger than Jack. Maybe early twenties, his arms are also a lot longer and he roughly pulls me back. He keeps me in a painful grip as he looks me up and down. "My babe's gotta nice aim." He flicks my dent." I let a strangled scream escape my throat. "Honey you're gonna go through a lot worse." His accent is strange. American, Australian and even some Welsh mashed together in a speech nightmare. "The Doc's gonna love you. Look at you though, really, you're a freak. A human who isn't human. It's wack." I watch as he walks around the narrow space between my cell and the stair well. He stops and looks up.
"Is she awake?" Britney comes strutting down the stairs. "I did a pretty good job."
"You did a great job babes." Britney kisses him.
"You should have brought some snacks Brit. We could have a little party now. Anyone got some playing cards?" I comment, surprisingly calm. She shoots me a spiteful look.
"If I weren't under orders I'd kill you right here and now."
"Yeah okay sure because shooting me in the head worked really well."
"Ooh she's a feisty one. How did you get her to go with you?"
"Sold her some bullshit story about her little brother." I kick myself mentally for that.
You. Fucking. Idiot.
"Feisty but gullible Well, you're better off dead. Just like your brother." Jack joins back in. I feel the growl vibrate in my chest. My lips pull back over my teeth and three heart beats beat in my mind. "Was that a growl Freak?" I lunge for him without any control. I do not decide to do it I just do. My arms claw round his arm so hard they draw blood, Jack gasps and I release before slipping back into the shadows of my cell.
"Let's go. The Doc will be with her soon anyway." My audience leaves, and I'm left alone.