Chapter 4

"The following message is transmitted at the request of the United States government..."

I sit behind the couch as the TV flashes in bright colors and a voice drones on about the KDH virus which has killed thousands.

Nobody really knows how KDH works, but once you get it, it's pretty much an automatic death sentence.

"Is it death if you come back? Is it death if you wake up, as if nothing ever happened?"

Lately I've been hearing so many horror stories of those who've "woken up," and how the United States government is basically falling apart. Rumor has it that Texas has closed off its borders, and that the President died of the virus months ago.

"That would explain a lot..."

Ever since the KDH virus first came out, people have become savage. Looters have taken to the streets, towns have been over run by warlords...

"Chaos..."

There is no more right or wrong in this world. There is only "Survival of the fittest."

"Beep...Beep...Beep..."

I sit in silence as the TV wails over and over again, playing the same message on loop.

"Gerald..." I hear my mother whisper to my father.

She doesn't know I'm down here hiding behind the couch. She doesn't know that I know the world as we know it is ending; That we're all probably weeks away from death.

"What are we going to do?" She says.

"Lucy-"

"There's nothing left to do, is there?" My mother laughs softly, as sad tone creeping into her voice. "We're going to die, aren't we? Everyone is pretending that everything will be fine. I'm sick of pretending, Gerald. I'm sick and tired of waking up everyday, acting like everything will be fine-"

"Enough, Lucy!" My father hisses under his breath. "You'll wake up Elizabeth, and the last thing we need is for her to worry."

I listen to my parents bicker back and forth. I'm so used to them both being so calm, and proper. I've never heard either of them like this in my entire life.

Reality washes over me like a tidal wave.

I always thought I'd have this "happy ending." I always thought that I'd grow up in this perfect family, get perfect grades, meet the perfect guy, and start a perfect little family of my own.

My life is far from perfect now. In fact, my life is ruined. There's no point in living this fairy-tale life anymore, when the only life I've ever known has been taken from me.

Why should I have to be a good girl and follow the rules, while men in masks roam the streets taking whatever they want? Why should I be a good girl in a world filled with only disorder, and chaos?

My entire life I've played by the rules, and look where that's gotten me? Nowhere. Absolutely nowhere.

Knowing my luck, I'll end up dead before I get to live a little...

I break free from my thoughts the second I feel a tear slip onto my cheek. I quickly reach up and brush the lone tear drop away.

I will not cry. Crying won't get me anywhere.

I feel myself slightly twitching. I try to tune back into my parents conversation, but my mind just wanders away from me.

I find myself imagining the streets filled with fire, the air with screams. I blink my eyes, envisioning how I could possibly die in this corrupt world.

"I don't want to die...I've barely even lived my life, I'm not ready for it to end..."

I suddenly can't stand listening to my parents anymore. I can't stand sitting still. I have to move. The more I move the harder it will be to think...

I feel myself moving. I know I'm walking, but I don't know how. My legs are working all by themselves. It's almost as if my brain has shut down.

"Elizabeth?" I hear my mother say. She sounds confused, and is looking at me as if I'm a baby who wondered downstairs on their own in the middle of the night. Her confusion quickly changes into realization.

She knew I'd heard everything that she had said.

She gulps and shifts her eyes to the wall behind me, as if she isn't comfortable with looking me in the eyes, "Go to your room, we'll talk about this in the morning."

I look from my mother, then to my father. His face is like a mask, and is void of any emotion, "Listen to your mother, Elizabeth. Go to your room."

I nodded my head slowly, like a zombie. Then, I marched up the stairs behind me.

When I reached my room, I took off my favorite pink skirt and matching sweater, for a plain white night-gown that my mother had given to me for Christmas a few years ago.

I'll admit it, I'm girly. I always have been.

Knock. Knock.

"Elizabeth?" I hear my mother call softly from outside my bedroom door.

I quickly hop into my bed, and pull the covers over myself, "Come in."

She walks in hesitantly, but her eyes hold the confidence that they usually did. My mother sat down on the edge of my bed, and tucked a strand of sandy blonde hair behind her ear.

"Elizabeth," She sighed. The confidence immediately disappeared from her eyes. She suddenly looked weak, and terrified. How had she managed to hide all of her fears from me for so long?

"Darling, how much did you hear downstairs?" She asks.

"Everything," My voice comes out soft, and monotonous.

My mother takes a deep breath, and looks extremely nervous.

"Your father and I have been talking, and..." She pauses. Her eyes shift from me, to the wall, then back to me again.

I feel a surge of panic, "About what? What have you been talking about?"

She looks me in the eyes and takes my hand in hers, "We've been talking about you. We don't think it's exactly...safe...for you here anymore."

"It's not safe anywhere! Haven't you been watching the news! The world is ending mom," I say. "You can't just send me away, and pretend like everything will be just fine!"

I feel a sting on my cheek, and realize that my mother slapped me, "You will not raise your voice like that!"

I flinch away at her loud voice. Mom never yells.

"Never..."

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth," She says gently, as if an apology can fix everything. "You think I don't know that the world is ending? You think I don't know what is going on in the world anymore? Bad things are happening, and good people are suffering. I don't want you to have to be miserable anymore, Elizabeth. I want you to live a good life...which is why I'm going to send you to live with your Aunt Wendy..."

I shake my head slowly, "No! You can't be serious! Aunt Wendy lives half way across the country! What makes you think it will be any safer there, than it is here?"

"I don't know if it's safe!" My mom shouts, and takes another deep breath to calm herself down. "I don't know if it's safe...but I can only hope that you'll have a better life there, that you'll be safe again. I just want you to be able to put this entire nightmare behind you."

I feel tears burn in my eyes, "I don't want to go though. I want to stay here!"

She touches my cheek where she'd slapped me moments ago, "I know you do baby. I want you to stay, too. It just isn't safe here anymore."

"But, Mom-"

"Enough," My mom says cooly. "When you wake up tomorrow morning, I want you to pack your things. You'll be leaving for your aunts' house on Saturday."

"Saturday..."

Today is Wednesday...She can't possibly be sending me away in two days. Can she? She can't be serious...

"Go to bed," My mom whispers gently. "I'll see you in the morning. We can talk more about all this at breakfast."

I nod my head slowly, and roll onto my side.

I didn't realize how exhausted I was until my eyes slowly slid down, sending me spiraling into a dark black abyss.

"I love you, baby," I hear my mom sniffle. "I love you so very much..."