AUGUST IS A FEVER

28

The sleep you felt almost as if it was a blink. One moment it was the moonlight dripping into your cell, the next it was the sunlight. With Autumn approaching, the morning was brick. The air was sharp and with your dress exposing your legs and arms, your skin felt cold to the touch.

You sat up, rolling to your side before pushing yourself up completely, leaning onto the wall. Sighing as you finally sat somewhat comfortably, you opened your eyes and looked before you and saw Nick laying on the ground snoring and sleep.

"Nick." You said, using your good leg to lightly shove him in the side with your foot. "Nick, get up. It's morning."

"No." He groaned once he finally awakened, his eyes remaing shut.

"Nick, I will eat your fucking shirt. Get up." You jokingly threatened, yet in completely serious and monotone manner. That caught his attention, sitting up to look at you, still on the floor.

Nick looked at you with squinted eyes. You couldn't tell if it was because the sun was in his eyes or if he was just glaring at you judgingly. "The fuck kind of threat is that?"

"I dunno, but it looks like it worked." You said, gesturing at him with your hand. "Didn't it?"

"I guess." Nick sighed.

"So what usually goes on 'round here during the mornings?" You asked.

"Nothin' really. We just wait for breakfast." Nick told you as he stood up, pacing.

"M'kay," You said. "Um, could you help me up? Kinda have a bullet in my leg right now."

"I can see that Captain Obvious. Cover it, it's kinda gross." Nick half-joked. You hummed a laugh. "Plus you're getting your bodily fluids everywhere."

"Gee, thanks." You said, doing as he instructed. "So are you gonna help me up or not?" Nick sighed.

"You should probably stay seated if you have a whole-ass bullet in you." Nick said turning to you. You snickered before replying.

"The way you said that gave me Jacob from Twilight vibes and it made me very uncomfortable." You blurted out without thinking.

"What the fuck?" Nick exclaimed in a whisper. Half laughing, half confused.

"But yeah, you're probably right." You replied, bringing the topic back to the matter at hand, but Nick wasn't having it, sputtering.

"No, go back. What- why did you say that?" Nick laughed.

"Don't look at me! You're the one who is giving me Jacob Black vibes." You said, getting sarcastically defensive.

"I- whatever." Nick sputtered with a sigh. "Here." Said your fellow Red, reaching for the sleeve of his shirt and ripping it off before walking up to you, kneeling to your level.

"What are you doing?" You asked, confused as your eyebrows knit together in a subtle furrowed expression.

"Um, wrap this around your, uh, wound. At least to keep it covered, y'know?" Nick told you, flustered from your sour look as he scratched the back of his neck, standing back up. "To be honest I'm surprised you're not dead yet."

"Yeah," You sighed as you did what he told you to do, taking the torn sleeve and wrapping it around the sensitive and irritated wound that was framed with the red agitated skin and blood. "I'm just as surprised as you are, buddy."

As you were finishing up tying the knot into a neat little bow (or as neat as you could make it), you brought your attention up when you heard the sounds of a metal tray being slid on the floor. It was a metal tray with a sweaty burger accompanied with cold beans and a cup of warm water. One tray for you and one for Nick. It was strangely nostalgic.

"Let's eat. We have around thirty minutes." Nick told you as he dashes to the trays, grabbing one for himself and sliding the other to your side for you to eat.

Having not eating for days, this got you salivating no problem. It was a bit embarrassing with how food-desparate you became over the years, but as of recently, you seemed to be more desperate than ever for food. A loud growl emitted from your stomach which earned a snicker from Nick. Rolling your eyes, you grabbed the burger and took a bite. The texture was just as suspected, but at this point, food is food. And you needed it. It didn't matter what it tasted or felt like on the tongue anymore.

After finished breakfast, you were hand-cuffed and escorted by one of the twin PSFs. It could've been Mars or his brother. You weren't sure, but you assumed it was Mars by the way he eyed you as he hand-cuffed you and Nick. Both of you were brought out to the fields where Venus stood like the day before.

"2847 will be officially joining us this afternoon." Said Venus with a smile that was eerily white and shiny - perfect. "Yesterday she had a little... appointment, if you will." She laughed. "I'm sure most of you have caught my drift."

You wanted to smack her right then and there, but you had to hold in the anger in fear of it overtaking your body and mind. If you lost it - the control - there would be repercussions for sure. You were new and proved no value to them as of yet. They would murder you in an instant. There was no doubt about it, especially when they killed important ones too.

"Alright, for today we're gonna start with..." Venus trailed off and turned behind her to face the makeshift gate that was built into the football field so vehicles could be allowed in. There was the rumbling of engines in the distance and if you squinted enough, you could see three tan SUVs driving their way towards the gate.

Venus stared for a moment. She was confused and when she turned back, her bored and slightly amused look on her face was wiped clean off only to be replaced with the look of fear for the unknown.

"Mercury, did we get another Red you didn't inform me of?" Venus asked in a soft and unknowing voice. All the power in her cadence was gone once she lost control of everything.

"No." Said Mercury, the twin brother of Mars. "I mean, at least I wasn't informed?" He said, but it sounded more like a question. Even he didn't know.

As they were talking (more like arguing) amongst each other, the SUVs grew closer and all the Reds were watching mesmerized. The SUVs looked familiar. A bit like the car you saw the man get out of at the 7/11.

Before you could even comprehend it, the three SUVs crashed into and drove through the gated entrance with ease. Who was behind the wheel of one of the cars caused a beat or two of your heart to skip.