Plagued

Chapter 2:

I screamed. Who wouldn't? My best friend had just lost his leg and magically regrew it back within eight hours. It wasn't full formed yet but it was still a foot.
Casey shot awake with her hand instinctively reaching for her knife, "What's wrong!?" She nearly yelled. I couldn't say anything, my mouth was dry and if I opened my mouth I thought I might have thrown up. "Ellie, what's the matter?" All I could do was point, she followed my gaze and grabbed my wrist and pulled me back, "Get away from him!"
She dragged me out of the barn, up the hill and into our house all the while screaming for help. I could do nothing but limply follow along. I didn't know what to feel, obviously it was great that he was okay, but at the same time HOW DID HE REGROW HIS LEG?
She sat me down and told me not to move, as if I would. Just as Casey sat down we heard a knock on the door, Casey jumped up and ran towards it.
Levi stood in the doorway, he was tall with dark black hair piercing blue eyes. Casey was so in love with him and he was smitten with her too, they just hadn't realized it yet.
"What's wrong, I came as soon as I could," he looked behind Casey and saw me: ashen, sweaty, and eyes as wide as a deer's in headlights. He looked back at Casey, "What happened!?" He said in a softer whisper. Casey stepped outside and closed it behind her. I could still hear their conversation, the door didn't do anything to block out their voices.
    "David's foot somehow regenerated," Casey muttered, she sounded unsure about it even though she had seen it with her own eyes.
    "HE REGREW HIS FOOT!?" Levi shouted, no doubt waking everyone up. Casey didn't respond.
    After I was finally able to compose myself I shot out of the house and off for the barn, loads of people were already coming out of their houses in a dazed confusion. I heard Casey yelling for me as I barreled down the hill. Right before I could open the barn door someone grabbed my arm, it was Levi. "Ellie, he might be contagious you can't go near him." His voice was raspy and I could tell he was upset but his face was as untouched as ever.
    "What do you mean contagious?" It was then that I became aware of the tears streaming down my face. I knew that's what everyone would think, that's what anyone ever things when something weird happens. I had just hoped that this time would be different.
    "He could have contracted an unknown strain of... Well, you know..." Levi had lost all of his family so even mentioning the disease was difficult.
    "What are they going to do to him?" My screams piercing the quite stillness of morning. I collapsed on the ground, I couldn't help myself, nothing I could do or say would stop them from killing him and throwing his body into the woods to rot.
    "Shhh... It's okay, we won't let anything happen to him," it was an obvious lie but it made me feel better.

    After everyone finished arguing, the day of work began. I was not in the mood to work so Casey and I stayed inside. I wasn't settled down for two minutes when someone burst through the front door. "There's a new calf!" Beth, one of the animal care-takers, panted.
"I'm sure she's lovely," Casey grunted, obviously annoyed.
"I'm sorry, you guys are the only people up here and you didn't let me finish," she paused to take a breath. "None of our cows were pregnant, we have one bull and he hasn't seen any of the females in over a year." Casey was already out the door, I quickly followed suit.
Beth burst through the doors of the barn and walked at a vigorous pace, stopping at the third stall. Without a word we peered in, laying in the corner was a calf as white as snow. "Alba is our only heifer. So how in the world do we explain this?" Beth snapped, as if I knew what heifer even meant.
Just then a voice coming from the stall next door sounded, "Where the hell is, Clem? She should be hear by now." She sounded annoyed.
"I'm sorry Amanda but we have bigger things to worry about right now." Beth hissed. It took a beat before Beth's eyes widened and Amanda burst out of the stall. "No! That's impossible!" Beth whispered.
"So is growing limbs after they were hacked off by a bear trap," at the mention of the bear trap both of them turned to glare at Casey.
In awe, we all returned our gaze to look at the calf who had stood up, underneath her were the scraps of ripped cloth and fabric. I had seen enough of the universe's shit for one day and I stormed out of the barn and sat on the bench outside. A couple minutes later a little red-headed girl sauntered out of the barn with a blanket wrapped around her. Beth, Amanda, and Casey followed behind her with completely emotionless expressions. They all walked down the hill and towards the barn, people started staring. Clem's father rushed to her side but the girls shoved him away, no doubt telling him that she was infectious. At this point I wasn't upset, I was angry. They were treating these people like animals.
I stood up and started pacing, Casey was a little harsh when it came to everyone pulling their own wait around the village but this was way to far. My mind hummed with anger. As I continued pacing the top of the hill I realized it wasn't just in my head, there was an actual hum coming from somewhere. I looked down the hill, Casey stood in the door frame of the barn. I couldn't see her face but I could tell by her body that she was extremely worried. I turned back around and to my amazement the house's lights were flickering on and off.
People in the field were staring to notice. I tried to stop whatever was happening but whatever I did made it worse. It eventually subsided but not after repeatedly hitting myself in the face and pulling at my hair.
I could see Casey start to make her way up with Beth and Amanda. I could feel my heart and stomach turning to lead, I knew what was going to happen. They were going to shove me into the barn with David and Clem and then kill all of us because we were "sick".
Casey was the first person at the top of the hill. Her eyes full of tears, she grabbed my wrist and dragged me towards the barn.
Once we reached the door, Beth shoved me into the barn, Clem and David both looked up. They both were white and their eyes were sunken.
I turned around to meet Casey's eyes. "I'm sorry," was all she could say before slamming the door in my face.

As soon I went in I ran over to David and hugged him, he was still weak but he was able to sit up without wincing.
We didn't speak at all. Everyone was completely silent. It wasn't interrupted until Levi was pushed in for unknown reasons, after that there were no more interruptions.
It wasn't until sunset that Amanda called us out. When the three of us (that could) stepped out of the barn, we were greeted with our entire village standing outside. All eyes were on us and it felt as if  every single one was burning holes in my skin.
    "After a long discussion, we have come to a decision about what we are going to do with you monsters," someone from the crowd growled.
   Casey stepped forward out of the mob, followed by Clem's dad. "Although the decision was not unanimous," Casey started, her eyes never breaking from mine. A tear rolled down her cheek as she raised a pistol and cocked it, "we have decided to put you to death."