Outbreak

Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Avi

I look between the two, noticing quickly that Marlowe doesn't look as tense as she usually is. The only time I see her this way is when she sleeps.

"And you're right... I do have a nice face." I mutter sarcastically back at Marlowe, hoping she doesn't have a good comeback.

"Yeah, you do." Toni winks at me, but instead of being embarrassed, I'm completely enraged. I don't even know him, and he's flirting with me?

I turn on my held and stomp away leaving everyone confused and mortified. I freeze when I hear the sounds of Vanessa turning, something I will never forget.

The breathing stops...She's dead...Everyone cries...Ten seconds...She's becoming an infected.

"Mommy!"

One...two...three...

"Vanessa, honey?"

Four...five...six...

"Mommy, wake up!"

Seven...Eight...Nine...

"Stand back!" I shout and turn, my cross bow already loaded and ready for me to pull the trigger.

Ten...

Vanessa sits up like you think a vampire would in a coffin. She growls as if she is a wild animal

Wait, she is.

I fire an arrow straight into her forehead, causing her to stop moving. She falls back down and everyone turns to me, either anger or bewilderment plastered on their faces.

"Why did you do that?" Toni barks at me, his body starting to tremble as if he's about to explode. His green eyes darken with rage as he starts to stomp towards me.

I back away, not in fear, but in horror for what I have done. "Did you want me to let her bite someone else and turn us all?" I demand with no emotion left inside of me. It's not like I love to kill families and rip then apart.

No. I already know how that feels and I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

Well, depending on who.

He opens his mouth to argue, but he closes it just as quickly. "You still could have let one of us do it. You aren't apart of this group, so you had no right."

I turn my head, feeling numb just like every other time I kill one of those things. "Then you'd have to live with her blood on your hands."

They all look shocked as I continue. "At lease this way, you didn't have to kill your wife and her mother." I look at Jon as I sat this, and watch as his face soften slightly, but there is still pain evident on in his worn features. He looks older than what I know he is, looking in the forties, when I can tell he is in his his thirties.

When no one else says another word, I turn around and walk away. Hot tears fall down my face slowly, the salt tasting bad in my mouth. Bile rises in my throat and I collapse onto the ground and throw up until my stomach is completely empty. After that, I dry heave for what feels like forever before I finally stop.

I wander around soon after, trying to ease my racing mind, until I get to a section full of mattresses. I sit down on one made of something called memory foam and place my head in my hands.

And bawl my eyes out...

Warm, comforting arms wrap around me, pulling me into a side hug.

"I didn't want to shoot Vanessa, but I didn't feel like her family should! I didn't want them to be like me, someone who just shots family members it have blood on their hands! And I think I like the group for some reason! And I'm sorry for bringing up your family! It wasn't right!" I cry out between sobs. I say everything fast and hiccup every once in a while.

Someone chuckles, someone that isn't Marlowe. "I think I'm not who you think I am..."

I push him away and glare at him. "Go the fuck away, Toni! I don't need this right now!"

He stands up, his movements full of rage. "What do you mean this?"

"I don't need a cute boy trying to flirt with me and make me like him!" I scream, then turn embarrassed when I realize what I have just said.

"You think I'm cute?"

"No..." I turn away my face heating up like fireworks blasting in the air.

Toni lifts my head up with his fingers under my chin, making me look him in the eyes. The deep green turns a lighter shade when he dips his head towards mine.

I close my eyes and lean to to meet his lips. Fire bursts between the two of us and I deepen the kiss, mixing my old tears with new ones, happy ones.

I wrap my arms around his neck instinctively when he deepens the kiss. I feel his arms lightly grab my hips.

Then I realize what I'm doing and pull back. He frowns at me, looking at me with his sad eyes that are now dark with lust.

I quickly get up and race back toward the mall entrance. I see that they cleaned up Vanessa's dead body. I wrap my arms around Marlowe and apologize for speaking about her family.

She forgives me after enclosing me with her arms. We pull back and smile at each other.

"You guys can stay a few nights, and longer after we leave." Marlowe speaks to the group when Toni appears by Easton. "We'll be on our way after the zeke die down."

"Where are you going?" Easton honestly looks sad when Marlowe talks about leaving.

"To find our friend." I look at Marlowe for confirmation. She nods and I smile at her.

"He is in trouble and need us so we'll be going after him." Marlowe finishes.

Reyes, here we come.