Death's Awakening

Chapter Seventeen: Karmen

"What do you mean, you can't get home?" Karmen asked.

Her parents had gone to one of their inspirational retreats in the mountains for a long three-day weekend, but they were supposed to be back by Monday night. It was already Wednesday now and they were still in the mountains.

"I'm so sorry, honey," her mother said. "Rick asked us to stay an extra day or two to help out after the conference was over, and you know your father. He hated to say no to a friend in need."

Karmen rolled her eyes and had to press her lips tight to keep from saying something she'd regret.

"We changed our flights to today, but now we're at the airport and they're telling us all flights have been completely grounded," she said.

Karmen wrinkled her nose. "Grounded? For what? Is the weather bad there?"

"No, not at all," her mom said. "They won't tell us why. It's complete chaos."

She held the phone to her ear and walked into the living room to turn on the TV. Had there been some kind of terrorist attack? Or a plane crash?

"I've been trying to get your brother on the phone, but no one's picking up at his house," she said. "As soon as I reach him, I'll have him come pick you up and take you over to his house."

Karmen groaned. She hated her older brother and his perfect little family. He was eight years older than she was and married to a bitch of a wife. They had twin baby girls who were absolute terrors.

"I'll be fine, Mom," she said. "I can take care of myself."

She quickly scanned through the TV channels, searching for news.

"Hang on, I'll have to call you back, sweetheart," her mom said. "Love you. And we'll discuss staying with your brother when I call you back."

Her mom clicked off and Karmen set the phone down and turned the TV up.

The local news station was showing footage of airports across the country, packed with people whose flights had been canceled. She listened for a minute, but the stupid reporter never said what they'd been canceled for. As usual, the news was completely useless.

Karmen walked over to her laptop and started a Google search for "why have flights been canceled?" A news story popped up near the top explaining that the CDC had issued an order to stop all airline traffic in hopes of slowing the spread of the latest outbreak of the flu. They were urging anyone who was showing signs of the virus to stay where they were and not to travel until they were fully recovered.

Holy crap.

Canceling flights to slow an outbreak of the flu?

School had been canceled for the past two days and now this? People got the flu all the time, so what was the big deal? It sounded like your typical case of people overreacting to the slightest thing. The country had gone completely paranoid these days.

Karmen closed her laptop and picked up her phone again. Well, if her parents weren't coming home for another few days and school was closed too, she was going to make the best of it.

She texted her best friend Kate. House 2 myself still! Want 2 come over?

There was no immediate response, so Karmen sent a message to Melody, too.

While she waited to hear back from someone, she went into the kitchen to make something to eat. Her mom usually bought groceries on the weekend and the people who came over for the party Friday night basically ate everything they had in the house. She sighed and grabbed an apple from the bottom drawer.

Maybe she should order pizza or something, but she'd already eaten a ton of junk food the last few days. With summer right around the corner, she couldn't afford to gain any weight. She was going to have to find her mom's credit card and go grocery shopping later.

Her phone buzzed against the top of the counter. Karmen grabbed jar of peanut butter from the pantry and a knife from the drawer, then checked the message as she cut the apple into small slices. She dipped the first piece into the jar, coating it with peanut butter.

My dad and sister are really sick. Can't leave them. Have u talked 2 Kate?

That was from Melody. Karmen sighed. Too sick for her to leave and come hang out with a friend?

No, why? Everything okay?

The phone buzzed again.

Mark died this morning.

Karmen had to read it three times before the words sunk in. Mark was Kate's little brother. He was only two years old.

She set her half-eaten apple slice on the counter and slid down onto the cold tile floor. What the hell was happening? She'd spent the last couple of days chilling out on the couch, watching marathons of Vampire Diaries. Had the world completely changed in just two days? Was everyone sick?

She dialed Aaron's number, her stomach suddenly queasy. He was supposed to come over last night and watch a movie, but had totally bailed on her. Usually he would at least call or something, but she'd never heard from him. She'd been too pissed to call him earlier, but now, her hands were trembling as she placed the phone to her ear and waited for him to pick up.

The call went to voicemail.

She tried him again, this time calling his home phone instead of his cell.

On the fourth ring, his mother picked up. "Hello?"

Her voice was strange and tight.

"Hi, Mrs. Goldman. It's Karmen. Can I talk to Aaron?"

Aaron's mom sobbed into the phone, and Karmen's heart went still. She waited, not knowing what to say.

"Oh Karmen, honey, I'm sorry, I should have called you," Mrs. Goldman said. Someone was coughing in the background. "It just happened so fast, I didn't even know what to think or who to call."

"What happened?" Karmen asked. "Is Aaron okay?"

"He's been sick since Sunday night." His mom's voice cracked as she answered. "Karmen, Aaron passed away this morning."

The phone dropped from Karmen's hand, and the screen cracked as it hit the floor. She stared straight ahead, unable to move or cry or even breathe.

How could Aaron be dead? She'd just seen him on Friday night. She'd kissed him. He hadn't even been sick at all. Not even a cough or a fever or anything. How had he gotten sick and died all in just the last couple of days?

She pulled her knees tight to her chest and laid her head against them. It was long past midnight before she finally got up from the floor and made her way to bed.

Thank you for reading! Parrish's next chapter is one of my favorites. Can't wait for Wednesday!

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