Death's Awakening

Chapter Thirty-Three: Parrish

Oh my God.

Parrish couldn't believe her eyes. How could this be happening? It was one thing to see a bunch of strangers stumbling around outside, but this? Someone who had been in her house a dozen times? Someone she'd lived across from for the past six years? She thought she was going to be sick.

Behind her, Noah paced.

His sneakers squeaked against the pristine white tile.

Parrish stepped closer to the glass, then raised her hand to her mouth, willing her stomach to stop churning. Noah's father stood on the other side of the Plexiglas, his hands leaving a greasy film where they beat against the divider. His skin was dull grey and dark purple sores dotted his arms and face. His eyes had the same milky film she'd seen on the other infected.

She dared another step closer, hoping to see some light of recognition in Dr. Vincent's eyes. Would he know her? Could he still speak? Was it even still him?

One more step and the man's focus seemed to shift. His milky eyes turned toward her and he growled at her like a rabid dog. Drool dripped from his cracked lips and he began to beat hard on the glass.

Parrish backed away, turning her head. She didn't want to look anymore.

Noah put a hand on her shoulder, but she pulled away. She leaned against the top of a desk, breathing in and out. Her ears felt like they were filled with cotton and she struggled to straighten her vision. She should really try to keep it together for Noah's sake. This was his dad. He deserved better. But she couldn't control her reaction. Her stomach churned and the room began to spin.

"You said you wanted to know," Noah said.

She nodded, but she was afraid to speak. Afraid her voice would crack or grow hysterical.

She glanced over at Noah's father again, not wanting to believe it was real.

Noah leaned patiently against the edge of a desk, giving her time to take it all in. His head hung low and he picked at a frayed spot on his jeans.

God, how hard must this be for him? What if she'd had to see her mother rise from the dead and turn into one of these snarling, hungry animals?

"How long has he... you know... been like this?"

"Since the day before you moved in," Noah said. "He'd been sick for a few days and then his heart just stopped beating. An hour later, his eyes opened again. I got lucky and was able to trap him inside the room."

"Does he still know who you are?" She had so many questions, she wasn't sure in what order to ask them. She was anxious to know everything Noah knew, but she kept it to one question at a time. She wanted to give him a chance to explain. It was hard to believe he'd been carrying this on his shoulders this whole time.

"I don't know," he said. He shook his head. "I don't think so."

His voice trailed off and Parrish searched his face.

"Shit. I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

Noah shrugged, then looked over at his father, pain written across his features.

Parrish looked down at her hands. They were shaking.

"So, what do we do now?" Her voice cracked.

Noah didn't answer her, and the question hung in the air between them.

"We need to talk about the evacuation order," she said finally. "I completely understand if you don't want to leave your dad here. I have no idea what's going on with Karmen's family at this point or if she's hoping to find them, but my sister might still be alive in New York. I had planned to go up there and try to get here, but now—"

"Come on," he said, nodding toward the stairs. "Let's go wake Karmen up and talk this through."

She followed him up the stairs, chancing one last look at the zombie behind the glass.

Thanks for reading Death's Awakening!