Green Hope

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

The first thing I was aware of was pain. It was more of a dull ache than anything. I felt it all throughout my head, but it was the worst right where my left temple was. My legs were sore and my throat felt like sandpaper.

I opened my eyes and was immediately faced with a blinding light. I covered my eyes with my hand and groaned. I noticed something attached to my wrist. After waiting for my eyes to adjust me type of hospital room, but it wasn't like in a hospital. Most of the equipment at a hospital was there, but it looked more like a regular guest room that had been converted to a hospital. The bed I was in was a normal twin-sized bed. The covers were a solid navy blue and I was in a light purple nightgown.

The door across from the bed opened to reveal a man I had never seen before. He was really old and had white, wispy hair that reminded me of cotton candy. He had small, rectangular glasses that perched on the tip of his nose. His skin was very wrinkled, and he wore a white long-sleeved shirt and a pair of black pants. "Oh, good you're awake!" He said, looking up from the clipboard he was holding.

I cleared my throat. "Who are you? Where am I? What happened?" I asked in a rush. My voice sounded like I was fighting bronchitis, which caused me to cough.

He went through a door to my left I didn't notice before, and came back with a glass of water. "Here you go dear." He paused, waiting for me to finish drinking. "Alright, I'll answer as many of your questions that I can, but I wasn't the one to find you. Though, what I can't answer will be answered by Dani, who was there when you were found."

I nodded. "Who are you?" I asked, slower this time so I didn't start coughing again.

"My name is Albert Smith." He came and sat down in the armchair beside the bed I was in. "I'm one of the doctors here, and right now, you are my only patient, which a a very lucky thing."

I nodded. "Alright, Albert. I'm Avril Rose. Where am I?"

"Well, Avril, you are in Easton. Well, the new Easton. It's kind of a makeshift town. It's actually in the city limits of Easton, but in the forest right by the edge." He said, writing something down on his clipboard.

"Where exactly is Easton?" I asked, looking at my hands. There was an I.V on my wrist, which must have been what I felt earlier.

"Well, Easton is right by the border next to New Jersey."

I nodded. "What happened to me? Like, where did I get hurt?"

"Well, you have a minor concussion from hitting your head, and you were very dehydrated. There wasn't any food in your system, and you had a lot of bruising. Though, I am curious to know: where did you get those bruises on your neck?" He asked, staring at me intently.

I squirmed in my spot. "Well, I met up with someone a couple months ago. His name was Mark, and were were attacked about two weeks ago. We were on this cliff when we were cornered. Mark got in front of me, and he was attacked. The boy bit him in the neck. Before Mark could change he killed the two of them, but he attacked me." I paused and ran the tips of my fingers across my neck. If I pressed down a little, I could still feel the pain. "He grabbed me by the neck and threw me down on the ground. He ended up kicking all of our supplies off the cliff."

"How did you manage to get away?" He asked, leaning towards me ever so slightly.

"Ummm..." I trailed off. I couldn't really let him know that I actually had gotten bitten. I mean, I just met the guy. "Well, before he could do much damage, I found a sharp rock and stabbed him in the neck. Then, I kind of kicked him off the cliff into the Delaware."