Plague

CHAPTER ONE

Two minutes . That's how long it was going to take to find out the course that my life would take .  The difference between  right and wrong , left or right . Time moved too quickly yet I felt in those moments like it crawled . I turned on the tap ,cupped my trembling hands and splashed cool water on my flushed cheeks . Braden was on the other side of the bathroom door . Just the thought of telling him that I'm pregnant made me want to hurl .  The city's final evacuation date was scheduled for the morning . We had decided to wait until we stocked up on supplies before leaving  .  Braden had picked up extra night shifts at the garage so we would have everything we would need.   

" What does it say babe"  Braden said softly through the door .

" ummm I haven't  looked at it yet  , I can't believe we're  dealing with  this right now " 

I opened  the bathroom door  , Braden hastily made his way to my side . The blue stick holding our fate , mocking us . Ding . The alarm went off on my phone and although I thought it was impossible , the pit in my stomach grew even deeper.  Positive . I Squeezed my eyes shut , hoping that I would see something different  when I opened my eyes again . Braden stared longingly into my eyes , searching them for the answer . I opened my mouth to tell him , but nothing came out . No sound .

"It's positve "

"Let me see , Valeria let me see it "

My mind was racing , It felt like I was in some kind of daze ,  we had no idea what would happen tomorrow after we leave the city or what lay ahead . Everything changed in  June , our quiet summer in Fendil  changed very drastically  when  people started getting sick . At first nobody knew why , what to do or what caused it ,  but when the morgues started filling up and  people around us were dropping like flies , a PSA was issued and everybody that was well enough to leave the city was advised to go . Braden and I just had each other , his brothers raised him and when they were old enough they left home and joined the airforce leaving him to figure the rest out . I'm a stray . I couldn't remember much of my parents but I knew that we had moved from Bucaramanga when I was 12 . Up until now, it had been just Braden and I .

" Your pregnant , I mean we're pregnant , Shit , I'm sorry V "

"  I thought we were careful " I whispered through stinging bitter tears.

"I know " He said deflated and defeated.

" I'm going to get sick aren't I , I can't believe ......."

Braden's arms wrapped tightly around me , they were usually my safe haven , warm and comforting , but not today . This felt diffetrent , suffucatingly uncomfortable. This would put us both at risk . The only thing we knew for sure was that we had four hours to pack the rest of our things and begin our journey south . Braden held my face in his hands . 

"We're going to be okay"

" I don't .."

" I love you , We're going to be okay " 

I laced my fingers around the back of his neck and just lingered them there for a few moments, trying to find  peace in his eyes. I kissed him softly , tears trickling down my cheeks . For  the first time in ages ,we had somebody else to think about . It was the three of us now . The next few hours raced by. We had been packed for a few weeks now, just in case we would have to leave at a moments notice, like our neighbours had done last Wednesday in the middle of the night. The last few months had changed everything we thought we knew about the world, our bodies, the government and each other. From the price of milk going up  to strict weekly screenings and qurestioning, all to ensure that we weren't infected and wouldn't  bring furthur plague of detriment to our city .

While Braden pilled our belongings in his truck tirelessly , I filled anything with a lid with water .  There was no more water on the shelves at the stores, that was one of the first things to go. We had to collect rainwater now. We had just enough food for 3 days , 4 if we really rationed it . The vendors at the farmers markets had  barely anything left , we had to make do with what we had in the apartment . A few bags of tortilla chips , some bruised bananas, granola and a jar of hotdog meat. Our truck was stuffed with pretty much everything that we owned. We wanted to take everything , it wasn't much but we had both accepted the bitter truth that we may never return. The closest camp was about a six day drive, that is if we didn't come across any issues. Anxiety set once again in it's semi permanent spot , dead centre  in my chest .

"I can't believe we're really doing this" Braden said with an unfamiliar sense of defeat in his voice .

" we should leave before it gets too dark"

"Okay , now or never i guess "

We drove off with a half tank of gas , it was all that Braden could find . The neighbourhood was earliy still and silent . The corner store usually surrounded with kids on bikes trying to look grown up was uninvaded by a single soul . The store was bare and barren everything inside had been raided . We drove past the first welcome TO sign about twenty minuites into our drive , My hands were gripping my belly loosly , my fingers tracing where I thought our baby might be .  There was no time to take it all in before . This would change everything . The Virus , there wasn't even a proper name for it yet . The name that I had heard more often was the Plague. It affected people differently depending on their genders and ages . Braden placed his free hand on my knee to stop it shaking . I hadn't even noticed .

"Tell me what you're thinking Val "

" I'm just scared Baby , I know you must be too but"

"Val i'm fine "

" Please don't do that . We are in a shit situation , Don't sugar coat it B "

" I'm trying to hold it down for us "

"Stop trying , just be in the fricking moment " I snapped .

We both sat in silence for what felt like ages . 

" I know we are scared , both of us are , but Baby we have to have faith and just kep looking forward , I want to be a dad to our baby . I have to do this , we have to make it to that camp no matter what "

Tears trickled down my face again , he always knew what to say to bring a smile back to my face even in the worst of times. 

" I'm sorry " I sniffed as I leaned over to kiss his cheek.