Days are Gone [2] (On-Hold)

Chapter 3 - Birds of the same feather

- - -

I remember the first time an infected bit me. It was a few days after Belle and I escaped that facility.

We basically have nothing, and surviving that time is the hardest I've ever experienced.

Sleeping through the night without eating a single crumb of food was normal for both of us. Sometimes we spend the next two days filling our stomachs only with bottles of water to satiate our hunger.

Seeing Isabelle crying because of stomach pains is difficult, it breaks my heart. Not until one night, we found a stash of cereals inside a grocery store we entered. Belle and I literally teared up over a box of Cheerios and Frosted Flakes. It's like finding a treasure in the middle of a desert. That's how scarce the food is if you're trying to survive out there.

The excitement made me ignore my surroundings, and an infected slipped past my vision. Its growls made my heart skip a beat, causing me to lose my balance and drop to the floor.

I tried to push it away after it lunged itself on top of me, but the infected keeps on pouncing violently.

With my hands, I grabbed the infected in the face, instead of the neck. I don't know why I did that stupid decision, it felt like my mind went blank at that moment, and I couldn't think straight.

I used all my strength to try and keep its mouth away from my face, when suddenly it stopped moving. Belle successfuly stabbed the top of its head with a kitchen knife.

She pulled its shirt and helped me remove the dead infected on top of my body afterwards. Few minutes later, and the rush of adrenaline slowly left my body, that's when the pain on my right hand registered. I was bitten.

The bite is not severe, and the skin on the side of my palm is still intact, but it was indeed bleeding.

I was scared for a short while, because all those people did back at that facility was inject us with a substance that mimics the pathogen, but I never got to test it with an actual bite from an infected.

I waited and waited, until it happened. Convulsions, and sudden headaches. I rolled over the place and grunted in pain. It hurts, not just my head, but my whole body. The last thing I remembered is when I tried to inhale, but couldn't. It's like my lungs stopped working and refuses to take in oxygen.

I told Isabelle that I can't draw a breath- she panicked and asked me what to do, but then my ears started ringing until I can no longer hear her voice. Her worried face is the last thing I saw as I slowly lose my consciousness while gasping for air.

- - -

"Josh! Can you hear me!?" Marjorie called, which snapped me back to reality.

I don't know why my first bite experience with an infected suddenly flashed in my mind. I just shook my head and focused on the situation.

Josh held Marjorie's hands and forced a smile. "H-hey..." he mumbled as he tries to inhale.

I stared at Josh for a couple more seconds and did nothing. I don't know why, but my insticts says to wait.

"Don't just stand there! Do something!" Marjorie said, her eyes fixed on us.

Rizza pulled Marjorie's arms and dragged her out of the tent. She fought back, but failed as Rizza grabs both of her wrists from behind, not letting her go.

"W-WHAT IS THIS!? WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO!? LET ME GO!" Marjorie snarled.

"Do it, Cyra. Don't let the poor guy turn." Sour said.