Infliction |Infected Book 2|

Chapter 3 - Ryder

Desiree

I walked beside Vivian with locked arms as we neared a staircase.  Step after step became more difficult as I forced my weak body up the red velvet stairs.  What made it even worse was that I was with Vivian, not to even mention the fact that we were touching.  The only way I want to touch her is with my fist pounding her skull, I thought darkly to myself.

I flicked my eyes to look at her when we reached the top and saw that she was excited.  Her snake-like eyes were unusually wide and a tight smile spread across her lips.  I clenched all of the muscles in my body, trying to restrain myself from tackling her to the ground.

"We are in Balcony number 4," Vivian spoke as if escorting her friend to a show.  "It's the closest one to the stage and we won't have to worry about a blood splatter."  Throwing her head back she laughed and the sound of it made me sick to my stomach.

"Do you enjoy this Vivian?"  I sneered at her.  I roughly broke my arm away from hers and turned to face her.  "Because no normal human being in their right mind would think of this as entertainment.  It's sick and disturbing."

Vivian's laugh calmed into a chuckle with a smile still sitting on her face.  "Oh Desiree,"  She said gasping for air.  Calming herself, she leaned closer to me and whispered, "You'll be surprised at just how sick and disturbing people can become when they've seen their loved ones torn to pieces."

I was suddenly shocked at the truth of her statement.  I shivered as I remembered back to Cody's cellar, when Jason had truly gone insane.  Jason's fiancé, Sheridan, had ran out the doors of the cellar and out into the infected world above.  He had tried to save her and brought her back underground, mutilated and dead.  We knew she wasn't really dead; we knew she was going to rise infected and we tried to tell him that.  But insanity took over him and he threatened to kill us but ended up dying instead when Cody stabbed him.

My heart ached for the couple that were about to be wed and live happily ever after.  But good endings don't always happen; I thought to myself and sunk my head to the floor.  Look at what happened to Cody and me.

Vivian tugged at my arm, knocking me out of my memories and thoughts, and back into reality.  I was pulled to a silk, deep purple curtain that lined the entrance into the balcony suite. 

"Be on your best behavior," Vivian said under her breath.  "Turner is here and expects you in high spirits."  With a brush of her hand Vivian pushed the curtain aside revealing a row of seats towering above the rest of the theater. 

Vivian walked ahead of me and sat down in a seat next to Turner who turned to look at me.  "I'm thrilled that you could make it," Turner greeted me as his eyes trailed down my body.  "And might I say that you look stunning?"

I internally gagged and thought of a few choice words I might say to him, but I bit my tongue and thought of Vivian's threat to Aundrea.  With the fakest smile I could ever present on my face I grabbed at the edges of my dress and curtsied, bowing my head.  "Thank you Mr. Turner,"  I said almost not hiding the bite to my voice.

A chuckle came from Turner.  "Vivian," He addressed the she-devil, his eyebrows rising in astonishment.  "I see you have tamed the beast and made her into a perfect lady.  I didn't think you could do it."

Vivian's cheeks blushed and she placed her hand delicately on Turner's leg.  "There are lots of things I can do Turner."

"I could kill myself right now," I whispered to myself in disgust at the scene forming before me.

Vivian's bright red hair flicked away from her face as her head spun to eye me down.  "What was that Desiree?"  She asked with an innocent smile, that I knew was not so innocent.