The Road to Nowhere

Chapter 12: Cut

Chapter 12

My eyes slowly open and I try to look around. I don't see anything. It's completely dark. 

Have you ever heard a hammer hit concrete? Well, that deep and sharp thud is what my head feels like right now. My stitches throb, feeling like a million bees stinging the same spot. My body weighs five tons. I don't trust my sore muscles to be able to move them. My head is spinning, I feel like I'm going to puke.

After a few minutes of vertigo, I can't take it anymore. I sit up, my body sinking into the plush bed below me. I notice light coming into the room from under the door. I must be back in the spare bedroom at Layke's house. 

All of a sudden, I feel my stomach jump up into my throat. It does so quickly that I can't stop the vomit from escaping my mouth. I throw up all over my lap. The taste of bile in my mouth is disgusting. My throat's on fire from the stomach acid I threw up. The hot liquid seeps its way through the blanket and onto my sweaty skin. The feeling makes me gag.

I hear the doorknob slowly turn, and the door opens. I have to shut my eyes because the light hurts too much.

"Summer, you're awake." A familiar voice says.

It takes a couple of seconds for my eyes to adjust. By the time they do, I see Cameron standing at the end of the bed. He's wearing a white t-shirt and jeans and his curly hair is dripping wet. A towel is draped on his shoulder. He holds a candle in his hand and a bunch of clothes in the other.

"Did you throw up all over yourself?" He asks with concern in his voice. I don't have time to answer before he sets down the candle and starts drying me off with the towel.

I try to talk but I don't trust my voice. We sit in silence while he cleans me up and strips the blanket off the bed. He slowly helps me stand and helps me to the bathroom on the other side of the hallway. He sits me on the side of the tub while he goes into the cabinet to look for another towel.

"How long was I asleep?" I ask. My voice is raspy.

"Two days." He answers.

Holy shit. I've been asleep for two whole days? I was expecting like eight hours. What has he been doing for two days? I hope he isn't mad at me for leaving him with Layke.

"How are you feeling?" He says as he hands me another towel.

"My head is pounding and I feel dizzy," I explain. "What happened?"

Cameron sighs with disappointment. "You passed out when you were with Layke".

The memories flood my head. I remember the lake and the tire swing. I catch my breath when I remember the faint moan of the infected.

"Infected?" I say out loud as I thought about it in my head.

"Yeah. Daniel and I had to save you and Layke. You were both half-naked in a tree when we got to you."

My face goes hot with embarrassment. I remember Layke trying to kiss me and me running away. Now Cameron knows everything that happened. What am I doing? We're going to leave this place when I'm better. Why make relationships with these people? I'm never going to see them again.

Cameron sits back down next to me on the side of the bathtub. He looks at me with disappointment. I can tell he's hurt. I've known Cameron's liked me for a while now. I feel so bad for hurting him.

What was I thinking? I have a kind, handsome, trustworthy guy that I've known for years right in front of me. Why chase another one? Just because Layke saved me back at the high school doesn't mean I need to fall for him. Cameron's saved me millions of times.