Time.

❝no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try there just simply is never enough time.❞

Marie's hands gripped the wheel tightly as she drove down the empty highway, not even sparing a second glance to the burning crops beside her as she looked at the huge deteriorating buildings, praying that at least she was okay. She'd parked in the street, ignoring the trash littering the empty sidewalks and barren buildings, trying to block out the growls and moans of the infected inside of the hospital she had entered.

She couldn't help but look at the rotting bodies lying on the hospital beds, some of them their skin almost pitch black from the infection, other's barely starting to turn as their rich red veins turned to midnight black, eyes glazing over to white as they started to snarl.

"Excuse me? You can't be in here." Marie turned to the woman behind the counter, worriedly glancing her way as she brought her hands to the counter.

"I'm looking for Noella? Noella Williams." She bit her lip, watching as the woman crossed her arms.

"And why would you be looking for her?"

"She's my cousin." It was far fetched to say that, Marie knew. With her tall figure and dark skin, black curls hanging over her shoulders while Noella was physically her polar opposite with her pale skin and fair hair.

But what else was she supposed to do? Her mother died a couple of days ago, leaving it to be just her and Noella. The woman nodded her head and flipped through pages on the clipboard, Marie clicking her boots against the tiled floor as the woman finally spotted her name.

"Ah, yes. Noella. She's down the hall and to the left."

"Thanks." Marie followed the instructions and felt her heart sink at the bandage wrapped around Noella's arm, the said girl jumping from her bed and into Marie's arms as she sighed out in relief.

"Marie," She gripped her tightly, Marie sighing into Noella's hair as she hugged her back. The two girls embraced, both ignoring the rough feeling of the white bandage on Noella's arm.

+

They were silent on the ride back to the house, Marie's hands kept firmly on the wheel as Noella's arm hung out of the window. The wind blew through her long blonde hair, eyes focused on the sky as she sighed. She scratched at the bandage, stopping when Marie grunted.

"Don't itch it." There was silence again, until Noella sighed and looked over to Marie.

"I told you not to come for me. I left to the city for a reason."

"Oh I know your reason; You think I wasn't as emotionally distraught as you were? She was my mother, Noella."

"You didn't even react, Marie! You just, stuck the knife into her head without a care in the world! Didn't even say goodbye!"

"Better than her going to quarantine," She bitterly replied, effectively shutting Noella up as she pouted.

"I have to pee." Marie didn't even blink as she pulled over to the gas station, not bothering to turn off the truck since there wouldn't be anybody up for stealing it. Noella entered the station first, immediately stopping by the sunglasses and looking at the different designs.

"I'll, get the key for the bathroom then," Marie sighed, pulling out a five dollar bill from her pocket and placing it on the counter. It wasn't useful anymore but it was still a thought, and she still wanted to keep that piece of her that knew what it was like before the infection had taken over the entire human race.

She grabbed the restroom key and made her way to the bathroom, about to open the door when a man with black blood oozing out of his mouth attacked, Marie screaming in terror as she pushed the man back and brought out her knife, stabbing him right in the forehead and pulling her knife back out.