Skin Walkers

Chapter 2

(Sorry this chapter is REALLY short)

He bandaged my wrist up, bind by bind, as i watched his fingers move around in some kind of rhythm. Over, under, slide, over, under, slide. He tied a knot of both wrist and we locked eyes. Pain filled his eyes, I leaned back for the feeling was contagious. The feeling of loss filled my veins and I closed my eyes trying to push the feeling out.

My parents are alive and out there somewhere in this messed up world. 

I opened my eyes and looked at him as he throws away the nasty bandages. "Tell me what is going on."  He stopped and his shoulder rose and fell, taking a deep breath. 

"Mel. I don't know how long you were asleep. A lot has happened." He turned his head so he is now looking at me.

I snorted. "I might not have time to hear the entire story. I have school in the morning."

We looked at each other for a moment and a smile spread across his face. He walked over to the bed and sat down. "Alright, there was a big commotion. Doctors found a new painkiller, it is suppose to kill cancer cells." I nodded. "Some, like myself, were smart enough not to take a new drug. But others, desperate people, went to get the drug in their system. Once they took the drug, reports say it made them hot, their breathing quickened and color drained from their eyes." He closed his eyes and I bit my lip. 

"Does it spread?"

"They tried to make the infected qurantined, but it didn't work. There was so many of them and the walls fell. From what I know, if they bite you or their blood gets in through cuts, eyes, mouth, nose or any other opening, you become infected."

"How do you know?"

Nancy looked at her father and slowly looked away. Tears filled her eyes. I followed her gaze to see a picture of her, Charles and another woman.

"My wife, was at the grocery store. We heard about the outbreak and she went to stock up before things got to crazy, she worked in the medical field."  He closed his eyes and wrapped his big beefy hand over a gold locket that hug around his neck. "She was bitten." I felt myself gasp and reach forward putting my hand on his arm. "She suffered for 24 hours, that's how long it took, ya know? She brought back the supplies. I couldn't bring it to myself to kill her, so I let her go." He was sobbing. I got up and hugged him only to feel his arms wrap around me, too.  

*******

Night was starting to settle in and I helped him and Nancy turn down the gas lamps and close the curtains over the boarded up windows. When we finished, I noticed the change in the atmosphere. The uncertainty of not knowing what is going to happen. Nancy curled up in the big bed with an animal while Charles and I sat at the kitchen table in the corner, watching her. Soon she was fast asleep, "I need to find my parents." I said without taking my eyes off of her.

"I know you do, and I need to move away from here. With memories haunting in every corner, I don't think I can take it."

I nodded and looked at him. "Will you come with me?"

He looked at Nancy for a long time, the quietly said "Yes. "