AM13 Outbreak Shorts

One Year On - Three (Emma)

Emma

My heart pounds violently against my rib cage as an ice-cold snake of fear darts through my system. I've heard a lot of yelling in this house, it's quite a common thing to be honest, but this is on another level.

This is bad.

Really bad.

I shrink back on myself while bringing my knees up to my chest. Mom's screams grate through me like nails down a chalkboard. Her intense, furious fear leaves me with no choice at all. Dad's replies are muffled through the thick stone walls, but I don't need to hear what he's saying to know that he's mad. Right now, it feels like both of them truly hate my guts.

I have to get out.

This isn't the first time I've wanted to leave. It's not the first time I tried to make a break for it but obviously I didn't succeed then. Months and months ago, I think it might have even been a year back although it's hard to keep track of dates anymore, my new friend, Rachael, came to stay with me. Her home life had fallen apart under the stress of the AM13 virus and she needed some help. I let her in, I hid her away from my super strict parents and I tried to care for her the best I could.

Unfortunately, my parents didn't have the same compassionate nature. Upon finding her, they immediately sent her out onto the streets with the infected, sentencing her to death. I tried to run too, I wanted to catch up to her, to try and survive together, but Mom and Dad wouldn't have it. They captured me and trapped me, forced me to remain here with them.

For a while, supplies weren't an issue. As an obsessive coupon-cutter, we had a basement filled with food and medicines, anything we could possibly need...but that couldn't last forever.

Now, we have nothing and we need to leave but my suggestion has caused my parents to freak out. Ridiculously so, to the point where they are hysterical.

For a long time, I thought as adults my parents had all the answers. I trusted them blindly, did whatever they wanted me to do. Now I can see that might be a mistake and if I continue to do what they want then it might kill me. Of course, being out there in that world might kill me to, so I need to make a choice.

Which way gives me a chance at living?

Which way do I want to die?

I block my hands over my ears as a tear leaks from my eye. I can't think at all with Mom yelling like that, I need some silence to get my head straight. My head wants me to leave, to at least take my chances out there in the world, but my heart wants me to remain, to die, with the people I love.

I have no idea which side of me is going to win out...