Infection

Chapter 5

The bone-rattling sound bounces off the walks and reverberates, shaking my mind. The deathly shriek rises into a chorus of garbled notes, and I imagine what is making those awful cries of pain and agony.

Don't think about it, don't think about it...

They sound identical to those of the girl, who is now lying covered in a pool of her own blood on the floor, who attacked us.

"What do we do?" Fern asks me in a terrified, quivering voice.

"I...I don't know. All I know is that I never want to encounter that"- I jerk my head in the direction of the toilets - "... Ever again."

My friend opens her mouth to say something, but is cut off by a gurgled groan. Both of our heads shoot upwards to where the upstairs classrooms are. Floorboards creek as what I assume is a person moves towards the balcony. The silhouette of a crouching person stretches out onto the pavement in front of us and by instinct I shoot backwards into the wall.

"Help me".

The voice croaks out, sounding like the person hasn't had any water in a thousand years. It's definitely female though.

"Now what do we do?" I hiss quietly to Fern.

She slides her back down the wall, hugging her knees close to her chest. "I guess... I guess we help her."

I bite my lip. The dead girl sounded a little more intense than this, maybe this new person wasn't too far gone...

"We'll help. But if things get bad we are running for our fucking lives."

Fern gives me a tight smile, then stands up. I press my fore finger to my lips, then quietly start walking up the stairs. She follows behind me, like a shadow.

After what seems like an age, we arrive at the top.

"Remember what I told you", I whisper as quiet as I can to Fern. She nods back, squeezes her eyes and we both jump onto the top step.

I was expecting for face another rotting creature thirsty for my flesh, but instead we see a girl slicked with blood crying against the railing. She seems harmless, so we move forward.

"H...hello?" I quietly address the girl.

She tilts her head upwards and I gasp.

A chunk of flesh has been viciously torn out from her right cheek, blood drips down onto her neck.

"Oh thank god, someone's here- please, please help me". She starts sobbing again, rivulets of tears running down her face.

"What the heck happened to you?!" Fern steps out behind me, her hands on her hips.

"Are you gonna go ape-shit crazy on us like the girl down there!" She points an accusing finger down below us.

The girls face pales in shock. "You mean, there's more of them?" Her sentence ends in a bitter note of anger.

I cock my head in half-curiosity, half-fear. "You've seen them too?"

She laughs faintly and points a hand to her cheek, "Where do ya think I got this beauty?"

Duh.

"Anyway, there's a whole freakin' classroom filled with dead bodies in there", she sticks her finger to the door, "we were in History when all of a sudden this crazed thing charges in and starts chomping on little George Jrs. face".

Her voice grows weaker as she finishes speaking. She heaves in a deep breath and you can almost hear her bones rattling. Her eyes close but stay quivering.

"It's going to be okay..." I place my hand on her shoulder, it's the least I could do.

"S-sing me a lullaby Katniss", she says softly then starts laughing weakly.

"I'm not quite dead yet. And thank you for staying with me". She gives me a small smile then closes her eyes, and I know it'll be the last time the world will ever see those eyes.

"Just, promise me that," her voice is so soft I can barely hear her, "if you find a girl called Sadie, please keep her safe". Her hand finds mine and squeezes tightly.

"Please."

I squeeze back and whisper to her, "I promise."

She smiles, a happy one this time and her breathing slows. My eyes swim with tears as her hand goes limp.

I didn't even know her name.

Standing up, I brush the tears from my eyes and look at Fern. She's standing, frozen, looking at the classroom door.

There's a growl of thirst and my own body freezes from fear.

The words that I said before flash through my mind, "I don't want to encounter that ever again."

Oh, the irony.

----------------------------

LONG TIME NO SEE!

I apologise for not updating in ages, I've been super busy with exams and tests and assignments and ugh.

I also had a touch of writers block but it's all cool now.

AND 900 FREAKIN READS HOLY SHIT S LJANJAINSLJANJN

THANK YOU SO MUCH I LOVE YOU ALL!

Adios,
~ Jenna