Infectious

My New Life

I'm frozen in joy and my mother begins to shake me

"We're gonna live!" she exclaims. I begin to laugh like a maniac.

"Yes! We're gonna live in a village! We won't have to worry anymore! We can live together. We'll have immune children and there will be new life!" she dances around happily. I begin to dance with her and soon all the doctors join in. We begin to happily chat when Dr. Crawford interrupts us.

"The cure is all the way out in California. There's a base there that has just finished putting it together," he informs us. Everyone begins to exchange weary glances. I crane my head above the group of people.

"I'll go, I mean it's not too far away so it shouldn't matter," I volunteer. Dr. Crawford gives me a thankful smile and gives everyone else a 'so?' look.

"I'll tag along," a young scientist offers. She's a tad smaller than me and her frizzy brown hair has been passed through the rain and dried with a towel. She repeatedly pushes the glasses back onto the bridge of her nose to keep them from falling.

"Thank you, Martha," the doctor says in a respectful tone. Everyone else stays silent.

"There are a few people that I could bring along with me," I tell him. He nods.

"Okay. We will be having a meeting tomorrow at noon. For now, get back to work and the rest of you either go to the green house or help the elderly people," he instructs. We all break away from the group like multiple butterflies flying away from a cluster.

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I sink my small fingers into the grainy texture of the soil and uproot another mint plant. I place it into the funnel shaped hole I've just dug up from the ground and cover up the roots with loose soil. A soft haze of light filters through the green wall, casting a green shadow along the long room. It smells of fresh herbs and spices from different countries across the world. I move a strand of hair that's in front of my eyes with the heel of my hand and fail at moving the obnoxious strand. I continue replanting the edible plants. I struggle to pick up one pot with three pots on the other hand and it begins to fall. Someone quickly whips out their hand and catches the vase. My heart leaps to my throat. The head of hair turns to face me. It's Riley.

"Hi," he says with a weak grin. I give him a sour look as though I've just swallowed spoilt milk. I trudge over to the counter and put down the pottery pieces. He places the one I've dropped beside me.

"Can we talk?"I he asks.

"What about?" I ask, with attitude lingering on my every word.

"Fiona," he whispers. He sets off the bomb that has been ticking inside of me forever.

"NO!" I boom. He jumps back in fright.

"YOU KILLED HER!" I shriek.

"No I didn't. I set off a bomb that killed some of them and saved hundreds of us," he defends himself as calmly as possible.

"AND THEY SENT A MISSILE BACK THAT KILLED MY FRIEND, MY SISTER!" I yell at him in fury. He comes closer to my face.

"Do you think I wanted to kill her?" he asks through gritted teeth. I wipe away multiple tear drops from my leaking eyes. His eyes soften and the corners of his mouth turn up.

"I just want to start over, Raine," he explains.

"I can't," I tell him, "every time I look at you it's like time itself ends, I die over and over again, and Fiona's death stricken eyes stare back at me. You're a reminder of her death," I whisper. He stays silent and I turn my back to him. He firmly grabs my arm.

"Let go!" I order. His hold tightens and it begins to get painful.

"Just leave me alone," I whimper.

"Hey!" I hear a voice say. Riley quickly releases my arm.

"I don't- I don't know what happened. I just..." he stutters.

"You just what?" the male voice growls like thunder on a stormy day. I look at the person and it dawns on me that Griffith is getting into Riley's face. I clutch my arm and caress the marks of his tight grasp. Griffith kneels beside me and cradles me. I clutch his shirt. Riley begins to chuckle.

"I see, I leave and Griffith swoops in. She doesn't love you, she's using you. It's the only thing she knows how to do," he informs Griffith. My heart is crushed and my stomach rolls over. The Riley I knew would've never said anything like that to me. He would've cradled me and kissed my wounds. A monster has taken his place and his face is just a reminder of the person I once knew, the man I once loved. Griffith's pounces at Riley and gives him a swift punch to the face. The traitor staggers backwards and storms out of the room with a hurtful stare.

"Are you okay?" he inquires as he rushes over to me once more. I prop myself up against the leg of the table that sits in the centre of the room.

"I'm fine," I lie. I want to cry and tear something apart. I want to bring destruction and chaos but the other half of me says it's wrong. Tears threaten to spill down my frozen cheeks as I attempt regaining my composure.

"Um... I know that this is most likely the last thing you want to hear but I need to let you know that we're leaving for California tonight at around ten o'clock. Come on, if that creep ever touches you again I'll just punch the hell out of him!" he says. I flash him my most convincing grin and close my eyes.

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I sling the maroon coloured back pack onto my shoulders and climb onto the bus that brought us here. I slide into the drivers seat and start up the engine. The bus sputters to life and the engine begins to slightly tremble the entire vehicle. Everyone climbs onto the bus and peacefully takes their seats. Two more people breathlessly runs onto the bus. It's the scientist and ... Riley. He an I exchange cautious looks and Dr.Crawford's employee pulls her jacket closer to her. I press my foot on the pedal and we drove off. Through the rear view mirror, all I see is my mother waving goodbye.

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Hey guys, I know it was an uneventful chapter but I wanted to notify you that it was more of an informative chapter than anything else. (Character development, relationship development, getting more in depth with the story line...) don't worry, all the action is coming very soon!