After a while, I got bored of reading about the disease, which was being called the Camnotic Virus. They're calling the process of coming back to life Camnosis. People always say someting is less scary when it has a name, but I don't think so. Having a name makes something real. More of a threat. I got up when I was through with reading page after page of the same information. I cracked my back and trudged to the stairs.
I tried helping Trinity pack, but she was in a frantic state. She was just getting annoyed.
Eventually she snapped, "Just go downstairs and figure out what you can do that's useful!" It hurt, but I told myself it was just the stress getting to her and she wasn't actually mad. I wandered around the house, looking for something 'useful' to do. I waited for the noodles and Mom's homemade sauce to be done and took them off the stove. It was already 6:00 pm. I called up the stairs that dinner was ready, but Trinity yelled down to me to leave a plate in the microwave for her. I put a dish of pasta with sauce and fresh parmesan cheese off to the side in the microwave and left it to get cold.
I ate my pasta slowly, to waste time. After all, there was nothing else that I could do. At least nothing considered 'useful'.
After I ate and washed my plate, I unlocked my phone. I called my mom to see what was taking so long. I got a busy signal on the first two tries, which was weird. Third time's the charm, though, and she picked up.
"Mom?" I asked, "You there?"
"Yes, baby. I'll be home soon." she said. Or at least that's what it sounded like. There was a lot of static.
"What's taking so long?" I asked loudly.
"The roads are really jammed up. I left the store about ten minutes ago. I should be home in about fifteen minutes." That was also weird. Usually it took a total of five minutes for her to get back home from the store.
"Okay, mom. See you soon. I love you."
"I love you, too, kitten. And your sister." she hung up after that.
That had been a really strange phone call. I tried to shrug it off and texted Jackson and Renae. Renae answered almost immediately but Jackson didn't.
my parents are forcing me out of town. i asked to stay with u but they said no. were going to our cabin so i wont have service... love u girl
I texted back;
Love you too, Renae! Text me when you have service again. Have fun in the cabin.!.! XD
She didn't text back so I figured she had already lost service or her phone had died.
I went to the back door and called, "Mojo! Come here, pretty boy!"
I giggled and scratched his head a little as he pranced into the house joyfully. I sometimes wished I could be as oblivious as he was. I followed him out to the living room, where he sat on the big chair next to the window. I sat next to him and leaned back, petting his head lightly. I was about to get up when the wail of police car sirens caught my attention. I glanced out at them. Were they going to a normal emergency or a Camnotic emergency?
As another cop car zoomed by I got up and went upstairs. I sat on Trinity's bed as she packed. I didn't say anything. I knew she was in a bad mood. "Sorry I snapped at you." she said, glancing up at me as she rummaged through a drawer.
"It's fine." I said, shrugging. She nodded and continued rummaging through her drawer. She pulled out a purple notebook and put it into a bag that was sitting on the floor. I watched lazily as the bag gradually filled. When Trinity had stuffed as much as she could into the bag, she zipped it closed and tossed it over next to the door with one other bag. She was about halfway through with packing her final bag when I heard my mom call "Girls?" up the stairs. I ran out of the room and down the stairs.
"Hi, mom!" I said as she hugged me. I glanced over her shoulder to find a man. Standing there. In the middle of the family room. As my mom pulled away I continued to stare at the man.
"Nicole, this is Michael. He's my instructor from the firing range. His apartment building was on fire earlier today so he didn't have anywhere to go. He saw me at the store and asked if I could help him out. He's going to stay with us for a little while." my mom explained. I nodded and lifted a hand in greeting.
He gave a small smile and said "Hey, Nicole. I've heard about you."
I raised an eyebrow at my mom. "Good things, I assume?" I said trying not to smile.
"Most of the time you're the reason she's at the range." Michael said with a laugh. I glared at my mom and she just smiled sheepishly.
"Would you help me bring in the groceries?" My mom asked, glancing at her phone to check the time. I nodded and went to the car to bring in a few bags. Some guys in a truck yelled something about me going with them out of town, but Michael came out halfway through their drunken shouts and told me to ignore it. He and my mom helped bring the bags in and after a few trips we had everything inside.
"You bought a lot.." I said absent-mindedly.
"I figured it was for the best." My mom responded nervously. I rolled my eyes. What were we going to do with all this food when nothing happened?
"Your mom's right, you know," Michael said, "it's going to get bad. Just be prepared."
"Okay.." I said, not believing him at all. He must've been overreacting just like everyone else here. What the hell was with these people? Everyone was flipping out over nothing.
I left my mom and Michael to unpack the groceries and went back upstairs with Trinity. I plopped down on her bed again. "Some dude named Michael is here. He needed help or something." I said. Trinity's eyes became huge. "What?!?" She asked, "does mom know him? What if he's bitten?"
"Relax. He was mom's gun instructor or whatever they're called. He's not bitten." I said, rolling over onto my stomach and turning on my phone.
"Well I'm going to check." she said, starting to leave the room. "And you may be thanking me later!" she called angrily from the hall.
"Cool." I called back, trying not to let her win. I opened Temple Run and started playing. I was getting close to beating my high score when a scream came from downstairs. I ran down the stairs two at a time to see everyone was okay. My mom had run in from the kitchen and Michael was sitting with Trinity on the couch, which was now covered with glass. Someone had broken the window from outside. Michael spun around to face the window when he realized what was going on.
"The guy across the street tried to shoot Trinity!" Michael said loudly, dragging her to the ground.
"Maybe he thought she was one of those infected people?" I suggested.
"No way." Trinity said, tears in her eyes. "I was just talking to Michael... Maybe the guy is crazy?"
We all stared at each other, trying to contemplate what was going on. Suddenly, a second bullet flew through the window.
"The riots are starting..." Michael said, "People will be breaking in to steal things. Grab all the food and water you can fit in the car with our stuff and let's GO."
Trinity was the first to move. She started crawling to the kitchen. She managed to get halfway, where she came across a huge window that she had to pass. She rose to her feet and apparently decided to just go for it. She sprinted across the white tile floor in front of the window. I watched in horror as her shoulder tugged back and she dove to the ground on the other side of the window.
"TRINITY!" I screamed, tears flooding my eyes.
"Bastard's got good aim." she said through clenched teeth, holding her shoulder. Her shirt was starting to soak through with blood, turning to a deep crimson color.
I glanced over at my mom. She just stood there staring at Trinity in shock.
"Are-are you okay?" I stuttered, turning back to face my sister.
"Not really" she grumbled. She had turned pale and was starting to sweat.
Michael seemed to snap out of the trance that he and my mom were both in.
"Apply pressure to the wound and get something from the kitchen to sterilize it. Your mom bought stuff for first aid." Michael said calmly. Trinity nodded and got up, using the wall for support. She stumbled forward into the kitchen, tears hitting the floor silently. She disappeared around the corner and I heard her fumbling around in the kitchen. We all sat in silent anticipation.
Trinity eventually came back with hydrogen peroxide and bandages. Michael ran across to her, ducking. I was slightly angry at him for not being shot at like my sister, but I was more grateful to him for taking the risk. She was leaving a puddle of blood and I felt my stomach turn over. I'd never been able to stand blood. I looked away as Michael poured the peroxide on the hole in her shoulder. She cried out as it fizzed sickeningly.
"We'll have to find a doctor. But until then we'll just have to keep it clean. I doubt it will cause any problems." Michael said. I was afraid to turn to look at him and Trinity. I simply nodded. My mom nodded as well. I guess she was coming out of her trance.
"Nik, you can look now. I'm all wrapped up." Trinity said with a weak laugh. I turned slowly and was relieved that her arm was no longer a mess of blood and gore. I glanced at the floor to the blood puddle and my stomach clenched, but I forced myself to concentrate on the fact that, for the moment, my sister was okay.
My mom and I eventually made it across the window by blocking it with the couch and crawling across on our stomachs as if we were in the military. Michael hurried us to pack everything into the car, which had thankfully been parked in the garage. Trinity sat at the kitchen table, attempting to be useful by organizing the groceries as they slowly disappeared from our table and arrived in the trunk of our Equinox.
When we had finished putting everything in the car, including Mojo,we had Trinity come out. I sat with her in the back. My mom had agreed to let Michael drive, since she wasn't that great of a driver. We pulled out of the garage and zoomed down the street. No one shot at us.
Michael took us down side streets, avoiding main roads and highways. We didn't know where we were going, but it had to be better than surrounded by neighbors who would turn on us as soon as their food supply dwindled.
~Author's Note~
Hello my little giraffes! I FINALLY updated! We just moved, so I was without wifi for a little over a week (worse than death!) and before I got wifi I went to Michigan with my friend. I'm so sorry for the wait. I love you all and I'll update ASAP. ~Julia