Looking over she found Carson trying to drink down as much as he could at once and she started laughing. His face was scrunching up; making it obvious he didn't favor how it tasted. In a few more seconds he spat it out, liquid splattering all over the table before them. As he wiped it away from his mouth she only started laughing harder, back pressed up against the booth.
"You don't drink it all at once!" She coughed out between laughs, stomach beginning to hurt. She even heard him start to laugh a little.
"That stuff's disgusting," he said with a half-hearted laugh. "You can have mine."
One hour later two empty bottles sat before her on the table. She'd done exactly what she'd been telling herself the entire time not to do- drink away her worries. She wasn't drunk, thankfully, but slightly tipsy. At least her hovering thoughts were gone for the moment, pushed to the back of her mind. Carson had left a little while, going where she didn't know, but she decided it would be best to find him. It's time to leave before I have any more to drink. Or anyone else, for that matter.
She stood up, legs a little wobbly at first. The feeling was only momentary as she began to walk again, finding him, Marena, and some girl in a secluded corner. The girl's dress was tight, her hair overly-teased and makeup too dark, yet none of that mattered to Shay- this girl was flirting with her boyfriend. Jealousy pricked her skin, her sense of judgment slightly affected by her alcohol ingestion.
"You're hot." The girl stated to Carson as Shay made her way over to the trio. He wasn't returning the girl's advances, instead looking incredibly awkward and uncomfortable. He was trying to get as far away from her as the situation would allow, pressing himself up against the corner.
"Thanks, but I'm actually kinda cold," he responded, looking to Shay for help. Marena had the slightest grin on her face, hazel eyes locked on the scene. Why wasn't she reminding the girl her current target was her best friend's boyfriend? Because she thinks it's funny.
"Wow, you're sooooo funny," the girl replied, her words slurring. She was obviously drunk and beginning to lean towards Carson's shoulder to support her body weight. He inched away; knowing what would happen if they made contact.
"Hey, back off," she growled, approaching the girl, anger bubbling towards a dangerous point. She looked up, the heavy eyeliner giving her a raccoon-like appearance.
"Says who?" The girl replied, her voice high, nasal, and rude.
"His girlfriend," she spat before bringing her fist slamming into the girl's jaw, sense of judgment clouded by anger. The girl fell back against the wall; hand against the skin she'd punched seconds before.
"What the hell is your-" The girl was cut off as screams erupted from the area near the entrance. People backed away, parting to reveal several cops, fully armed and standing in the doorway.
"Nobody move- the Carriers here." Chaos erupted moments after.
Chapter 13
Her heart rate increased as the four officers' guns swept the vicinity. They'd left all their weapons behind in the now crashed truck. There would be no way they'd get out of here once identified. She leaned against Carson for support, feeling his body shaking against her. He knew the desperation of the situation as well as she did.
"Turn yourselves in and we won't shoot!" One shouted. His voice, although loud, sounded rather unsure, as if he was secretly scared. She didn't doubt news had gotten around about the incident this morning- the world was now aware they couldn't just kill with a virus, which confused her as to why they weren't threatening to shoot them on the spot. "You've done your sins to these people. We had a few calls coming in saying they recognized some kids on TV, so come forward now!"
"Psst! Shay!" A voice coming from behind caused her to whip her head around. Marena was hovering a few feet behind her, finger pointed discreetly towards a door, an exit sign illuminated brightly above on the wall. Taking the hint she roughly elbowed Carson, snapping his attention towards their only chance of escape.
"Where are the others?" He whispered, dark eyes scanning the bar. Katrina and Owen were still glued to their seats, mere feet away from the officers. Their eyes were large as eggs and fixated on the cops, seemingly dreading their next move. Kyleigh was a few feet in front of Shay, slowly inching her way towards the exit- she actually had an idea of what was going on for once. That's a first.
Carson snapped his fingers, getting the attention of the couple as well as the cops. He cursed under his breath as she tensed, muscles prepared to bolt into action at any given moment. Tension was crackling in the air, a storm threatening to break at any second- and at that very moment, it did.
"Hey! Stop right there!" One commanded as Katrina and Owen burst past them, sprinting towards the others. The officers gave chase and she sprang into action, bolting towards the exit as fast as her legs would carry her. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as the bar was thrown into chaos once more. Shouts from the officers could be heard, gaining closer behind her as she slammed her body against the metal door, using her speed and force to hurl the door open.
She spilled out into the humid night with the others hot on her heels. Red and blue lights flashed brightly, blinding her momentarily as she stopped for a few moments. The noise from inside spilled outdoors- people screaming, shouting and shoving to get out of the bar from the other exit, suddenly fearing for their lives. The police vehicles were empty, thankfully, only it did not supply much relief, for a bullet zipped less than a foot from her head.
She sprang into action again, blood roaring in her ears as she resumed her sprinting pace. Marena quickly surpassed her, rounding the corner and disappearing out of sight well before she made the turn as well. Carson was keeping in pace with her, running side by side as the others tagged at their heels.
She made it possibly five yards down the road before her ankle caught in a pothole, twisting to the side. She came crashing down hard onto the asphalt, knees first, then elbows and finally her head smacking hard against the pavement as she fell. Pain instantly numbed her senses, forcing her to cry out as the other three continued on, rushing past in a panic. Her ankle throbbed, hurting more than any other region of her body. She pulled herself off onto the shoulder of the road as blood began to trickle down from her knees.
This is it, she told herself. They'll find me and it will all be over. She inched her body a little more into the cool comfort of the grass, the vegetation tickling her bloodied skin as she closed her eyes, bracing for the death she was almost guaranteed if she didn't get up and move. Her ankle still hurt every time she tried to move it- whether it was a twist or sprain she couldn't tell just yet, but it was one of the two.
Just as she braced herself for the bullet that never came she was being scooped up into someone's arms, picked up out of the dirt and into safety. Was it the cops, deciding to have a little mercy? No, she thought. There's no way in hell they'd show mercy on me. I don't deserve it.
"Run, Shay," a male voice told her firmly as he set her back on her feet. She gritted her teeth as pain shot up from her ankle. She shifted her weight more to the right and the pain lessened. She opened her eyes to see Carson's face hovering before her own, gazing into her eyes intently. Did he really think she'd flee without him? Her head was spinning while she felt a fresh dose of adrenaline rush through her, numbing the pain in her ankle. Energy seemed to suddenly spark within her as her muscles tensed, preparing to bolt again- only she refused to go without him.
"Go, now!" He told her, his voice becoming louder. He didn't know what he was doing, she came to realize. He was trying to save her while inadvertently putting himself in greater danger- it was romantic, but foolish.
"No, I'm not letting you die for me! I couldn't live with that," she spoke sternly. Their eyes locked and he nodded, her words all he needed to get some sense knocked into him. A single officer was rushing towards them down the road, his gun drawn. He fired once, the gunshot ripping through the quiet of the night. The bullet embedded into dirt just shy of Carson's foot.
"Carson, we n
eed to run, now!" Shay shouted, her voice strained. She took hold of her boyfriend's hand, beginning to tug as a way of reminding him of the urgency. He threw a large rock across the road, the sound distracting the officer momentarily. They seized the opportunity and turned heel, sprinting towards the shelter of the woods as fast as their legs would carry them. He was leading her, encouraging her every time she began to slow. The ankle would protest against him. Still, he never let go of her hand.
The trees seemed to all meld together into one brown and green blur as they sped past, going deeper into the woods. They'd lost sense of direction and where their safe haven was located, but they'd have a better chance of eluding the officer in the forest.
Without warning tree bark shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces directly by her head, some of the wooden shards flying out and striking her cheek. The noise was earsplitting, undoubtedly the work of a bullet. She went tumbling to the ground again with a rough tug to her hand, back rolling up between the roots of the oak. Her chest struck Carson's elbow as she fell and she grunted in pain, rolling over onto her stomach as the roar of her heartbeat in her ears drowned out the sounds of the night. She could faintly make out the noise of cracking twigs nearby- they were still being pursued. She gulped down her fear as she realized they were stuck and weaponless, a far cry from a good combination.
Suddenly a hand clamped over her mouth, causing her to scream in surprise. Her scream was muffled, however, by the person's hand. She quickly twisted to the side, elbow slamming into the person's side. They grunted softly in pain as she pinned them by their shoulders- it was only then did she realize she was staring into Carson's dark brown eyes. He moved his finger to his lips in a "be quiet" gesture, all the while struggling to keep from groaning. She quickly scrambled off of him and settled next to him in the dirt, keeping her blonde head low.
"Sorry," she mouthed against his hand. He nodded his head as a response.
"Stay down," he whispered into her ear, never removing his hand from her mouth. The idea of licking his hand briefly wafted through her mind, yet she knew she needed to remain serious. All comical behaviors could be saved for a time when they were not in immediate danger.
A twig snapped loudly a few yards in front of them. She raised her head a few inches, just barely enough to see over the tall grass. The lone officer was making his way through the woods, moving cautiously. Behind them a loud crack echoed through the woods. Her eyes traveled upwards to see the tree was beginning to bend in one direction, threatening to topple over at any second- if they didn't move soon, they would be crushed. She nudged Carson, fear pulsing through her body. She followed his eyes upwards before he inhaled sharply.
"We can't run. He'd have a clean shot," he replied grimly. Shay pursed her lips.
"Would you rather get shot and die instantly or possibly suffer for days under a tree?" She whispered coolly, her pessimistic tone making Carson roll his eyes. She began to think about all her past regrets, knowing the chances of them escaping unharmed were little. Karma had ways of catching up with people- she was just surprised it happened this quickly.
"Neither is gonna happen, trust me," he responded, leaning in to briefly kiss her forehead. Her stomach fluttered a little, expecting him to continue to say one final "I love you." To her disappointment, he remained silent as a statue.
The cracking became almost as loud as thunder, the final one finally forcing a scream of fright out of her mouth. In a few seconds they'd be crushed, flattened out of the world forever- of course, it would be no cause for mourning outside of their group, as the rest of the world only wanted one thing from them, and that was their heads. Her body tensed and she braced for impact, praying it would be instantaneous. There was a scream and the unmistakable crunch of bone, then nothing.
Her eyes were sealed tightly shut, breath held in anticipation, yet no pain or death came. She slowly opened her eyes, unsure of what she would see when she did. Would Carson be flattened under the tree that had miraculously missed her, or would she see nothing at all? Upon opening them she discovered the trunk of the tree was maybe six inches above her head, giving them just enough space to crawl out unharmed. She exhaled slowly, immensely relieved. Karma hadn't made its move just yet.
Carson was already dragging himself out from under the tree, looking no worse for wear. She followed, crawling on her hands and knees until she could stand up straight again. The sense of danger that crackled in the air was absent now, as if it had evaporated- she no longer heard the noises of the lone officer moving nearby. The woods were now silent, the only noise the breeze whistling through the leaves.
"Where's the cop?" She asked, eyes warily scanning the woods.
Without responding Carson took several steps towards the top of the now-fallen tree, his pace slowing as he neared a certain spot. She followed him, stopping once she was able to register what her eyes were seeing. There was blood, and lots of it, coating the grass beneath a certain spot in the trunk. It didn't take much to guess who the unlucky person was, but the exposed hand gave it all away, handgun still trapped beneath fingers. She took a few steps back, thankful they couldn't see the gore that was trapped beneath pounds of bark and wood. This man could have had a family, a wife, kids even. He was killed doing his job- trying to save the community from danger and they'd been that danger. She couldn't help but feel as if this man's blood was on her hands as well. She didn't feel remorseful or guilty, just… Responsible in some way.
"Right there," he responded numbly. She blinked, unable to wash away the image of the darkness seeping from beneath the tree.
"Are you alright?" she asked him, their eyes locking as her turned around. His visage remained devoid of emotion as he took a few steps towards her.
"Yeah… I think we should go make sure the others are, though." She nodded in agreement.
"I'm not sure I could live with myself if something happened to one of them," she said blankly.
"I know, but nothing will. You've proved you won't let that happen." Carson replied. Shay smiled at him, catching his eye as he started to grin himself. "Now come on, the truck's this way."
Chapter 14
Silence was all that followed them back to the wrecked U-Haul, which had never been such a welcomed sight to their weary eyes. The others were scattered around, the whispers that rippled silenced as Shay and Carson stumbled into the clearing. All heads turned to them, eyes looking them over as they froze.
Without warning Marena came rushing towards them, throwing her arms around her best friend and pulling her into a hug.
"You guys are alive!" She cried, her tone joyous as she released her. Shay could feel the relief slipping off of her in waves.
"Well why wouldn't we be?" she responded, her tone cold. Marena's gaze darkened a little, flinching at her response. She wasn't in the mood for a happy reunion. She wanted to be alone. Far too much had happened today for her to fathom it all.
"We heard screaming." Marena replied blankly, her eyes meeting Shay's.
"It wasn't us." she snapped back, oblivious to where her bitterness was swelling from. She doesn't know what you just saw, she can't understand.
"She needs space, that's all," Carson whispered as he took hold of her hand and guided her towards the back of the U-Haul, leaving Marena and the others looking on with shock, rooted to the forest floor. She was far too shaken to answer any of the questions Carson was her shield from. Half of them are probably still scared of me.
Once they were alone he pulled her tight into his arms, she beginning to space out from tiredness, feeling as if she could drift off into sleep right then and there. Her body and mind felt as if she hadn't slept in years- it was a battle just to keep her eyelids open. She pressed her forehead up against his chest, listening to the thrum of his heartbeat. She finally surrendered and allowed her eyelids to close, feeling as if they could stay there forever. If only they could.
"You need sleep," he told her. "We'll work out how we'll get out of here when you wake
up."
She nodded, too weak to object, and climbed into the back of the U-Haul, surpassing a yawn as she did. Laylia and Jaycee were already snoring, sleeping above blankets laid out across the floor, arms tucked beneath them as pillows. She shuffled her way to one of the sleeping bags pressed against the far corner and settled in, her eyelids shutting instantly. The black wave of sleep inched closer and she did not fight it, slipping into unconsciousness within minutes.
She found herself in a hospital. The walls and tiles were the same white as those in the CDC, although this environment lacked the emptiness and sterile scent the CDC had carried with it. She watched the scene from above as if she wasn't really there, just a soul floating along the ceiling to observe what went on below.
Sick people milled about the hallways, clogging them like arteries. Others pushed and shoved to get their way through, those not already infected broke out into violent coughing seconds after. Shouts and screams of pain echoed through the hallways while others shuffled through the hallway like living zombies, their faces sunken, bodies weak. Was this what became of the victim after a few days? Whatever it was, it was eating away at the brain, reducing the victims to nothing.
She felt herself involuntarily drift down the end of one of the congested hallways where a new wave of people were barging in, some coughing, some infected and some still perfectly fine. One of the patients bumped into a teenage girl and groaned, trying to utter out words as she screamed and pushed the man away. Her back slammed against the wall as coughs forced their way out of her throat, hands flying to grasp her throat.
A doctor came rushing down the hallway, shouting things to people as he did. He met the new wave of people and barked orders at them. They began to separate into groups as the doctor grabbed the close-to-death patient and yanked him into an adjacent room, slamming the door shut. By the way the man was grabbing and pulling patients he'd already been exposed; only she couldn't see his eyes from there. His fate remained unknown.
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