Afflicted

by Susanne Valenti

  “What were you thinking wandering off like that?” Lacey scolded as she pulled me into a hug. “We didn't know where you'd gone!”

  “I was just trying to get some cell service,” I replied defensively as I pulled my cellphone from my pocket to check it once more.

  They'd moved a little way along the street from the train station and the guard was nowhere in sight again. I guessed that meant Demi screaming at him had gotten us nowhere. I tried to contain my irritation with her as I glanced at my cellphone hopefully.

  “No bars,” I cursed as my gaze trailed over the failed call to Linc. I should have used my momentary reception to send him a text instead of trying to call. He could have been on his way to help us already.

  The girl turned back the way we had come with a worried frown darkening her features.

  . “We should really get further away from that creep before he gets over the effect of the pepper spray,” she said anxiously, her hand jammed into her pocket where the little canister waited. I'd never seen anyone use pepper spray before apart from in the movies and I was quietly impressed. Whether she used me for bait or rescued me was still up for debate but either way I had to admit she was pretty badass.

  “You're right,” Ryan answered before I could. “Guys!” he called, drawing everyone's attention. “Let’s hustle. Some wacko just tried to attack Kaitlyn. Let's get off the street while we work out what our next move should be.”

  The others started to question him and me straight away but the girl with the dark hair caught my wrist before she could lose my attention.

  “This way,” she instructed as she turned away from me.

  She started running and I hurried to keep up, beckoning the others after us. I silently thanked my earlier self for picking sneakers that morning as I managed to keep pace easily. I'd always loved to run. Mom had wanted me to join the track team but the squad claimed me before I ever gave it much thought. I sometimes wondered how different my life would be if I'd made the other choice. I was sure I was fast enough for the team if I'd wanted it. But I just loved to cheer.

  The girl skirted the train station and slipped between two parked cars before leading the way into an alley behind a row of shops.

  “Where the hell are we going?” I heard Demi complain behind me. Not for the first time, I daydreamed about slapping her hard enough to knock the sour look from her face.

  “Away from that psycho out there,” Spencer explained patiently. “Then we need to figure out how to get home.” I really had no idea how he managed to put up with her so much. Spencer was so laid back that he was practically lying down and Demi was as high maintenance as they come. How they ever managed to work as a couple boggled my mind.

  The girl turned another corner into a more open area where a row of dumpsters stood at the back of the stores. The space was empty though one corner was filled with a pile of possessions and some flat cardboard boxes, marking out it as a homeless person’s spot.

  “I'm Kaitlyn,” I said as we finally stopped running. I expected to be out of breath after the sudden sprint through the streets but my heart rate had hardly even spiked. I wondered if the shock of the almost-attack had done strange things to my body.

  “Rose,” she replied, offering her hand. A black tattoo of her namesake curled around her wrist and extended up her arm. The thorns stood out in contrast to the blossoming flowers. She wore ripped jeans and a short white vest which exposed her toned stomach. Dark makeup outlined her green eyes and her lips were painted a deep red. My mom would have taken one look at her and labelled her a ‘bad influence’. I smiled as I shook her hand.

  “I don't suppose you've seen my friend Shilo have you? He's tall, dark skin and more tatts than I've got. He was wearing a red baseball cap but we got separated in all the madness…” she glanced around hopefully as if expecting someone to appear in our concealed spot.

  “No, I'm sorry. You're the first person we've seen on the streets since we left the cinema. We don't know what's going on,” I replied. “What's happened?”

  “I dunno, one minute we were sitting having a coffee and the next thing we knew, everything went to hell. Do you all know each other?” she asked as she looked around at my friends who were gathering behind us. Jason had positioned himself nearby and his cheeks were glowing even redder than usual in the presence of a new girl. I rolled my eyes at him internally, wondering when he'd stop finding members of the opposite sex so intimidating.

  “Yeah, we go to high school together,” I explained. As much as I wanted to know more about her, I was really starting to worry about getting home. If the Wardens had already been there when I spoke to my dad then there was no way they'd wait long enough for me and Reese to get back now. Especially if I couldn't figure out a way for us to get a lift soon.

  “Oh, I thought you were older than that. But I guess I'd take a gang of school kids over no one. So long as you're not cheerleaders,” she laughed.

  I glanced at Lacey awkwardly and Rose raised an eyebrow as she laughed harder.

  “No way? I'm hanging out with the cheer squad and a load of jocks?”

  “Yeah actually.” I shrugged. I'd come across plenty of people who prejudged me for being a cheerleader and I didn't let it bother me anymore. If she spent any time with me then she'd get to know me as an individual and if she didn't then it hardly mattered what her opinion was anyway. I just didn't get why labels were so important to people when it came to first impressions. “What school are you at?”

  “Me? I just finished college. But I was no cheerleader when I was at school.” She glanced at the rest of my friends with amusement and shrugged. “But I'd still rather stick with you guys than on my own if that's okay?”

  “Of course it is - you did just rescue me from that guy…” I looked over my shoulder then back to Rose. “What was going on with him anyway?” I wanted to know if she knew anything we didn't. I had no idea if that guy really had been affected by the tainted water or if there was something else going on. Either way, adrenaline still zipped through my body, ready to respond to whatever the hell this day was going to throw at me next.

  “They're all over the place, people are going nuts and I have no idea why. The news feed on my phone hasn't updated in two hours and when I tried dialling nine one one they just said the Monitor was dealing with the situation. But where are the cops?” Rose checked her cellphone while she spoke to me but shoved it back into her pocket when it didn't give her the answers she was looking for.

  “We’re going to have to walk back,” Ryan said loudly behind me, calling everyone's attention to him. “No one's phones are working. I dunno what the hell is going on but we can't stay here and we can't think of any other way to get back. So it's time to hustle while we still have daylight.” Everyone seemed to take that as a cue to recheck their phones so I pulled mine out too. Still nothing. I wondered if the Anti-Pop terrorists had done something to the cell tower.

  “Where are you heading?” Rose asked as my friends started to discuss routes home.

  “We live just south of Harbour City,” I explained. “It takes half an hour on the bus so I have no idea how long it'll take to walk it.” I really doubted the Wardens would still be waiting for me and Reese to get back by the time we made it. If I couldn't get hold of Lincoln soon and they did initiate the evacuation process to shelter everyone within the city, we might have to wait our turn to get inside The Wall with everyone else.

  Reese seemed to be thinking the same thing as he caught my gaze with a frown. I shrugged unhelpfully in response and tried my cellphone one last time.

  There was still no service so I decided to text my parents instead. With a bit of luck the service would return while we were trying to get back and send the messages out for me even if I didn't notice it return. I sent my mom and dad the same message, explaining where we were and that we had to try and walk back. I just hoped they got it soon and could work out a way to come and get us.

  I hesitated before typin
g a message to Linc too. But I thought of the way he'd saved me from the rain and bit my lip against a smile as I edited my message.

  Sorry to ask but we’re kinda stuck in town. We’re going to have to walk back. Don't suppose you fancy rescuing us? X

  A little rush of excitement tugged at my lips as I hit send and imagined him pulling up to rescue me in his black truck with the windows down and an indulgent smile on his face.

  “What exactly did your dad tell you?” Lacey hissed, making me jump as the others all began to argue over the best way to get home. There was an argument for retracing the bus route along the streets and a counter argument for cutting through the Highborn Forest which would be a more direct route. I suppressed a shudder at the idea of the woods. That place had always given me the creeps.

  “He didn't say anything specific I swear,” I replied. “And I'm guessing he had no idea how bad things were about to get or he'd have been on his way out to get us himself no matter what it meant for him. But Lace - I think we need to get back as quickly as we can. He wanted us to get inside the city and he said they were going to start the isolation trial early. But what if that's not possible now; what if this is an attack and we need to get to the city for shelter anyway?”

  “You think they might evacuate us into the city for real?” Lacey asked, fear marking her features.

  “I dunno but it doesn't look good. What if something really bad is going on?” I let the question sit there unanswered. We'd all seen the news reports. We knew what the terrorists were capable of if they could find a way around The Monitor. Poison gas. Bombs. Chemical attacks so severe that they could wipe out the whole county in a matter of weeks. The only way to survive something like that would be within the protection of the city walls.

  Harbour City was one of many around the country and if the evacuation was ordered, we would have to get inside to shelter before the worst happened. If we couldn't get there in time, we wouldn't stand a chance.

  “Then either way we need to get to Harbour City,” Rose said quietly.

  I hadn't realised she was listening in but nodded my agreement just as Demi lost her temper.

  “Shut up!” she shouted, causing most of the others to stop arguing. “We’re going through the forest - I want to get home as quickly as we can and that's the straightest path.”

  My heart sank as an old fear twisted my gut. I knew it was silly to be afraid of the darkness beneath those trees but I'd never liked going into the forest. Grams always said I was too much of a city girl and needed to spend more time getting to know nature. So one year dad had taken us all camping up state. Between the bugs, rain and pitch black in the middle of the night (not to mention Reese scaring the hell out of me whenever he could) I'd sworn never to reenter the forest again. And sure, Highborn Forest was hardly what you'd call the wilderness but it was still way too big and dark for my liking.

  “Have you ever crossed through the forest before though?” Tommy objected. “If we get lost it could take twice as long to find our way back, not to mention the fact that we'll be able to move faster along the sidewalks-“

  Demi let out a groan of irritation. “I'm going through the woods. Spencer are you coming with me?” she asked, singling out her on/off boyfriend for instant backup.

  “Course I am babe, I'm not gunna leave you to walk through the forest alone.” He gave Tommy an apologetic look as Demi turned her attention to the rest of the group, looking for more supporters.

  “Ella are you coming with us?” she demanded.

  “Oh, umm…” Ella glanced at Tara who was on her left, clearly still undecided and Demi cleared her throat irritably, demanding an answer. “Yeah, the forest is a shorter route so I guess-“

  “Tara?” Demi asked, ignoring Tommy’s continued grumbles of disagreement.

  “Yeah, the forest,” Tara agreed brightly, earning an eye roll from Demi.

  “So she's the head cheerleader?” Rose asked quietly as Demi continued to single people out and glare them into agreement.

  “Yeah,” I confirmed. “She generally gets her own w-“

  “Kaitlyn?” Demi snapped as she noticed me talking to Rose.

  Most of my friends had already agreed to the forest so I knew I was outvoted anyway but I still hesitated. Highborn Forest was the source of most of the local ghost stories that I'd grown up listening to. It was an ancient woodland filled with towering oaks that blocked out the light even in the middle of the day. I'd never spent much time in them but we'd ventured in in search of ghosts a few times when we were younger. Those towering trees gave me the creeps. And even if they didn't, I wasn't convinced that stumbling over uneven ground that we were unfamiliar with was going to be any faster than just following the highway.

  “Are you coming with us or not?” Demi demanded.

  Whatever I thought of the plan, I realised it didn't really matter. She had most of the group convinced and if I didn't join them I was left with the option of navigating the streets without the relative safety offered by our large number. Once again Demi got what Demi wanted. Why wasn't I surprised?

  “Yeah,” I agreed, glancing at Rose. “We’re coming.”

  Demi’s gaze slipped to Rose, her eyes dropping to take in her clothes and tattoos. She pursed her lips in quiet disapproval before shrugging dismissively. “Fine, bring your little friend too. Lacey, are you coming?”

  “I'm in,” Lacey agreed.

  I gave Rose an apologetic smile but she seemed to find Demi’s assessment of her amusing. Demi quickly finished her vote, making everyone agree with her before finally turning back to Tommy.

  “Changing your mind or are you going it alone?” she asked with a smug smile.

  “Whatever Demi, we’ll take the woods but I'm not the one who’s gunna struggle to walk through them in my shoes,” he said as he turned away from her.

  “There's still a good couple of miles before we even get to the forest,” Rose said loudly. “So maybe we should get going.”

  Everyone looked at her in surprise then back to Demi who was smiling a little too sweetly. I wondered if I should warn Rose about getting in Demi’s bad books. As I caught sight of her face though, I could tell that Rose knew exactly what she was taking on with Demi and wasn't the least bit afraid.

  “Yes, let’s go,” Demi agreed before turning away and starting back out of the alley.

  Ryan slipped between the group until he reached me and offered his hand for me to hold. I took it and gave it a little squeeze as we followed our friends back out into the street.

  The crazed man’s screams had stopped and there was no sign of him as we emerged.

  “I still don't get where everyone else has gone,” Ryan muttered as we began to make our way along the quiet streets.

  “They all ran for it when the cougar was here,” Rose said. “I hid in an alleyway - must have been when you guys were in the cinema.”

  “Cougar?” I asked in surprise. “In town? But we're so far from the mountains here, I've never heard of one coming into town before.”

  “Yeah I know. But I saw it with my own eyes. It was here and it was hungry.” Rose shuddered and the memory of the woman's bloody body flashed through my mind. I clasped my neck where her wound had been and imagined being hunted by a giant cougar. No wonder the place was deserted but that still didn't explain where the authorities were unless they were trying to track the creature down. If they weren't, it could still be somewhere nearby.

  “And then, once it had moved on and people started emerging from hiding places a woman just went psycho and started attacking this old man. While me and Shilo were trying to help him, another guy attacked us too. We had to run for it and Shilo stayed back to hold him off me. He told me to run. I haven't been able to find him since.” Though her gaze never wavered, I could hear the raw emotion trying to break through in Rose’s voice. She was really worried about her friend.

  “People just started attacking each other?” Ryan asked as he looked around more waril
y. “Do you think there's still contaminated water about?”

  “I dunno. All I know is I ran further and faster than I even thought possible to get away from them. When I decided to start looking for Shilo again, I found you guys instead.” Rose’s eyes were restless, darting from shadow to shadow constantly. I couldn't decide if she was on the lookout for her friend or in case of attack. Either way it put me on edge and I could feel my muscles tightening in response. I wondered what I'd do if one of the crazy people attacked me.

  “Where did you last see your friend?” I asked, hoping we might be able to help her find him.

  “Down here,” she replied, pointing ahead of us.

  We started heading down a long hill lined with houses. A strange noise sounded in the distance and I looked around, trying to locate it.

  “What is that?” Bryony asked, cupping her ear as she concentrated.

  I stilled as the wind changed direction and the sound was suddenly amplified. There was no mistaking it now. Somewhere at the bottom of the hill, people were screaming.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Lincoln

  Cold hands closed around my wrist, jolting me awake. I snatched my arm back, blinking against the bright light blaring from the single bulb above my head. I wondered vaguely what had happened to the lampshade and added it to my mental list of things to fix.

  Diane didn't take the hint and leant forward to brush my hair back with her fingertips.

  “I didn't mean to wake you baby,” she muttered as I pushed myself upright and out of her reach. I was too old to need my momma anymore and she'd never been there when I had. It was too late for her to start acting like she cared now.

  I rotated my shoulders, trying to loosen them after another night spent on the too-small couch.

  Diane pursed her lips, a small frown tugging at her eyebrows. “I kept your room ready for when you came home,” she said softly. “You should be sleeping in a proper bed.”

  “That hasn't been my room for six years,” I replied irritably. “I've got a real home now.”