Afflicted

by Susanne Valenti

  “Thanks,” I said belatedly before opening it and taking a swig. My stomach churned uncomfortably as the juice hit it and I screwed the lid back into place.

  Ryan caught my free hand and pulled me towards the empty couch. I let him guide me down into the seat at the end and he sat beside me, placing an arm around my shoulders.

  There were a few mumbled conversations but everyone stayed fairly silent as we began our wait for help. Shilo and a few of the others headed back into the cafe and dragged a few more chairs into the staffroom so that everyone could sit down. I watched them quietly, half feeling like I should help while the rest of me couldn't bring myself to move a muscle.

  I glanced over at Lacey to see that she had closed her eyes. I doubted very much that I'd be able to sleep but I couldn't stand any more awkward glances at my friends. Each time I made eye contact with someone I felt like I should be saying something to help ease the pain that was haunting their gaze. But nothing I could say would help.

  So I closed my eyes. Perhaps I was a coward. Or maybe I was just hoping that when I opened them again it would all turn out to be some kind of horrible nightmare.

  Chapter Twenty Three

  Lincoln

  As I pulled back into the street, I spotted the coach outside the Lewises house. Aubrey and my mom were just getting onboard, both of their faces stained with tears.

  I directed my truck to the side of the street and waited for them to leave. I didn't want to face them. I hadn't found Katy and Reese yet and I didn't even know where to begin with Diane.

  I watched as the coach pulled away and headed off down the street towards the city.

  I put my foot down and the truck lurched forward as I headed to the house. I pulled it up onto the drive, not bothering to avoid the grass verge.

  I grabbed the satphone from the passenger seat and shoved it in my pocket before making my way inside. The darkening sky had brought a cool wind with it and I hunched my shoulders against it in my thin shirt. I'd make sure to grab a jacket while I was here.

  I headed for the cupboard under the stairs where I'd left my kitbag and grabbed it before moving to the kitchen.

  I needed to move quickly so I didn't want to bring my entire kit but I needed to make sure I was prepared if things didn't go to plan.

  I filled a smaller pack with some essential supplies and strapped a few knives to my belt alongside my pistols. I'd have felt even better with an assault rifle but it hadn't crossed my mind to bring a weapon like that when I took compassionate leave.

  Once the bag was packed, I dialled Hawker.

  “Is it done?” I demanded as I shrugged into a jacket, shouldered my pack and left the house. It was a few blocks to the nearest trail entrance and I wanted to get into the forest as quickly as possible. The more ground I could cover before nightfall, the better. Not that the gloomy light beneath the grey clouds was a whole lot better anyway.

  “It looks like she's just outside Orville town centre,” Hawker’s voice came and I didn't fail to notice her unenthusiastic tone. “Or her cellphone is anyway. There's no way to know if she's even alive-“

  “Has it moved recently?”

  “Well yes but it could have been stolen or-“

  “I doubt anyone stuck in that town is going to be concentrating on stealing from corpses if it's as bad as you're saying it is. I'm going to do this with or without your help so cut the attitude and make your choice,” I snapped.

  “Sorry Sir,” she said hastily, remembering her chain of command. “I just wanted to make sure you knew what the chances of finding-“

  “Needle in a haystack. Got it. Can you send the GPS location to me?”

  “Consider it done,” she confirmed.

  “Let me know if you get anymore intel,” I added.

  “It's all gone quiet here but I'll see what I can find,” she said, her voice was a little off but I didn't want to get into what else was worrying her now. She'd let me know if whatever it was was going to affect me.

  “Okay.” I hung up on her as I started to run.

  It had been six years but the streets were as familiar to me as if it was yesterday. I used to run them often, trying to escape my father when he was in a bad mood or just to avoid going home at all. I knew all the shortcuts and back alleys and I darted between them effortlessly.

  I started to glimpse trees between the houses as I neared the start of the Highborn Forest. It was popular with hikers and filled with trails that led in all different directions. Not all of them crossed the river and headed towards Orville; plenty twisted away uphill for miles to viewpoints which looked back at the river and beyond.

  As I jogged down the final street, the trees appeared ahead of me like a wall of green. The end of the town was so abrupt at the edge of the tarmac and I'd always found something welcoming in the trees. As I approached them that feeling didn't materialise.

  Instead of beckoning me forward, the line of woodland seemed more like a barrier. If trees could talk I felt like they'd be screaming at me right now ‘stay out!’.

  I paused at the edge of the trail and craned my neck to look up at the trees. They seemed bigger than I remembered but I could have been imagining it, seeing what I expected because of the contamination.

  It didn't matter anyway, I wasn't turning back.

  I took a knife from my belt and spun it between my fingers before holstering it again. I was armed, trained and I knew where I was headed, hopefully it would be as simple as that.

  I pulled the satphone from my pocket and checked Katy's location on the GPS. She was still in Orville, not far from where she'd been before. But she had moved so I took heart from that, deciding movement meant she was still alive. So long as that was the case, I'd find her. No matter what.

  I took off down the trail, maintaining my jog and resisting the urge to run faster. I wanted to get there as quickly as I could but if I didn't pace myself then I'd run out of energy before I made it to Katy and Reese. And I didn't want to risk losing concentration out of exhaustion either.

  The trees were thick and quickly sapped the meagre light from the sky above me, casting the forest in tones of grey.

  I ran up the trail, loose dirt slipping beneath my boots as the ground started to rise.

  At the top of the hill the trail branched into three, one continuing straight while the others veered left and right. I remembered the paths well and headed right towards the closest bridge without needing to check the GPS.

  I gained speed as the trail descended and took confidence from the steady thump, thump, thump of my feet against the soft ground.

  The forest was quiet around me. No birds sang and there was no wind to stir the trees.

  I should have been reassured by the lack of noise but it put me on edge instead. It was too quiet for somewhere that should have been so full of life.

  The trail turned ahead of me and I felt a prickle on the back of my neck as I approached it. I slowed, trusting my instincts and placed a hand on one of the pistols at my waist.

  I took a deep breath as my heart rate slowed and stepped forward.

  It was too quiet.

  I suddenly felt too exposed on the trail and slipped off of it into the trees on my left. I kept the path within sight as I ducked between the thick trunks. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched but I couldn't see anything either.

  As I reached the turn in the trail, I crept back towards it, squinting in the dim light.

  A huge stag stood in the centre of the path, its ears flicking as if a fly was irritating it.

  I let out a sigh of relief and eased my hand away from my pistol.

  Though the stag wasn't as worrying as a bear or pack of wolves might be, I still decided to give it a wide berth. I moved through the trees beside the trail until I'd left it far behind and returned to the path.

  As I started to jog again, the faint sound of rushing water reached my ears. I smiled; once I'd crossed the bridge I would be about a third of the way to
Orville. I was making good time.

  I upped my pace a little, drawing energy from the knowledge that I was getting closer.

  A faint grunting came from behind me and I dropped into a crouch as I ducked behind a tree to the left of the trail.

  I held my breath, listening to the forest around me as the grunting came again.

  I pulled my pistol into my grasp and flicked the safety off as I peeked around the trunk at my back.

  The stag was standing in the middle of the trail. Its nostrils flared and steam rose from its flanks as it caught its breath.

  As I watched, a doe stepped out of the trees beside it, staring down the trail too.

  They were looking for me. Even though all common sense told me that wasn't possible, I knew it was true. They'd followed me along the trail and I didn't think their intentions were friendly.

  I squinted at the gaps between the trees surrounding the trail and spotted more eyes peering out and hooves stomping. There was an entire herd in the trees around me.

  I swallowed a lump in my throat and quietly holstered my pistol. There was no way I could take them all out and shooting at one would likely just anger the others.

  I glanced back at the trail, weighing my options. I'd be able to move faster along the clear path but they'd see me as soon as I rejoined it. On the other hand, with them crowding between the trees I was sure they'd spot me either way.

  I couldn't see how I could carry on without them spotting me.

  I glanced up at the tree I was taking cover against. There were branches low enough for me to grab onto. If I hoisted myself up they may not see where I went but there was no guarantee they'd leave either. If I had to wait them out there was no telling how long it might take.

  And any time I wasted could be the difference between life and death for Katy and Reese. The military had already taken out the bridges to contain the contamination, there was no telling what steps they might take next. They could even decide to drop bombs on the worst affected towns. I couldn't risk getting there too late. Which meant I had to run for it.

  I eased my pack off of my shoulders and unzipped it. I'd always had a bit of a bad reputation for improvisation that had led to me carrying some slightly unorthodox things in my pack. I smiled as I remembered the many times I'd been disciplined for doing the kind of thing I was about to do. But it had always served me well before.

  I glanced back around the corner to see the herd of deer advancing slowly. They were looking all around, in a way that was too methodical to seem natural.

  I ducked back out of sight and flicked my lighter open, sending a flame dancing to life. I held the tiny firework above the flickering flame until the fuse lit.

  I swung my arm back and tossed it to the far side of the trail, watching the pinprick of fire as it raced through the air and landed in the undergrowth. I shoved my pack back on and waited to run, my muscles coiled in anticipation.

  Five, four, three, two, one, bang,

  The deer scattered and I took off. All thoughts of reserving my energy disappeared as I sprinted flat out along the muddy path.

  My toes caught on roots that crisscrossed the trail, threatening to trip me again and again.

  I raced on, not daring to slow as I tried to put as much distance as I could between myself and the herd of deer.

  A noise like thunder started up behind me, the power of it rumbling through the ground beneath my feet.

  It wasn't thunder though. I glanced over my shoulder, unable to keep my back to the threat that was chasing me down. The herd raced through the trees, leaping fallen logs and gaining on me faster than I could even have imagined.

  My heart leapt as adrenaline spiked through my limbs, pushing me faster but it wasn't going to be enough. The bridge wasn't close enough. I couldn't make it.

  The trail swung right but I stayed straight, weaving between the trees as vines whipped at my face.

  A fallen tree loomed ahead of me and I vaulted over it, my hand digging into the rotting bark as I propelled myself over.

  Movement flashed out of the corners of my eyes as some of the deer started to overtake me.

  I let out a yell of defiance as I managed a further burst of speed. Somehow, it worked; I started to pull away from them again just as the light ahead of me grew brighter.

  The clouds must have been lifting, giving me more light when I needed it most.

  I sprinted between two trees just as the sound of pursuit abruptly stopped.

  My feet powered on but instead of hitting the hard-packed mud, I was suddenly falling through thin air.

  I spun madly as I tried to grab hold of anything to stop my fall but my fingers grasped at nothing. I opened my mouth to yell out as I fell backwards.

  Freezing water crashed around me, sucking me down and filling my mouth as I was tossed beneath a heaving current.

  I kicked and grasped at everything and nothing as I was tossed back and forth, not knowing which way was up.

  My lungs burned for oxygen and my heartbeat thundered in my ears.

  The river had me in its grasp and wasn't letting go.

  Black spots danced before my eyes as I fought the urge to take a breath which would mean death. The current had me at its mercy and nothing I tried would release me. The darkness closed in further, curtaining my vision so that I could make out nothing around me apart from swirling green water.

  I was going to die.

  I could feel my brain shutting down and I knew as soon as I passed out, my body would take the breath that would kill me. I should have been terrified, worrying about what death would really mean. But in the final moments before I lost consciousness my thoughts were only of one person and her name flooded through my mind like an accusation. I'd failed her. And I'd broken my promise.

  Darkness flooded through me and I had no choice but to surrender to it.

  Katy.

  Chapter Twenty Four

  Kaitlyn

  My eyes snapped open at the sound of someone screaming.

  For a moment I floundered, unable to make sense of the musty staffroom around me. My brain struggled to keep up with me as I stood and squinted around the room in the bright light from the fluorescent bulbs above.

  Tara was screaming and pointing at Eric who was laying face down on the floor and twitching uncontrollably.

  I took a step towards him and Demi barrelled into me, nearly knocking me over. She had a hand slapped over her mouth and dashed away without apologising as she fled the room.

  My attention was quickly pulled back to Eric as he started throwing up. I hurried over to him and pushed him from his front to his side. His eyes rolled back into his head and he started gagging as he threw up again.

  “What's happening to him?” Chloe shouted in panic.

  “I don't know, is he allergic to anything?” I asked as I pulled my cellphone from my pocket, hoping for service that wasn't there.

  Eric started twitching. The movements got more and more violent until he started fully convulsing.

  I scrambled back as he knocked into me, not sure if I should be trying to stop him or leave him until it finished.

  A hand landed on my shoulder and I looked around to find Ryan pulling me back.

  Eric thrashed violently once more before suddenly going still. His eyes stared blankly up at the ceiling and I felt my mouth drop open as I struggled for words.

  Tara started screaming.

  Chloe slapped her hands over her mouth in horror and I couldn't stop staring down at Eric.

  Kristen pushed past me and opened his mouth, checking inside it before she started pressing on his chest again and again. I remembered vaguely that she had a Saturday job as a lifeguard at the local swimming pool.

  Everyone crowded around her as she continued to try and revive him using CPR. The world seemed to condense into the point where her hands pumped on his chest, trying to force his lungs to start working again.

  The minutes ticked by and she started crying as she slowe
d down. He didn't move, his eyes staring lifelessly at the ceiling.

  “Please,” Kristen muttered. “Just breathe.” She kept going until Ella stepped forward and pulled her away.

  “He's gone,” Ella said quietly. “You did everything you could-“

  Kristen let out a sob and fled from the room. Ella hurried after her and I wondered if I should follow too. But I knew nothing I could say would help.

  Someone else started throwing up behind me and I turned, afraid to find another one of my friends dying from whatever had killed Eric.

  “Jason?” I asked as I hurried over to him. He was doubled over, heaving up the contents of his stomach onto the floor.

  “Demi’s puking too!” Spencer shouted from the cafe.

  “Has anyone got any water?” I asked as I hovered beside Jason, unsure of how to help him.

  “Here.” Lacey passed me a bottle of water and I unscrewed the lid as I held it out for Jason.

  He took it from me, splashing half the contents onto the floor before he managed to raise his hand to his mouth. He rinsed his mouth out and spat before taking another swig to drink.

  I moved out of his way as he stumbled past me and sank to the ground beside the wall, resting his head back against it with his eyes shut.

  “Jason?” I whispered worriedly. He was trembling, clearly having trouble holding onto the bottle of water.

  “I think I'm okay now,” he breathed.

  “What did you eat?” Shilo asked from behind me.

  Jason appeared to have passed out so I moved away to where he'd been sitting when he had his food. A sandwich packet was discarded on the floor beside his chair and I stooped to pick it up.

  “It was just chicken mayo,” I said as I handed it to Shilo.

  “There were only two chicken sandwiches,” Shilo said as he turned the packet over in his hands. “I gave the first to him-“ He pointed at Eric’s body. “The other was taken by that stuck up-“

  “Demi didn't like it,” Spencer interrupted as he reentered the room. “She gave the second half to Jason.”

  “Is she okay?” I asked.

  “She's been throwing up but she seems alright now. Had it gone off?”