Curse of the Immune (2 page)

I come out into a clearing. It’s the pathway carved out of the woods for power lines. I follow it while running and thinking. Thinking of how I’ve been living life since my parents died. I’ve been just doing what’s expected and playing by the rules, afraid to color outside the lines. It dawns on me I stopped dreaming of my future. Sure, the past ten months eliminated any need for hope and dreaming. Once news of the asteroid hit, it just felt right that the earth should end. No big deal. Now that I see I will have a future, I don’t think I’m ready to be with Mom and Dad. Though I miss them very much, I want to live. I’m both surprised and excited about this. I was so ready to die, ready for the next life. Now I see I get to live this life first.

My mind runs as fast as my legs. Possibilities start running through my brain. I can go to college, study what I want, and do what I want to do. I could be a teacher or a scientist. Something in science would be great. I could have foster kids and give them more than just a roof, three squares, and clothing. I could give them love and a home they could call their own. Make them feel like something more than a check and a burden.

Whatever I decide, and whatever I do, I know one thing: it’ll be great. For the first time in a long time, I feel amazing and can say, “Life is good!”

Chapter Three

I finally stop running and collapse into tall grass. I lie there looking at the blue sky dotted with a few puffy clouds. I also try to stop thinking and just enjoy the feeling. Once I stop huffing and puffing, I fall into a deep sleep. Makes sense seeing as I haven’t had much sleep in the past few days.

I wake, and once I realize where I am, I laugh at myself. I stand up and notice the sun is nearing the horizon. It’ll be dark soon, so I start back. I begin to jog and curse myself for running barefoot, ‘cause my feet are feeling sore now. It takes me what seems like twenty minutes or so to get back to the area where I started on the power line pathway. Walking through the woods, I keep an eye out for my sandals, but it’s getting dark, so I don’t spend too much time looking. I just want to get home.

I walk out of the woods and into our backyard. I go for the garden hose and wash off my feet. “Yeow!” That stings. My feet are all scratched up. I dry them off in the grass and walked inside the house.

I’m feeling shaky from hunger, so I look through the kitchen cupboards for something to eat.

Ellen comes in and asks, “Where did you go? We’ve been trying to get ahold of you, but you left your cell phone in your room.”

“Sorry, I was just trying to burn off some steam. You know, with all the excitement and all.”

She looks at my feet. “You went out without shoes? Oh, Lea, what are we going to do with you?” She shakes her head. Her face then turns to an expression of concern. “You’d better go see Roger in the parlor. There have been some developments on the news.”

I knew better than to ask her to elaborate. She doesn’t give bad news; Roger does that. I go to the living room, and Roger looks worried. “Lea, good, you’re here. Come and see this.”

“What is it?” I sit and turn to the TV. It’s showing a map of the world with a light-orange color covering most of the planet except for North America and most of South America, with its southern tip in the orange. “Wow, that cloud sure has spread.”

“It’s worse, hon. People are dying in Asia, Australia, and Africa. The sickness is getting bad in Europe too. They say by midnight, it’ll cover the globe.”

“Wait, people are dying? Before I left, the news guy said the symptoms weren’t that bad.”

“That was before they knew anything. They still don’t know what’s causing the deaths, but it’s happening on a massive scale. They can’t get reports from Asia anymore.”

“They’re dead?”

“Or too sick to talk.”

I stand and wait for Roger to say,
Fooled you
, or,
Surprise
! But that won’t happen. Roger doesn’t joke like that. Instead, he says, “I’ve got some work to do. The government has put out an advisory telling the public to batten down the hatches. Seal up the windows and doors, close the damper in the fireplace, basic winterizing stuff.”

“That’s all it’ll take to keep us safe?”

“I hope so, but who knows? Most of the important government officials are still in their underground safe havens. So if that’s all it would take to be safe, they’d surface, I presume.”

Feeling deflated, I turn and slowly walk to the stairs on my way to my bedroom. Just when I feel like living for once, just when I’m actually happy something terrible happens—story of my life.

When I get to my room, I collapse on my bed and stare at the ceiling. It’s weird how quick things seem to come together and fall apart all before dinner. I mean, this morning I was all set for the end of the world. Now that it seems it’s still gonna happen, I’m feeling destroyed. Whatever. All I can do is accept what happens.

I feel tears forming in my eyes from my self-pity session, and I sit up and say aloud, “Screw this.” I’m not going out blubbering on my bed. I stand and go back downstairs. “Roger, what can I do to help?”

He’s in the kitchen, closing the storm windows. “I’d appreciate it if you do what I’m doing to the windows upstairs.”

I run up the stairs and open windows, lift the screens, lower the storm windows, close the windows again, and lock them. While finishing up, I hear the side house door open and a familiar voice. “Hey, Roger, Ellen, sis. Didn’t think I’d ever be here again.”

I hop down the staircase, run, and throw my arms around Luke. And of course, the tears come.

“Whoa, sis, calm down.” His hands are up as if in surrender. He hates any displays of affection, unless it comes from his girlfriend. All right, you see me. I’m okay. Now let go.”

“I thought I’d never see you again.” I release him from my horrible touch.

“Yeah, nice to see you too. Chloe’s dad thought I should check in with you guys.”

“You’re not staying?”

“I am. I think her dad’s getting sick of me being around. Before he started sealing in his family, he told me to go home and help out here.”

Roger walks up to Luke and puts his hand on his shoulder. “It’s good to see you. Your sister and I pretty much finished all we can do. I hope it’ll be enough.”

“Crazy day, huh?” Luke says. “One minute we think we’re goners, and then the rock blows up. Now we got this cloud to worry about. Anybody hear how long we’ll be trapped inside?”

Roger answers, “They’re not saying anything on TV. I guess they’re waiting to see what happens first. I don’t think any of those scientists have any clue. As soon as the asteroid exploded, they started scratching their heads. They probably don’t really know if closing windows and doors will do anything. It’s all guess work.”

Ellen walks up to Luke and squeezes his hand and says, “Anyone up for some dinner? Whatever happens, it won’t help if we face it with empty stomachs.”

I’m not hungry anymore, and I don’t think anyone else is, but we all take our seats around the dinner table. Just all of us being together is nice.

Chapter Four

After dinner, I go up to my room. Luke, Ellen, and Roger go into the living room to watch the news, looking for some sign of hope. I need to be alone to empty my head and just veg out. I feel my sanity depends on it. Whatever works, right?

I look around my room. I have a lot of stuffed animals from when my parents were alive. I remember making my dad kiss which ever animal I was taking to bed. It may sound stupid, but I like to think his kisses are still on them. It may sound weird, but it gives me comfort, and right now, that’s what I need.

I grab a polar bear named Icicle and curl up on my bed. I stare at the wall and wait. I wonder what I’m waiting for—death, sickness, or both. Who knows and who cares? Whatever happens will happen. Just get it over with.

Time crawls by as my gaze periodically falls upon my clock radio. My eyes grow heavy, and I begin to feel myself slowly dozing off.
Just take a little nap and wake before midnight.
Then I’ll go and be with Luke and company to face whatever happens.

* * *

I awake to sunlight streaming through the window on my face. “I slept the whole night?”

I go to the window and see a clear, beautiful sky. No sign of an orange mist, until I look down. The ground is covered with a glowing orange dust. Like a snowy sherbet. It’s pretty cool, kind of beautiful. Around my room are tiny specks of orange on the floor and bed. It seems to be coming from under the door, because that’s where the thickest concentration is.

In the mirror, I see my reflection, specks all over me. My stomach sinks. This can’t be good. I consider how I feel and decide I feel fine. Maybe not enough dust came into the house.

I go to my door and open it. A lot more dust litters the hall leading to the bathroom. I follow and see the bathroom floor covered. The toilet, sink, and bathtub are overflowing with the particles. It must have come up from the drain. How could that happen if it fell from the sky? This is all very strange.

I go to check for Luke in his bedroom, but he isn’t there. So I go downstairs and find him watching TV. Roger is lying on the couch, not looking very good. His eyes are bloodshot and his face pail, clammy, and sweaty.

“Roger, are you okay?” Stupid question, I know.

“I feel like crap.” He stirs a bit, trying to sit up.

“Don’t get up.” I rush to his side.

Luke stands. “He’s been sick since about one this morning. Ellen’s even sicker. She went to bed. How’re you doing?”

“I feel fine. Are you okay?”

“I’m good.”

I go check on Ellen. When I get to her room, I can hear her whimpering softly. She’s in bed, lying on her side. I walk over to her bedside, where her back is to me. “Ellen?”

“Oh, oh, child, just leave me.” Her moaning words shock me a bit. She never speaks to anyone that way, always kind and pleasant to everyone.

I persist. “Is there anything I can get for you?”

“I’m dying! So please give me some peace and get out!”

I run out of the room as quickly as I can. Tears fill my eyes. I stop in the hall and fall to my knees. Ellen’s words felt like a kick in the gut. I wrap my arms around my head and cry into them to muffle any sounds. I don’t want to alarm Roger or my brother, but I’ve never seen someone so sick before. She must be delirious or maybe she really just wants to be alone.

I swallow hard and force myself to stop crying. I begin to wonder what will happen to Luke and me if Ellen and Roger pass away. I quickly stop that kind of thinking and become disappointed in myself for being selfish. I need to stay strong and think positive.

I stand and go into the bathroom to splash some water on my face, but the sink is overflowing with the sparkling dust here as well. So I dry my tears on a hand towel and go back into the living room.

“How’s Ellen?” Roger struggles to lift his head.”

“She’s okay. She just wants to be alone now.” I half-lie, how could I tell the poor man the truth?

“You okay, sis?” Luke must see the redness in my eyes from my little breakdown.

“Yeah, I’m good. My allergies must be acting up. All this dust, you know. It looks like it’s coming up from all the drains. How is that possible?”

“Stink pipes,” Roger says.

“What?” I ask.

Roger looks uncomfortable as he tries to shift toward me. “I don’t know the proper name, but those small tubes that stick through the roofs of every house, I call them stink pipes. They’re there to allow toxic gases out from the drainage system. It’s the only way I can think of.”

“But why is there so much? There’s only about an inch piled up outside. How could such a concentrated amount happen to make it through such a small opening?” I ask.

“Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe it’s attracted to water.”

“Or maybe to people,” Luke said.

“I don’t think anything would surprise me after yesterday and today.” My stomach twists at the thought of what else might be in store for us. I want to change the subject, as if that’s possible. I look at the television and notice it’s been turned off. “Any new news on TV?”

“It’s all bad, sis, nothing positive,” Luke says.

“I didn’t think they’d be reporting on the five-day weather forecast. Put it on.” I think the added noise will be a good distraction.

Big mistake.

“Okay, but I warned you.” Luke presses the remote.

A sick-looking man sits behind a news desk. “The virus is now worldwide, and reports of massive fatalities from around the world, except North America, are coming in. Government officials are ordering all federal, state, and local emergency response personnel to merge with various military organizations and prepare to be deployed where needed.

“Drone flyovers of areas in Europe and Asia where reports of the populations are said to be completely wiped out show crowded streets of seemingly confused and lost people. Attempts to contact the areas’ local officials or even news agencies have failed, and new hope that the virus may not be as severe and deadly as previously thought grips the US and Canada.”

“See, it’s not that bad,” Luke says.

The scene on television shows an area in London, England, of people wandering the streets lazily and clumsily bumping into each other. Close-ups show their eyes give off an eerie, orangey glow much like the mysterious dust. Their mouths are hanging open as well, as if they no longer have use of their facial muscles. It all looks real creepy.

Suddenly, a dog runs through the crowd. A person tackles it and looks like it’s biting the animal. Other people joined in and tear apart the poor beast.

“What the heck are they doing?” I ask. I look at my brother, and his expression of horror sends feelings of terror through me.

“Zombies,” Luke said. “That’s what they do. Feed on the living.” And he should know. Playing and watching zombie video games and movies were his favorite pastime before he met Chloe. I always thought that kind of stuff was just sick, morbid, and stupid. I refused to watch those kinds of movies. I was afraid they’d give me nightmares.

“That’s crazy,” I say. “That zombie crap isn’t real.” It can’t be. I turn off the TV and try to get those images I just saw out of my head. Roger and Ellen are what I need to be focusing on. That’s what’s important right now.