Outbreak

Chapter 11

Jason

"Never have I ever... dipped my pizza in soda." 

Eric, Mal, and Emmett all sip from their cups, while Michael, Quinn and I stare at them in a mixture of disgust and - nope, just disgust. 

"I'm sorry... what?" I finally say after a moment. Eric shrugs. "Honestly, not actually a bad combo." Emmett nods while his brother grins like a maniac. Michael shakes his head. "Okay, my turn. Never have I ever--" 

A thud comes from upstairs, and I jump up, immediately guilty for leaving my post. Eric and I grab our weapons and sprint up the stairs. I brandish my pocket knife and peek over the last stair, but then see that it's just Ivy, Ezran, and Taylor returning from their mission.

"Hey g-- why are you pointing your knife at me, dude?" Ezran asks. I retract it and put it back in my pocket. 

"Just cautious. It's all good guys! They're back!" I call down the stairs. Eric walks past me and takes a couple bags from the group, and I follow suit. We weave past the towers of Amazon boxes and walk back down the stairs, where we're met by Quinn and Emmett waiting to help unpack the bags. 

Mal limps over to the dining table where we set down the bags, and begins to sort through the goods. Michael joins him, and soon once we've cleared the table the whole group is going through and picking out clothes and shoes. We all burst into laughter when Quinn and Ezran lunge for the same black hoodie (the intense fight including growling, hissing, and clawing), but in the end Ezran succeeds, with a disgruntled Quinn being left to have a navy blue windbreaker. 

I have to admit, it's nice to have a little fun sometimes. It lightens up the fact that we might be the only humans left on Earth. 

Once all clothes have been tried on and claimed, it's about six o'clock and getting dark, so we decide to have frozen pizza, garlic bread, and soda for dinner. Mal (begging for something to do) and Michael (insisting he help out, after all, we did save him) heat up the pizzas and garlic bread in the somehow functional microwave and pull out plates and cups. Deciding to enjoy ourselves a little, we eat in the living room on blankets, pillows, and the furniture. I sit cross-legged on the couch munching on garlic bread and pepperoni pizza and sipping coke while the group chats in small groups. 

"So how's everyone doing?" Mal asks with his mouth full, sitting uncomfortably on his armchair. I shrug. "Surprisingly not bad." Emmett nods in agreement, too busy scarfing down his pizza to speak, but Eric doesn't even respond. He's barely touched his food. "Eric?" I ask, concerned. "You alright?" He jumps a little, as if coming out of a daze, and looks at me quickly.

"Huh? Oh, uh, fine. Just tired. Actually, I'm gonna go to bed early tonight." He gets up, leaving his uneaten food on the coffee table, grabs a blanket and pillow from the floor, and walks to the top floor. 

"I'll sleep upstairs tonight." 

I turn back to Emmett and Mal, worried. "Is he alright?" Emmett shakes his head. "I don't know, but let him sleep. I'll talk to him tomorrow morning."

Eric

I can't stop thinking about when I talked to Taylor about the mission. She's been avoiding me ever since her brother, Jake... died. But the look she gave me when I asked her to go on the mission...

"She'll always remember," I whisper miserably. Whenever I remember that day, guilt, shame, and grief crash down on me and make it so hard that I can barely think.

I set down the pillow and lay down between two large boxes. I close my eyes as I pull the large quilt over me, and fall into oblivion.

Then the nightmare begins.

I'm behind the massive control panel lit up with hundreds of levers, switches, monitors, and buttons in the control room of the container ship. We've been at sea for weeks. 

"I'm going to take a break," I say, stretching. "You guys alright to keep us on course?" The two nod, and I head outside the room and down the echoing stairwell leading to the deck and accommodation rooms. As I descend I pass the deck, where a light breeze ruffles my hair. I catch a glimpse of the group leaning against the railing of the deck, looking out over the glistening aqua sea. 

At last I reach the lower levels of the ship, where the accommodation section lies. I push open the wooden door, revealing a large bunk room with at least sixteen bunk beds built into the walls, drawers and cupboards lining one wall, and nailed-down chairs and tables sitting in the middle of the room. 

I'm just about to grab my rucksack and grab an extra hoodie from my bunk when I notice Taylor and her younger brother, Jake. Taylor's kneeling on the floor, examining Jake's arm while he lies on his bunk. He's been sick for ages, and Taylor has barely left his side. 

I cautiously approach them, about to ask if I can help in any way, when I notice Jake's arm. It's a sickly green, with a dark green bite mark. His eyes have red rims, and he's feverish. His brown hair is plastered to his forehead with sweat, his breathing uneven, and his entire body's skin tone has taken on the shade of a...

"Zombie," I whisper is horror. Jake was bitten. Confusion whirls inside me, but then one thought enters my mind. If he becomes a zombie, he might infect everyone on this ship. I pull out my magnum silently from my pocket, and aim it at Jake's head. His dazed eyes meet mine, and they widen. Taylor turns, and shock registers on her face before she lunges towards me. 

"Eric, NO!" She grabs my arm, forcing me to drop my gun, and my head slams into the side of a table. I shake my head, groaning, and look up into the fear in Taylor's blue eyes. 

"Taylor, if he becomes a zombie, he'll infect everyone, extinguishing the human race! I'm doing this for the good of the world." I slam my fist into her stomach, and she keels over, coughing. I roll forwards and grab the gun, load it, and aim it at Jake's head. 

He sits up. "Eric..." he coughs weakly. My face hardens. Once, twice, three times I shoot him, and his lifeless body slumps off the bed. I drop the gun, my hands shaking, and Taylor screams.

"JAKE!!!"

Her terrified face morphs into a shadowy, shapeless creature, and it looms over me, fangs inches from my face. I shrink against the wall and shut my eyes as tight as I can. Taylor's scream echoes in my ears, never quieting.

Jake... Jake... Jake...