Dead End

2: Amara

"Kaylee! Kay! Hey! Kaylee! Breathe! You have to breathe!" Holden grabbed my sister's arms and turned her to face him. He started to take deep breaths and soon she copied him. Damien took this time to start the car and quickly get out the parking lot. It wasn't easy as everyone else was trying to do the same thing. Multiple cars wrecked into each other or the lampposts around the parking lot. On our way out, a car rammed into the sign that read 'Centerville High School'.

"We have to get Leon and Wen! They could be in danger!" She shouted at me.

"Mom went to get Leon, Kay. We're going to get Wen after we drop you off. Don't worry they're fine." I turned around trying to help keep her calm.

We pulled back up to the house. After Damien parked the car, Kaylee basically jumped out the car and ran inside. I noticed that the road leading away from the high school became quiet. There were no more cars rushing past. I decided to follow everyone inside.

"Where's mom?" I caught the last bit of my sibling's conversation.

As I walked into the living room, I watched our youngest brother, Leon, point down the hallway.

"She must be trying to get a hold of Tony." I sat on the edge of the couch.

"We need to go out and get some supplies before I go home." Damien spoke from my side.

"I also need to go home." Holden sighed.

"Ok, who's going to Wal-Mart and who's staying here?" I asked as I looked around.

"Wal-Mart is not a good idea. We should go to Dollar Tree or Dollar General since they're smaller and less people would think to go there." Holden kind of deadpanned.

"Yeah that's true but we still need to figure out who's staying here with Leon." Kaylee said.

"We can take you home, pick up Wen, and then get supplies before I go home." Damien bounced his knee as he spoke.

"I'll stay home with Leon while you guys are gone." Kaylee volunteered. Worry filled my stomach.

She kept reassuring us that she'd be fine so we finally got into Damien's car once again and started towards Holden's house, which luckily isn't that far from Wen's school.

"Don't you need to pick up Amelia from school?" I asked as I watched the trees pass the window.

"She played hooky today to help take care of my mom." I turned around to face my cousin.

"Your mom is sick?" The fear was pretty obvious in my voice.

"She had a fever this morning. And after what happened at the school, I already know what's most likely going to happen. I just hope I'm not too late and my sister is still alive." He was kind of shaky as he stared at his hands in his lap. I turned back in my seat and gave Damien a fearful look as we pulled into his driveway. Holden got out of the car and made his way to the front door. Just as he was about to put his key in, Amelia opened the door and hugged him, excited to see him. I sighed, relieved that she was okay. We backed out and started in the direction of my brother's school.

"Hello. I'm picking up Wen Stewart. I'm his older sister, Amara." The receptionist on the phone didn't even question me.

"I'll have him ready by the time you arrive." And she ended the call. I'm sure the phones are blowing up with worried parents trying to come up with lame ass excuses to pull their kids out of school.

As we entered the parking lot of the middle school, it looked like a train wreck. There was a line of cars bumper to bumper from the front of the school to the back of the parking lot. We pulled into a parking space, which took a second to find. I jumped out to go inside to check him out. I passed car after car with sick people in different stages. Some looked miserable laying on the windows, obviously struggling with the fever. There were others who were covered in their own blood. I just hoped I wouldn't see the last stage until I had my brother. I spoke too soon because the last car I passed had a younger kid strapped in a car seat, he was snapping and clawing at me as I passed the window.