Desinence. (The Beginning Of The End)

.9.

The next few days passed in an uneventful blur. The good news is, I was beginning to see that some of the people in camp were treating me remotely better. At one point, when I was handed a Granola bar by an unwilling Jericho, Cade nudged me. "Careful, Ev, I think he might have poisoned yours." It was a tasteless joke, because he probably would have if he could, but at least I was on good enough terms to be joked around with in the first place.

Yesterday, a group of people were huddled outside of Oz's tent, one of those people including George, who I had reluctantly followed. They all listened to him tell stories, and he invited me into the conversation many times, saying things such as, "Isn't that right, Evan?" And, "Has that ever happened to you, Evan?" I was beginning to really feel like I belonged. 

But to some people it seemed like they would never get used to me. Jericho, Kathy, Eli, Alex, Keenan. I didn't even think Foster cared for me at all, being friends with them. But I tried to keep my mind on the brighter side of things.

Everything had been going so well, that I had subconsciously fell into a false sense of security. 

I had forgotten that it was the end of the world. A big mistake on my part.

Cade, Marcus, Alyssa, and I were folding laundry, trying to get our chores out of the way so we could relax later, when we first heard it. It was just a low, grumbling noise. Alyssa heard it first. She stopped in her tracks, her head snapping up in attention. "What was that?" She asked, quickly. We all four looked at eachother. 

"I don't hear anything." I said.

Cade and Marcus both shrugged, so we went back to folding, the noise already far away from our thoughts. And then we heard it again. But this time, it was a loud growl. We all stopped, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest at the threatening noise.

"I told you," Alyssa said, her lip quivering.

And then it happened. It was so quick, so unexpected that I didn't even realize it was happening. One second, everyone was busily and casually walking around, doing what they had to do. Things were good. Things were normal.

A loud scream pierced my ears, bringing me back to the day I had saved Alyssa.The same exact scream, full of fear and panic. The noise filled me up entirely, melting away any good feeling I had built up these past four days. It was sickening, it was terrifying. It tore me down.

Something slammed into me, knocking me off balance. I was suddenly on the ground, my breath quickly stolen from me for the second time. Everything around me was shaking as I slowly realized what was happening, my mind lagging a step behind. 

Adrenaline shot through me in one painful wave, wrenching me onto my feet in one, quick, effortless movement. The colors around me were morphing back into place as I retreated a few breaths back into my lungs, but as everything settled into perfect form again, what I saw made me wish the fall had knocked me unconcious.

On the ground, Marcus was lying, motionless, his face pale and still, as dark crimson began pooling around him. On top of him, ripping into his stomach, stealing his very life, his energy, was an animal, too dog-like to be a bear, but way too large to be a wolf. I felt nausea hit me like a brick wall, but I gritt my teeth. I could not be sick right now. Alyssa wasn't safe.

The fear, the nausea, the greif for the friend I had lost, and the adrenaline all mixed together in the cold, pit of my stomach, making me dizzier than I already was. Many people in camp were screaming now, making my ears ring at an uncomfortable volume. Before I knew what I was doing, I had launched myself at Alyssa, just in time to save her from the snapping teeth of a second animal that had leapt for her throat.