Behind You

II

Document: ????

Date: ????

Patient Research Number: 302

Infection Stage: Four

Description: We have named this variant of the disease the Entwined Varient. The girls are now completely gone, having no control of their actions. Words are starting to form, but are very slurred and slow. They say the same thing as the others. Saying they're hungry. Trying to coax us closer to them.

This is all I have time to write. They're banging their heads against the glass.

Signature: Doctor Angeria P.V.

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Daya sat in front of the window downstairs early that morning, waiting for her sister's return. She wished she could tell what time it was. She knew the sun had risen and was climbing its way into the sky, so hours surely had passed.

Crystal and Gigi never showed up.

Now, Daya began to become very nervous. Her knee bounced anxiously. Where were they? Nobody who goes out for supplies has ever been gone that long. Not unless something was wrong.

Tears began to spill from Daya's eyes, but she still focused on the world outside of the window. She wanted to badly to keep believing the other two girls were on their way back. She couldn't give up hope.

From her spot beside the radio, DeJa watched the girl with a sigh. She stood up, walking over and laying a hand on her shoulder. "I think...I think I'm gonna have to be the one to tell you the truth."

Daya only looked away to meet her eyes. "What do you mean?"

DeJa didn't want to break her heart, but she knew she had to. She wouldn't be able to stand Daya being disappointed everyday her sister failed to return. "I...I saw Crystal the day she left." She started to explain. "Her arm was starting to gray in an area where she had been bitten by a bug. That was the day she was closer towards the city getting supplies."

Daya was silent, her hands gripping the windowsill in front of her. No. It wasn't true.

"She left without a word. Remember how the day after everyone had to have a thorough inspection?" DeJa continued. "The day Gigi went after her?"

Daya was still quiet. No. What DeJa was saying wasn't true.

DeJa looked down. "Crystal's infected, Daya." She said quietly. "She left to protect everyone. To protect you. Gigi left to find her, but if she was successful, then she's probably infected too by now. I'm so sorry."

Daya shook her head. "That's not true..." She whispered. "Crystal's okay. I know she is. Gigi is too."

DeJa had a feeling her old friend would deny it. She couldn't blame her. "I know you'd rather think that way, but it's just simply not true. You have to stop waiting for them."

Daya turned away from her. Fine then. She would stop waiting for them. Instead of waiting, she'd go after them herself. She'd bring them back and prove that they were okay. Crystal wasn't infected, Gigi wasn't infected, they were okay.

She pulled herself away from the window now to go back up to her room. DeJa watched her, wishing she hadn't had to tell her, but knowing it was the best thing she could do for her. The longer Daya went thinking they'd come back, the worse her mind would become.

But she didn't know what Daya was planning.

The taller girl stared at herself in the broken mirror, the shards of glass crossing over her neck and shoulders and distorting her body in an inhuman way. Meeting her own eyes, she almost didn't recognize who she saw. This version of Daya was so tired, so alone and so scared. This version of Daya wasn't the one she was used to. She had to bring that one back. If not for herself, then for Crystal and Gigi.