Drowning in Guilt

Part One

"Attention citizens of Vitrum City: We-the Council-are enclosing the city in a protective, air-tight barrier that will keep out the quickly-spreading disease. The countdown begins now. Please ensure that you are safely within city limits when the barrier is lowered or you will be locked out and will not be able to get back into the city. Have a good day."

"Miri! Don't run that way!" Mrs. Amith screamed against the wind.

What if people are fighting to get in the city?, Miri thought. I have to go help them. Maybe I can squeeze a kid through the crowd. I'll be a hero. Mom would be so proud.

"Miri, come back here this instant! The dome is closing soon!" Try as she might, Mrs. Amith could not outrun Miri. Miri quickly reached the edge of the city. She dodged and shouldered her way through the massive wall of hundreds of thousands of people barreling towards her. Unfortunately, her mother was pushed farther into the city by the terrified people- their faces stricken with indescribable fear. She came to a stop in front of a trembling little girl hugging her knees, half-buried in the snow. She saw the distinct glare of the flashing red lights and heard the countdown.

"30, 29, 28..." Miri lifted the girl out of the snow, seized her small hand, and rushed to the dome.

"Come on, little girl. If we don't get inside the dome quickly, the disease will get us!" Miri picked up the pace, and surprisingly, the little girl was able to keep up enough so that Miri was not completely dragging her.

"18, 17, 16..."

"Miri! Where have you been? Get inside here, NOW!" Mrs. Amith panicked as she caught sight of Miri from between the shoulders of people shoving to get inside the city limits.

"Oh, my baby!" A woman cradling a bundled-up baby reached Miri. "Thank you for bringing her here." The woman briskly walked away, carefully gripping the little girl's hand.

"Miri!" Mrs. Amith reached her hand through a small space between two people. Miri snatched air until she finally found her mom's hand. Mrs. Amith pulled and Miri managed to squeeze through the opening and into the safe zone. But her mom was knocked out of the zone by the people frantically pushing and shoving to enter Vitrum City before the barrier closed.

"8, 7, 6, 5..."

"Mom! Mom!" Miri jabbed at the wall of people, trying to extend her hand to her mom.

"3, 2, 1." The air-tight dome closed around the city leaving no way for anyone to get in or out.

"Mom! You can't leave me. There has to be a way back in. There has to!" Miri moved along the dome, forcefully hitting the wall with all the strength that she could muster. Bitter tears trailed from her eyes.

"Miri, listen to me. I know it's going to be hard, but you'll have to learn how to be independent from now on. Promise me that you'll try?"

"No," Miri shook her head hysterically as the tears kept flowing. "No! You have to live. How am I supposed to live without you?"

"Don't say that, Miri. You've always been strong. I won't lie and tell you that it will be easy, but you have to stay strong." Mrs. Amith placed her hand on the dome. "I'll always be with you in spirit, watching over you. I love you, Miri." Suddenly, a group of people limped past the shadows and closed in on Mrs. Amith. Their faces were contorted with pain. Their skin was saggy and deflated.

"Mom, get away from them! Don't let them touch you!" Miri's eyes widened in apprehension and the painful realization of what was about to happen. She pounded on the dome, trying unsuccessfully to reach her mom.

"Goodbye, Miri." One of the people grabbed Mrs. Amith's arm. In a matter of seconds, every inch of her body was covered in revolting bubbles the size of golf balls. She shrieked, gripping her face. She fell to the floor, bursting some of the bubbles. As each bubble popped, milky green pus splattered everywhere. The liquid burned like acid, and Mrs. Amith let out a blood-curdling scream. Her body became limp and her eyes rolled back as the life drained out of her. Miri fell to her knees. She would never forget that last scream.