Amnesia

Accident

I wake up in the same position I fell asleep in. My neck hurts from keeping it craned down all night. I usually never drool but it hangs down from my lips like a frozen trickling waterfall.

Gross.

I hear a scratching on the door behind me. I freeze in fear. I now live with the worry that someone older can turn at any time. What if someone did in the night? What if it's them scratching at the door, waiting to kill their first victim?

I back away from the door, body tense. I peek under it, expecting to see someone's pale feet.

Instead I see paws.

I chuckle quietly to myself, letting my nervousness out. It's just Sunflower. I open the door and let her in. She's wagging her tail around with joy, her pink tongue sticking out. I close the door for good measures, just in case.

She basically tackles me with licks. Her breath smells nasty, like all dogs. I have to keep my face looking up so she doesn't lick my face. She's whining, but not a sad whine. A happy, please pay attention and pet me whine.

I do. I pet her and pet her, giving her the attention she so greatly wants. The attention she hasn't been given since the virus hit.

The morning sun starts to shine through the dirty glass window. The sun lays over my legs, turning them warm. Sunflower lays down on my legs and I continue to scratch her head. Her light fur flies around the air. I blow it away so it doesn't land on my face.

At the moment everything feels fine. But I know outside everything isn't fine. Everything is falling apart.

"What happened to you?" I hear someone ask behind the door. I jump in surprise, trying to figure out who's voice it is.

Then I hear Jose say in response, "I fell. It was dark."

"But it looks like you-"

"Shut the hell up," Jose snaps. "I got in a fight with Chris the other night and I fell last night. That's it."

"Okay." I realize it's Shayla's voice. "You know who's going out today?"

"Why don't you ask the leader."

Leader? Who's the leader? I think about it. He's most likely talking about Anne, but I thought he would be the one to say he's the leader.

"She's sleeping," she says.

"Well then wake 'er up."

"Are you hungover?"

"Wanna stop interrogating me?"

I roll my eyes. What a douche. I can hear Shayla walking back upstairs. She listened to him.

I lightly push Sunflower off my legs and stand up. My body aches all over, both from the horrible sleeping position I chose on the floor and the weeks of running, falling, and fighting.

Chris starts to stir awake. He looks at me with his eyes half closed. "Good morning."

"Good morning," I reply quietly.