Infectious

2: Todd Tangsworth

The truck bumps along the long road. I look around the woods, hoping to see somewhere to stop and sleep. The truck is too small for both if us to sleep in, and it's too risky sleeping on the open. I glance to the seat besides me. She still hasn't moved. I had wrapped a tattered grey blanket around her earlier, but it's fallen off her shoulder. She's done nothing to try to fix it, only sitting in the same position, st was staring off into nowhere. I don't know what to do. I've never seen anyone like this. She just seems so . . . Empty. I look back at the road just in time to see an old, abandoned building. It's only one story and the roof has half way caved in, but it had to do. I pull up to it and turn off the truck.

I turn to her. "We're here." I say. She shows no sign of hearing me, much less understanding or comprehending what was said. I sigh and walk over to her side of the truck and open the door. She doesn't move, either to look around or climb out of the car. I don't know why I'm doing this for her, but she's the first person I've seen in a while and she just seems so, well, lost. I put one arm under her knees and the the other on her back. I pick her up and she's light. Scary light. No one this size should be this light, and her shirt hangs on her stomach so I can almost see her rib cage. This wasn't good. I needed to get her some food soon or she'd starve.

I walk through what I'm guessing used to be the door way. Now it stands empty. Inside the house I look around. It has been completely abandoned. There isn't even a place to set her down. I walk over to the opposite wall, away from the door, and set her down. She sits, her back to the wall, still starring at nothing. I sigh and shake my head. I don't know what to do. I don't even know what made her like this. I sit down beside her and lean my head on the wall.

I look over at her. Opening my mouth, I begin to speak, but am cut off by a loud 'crack' which comes from outside.

I slowly maneuver my body so I'm on one crouching with one hand on the ground. If anything comes at us, I'm ready to run. My only concern is finding a way to get her out of here. I strain my eyes, listening the the defending silence, but nothing comes. Not even a bird dares to speak, too afraid to shader the silence. Hmm, I think, I guess it was no-

The wall in front of us explodes inward, spraying us with shrapnel. One particularly large stone hits me in the chest and sends me back into the hard wall behind me. My head cracks against the stone with a sickening 'crack'. I see little black spots dancing in my vision. When I am finally able to see through the pain and dots, I wish I were still hallucinating. They were here.

They had found us.

They would turn us.

They would kill us.

They would win.

I feel adrenaline pump through my veins, strengthening the beat of my heart. I could service. I could make it through. I could feel it in my very core. I stand up and glance over. The girl is no longer on the ground. She stands besides me, and at first I have hope, but then I see her eyes. They are still empty. I look around, searching for a way to escape, but I can't see anyway out. Finally, I see it. The door! Of course. If we could make it there, we could reach the truck and-

Something grabs my arm and pure white hot pain spread through me. I feel my self scream, but barely register it through the shear pain. I feel a wave somehow pump out of me, just pure energy, and everyone is thrown back. Some of them go flying away outside while others hit the wall. I feel the energy subside and fall to the ground. I look at my hands. This must mean that I- I'm immune. I stand up and laugh. I'm immune! I don't know if that's a good or bad thing, but now I have a way to get us out. I focus my power around my self and the girl I feel all weight just disappear. I look down and realize I'm not touching the ground.

"Wahoo!" I pump my arm in the air, but instead of flying I'm more floating. Sadly, I have little control of it. My whole body starts to tip forward, and I just float there, confused and bewildered at once. I turn to the girl to Sr how she's doing, but just then my power subsides and I fall in my face. I know, I know. But hey, this is my first time using powers. I'd like to see you do better. I start to get you, but two iron strong grips grabs my arms and I'm hauled up. I feel a trickle of blood run out of my stinging nose. I look over at the girl just in time to see one of the attackers grab her around the throat and slam her against the wall. I try desperately to break out of their grasps, but it's no good.

She stairs at the attacker in the eye, and this time it's not her blank stair. I can see it, even from here, the fire and hatred burning in her eyes. I start pulling and fighting, trying to get to her, yelling and pulling with all of my might, but stop when using here it. The sound of metal being ripped apart. Everyone and everything seems to stop and stare at the girl and her attacker. I start to wonder what happened, but then I see it. A gleaming blade sticks out of the robot's back, the blade had plunged right through him and out the other side. The robot staggers back and falls to the ground, lifeless. The girl, no longer being pinned to the ground, couches onto the ground, the only sound coming from her is the sound of her breathing. No one moves, now enchanted or mesmerized or shocked by what just happened. Five long breaths later, she stands and lifts her head. Tears are streaming down her face, white lines cutting down her cheeks through all the dirt. She stares around her, then opens her mouth and let's out a battle cry and charges forward. Gleaming blades shoot out of her hands and she attacks.