Then There Were Three

CH 9

"Ready to g- what happened?" Mr. Greene's eyes harden, as he looks from Kendall's face, to mine.

"Zombies. It's okay." Kendall says. His voice rings through my ears. It's like I can't process anything that's going on. Mr. Greene's movements are in slow motion, as he raises his hand to a cut on my cheek.

"Ellie?" He calls. His voice sounds so distant. Like we're in a tunnel, and we're each on different ends yelling at each other.

"hmmm?" I hum, blinking rapidly. I must be using Kendall as support for my weight, because he shifts his arm, and sighs. "Are you... okay?" Mr. Greene asks. I look over at Kendall, who's wiping his sweaty face with the back of his hand.

I nod my head too fast, and then at a normal speed, too long for a normal person. "I-I think so." My vision is blurred, like there is a wall of tears trying to escape, but when I blink nothing happens. I sway left and right, blinking rapidly to keep a cloud of black from trying to conceal my vision.

"Let's... Let's go for that supply run." I mutter, letting go of Kendall and trying to walk on my own. My knees shake, as I try to keep my balance. Kendall grabs my arm before I fall over.

"When's the last time you've eaten?" Kendall asks me. My ears are ringing, and all I hear is a light buzzing, and the question sounds as if Kendall is whispering.

"What? Like... p-properly ate a meal?" Mr. Greene nods, as if it's obvious. "Um... well..." I scratch my head with my free hand that isn't wrapped tightly around Kendall's arm. "You ate breakfast yesterday, and lunch, right?"

"Well I'm not much of an eater... but I did eat." I stutter, my words feel like they're coming out all wrong.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Kendall asks, like a robot. "She's malnourished. Let's take her inside. I think I've got some healthier foods left over." Mr. Greene says, slowly so I can hear. "She looks dehydrated too." Kendall suggests. "I had water last night!" I shout, my voice sounds like someone rubbed my throat with sandpaper. "You could still be dehydrated, especially now. I'll be right back. There's gotta be something she can eat." Mr. Greene mutters the last words, and turns to find something to eat.

"Hang on," Kendall says quietly, holding me upright, "He'll be right back."

"Kendall." I say quietly, a whisper is all I can manage. I feel sick. It can't just be from dehydration and malnourishment. "El." He says back.

No one's ever called me El. I like the nickname.  I smile at him.

"How did you know where I was?" I ask. "I had a feeling you wouldn't be far." Kendall says, laughing lightly.

"But, how did you get to me so fast?"

"I heard you scream and sprinted towards your direction. Like I said, you wouldn't have gone far, so it wasn't like you were a mile away." I feel Kendall shrug.

"But how come you didn't come when I yelled your name?"

"I didn't hear you call my name. If I did, I would've come. I'm the whole reason we're in this mess." Kendall says quietly.

"No you aren't. It's not like you started the zombie apocalypse." I shrug.

"No, but I'm the one who said I hated you, who made you storm off, then you got lost, you almost had a zombie eat your face off, and now you're barely able to keep your eyes open because you're sick." Kendall takes a deep breath. Every word he says makes the knot in my stomach tighter and tighter.

"Okay, here." Mr. Greene runs over to us and tosses me a package, which looks like a bar of some sort.

I take a bite, and something I think I've never eaten before seems to explode in my mouth. It's almost as if it's the first time I've had it. I know I've had it once. It tastes familiar.

"Ellie, are you allergic to anything?" Mr. Greene asks.

"Peanuts. So cliché, right? It's like the most common allergy." I laugh, which ends up coming out like a sob.

Kendall snatches the bar from my grip, reading the package.

"It has peanuts in it!" He yells.

My face turns red, and I spit out the rest of the bar that I haven't already swallowed.

My vision is starting to be taken over, with bright stars. I try to take a deep breath, but it's like breathing through a straw. I can't see Mr. Greene's face anymore, just his arms, as he tries to catch me as I fall to the ground.