Restless

Epilogue

As the bloody wound on Neri's neck was revealed, her eyes rolled back and she fell to the ground.

"Neri!" Eleni ran up what little of the hill she had formerly descended, and kneeled by her side.

She smiled. "Quiet, Eleni."

Eleni already felt frustrated tears coming forth. "Neri, come on! We'll make it to Ottawa! We'll be safe there! I'll carry you!"

Neri shook her head as Eleni began to tug her onto her back. She pushed herself away, falling back onto the leaves. Most of the colour had receded from her face, and while she had been growing steadily paler throughout the day, now it was worse.

"Neri, stop that!" she yelled. "They'll have a cure in Ottawa, I know it!"

She shook her head again, closing her eyes with a deep, steady breath. "They won't, or it would've been...released by now. There is no cure."

Eleni shook her head fiercely. "We won't know unless we get there! So get on my back and I'll carry you!"

"There isn't one. I'm not going."

Eleni was maddened by her calm response. For the first time, she broke her good, innocent, calm demeanour. "Are you just okay with dying?!" she yelled. "Dying such a horrible and painful death, after we've come this far?! Of all times, you're abandoning me NOW?!"

As Neri was about to tell her to stop the futile argument, a small cough made her fold her jacket to her mouth, violently hacking once again. This time, Eleni did see the blood splattering the dark cloth as Neri coughed, and her eyes widened in horror. Neri's eyes squeezed shut, until the fit that wracked her body made her fall back onto Eleni's lap. A thin trail of blood went from the corner of her mouth to the ground.

"They won't let me in...Eleni. You have to go without me," she murmured.

She shook her head again for the third time. "No! I'm not doing that! I can't go without you!" Eleni sniffled, and rubbed away the bleariness in her eyes. "You have to come! You don't have a choice!"

Neri quietly chuckled, causing blood to bubble in the back of her throat. All she tasted was iron. "I had no idea...that you were so stubborn."

"You of all people should know!" Eleni clenched her jaw and averted her eyes. "You were one of the people who knew me best. I'm really stubborn, I've told you that."

Neri sighed, and folded her arms across her chest. Her body felt stiff, and she couldn't command her fingers or legs to do the simplest actions. Paralysis was the only thing that felt similar to what she was experiencing.

"This was too soon. We just met," Eleni muttered.

Neri smiled. "Yeah, it was. But even though the world ended...these were the best days of my life."

Eleni took a breath.

Neri swallowed thickly, and looked up at her friend. "They were amazing...because I spent them with you. Someone that I'd always wanted to meet in person."

"I never thought we'd meet in person," Eleni whispered.

"Neither did I. I'm happy I did."

Eleni blinked back her tears, and her brown eyes glistened with unshed tears. "How many years did we just talk to each other online?"

"Four, I believe. It would've been five next month," she whispered.

Eleni sniffled, and a tear landed on Neri's cheek, mixing with the blood. "Don't go, Neri."

Neri rubbed Eleni's back, and didn't move from her spot in Eleni's lap. "I won't. Not yet."

Eleni kept holding Neri in her arms as the sun set, and it gradually grew darker. The cloud's wispy ends thinned as they neared the horizon, giving away a beautiful crimson and fiery sunset behind Ottawa. Neri wanted Eleni to leave so she could make it to the safe zone before it grew dark, but she didn't have the energy to argue with her. She didn't want Eleni to remember her as a flesh-eating monstrosity if she did turn before Eleni left. The cold ground almost soothed her as she felt her fingers and toes go numb. Her pale skin looked like grey ivory, and her lips were blue from the cold and the sickness that was taking over her body. Sweat covered her forehead and Neri's became laboured as she fought for oxygen. Neither one knew how much time passed as Eleni kept her hold on Neri strong, refusing to let go.