The Unknown Virus

Chapter 7

I turned around, and started walking back towards the door.

"Raven, what are you doing?"

"Mrs. Miller." I heard Anne come back after me. She knew the Millers too.

I grabbed the doorknob, and looked back at Anne. She nodded, and I opened the door, with difficulty, because Mrs. Miller was blocking it. She let out a small moan, and, once the door was completely opened, started toward us. Anne stepped forward, tears in her eyes, and quickly stabbed down, the knife lodging itself in her skull. Mrs. Miller went still, then Anne pulled her knife out, and she fell down on the floor flat, and didn't move again. We were silent for a few minutes. Then Anne spun around and hurried back to the kitchen. I knelt down, and picked up the old frail woman. I walked her over to her bed, and lay her down on it, crossing her arms, and sliding her eyes closed. There was no time for a grave.

I turned back to the door, and almost screamed. Mr. Miller lay slumped over in a chair with a shotgun, and blood on the wall behind him. He killed himself in front of his wife. Or maybe after she was resurrected. Hard to know, really.

I resisted the urge to puke and ran back to Anne, who was just finishing up. She turned at the sound of my footsteps.

"Did you find Mr. Miller?" She asked quietly. I nodded.

"He's dead." She looked down.

"I used to come here a lot." She said as she knelt down and zipped up her backpack. "I used to stay here all the time. Stayed here last night, actually. Me and Alice got into a fight. Things were said, and...God, if I had known I'd never see her again, I think I would've been nicer, you know?" I nodded. She sighed.

"You gave her a proper burial, right?" I nodded again.

"Alice and your mom both did." She nodded again.

"We still have to hit 4 more houses before we leave. Maybe we can find you a new knife." I inwardly groaned at that. I didn't want a new knife. But I followed Anne out of the house all the same.

We hit the next for houses without anymore trouble, and did, in fact, find me a better knife. It had a black handle, and a black blade with dark green skulls. I don't know why, but I liked my kitchen knife better.

So I may or may not have stocked up on them while we were looting and Anne wasn't looking.

With canned goods, juice boxes, and a survival guide Anne found, we started off. But, Anne wanted to go one more place first.

Anne stood beside her twins grave, hands curled into fists. I stood a little ways away, giving her time to grieve. Which she didn't give herself much of. She turned back to me, her head held high.

"It's time to leave." I nodded, and together we began walking down the street, in the direction of the woods.

"We need to stay off the highways. The most damage is done on the highways, which most people used to get out of the city and more outbreaks have happened. So we need to stay in small cities and roads, and stick to the woods as much as possible. Maybe, I don't know, find a log cabin or build a tree house." Anne went on and on about her plans and what we should do. I just nodded and followed her. I listened until she was done and we were in the woods. We walked on trails and wove between trees, but for the most part we were quiet. When it began to get dark we helped each other up trees because the ground was too dangerous to sleep on. Especially in the dark. In the morning Anne opened a can of peaches in which we shared. My stomach cried for more but Anne insisted we eat half a can a day each. We didn't know when we'd have a chance to find food again. We traveled like that for what felt like weeks, but it was only about four days. Traveling and avoiding walkers during the day, and sleeping in trees at night. It was hell, but I kept it up, because I was afraid that if I lagged behind, Anne would leave me behind.

After 4 days in the woods, we came out of the other side, into the backyard of a house.

"Should we go through the city or walk along the trees?" I asked Anne. She was quiet for a few minutes as she stared at the house.

"Do you think the houses could still have running water?" She asked.

"Um, I suppose. It's only been, what, six days since the outbreak? Why? We have a bunch of water bottles."

"I want a streak."

"A what?"

"I want a blond streak in my hair. For Alice." I stared at her. She hated Alice's blond hair. Even dyed it temporary pink once. She must be in a deeper state of sadness then I thought. But I nodded, and started towards the house.

"Have my back." I told her. She nodded, and we both took out our knives. Anne banged on the door, so if there were walkers inside, they would be drawn to the noise. We stayed there in silence for about five minutes, during which Anne kept banging on the door every minute or so so they knew where to go. Once we were sure nothing was coming, we entered, still being weary of survivors. We went through the house as a just in case, and found nothing. I went back down to the kitchen, and turned the faucet. And good sweetness it worked. Anne came in, holding a bottle of bleach and hair ties.

"This this'll work on hair?" She asked, shaking the bottle.

"I'd say so." I replied, taking the bottle from her as she took out her hair piece and let her hair fall loose. Her straight brown hair didn't even need to be brushed. It automatically fell down in silky smooth brown strands. We both went up to the bathroom so she could part her hair. The took a chunk of hair and some of her bangs and held them up to me.

"I want this bleached white." I nodded, and began bleaching, gagging slightly on the smell. A massaged it into her hair, and then laced it up with an elastic. Then I handed her the bottle.

"Now me." I demanded, also parting my hair to the side and taking some of my hair on the side of my face. Anne didn't hesitate. She bleached it quickly, and then tied it up.We waited for thirty minutes, and then rinsed each others hair before repeating. Then we rinses and conditioned with some leftover peach conditioner left in underneath the bathroom sink and brushed out the knots. The streaks were white blond. But mine didn't feel right.

"Do you think there's a store around here? That sells hair dye?" Anne looked over at me like I was crazy.

"Probably. But I'm not risking my life for hair dye, Rave."

"I want blue dye."

"That is seriously stupid Raven. If anything, we should find a store and go get some food. What we have won't last forever you know." I nodded.

"Okay, you're right. They may be cleaned out already though." Anne shrugged.

"Worth a shot. And if you find some hair dye, you can take some, but only if you have room. We need as may supplies as we can hold." I sighed.

"Fine. Let's go."