Drabbles and Containment by A Forum User

Containment Part 3

~Sang~

We gathered around the kitchen table, the soft light of the lamp half illuminating our faces.

Victor turned to me and smiled gently. Part of me accepted that this was his way of trying to comfort me. The other was annoyed. I was not a child. I understood what was happening.

"How much do you know about this, Princess?"

"About as much as you," I attempted to make my voice stronger, "The virus has spread over five days, most of America is in pandemonium. They don't know what the virus is, how it works or if there's a vaccine."

Dr. Green tilted his head and looked at me carefully. Yes, I was scared, terrified even, but I would not break down. Not yet. There was a time and a place for that.

North eyes suddenly caught to the hallway.

"Fuck. Did you hear that?"

We all paused, our ears trying to detect something.

And then there it was. Groaning and thick thuds of someone banging on the door. My head flipped around to the guys.

"Is that..?"

"Yes," Nathan said quickly, "get behind Silas."

"No. No, I want to help-"

A warm, big hand went on my shoulder and Silas pulled me so I was face to face with him.

"The best thing you can do is keep yourself safe, okay Aggele?"

When I searched his face he seemed sincere. I nodded and he tugged me behind him.

The noise was getting louder and louder. Luke, Victor and Nathan took the front with their guns, the others forming a circle around me.

Before I knew what was happening, a shrill shriek hit my eardrums, and I saw Mr. Johnson run through into the kitchen. His steps were lumbering and uncoordinated, but still fast. He was screaming as he ran, the sound gargled and choked.

The man stumbled over on his knees but groped his way back to his feet, his mouth opening and saliva dotted with blood dribbling out of his mouth and dripping from his teeth.

"Mr. Johnson," Kota shouted, "Mr. Johnson, you do not have to do this!"

He kept running. Just a few steps away from us, Victor pulled the trigger.

A deafening bang rang in my ears. Mr. Johnson fell down. Blood pooled from the hole in his stomach, soaking through his shirt and onto the floor. And the blood was so... So red. So... So alive. And red. Alive. Red. Alive. Red.

Dead.

"You...You shot him...And it's so red and you shot him..." I mumbled, still staring at Mr. Johnson's face. It was pale, like marble, but the eyes were still rimmed red. Before they rolled up into his head, I caught something that made me gag. The iris was bleeding, filling up with crimson blood.

So red.

Victor dropped the gun to the floor and turned to me, his eyes looking between his hands and my face.

"You shot him. I...I spoke to him this morning."

Victor seemed to come back to reality and he gripped my shoulders and stared at me.

"That wasn't Mr. Johnson, Sang."

"But...You shot him. We could have gotten help for him, we could have done something."

"He was too far gone, Miss Sorenson."

Mr. Blackbourne's voice was cool and natural. I blinked. It washed over me like cold water.

Okay. Okay, I needed to be strong.

I looked at Victor, straight into his fire eyes. They weren't killers eyes.

"Fine. What do we do now?"

Victor picked up his gun. He, Luke and Nathan all holstered their guns.

Kota shared a look with them all and then his eyes locked on me.

"We run."