Annihilation

Chapter 8 - The Sacrifice

LYNDI'S P.O.V

Cassius' delicate snores fill the silence in the small room. I feel imprisoned in this box room; the walls, the floor, the furniture is all far from luxury.

I often forget I'm suffering from Hoptalitius, forget that I'm the lucky patient in that hospital that survived the operation by not being there. I'm the one that managed to escape the annihilation that started in the now abandoned hospital.

I wonder if the disease has crossed the border. Devon is known for being around the sea, sending ferries off to France, Iceland, Norway, everywhere. Not to mention our airports; I'm almost certain somewhere else in Europe is infected.

I look at my weapons; the sheath hangs on the post of the bed with the bolts slanted at an angle. The crossbow stands upright against the post, a bolt already loaded in the lethal weapon.

I notice the light flickering in the side of the room, illuminating about a quarter of the minute room. I force myself onto my front so my face can see the dim bulb. I have to see how long I have.

None of my friends know what I look like underneath. I take my shirt off so I can see my sickly flat stomach. My ribs stick out and my hipbones make me swallow the vomit threatening to make an appearance.

It isn't until I see jade patches on my ghastly skin that I realise that I'm not living long. I may have survived the infected mutants, but I'll never survive this illness. This is something I'll never get over.

"Lyndi? Are you okay?"

Cassius can be light on his feet when he wants to be. He loitered behind me, his gun hanging limply from his beefy hand. A horrified expression was painted on his face. The glances he shot towards my stomach... He now knows that I'm not okay.

I'm not going to let green skin stop me though.

"Everything is fine, Cass. Go to bed." It was a cold snap, but I don't want to become friends with him. After all of the times he teased me for my porcelain skin, my copper hair, and my dull appearance. I can forgive but I'm not going to act friendly towards him.

No time for friends when you're about to die.

"You're green!" It was as loud as a whisper can get. "That isn't normal!"

"I have a fricking week left, dude. One week. I'm joining the annihilation and nothing can stop me, not even I can. I'm dying, Cassius." Tears brimmed, threatening to make an abrupt appearance.

Cassius was in the same boat. Tears splashed against the floor, fragmenting each time they collided with the carpet until they were absorbed. His tears cause my emotion to erupt; my tears crashed against my jade stomach.

"You can't die," Cassius screamed. No doubt someone was going to wake up if his volume continued to be that loud. "You're a part of our team."

"And I will stay for as long as possible," I sigh, almost feeling guilty for being ill. "But I have about a week left."

"What's going on?"

I can tell that Tatiana is at the door. I don't hesitate to open the metal door, but that's only because I forgot that my stomach was on display, available for the remainder of Britain to see.

Tatiana almost screams as she sees me. The lights aren't on outside, so I'm not exactly sure how she can see the different shades of skin, but she screams nevertheless.

"Your face!" She gasped, unable to keep her eyebrows from shooting up. A glint of fear showed in her eyes, horrified by whatever was on my face.

"My face?"