Sweet Viruses

Chapter 4

Mash

I pet the horse one last time before dropping down from the white picket fence. It's pitch black so I walk back the house instead of run. I tried to stay on the fence until I forgot about all the new things going on, but everywhere I look I find something new to remind me of the mutants. As I walk bright headlights shine down the road so I walk in the tall grass. As the truck passes I see that it's Isaac. He stops by me and rolls down the windows. "Hey man, Peace was getting scared. You alright?", he asks me. "Yup, the mutants haven't gotten me yet", I mumble angrily back. All of the sudden he gets out of the truck and slams the door shut. He stomps over to me and towers over my face. "Look Mash, I know you're disappointed in your dad and everything, but stop taking this all out on Peace. Ever since she met you she's tried nothing, but to protect you so cut her some slack. She loves you, so get over yourself and help her out a bit here. I love Peace and I don't want to see anything happen to her, but she needs to know that you are okay before she takes care of herself. So stop whining and see that she is trying to get us all through this alive". I had never heard Isaac speaks so forcefully and it scares me. Why is everyone who was once good turning mean? "Okay", I say fearfully. He sees the fear in my eyes and softens up. He grabs me and pulls me in for a hug. Suddenly I don't feel mad or scared anymore. "I'm sorry man, I just don't want to see you go down this road. We don't have much time left to enjoy ourselves and so we should. Plus I care a lot about Peace which means I care about you too", he says as we stand there. My dad had never really been around to pay me much attention so it was weird to hug Isaac, but I think I like it. It felt warm and secure. I start to do something I would've never expected from myself at this very moment. I burry my face deeper into his chest and smile. Knowing that I was better, he pulls away. "Get back home man, it's late", Isaac says as he gets back into his truck. I start to walk again and he drives away.
I get back to the house and Peace meets me at the front door. She almost moves to run out and hug me or punch me, but then remembers that I was mad at her and stops. Her face is sad as she asks why I was home so late. "I went the longer route. And Isaac stopped and talked to me", I answer as I walk up to her. I needed to make things right again and I didn't know how to. I make up my mind and without another word I run up and give her a hug. "I'm sorry Peace", is all I can manage to say. She takes a deep sigh of relief and hugs me back. After a moment I pull away and head back to the elevator so I can go to my room and finally go to bed. I need this awful day to end. I lay down in my big, warm bed and pull the massive blankets over me. They are silk and smell like roses. Lily, the maid, must have washed all the sheets today. I curl up into a ball and try to drift off. Instead I end up thinking about my talk with Isaac earlier. Recently he's been around the house a lot or proclaiming his love for Peace. Just strange, I think to myself. Oh well, this bed is all that matters now. My eyes close and sweet peace comes over me.
I sit straight up out of bed. I hit my head on something hard and metal above me. I look up and see a bunk bed above me. My bed is way shorter and I barely have room to move around. A thick scratchy blanket covers me. I pull away the green blanket and find that I'm wearing camo pants and combat boots. I have on a plain white t shirt and dog tags are hanging around my neck. I quickly stand up to find concrete walls covered in bunk beds in a small room. There are no windows and it's very musty in here. I walk over to a space in the beds were I find a very unpleasant bathroom with no stalls and a bucket for the toilet. There's a small rusty sink and just above it is a shattered mirror. I travel closer to the mirror noticing that I look different. I get close enough to see my face and nearly jump and hit my head on the low concrete ceiling. I am in the body of Gabe. Suddenly a hatch in the ceiling opens and a ladder comes falling down. A man dressed in all camo and a mask on looks at me. "Get dressed soldier! The mutants are here!", he commands before disappearing back into the light.
I quickly find my things and start for the ladder. I make it out of the hatch and am immediately blinded by the white of snow all around me and the sun reflecting off of little pools of something here and there. As my eyes adjust I begin to see what's happening. I become aware of all the yelling and guns firing around me. I see that those pools are actually blood and there is usually a body to accompany them. I'm horror stricken by what's surrounding me. Everywhere I turn there's full out war. This isn't a typical war, it's much more brutal and gruesome. This is a war between man and nature. All around me are men my age and older wounded by something only a beast could do. There were claw and bite marks on most men. The animals were just as bad looking. Creatures that were once beautiful and amazing, destroyed by what man had done to them. "We destroy everything we touch", I mumble to myself as I look at the pure snow being stained by blood. Just then someone screams my name and I look to my right. Here I find a giant ape like creature running at me. Its eyes were wild with anger and its mouth still had remains of its last victim, but was roaring at me. My hands whipped up and a loud bang went off. It fell right before my feet and I dropped my gun, scared by what I had just done. I look down at it and its blank eyes stare at me. Everything inside me was screaming. I had just reacted off of instinct, these people had trained me to kill without even giving any thought. I stand there in disbelief even though many people continue calling my name. I turn around, empty handed and watch as a lion charges at me. It jumps and I continue to watch it. Time seems to slow down and its massive jaw opens. I watch as its teeth come nearer and nearer to my face. Then just as I feel the warmth of its breath. I look down at my arm and it's pointed tooth touches me. It continues to move closer to me and it's tooth pierces my skin. A drop of blood falls and hits the snow. My eyes follow it even though my arm is in pain. Just as the blood touches the snow I black out.
    I sit straight up in my bed. My heart is beating fast and I'm covered in a cold sweat. I feel around and realise I'm back in my own bed in my own house. I relax and take a few deep breathes just so I can calm down. I look at the clock beside me and see that it's 7:15. I might as well get up now. I swing my legs out of bed and start to get ready for school. I hate mondays.
****
    Peace parks in her spot and I hop out immediately. I go to the teacher room and grab some coffee. I'm practically allowed to go anywhere in this school because Kat is the sponsor for everything. None of the teachers notice as I sit down on the brown leather couch and watch the news. I soon get sick thinking about my dream and decide to go gather my things. On the way out of the break room I run into Isaac. "Hey dude, I thought you'd be in here", he begins as I grumble and pick up my croissant that I dropped. "So tonight we're all having dinner at my place. Just you, Peace, and I. You can invite Gabe too if you want". I get curious because I've rarely been invited to Isaac's house before. "Okay", I say skeptically observing the way he's bouncing up and down. "Great!", he states before running off. I ignore him and go to my locker. The bell rings and my long day begins.
    It seems like forever before first period is over. Today we had a lecture on the problems with communism in Mr. Reed's class. I quickly run to my locker to grab my stuff for science lab. I get into class and take my seat by Gabe who tries to ignore the giant note left on the table from the class before us. It says "Mash and melody ". I tear it away and crumple it up before throwing it angrily at the ground. For the rest of the hour I continue fuming, thinking about how much I hate my brother for knowing everything. He uses personal knowledge as money in the gambling world. I can't stop thinking about how I would be fine if my parents decided not to give him any money so that way he can go bust his butt in war. It doesn't take much to ruin my days now.
    The bells rings for school to be over and I quickly rush to my locker. I have to hurry so I can find Gabe and invite him to Isaac's house tonight. I need him to come and I was so mad earlier about that note that I completely forgot about tonight. I run to Gabe's locker and I can't find him so I run out to the parking lot. Out of the corner of my eye I spot his red truck driving away. "No!" I yell as I try to run after him, but it's no good. I guess I'm going alone tonight. I turn around and slump off to Peace's jeep.
    We get home and go our separate ways throughout the mansion. I head to the basement and fling my backpack in my study. I want to do something to take my mind off of everything so I try to play some video games. Somehow the only games I have for the x-box, wii, playstation, and basically every gaming console you can think of revolve around zombies or hunting. Clearly video games aren't helping so I try some workouts. I go to the gym and start, but I kept thinking about my dream and the kind of training involved in military service. It seems like dinner will never come so I go to my last resort of riding the elevator up and down. I ride in dad's glass one so I can watch as the ground come closer then slowly farther away. I also watch the sun set and finally get to go get ready for dinner. I put on some jeans and combed my hair. I also get some gum for goodluck and if I get really bored, for blowing big bubbles. Peace calls on the facecams for me to come up. I come up and she is wearing a simple red dress that made her look beautiful in the most stunning way. Her lips match her deep red dress and her earrings sparkle as she turns her head. I feel a little underdressed in my jeans and button up shirt, but it's Peace and Isaac's date, not mine.
    We arrive at the little house that Isaac manages to afford on his own. It seems fairly cleaned, at least more than usual. The grass is freshly mowed and the leaves are all in a big pile. We go inside and I'm hit with the smell of lasagna and cinnamon. The living room is neat and on the coffee table are a few board games. They seem to be all of Peace's favorites. I sit down on the splotchy couch as Peace goes into the kitchen to talk to Isaac. I look around and see that he mostly has pictures of Peace and I on his walls. I notice a picture on the fireplace shelf that I had never seen before. I stand up to look at it and my heart almost breaks as I see the face of my mother holding me in front of the coliseums. This picture was taken only a month before she died in the fire. Right beside it is a picture of my mother and woman who looks exactly like Isaac. She must have been his mother. Both of Isaac's parents died in fire that my mom did. He stayed with us in Italy for a few years until Kat moved in and brought us back to America. I stare at the picture of my mother and I. We were both so happy together there. Her smile was always so sweet and she loved the coliseums so much. We took her there for her birthday. I smile at the delicate memories as my eyes start to water. Just then Peace laughs loudly from the kitchen and it snaps me back. I put the picture back exactly where it was and move to the kitchen. Isaac seemed extra dressed up tonight. His hair was gelled and he had on a brand new shirt and shoes. "Is dinner almost ready? That smells amazing!", I say sniffing the sweet smell of lasagna. "Yup! Will you get the plates?", Isaac asks as he opens the oven and pulls out the food. I grab three plates and take a seat. We all get our food and start on dinner.
    It was actually a surprisingly fun meal. In Isaac's house everything seemed more relaxed whereas in the mansion you have to be on your best behavior and always talking politics. We laughed and joked together. I don't think I've ever laughed as hard as when Peace tickled Isaac till water came out his nose. After dinner we moved to the living room and played charades and monopoly. I laugh as we figure up the scores on monopoly and Isaac is in dead last. Peace actually doubled his score. Isaac suddenly stood up and declared that we should go on a walk through the field. We all get up and walk out. Isaac says he'll catch up to us and for Peace and I to start down the path. We walk slowly, but almost get to the field talking about the night. "I see why you love coming here", I say as we walk under the stars. "You don't have to meet any expectations or talk about only certain things. You can be yourself here", I say to her dreamily. "Now you know why I love him. I can always be myself, not the perfect anything", she says. It surprises me for a moment that Peace is anything less than perfect. She always seems to have everything together and is always so proper. I begin to feel bad for not noticing that maybe she was struggling in something. I am about to tell her I'm sorry when Isaac appears. "Hey guys, it's kinda dark out here don't you think? If only we had fire!" he says with excitement as he lights a match and throws it into the darkness in front of us. It startles Peace and I that Isaac just threw a match into a field of dry wheat when all of the sudden a pile of sticks catch on fire and form a bonfire. "Nice!" I say as I take a seat on one of the logs by the fire. Peace starts to walk toward a log when Isaac stops her. He pulls her into a hug. "So how is tonight going so far?" he asks. "Amazing! You plan the perfect family dates", she answers happily. "Good" he says as he pulls away from Peace, reaches into his pocket, and gets down on one knee. Peace gasps and claps her hands over her mouth. He pulls a small box out of his pocket and flips it open. I almost fall off my log as he smiles really big. "Peace Costa, will you marry me?"