Sweet Viruses

Chapter 6

Melody

"Bye!" I say as I watch the beaten down bus pull out of the school parking lot. I sigh and turn around to face Mash and Gabe. "I'll take first watch while you guys do the heavy lifting", I say quickly as I pass them. They both hang their heads and head toward the school. We are supposed to be clearing the storage room for the new supplies the others are bringing back. I climb up the ladder and sit in they guard's seat. I grab a gun out of the barrell and awkwardly hold it. You'd think that after a year I'd learn how to manage a gun. I still can't believe that it's been a year since the first mutant wave came. Since then there have been three, each one getting worse. The remainder of people at school had built a base out of the campus. The group had formed by some people having nowhere to so they stayed. Others were too poor to leave, actually wanted to stay, and in the very sad cases their families abandoned them here and they were forced to stay with us. We called ourselves the loyals. The school had become our home that we fashioned into a safe haven for those willing to fight for it. It seemed like the only good thing happened to Peace and Isaac when they got married. It wasn't much because it was only the loyals, but we all still had fun. We didn't even see one mutant that day. But anyways, the time had come for us to get more supplies, AKA amo. Guns became a primary tool for every person in America, or at least I think the virus spread to the rest of the country. Last year when the first wave came I had passed out during a video that shared the last update anyone would get. We're not sure what, but something happened to every power source ever known to man. Nothing worked and it hasn't since. A few people have stashes of batteries that they don't even want to share within the tight knit group. Everything simple like this have become rare and extremely expensive. Even food was scarce and so most of our meals now a days are just a bad apple and a piece of bread or something small. All of the loyals went to go get more supplies for another entire year. The problem was we couldn't leave the base all alone so I volunteered to stay behind. Of course as soon as I did, so did Mash and Gabe. I haven't been able to get the two to leave me alone for the entire year, but I somehow manage to squeeze my way out of every situation. It's been hard, especially because there are few people so they are around a lot. I atleast have gotten to know them a lot better and everyone in our tiny group. We have become good friends. There are only about 20 of us. I continue to remember the past year as I sit in the beating sun. It's a typical summer's day and I am on top of a 70 foot building by myself. It's the least to say, I'm scared.
My mouth soon gets dry and my stomach starts to rumble. I look up at the sun and determine that it must be around noon. I'm hungry and thirsty, but I don't want to run into the boys so I stay for a bit longer. A few more hours pass and I can't take it anymore. I'm so weak that it takes a lot of effort to get the gun off my lap and back into the barrel. I sit for a moment watching the sunset. It seems so peaceful up here. The moment is perfect until something clamps around my neck. It pulls me to my feet and I try to scream. Before I can a hand covers my mouth. I hardly have any strength left to struggle with. I realise that someone is holding onto me. I try to run, but I'm slammed back into a hard chest. "Don't move", a gruff voice commands. My neck starts to hurt really bad. I can't breath and I keep trying to claw at the arms holding me. "Stop struggling!", he says again. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will. Stop struggling" he says for the last time. I continue to claw at his arms gasping for air. He tightens his grip around my neck. I can't fight anymore. My arms slowly drop, but I keep shaking my body. My head burns and my vision starts to go blurry. I keep telling myself to fight and stay awake. He forces me to the edge of the building. "I will throw you", he says. This scares me even more so I push with all my might backwards. We both fall and he releases me. I gasp and cough violently. My neck feels like it's been crushed. I reach out to the barrel and grab my gun, but my attacker punches my elbow backwards. I hear a loud crack and my arm bends in a strange way. I scream loudly, but am cut off because he once again puts his hand over my mouth. I can't fight anymore. My arm hurts so bad and it looks so gross that I almost throw up. A bright white bone peers through my skin. I go numb and the man picks me up. I don't move a muscle as he takes me to the edge of the building. "Sorry", he whispers in my ear before throwing me. I watch as the ground gets closer and closer. I don't realise it, but I'm screaming as I fall. My throat hurts from screaming and from the attack. It seems like I'm suspended in air and all I can do is scream. Then time starts again. I'm feet from the ground and I close my eyes.