०Tonic०

०Chapter Six०

Tobin had helped me with covering the wound on my head, then I warily walked to my room to change out of the blood soaked clothes. Pain seared through me every step of the way. My hands, my legs, and most of all, my head. White bandage wrap was wrapped loosely around my head, holding a damp cloth that was covering the wound in the back. My whole figure shook from both pain and exhaustion. The battle really wore me out. 

I kneeled down beside my bed and pulled out a vintage brown suitcase. It was covered in a layer of stamps and postcards from when one of my grandparents once had it. I wondered where they were now, if they were still traveling... or if they'd turned into an End...

  A gentle knock at the door removed me from my trance. I assumed it was Tobin, so I answered, "Come in." 

The door creaked open and revealed Tobin. "I forgot to tell you earlier, but Myles and Taliah went back to pack their bags, and one for me." 

I nodded and looked back down at the suitcase, flipping the latch to open it. I walked over to my closet and slid it open with a soft creak, which then revealed a space filled with neatly hung clothes on the usual triangle shaped clothes hangers. 

I had picked several outfits from my closet before I packed them into my suitcase. Tobin still waited at the door for me to finish. "Sorry for taking so long." I apologized to him, barely being able to close my suitcase as it was full of many outfits and an emergency kit. 

"Alright, well we should probably leave soon... there's Endemic slamming against the walls. I could hear them from the bathroom." He sounded nervous saying this, and his eyes were full of fear. I assumed he was still nervous and scared from what happened to me. I myself was also still very shaken up after the event. Nothing seemed real. 

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We had sprinted and entered Tobin's car, a few End growling and clawing at the windows only a second later. At this moment , they absolutely terrified me. I sat as far away from the window as possible, then soon propped my suitcase up to block the window from my field of vision, and set the crate down in the back seat. I strapped my seat belt across me, and with a sigh, I held a thumbs up in Tobin's direction. 

He turned the key to the car, and with a loud rumble from the vehicle he started to shift the gear when a ringing interrupted him. He removed the device from his pocket and stared at the screen, ignoring the End banging on his window. 

"Taliah says to meet us at the HyVee a few towns over and that they're on their way with the suitcases. So... we head for Meteli." He looked to me and then paused. "You okay?" He asked softly. 

I nodded a bit but then stopped abruptly, closing my eyes. "Those things scare me a little... can we go?" I asked him, leaning my head on my suitcase. 

Tobin said nothing, but I felt the car exit my driveway. I slowly removed the suitcase from the window, watching as the End at the window fall down or continued to chase us. They don't seem as dangerous as I thought...

My anxiety was washed away when we left our neighborhood. Although a few disgusting Endemic still chased us we quickly accelerated enough for them to stop and let us go far far away. I started to lose my fear of them, seeing as they were only a threat when we were out in the open. I hope it doesn't get worse. My heart dropped at the thought of everything getting more and more severe.

After a few minutes, we reached a sign that read, Welcome to Meteli! Population: 356           

 "Not anymore..." I mumbled as we passed it and entered a land where empty houses surrounded us... along with seemingly hundreds of Endemic. 

I began coughing as we came near the HyVee parking lot. I wondered if I was starting to get the symptoms of the sickness once again. As Tobin neared to a stop, I reached back and removed the top from the crate, grabbing a bottle from the first column. I quickly flipped the cap off and gulped some of it down, instantly feeling better. 

Tobin looked to me and shrugged. "I feel fine at the moment, but you may want to bring that for the others." He opened the door to the driver's side and slid through, leaving the door open for me. 

I had kept my knife in handy ever since I was attacked, just in case I was forced to put it to use again. I gripped it from inside my pocket, slowly pulled it out, then held it to my chest. I peeked outside and only saw a few End, and no cars besides the car Taliah and Myles had driven, and our car. 

I peeked around for a little while more before noticing a vandalized army humvee driving into the parking lot from behind us...  

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I apologize for not updating in a while. I have lost a bit of motivation for this story and only started to finish today. I promise to upload another chapter soon. Thank you all for reading my story, it means so much!