The Cure

Fourteen

Fourteen

Jerry stared blankly at the ceiling of the cell as he lied on the floor. It was old and creepy and dusty with full of spider webs. Jerry couldn't stop worrying about Maggie. He'd lost so much of his friends. He can't afford losing Maggie also.

Footsteps echoed inside the cell and broke the eerie silence. Jerry slowly got up and sat up. He didn't move until a shadow of a man appeared before his cell. It got bigger and bigger until it revealed its owner.

Jerry looked at him with hateful eyes.

"Officer Brown."

"It's been a while, Jerry." He stood in front of Jerry's cell and stared at the mere prisoner. "Get up."

Jerry followed him and stood onto his feet. "Why?"

Officer Brown took a bunch of keys from his belt and picked one from it and used it to open the cell. Jerry slowly went near the door and watched officer Brown open the door for him. He opened it and stared at Jerry who was looking at him with puzzling expression.

Suddenly, three men in black appeared and took Jerry's hands and tied it together onto his back. Jerry didn't fight back. It would only make everything worse. Maggie should be somewhere safe now, he thought to himself.

As long as she is okay, Jerry would also feel the same.

It wasn't hard for them to order Jerry around. He followed them without any fight and hesitation. They walked along a dark corridor without any lights. It could've been dark if the other guys didn't bring any flashlight.

Officer Brown was leading the way until they weren't walking on a dry and dusty corridor. The floor turned to muddy and slimy ground. Jerry smelled the unpleasant odor as if they were inside the sewers.

"Where are we going?" Jerry asked.

Officer Brown didn't answer but later on, Jerry was able to visualize a small ray of light from afar. They were heading outside, as Jerry assumed. They kept on walking as they endured the smell of the sewers until they reached a gate made from steel bars. Officer Brown opened the gate and signaled Jerry to step out from the tunnel.

Jerry almost fell onto the ground upon realizing that they were now at the camp but it seems that it was different from the last time he came there. Everything was in a mess and reduced to nothing.

The scene changed, instead of civilians walking around, corpse were kept in small cages and locked up. Fallen debris from buildings and burnt tents scattered around the place. Jerry roamed his sight and shook his head in disappointment.

"What happened here?" Jerry asked. Officer Brown just shuddered and stared at him.

"Obviously, this place has been massacred."

"No. No. No." Jerry walked around the place while trying to get it all at once. "This isn't happening."

Officer Brown just stayed at a distance while watching Jerry broke into pieces.

"It is, Jerry."

*****************

Maggie stared at her reflection in the mirror. She looked beautiful but she was not happy, thinking that camp is now a place of doom and that she won't be able to see Jerry.

"How could Bryce have an event like this in the middle of an apocalypse?"

"He is having an official dinner with the government officials, miss." Celina formally replied while doing Maggie's hair.

Maggie got confused upon hearing Celina. Why would he have a dinner with the government officials? He is not even part of any political related organization.

"Why?"

"I don't know, miss. I am not required to interfere with such confidential matters."

Confidential matters? This must be something related to the outbreak. Maggie nodded and decided not to talk. Even if she would try to reason out with her, she won't let her escape.

She focused her gaze at her reflection. She was staring at a girl wearing a red, turtle neck, long sleeved dress which was used to cover her wound in the shoulder. Her face was beautiful and she looked fancy. But still, Maggie felt terrible. She wanted to cry but she can't.

Celina finished her hair and stepped back as she told Maggie that she is done.

"We shall proceed to the dining hall any minute from now, miss. Senior Bryce will escort you."

Maggie closed her eyes as she heard the traitor's name. Even now that she has reached this far, she couldn't let the thought sink in. She nodded at Celina at returned her gaze at the full body length mirror.

From the reflection of the mirror, Maggie saw the door behind her open. A man entered the room and stood while staring at her. Celina approached the man in a suit and bowed before him. He just ignored Celina and passed by her. He came up to Maggie and smiled at her.

Maggie couldn't smile at Bryce. Rage grew in her chest. She wanted to strangle Bryce onto his feet and knock him down with all her might and stab him in his heart. A man like him doesn't deserve to live. She scowled at Bryce.

"Stop glaring at me, Mag's. It will only make you look more adorable." Bryce smiled mockingly.

"I don't have a reason to smile, so why not just scowl?" Maggie gritted her teeth.