The Red Plague

Two

Elijah

Nikolette was silent the entire ride to my house. She just stared out the window, her blue hoodie low so it shaded her face. Every once and a while she would glance at me, like she could tell I was staring.

I sighed in relief once we stopped in front of my house. The once bright and spotless blue paint was now streaked with dirt. My Mother had been too busy taking care of my Dad to clean it.

Nik jumped out of the truck before I could even take the keys out of the ignition. I followed her to the front door and unlocked it.

"Welcome to my humble abode." I mumbled the door swinging open. I cringed when it hit the wall. A indent had been there when we bought the house, remnants of a family long forgotten— victims of the Red Plague.

Footsteps echoed through the house as my Mother came to greet us in the entryway.

"Eli, who's this?" She said after embracing me in a warm and comforting hug.

"Um, this is my friend, Nik." I answered plucking a dirty shirt off the faded white carpets. They may have been pristine at one time. Could have been soft, clean floors, but after the family was taken by the deathly sickness, the house was quarantined.

If a person became infected then their family will relocate with them to one of the quarantined homes. It was to prevent the disease from spreading through whole neighbourhoods. It was also why I couldn't get a decent job. The gas station was a lucky find. Most business owners refuse to employ anyone who had had contact with the Plague.

Nik smiled sweetly at my Mom, who returned the gesture.

"I'll get your jacket, dear." Mom said. Nik unzipped her hoodie and slipped her arms out of the sleeves, then she carefully handed it to my Mom.

She was wearing a simple black tank top and skinny jeans with grass stains. Her frizzy auburn hair seemed to not have been washed in a while. It fell past her shoulders, almost to her elbows. I watched as she pulled a rubber band off her wrist and pulled it back into a messy ponytail.

Despite her slouching and grim expression, Nik's eyes shone a bright green. They sparked with curiosity as she surveyed the room, soaking in the drab scenery like a sponge.

I led her to the back of the house where the rooms were. There were five bedrooms. One for my Mom, one for me, one for each of my brothers, and one for guests, though we never had any.

"My Mom said you could take a shower. I'll get you some clothes to borrow." I said. Nik nodded absentmindedly, still glancing around the house. I turned away, leaving her to clean up.

"Elijah?" She started, causing me to twist back around. I gestured for her to continue. "Uh, thanks."

I stood shocked for a moment before smiling. "No problem."

My Mom was in my brother's room, a mask on her face. Before entering, I slipped one on my face, too.

My little brother, Jeremiah, had the Plague. He was only in the first stage, though. He had, at least, five months.

I looked down at his sleeping form. He was sweating. Ones of the symptoms of the Red Plague was a fever. I laid a gloved hand on his clammy cheek. Heat from his skin radiated through the thin blue rubber.

I heard someone try to stifle a sob and turned towards the sound. My other brother, Lorenzo, was crying. His red eyes gleamed from tears.

He ran to me and pulled me into a hug. I placed a hand on his brown hair, so similar to my own. A warm tear ran down my face and dripped off my chin, landing on Lorenzo's shoulder.

"He's going to die, isn't he? Just like—" He stopped talking to let out a sob. "Just like Dad."

I hugged him tighter. "No, Lor. Everything will be okay." I lied. "It'll all work itself out."

But it wasn't. Unless the scientists miraculously found a cure, Jeremiah was going to die. There would be a funeral but no body. When someone infected by the virus died they would cremate the body to try and keep the disease from spreading.

The Red Plague was pulling apart my family in pieces. One by one, everyone was going to die. And there was no cure. No antidote to this death sickness that was killing the world.

Eventually, I left Mom and Lorenzo, overwhelmed by the hopelessness that resonated through the room.

I massaged my temples and wiped away the the warm tears. Heading for the kitchen, I noticed Nik sitting on the sofa, her legs crossed and hands folded neatly in her lap. She was wearing one of my Mom's blouses and a pair of her jeans. Her damp hair hung limply, framing her face.

"Hi." I said, opening the refrigerator and pulling out a jug of water. She nodded, acknowledging my greeting.

"O-kay." I said, pouring the cold drink into a glass.

Nik stood suddenly and walked over to me. She leaned against the kitchen island across from me. "Where were you?" She asked, messing with a lock of her hair.

"I was with my brother. He has the Plague. He's in the first stage." I said, putting away the water jug.

Nik's face went deathly pale. "Oh. I'm sorry." She said, looking down at the white countertop. I didn't know how to reply so I didn't say anything.

"Um, did you want any water? Sorry, I didn't ask. . ." I said in a desperate attempt of ridding the uncomfortable silence.

She shook her head. "No." She mumbled.

"Okay." The awkward silence returned and stayed until my Mother came out from the hall. Her face was pale and her eyes red. A few tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

Without a word, she pulled me into a hug. I didn't resist the embrace. "It's alright. Everything will be fine. Jer will be okay."

No, he really won't.