This is not the End

Chapter 9: Decisions

Frankie's Point of View

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It has been a week since Zach's disappearance. I accept that I like him, but that doesn't change a thing. He is still gone, and probably dead.

Speaking of death, it hasn't let up at all in Zach's absence. Joy, Jessica, Paul, John, and Mark have died. Dead. Notta. Gone.

Joy was the one who was so close to death. She died yesterday when she figured out there was no point to try to live.

Jessica was diagnosed first, Paul was the first to die. They died 3 days ago, within an hour of each other.

John found a friend he had all along, Mark, and just as he came to realize that he passed, 7 days ago.

Mark was still trying to figure out how to live when he died, 4 days ago.

With 5 people dead within 7 days, only 5 are left... Well 6 if you count Zach.

Zach. Casey says to just give up on him. She says that he would come back if he was wanted to and obviously he doesn't want to, so the best we can do is wait. Everyone agrees with her because she's our leader and seems to be the only one with a sound mind around here.

Taylor has never been the same since Elliott passed. Now she just moops around and "mm"'s to everything in agreement before going back to where her heart is, with Elliott.

Will has been on stage 1-coughing for a few days. Whenever someone comes near him he yells "Don't come near me! I could get you sick and you could DIE!", and flares his arm in our direction. Then he goes into a coughing fit as he runs off.

Sierra, my very best friend, has been paralyzed from the neck down. She is mentally sound, unlike the others, but Casey won't hear from her because she is "physically unable".

So that leaves just Casey and I as healthily both physically and mentally, well somewhat. I trust Casey enough to handle the "important tasks", according to her. I believe that we are all going to be dead in the end so we should spend it with the people we love and not be worrying about the things Casey thinks are "important". I only care about my friend who is on her death bed so I just spend the entire time talking to her, never knowing when it will end.

Basically, Sierra just keeps hearing about Zach and how "worried" I am about him.

"I don't get it Frankie, you like him then you don't. What changed?"

"You don't know what you have till it's gone?" I state while shrugging my shoulders.

"Ok, well if you like him so much, why don't you go find him?"

"I would, but Casey said-", I urge before Sierra interrupts me.

"Frankie, I do not care what Casey says. Sure she's the leader and all, but she does not control you. What if Zach is really in trouble?"

That thought had never dawned on me before. What if it wasn't that he didn't want to come back, but that he couldn't come back?

"Your right, Sierra, but I can't just leave you here. Your my best friend and this May be the last time I get to talk to you in person."

"I'll be fine"

"No, you won't be back when I come back because you will..." That's when the waterworks come. I just keep crying because it occurs to me that everyone I have ever been close to has died. I only have Sierra left. If she were to die while I was gone I could never deal with myself. Sierra lays there for a few minutes, till my eyes are all dried out.

"I'm staying here until..." My voice got quiet at the last part I would say.

"No, Frankie. You need to go. I am going to die, there is no doubt about it. Zach, on the other hand, could be alive. He just needs your help."

I sniff. Looks like I'm going on a trip... Better start packing.