Exploring the Wasteland.

Day 28

Day 28:

I walked down a road that felt very familiar, with Aaron close behind me. It felt like we were being watched, the hairs rose on the back of my neck. I turned on the spot surveying the desolate street. I saw a curtain twitch. I looked back at Aaron; he was staring at the sky watching the birds. I rolled my eyes as I flicked his hat off. He snapped back to reality picking up his hat and putting it back on.

"Hey Rookie, do you mind keeping your eyes down here, where the danger is?!" I shook my head and walked across the road to where I'd seen the curtain twitch., I headed straight for the door and knocked and then calling out; "Hello, anyone home? My names Siobhan-Rae and my friend here is Aaron, we're not going to cause any harm, we just want to help" I slung my gun over my shoulder and tried to look as non-threatening as possible. I heard a bolts being undone, locks being unlocked, the door opened just wide enough and in the dim light of the porch I could see a security chain. A lady with long dark hair and big hazel eyes, rimmed with deep purple bags, like she hadn't slept well in at least a week. "Hey there, I'm looking for someone, and old friend, a guy called Sam" I motioned to a few inches above my head. "Around this height, blonde hair, hair kinda in the middle, super blue eyes" The lady looked at me with suspicion.

"Who wants to know?" She asked.

"Siobhan-Rae Knights" I smiled.

"And who's that?" She looked at Aaron, who was once again staring at the sky.

"That's Aaron Doherity" I smiled and Aaron turned around and waved smiling widely.

"Wait here" She shut the door again.

From somewhere inside I heard a baby crying, the moments dragged by, the silence thick and choking. Then the door opened again, but this time without the chain.

"Come in, quickly," The lady said.

"Thank you" I smiled at her as warmly as I could.

I walked down the hall and Aaron followed me in sheepishly. I followed the sound of the baby crying and walked into a living room that looked like a bomb had hit it. There sat in an armchair, rocking a very sickly looking baby, was Sam.

"Samuel!" I cried and rushed over to him and hugged him gently.

"Siobhan-Rae, I can't believe you're here. The chances are minute, I mean really" He smiled. He too looked like he hadn't slept in a long time. The baby continued to cry. I looked down at the little bundle in his arms.

"So who is this little beauty?" I smiled at the baby.

"Lucy, my little girl" He smiled at his daughter like a proud father does.

"She's a little pink ain't she Sam?" I said, my voice betraying the worry that had been building since I'd seen Kat.

"She's just running a slight fever is all, so is Kat" He looked pale, tired and worried to death. Just by looking at him I knew.

"Sam, be honest with me, have either of them, been in contact with the infected?" I kept my voice low.

"No! Of course not, we've been here the whole time, we never left except the once earlier today and when we got back, Kat was all pale and she looked really scared but... She hadn't been bitten or nothing"

"Sam, did you check, did you make sure" I looked at him. But I already knew.

"Kat? Where are you, honey?" I called out, I looked at Aaron and mouthed "Stay here". He nodded.

I walked through the house and found her in the kitchen, bent over the sink. The room smelt like sick, and there were traces of it the sink.

"Kat sweetie" She looked up from the sink "We haven't been properly introduced, I'm Siobhan-Rae" I eased her up and pulled her into a hug, subtly trying to feel for bites. I found one, just on her lower back. It would have been easy to hide.

"Hey, what you got there?" I tried to sound curious, not accusing, but I was a bad actor. Suddenly Katrina didn't look so feeble; she grabbed a knife from the drying rack, yanking it free causing some cutlery to clatter to the floor. She put the knife to my throat, I cut feel the cold blade nick at my flesh. "Kat-" I tried to speak.

"Don't" She hissed. "I am not losing my family, because of this sickness, I will get better" She choked back tears. "You cannot take my family away from me" She pressed the knife deeper and blood trickled down my neck onto my collar. Aaron appeared in the doorway.

"Hey are you guys alright in here-"He stopped when he saw what was going on and raised his gun, aiming for Katrina.

His voice gained a lot of authority, which shocked me a little. Maybe I had underestimated him.

"Put the knife down!" He called. I heard footsteps again and Sam appeared behind Aaron.

"Kat, what are you doing?!" He cried.

"She's going to take me away from you, she knows Sam, she knows!" She almost screamed the last part. She was manic, the hysteria was setting in.

"Put the knife down Kat, nobody has to get hurt" Aaron tried again. She faltered for less than a second but then dug the knife in deeper and more blood ran down my neck.

"Katrina, just put the knife down and come here, baby. No one is going to keep us apart" He moved around Aaron and into the kitchen.

"Come here baby" He opened an arm.

"Come here" I felt Kat falter and then the knife was gone, it clattered the floor. I sighed with relief and air rushed into my lungs. I put my hand up to check my neck but it was only a small cut from what I could feel. Katrina walked into Sam's outstretched arm, he then put the second arm around except this wasn't a normal hug. He had a gun in his other hand and now it was against Kat's temple. I stared, and then he pulled the trigger. Time stood still, I heard the gun discharge, and then the blood, and Katrina's lifeless body dropped to the floor. Sam stood there, the gun limply held at his side. I looked at him.

"What about...?" I meant to say Lucy but he shook his head. I knew. "Come on Sam, we've got a bus, about half a mile from here, you can come with us now" I tried to coax him with us. I looked at Aaron.

"Get some of his things" Aaron nodded and disappeared. I guided Sam through the house trying not to look in the living room again, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw the bundle of blankets. I waited by the door for Aaron, he appeared a few moments later with a holdall stuffed with clothes. "Come on Samuel" I opened the door and led him out into the sunshine.