The Contagion

.11.

Coins always make sound. But paper money is always silent. So when your value increases, be humble.

I was sleeping peacefully in my seat that a creak in the seat next to me woke me up. I opened my eyes and saw Nina seated beside me. I rubbed my eyes and yawned. I was confused as to what she was doing near me.

"Look I'm sorry for what I did." She said staring at her feet.

"Get lost." I said rolling my eyes at her.

"I mean it." She said a little bit loudly, giving me a headache. "I know I shouldn't have done that. I know it shouldn't have happened. I wanted to show off." She told me. "It was very bad on my part that I bullied you."

"Happy realization."

"That day I wasn't thinking straight. Look, what I did, that won't happen again."

"You left your brain at home that day?" I growled at her.

She jumped in her seat and stared at me wide-eyed. I was transfered back to the day when I had clawed Yolanda's face. All the students were staring at me. I felt so vulnerable. I felt caged.

She sighed loudly. "They've removed me and Yolanda from school."

"Good for you."

"I'm sorry about your breakup with Jacinta. I'm sorry about it."

There was silence for a couple of minutes and I felt that she had walked away. "Yolanda still thinks about the claw marks, you know."

Crap.

Jenny began to cough violently and Ged rubbed her back soothingly. "Some water, my love?" He asked her softly.

Nina's attention got diverted and I sighed in relief. Perfect timing, Jenny. I sat there watching from my seat as Ged asks Ellen for more water.

"Joe has it." She said. She stood up and took the empty bottle to discard it in the bin. Her heels clicked on the train floor as she went to ask Joe for water. I take this oppurtunity to talk to Jenny.

"What did you see?" I asked her staring in her eyes.

"It was a man." She said taking deep breaths. Her face was covered in sweat and she was getting weaker as the hours passes by.

"Why do you say that?" I asked her with a frown. I knew it wasn't a man nor an animal. Humans don't bite humans and no animal in Thornton forest is as tall as that animal which attacked Jenny.

Whatever animal attacked Jenny is not from this world. I was hundred percent sure of that.

"His eyes were golden and they shined in the dark. He had long hair and he was snarling." She explained, cringing at the pain in her leg.

Jenny was a good observer.

"And what else did you see?" I asked her, trying not to sound like a television reporter.