The Contagion

.26.

"Kindness is like snow. It beautifies everything it covers."

~Kahlil Gibran.

I awoke on the third ring of my alarm and smacked the clock on the floor. I cringed when I heard the clock's glass break. My covers are twisted in between my legs and me snuggle back into the covers enjoying the warmth it provides me. My air conditioner is off and I'm not finding the damn remote which I had kept on the bedside table.

"What did you break Shona Lynn?" I heard Grandma's voice boom downstairs.

"Well, crap," I muttered combing the strands of my hair. I slowly get up from the bed, my bones stretching with every movement I made.

I showered immediately and had breakfast. When I began to dress, I heard Grandma's speaking to someone downstairs, near the door. My ears quirked up as I tried my best to decipher who she was talking to. "Oh, she has never spoken about you. I feel you should wait for her. She's upstairs." And then I hear the shutting of the door.

I walk down the steps, a yawn escaping my lips as I grab my handbag and coat to my dark blue limousine outside. I frown when I don't find my keys at the door post. I turn to Grandma. "Have you seen my keys, Grandma?" I ask her searching the key rack like a maniac.

"Your limo's keys?" she repeated. "I think I gave them to Dee..." she trailed.

My heart stopped. "Dee came here?" Was she talking to Dee? Oh God, it must be about the workout. That means that Myrel will join her for the sessions and the taunting will start. I ball my hands into fists.

"Yeah she did, but her car had gone for repairs so she had asked for yours and I gave her willingly." She said as if Dee was my sister and I had no problem in sharing things with her.

"At least you should've thought of asking me first," I said in a high pitch tone.

"Why? Can't she take your car? She's a family friend Shona Lynn."

"She's your friend, not my friend," I said stressing on the word my.

"Why are you being so hard on her?" she argues with me.

Then a thought came rushing towards me and the handbag dropped from my hand.

She noticed my paleness. "What happened to you? Looks like you've seen a ghost." She said looking at my rigid state.

"Grandma...." I trailed gulping hard.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "What?"

"The car's brakes aren't working. I was supposed to send it to the service center today." I said staring at her.

Grandma's mouth fell open. "What?"

I nodded.

We tried Dee's phone for an hour but she wasn't picking up her phone. "Why is the call always going to voicemail?" Grandma said pacing the kitchen.

"She must be driving," I said wringing my hands. I may hate Dee but seeing her life at stake is something I can't take.

Then finally on the fifteenth call, she picked up the phone. "Hello?" I heard her cracked voice on the phone's speaker.

"Get out of the car!" Grandma shrieked on the phone. "The brakes will fail."

"Well, you were right. It happened just like you've thought." She said her voice sounding tired.

I looked at Grandma, panic struck on my face. "Where are you?" we both said together. I dragged Grandma and we hopped into her Volkswagen without another thought.