Burning Daylight

Chapter Three

"Hey kid, get up. We gotta move; we're burnin' daylight over here." Luke's cheerful yet irritated voice breaks the sleeping spell I was under. Forcing me to wake up and face the reality of what the world's become.

I yawn, stretching my sore arms up in the air before letting them fall limp and resting on top of the blankets. There's no sound of rain either, the storm must've passed by.

The thick curtains drape over the window so there's not that much light in here, I don't remember pulling them over so Nick or Luke probably did it.

Morning already...? I don't even remember falling asleep.

My head throbs like the day before; the painkillers must've worn off while I was sleeping, I guess I'll have to get more downstairs then.

"Anytime now, kid."

My body screams violently at me, telling me that I should stay in bed and not move until I feel better. But I know that won't happen.

I can almost hear him smirking as he says that, opening my eyes vaguely I stare directly at him with a devilish smile.

"You're insane if you think I'm getting up-" I cough near the end, at first it was just a simple 'flu' cough, but then it took a dark turn the second I started coughing up blood...

W-what...? I'm not turning into one of... them, am I...?

Panic settles in quickly for me, I haven't been this sick before in my life and now all of a sudden I'm coughing up blood? This is not good...

Luke's eyes go from excited to worry instantly, kneeling over the bed and wiping away the blood with a small cloth that's on the night table beside him.

"You okay, kid?"

I can taste the blood dripping down the back of my throat, my muscles ache all over as well, I can't be turning... Can I?

I finally stop, my lungs gasp for breath desperately, before I look up at him, flashing him a quick smile despite all of my panicking and suffering.

"Still not getting up."

I smirk, wrapping myself up in the warm blankets, watching him from the corner of my eye, still a little freaked out about what just happened.

He lets out a deep sigh, standing there with a small smile, locking onto my eyes with his crisp, dark brown ones.

"You're some lucky that wasn't a whole lot of blood. Your throat's probably sore. You're not turnin'... Probably."

"I feel so much better..." I mutter to myself, he always does that; saying something that's meaningful to me and then ruining the moment.

He better just leave, I'll wake up on my own... I hope.

He just stands there, watching me as I try to get comfortable again. He clearly never had a younger sibling so he doesn't know any tricks to wake me up; I think.

My body aches all over, even moving my arm takes up most of my energy. I don't want to leave this bed in fear that I'll topple over and pass out.

"Not moving." I mumble quietly, mainly because my throat is killing me.

I probably should have let Nick tell Carlos that I'm sick; he did say Carlos was beginning to get suspicious lately ever since there was blood found in the bathroom and a small tiny trail in the hallway. And since I just coughed up blood, I'm in the red; literally.

"Oh?" He hides his happiness, standing there with a small smile. As if he's planning something devious.

His smile pierces my heart every time, and being contagious as it is, I suddenly feel one creep across my lips underneath the blanket.