Plague #OpenNovellaContest 2019

Chapter 4

We've been walking for around an hour, and I've begun to realize how serious the situation is. I've seen so few pedestrians. And those that I've spotted have hidden, or crossed the street as soon as they see Carter and me.

The houses that we pass are dead silent. And the windows have covered with wooden planks. Sometimes I see blood on the ground.

My feet ache from the clunky, heavy black boots Carter's given me.

As we get closer to the city, Carter begins to speak.

He clears his throat, "Um, you might find it hard to believe, but we've just passed the busiest part of town. Uh, everyone crowded to the suburbs when the plague came. I mean, everyone who hadn't caught it. And... people were in the houses... I think so, at least. They just understandably aren't very... talkative. Or, cheerful. Most of them. Or maybe they're ill. Or starving. Or... ," he bites his lip and looks over at me, "I'm sorry. I'm rambling... and I'm not helping."

I give a slight nod and stare straight ahead. To be honest, I've been blocking out most of his rambling. I don't want to listen to him. I don't want to know all the horrible things that are my fault. I just want to escape.

"But just remember, when we get to the city we need to stay hidden. Stick to the shadows. Don't let anyone see you... and don't trip or anything, because the Reds can smell blood."

Reds. The people who have caught the plague. The people who are dying. Who have gone mad and are killing everyone and maybe even their loved ones. Like Mother.

I'm never going back.

A man across the street's eyes burn into me. I think that he recognizes me. He isn't like the others. He doesn't back away or hide his face. His eyes are wild, like an animal. And then he growls. There is blood on his shirt. He is walking towards me. Carter and me. There's something in his eyes... and he looks hungry.

Something stirs inside of me. Something wraps itself around my heart and sends it beating hard. I feel the panic rising in my throat. Rising. Rising.

I whisper, "Carter."

Carter turns, shocked and smiling.

"Carter!"

And then Carter sees the Red. Lumbering towards us. I notice the knife at his side.

Carter's breathing hitches, "Oh my god," he turns to me and grabs my arm, "Oh my god. Come on! Evie! Move."

I regain my senses and back up. Breathing heavily, the panic still threatening to spill over, I turn and I run. I let go of Carter and I run.

Carter yells something but it's lost to my ears. I turn and see him running after me, as hard as he can. He isn't very fast. But I'm not slowing down for him.

The Red is gaining on us. He's shaking and swinging a knife, and I think... I think that he might be crying.

Memories are resurfacing. But I can't let them take over. I can't let memories of Mother kill me here. I need to move my legs. One after the other. Faster. Faster.

Carter is yelling again, but I can't hear. My ears won't cooperate. My vision blurs. And frankly, I don't care what Carter is telling me.

Faster.

Faster.

Faster.

But now I'm on the ground. There's a gash in my knee.

I see my mother shaking. Crying, "It's me. Evelyn."

There is a tall, grey building to my right. And to my left. And the road in front of my is wide and full of abandoned cars.

"Evie? Your daughter?"

I'm in the city.

There's a knife at Mother's side.

I'm bleeding

It is covered with dried blood.

I'm in the city and I'm bleeding.

She looks up at me.

I've only made it worse.

Her hand inches for the blade.

More are coming.

Snap out of it, Evie!

The blade. She's going to kill-

"No!" I scream. I clap my hand over my mouth, and then the tears come crashing in. I can't hold them back any longer.

I can hear Carter panting as he gets closer and closer. He reaches me, and bends down.

"Evie," he says in that way, that same way that acts as if I'm a timid fox.

I don't look at him. I can't.

"We lost him... the Red... a long time ago. I was... I was trying to tell you but you just kept running."

Of course. I'm stupid. I'm so stupid. And now I've made it worse.

"But... it's fine. He's gone now. So it's fine."

I'm not talking. I said two words. That doesn't mean I'm talking. But I'm so, so stupid. So I gesture to my knee. I need to show him. I feel like an idiot, sobbing and sniffling and feeling sorry for myself when I've just made things so much harder for Carter.

His eyes widen when he sees blood, but then he relaxes, "I think it's fine, actually. It's not much blood, and I can clean it up. It'll be fine, okay?"

I almost can't believe my ears. So I wont hurt somebody else. So I'm not that much of a failure. So I wasn't so consumed in self pity that I doomed Carter.

So I can go back to that emptiness that's been within me for so long. The relief of knowing that I can run away. I can hide. I can back down and it won't matter because I won't affect anyone anyway.

But it feels different this time. More cowardly. More disgraceful. More like I'm retreating from the slight feeling of hope that seeped into me when I left the palace.

Nevertheless, I cling to the emptiness, I cherish it, and I welcome it back with open arms.