Plague #OpenNovellaContest 2019

Chapter 11

A day of driving passes. A day of Ethan and Rachel switching driving duty, and a day of me laughing and smiling along with them. It feels strange, because the only friends I've had that I can remember were my maids. And they died. It feels strange, because I might be a little afraid that one of them is going to die as well, by the hand of the other.

I tell myself it's only paranoia that makes me wonder if Rachel has the plague. After all, it's difficult to tell in the early stages. But she was acting strange before, unresponsive. I tell myself it's only paranoia, but who knows really?

I won't stop again though, I'm not going to close down. When we get to the palace, I'm going to start a new life there. Someone new, maybe Rachel, will be Queen. She could protect our people. Fight for them. She is what our country needs. And me? I can be someone new. I can follow her along with the rest of the country. Start a new life.

I really believe that I can.

I admit, when we see the palace, rising in the distance like the sun, a part of me wants to turn around. A part of me is thinking how pointless it all is that I worked so hard to run away from this place, and now I'm going back?

I have to push that all away though. The haunting memories of the palace will go away when I am not the only person there. When the halls are full of servants and there is a full, proper family living there that will take care of and fight for our people.

I have to believe that.

And then there's the matter of Ethan.

Ethan would never trust me again if I told him the truth. Never again would we have a moment like last night, where I feel like I truly belong.

It pains me, but I can't tell him. I've finally found the start of something that finally feels like home, and I can't lose it. I won't.

I won't.

I won't.

But there's a part of me that isn't so sure of that anymore.

As night comes upon us, Rachel suggests that we stop for the night, and sleep outside. I understand where she's coming from. I know how badly she slept the first night in the van. And it stinks of something awful.

We park near the woods once again, before clearing a small area next to a stream. I drink. Huge gulps of the cool, refreshing water. I hadn't realized how thirsty I was.

Ethan begins making a fire with a lighter from his satchel.

Rachel goes to check on the Red girl. And I can't help but worry as she walks off. What if she accidentally touches her? Rachel could trip and fall graze her hand against the girls and the infection would spread and she wouldn't even know it was happening until she turned on us.

It's a pointless thing to worry about. Rachel is experienced. She knows how to survive on her own and she's certainly not dumb enough to trip and get infected, even if I am.

I watch as she walks on the dirt, kicking aside leaves and rocks. When she reaches the back of the van, I see her take a deep breath, steeling herself.

She opens the door.

And... she stands there. With her hand frozen on the door and her eyes glued to something in the van.

"Rachel?" I call, already preparing myself for the worst, "What's going on?"

For a moment, she doesn't move. And then she turns to me, and brushes a hand through her hair in what looks like frustration.

"Oh god," she says, "We're so stupid!," and then she slams the van door back shut and moves back towards us, "She's gone," she says, and groans, kicking the side of the van.

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Ethan puts a hand to his mouth, "But...," I see him search her eyes, desperate to see some sort of trick there, "We were going to heal her."

Then he groans, "We were going to heal her."

Rachel kneels down to lights the lighter. We watch as the twigs and logs erupt in flames, casting an orange light over us. Then she says, "Yeah."

There's a silence before I speak. I need to say something. I need to break the silence.

I speak, "We'll have to come back for her later, then."

Rachel frowns, "How?"

"I mean," I continue, "Once we reach the palace. We'll probably have more resources and all that once we've gotten there. So... we can send out a search party. Collect all of the Reds out there and bring them in to treat them," I glance from Ethan to Rachel and back again. Their expressions are blank.

All of a sudden, I can't stand the defeated looks on their faces. I can't stand the thoughts of giving up that I can see passing through their minds. I shoot up and pull my hair back into a ponytail, annoyed at the wisps falling in my face, "Come on. We can't mope about it. We've got to keep going. That's the only way we can help the girl. Or any of them. You guys have been through so much and-"

I feel heat rise up in my cheeks. They're staring at me. I've gone to far.

Self consciously, I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear and sit back down, "Sorry."

"It's fine," Ethan says after a second, "You're... right."

A smile creeps onto my face, "Really?"

"Yeah. We have to reach the palace."

Rachel says, "This might even be better for her. As she's not being knocked out every few hours anymore."

There's a feeling in me. Something that I haven't felt in a long time. Something that I haven't felt since before Mother caught the plague. It spreads through me, warming my heart and acting as my fuel through the evening.

I think it's pride.