Virus

Epilogue

Epilogue

27th July 2022

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the sound of crying. Oh God I’m dead, was my first thought, I’m a ghost at my own funeral. But when I opened my eyes I was lying in a plush bed with my head resting against a pillow so soft, could have been a cloud beneath my head. To my surprise I was extremely comfortable but also extremely confused which added to the nagging at the back of my head that I was forgetting something, something very important and so, reluctantly I sat up and looked around the extravagant room I was currently located in. I was surrounded by ivory and red with gold trimming, the walls were covered in paintings of enchanting rural landscapes and the deep red curtains were drawn back by golden ropes to reveal the beautiful mountainous landscape.

Completely and utterly confused, I hesitantly called out,

“Hello?” There was no reply. I glanced to the side table to find the digital clock indicating that not only was it was very early in the morning but also the date which I almost did a double take when I saw. It couldn’t be, I had been unconscious for almost two weeks? Panicking I called out again but louder this time. Almost instantly there was the loud stomping of footsteps. Alarmed, I scanned the room for something I could use as a weapon but the mahogany door swung open before I could find anything and a white blonde blur came running into the room while bouncing a crying infant on its hip.

“Nat!” The blur shrieked, and it was then I noticed it was Lisa, her black hair her transformed to a pale, white blonde colour that now hung in gentle waves past her shoulders and to my utter disbelief she was wearing sweatpants. Though it should have been the last thing on my mind, the first words out of my mouth were:

“Didn’t you vow in sixth grade that you wouldn't be caught dead in sweats?” She narrowed her eyes but, before she could reply Xavier came sprinting through the door, relief evident on his face.

“Well it took yea’ long enough.” He smirked, and it was such a familiar and comforting gesture I almost threw my arms around him.

“Here take her.” Lisa said handing the baby to Xavier who lovingly cradled her in his arms. The second she was out of Lisa’s arms, her arms were locked tightly around me to the point where oxygen couldn’t pass into my lungs.  “I was so worried we got to you too late!” But I wasn’t paying attention to her; instead my focus was fixed on the child that Xavier was holding tenderly against his chest.

“Is that her?” I asked in awe, “Is that your baby?” Lisa leap up from the bed and took the baby from Xavier and carefully placed her in my arms.

“Meet your aunty Natalie.” The baby’s cheeks seemed like they had been blown up by a balloon pump and a small button nose was squashed between them. I stroked her tuff of soft strawberry blonde hair and smiled warmly at my best friend’s daughter. She blinked her eyes open and I was surprised to see like Lisa’s, one eyes was a leaf green colour but the second eye was Xavier’s metallic grey.

“Meet Alexandra Natalie Slade-Malev.” Xavier said unable to keep the adoration out of his voice. The same person I had been on the run with stood in front of me but gone was his former, arrogant self, a completely different person stood before me.

“Natalie?” I asked, not looking up from her face that was a perfect blend of my two friends.

“Yeah, the least we could do was name her after the people who risked their lives to save her parents. If it was a boy we were going to name him Aaron Alexander but, this way we managed to name her after both of you.” Xavier said, putting his arm around Lisa.