Inhuman

Chapter 1

I curl up in a ball rocking back and forth my long black hair covers my face and my tears I'm terrified, I'm maybe only four I start screaming but my parents don't hear me. I feel someone pick me up from the ground and they start to run with me in their arms. I started to scream for my mom and dad, but they never showed up until I saw them, were running up to us, but they looked different, their veins were blue and were showing from their necks. I buried my face in the person's shoulder scared because my parents were gone. The world around me was on fire and I can hear helicopters all around the person lifts me up and puts me into one of the helicopters to was filled with other kids to about the same age the person that was carrying me hops in the helicopter and by us, he looked like he was maybe thirty, with a scar going down the full length of his dark face. He looks at all of us as the helicopter drives away. Some of them were coughing the first sign of a virus but not the same one. I watch as bombs fly over my own house. I grabbed onto the stuffed animal that I was holding. It was a teddy bear that was white with a little black bow tie.  I held onto the teddy bear-like it was my lifeline. The helicopter flies away, I turn my head and see a little boy looking at me. He was holding a blanket in his arms, I wave at him and he waves back.
 The helicopter lands and that's when I wake up, screaming "it was all a dream that's all" I tell myself, but why do I remember that, it was me I was little and my parents were there. The teddy bear from my dreams lays on a shelf in my room, only now the perfect white is now a dirty brown and his bow tie is fringed on the ends. I take the bear down from the shelf and hold it in my arms. I sit on my bed with my legs crossed Indian style, just staring at the wall trying to find comfort in it, but all I see is hands dead hands on the wall trying to claw their way into my room. I smoothed out my hair finding some comfort in braiding it but I was still scared. I don't hate being scared though, it means I'm still alive. I've known so many that have died from the virus.
I see the door slide open to my room, I grab the knife close to the bed, the whole group of us live in a forest, it’s where Oxitec put us, mostly to see who was immune to the virus, the knife is to protect me from people that have turned. It was just Keanu,  he looked at the knife in my hand and my half braided hair. “I heard you screaming so I thought I would check on you”.
I put the knife down I hate when people check on me. “Well I’m fine,” I say to him bitterly and he nods his head not saying another word. he steps out of the room and I walk over to the window the curtains that are made from deerskin, every night I make sure the curtains are held down with rocks so no bugs can get in. I untie the rope from the heavy rock and the curtains bounce up I roll them up the rest of the way, the sun blasts through the windows and shines into my room, I get changed really fast I wear the same clothes every day, a pair of pants that are an ugly sort of green that goes down all the way to my ankles a black tee-shirt and a green jacket to protect my arms. My brown hiking boots go all the way to the top of my knee. I walk out with my hair braided back. 
Everyone stops what they’re doing and looks at me. I am the leader of this twenty-person group and if they ever want anything done they need to consult me. Keanu is my second in command, and he knows when to tell people if what they want to do is good or not. “Itzayana I was wondering if I could steal some of your time,” Someone says to me, I turn around to find someone I’ve never seen. 
I tilt my head like a confused puppy, Keanu walks up. “Who is he”. I ask him and Keanu just looks down at his shoes Keanu doesn’t know. I don’t think anyone does not even him, when I came to the forest at least I remembered my name. I look back at him and scan him looking him up in down, he sits there uncomfortable. He was pretty tall, but then again I was short, so that doesn’t count, but when he stands next to Keanu he still looks tall. “Keanu would you take him to his new room and give him his clothes,” I say and Keanu nods his head, the guy stands for a second still looking at me waiting for answers, for a second I was lost in his blue eyes, but then I shake my head. “I’ll tell you all about this place once you get settled,” I tell him, but he doesn’t move, and I just look at him getting frustrated, I feel a muscle in my jaw twitch. “Keanu wait,” I say and Keanu spins back around and stands in one spot. his dusted dishwater blonde hair blows in a gust of wind, his hair is about shoulder length, and it drives me nuts. I point the guy in the other direction and Keanu follows me. “I don’t see why you can’t just cut your hair”. I say to him. 
Keanu laughs for a second then says. “Okay I’ll cut my hair, but only when you grow two more inches in height” this makes me a little mad, you would think by now I would be used to the short jokes from him, but I’m not, then he starts walking a little faster and I have to practically jog to keep up. “So this is the border, nobody crosses it unless you want to become a Crimson head”  I elbow Keanu in the side. “Sorry unless you don’t want to die,” He says massaging his side.
At this the guy laughs “You guys are cute” He says looking at the two of us, and I become angry because Keanu and I are just friends we have been just friends since we came here, which was when we were four, the guy sees my face and almost instantly regrets what he said. “Oh I’m sorry I did know, it’s just you two are by each other all the time, Keanu could have left like two minutes and you could have just shown me around” Then something clicks in the guy’s head, but he just starts walking with us again. 
Keanu walks over to tents and says. “And all of these are off-limits, for you at least these tents are the captain's tents, the others are over there,” He says pointing only probably about a yard down, those are the other rooms. “Sorry I don’t think you ever told us your name,” Keanu says as we walk to his room. The guy just shrugs his shoulders and looks at me with a smile and walks into the tent to get changed. “Patrol is in twenty minutes” Keanu shouts from outside the tent as the two of us walk away. Everyone looks at the two of us wanting to ask questions, like who is that guy, and what is he doing here. I wish I could answer them, but I can’t. I only know that he is so annoying, and he is going to be a pain to get used to. I look at Keanu, he walks up to his sister giving her a hug, in a different world maybe we would be together, maybe if I wanted kids and wanted to get married, Keanu and I would be together. Both of us want two different things. Keanu wants a family and he wants to settle, but I don’t. I don’t want to have children in this world. 
Someone walks up behind me scaring me and snapping me out of my daydreams of a perfect world. “I remember my name” and I realize it was the guy, his blue eyes look at me and now I was daydreaming in his eyes of a perfect life with children and being married, “It’s Axel,”  He says. 
I snap out of my daydream again, his name was nice, “That name suits you” I say bitterly to him walking away and into the forest. He follows me his footsteps are loud and I get annoyed with him once again. “Why are you following me,” I say, walking further. 
He walks right behind me, getting closer by the second, “I’m just on patrol” he says putting his hands up in surrender. “I thought I would get an early start, and get to know the girl in charge,” he says, I duck under a branch and he doesn’t see so he walks right into. “You know I’m not really used to hiking,” He says and I roll my eyes a little smile falls on my face. “are you just not going to talk to me,” He says he still sounds happy though, he seems happy to be walking with me, and I’ll have to admit as annoying as he was it was fun to walk with him too.  
I walk a little farther and I hear a tree limb snap I spin around at Axel trying to find a reason to hate him even more. “Would you stop making so much noise?” I say to him in a whisper, “Do you want the Crimson heads to get to us?” I say but he just looks at me and genuine fear flashes in his eyes only for a moment. 
He just stays in one spot and grabs my hand, his hands are soft compared to Keanu. I tried to get my hand out of his hand, but he was really strong.  He falls to the ground behind a log, and he pulls me down to the ground to I try to scream, but he covers my mouth and points out into the woods, there in the bushes was a crimson head. He must have snapped the branch, and fear goes through me, he was right behind me maybe a few yards away. “On the count of three, we are going to run,” Axel says in a whisper, for a person that is a loud walker he is really good at whispering. I nod my head still nearly frozen, but his eyes calm me, we are so close now I can see every detail in his eyes, they aren’t just blue, they have little hints of green, and his brown hair has little leaves in it. “Ready One, Two, Three” He grabs my hand and we run out of the forest and into the camp. 
Keanu looks at me and knows something is wrong, I force myself to talk. “ I want a fence lined up all around the camp, no one comes in or out,” I say, making my voice loud enough for everyone to hear. People protest this, but Keanu walks up to me standing in the middle of Axel and me.
Axel walks away and Keanu says, “You heard her we’ll find food some other way.” They listen to Keanu, nobody here really likes me, because of something that happened, I’ve always said Keanu should be the group leader, but he always says no, he would never make good decisions. We walk back to the tent and Axel follows us. He seems to know that Keanu wants to talk to him too. “What did you, two see in the woods.” He says and Axel sits down taking an apple from the table before he can take a bite, Keanu snatches the apple from his hand. “Well first let’s start with who you are,” Keanu says and I know he is made at Axel, only I didn’t know why. 
Axel stands back up and takes the apple out of Keanu’s hands. I'm starting to think the apple means something more, “My name is Axel” he says suddenly looking at the apple and taking a bite out of it. 
 Keanu looks at Axel almost enraged. I know Axel likes me, it’s way too obvious, but I also know that Keanu likes me, because he told me he did. He told me he loved me actually, I remember, only I don’t love him the same way he loves me, and now I know why they were fighting over the apple, because the apple is me, and Axel knows he’s already won me over. 
I shake my head once again in a daze. “We found a Crimson head in the forest,” I say still looking at Axel, I feel my heartbeat quicken when he smiles at me because he knows that I know what the apple means. 
I look at Keanu and he looks shocked ignoring Axel, “That’s the third encounter this week”  He says. 
That gets Axel’s attention “Okay so you’re telling me that these things have come here before”. Axel has a nice voice, his voice sounds like it’s always filled with wonder, he sits up in his chair a little higher. 
I bow my head “ unfortunately yes we’ve lost two others because of it” I say putting my head back up and unraveling my sweaty palms and placing them on the table. 
Axel looks at me, his eyes haven’t fallen from me for a second only to blink or ask Keanu question “You know I don’t know your name” He says and I ignore him, now’s not the time to flirt and he even knows it. 
Yet when I look at Keanu, Axel still gets jealous. “We should try to leave,” I say to him and he just shakes his head. “Why not he managed to get in why, can’t we get out,” I say pointing to Axel. Who once again was back to annoying me, with his smile and him constantly looking at me. When I started talking to Keanu a switch went off in Axel’s mind. 
Axel clears his throat as if to say remember me. “Actually I came here on a helicopter same as you two,” He says, now he looks away from me and at Keanu. “The next time they send supplies will be tomorrow, but that’s our only window,” He says and Keanu is impressed. “We could get everyone on the helicopter and-”
I interrupt him “That wouldn’t work one of those helicopters would never be able to hold everyone, and I doubt anyone would be on board with this idea,” I say and Axel looks frustrated with me, good. “We don’t know what’s going on out there Oxitec put us in here for a reason, probably to keep us safe,” I say and now Axel and Keanu both look defeated, because they know I’m right. Keanu walks out of the tent leaving only me and Keanu. “Look I make the calls around here not you or even Keanu,” I say bitterly to Axel.
At this Axel laughs “Really princess, because right now it looks like Keanu is the only one anyone who will listen to you” He says and I get irritated with him but also saddens falls in my soul. I don't show it, the sadness may show a side of me I don't want Axel to see. I don't want anyone to view me as weak simply because to be viewed as weak is to have imperfections and I will not be imperfect. “Should I do the same?” He says making his voice squeaky like he’s talking to a child. 
I talk through gritted teeth. “Don’t call me princess, and don’t talk to me like a child?” I say and at this, he genuinely laughs. I grind my teeth and I can almost feel my blood curtailing. Anger flashes in my eyes and he sees this because his expressions change from a smuge smile to furrowed brows and worried eyes.
He quickly snaps out of this and touches my shoulder and looks me in the eyes. “But you're short like a child”.  He says talking in a nice voice. 
I just shake my head and say. “and yet you have shrunk down so low that you can look me in the eye” I say now I have a smug smile because I know I have won those battle, he lets go of my shoulders and stands up taller, and so do I, but I’m not done yet. “you know you could play a good part in a movie” I say rocking back and forth on my feet, I life doing that because when I do it makes me feel life I'm on a boat, like I'm home. Even though I don't remember home or my family I still feel at home.  
Axel goes and sits down in a seat. “Really as what the daring adventure,” He says kicking his feet up on the table. 
I just shake my head. He doesn't see me do this because his eyes are closed, but I walk up really close to him and whisper in his ear. “No as the damsel in distress,” I say and he stands back up, he was so close to me and I close to him I could feel him breathing on my face his breath smells of the apple that he was eating.  
My breathing gets heavier, but not because I was scared, but because I am angry. “I am not a” But his next words are interrupted by an ear-piercing scream we both turn around and go out of the tent he looks outside first then fear fills his eyes again. I duck under his arm and walk out of the tent, but then I wish I hadn't because as soon as I look outside people were trying to barricade off a bunch of crimson heads at once. Some of them were coming up to people and killing them. Axel pulls me back inside, and Keanu makes it in by only a few seconds. The sound of people’s screams was unbearable I notice Keanu is holding his shoulder. 
I look at him and he just shakes his head and puts up a callosed hand as if saying he us alright, but I know he is not. A Crimson Head has bitten a shoulder that could cause death or worse, but luckly we are immune so the worst won't come, but death might. I can stand loosing Keanu when I have lost so much already. Fear floods into Keanu eyes, I can see the fear almost as much as I would be able to see a wild fire. “My sister” He tries to get up and get out of the tent, but Axel just pushes him to the ground he goes running out of the tent, but I grab his hand. 
He tilts his head and looks at me with a smile. “Oh don’t worry darling I’ll be back,” He says letting go of my hand and running out of the tent, I watch him leave and I stare at the door for what feels like hours. 
I feel Keanu grab my hand. “It’s a good thing we're immune right?” He says with a grin meant to make me feel better but it really doesn't he could get blood poisoning or an infection that could easily kill him whether he is immune or not then I realize how bad his shoulder really is, the blood is too much and I freak out I large part of his shoulder is taken out, bit marks nearly miss his collar bone. I cower away my hands shaky and my vision is splotchy. As much as Keanu tries to calm me, it really doesn’t work, I know if I don’t help him he will bleed out and die, but I just can’t look at the blood, it brings back an unsettling memory. I watch as Keanu slowly starts to pass out from shock, I really want to help him, but I’m frozen. Then Axel walks back in he looks at me then at Keanu. I’m still frozen, and my hamds still shale with terror. Keanu’s sister swoops in stopping the bleeding, she isn't a nurse but it the time ever came she will help anyone out. She can't loose a single person. She hate calling them soliders, only that is what we are. We are fight a battle that we will never win.
Now the image of my parents plays in my head I start to rock back and forth in my spot, I don’t even see anyone anymore, I just see my parents chasing after me trying to kill me the image of them is clear but all around me I still see the tent, it's almost like my parents are in the tent with me. I feel someone wrap their muscular arms around me and I think it’s Keanu, I just relax in his arms, scared and shaking. When it’s finally over the person’s arms are still wrapped around me.
I open my eyes and Keanu is in a bed sleeping, then I look over to who is holding me, it’s Axel. “Your name’s Yana,” He says looking confused, and he also looks somewhat startled like he’s seen a ghost, and I just stay in his arms, I feel safe here, I don’t even feel this safe when I’m with Keanu.
When I finally stop shaking I get out of Axel’s arms, I’m still terrified, but I need to see Keanu. I need to know he’s okay. I go over to Keanu, him laying on a bed scares me, I’ve never known Keamu to be the helpless type, but here he is laying on a bed sleeping from his injuries. “Cataleya is he okay,” I say my voice is still shaky and scared if I wasn’t so afraid of everything I could have helped him before he got like this. 
Cataleya nods her head. “He’ll be fine,” She says and that makes me feel better she looks just like her brother, only she was a scar going from the bottom of her eye to the bottom of her chin, she wasn’t on the same helicopter that her brother and I were on she was on a different one. Nobody knows about my fear of blood, and I really don’t want them to know. I walked out of that part of the room and over to Axel, he was sitting in a chair with his foot on another chair. He looks at me and slowly takes his leg off of the chair, and I can tell his leg was hurting.
I didn’t do anything though even though I probably should have he had a black eye and a broken lip, I get a towel and wet it with warm water I lean in closer to him and I wipe the dried blood from his lip and he takes my hand, holding the towel and for a few minutes, I feel something I didn’t think I ever would I felt loved, not love between friends, but love between two people. We looked into each other’s eyes we lean in closer together, my breathing quickens and so did his, both of us had fear in our eyes, but it was different, it was more like uncertainty,  I feel my stomach swirl and we both back away for a second hesitant that one of us may not think the same thing, then our lips clash together we kiss. Only for a moment I shut my eyes, when we stop, we both look at each other with smiles and we laugh. “Am I still the damsel?” He says and I laugh at him and we kiss again this time more certain about the way the two of us feel about each other. 
This kiss was quick, but it was still special. “Am I still short?” I say to him and he laughs. I laugh too because I know the answers yes, 
He just puts his hands up in surrender and says “To be fair I think short is cute” He says we both laugh and when Cataleya, comes back we both move away from each other, stifling or smiles and laughs. She looks at the two of us for a second then goes back to her brother with a glass of water. 
She is in the room and says, “He’s awake” I get up grabbing Axel’s hand for a second then running to the room. Excitement to see him awake and telling jokes again. 
He smiles at me. “ Hey Yana,” He says I smile at him and give him a hug, “So apparently a Crimson Head bit my shoulder, did you know that '' I laugh at him for stating the obvious and telling a  joke like he always does. “Who saved you Cataleya?” He asks and she points outside the room at Axel who was standing by the door. “Not bad apple stealer,” He says and Axel laughs at that, “How bad is it out there?” Keanu asks and none of us really know, Axel walks over to the window and I notice him walking with a limp that he definitely didn’t have before. He looks out the window and so do I At first we don’t see anything, but then a hand with nails that are more like claws reach through the window. Axel jumps back startled, but then he uses his one arm to push me and him to the side of the wall. All the sudden I remember something like I’ve known Axel longer than today, an image of me screaming his name and, him letting me go comes back, he saved me before, he loved me before we were ever here, that means I wasn’t here when I was four or five I came here way later. Axel remembers something too, but I don’t know what. He just looks at me for a second. He is sad, but then he shakes his head and makes the memory go away. I do the same. 
Axel looks around at everyone fear has filled him I can see it. “We need to leave this place now,” Axel says looking around the how tent. I look at him and know I know why I’ve had the memory and why I feel like I’ve known him longer then him being here, it’s because the two of us were scientist back at Oxitec, and we loved each other, even though I tried to get rid of the memory, but I couldn’t. There is some reason why they got rid of the memory of the two of us back in Oxitec. It pains me to think about what I have to do, but I have to do it. I pull Axle out of the room for a second. “What” He says, “Did you get that memory too it has to be a sign right, that they put me here for some reason” He says his eyes wide with hope, but I shake my head and even though I’ve only known him for I think a day, it’s still painful. I close my eyes and kiss him only for a second the tears fall from my eyes and he knows I’m crying. 
I look at him with a smile, because I don’t want to see him sad, his blue eyes look confused and the leaf from the forest is still in his brown hair, I take the leaf out of his hair, my hands are still shaky. “Yes I did have the memory” I say and he smiles. He was happy. This is the first time I’ve seen him smile, well that I can remember and it practically kills me, I can feel my heart breaking. “But Oxitec got rid of those memories for some reason, for what I don’t know” I say Axel goes to say something, but he lets me finish. “I am going to guess it’s to protect us.” He looked at me and now he was angry, he was no longer smiling. “I know, but before did you wonder why you couldn't even remember your name” I say to him grabbing his hands. 
He turns away from me shaking his head. “Good news shorty you don’t need to finish your speech I get the picture” He says taking a deep breath. “We just need to find a way out of this forest” He walks back into the room. “Come one princess, your prince charming is waiting” He says before walking all the way into the room so Keanu doesn’t hear him, I wipe the tears from my eyes and walk back into the room. 
I sit down next to Keamu and he looks at my eyes, “Your crying” He says wiping a single tear from my face with his chin. I close my eyes, his touch makes me a little happier. 
I shake my head and smile “I’m just happy you're alive” I say to him and he smiles I look over at Axel who once again is standing by the door only this time he wasn’t smiling. 
Axel’s arms are crossed as he walks over to us, I unintentionally cross my arms, Axel notices this and uncrosses his arms. “Can you walk?” Axel says to Keanu and Keanu nods his head. “Good” he says and Keanu stands up. “Because we’re going to have to run” He says looking out the window once again, we all walk out of the room and I put on a jacket and a pair of different boots that are lower on my ankle. “You know princess you’re not the only girl in the world” He says and I arch my eyebrow. 
I stood up, because he was standing and it made me feel little. “Really then why do you treat me like I am” I say and he watches me leave the room, I go into a tight part of the tent where we keep the food and Axel rushes into the tight space, and stands in front of me. “Would you let me leave” I say, but he doesn’t. 
I had already put food in the pantry. “I let you go once, and I thought you died, I am still going to love you even if you don’t love me” He says, oh but Axel I do love you. If only you know I’m just trying to protect you. He lets me leave, but I don’t go. I loved him back at Oxitec, I remember now. Oxitec didn’t want us to love each other, they thought it was distracting, which it was. Axel looks at me confused as if he doesn’t know what I’m thinking, I don’t love Keanu because when I came here deep down I was already in love with Axel even if I didn’t know it. I kissed him, this kiss was different. It wasn't like our first kiss it’s like we’ve kissed many times before, it felt natural. “Okay you really need to make up your mind” He says laughing  laughing because it is true. 
I nod my head. “I love you too”  I say and he smiles, we kiss again I feel my heartbeat quicken and I want to kiss him again, but we don’t we only share this one kiss, and it’s nice we walk out of the pantry thing, “You really are the damsel in distress aren’t” I say winking at him. 
He wipes the smile off his face and says. “Who’s the Damsel in the distress” He says in a voice that I know he was trying to make it sound like he was offended. “and you're still short, shorty” he says and I try not to laugh. 
Keanu walks out of the room, a sling around his arm. “Hey Yana do you think this arm sling makes me look fat?” He says without laughing,but Axel burst out laughing at the comment nobody else laughs though, both Cartela and I are used to his jokes. “See he thought it was funny” Keanu says and this we laugh. 
I walk over to Axel “He just has an easy sense of humor Keanu” I say, I touch Axel’s shoulder making it look like I’m just patting his shoulder, but really I almost gave him another kiss. 
Axel knows this too, we all go by the door ready to run out. “ I am not easily amused” Axel says, looking out the door, Keanu looks out the door to, I swear sometimes their good friends, but forbid it if one of them over step the other. 
Keanu looks back at both Cartela and I, so does Axel and they both say at the same time “Okay” They both look at each other for a second and Cartela and I start running the two boys look twice for a second, but then they start running we make it to the forest, but not until Crimson Heads chase after us, the common thing that Oxitec would tell us is that they run slow, and you can outrun them, but that's not true, I watch as one of them climbs a tree and jumps from it landing in front of us. We all stop for a minute, but then again the one true thing is the crimson heads are not that smart. We all ran around it, and kept running till we reached the end of the forest, but little did we know the end of the forest was a cliff with raging waters. We look back and see many Crimson Heads running towards us. Axel looks at me, no it was my turn to save him, he was frozen in on spot,his fear of heights taking over his whole body. Cartela and Keanu have already jumped off the cliff. I look at Axel and grab his hand, he looks at me. His chest is moving up and down rapidly, he is terrified. I put my foot over the edge of the cliff and he does the same, now he is just copying what I do. I take my other foot off the cliff and Axel does the same. This gets Axle to snap out of his daze. We are still holding hands. His face is a sheet, I know when I reach the bottom because I feel the water go over my head,I also feel my leg crack on a rock I scream under the water, only I don’t feel Axel’s hand anymore, I come up to the surface taking a deep breath and hearing Axel screaming my name. He sees me and swims to me helping me, get to the surface. I know my leg is broken because when I get to the shore the weight of my leg sets in when I try to stand, I fall back to the ground Axel helps me up. 
I look around at the world beyond and I see a hospital. It’s Oxitec. Both Axel and I look at each other, “we made it” Keanu says smiling then he looks at me and runs over and takes my other arm. Axel lets Jeanu take me into Oxitec. That's when the door closes and four people walk by door, taking me aways to a room and taking Keanu to another room. On room to fix my leg and a room to fix his arm. They put a mask over my face and I get one last glimpse of Axel being taken to another room. My eyes get heavy and everything goes dark. My last thought before I go under is, don’t hurt Axel or Keanu.