Insomnia

Chapter 2: Lies

My entire world crashed.  And it was my girlfriend who kinda slapped me back to reality.

"Who called?" Kit Kat asked, approaching me.  Concern and worry clear at her face.

But I smiled though a little unprepared, trying to mask the fear and panic that was bubbling in my system.  "It was Ernie."

"That didn't sound like Ernie." Mikael said as he eyed me out dolefully with my response.

I gave a cheerful laugh.  "Of course it was, it just must've been the static and the signal y'know--making his voice sound a little different." I reasoned.

Mikael's eyebrows knitted.  "Caleb--"

"Mikael," I said, the edge of my tone stern, though not obvious.  Hopefully it wasn't obvious enough for Kit Kat to not notice what I was trying to project.  Another look from Mikael and fortunately enough for me, Mikael had gotten the note.  Because I swear, I just might knock the lights out of him if he let this tag on longer.

But with every secret comes a price.  So Mikael, even if he wasn't speaking--his eyes were, and they whispered a note: You.  Me.  Talk.  Later.

I didn't respond to it though, not yet at least.  Besides, I cannot allow any slip ups, not now when Adrian's life depended on it.  I placed an arm Kit Kat and grinned.  "Let's go?" I suggested.  "I'd rather we go there now.  Ernie says he's coming tomorrow, dawn at the most."

Mikael nodded, "Sure.  Who's driving?"

"Me.  I'll do the driving this time," I replied quickly.  Knowing that I would want that time to recollect and rethink things as it is. 

Kit Kat merely agreed with us and without a further ado, we went to the car--avoiding them at most and already packed and ready for some action.

Maine was beautiful.  Have I told you that? Well, I’m just not that sure whether it’s as beautiful as before.  I mean, with all these zombies crawling the place.  You’d think this was a horror movie, a real scary movie.  I actually do too, but to be specific—I wish it was.  So that I’d get to have my brother back.  That is, if this movie would end happily.

I swerved to a different road and hung my head to the side.  Wondering, what would they want from me? Sure Adrian and I were brothers.  But what difference would it make if it was me and not him? Was it because I was bitten and at some rate survived? Does that automatically make me immune to this infectious disease?

And I have another problem: Kit Kat.  How can I tell her that I’d be able to survive this suicide mission? My chances were too slim to be truthful.  And if things do go along planned…then what will happen next? I paused and let things set in first—when it came, I accepted it.  I’d be used as their experimental lab rat, that’s what.  My shoulders slumped.  Oh well, at least Adrian would be spared of this.

My breathing hitched, and what makes you so sure of that?   

I swallowed, hard.  Let’s just hope that they keep their end of the deal, because if they don’t, they’ll have to expect the same thing from me, I decided firmly—my hands clutching the steering wheel as if it’s the enemy when in truth, it wasn’t.

They were my enemies.  They were the ones whom I should be reserving whatever I have left.  It might not be government or it might be them, either way—I’m finding out.

Mikael tapped his fingers on his knee while at the same time, waking me up from my reverie.  “So,” He said hesitantly.  “What did Ernie say?”

I glanced at him and remembered.  Right, the reason why I allowed him to share the front seat with me was because he wanted answers.  I glanced back and found Kit Kat snoozing peacefully, so I guess I didn’t really have anything to worry about in the meantime.  But, we can’t really be too sure, can we?