Because We Had Us

Chapter 2: Before It's Too Late

Jo

     The next day a new kind of awkward filled the air. Did mom and Dad know that I knew their secret plan to send us to freakin' space? I spent the night before researching space programs, in-between my impulsive packing fits. I found one called the John Dawerty Program For Aspiring Astronauts, but I doubted that was it because it sounded like a youth summer camp. Whatever mom was angrily whispering about the night before was no summer camp; it sounded more like a last minute mission of survival. Had the virus gotten so bad that we are resorting to sending humans to space just for the survival of our race? If that was true why was it being kept silent? Then I realized it was probably my dad keeping it silent with his strike against the news.

     Hypothetical questions about the secret news cycled in my head all day in rhythm, like a washing machine would spin clothes. My thoughts were interrupted by a loud scream coming from the east end of my house where Miriam's play room was. It seemed as if I couldn't break my gaze at first, but once I came to my senses I followed the sound of the bellowing siren coming from what I presumed to be Mir's mouth. All the way I couldn't help but wonder where my parents could be, and why they weren't rushing to the scene; it wasn't like they could go far we were in quarantine after all.

     When I reached the box shaped room full of playfulness and color I was taken aback. My heart began to thrum in my ears and My legs began to feel weak, just like they had the night I so vividly saw a zombified version of my brother. My mother was lying on the ground unconscious, and her skin was extremely pale. I quickly scooped Miriam up to to my arms and stroked her hair reassuring her. "Mommy is ok she just needs a doctor so go grab the phone for me, or try to um find dad," I said with confidence, masking the fear that kept trying to creep in. I watched her scatter away and then I let my real emotions take over the stone cold expression I was displaying, in attempts of not panicking my sister.

     The house doctor was adjusting one of the various tubes he had placed in mom's arms, as he told us, "She will be weak for a while and we must ask that none of you make contact with her in this time in case she does have the T- virus." Should be easy enough. It wasn't like she had been around us much lately with her odd behavior. Instantly, I felt a little bad for thinking in such sarcastic ways when my mom could have potentially acquired a deathly virus.

     Her eyes fluttered open, hiding some of the oddly familiar purple and red colors that lined her eyes like they were a new makeup. She forced weak smile. Miriam who was sitting on the arm rest of the couch, that she was told multiple times not to sit on before, let out a cheer, "Yay mommy isn't sick anymore!" She sounded awfully younger than she usually did, as if she had regressed in age, while mom who sat in her brown polished rocking chair looked like she had gotten ten years older.

     Miriam leaped off the light green sofa and threw herself onto our mother. Dad quickly reprimanded her for being so rough with mom, which caused her to burst into tears and start to run off to her playroom, only to change course and hide in her bedroom. I for one was more concerned in her proximity with mom, if she did have the virus Miriam most likely did too now.  Dad sighed in exhaustion and chased after her, as he exclaimed, "It's just one thing after another these days."

     His foot steps echoed through the house. To break the awkward silence between me and mom I asked her if she needed anything. She lost her smile she had been stuck in for the past five minutes and her face turned ice cold. It looked the way mine had felt when I found her passed out in Mir's playroom. She struggled to speak letting only a tiny cry emerge as she winced in pain. I could feel my face fall in remorse as I watched her struggling.

     A louder but still faint voice emerged from her throat, "I need you to take your sister and leave before it's too late."

     "What?" I whispered back to her utter confusion, leaning in closer to see if I had misheard her.