if we survive

t w e n t y s i x

a s h

"We have all of the ingredients but we still need someone willing to test it." Benji said through the walkie. Adrian sat on the floor next to me listening to mine and Benji's conversation.

"Do you think it works? Are you positive it works?" I asked. He hesitated.

"I don't know." He replied. I sighed and rubbed my eyes.

"I have a plan to get out of here, and the cure is the most important part. Go ahead and get it ready." I glanced at Adrian who'd dozed off while I spoke to Benji. I told Benji what I was planning, of course, he called me an idiot but agreed to help me out. Before I could thank him for helping I heard the keys clattering at the door. I cursed under my breath and ran to the mattress in the corner sliding the walkie underneath it. I lied on my side and closed my eyes pretending to be asleep. I could do this. I could get them out. The door opened and i heard someone stagger inside. I stayed still and quiet for about a minute while the person looked around our room and dug into my pockets looking for something. Then, I started to breath hard, I wanted to catch his attention. I started moving around in my 'sleep' and when I felt his eyes on me I started groaning and covering my eyes with my arms. I did anything that might convince him I was having a nightmare. I felt his hand on my side and one on my shoulder. He started shaking me. It was working.

"Ash, wake up." He whispered. I got him. I sat up still breathing hard and immediately wrapped my arms around Holden's neck like I used to when we were little. I hated the feeling. Then, I pulled away and started coughing and holding onto the edge of the mattress to keep myself steady.

"Rory, I can't breath." I whispered under my breath. I used to have asthma attacks when I was eight, once I reached high school I never even carried an inhaler around considering the attacks ceased. Holden has always been scared I would have a random attack without any access to an inhaler. I made myself gag and hold onto Holden's arm for support. Holden pulled my arm over his shoulder immediately and started dragging me out of the room, he pulled me through the cabin until we were outside in the fresh air. I looked up at the clouds and almost forget what I was doing. I didn't know how long we'd been locked up but that didn't matter right now. I took a deep breath, glancing at my brother who looked like he might pass out too.

"I don't know what happened, I'm sorry." I mumbled to where he could hardly hear me. I looked around, not allowing myself to catch my breath. We were surrounded by trees, I couldn't tell which way Adam's camp was or which direction I could get away through. I started coughing again, I etched over gagging but I got a glance underneath of the cabin. I was sweating how, I never realized how difficult acting sick was.

"Are you sick?" Holden asked me putting his palm against my forehead. I shook my head.

"No, I can't be sick. They need me..." I had my back leaned against the cabin exterior, I rubbed my eyes and looked back up at the clouds.

"Who needs you?" Holden asked putting a hand on my shoulder and forcing me to look him in the eyes. I heard leaves rustle and a lurker groan. I almost smiled but caught myself. I etched over again pretending to gag and coughing like I was on the verge of vomiting so that I could get another look underneath the cabin. On the other side, there was a pair of rotten bare feet sliding across the ground.

I looked back at Holden. "My friends need me." I slid myself underneath the cabin using my arms to pull myself out of Holden's reach. I couldn't stand underneath the cabin but I crawled as quickly as I could ignoring Holden yelling curse words at me. I reached the other side and climbed out from underneath. The lurker growled when it saw me and dragged its feet closer to where I stood. Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around my chest holding me back. I turned to see Holden glaring at me but I pulled my foot back and kicked him directly in his knee. He released me with a loud yelp of pain and I immediately ran towards the lurker holding my hand out to it. The lurker didn't hesitate to grab my arm and sink it's teeth down into my wrist. I screamed in pain, it felt like all of my veins were being filled with acid. My eyes watered and my vision turned red around the edges. I ripped my arm away from the lurker before taking its head and slamming it repeatedly against the cabin walls until it stopped moving completely. Cradling my arm, I turned to Holden who was still distracted by his knee that could quite possibly be dislocated. When he saw my arm his eyes widened.

"What did you do?" He yelled finally standing and limping to where I stood. "You did this on purpose?"

I just nodded. "Benji told me you needed someone to test the cure on, he said you wanted to use Adrian. You let my friends go and I'll be your test subject."

Holden grabbed my shoulder and started pushing my away from the cabin. "We have to go see Benji right now." I jerked away from him.

"No, you let my friends go first." I glared at my brother, moving away from him every time he tried to grab me. "Either you let them go, or I turn into one of those things. The choice is yours." Holden cared about me, he did everything for me because he thought it was best so I knew he wasn't going to let me die.

"Fine." He grumbled and we walked back into the cabin towards the rooms my friends were held in. Holden didn't even bother to lock Adrian back in after he pulled me outside but the boy had been sound asleep the whole time. I ran into the room and shook him awake when he opened his eyes I pulled him close so that I could whisper to him without anyone else hearing. "Keep your screwdriver but don't be stupid, you're getting out." I whispered to him, he was obviously still curious as to why he was woken up but when his eyes landed on my arm that bled red and black blood all of his tiredness washed away in an instant.

"Oh my god, Ashton—" I cut him off by pulling him to where he was standing. The girls were in the hallways looking just as confused as Adrian. I ran to them and wrapped them both in a tight hug. They were unharmed. Maven saw my arm first. She grabbed it and her mouth dropped, she couldn't find words but Colman did.

"No, no Ashton please tell me—"

"I'll be okay, Cole. I need you three to go, I'll see you again." I nodded and pushed her hair away from her face holding her cheek so that I knew she was looking at me and listening to what I had to say. "Please, don't come back here. Go with Adrian, you'll be okay."

She shook her head. She had tears in her eyes and a death grip on my hand. "We have to survive together, you can't die."

"And I won't, I promise." I nodded but she wasn't buying anything I said. I turned to Maven and before I could tell her what I wanted to she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me towards her landing her lips onto mine. I forgot everything that was happening around us, I forgot that I was becoming a monster. She pulled away silently letting her tears stream down her face.

"I'll see you soon." I nodded as Holden basically pushed them all out of the cabin. Adrian was the only one not hysterical and begging to stay. I didn't know if I was relieved by that.

"Anon is going to be pissed when he gets back." Holden mumbled under his breath as soon as Adrian, Maven, and Colman ran through the woods not daring to look back. Holden pulled his walkie talkie from his belt, he glanced at me before speaking. "Tall brunette boy on the run with two young girls, shoot to kill."

My heart dropped. "No." Holden grabbed my wrist too tight for me to pull away. "Holden, please don't—" I was crying but I didn't care and neither did he. Holden wasn't listening to me, he dragged me out of the cabin and through the trees ignoring my pleas. "Rory, please leave them alone!" There was a gunshot in the distance but Holden didn't stop. For a moment I felt like my heart might shatter from stress, grief, and a deadly virus in my veins slowly making it stop beating.