The Immune

13. Explanations

The last time I passed out, I woke up to the clock ticking and the warmth of a quarantine tent. Everything was soft and peaceful, if not a little painful.

This time, everything is different.

I jerk awake, gasping for breath. My body bolts upright, and I'm engulfed in confusion. Where in the world am I? Who are these people circling me like vultures? That one little girl looks familiar. Last time I saw her, she was covered in mud and had a... doll? That can't be possible. I'm the reason that girl is dead, and I've never been a believer of ghosts.

No one speaks as I scan the small crowd for someone familiar. Finally, I find Isaac, my partner. His eyes are wide and full of concern. What happened? Another scan and faces start coming back to me. The giant and his Jack standing close together, followed by Ollie. Then, there's... me?

No. Wait. That's not me.

That's my mom.

My dead mom.

"Are you okay, Muney?"

I snap my head towards Isaac so fast that he starts.

"Don't call me that."

Isaac sighs and smiles slightly. "She's fine," he tells the others. Then, he looks back at me. "I was worried about you."

"Don't." There's still a vicious snap in my voice. I don't stop, even when I see Isaac's face start to wilt. "It's perfectly normal to pass out when people hit you with heavy objects, whether it be stocks of guns or dead mothers."

Isaac stands up, a scowl written between his eyebrows and his deep frown. He's never given me that look before, and I don't like it. Instantly, I regret what I said, but he's gone before I can apologize.

"Isaac!" Calling after him proves useless. Belle and Zeus leave the circle to trail after him. I sigh, rubbing harshly on my temple.

"You shouldn't take your anger out on him," a calmer voice says. "He really was worried. Call it overreacting if you will, but it was kind of sweet."

I follow the voice— right to my mother.

There's no holding my temper back now. That dam has been absolutely ruined. Eleven years of emotions slam into me all at once. My forest fire tongue is about to show just how much power it has.

"Who are you to tell me who I can or can't take my anger out on?"

She recoils a little. Stephen clears his throat, then grips Jackson's shoulder and leads him away from us. Only Ollie remains now. She kneels down and sits beside me on the floor.

"I get why you're mad, honey, but you have to let me explain," Mandy continues, sitting on the couch closest to us. Ollie motions for her to come down and sit with us and she adds, "Nah. My knees are too old to be moving around like that."

"I don't care about your explanation," I say, ignoring her stupid knees. "You've been hiding out here for eleven years. You missed my entire life."

"I know..." Even I can't deny the sadness in her voice. "That's something I'm going to regret every day for the rest of my life."

We stare at each other for a long minute. In the quiet, the heat starts to recede from my cheeks. The pounding behind my eyes has started to dissipate.

There's no explanation she could give me that would justify this big of a lie. I've dreamed about her like clockwork for the past eleven years. I've craved her touch, the sound of her voice, her cooking, her singing, her kisses. I've been haunted by the image of her slowly going crazy, of devouring our cat, of tearing me apart in the dark corners of our old house.