Disease

Vince just walked away right after he shoot Theo as the rest of the group finally awaken from their trance. Sebastian finally let go of Olivia as she kneeled beside her best friend.

“Olivia. You might get infected.” Logan whispered but Olivia ignored him and continued to cry beside Nikita who was choking on her own blood. We all know that we couldn’t do anything for her now that she is bitten. We don’t have a cure. Even if we miraculously stopped the bleeding with our minimal knowledge on first aid we won’t be able to cure her. She wasn’t just bitten; a part of her flesh is torn off her body.

Olivia didn’t care about what Logan said as she hugged her best friend for the last time crying. Nikita reached out to her holding her cheeks staining it with her bloody hands before slowly falling out of consciousness.

I had to look away as the tears began to pour and memories flooded my mind. I walk away and just found myself seating at the foot of the stairs crying. I hugged my knees as my body become weak. We weren’t even able to try to give Theo the medicine that we had that might’ve cured him and now he is dead and we can’t cure Nikita when she is already dead.

I just sat there crying until I heard footsteps approaching. I didn’t bother to look up because I already know who it is. With just a small amount of time getting to know I didn’t realize that I am already accustomed to his presence.

He didn’t say nor do anything and just sat there beside me and it is enough to comfort me until finally I feel myself slowly calm down. I wiped the tears from my eye and took a deep breath as we slowly fall into silence. I can no longer hear Olivia’s cry. She too must’ve exhausted herself.

“We need to find that map Aspen.” I said breaking the silence as I saw him at the corner of my eye nodding.

“I’ll ask Logan to help me.” he replied standing up dusting his pants.

“I’ll join you.”

He stopped seemingly surprised by my answer but eventfully nodded, “Okay. We’ll start in the back. We can’t walk around inside the house if we’re infected. It hasn’t been 24 hours plus with what happened earlier we still need to wait another day to confirm.”

I nodded, “Sure. I’ll just ask Elora to go take a look.”

I run up the stairs as Aspen returned to the garage where Logan and the others are. Just as I was about to knock I already saw Elora in the door waiting for me. Her eyes are bloodshot red because of crying as she sniffs putting her hand in the door wanting to touch me as I do.

“Myla.” her voice cracked as she called me, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

“Shhh.” I cooed her trying to calm her down because she was about to cry again, “What happened? Tell me.”

“I-I... She asked if she could help me get some cleaning materials because I vomited when I woke up again. I didn’t know that she...”

“It’s okay Elora it’s not your fault. You didn’t know that she’d go there. Theo escaped, even if you did know you didn’t intend her to be attacked by him.”

Elora shook her head, “No. I...”

“Shh... Shh... It’s okay calm down. Tell me about the vomiting.”

Elora began wiping her tears, “I vomited every morning for the past two weeks now. I thought I gotten sick like the others but I was so afraid so I hid it and just distanced myself from the others to create precaution. Thankfully it looks like it isn’t.”

“Okay, that’s good then. I mean you’re still sick which is bad but it might be just something else. Hopefully its curable. I’ll ask Natasha to check on you later. You shouldn’t be afraid to ask us. I promise no matter happens I’ll always be on your side, hmm?”

“I know. I... I want to hug you.”

I smiled halfheartedly wanting to hug my best friend to, “I do too.”

“This suck.”

I sniff nodding, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“We can get through this but we need your help.”

“Okay, what do you need me to do?”

“There might be a map in Logan’s father’s office. We need you to find it.”

“What am I looking for?”

“Some sort of map about a camp or a bunker anything.”

She nodded, “Okay. I’m on it.”

“Thank you. We’ll be in the back and look for it too. In case he hid it somewhere.”

“What is the map for anyway?”

“We’re going to find a cure.”

After my talk with Elora I asked Natasha to go check on her. She’d just have to keep her distance and wear one of the makeshift masks that we used before to make sure she won’t infect Elora and worsen her sickness.

Aspen and I made our way to the back to go find some clues about the location of the camp. Logan became busy taking care of the group keeping all of us together after what happened earlier.

“Where do you think he’d put it?” I asked Aspen. We have been looking at the back for almost an hour now but we can’t seem to find anything.

“Somewhere it would be hard to find but fast enough that he can grab it if he needs to.”

“Where will be that place anyway? It must not be here if he needs it for a ‘quick’ find.”

“We can go check on the others inside. We’ve searched long enough anyway. Maybe Elora already found it and just waiting for us.”

I nodded, “Okay.”

Aspen and I made our way back in front of the house when I saw some movement on our far side. I immediately tugged his sleeve so that we could hide as Aspen put out his gun from the holster. I hid behind the tree trunk as Aspen took a peek.

“Stay here. I’ll go check it out.”

“What? No!” I whispered yell tugging his arm stopping him because he might get himself hurt but he just shrugged my hand off and walked away, “Aspen!”

Aspen ignored me as he disappeared from my view. I quickly look around to find something that I can use to help him when I saw a branch. I immediately picked it up and took a peek at where Aspen is but he was missing! My heart began to raise worried about him as I got out of my hiding spot. I walked around where I last saw him the trees haunting me like there are eyes everywhere about to attack me any minute. But I strengthen my stance and look for my friend.

“Aspen.” I called but excruciating seconds pass I didn’t hear anything from him. So, I tried to call again but still no response. I was getting worried so I started to panic circling my gaze around looking for him when finally, I saw a figure at the far end to the South direction but only this time he wasn’t alone.

I immediately ran towards them lifting the branch. Adrenaline coursing through my vein as I carried it without worrying about the weight. When I was just a foot away from them I was about to swing it to the person in front of Aspen when they turned their heads towards my direction. I accidentally lost my footing almost dropping to my side where the weight of the branch is when I realized it was just Theo talking to Aspen.

“Myla.” they both called faces full of confusion as Aspen quickly held my waist to keep me up.

My cheeks flushed just as I realized what happened. I mistake Theo as a changer.

“Sorry.” I muttered as I dropped the branch, “I was worried I didn’t...”

I thought they are going to comment on my embarrassing reaction but they just continued on their conversation. Not that I am surprised were in the middle of a crisis right now. There is no fun and games even for this one. After what happened earlier things had gotten more serious.

“It’s fine.” Aspen replied, “Theo was just returning back after his walk when I saw him and had a word with him.”

Theo and I locked eyes and that was enough to tell him how I felt. He lost his best friend earlier by his own hands. I want to say condolence but I felt like that wouldn’t be the right thing to say. He just nodded recognizing my silent words before moving his gaze to Aspen.

“If you’re looking for something like that you can check the shack. I’ve been there when I was preparing the shooting range with Logan.”

Aspen nodded, “Okay, thanks.”

“I’ll come with.”

I met Aspen’s eyes as he nods, “You can go back, Theo and I will continue the search. We’ll walk you for now to get some updates from Elora.”

I nodded as we made our way to the house. Just as I saw Logan with Sebastian and Jaden carrying something wrapped in clothe. When I saw the blood coming out of the sheets that is only then that I realized what it is. Or who it was.