Dakota's Suite

Jump Ship

"Okay! Now what the fuck is going on?" Daphne screeched loudly over the conjoined voices of the group that had begun to crowd around each window at the front of the house. Dark silhouettes gathered together while hands outstretched themselves against the glass in an up and down motion. Daphne took a few steps back, her head turned at each loud sound as she came to realization, as we all did, that the house could be on borrowed time in keeping us safe.

"W-what's happening?" Bryant choked out. I had almost forgotten that he was still temporarily decommissioned from my punch as he was crouched down and hugging his stomach.

Hannah had finally snapped out of her trance. "Whatever this is...it isn't right..." She said in a faint voice. "Where did they even come from?"

"I wish I could answer that." I grimly responded.

"We need to leave." I stated with my arms crossed. "The glass won't hold forever, and they'll attack us indiscriminately."

"And go where?" Daphne almost snorted.

I was quite tired of having to hold my tongue and remain cordial as this was a weird situation altogether, but the more Daphne hit me with these responses, the more it pissed me off. "Anywhere but fucking here!" I snapped.

"We meet in the garage." I started, we needed a plan, only I truly know what those things outside are capable of, so I need to get everyone out of here as soon as possible. "Gather as much shit as you can but pack lightly. There's only four of us in that sports car and we need the room. Do it fast. Do it carefully. Do it now." I instructed.

"Stay away from the windows as well, I don't know how many of them are out there." I added. Hannah looked at me and gave me a sharp nod.

Daphne immediately dashed further down the foyer to the hallway in the left. The silk of her robe flew as she whipped around the corner. Bryant had still remained on the ground next to my leg. Hannah followed suit but had gone upstairs to her bedroom instead. I glanced down at him and folded my arms.

"I'm not apologizing." I stated coldly. "Grab your shit. We need to get out of here."

I had proceeded upstairs with vigor. If the people outside were anything like Margaret and her son Isaac, they were going to stop at nothing until they got their hands on us. With a short trip down the hallway, I had made it to my small bedroom.

All I truly needed was my pack of cigarettes and a book or so to keep myself somewhat entertained. But since I have no idea where we're going or whether and how long our trip would be, I'll need to pack a small bag with clothes.

I started with a small black backpack, and there had already been a hidden stash a cigarette, half a bottle of moonshine (in which I hid after finding out that Bryant had been sneakily drinking it), I scattered a total of three outfits before I had rolled them in tight balls and crammed them into my backpack. I crouched underneath my bed to grab the book The Green Mile. Stephen King will always be a man of many talents.

Amongst my dresser was a Polaroid photo of Hannah and myself, taken about five years ago. I had a low smile on my face as I had given her a piggyback ride while Hannah had been caught in a laugh. One of the times when I wasn't entirely miserable with life.

I turned around to catch Daphne, who had idly stood within my doorframe. Her hair had been disheveled, and lipstick smeared as a small stream of blood had escaped her right nostril. My eyes flickered down to her hand, in which a 9mm was clenched tightly within it.

Yet I'm the mess.

"What the hell are you doing?" I nonchalantly asked. It's probably a good thing that she had the gun, given what we're up against, then again, this is Daphne Wilmington.

"I...I don't know what I'm doing, Dakota." Daphne confessed.

I rolled my eyes. "As a mother, or are you talking about the gun?"

With her semi-bloodshot eyes, she glared at me in response. "Is everything you say out to get me?" She retorted.

"In this context, yes." I chided. "You didn't even see how your oh-so-precious husband got killed, yet you went off the deep end and snorted yourself a line." I continued. "What's the gun even for?"

Her head bowed. "I've...heard things..."

I tossed my backpack over my shoulder. "Things from where?" I replied exhaustedly. I honestly shouldn't even be wasting my time listening to her.

"Things from the other women in the neighborhood about this fever." Daphne replied. "I can... shoot them all." She babbled.

I assumed she was referring to the women she used to hang out with before the quarantine intensified. Rumors about why the lockdown took place aims to no surprise. The curiosity lied in why she even chose to bring this up now of all times when this could've registered the moment Hannah had told everyone about Margaret.

I sauntered over to her, giving her a half-lidded, dazed look. My hand extended itself to hers to pry the gun out of her nimble fingers. "You won't be doing any sort of thing since you're literally blown out of your fucking mind right now." I reprimanded as she made a weak grab at her weapon in an attempt to retrieve it.

"Come on, we got to hur-" I started before my sentence was interrupted with the shattering of glass along with a frantic scream. Daphne flinched and stopped her futile reaches for the gun in my hand.

My stomach churned as I had already known who that scream belonged to.

I nearly knocked Daphne over as I made a dead sprint down the hallway. I heard her footsteps behind me, which indicated that I wasn't the only one who had heard it.

It can't be anyone other than Hannah herself.