BITE ME ➼ C. G. 〖 #wattys2016 〗

Chapter 21

SOTC: Gasoline by Halsey
• I think there's a flaw in my code •

Five days left. That's all I could think of. Every night, before I went to bed, I tied my sheets around my legs so that maybe my walker self wouldn't hurt anybody. I wouldn't be able to handle it if I was going to be the cause of anybody else's pain... I've hurt so many others because I got so close to them.

It was Marshal first. I lied to him about Terminus so that we could go there. Because I wanted to go there. And now he's dead. It's not only him, it's Bob, Tyreese, Beth, Mom.

I drew the police badge from my bag, where I had put it after we arrived here. I had never really looked at it... Never bared the memories until now. My fingernail itched at the flaky bronze paint around the edges, which had exposed a metal plate underneath. She had given it to me so long ago: almost three years had passed. I let the memories glaze over my thoughts again.

She took an audible breath, then extended her arm. A police badge perched like a raven on her palm. It glinted in the silvery moonlight.

That was a week after we saw our first walker, meandering down the street. Everybody was making plans to evacuate the city, but Mom had decided that we would be just fine at home.

Ever since Mom divorced Dad the year before, she'd been against most of his ideals. One of which was that the zombie apocalypse was on the horizon.

She also didn't want to make us scared, which we were anyway. We weren't blind.

I haven't even told anybody about my countdown. Maybe, if I was lucky, somebody would see the bruises creeping around my wrists and ask what's wrong.

I would probably lie. I hoped they saw right through it.

•••

"Something's wrong." Carl slid up to me on his kitchen stool. He wrapped his ankles around the wood and crossed his arms.

A breath passed my open lips. Cover it up... No! This is your chance! The thoughts thundered through my head. Pain brushed over my shoulder, so much that my fingers absentmindedly tried to itch it, landing on my forearm. "It's nothing," I lied, but that was paper-thin.

He narrowed his eyes. His fingers moved in a wave as he tapped them on the table, making clicking noises against the wood. "I don't want to pressure you," he murmured. "But if there's anything wrong, you need to tell me."

I exhaled. "Of course," I dismissed. I want to tell him so badly. But I shouldn't. Should I?

The whirling tornado of thoughts dispersed. I strengthened my grasp on reality. Carl's crystalline eyes were burning into mine. I pulled a clump of my hair behind my ear, realizing that I had left it down. I should take care of that afterwards. "Anyway, are there bagels left in the fridge?"

Carl released his stare. What was he thinking? Was I a liar in his eyes or was I truthful? What did he suspect? Either way, I would break his fantasy in five days time.

•••

Four. That morning I woke up with tingles prickling my arms, little feet walking back and forth. I rose out my sheets, but it didn't stop. Shivers crept up my back, persistent aches from my bite. It felt as if I'd been caught inside a tornado, the universe tilting around me. Vomit gurgled up into my mouth.

What the fuck is happening to me!? The pain was growing. I didn't have to look at my feet to know that the bruises had enveloped them. Each step that I made towards the bathroom felt like a spike boring into my heel.

I stumbled, regaining my balance. The doorknob sparked with static electricity as I flung it closed. My bones were heavy with nauseating hollowness. Burns washed over my arms. I pulled my shirt up slightly and clawed at the bruises, which only inflamed the wall of pain.

I moaned and curled up into the bathtub, turning on the hot water. But when it flowed over me, the pain tingled on my skin, and then mellowed. I melted into the hard edges of the tub. My clothes were soaked when I opened my eyes, but that was okay. The pain was gone. Anything was better than that.

I watched the ceiling settle. It was merely shuddering now. But the tremors inside my body remained. Cramps remained. My body whirring with a strange energy... Or lack of one.

My ears began to register sound again. The water whispered as I stood up, attempting to ignore the aches. Blood stained the water—probably from my period.

I was debating between leaving and staying when the honking started.

The water shuddered. I instinctively clamped my hands over my ears, but the sound fell right through. I screamed between my teeth, scrambling out of the tub and hastily wrapped a towel around myself. When I opened the door, everybody was scrambling, grabbing weapons, rushing outside.

Carl was by his bag, drawing out several knives and strapping them to his belt. I tapped him on the shoulder and then mouthed, What the hell?!

He responded with a shrug, mouthing something that might've been, "Meet you outside!"

I blinked and he was gone, heading outside. What was happening? I almost wanted to just go back to the relief of the shower.

The noise surrounded me. I was more used to it now, but it still made my insides bubble. Maybe literally. I threw on some clothes and brought my machete outside.

It was louder out there. My ears felt like they'd been twisted off. People were angry on the street, arguing, running, panicking. (At the disco)

But the worst part was the corpse. Fallen, across the street. A puncture wound bled profusely as a man yanked his knife out of the flesh.

He sneered, whipping his head around. Then his eyes landed on me.

-----------------------------------------

A/N: meanwhile, in the life of your wonderful author....

1. I basically turned this story inside out with revisions. It took me a month and I'm so sick of revising 😂
2. New addictions: Neko Atsume and Rolling Sky. I dare you to look them up :D
3. SENPAI WAS STARING AT ME YESTERDAY... I AM SCREAMING INSIDE ASDFGGHJJKLLL
(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ
4. I went to a Fall Out Boy concert!!!!
5. Happy Saint Patty's Day!!!
6. FIVE THOUSAND VIEWS!!!!!!

IM CRYING

YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!!

Hope that y'all can excuse the stupid filler today. I had to do some explaining. There'll be better stuff next chapter, promise :)

QOTD: Describe Senpai?
AOTD: Cute af, obsessed with the same things that I am (Undertale, Minecraft, Hetalia, etc), smart, funny, basically my dream guy

-----------------------------------------

Word Count:
1159

Created 3-17-16
Edited 3-20-16
Edited 2-23-16