Immune-ish

Chapter Thirty-Two

XANDER:

"Chloe," I say, "you need to calm down." I take a step back. "You're not thinking straight."

She growls again and takes a shaky step towards me. My sweet angel has been turned into a monster again. And all I can think is that Zane must have done something to her to punish me. He likes watching people suffer.

If I could only get her away from me, I'd have a second to think.

I look around my room in a panic, my thoughts incoherent and confusing. The closet is the only place for me to hide, but that leaves me as a sitting duck and I'd end up locking myself on the inside if she were to lean against it--

That's it!

I tiptoe over to my closet and watch as she follows me, a wicked smile gleaming on the edge of her mouth and making her seem so much older. She is sick just like Zane now, enjoying my pain as much as he would be.

I open the door slowly, for corpses are much smarter than they look. She stops in front of the entrance and I open the door as wide as it can go, so that she can see me. Chloe growls once more and I almost choke on the terror that clogs my throat.

She suddenly lunges at me and her speed is so quick, that I know she is not human, and maybe never was. I slam the door and it hits her away from me and closer to the opening of my closet.

While she is down and hopefully confused, I make my move and hold her by the upper arms like they showed us in guard training, and I move her in with my few clothes as gently as I can. She writhes, but doesn't seem to be putting up as much as of a fight as she could be. Something is very wrong. Corpses shouldn't have a plan the way she seems to.

I close the door on her anyway, but she doesn't even fight to my surprise. There is silence behind the door.

I take the quiet as an invitation to lie down and think for a minute. I don't believe I can just keep doing this like I have been; feeding her everyday and putting up with the banging against the door all the time, especially now that there is no door to the basement. Now that I know that the cure is fake, there's no reason to keep her here. I don't need the constant reminder that I failed anymore.

But I also can't kill my sister. Corpse or not, I don't think it's possible to bring myself to do it.

I have to set her free into the forest, where she will probably be killed by someone else at some point.

Although, I probably shouldn't keep her here like this. It puts Eva and I both in danger, especially with the frailty of my closet door. Now would be as good a time as any to put her in the forest, and since it is dark, maybe it will be easier to get her out of here.

I have to part with her, just after getting her back. I just have to.

Then Eva will likely leave tomorrow, and I will be alone for good. No more heartbreak. No more letting people in. No more sorrow.

The only real danger with getting Chloe out is the fact that she can bite me. To solve the problem, I pick up a dirty black shirt off of my floor and tie a knot in the back. If I can get it around her head, then I will be safe.

I walk over to the closet door with my makeshift gag in hand. Before going any further with my plan, I whisper, "I love you, Chloe. I'm so sorry."

After being silent, Chloe slams herself against the door so hard that it splinters near the middle and I take a step away, dropping the tied up shirt. My heart pounds at the realization that she wants this. She wants to scare me. She wants to kill me.

A low, guttural growl erupts from behind the door as she hits it again with even more force. A chunk of it breaks off near the doorknob. I have unknowingly backed up against the wall next to my bed by the time she hits it a fourth time.

Everything seems to be happening in slow motion as the door falls. Chloe growls at me once more and comes running to me. I roll over the bed partway, before being pinned down by my little sister.

Time moves at a normal pace again while I try to push her off of me. Her hair hangs in my face and blocks my vision, making it even more difficult to fight. She moves wildly, and I can't stop her from ripping my shirt with her teeth, but she does not bite me.

A mixture of cold sweat and tears blinds me further as I realize that I cannot win this if I am not to hurt her. She is like Eva now: so much stronger than she should be, making her so much more dangerous. The only difference being that she is not immune, so her bite will turn me. I'd rather be dead than be a corpse.

"Chloe," I gasp as a last resort, despite my knowing the only option. "No."

She doesn't show any recognition at my words. She is a corpse through and through, because of Zane. Whether he meant to do this, or not, it is done.

If I don't act now, I won't survive this.

I use both arms to push her off of me with all my strength. She is forced up and it gives me just enough time to reach my right arm to my night stand and pick up the knife. She comes back down on my arm before it is firmly in my grip and it falls out of my hand and to the floor.

The pressure on my left arm is too much, especially with her wild thrashing. I have to give up the knife for now and move my other arm back to keep her from biting me.

She makes throaty noises all the while. The grunts I make from the exertion sound very similar and the combination sounds like a single corpse.

I want to make her death as quick and painless as possible, but that cannot happen with her on top of me. I grab her by the throat with my left arm and her noises become even more strangled-sounding.

I almost stop, but my training keeps me going. I wipe myself of all emotion and do what has to be done. Everything is for survival.

I squeeze my hand tight around her throat and push her off at the same time. She goes tumbling to the other side of the bed, while I roll onto the floor. I grab the knife and stand up, ignoring the dull 0pain in my leg and the burning in my arms.

Chloe accidentally rams her shoulder into the blade and I almost drop it at the sight of the purple blood that erupts from her wound. Why is it purple?! The throaty scream that comes from her is heartbreaking, so I end it, pulling the knife out of her shoulder and plunging it into the back of her skull. I feel the bone break under the pressure, and the unnatural blood that begins to pool around it is cold. She stops moving almost immediately. 

And I stop moving immediately, and the tears pool in my eyes and fall to the floor immediately.

I leave the knife embedded in her head and walk out of the room, not strong enough to remove it.

Maybe now Eva will stay. Maybe she'll feel bad for me and we can work things out. It's all I can think to keep me from completely breaking down and giving up.

I don't even bother to knock on her door, but open it wide and fast. I open my mouth to say something about Chloe, but my voice cuts off and even more tears come. The room is empty and the window is wide open, the curtains blowing in the light breeze.

She could be in trouble, my brain says. But she wanted to get away from you, I tell myself. But . . . Eva.

At the same time, she could be the only family I have left. She knows me better than anyone has in a while and I can't just let her leave. If I want to avoid heartbreak, I have to fight for those I love, I realize.

I wipe the tears from my eyes, and although more replace them instantly, I leave her room and find a knife in the kitchen, attaching it to my belt. Then I grab my gun and leave everything behind.

I can't get the tears to stop as I walk down the street in the black of night. I'm fairly certain she's in the testing quadrant of the Town Hall and the ounce of hope blossoming in me causes my feet to move faster, and soon I am running to her. To my only family. To possibly save her from being like Chloe, a real monster.

I already admitted that I love her, but it feels good to say again and wholly believe it this time. I have to fight for those I love.