Night Virus

35 : Scare

-Chapter ThirtyFive-

"Yin!" I sprang up and ran to the front.

"I know. We have to land quickly before it sets," she replied, her hand gripped tightly on the handle.

I stared at the handle and turned back to my seat, but before sitting, I glanced over at Rixon. When he turned to face me, he nodded and I nodded back. 

I felt a sudden chill, and it didn't feel like the wind. A muffled sound came from behind me and I turned around, but no one was there. I narrowed my eyes but shrugged it off and sat in my seat. I thought about something else and Rixon's powers came up. From what he said, his mom died because of all the chemicals she injected in her body. If Rixon's dad made more than the mom did, then...

"Everyone, we're landing," announced Yin. 

"Why?" asked Mina. 

"It's sunset."

"What does that mean? Oh! Nevermind!" 

I heard Lydia groan. 

The private jet went down slowly, landing smoothly on the runway of the airport. 

"Where are we?" asked Giro. 

Yin pressed some buttons. "South Dakota."

"We were half-way?" 

"Yes. But it's safer to land than to stay until night. If the lights were to turn off, then who knows if the engine will also." 

Giro mumbled something and Sophia chuckled.

A few minutes after hitting land, we took blankets and got out of the jet, sitting a few feet away from the plane. The cement was cold and the wind was chilly. Even my sweater didn't provide much warmth.

We were sitting in a circle like we were in Washington. It gave me shivers to think that we would have to see the darkness again. 

After about 15 minutes, the sun was swiped away from the sky. Rixon closed his eyes and a similar fire barrier surrounded us, engulfing us in warm heat. 

Everyone relaxed and cuddled in their blankets. I couldn't sleep yet again because of the darkness. It made me too uncomfortable to sleep. I looked up and expected to see stars, but of course they weren't there. Why would they be? 

My skin crawled as I heard a noise from the other side of the barrier. 

"Did you hear that?" I asked Rixon.

He narrowed his eyes, his gaze beyond the fire barrier. He did hear it. 

The same noise erupted again. I froze, my eyes darting here and there to find what it was. My heart thumped with fear as my mind made up what ever it would it be. 

A small figure revealed itself from the shadows and into the light of the fire. I relaxed and sighed.

It was just a cat.

Rixon smiled. "I guess we were worried for nothing."

I laughed. "It's still alive too. Zombies don't eat animals?"

He shrugged and made a small gap of opening for the black cat to get in. It meowed and came inside the barrier. Rixon closed the gap and reached out to pet the cat. 

It hissed in return and Rixon jerked his hand back. He looked sad.

I smiled and placed a hand on the cat's back, then up its neck and rested it on her head. The cat purred. Rixon looked at me with confusion. 

"You're not suppose to suddenly put a hand on its head when it doesn't know you. So I guess you have to surprise them from behind their back before the head," I explained, though I didn't know if it was true. Dyer told me once but Max still didn't let me pet him.

Rixon tried my instructions and the cat hissed again. I laughed as he sighed and gave up. The cat leaped on my lap and curled into a ball. I stroked its back. 

"When did you get along with pets?" asked Rixon.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I never held a pet before."

"Neither did I," he replied. 

I didn't know what to say next so I thought he would say something else. When he didn't, it became a deafening silence, which made me remember we're still in the darkness. 

"Hey, Rixon?" 

He didn't budge from his distant gaze. "Yeah?" 

"If your mom died after a few experiments, what will happen to you?" I asked. 

I frowned when he didn't reply right away. I wonder if he was going to end up like his mom. And when?

"I'll be fine. I've lived enough years to fight it." 

"But−"

He smiled, but I couldn't tell if it was a sad one or a happy one. "It's alright. I won't die before you do." 

My heart sank. That sounded like a promise after a good-bye. My eyes dragged back to the black cat that was sleeping soundly on my lap. I sadly smiled. I wonder why this cat came to us. It didn't seem troubled in any way.

"What are you going to name it?" 

I looked up from the cat and into Rixon's eyes. 

I shrugged. "I don't know. I was never good at making names."

"Well, it did scare us though." 

I snapped my fingers. "Scare. How about that?" 

He laughed. He really laughed. I heard it again and it made my heart beat faster just by realizing how I felt relieved hearing it. 

"It's not really original though," he said. 

"Could you think of a better name then?" He raised an eyebrow. 

I laughed, but not because that he was right. I laughed that he was acting like a normal guy. Not like that quiet boy that I didn't recognize. This is the real Rixon. 

"Well, Scare. Good night," I pet the cat's head one more time before it drifted sleep.

-End Of Chapter ThirtyFive-