Untouched

20. Sunday/ My last day with Zach-day

My stomach rumbles loudly. I skipped breakfast to avoid an interrogation from my parents, and to ensure I could get to the woods and meet Zach one last time before they go ballistic and I'm never allowed out of their sight again.

Last night after dinner, I sat with my brother on his porch then went to The Rec to avoid any further questioning from my parents. My appearance at The Rec had been awkward. Axel's still flirting with Brielle or the Naturalist version of it anyway. Suki had commented to me quietly that she had always thought Axel wanted to settle with me, and I'd snapped I would never settle with Axel. Never. Taken aback by my anger she quickly changed the subject but the rest of our conversation was forced.

The mere mention of Axel's name causes a surge of anger to engulf me. My hatred is magnified when I have to be in the same room as him. I'll never forgive him for the position he tried to put me in, for his willingness to forcibly take away what was mine to offer.

After The Rec, I'd sneaked into my room and feigned sleep when my parents checked on me.

I'm a coward of a daughter.

Actually, I'm a lying coward of a daughter because I'm not even in the woods. I've crossed the wall. Again.

'I thought we weren't going back to the Town,' I say quietly as we walk towards the mass of buildings.

'We need bicycles to get there, so we'll quickly grab two then leave,' Zach responds. His pace is so fast I'm having to jog to keep up.

'What's the rush?' I say, not even bothering to ask him where 'there' is. He's determined on keeping it a secret and I quite like not knowing. Surprises are hard to come by, enjoyable ones anyway.

'I want us to have enough time when we get there,' He says with a flash of a smile. He moves slightly closer, and I slowly move a little further away.

Jenna's warning is still ringing in my ears from the beginning of the week as a cautious reminder to distance myself, physically and emotionally. I'm reverting back to my old self, ensuring I keep my distance, but it's harder than I thought. My ease around Zach makes me careless. I keep forgetting the boundaries I'm used to enforcing.

'By the way, my test results came back. No Virulence. I'm clean,' Zach says.

'Good, but you're definitely not clean. You might want them to check their tests are working correctly.' I smirk but I'm secretly relieved.

'Very funny.' Zach grins.

We pass the welcome sign and as the houses come into view all the air escapes my lungs in a rush, and my chest constricts tightly making it difficult to breathe. The stench of decaying corpses and death returns. It's all in my mind, but the knowledge doesn't make it fade as nausea washes over me.

'Are you ok, Kit?' Zach's voice sounds muffled against the throbbing sound inside my head.

I nod and inhale deeply.

Zach stops and looks at me. 'Do you want to wait here for me?'

'No,' I say weakly, continuing to walk because I'm even more scared of being left alone.

We continue until we reach the first row of houses. Zach walks up to a house and peers into a small room attached to the side while I stand in the middle of the road. The same road we had walked along a week ago but now the scene is more disturbing. Everything reminds me of the piles of decaying people, people who once occupied these houses and walked the now crumbling and cracked streets. Everyone who lived here is gone, wiped out within two years by Virulence.

A whole world obliterated by a pandemic which could not be treated. If an outbreak of Virulence occurred in my settlement there'd be no hope, everyone would be eradicated within months. Luckily Zach is clean, and if he's clean I'm clean. Hopefully.