Sickness

~Part 20~

“Vala!” she shouted in terror.

The sick man cocked his head and growled at me viciously. His bloodshot eyes stared me down angrily as he whipped Violet around by her hair. She cried out to me, but I had no idea what to do. This girl has hated me for years, has wished death on me, and called me everything but a cat carrier and she wants me to save her? Every evil bone in body was screaming to leave her, but my conscience was screaming that it’s the right thing to do to save her.

I started running over, tackling the sick man to the ground. Violet was ripped out of her hands. Probably losing some hair in the process, but you can either have hair or you can survive. The man reached for my ponytail, but I had him pinned down by the elbow. He was a REAL sickly. Not even close to healthy. At least the woman I had fought before had a tad on sane in her eyes. This mans pupils were so dilated that you could barely see his bright blue color ring around it.

He snarled at me. “YOU WILL DIE! YOU WILL DIE!” he screamed.

I pinned down his other arm that was reaching for me right as a gunshot went off and his body stopped moving. I whipped around and saw Violet. Blood caked on her face, hair in a mess, and a small red bald spot by her ear. I stand up. “I had that under control.” I snapped.

Other than Gale, nobody, NOBODY, is allowed in my fights. “Yeah sure you did.” She returned.

“I’m sorry, but he was pinned down and I HAD IT UNDER CONTROL.” I emphasized.

She gave me a mean look, then it faded and she gave a VERY weak smile. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” I say expressionless.

I turn and run down the road where my city was crashing down around me. The colony was about the size of Manhattan Island. About ¾ of the colony was the city and the last ¼ was the Soldier Communities.

I look around at all the screaming citizens, lost on what I am to do. I make a game plan and run into the nearest building. And yes, of course, it’s a childcare center. All citizens of the city were required to work on Saturdays, so most of the cities children were here. Which I don’t understand in the least! Your city is being bombed! You take your kid and go into hiding! Not go to work like everything will be okay.

The whole scene reminded me of video clips that I’d seen from a terrorist attack on America MANY years ago, towards the 21st century. Two hijacked terrorist planes crashed into two towers in New York City. The streets were nearly identical to the video. But in this center, it was strangely…. Quiet. I walk into a room of children. “Uhm? What’s the deal? You all need to get out of this city!” I yell picking up a tiny baby girl.

“We can’t!” a girl yelled. I whipped around and looked at her. She was maybe… 14? “Our parents aren’t here and most of the workers have bailed!”

“Okay.” I stomp my foot in frustration. I was supposed to be a soldier and I can’t think up a way to gets these kids to safety?

“Okay. You.” I point to the oldest girl that I’d been talking to. “Are there ANY workers on duty?”

Just then, a young blonde woman came out of a back door. She looked rushed and helpless.

“YOU!” I run over and drag her by her sleeve. “You need to get these kids out of here.” I hand her the baby in my arms. “Don’t talk, just listen. I saw that you have a van out back. Have the older kids help the younger kids and pack it to the hilt. I don’t care if its uncomfortable for 10 minutes or not. There’s a huge hole in the North wall. Take the van out that way. There’s a guy out there. Find him, he will tell you where to drop the kids and you, then you give him the van.” I turn and start to run out. “GO!”

As I ran through the city, calls for help came from every direction. Sick people were acting weirder that normal. When I ran by, they coward in corners and behind objects and hissed at me.

I found that when I got close, they backed away. If a sick person was attacking someone, I would run near them and they would back away, allowing the person leeway to run. “Thank you!” they all cried as they ran.

There were buildings ablaze in every direction, but I couldn’t stop to help them. Firemen were doing their jobs and I was doing mine. I didn’t look back on my entire run to my mothers road.

As I approached the suburbs of the city, things seemed to quiet down, less bombing and screaming. I ran to the old dirt road that lead up behind my mothers house. I stopped at the edge, remembering everything that had happened here. Gale and I had grown up here. And there was a huge chance, it would be blown up. I took a deep breath and stepped onto the dirt road. Going from walking, to jogging, to running. As I ran I could feel tears streaming along my face, and my vision became blurrier and blurrier, yet I still ran.

I came to my mothers back door and wiped away my tears. I didn’t bother to knock, I just opened it and went right in. “Mom?” I called. “Mrs. Mathesin?”

“Honey?” Is that you?”

I rushed to the source of the voice. I found them in the room that they shared. There were two twin beds on either sides of the room. The women were huddled together in a corner of the room against one of the beds. My mothers eyes lit up when I walked in. She ALMOST stood up, but quickly sat back down when the ground began shaking. “Vala!” Mrs. Mathesin called. I rushed over to them.

“What are you guys doing? You need to get out of the city!” I shout.

“We knew you would come for us,” mother said, “And we weren’t leaving without you.”

“You’re lucky I came then! I almost couldn’t. Gale wasn’t going to let me.” I say quickly helping them up.

“Oh Gale!” Mrs. Mathesin cried. “Is he safe?”

“Yes. Yes. He’s safe. Now lets get you out of here.” I say quickly.

My mother was forced to be a teen mother by my grandfather, who didn’t want her to be recruited. So my mother was actually only 33 or 34. She could run decently for an older woman. You had to be able to run in this society.

We ran out the front door to my mothers car. I had had a crash course on how to drive a car, but not actually gotten my license, but I guess this will have to do. I climbed in and ordered both of the women into the back.

“Mom.” I say as I start the car. “Give me the run down.”

“A bunch of sick people got into the colony through a hole in the South wall. They managed to slip some weird bomb thingy in and exploded a big doorway-size hunk out of the wall.” She said.

“At least that’s what they said on the news.” Mrs. Mathesin added. “They got in and there were 100’s of citizens infected within 3 days.”

“They say the only way to rid them is explode them in huge groups, or….” Mother ran her sentence off.

“OR WHAT?” I urge.

“Or get out as many people as possible and blow up the city.” She finished. “They said they have safety for survivors.”

“Oh my gosh.” I felt my jaw drop.

Everything made sense now; The new and improved city, right where colony four ‘exploded’. They were planning to get rid of this city and start fresh. “No.” I heard myself whisper.

“Yes.” Mrs. Mathesin answered. “They said only immune people will be passed on.”

“What do you mean immune?” I snap, trying to watch the road. “Nobody is immune!”

My mother nodded. “Yes there is Vala. But only their parents know. We haven’t been allowed to tell you if you are or not.”

“Well mom. This isn’t exactly the time to hold it over my head. I’m not immune am I? Big shocker.”

“Actually, Vala, you're one of the few that are. It’s an every other generational thing.” She said slowly.

I slammed on the breaks and whipped around at her. My mind wasn’t celebrating; it was worried. Worried about my baby. Was it safe? Immune even?

“What about Gale?” I say slowly.

Mrs. Mathesin got a sad look on her face. “No honey. Gale isn’t.”