Haisley's Virus

Chapter Twelve

My eyes flutter open. I'm staring at the ceiling. When did I fall asleep? I go to move, but stop when my head starts pounding.

I sigh softly and I close my eyes. I hear faint scuffles on the floor somewhere. Stupid rats.
Wait. . . There weren't any rats here when I came in.

"What should we do?" A feminine voice whispers. The sudden noise startles me, and worsens my headache slightly.

I open my eyes, and see five people sitting in a cluster about 20 feet from me, they look worried. I close my eyes due to my growing headache.

Why. Are. They. Here?
I don't know, but I hope they leave. I'm getting annoyed by their presence.

"I don't know, she's been sleeping for like two weeks. Is she in like, a coma?" This one sounds male.

I snap my eyes open and attempt to sit up. I need to leave.

Who knows how long they've been here?

We literally do, dude.

I groan in pain as my stiff muscles protest my movement.
Shut up, they'll hear you!

"She's awake!" One of the strangers yell, it's a different male this time. Too late. I stare at them in fright, and stand quickly, running in the opposite direction they're in.

I trip on the corner of a shelf while trying to take a sharp turn, and cry out, falling.

"Wait!" One of the guys is standing in front of me. I move backwards slightly. He reaches a hand out to me. I narrow my eyes, letting out an odd hissing sound while swatting at his hand, my fingers curling. I feel his skin scrape against them. He let's out a cry of pain, and I standing up.

I glance around wildly, looking for the exit. There! It's through a short isle, and I make a run for it.

"Hold on!" He yells. I ignore him, speading to the exit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two weeks? I question, treading through the underbranch of a forest I had found in a slight crouch, I wanted to be ready if a zombie popped up. I sigh, moving a low branch out of the way. That doesn't make sense.

I hear rustling near a tree to my left, and freeze, focusing all my senses on it. I turn in its direction, and see something duck behind the tall evergreen. I crouch slightly lower, and sniff the air. Zombies would probably smell different than humans, but if they don't, I'm in trouble.

All I smell is pine. Great. I let a sound that I hope is a growl, and back away from the tall tree, and brush against something. I focus my hearing on the tree and look down quickly. A tall fern.

I put my full attention back on the tree. Someone peaks out behind it. It's the dude from the store.

He followed me? I glare angrily at where he was, and swiftly move behind the tree the opposite way he was facing, and tackle him to the ground, making sure he faces me.

His face has a horrified expression, but that doesn't falter my rage.
He had zero reason to follow me.

"Why did you follow me?" My voice is horse from weeks of not using it, but it's stern.
"I-I-I-I--"

"Hey!" I interupt. "Stop stuttering." I close my eyes for a second, forcing a weird feeling to subside. I open them, and realise my elbow is digging into his ribs. I move it slightly.

"I wanted to help." His expression flashes worry for a second, but my hard stare returns it to a look of fear, albeit a lesser fear.

"I don't need help." I state, teeth clenched.

"Are you sure?" He looks calmer now, but is trying to wiggle out my grip.

"Yes," I say, pushing off him. "Now go away. I'm busy." I turn, and start walking back in the direction I was going before I was rudely interrupted, but stop when he starts to talk again.

"How are you busy?"

I think on my feet and answer quickly. "To get food."

"Can I come?"

"No, you can not." I glare at a tree stump to my right, silently cursing my stupid situation.

"But th-"

"No, go away."

I hear him sigh as I continue walking, but this time at a faster speed than before.

"Okay. . ." He sounds upset, and I hear him walk away. The sound of his feet dragging across the ground make me pause, but only for a second before I continue walking again.

A leaf falls in front of me, twisting and turning in an array of patterns before landing on the grass. I stare at it for a second. It's pretty, but not pretty enough to be kept, so I continue walking.