One of Nine

CHAPTER 11: Kira Juno

CHAPTER 11

Kira Juno

A sickness had spread in the house. Asher and Junius had both contracted horrible colds a few days ago, and eventually it spread to everyone except Opal.

For a week she ran around, taking care of everyone, cooking every meal, doing all the laundry, and making sure everyone was taking their medicine- which had been sent up in the food boxes the day after Junius and Asher started showing symptoms.

That wasn't the only sicknesses we faced. The colds weren't the worst one, either. It was the ill feeling of being watched. Somehow. By someone. How else would they have known we needed the medicine? This was accompanied by the dread of knowing that there was something much, much larger at play here, and we had no clue what it was.

The feeling made me irritable and restless. My appetite had vanished, and the smallest sound could make me jump out of my skin. None of this came as any surprise to me; my anxiety continued to skyrocket everyday. The worst part was that none of the others, except Eli, seemed to take our situation very seriously. Meanwhile, all I could think about was what the hell was on the other side of that stupid fence?

I hadn't seen it. When the others went that day, I didn't have the guts to go and actually try to help, and why? I don't know, and everyday since, I was mentally kicking myself for being so weak.

It got progressively harder to wake up. Rephrase: it was easy to wake up, but hard to get out of bed. My bed was positioned so that in my room, when the drapes are open, the rising sun falls directly onto my eyes.

I sat up and looked around my room. The walls were painted a pale chartreuse, which I found to be comforting in a strange way.

Someone started knocking at my door. The loud, vehement sound made me instantly despise whoever was on the other side of it. I didn't feel bad thinking that because I knew it was Eli. He would always knock on my door if I wasn't downstairs in time for breakfast.

I got up, pulled on an old sweatshirt, and crossed the room.

"Piss off Eli, I'm really not- oh. Hi."

It wasn't Eli. Jonah stared back at me, smiling.

"I'm actually the other brother, but if you'd like I can give him your regards. He sent me up here to tell you breakfast is starting."

"Yeah, I'm not going," I told him, starting to close the door

"No need to get hostile with the messenger," he smirked as he pushed the door back open. "You do know that the human body needs food to function, right?"

"I'm not hungry. I'm not going," I said flatly. I started picking at my nails. In my head I could just hear the shrill voice of Eldora, my manager, telling me to stop. "You need to look your best to be your best." In short, I've never looked my best.

Jonah took a step back and looked me up and down. "You seem pretty light; I think I'd be able to pick you up and carry you down there."

I took a step back, and held up a warning finger. "Don't even think about it."

"I would stop thinking about it if you agreed to come downstairs and eat with us." He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms.

I groaned, as I made my way to the armoire across the room. "Fine. I'll be down after I change."

"Great, see you down there," Jonah said. He turned to leave.

"Jonah!" I called after him. "Come back."

He popped his head back into the doorframe.

"Do you mind shutting the door?" I asked. "I do prefer a little bit of privacy when I get undressed."