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Rise - Part Two

A Rafe Cameron Series

Chapter Two

WC: 6.4k

Dividers provided by @firefly-graphics

PART ONE | MASTERLIST | PART THREE

No one said anything for a long time. What could be said? Your own questions raced. All answers led back to the same thing. This was really happening.

The side roads proved to be easier to navigate but were like the highway; filled with abandoned cars. Every now & then, you would see a body or bodies. You winced every time. There was a never-ending sickening sensation in the pit of your stomach.

In the backseat, Micah stared out the window hard eyed, a fist covering his mouth. Millie sat still beside him, staring blankly into her lap. Nuha was crying quietly, calling the attention of Sayyed every now & then. He would often go back & forth between placing a comforting hand on your thigh to placing the same hand on Nuha’s knee.

Time passed as the wrangler moved forward. Sayyed was able to keep a constant speed of 50 mph along the back roads, traversing through smaller towns. It wasn’t long before you began to see signs for Atlanta. There would still be almost four hours until you all returned to the Florida border. At some point though, Sayyed began to slow down, his eyes narrowing at the rearview mirror.

“What’s wrong?” You questioned, peeking over your shoulder to see what he could possibly be looking at. Rafe was flashing his lights.

The two vehicles pulled over, & everyone piled out, stretching their legs as if they were all on a normal road trip.

“What?” Sayyed asked, his tone clipped.

Rafe ignored the tone, gesturing back to his truck, “We’re gonna need gas. We won’t make it back at this rate.”

Sayyed inhaled sharply, understanding the problem. You stood by his side, while your friends spoke quietly to one another.

“Then I guess that’s what we look for.”

“Maybe we’ll find a phone.” Millie commented, “A landline. You never know.”

Rafe rolled his eyes, but Sayyed nodded, offering a small smile, “Maybe.”

Less than five minutes later you rolled into a gas station. There were cars blocking all pumps, but they would be useless anyway. If cell phones weren’t working, why would a pump? Everything these days was computerized.

“Great idea.” Micah deadpanned, staring at the pumps.

“Shut up, dude.” Rafe crossed his arms, “You never siphon gas before?”

“Not a delinquent fuck-up, so no.”

“Dude.” Rafe’s nostrils flared.

“Guys. Quit.” Millie stared between the two.

Sayyed began walking towards the store connected to the station, “We can get stuff here for gas, stock up.”

Nuha, Kai, & Luka stayed behind with the cars while the rest of you moved forward. The store was unlocked. But that was the end of your good fortune. The shelves had been ransacked. Products littered the floor, broken glass crunched under the weight of everyone walking through.

Ignoring everyone else, you slid behind the counter, eyeing the few packs of cigarettes left behind. You weren’t a heavy smoker, only partaking in the habit socially when alcohol was involved, but desperate times…

You gathered the few you came across, all unpopular brands but you didn’t care. If this was the reality of the world right now then cigarettes would be few & far between. You had to get them where you could.

“Good idea.” You jumped, dropping a few packs.

Rafe stood behind you. Your eyes met but you quickly lowered yours. Instead you bent to pick up the packs; Rafe helped you.

“Are you okay?” He asked. You snorted, far from.

“Kind of a stupid question, Rafe.”

“I know but…” He sighed, cocking his head toward the rest of the store, “Your boyfriend is very gung-ho right now & I doubt he’s been checking in on you.”

The comment didn’t sit well with you. No one was reacting normally for the situation. This was unreal. Rafe’s subtle jab about your boyfriend upset you but you brushed it aside. Emotions were high, people were confused. Before you all discovered the state of the world, they had gotten into a tiff, the reason you still didn’t know why. But you wouldn’t feed into whatever it was Rafe was getting at.

“I’m fine, Rafe.” You stood, forcing a smile as you found a plastic bag for the packs, “Thanks.”

You felt him watching you as you grabbed a couple others random items from behind the counter.

“You guys find everything we need for gas?” You asked, not wanting him staring at you much longer.

“Yeah, guess when people ran through here in a panic they didn’t think this far ahead.”

Side-stepping Rafe, you were about to return to your friends when Rafe gently grabbed your elbow, “_____, seriously though. You know I’m here for you.”

Your eyes searched his. He was being genuine. Rafe was a lot of problematic things, things that you also happened to be, but he could also be a good friend when needed. You nodded, “I know. Let’s just get to where we need & hopefully things will begin to look up.”

“Yeah.” He let you go, “Hopefully.”

Sayyed & Rafe filled their tanks with gas from other cars in the parking lot & managed to get four or so gallons worth left over before hitting the road again. You were relieved that sleep claimed you not long after.

Sleep was fitful. But you slept through until Sayyed gently shook you awake. You wiped the sleep from your eyes, glancing at him worriedly.

“We’re outside Gainesville.” He informed you.

Your heart faltered. Had that day been a normal day, had the world you returned to been the same one you left, you would have been excited to go back home to your apartment & crawl into bed after showering off the four days of camping filth. But now, you only felt apprehensive.

“Are we going?” Sayyed was silent for a beat before he nodded, “I think it’d be good for us to get some things from our places. We can’t stay, we’ll be quick. But I think the others need it.”

“But the report said to avoid populated areas. Returning to campus…”

“I know.” He agreed, his voice low. It was then you noted that the three in the back were sleeping as well, “But if it’s a virus then we can get our masks, other stuff. Stores will be eviscerated to the likelihood of finding what we need is less likely. We have better luck getting what we need from what we already have.”

“I just don’t…” You stopped, pressing your lips together.

“I won’t let anything happen to you.” With one hand on the wheel, he gripped your thigh firmly, protectively.

“Don’t make any promises you can’t keep.”

You weren’t the only one against the idea of stopping in Gainesville. Adrianna fought tooth & nail until the cars rolled up outside the frat house. She remained in Rafe’s truck, condemning you all for getting out, claiming one, if not all, of you would bring back the virus.

She wasn’t wrong, & her claim spiked your fear. It was the same reason you didn’t want to return. But you were never the go against the grain type. So you followed behind the others as they walked up the steps of the frat.

It looked like time had frozen. Red solo cups were still spotted here & there like a game of I Spy. The lawn had random objects fitting of a party that had been thrown the night prior. But the party had been almost a week ago. As you drove through campus, it was eerie. It wasn’t as unsettling as the highways had been but knowing that your small college town had become a ghost town still gave you a ghastly feeling.

You clung to Sayyed’s arm as Rafe & Bear stood by the double front doors, gently pushing them open.

“Boys!” Rafe hollered, his voice echoing back to him. You watched as Rafe & Bear traded wary looks.

“Maybe that’s a good sign.” Nuha noted, looking to her brother for confirmation.

“Nuha, you should go back to the car.” Sayyed said, “In case it’s… bad.”

“I’ve seen ‘bad’ plenty of times within this house.” You could see she was trying to steel herself.

“C’mon, Nuha.” You reached for her, “He’s right. There’s nothing for us in there anyway.”

She didn’t resist as you pulled her back to the car. Micah & Millie followed, realizing they too had no reason to go inside. But a morbid part of you wanted to, felt the need to. To see the worst of it. However, you knew, deep down, the worst would not be coming for a long while.

Back at the cars, you watched as Nuha, Micah, & Millie climbed into the wrangler. In Rafe’s truck, you could see Adrianna glaring heatedly at the frat house. You decided to try to see what was on her mind.

“I think it’s risky, too.” You began.

“Risky?” She spit the word, “It’s fucking moronic. It’s a goddamn virus that takes out mass populations. And they want to go walking into a mansion that housed over thirty of the school’s filthiest boys.”

“Yeah.” You sighed, “Maybe it’s where it originated from.”

Your attempt to lighten the mood is met with a contemptuous look.

“Great time for jokes, _____. Our classmates are dead, our families…”

“We don’t know that.” You bit out, surprised at your own resistance.

Adrianna finally softened, shaking her head, “I know. But… the chances. They are low, you know that.”

You shook your head, not wanting or needing to think on it. You were an only child & your parents weren’t as involved in your life as you would’ve liked, but they were still your parents. You thought about your mother sitting around her bedroom all alone, staring out the window, waiting for your dad to come home. And you imagined your dead flying some private jet over the Maldives. Perhaps their lifestyle & career saved them from the virus. You still had a reason to hope.

Muffled conversation sounded behind you & you spun around, watching as the boys came out one by one, a few bags in each of their hands.

“Essentials.” Sayyed raised a duffel as he approached you. One by one, he handed everyone a CDC approved mask. Rafe & Bear reluctantly took a couple for themselves after pushback from the group but didn’t wear them.

“This isn’t fucking COVID.” Adrianna reprimanded them from behind her mask, “It’s worse.”

“I believe in my genes.” Rafe countered.

You rolled your eyes, walking away. You were not a politically outspoken person, but even you felt the urge to ridicule his idiocy. Adrianna was right. It was obvious that whatever was ravaging the world was wholly & entirely worse.

There was no plan set after leaving Gainesville. You, Micah, & Millie stopped by your apartment, gathering a few items. For you it was a bag of clothes, toiletries (namely menstrual products), & a picture of your parents from before you were born. Back in the car, the loose plan was to drive to the coast towards Jacksonville. Adrianna said there would be a military base somewhere along the way.

But nearly thirty minutes on the road, Rafe flashed his lights for Sayyed to pull over.

“We’re not gonna get anywhere if you keep making us stop.” You heard Sayyed say as he hopped out of the SUV to talk to Rafe. Luka was with them.

Their conversation was muffled & fast, unable to make anything out. Sayyed eventually got back in the car, an annoyed expression across his face.

“What now?”

“We’re making another stop.”

“What?” You asked wide-eyed as he pulled back onto the road. Rafe overtook him, leading the way. “Where?”

Sayyed said nothing, only shaking his head.

You & Millie traded worried looks.

A few minutes later, after pulling into a quiet neighborhood outside Keystone Heights, Rafe’s truck pulled in front of a Mediterranean style home. You were in the middle of unbuckling yourself when you saw Luke bolt out of the truck, running towards the house.

“Hey!” Sayyed yelled, quickly following him.

You didn’t know what was happening, but you couldn’t deny being scared. What the hell was going on?!

“Luka!” Sayyed tried to catch up to him, but Luka disappeared as he dived into the front door of the house.

“Oh, shit.” Nuha breathed, hopping out.

“What? What is it?” You rushed out behind her, the others quickly joining. Sayyed was at the mouth of the door to the house, peering inside as he called out for Luka. Rafe rested against his truck, pulling out a cigarette from his own pack. He lit it, looking equally as bothered as Sayyed had.

“What the hell is going on?” You stepped towards him.

He shook his head, blowing out a cloud of smoke, “Luka’s parents.”

The fire you had felt brewing inside you quickly extinguished. You turned back to the house, your heart pounding. Oh, Luka…

Luka was not one of the people in your friend group you were very close to, but you knew well-enough that he was proud of where he came from. He was a family guy & was eager to become the next literary star to pay off his parent’s debt. All you really knew about his family is that his parent’s went bankrupt & were unable to pay for his college.

Sayyed eventually went inside the house after not hearing from Luka, Kai close behind. Kai & Luka were best friends after all. The rest of you stayed outside. You mimicked Rafe, picking a pack at random from the bag of smokes you took outside Atlanta. Rafe lit your cigarette as your fingers shook.

The group was silent, morbidly so. It was like waiting in the lobby of a hospital, wondering if a loved one made it through the 50/50 surgery or not. But considering the circumstances of the world then, the chances were violently lower.

You were about to light another cigarette when Sayyed & Kai finally appeared, Luka between them. They were dead, his parents. You didn’t need to ask or see for yourself. Luka’s vacant, red-eyed face said it all. He collapsed on the front lawn, his head in his knees. Kai stayed with him, his own eyes watering as he placed a comforting hand on his best friend’s back. Sayyed approached you, his eyes momentarily glancing at the cigarette between your fingers.

“So?” Rafe questioned. You elbowed him, “Rafe.”

Sayyed ignored him, gently grabbing you by the wrist to lead you away. You tossed one more glare at Rafe. He held up his hands, a cigarette dangling from between his lips.

“Asshole.” Sayyed grumbled once you two were a few feet away.

“They’re dead, I know.” You began, not needing to hear it.

“Yeah, but…” Sayyed inhaled sharply, casting his eyes at Luka. At this point, Nuha was hugging him as he cried.

“It wasn’t the virus.” Your eyes rounded.

“What do you mean it wasn’t the virus?” You kept your voice low, but it was difficult.

“There was a note.”

Oh, my god. You covered your mouth.

“We think it happened before.” Sayyed continued.

“Sayyed.” You croaked.

“There’s no way of actually knowing. It hasn’t been long, that much is obvious. But their note, it only says that they are sorry & that they love him.”

“What the fuck?” You couldn’t keep yourself from crying out just a little. “They were just gonna leave him…”

“We don’t know that, for sure.”

“Oh, please, Sayyed. Quit being so diplomatic.” You sneered, tearing your eyes to stare at Luka. You wanted to hold him.

“What matters is that we’re here for him.”

“His parents sure fucking wouldn’t be.”

“_____!” Sayyed tightened his voice.

You forced yourself to reign in your anger & pain for Luka. The world was fucking dying, yes, but one of your friends’ parents just left their bodies to be found by their son, whether or not they knew the world was falling apart.

“So, what now?”

Sayyed ran a hand through his unkept hair, “We bury them.”

You would have much rather been outside in the disease riddled word than curled up on the floor of Luka’s living room. The house was his grandpa’s. It was the only thing his parents managed to keep after losing all their money.

It was dark outside, as much as it was inside. The energy was depressing, reasonably so. Adrianna, being the only one with any medical background, was able to roughly determine when Luka’s parents passed. It was before. Their bodies maybe a week old.

Your heart crumbled for Luka all over again with the information.

But it was also with Adrianna’s recommendation that they don’t bury the bodies.

“With the virus, & with no way of testing, their bodies could still be carriers of the virus.” She told the group at the dining table. Luka was in the other room, laying on the couch, staring aimlessly at the ceiling. “We shouldn’t risk moving them. Any of us.” She had repeatedly firmly before Sayyed could argue.

“I’m not being a pragmatic bitch, Sayyed.” You could tell Sayyed wanted to counter that that’s not what he was thinking, but she continued, “It’s for all of us. We don’t know anything about this virus. How it gets transferred, the obvious symptoms, how long before said symptoms show, fucking nothing.”

“We cannot risk it.” She ended, “Not even for Luka’s peace of mind.”

Sayyed sat back, shaking his head, “It’s fucked up.”

Many of you nodded in agreement. It was silent for a while, as everyone likely thought of what you all could do. It was inhumane to leave their bodies up there, rotting. Luka would never get the image out of his head.

“We burn it down.” Your head shot up at Rafe’s suggestion.

Everyone turned to stare at him incredulously. He had his back to everyone as he ransacked the kitchen, pulling out any bottles of alcohol he could find. As much as you hated yourself for it, you wanted to be right there with him, desperate to swallow a fifth.

“You’re such an asshole…” Millie replied exasperated.

Rafe half scoffed, half laughed in return, shaking his head, “I don’t hear any of you coming up with anything.”

Adrianna nodded, “He’s right.”

Everyone looked at her, “When the details of a virus are unknown the next step is to contain it. Quarantine. Obviously it’s too late for that. But for the sake of Luka, we can’t leave his parents up there like that.”

“So, we burn the house down?” You shook your head.

“Yes.” She blinked, “We can’t go near them, more than we already have. Sayyed, you said Luka was the only one to touch them?”

“Yeah. Kai & I didn’t even enter the room.”

“That doesn’t make you guys safe but still.” Adrianna shrugged her shoulders, “We burn the house down, his parents with it. It’s the closest Luka will get to a burial & the best we can do to contain any potential exposure.”

“Aren’t we already fucked just by sitting here?” Micah asked next.

“Not exactly. I mean, it’s not ideal, obviously. But if his parents did pass before the virus reached this area, then we’re likely fine. But absolutely no one goes back up there. Not even Luka.”

“Guys.” It was Kai. He was standing in the threshold between the living room & dining room, “Keep it down. We can hear you out here.”

A cacophony of apologies sounded.

With that, everyone quieted down. Rafe brought over a handful of glasses & a couple bottles, placing them at the center of the table. Millie glared up at him, ready to share her thoughts when you hurried to grab a bottle, raising it, “To Luka’s parents.”

Rafe caught your eyes. You knew that wasn’t what he intended but you didn’t care. There was enough pain to be had that day.

Unshed tears blanketed your vision as the house in flames grew smaller in your side view mirror. It was the morning & the group would be moving forward. Luka didn’t say a word or put up a fight when Sayyed & Adrianna told him about their plans to burn the house down. He simply walked outside & got into Rafe’s truck.

Sayyed wore a mask & gloves as he took a gallon of gasoline into the house & began dispersing it throughout. By the time he made it outside, he had emptied what was left on the porch, tossing the gallon to Bear to catch. It was Rafe who lit the match.

No words were said as the last three climbed into the cars. A moment of silence passed as everyone watched the house go up in flames. Then Sayyed shifted into drive & drove away.

The world was truly ending.

“You grabbed the wrong fucking map.” Micah jabbed, “Perfect, Adrianna.”

Everyone was pulled over again, somewhere on Highway 100.

“It’s either Starke or Hampton, alright?” Adrianna returned sharply, “So get off my back.”

“Both of you, calm down.” Sayyed said exhaustedly, “We’re tired. It’s been a lot in less than 48 hours.”

“It’s Starke, I’m sure of it.” Adrianna turned her back on Micah to face Sayyed.

“Then we go there first.” Sayyed said, “If not, we move to Hampton. Not like it’s out of the way, huh?” Sayyed stared at Micah, challengingly.

“Whatever, man.”

“Mills.” You eyed her tiredly.

She raised her hand, knowing, “I got it.” She quickly gathered Micah & walked him back to the rear of the car.

“We make a decision yet?” Rafe hollered, his arm hanging out of the window of his truck. From where you stood, it was obvious he was shirtless. It was going to be a hot one that day & it wasn’t even noon.

“Starke.” Sayyed yelled back.

Adrianna huffed, stomping back towards the truck while Sayyed rolled up the map.

“What if it’s not there?” You paused to ask while no one was near.

“Like I said—”

“No, I mean what if the base is there, but no one is.”

He furrowed his brows, understanding what you were saying. “We’ll stay there for a while, it oughta be safer there than anywhere else right now, right?”

You shrugged in response. “I just want us to be safe.”

“We will be.” He cupped your cheek, his thumb caressing your skin, “But the more answers we have the safer we’ll be.”

Pressing your lips together, you nodded, “Okay.”

“You okay?” He brought his other hand up, now holding your face gently in his hands.

“No.” But you mustered a smile, “But if I’m with you, I’m okay as I’ll ever be.”

The military base was in Starke like Adrianna recalled. She gave Micah a triumphant smile when everyone piled out of the car. There was no one manning the gate & as you clung to the chain-link fence, peering into the compound, you couldn’t make out any movement.

“Looks real active, Anna.” Rafe commented sarcastically.

Adrianna sneered at him. She hated being called Anna.

“Only one way to find out.” Micah began climbing the fence.

“Micah!” Millie called out, racing forward, “Don’t you move another fucking inch.”

“Calm down, mom. If anyone was here I’d be dead by now.”

A shot rang out & everyone scrambled. Micah fell from the fence, landing on his back. Sayyed gathered you & Nuha & pushed you two inside the wrangler. Millie tried to run back for Micah, but you grabbed her arm, yanking her back.

From where you crouched in the backseat, Micah was breathing. Just not moving. There was no blood.

“Don’t shoot!” Adrianna ran over to Micah, standing over him with her arms up. “Please, don’t shoot!”

You peered around, looking for any sign of a gunman but you wouldn’t even know what to look for. But after a minute, from the far left, two men appeared in full tactical gear, their guns pointed at the ten of you hidden behind or inside the cars. One man approached the fence, his gun pointed directly at Adrianna.

“You’re trespassing on government property. Turn back now or we shoot.”

“No, wait, wait.” She crouched down, on her knees, “We just need some help.”

“There’s no help here.” The other man spoke. You could see neither of their faces behind the headgear they wore.

“But the radio—”

“I don’t care what the radio says, I’m telling you, there’s nothing for you here!” The first man shouted.

“Okay, okay, look.” Adrianna began, but before she could, you felt something rustle behind you. Before you could stop him, Sayyed stepped out from behind the wrangler, his hands up. Both men turned their guns onto him.

“We’re not sick.”

“We don’t care.”

“He’s right! We’re not!” Adrianna backed him up as Sayyed stepped forward.

“Move one more step, kid, & I’ll blow your brains out.” The threat made you cry out. Nuha clung to you, her teeth sinking into her lip.

“Look. I’m gonna stop moving, okay? I’m not moving.” Sayyed copied Adrianna, positioning himself on his knees, “But I’m going to talk & you’re going to hear what we have to say & if you still decide you can’t help us then we’ll leave. No fighting back. Promise.”

The men said nothing but kept their guns trained.

“We,” Sayyed gestured to the whole group, “have been off grid since last week. We’ve been camping at Cloudland’s National Park in Georgia. When we left to go camping, we left the world we knew. But when we came back—which was yesterday—” Sayyed stopped to swallow, “We don’t know what’s going on. Alright, we’re scared, we’re confused, we don’t know what the fuck to do!” Sayyed raised his voice, his frustration coming out.

“So, if you can’t help us like the radio said you could then at least point us in the direction where we can get some.” Sayyed huffed, catching his breath, “That’s all. We’re just looking for some answers. Trying to survive.”

Silence dragged on, making your nerves skyrocket. Any second you expected more shots to ring out & for your boyfriend & two of your friends to be lying dead at the gate to what was supposed to be salvation. But no shots came.

Then, finally, one of the men lowered his gun. He gestured to the other to do the same.

“Are any of you showing symptoms?”

“We don’t even know what the symptoms are.” Adrianna collapsed to her butt. You felt your muscles release but didn’t dare move from the wrangler.

“Coughing, trouble breathing, watery eyes, bodily pain, fits of anger.”

“I think we’re all pretty fucking angry.” Micah finally coughed out, “Knocked the fuckin’ wind out of me.” Adrianna helped him to a sitting position as he massaged his back.

“Uncontrollable anger. Especially when you don’t have a reason to be angry.”

“Think that’ll be hard to judge now.” You spun your head around to see Rafe. When had he snuck into the wrangler?

“You alright?” He asked. You frowned but nodded, turning your attention back to the scene before you.

“No, okay, no symptoms. Is there a test we can take?” Sayyed asked, “We’ll take it now.”

“No test exists.” The second man responded, “The virus came too quick for anyone of importance to get one made.”

It went without saying that hope for finding out what was causing this & why plummeted.

“So, what do we do?” Sayyed shook his head, “Just wait to die?”

“No.” The first soldier swung his gun back onto his back before crossing to the guard station just inside the gate. In mere seconds, a motorized drill sounded just before the gate began to jostle itself open.

“You come with us.”

A shower never felt so good. You could’ve stayed under the cool water for hours, basking in the relief you finally felt. Anything to avoid stepping back out into reality. But reality must be had whether you want to face it or not.

All the girls were roomed together in one bunker, the boys in another. The two soldiers—Corporal Tobias & Staff Sergeant Severson—allowed the ten of you into the compound after a procedural check of symptoms. You, like most of your friends, were hesitant to go with them after they pointed their guns at you & threatened a violent death. More so, they had said there was no help there. But still, you all went with them.

And you couldn’t deny that you were happy you had. The shower, having a hot meal, wearing a clean set of clothes with fresh underwear almost made you forget about the world outside.

Once everyone was cleared, the soldiers had you all de-contaminate before leading you to your respective bunkers.

After getting dressed, you & Millie walked to the mess hall that was at the center of the building. Everyone was already there, except for Kai & Luka. You didn’t need to ask why they weren’t present. No one told the soldiers about Luka’s family, & you weren’t sure that was a good idea—to lie—but didn’t say anything.

Tobias & Severson weren’t much older than you all. Tobias in his late 20’s, Severson in his early 30’s. But they didn’t look it. They had bags under their eyes, their skin paler than their natural shades. It had only been a week since the world ended but they looked as if they had lived through the end of the world over a hundred times. But you could tell that they were reluctantly pleased to have others nearby.

After pleasantries & small talk over lunch, someone finally asked one of the important questions.

“So, how many people in a room is considered deadly?” Bear’s questioned silenced the table.

You gripped Sayyed’s hand, scared of the answer.

Severson, the higher ranking of the two, cleared his throat before answering, “As far as we know, it doesn’t exactly work like that?”

“How do you mean?” Adrianna, who sat closest to them, clasped her hands together atop the table.

“Like any virus, it travels from person to person, so logically speaking even two people in a room is deadly to either person.” Severson clicked his tongue, “But of course, that’s only if one is a carrier. This virus works similarly, obviously, but differently, too.”

“What we know, at least the information we were fed at this base, is for the virus to be truly deadly, there must be multiple carriers in a room compared to those who are not. So, say one of us here is a carrier, has the symptoms, it isn’t guaranteed any one of us will catch it. Of course, nothing is 100% without the science to back it up. But this virus in particular is more deadly in numbers. The more carriers the more deadly. If half of us in this room are carriers, has the symptoms, then we’re already dead. You have to terminate the carrier, regardless. But if the carriers are gathered together, their viral contraction, the infection becomes impossible to beat.”

You sat quietly, absorbing the information. It made clear sense why places of high population were deadly; why the virus spread rapidly. But what did that mean for places of low population.

As if reading your mind, Rafe spoke next, “So why is Starke completely void of life?”

“Panic.” Tobias responded this time, “Everyone rushed to get away from populated areas, even the smaller ones. Then everyone got caught on the highways, a viral playing ground for the disease. And one by one, they began to drop. The less people the better. But it’s important to note that like any virus in our world’s history, they progress, they adapt, new strains are born. It wouldn’t come as a surprise if one day just two people being in a room together will be deadly to both.”

The thought discomforted you. A world where to survive you had to be entirely alone.

“Well.” Rafe cut the silence, “That sounds depressing as hell so I’m breaking out the good shit.”

Reaching into a backpack at his feet, Rafe produced two bottles of liquor.

“We got scotch whiskey & tequila.” Rafe smirked proudly.

At that, Severson grinned, laughing jovially. It was an odd yet welcoming sound considering the circumstances of the world.

“I sure am glad I let you kids in.” He stood, clapping his hands together, “Tobias, get the glasses. We got a long night ahead of us!”

Time was nonexistent inside the mess hall. Severson & Tobias were surprisingly excellent hosts as drinks got poured. It felt like it had been ages since you relaxed with the warmth of alcohol swimming through your bloodstream. Sayyed was smiling a wide smile you felt like you hadn’t seen in years. All your friends were in higher spirits thanks to Rafe’s alcoholic tendencies. It was a special night in a horrible world. And you wanted to bask in it for as long as you could. Especially since it was unknown when a night like this would come next.

At some point during the evening, Adrianna had gotten so drunk she was beginning to get handsy with Tobias, who was welcoming of her advances. You had nearly stepped in, though you were heavily inebriated yourself, but Millie beat you to it.

“Hey, let’s go lay down.” Millie moved to sit next to Adrianna. You watched with a swaying vision as Millie tried to coax Adrianna back to the girl’s bunk. It looked to be unsuccessful so far. But then a conversation between Sayyed & Severson caught your attention.

“If you don’t mind me asking, realistically, how long could you guys live here for?” No one else at the table heard the question Sayyed asked, which meant no one saw the sudden change in mood from Severson as he lowered his drink & narrowed his eyes at your boyfriend.

Immediately, you wanted to get between them, not that there was really any physical means to, but the look Severson was throwing at Sayyed made your protective instincts kick in.

“I’m going to say this now & say this once while your friends are drunk in their own worlds, but you will not be staying here.” Severson finished the rest of what was in his glass, setting it down none-so-gently. “There is no government, no military, no safety net. It is every man for himself. Now, we’ve taken you in, we’re sharing what we know, we’re having a decent night, but don’t mistake our hospitality as a homestay. We’ll give you enough to get started out there, but after tomorrow night, you & your friends.” He leaned forward, his voice lowering, “You’re on your own.”

Sayyed said nothing but you could feel the boiling resentment beneath his cool façade. You placed your hand on his thigh, attempting to distract him. Severson just promised to put you & your friends back out on the streets to fend for themselves, drinks are flowing, temperaments would skyrocket if they got wind of all that just then. You needed to stomp out the flames before they set everything ablaze.

To your thanks, though, Severson dropped the steely, hard gaze & grinned widely. He slapped Sayyed on the shoulder, but you didn’t miss how his fingers dug into your boyfriend’s shoulder.

“It’s been a wonderful night, kids.” He stood, addressing the group, “But I’m retiring for the evening. Thank you for the drinks. We’ll see you at oh eight-hundred.”

“No, you won’t.” Rafe threw back, his face singed with red from the alcohol, but he was laughing as he did.

Most cheered along with him, looking forward to a night of forgetting & a morning of sleeping away the nightmares of the day. Severson returned a tight smile but nodded, taking one glance at Tobias before leaving.

Once Severson was far enough away, you leaned into Sayyed, “We’ll be okay.”

He looked at you as if he was shocked you were there. He must’ve not expected anyone to be paying attention to what he & Severson spoke about.

You took his hand in yours, holding them tightly, “We will be okay, Sayyed. We don’t need them. We’ll take what they give us & find somewhere else. The less people the better, remember?”

“Just thinking about the future.” You understood but you wanted him for one night, before embarking into a new world, to be present.

“I love you.” You kissed his jaw, just below his ear.

He smiled, though it was small, “You.”

You felt like crying as someone shook you. You weren’t dreaming but wherever you were in your sleep was far better than anywhere else awake. But the shaking wouldn’t stop. Slowly, you felt yourself returning to the waking world.

“Five more minutes, please.” You grumbled, wrestling the sheet of the twin bed higher up & over your face.

“_____.” It was Sayyed’s voice, & more, it was full of concern, “Wake up. It’s important.”

You sat up immediately, your dream world long forgotten. You grasped his arms, “What’s wrong?”

Over his shoulder, you noticed Adrianna, Nuha, & Millie were all gone.

“Where are—”

“Come with me.” He spoke quietly, like he was sneaking around. Your nerves shot through the rough as you stumbled behind him, your motor function not yet fully awake. But you managed to cling to him as he sped-walk the two of you down the hall, into & across the mess hall & to the bunker where the boys stayed.

“It’s Luka.”

You were about to ask what about Luka when Sayyed slipped inside a cracked door halfway down the hall. You were stunned to see all your friends already there. You felt your lips part in confusion until you took in all their facial expressions. From Rafe’s empty but hardened stare at the concrete floor to Adrianna’s angry pacing at the edge of the room, you knew something bad happened.

As Sayyed led you through your friends, you felt yourself gasp as you finally saw the cause of everyone’s distress.

On a bed like your own on the other end of the compound, lied Luka. Shaking, graying skin, crusted eyes. His nails dug into the skin at his sides, as if he was trying to peel his skin off.

“He’s sick.” Kai’s voice shook, but he stared heart-brokenly down at his best friend who looked on the brink of death.

“He’s more than sick.” Adrianna whispered harshly from across the room. Her next words sent a spike of fear straight through your heart.

“He has it.”

sorry it took so long to get part two out. been a busy adulting bee.

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