Infectnation Chapter 7

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Happy Thanksgiving!

I’m going to be cheesy (in a badass way) and say I’m thankful for my friends and readers.  Believe it or not, you have all helped pulled me through some rough times.

I’ve moved across the country twice in the past 11 months.  It’s not easy keeping in touch with friends with only the internet connecting us; life, work, and responsibilities demand our 24/7 attention.  But when I’m online and read all the messages I’ve received from friends and readers, they truly mean a lot, not only because I’m communicating with such kind people, but also because I can take comfort in knowing there’s an audience for my unique voice.

I’m very pleased to present Chapter 7.  I took extra time to really bring out Beatrix’s personality and shape some new characters.  What are your impressions of Beatrix and the new people?  Let me know what you think.  This is why I’ve decided to continue to post new chapters indefinitely.  Your support and feedback make this site successful.  You are actually helping me shape my novel!

Special thanks to Betsy for designing another experimental book cover!  If you’d like to play with my concept book cover, just give me your email and I’ll send you the files.

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Experimental Infectnation cover using my pen name, created by Betsy

Infectnation
Story by Christine Lines, © 2010

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Pitch black halls. The echo and shuffle of their feet as they descended further into the bones of the metropolis and the womb of the ocean. The muffled movement of the sea all around them sounded like the earth slowly breathing, inhaling them deeper into the eerie metal caves of where humanity was now only a ghost story.

The man seemed to know where he was heading in spite of the dark. Jade crept behind him with her blade drawn, ready in case he turned on them. Beatrix trod softly behind her, knife in hand but more worried she would stumble over something, or even nothing but her own clumsy toes.

Jade wished she had a police-issue Statphone to verify if there really was a colony like the man claimed. If there were survivors, someone would have a bioBeacon activated and it would flash on her holographic screen. But she couldn’t see any unregistered bioSignals with her standard-issue Statphone so she had no choice but to take a chance with this cocky guy.

Jade would have guessed night had fallen by now. They had descended 35 levels from the surface of Bethune, which was no quick task between the sneaking and watching out for infected. Then the trip seemed to triple in time as they entered the darkness and felt their way down stair after stair, level after level.

But as they stopped descending stairs and turned around a corner, Jade could see a faint, orange glow. They walked closer towards it, maneuvering around overturned chairs and slippery trash, the warm color nearly giving her goosebumps in the cold, drafty underwater prison of blue metal.

Then they turned around another corner and became awash in light.

The fiery evening illumination of the setting sun floated down from the surface of the bay and through the colossal windows that enveloped every underwater level of Bethune. Wisps of liquid reflections danced across the surfaces around them and faint heat traced their skin like the fingertips of lovers. Only when they stepped out of the walled walkway enveloping the underwater stairwells could they witness the simple, shining bliss of warm sun-fire in this frigid urban cavern.

Beatrix stepped around Jade and walked slowly towards the glass, her scarlet hair sparkling in the sunlight. She carefully placed her hand upon the translucent surface and stared into the deep blue sea set aflame by the falling sun.

Within the glass, Jade thought she saw the reflection of her friend’s tears.

She turned to the man guiding them. “Is it really safe down here? There’s no risk of the glass breaking?”

“Nah, not really. I don’t even know if it’s really glass, but it’s been like this for hundreds of years. So if it hasn’t shattered yet, there’s a good chance it’s not going to now.”

“Have any infected tried to come down here?”

“I think they’re too fat and disfigured to try and swim, if that’s what you mean, let alone break through meters of this tough clear stuff. The only way in or out are the stairwells of this building and the walkways connecting each underwater building – which, connected, comprise the underwater levels just like the walkways and streets connect the surface buildings into levels. All the buildings that submerge into underwater levels have several stairwells, but some of them are too clogged with shit to get through. We’ve got two clear stairwells and the buildings connected to us are essentially caved-in graveyards with rubble and corpses.”

“Only two? Is that enough?”

“You wanna try to clear out the concrete and metal and putrid dead bodies in the other two stairwells, you be my guest, lady. We haven’t had a problem yet and we’ve fended off any infected who’ve discovered that we’re down here.”

“How long have you been here? The colony, I mean.”

“Why don’t we finish getting there first and our man can tell you all about it? I’m tired of all your questions and my feet hurt.”

Jade stared as hard as stone at the man, who only flipped back his jaw-length blonde hair, shrugged, and continued walking. Then she approached Beatrix.

“Bea… you okay?”

Beatrix didn’t answer. Her hand slowly slid down the glass and fell to her side.

“Bea, we should go.”

“Why can’t we stay?”

“What?”

Beatrix turned around to face Jade, her expression unusually serious and her eyes shimmering like blue ponds that someone just skipped a stone across.

“Why can’t we stay here, with them, where it’s safe?”

“Bea, we don’t know that it’s safe here yet,” Jade gently tried to explain. “We don’t even know if there is a real colony yet. These are the first living people we’ve talked to since we escaped and we can’t be quick to trust them.”

“But they have beds and food and they can protect us.”

Jade sighed. “We’ll find out when we get there.”

“Jade, I’m sick of this!” Beatrix shouted.

The man stopped walking and turned around. Jade said nothing, just looked at her.

“I’m sick of running. It’s so hard to take another step. We escaped a burning metropolis and monsters and death to what, to keep running and hiding? I’m sick of it all and I want to stop, Jade, I want to stay somewhere warm and safe where I don’t have to break myself just to stay alive.”

Jade pressed her lips together, not knowing what to say. The man quietly observed from afar. Beatrix sniffled and stubbornly wiped her tears away with her white sleeve.

“I want to see this place,” she continued, “and if it’s safe, I want us to stay. I’m not going to let you break yourself, either. You can’t keep up this pace even though you try to act like you can.”

Jade reached out with her hand.

“Cmon. Let’s go check it out.”

Beatrix placed her hand in Jade’s and they followed the man the rest of the way as the sunlight slowly faded and the world around them turned bone-chilling blue once more.

As they proceeded down a corridor away from the windows, the man turned his head and said, “Now just in case you get lost for some reason, we’re on level U17. We’re not at the bottom of the building – there’s a few more levels below us to fall back on just in case — but we’re a long ways from the top. Aside from the occasional intelligent and highly observant infected who sees one of us slip into this building on the surface, it’s been relatively safe and quiet down here considering.”

Beatrix and Jade exchanged sideways glances. Then they suddenly arrived at a dead end. Nothing but tall walls all around and only one way out down the hallway behind them.

Jade felt on edge. “Where did you take us?” she asked, hiding her nervousness and gripping her knife tighter.

“Now let’s see…” the man mumbled, ignoring them.

They took a step back. Beatrix’s fingers closed in around Jade’s and she raised her blade cautiously.

“Hey,” Jade spoke forcefully. “Where are we?”

“It’s like this…” The man shifted around strangely, not turning to acknowledge them.

“Answer me!” Jade yelled, Beatrix taking another step back.

The man groped the walls until a panel popped out, revealing tiny lights and wires underneath. He input some sequence into the color buttons then banged the wall with his fist.

The wall wooshed upwards into the ceiling. Electric light and fresh air poured from the opening. Two big guards quickly side-stepped into the doorway with riot rifles at the ready.

The man raised his fingerless-gloved hands in a gesture of surrender.

“Hey, guys, it’s me. Stand down.”

The burly men eased. “Welcome back, sir,” one said while the other nodded in respect.

Then the guards spotted the two females standing behind him.

The man pointed back at them with a thumb over his shoulder. “Found ‘em up top. But I lost Baxter. Don’t worry, we weren’t followed. I made sure of that.”

He walked passed the men then stopped and turned around.

“Ya coming in or what? I’m not leaving this thing open. This is like our drawbridge keeping the invaders out. The ugly, infected ones. Pretty girls are allowed.” He swept back his hair and continued on.

Jade and Beatrix stared at each other uncertainly.

“Uh, are these rapists?” Beatrix whispered.

“Hey,” called one meat-head. “Don’t say that about me. I got a wife and kids downstairs. I’m a family man. And this one’s gay,” he pointed to his fellow guard. “Hurry up and come in so I can shut the door.”

They looked at each other again then hesitantly walked through the doorway. The metal door slid down behind them, sealing them inside.

“Ah, you’re back!”

A short, dignified man approached with gentle, almond eyes and hair streaked with silver. One hand wrapped around his back and the other held a hard, wooden cane, a rarity in a world of metal signifying wealth – if there was such a thing anymore.

“Huxley, you’ve found survivors? Splendid! I will have the caretakers see to it they have beds and nourishment. How did you find them, and where’s Baxter?”

“Woah, one thing at a time,” the man named Huxley said, combing through his dirty-blonde hair. “Found these two top-side on 35 while Baxter and I were searching for records and supplies. Had to blast through a sucker and spitter to save ‘em,” he patted the gun holstered to his right leg. “But Baxter’s dead. We got separated when we spotted the infected from another building and they got to him first. Just glad I got to these in time, at least,” he motioned to Jade and Beatrix.

“My, I see you’ve had quite an exhausting day, ladies,” the elderly man’s dark eyes sparkled with kindness and sincerity. “Let me introduce myself then you can go eat and rest, if you like. My name is Mr. Park. I guess I’m the person in charge around here. Or maybe I’m more like a coordinator to keep the people calm and chaos at bay. Oh, and this is Huxley, he’s more-or-less our young sheriff.”

Huxley nodded in acknowledgment of his title.

“My name is Beatrix!” she said excitedly in her sweet, high voice.

“I’m Jade. Thank you for your help. But I have a few questions before we can settle in for tonight.”

“For tonight? Oh dear, are you planning on leaving?” Park said worriedly.

“That’s to be decided once we’ve learned more about you and this place.”

“Well, what do you want to know?” Park scritched his chin, which was peppered with stubble. Jade imagined they were low on razors and shaving cream. “Ah, before we get started, how about I show you around and then we can talk after we’re seated. My back was hurt, you see, so I’d rather not stand for extended periods of time while I recover. Huxley, would you mind telling the caretakers to prepare two more beds and meals tonight then come join us?”

“Sure, boss,” Huxley chimed and strode away with prideful steps. Jade crinkled an eyebrow, thinking how obnoxious he was.

“Okay, so here we are,” Park began. “You’re standing at the entrance level to our humble little colony. Two guards are stationed at each hidden doorway at all times. Huxley overseas them and our equipment, which are stored at the center of this building level. Thanks to the building technicians who survived, we have running electricity, water, and appliances, and they’ve rigged the hidden maintenance doorways to only open with a special code. Certain colonists know these codes, and no one leaves without at least one partner.”

“Why doesn’t everyone have the code?” Beatrix asked.

“Because not everyone is trustworthy. Some people go hysterical from anxiety, from claustrophobia, from loss of a family, and should they let an infected in here, we’re all done for. It’s the sad reality of our time.”

“Huxley mentioned there are more levels below us ‘just in case,’” Jade recalled.

“Ah, yes. We’re on level U17. There are 20 underwater levels in this building and some 60 levels above the surface. Our living quarters, infirmary, and storage facilities are downstairs. The underwater luxury suites are quite a comfort in these times. We have some 40 families taking shelter here – construction workers, police, even a doctor – and every adult contributes to our well-being by caretaking or finding food, medical supplies, or records of how this disaster came to be.”

“Why bother with the records?” Jade queried.

“Because, my dear, when we one day emerge from this place with our children in hand, we must ensure this catastrophe never happens again.”

“I can see why you’re in charge,” Beatrix said admiringly. “Seems like you’ve thought of everything to make this place work well.”

“Thank you, dear one. I’ve worked hard to do so. It’s a job one cannot hope to take a vacation from.” He smiled kindly and led them further into the level towards the central stairwell.

“This is just a cautionary warning, but if the infected ever do get past our defenses, the armory and other offensive equipment are here. Everyone must come to this level to arm themselves and fight. It’s the only way to protect ourselves and ultimately survive as a species.”

“Huh? Is it that bad? You think the whole world is infected?” Beatrix asked, shocked.

“But that can’t be,” Jade said in disbelief. “We had heard the other countries overseas showed no signs of infection so we tried finding a way out after The Red City massacre. All the planes were down. It took us about a week to get to the sea on foot but the boats were all gone.”

“I was a government official, you see, before the world fell. I witnessed the rapid progression of this pandemic with no way to stop it. I don’t know how it happened, I don’t know the cause or who to blame, but it consumed the largest metropolises like Bethune in one week. The entire nation was stricken with the disease in two weeks. The world was gone in three. The economy was crippled after that, no supplies getting where they needed to go, and communication ceased between metropolises one by one. I can’t get any word out through bioNet, radio, nothing. It’s all gone, and people just keep getting infected and turning into those things.”

“What exactly are they?” Beatrix asked quietly, not sure if she really wanted to know.

“Are they even human anymore?” Jade muttered.

“All I know is that there are many types. Like the sucker and spitter Huxley says you encountered. The sucker type sticks to surfaces and uses its bodily fluids to capture its prey in sticky grime or melt it with acid. The spitter type is small and slow so it uses projectiles to take down prey.”

“You keep saying prey…” Beatrix mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself protectively.

“In case you haven’t figured it out yet…”

Park paused, as if secretly too horrified to acknowledge the truth.

“It seems their primary function isn’t to infect to produce more offspring, but to consume us.”

Beatrix gasped in tears, covering her involuntarily open mouth with her trembling hands. Jade bent her head down, figuring this fact long ago but refusing to believe it. Things were more dire than she ever imagined they could get.

“At first the infection seemed to attack randomly; someone would get sick, and eventually turn, and then assault anyone nearby. People who survived an attack but were hurt and received infected fluids or flesh in their bloodstream through cuts or other injuries also became sick and transformed. But others…”

“Hey.” Huxley appeared out of the central stairwell. “We’re all set down here.”

“Thank you, Huxley. Come, ladies, let us retire to the living quarters downstairs. We may not have any delicacies, but the food isn’t spoiled.”

Huxley offered an arm but Park politely moved it aside, preferring to maneuver down the stairs with his own two legs and wooden cane. Beatrix and Jade followed carefully, still taking in the new revelation. The whole game had changed.

The level below glowed with serene yellow lights. Women herded children down hallways. Men wiped the food-crusted mouths of their kids with old rags. Couples walked with arms locked, as if separation was a worse fate than death.

“How did you get electricity down here when the rest of the building is blacked out?”

“Our wonderful technicians shut down the rest of the building to make it appear uninhabitable so we don’t draw attention from the infected. The downfall, of course, is that survivors like you don’t even know we’re down here. I can’t bear to think how many people up there have passed by us never knowing there was help right under their feet. We are only so many; we can’t patrol the entire metropolis at all times. I wish there was a better way, but this is the best we can make of things at the moment.”

They came to a great restaurant sector filled with tables and chairs, and a line of caretakers served food to fellow colonists. Huxley pulled back a chair and Park settled himself at the table for four, placing his cane on his lap.

“Make yourselves at home, ladies. Go on, take some food, then come meet Huxley and I back here.”

Beatrix’s big smile appeared and she turned happily on a heel, heading straight for the food. Jade’s lips curled up ever so slightly. She was glad to see her friend happy again, if only for a moment. She wondered how many more of these moments were left in their lives.

Jade approached the serving line. Her long, confident strides stopped short as a teenage girl blocked her path. She eyed the girl, who wore a faded blue jumpsuit covered in grime. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a pony-tail and her grease-stained cheeks plumped up in a cheerful grin.

“Hey! You’re new here, aren’t you? Haven’t seen you before. Well, I’m so glad you made it. My name’s Camille. If you need anything fixed, you come see me. I might be a young woman, but I can make machines purr like kittens.”

Jade was silent. She wasn’t used to being welcomed by anyone.

“So? What’s your name?”

“Jade.”

“What a cool name! I love your clothes, too. Oh, hey, I gotta run, but can you tell my brother to clean up the room when he gets off-duty? I swear, that man can’t even scrub a fork unless you get onto him about it. He’s over there, by the way – that cranky guy you came in with named Huxley.”

Jade’s eyebrows rose. “Uh, okay,” she said, a brother to a cute mechanic being one of the last things she expected of Huxley.

“Thanks! Seeya around!” she sang as she hustled off in big, bulky boots to her next job.

“Oh my god, they have salads with ranch dressing!” Beatrix announced giddily as she walked past Jade with a bowl towards the table. Jade snickered then grabbed a salad with a side of nuts and beans for protein.

They sat at the table and greedily devoured the first non-canned food they’d eaten since Radcliff while Park sipped a hot tea and Huxley chomped a green apple. Not a word was spoken until Jade pushed aside her empty bowl.

“So how do we kill them?”

Park and Huxley exchanged concerned glances.

“Well,” Huxley spoke, “we haven’t exactly figured that out yet.”

“What do you mean? You’ve got guns.”

“Yeah, riot guns. All they do is deliver a pulse to shove them back. We’ve hacked them so the force packs a more powerful punch. But we ran out of real bullets we found at an abandoned military installation a while back, and that still didn’t stop them. Too bad they banned real guns years ago or maybe we’d find some rifles or shotguns.”

“No explosives?”

“Nope, outta that, too.”

“So what, then? We have to cut ‘em with knives?”

Huxley smirked, then leaned forward and clasped his hands together in an arch. “Everything we’ve tried only makes them angrier. If we shoot them, they don’t stop. If we blow their diseased heads off, they grow back. If we live to get close enough to cut off limbs to try and debilitate them, they just regenerate. They’re fucking monsters.”

“What the hell?” Jade sighed heavily, her heart dropping in her chest. Beatrix shrunk in her seat and rubbed her forehead, not wanting to hear anymore bad news.

“Didn’t you say before that you killed infected who tried to come down here?”

“No, I said we can fend them off. Drive them back. We haven’t killed any yet, and the ones who know where we are tend to come back after they’ve licked their wounds. Wounds that heal faster than anything humanly possible.”

“What’s to stop them from communicating with each other? Band together to come get us?”

Park spoke next. “We don’t know if a social structure exists between the infected. They were once human and, humans being social creatures, they may have a way to communicate. But they may also be some entirely new creation after the transformation. What I do know is that not all of them get along.”

“The sucker and spitter looked like they were fighting over who would get to eat us,” Beatrix commented in a small voice.

“Indeed. They are base and greedy. But there’s more to it than that. On the surface, did you happen to see the buildings closer to the heart of Bethune, the ones that looked like they had been knocked over like children’s building blocks?”

Beatrix and Jade nodded slowly.

“That’s the work of a Vorare.”

Their mouths hung open.

“What?!” Jade exclaimed. “An infected did that?! No fucking way, that would take a whole army to do that kind of damage!”

“My dear, Vorares are a whole other breed of infected. They are gargantuan and they are insatiable. They have even been seen eating other infected. They are unstoppable and we are only fortunate it left sometime after most of Bethune’s residents were dead or disappeared. It probably moved on to the next metropolis, consuming as it went.”

Beatrix abruptly stood.

“I don’t want to hear anymore. I want to go to bed.”

“That’s fine,” Park said empathetically. “It’s getting late and I should retire, as well. Huxley, I know your shift is over, but would you mind showing them to their quarters before you head home?”

“Sure thing,” Huxley replied, stepping over to help up Park.

“No, don’t mind me, see to them. I said unhand me — I can walk on my own, you hard-headed man.”

Huxley chuckled and Park started off, walking slowly like a man strolling through a park, contemplating something deeply.

“Well, cmon, ladies. Your room is this way.” Huxley grinned and whipped back his hair then led them through the level towards their new living space.

“Accommodations are spread thin, but supplies and on-duty caretakers are there, laundry’s there, and – oh yeah, don’t get to comfortable with your clothes ’cause people tend to steal nice things. As you can see, I don’t exactly have a matching wardrobe anymore so keep an eye on what you have. Hell, I’ll drop the first person who touches my coat or boots.”

They headed down another hallway and stopped in front of a metal door with the numbers 25981.

“Not that you should be too picky with real-estate these days,” he said as he inserted a laser key, “but things could be worse.”

The door slid open, presenting a grand, fully-furnished suite with the recent scent of cleaner and, where a wall normally would have been, a full-length window to the ocean.

“Wow!” Beatrix hollered as she dropped her bag at the door and dashed into the common room, dancing in a circle to absorb all the extravagance. Jade pursed her lips and walked in, setting down the backpack painfully digging into her shoulders onto a shiny brown, leather chair.

She then reached out to obtain the key from Huxley but ended up glowering at him empty-handed as he waltzed in, not expecting him to come into the apartment.

“Yeah, you could get used to this, huh? Now you’re not going to wanna leave after a night in a fluffy bed.” He casually strolled up behind Beatrix and, as if timing it perfectly, leaned down to get face-to-face with her just as she finished twirling around. “That was my plan all along,” he smiled slyly, staring deeply into her eyes.

Beatrix blushed and moved away, checking the cabinets, closets, and drawers, which had already been cleaned out by the caretakers. Huxley was left by himself in the middle of the room. Jade smirked at his rejection from the door, still waiting for his ass to leave.

“So there’s a bed in the room over there and a sweet king-size in the master bedroom. Too big for one person, if you ask me.”

“Okay, out,” Jade sighed in annoyance.

Huxley spun and gave Jade a rankled look, then quickly smiled handsomely when Beatrix came back to the center of the common room

“Thanks for helping us today, Huxley,” said Beatrix.

“No problem, Beatrix,” he said, lingering a little too long on the “trix” like it was a taste of wine.

Jade rolled her eyes and extended her hand once more for the key.

“If you need anything, I’m down the hall in 25999. Doesn’t matter what time it is, I’ll be there.”

“Okay, thank you,” Beatrix waved.

“Good night, Bea—uh, ladies,” Huxley chimed and dropped the key into Jade’s palm without even stopping to look at her. Jade punched the pad on the wall and the door slid shut.

“Finally,” she groaned as she sank into another leather chair, her legs flying up and air squeaking out of the cushions.

“This place is so nice!” Beatrix stated in awe.

“’So is he, tee-hee!’” Jade mocked in a high-pitched tone.

Beatrix stuck out her tongue. “Whatever. I don’t sound like that.”

“But you were thinkin’ it, huh?”

Beatrix crossed her arms. “Jade! You have a dirty mind.”

“Wha—a dirty mind? What are you thinking about? I was just saying he wishes you had a lollipop in your mouth. And he was the lollipop.”

“Ew!” Beatrix shuddered.

Jade laughed. “You’re so easy to gross out. I’m just joking. But watch out for him ’cause he’s definitely got a thing for you.”

“Yeah, well, that’s not going to happen.” Beatrix suddenly became busy combing tangles out of her hair with her fingers, but Jade could still see her cheeks blushing.

“Oh really? So you’re telling me you’re not the least bit interested in him?”

“Not at all,” she replied, turning as if to veil her face even more behind her long, red hair.

“Holy shit…” Jade gasped. Beatrix stopped and turned to her.

“Is there a shower?”

Beatrix and Jade stared at each other, wide-eyed.

Then they both bolted towards the bathroom, bumping and elbowing each other. Jade slipped in through the doorway first and nearly stumbled face-first into the glass case surrounding a big shower tiled in white marble and sporting a giant shower-head. Fragrant shampoo, indulgent soap, puffy towels, and fresh toothpaste lined the counter-top. Beatrix bounced and squeaked with glee.

“Oh my god, a shower! Oh, lemme take one first, please, please?”

Jade turned her head and quirked an eyebrow at her. “Why do you get to take one first?”

“Because you’re my bestest friend and you love me and you don’t want me to stink up the place.”

That big, pearly smile.

It was like watching the sun rise.

Jade succumbed to the warmth in her friend’s face. “Ugh, fine,” she moaned, sulking out of the bathroom.

“Eek, thank you!” Beatrix quickly tapped the button on the wall to slide the door closed and took a long, hot shower.

Jade took her shower next, feeling her muscles loosen and her hair smoothen. She had never felt anything more rejuvenating. When she emerged, the whole room swirled with steam and her skin glowed pink from the hot water.

She wrapped herself in a thick towel and stepped out of the bathroom. She found a message on her Statphone, which lay on the smaller bed next to her emptied bag.

Out washing our clothes.
BBS ~ Bea

Jade smiled, looking forward to the feel of fresh, soft clothes.

But then she looked around and paused, the curl in her lips unfurling. She stared at the bed, the walls, the carpet. Something didn’t feel right. She just wasn’t used to this sort of thing. Help from strangers. A luxury suite in the middle of the apocalypse. Comfort. She felt out of place.

She shook her head, water droplets from her wet, black hair cascading down her back. There was no reason not to feel comfortable. Maybe she had never fit in, but no one really did anymore. Everyone was just “us.” Against “them.” So why did she still feel so tense?

It wasn’t her in nature to trust.

Jade collapsed on the bed, the exhaustion of the day, the week, her whole life, kicking her down. She would have let herself cry in relief, just let it all go, let the tension spill out, but the moment she let herself be weak, she knew it would be easier to break down the next time she felt this way. She couldn’t do that in front of Bea. Or anyone. Not ever.

Not ever again.

Beatrix returned carrying a load of warm laundry in her arms, trying not to let the socks weasel their way out like they always did. Jade sat up, swallowing the knot in her throat and tightening the towel around herself.

“Hey! Here’s your stuff.” Beatrix dumped all of Jade’s clothes onto her bed. It was a meager pile of black.

“I can’t believe how great I feel now,” Beatrix cheered. “I mean, showers and laundry? An underwater room to ourselves? Ranch salads? I never thought I’d see any of this stuff after we left Radcliff.”

“I’m glad you feel better,” was all Jade could say as she dug through her things to pick out what she wanted to wear. She supposed she could have one night without wearing her boots.

Beatrix remained in the room, clutching her clothes and carefully watching Jade. Jade looked up after she selected a black tank-top and soft black cargo pants.

“What? I gotta get dressed. Or are you going to watch me this time?”

“Jade. Seriously. Think about this place. We’re safe here.”

“Bea, I don’t want to have this conversation right now. Can’t we at least sleep on it?”

Beatrix shifted her weight onto one leg and put a hand on her hip, some of her clothes falling to the floor. “You’re not in charge, you know. I get to make decisions, too. And I want to stay here. You don’t need a night to figure out this is the best possible place we could be right now. It’s amazing we even found this place. You’re going to go on and on about how we can’t trust anyone and how we need to stick together, well, you can’t do both if I want to stay.”

Jade listened, but didn’t reply immediately. She didn’t want to get into an argument. She just wanted to shut her eyes and drift away for a while. She pursed her lips and chose her next words carefully.

“Okay, Bea. I get what you’re saying. Let’s talk this over tomorrow and see what’s best for us. For now, let’s enjoy a night in this sweet-ass room.” Jade smirked, trying to lighten the mood.

Beatrix reciprocated her smile then picked up her clothes and went into the master bedroom to fold them. The door slid shut behind Jade and she got dressed. She pushed over the clothes on the bed, not bothering to fold them, and just as she was about to crawl under the covers, Beatrix called through the wall.

“Jade?”

“Yeah?”

“Uhm…”

“What?”

“Can… can you come here?”

“What for?”

“Just come here.”

Jade sighed and heaved herself off the bed as if her aching body weighed twice as much. She stepped into the master bedroom and found Beatrix already under the covers.

“What is it?” Jade asked.

“I… I don’t want to sleep alone.”

Jade squinted, confused.

“Please, just… I don’t want to be alone. What if… it comes again tonight…?”

Jade nodded in understanding. She silently walked over to the edge of the bed and folded back the covers.

“Thanks, Jade,” Beatrix whispered softly while Jade slid into bed next to her.

“Just don’t kick me or I’m not sleeping with you ever again.”

Beatrix giggled and nodded then turned away from Jade, swiftly falling asleep. Jade turned the opposite direction so their backs faced each other, trying not to touch feet or anything because that would be a little awkward.

But Jade realized how comforting it was to hear Beatrix’s deep breathing beside her. She couldn’t remember the last time Beatrix slept before that morning on the maglev. And before she even asked about it, Jade knew she didn’t sleep the night before the infected found them at the beach house.

The rhythm of Beatrix’s breathing lulled Jade and she gradually dozed off, forgetting her worries about where they would end up tomorrow.

Until the banging.

The banging wouldn’t stop.

It came from their door.

Until the floor shook.

Red emergency lights bled the room.

And someone stumbled through the doorway.

It was Huxley.

“Wake up, quick! We’re evacuating, hurry up, get out of here!”

+X+ Gally

Photo © Christine Lines 2010
Novel © Christine Lines 2010
Blog post © Christine Lines 11.24.10

http://lestismitethee.wordpress.com/2010/11/24/writing-infectnation-chapter-7/