1: Utter Silence for the Moment

This is chapter one of Disease of the Dead.

    After the horror we had faced, it seemed strange to me that the room could be consumed with utter silence. Whispered murmurs and sounds of uncomfortable bodies shifting were the only faint sounds I heard. In the blanket of night, I could still barely see the outlines of objects in the room. Toppled desks and chairs had been pushed against the wall. The chalkboard on the wall, the posters hung amongst papers that were claimed “superb.” An almost normal classroom. There were many things missing from Mrs. Hart’s math classroom, that seemed almost frightening now.

    For one thing, Mrs. Hart wasn’t there. From the moment we had realized what was happening, we knew she was a goner. She had loss so much blood, but we couldn’t take the risk of her becoming inflicted with the disease before she had the chance to die.

    “ She could have infected us all. Face it, we had to finish her off. To kill her,” I thought to myself, remembering her unhurried death.

    With all of these memories of terror and gore, I had almost forgotten Laura, who had her head nestled against my chest. Her dark red curls hanging beside her face, seeming to highlight her light-brown eyes. Along with her beauty, she may have been short, but had had very large, tall personality. Her dark lips curved into a smile as she noticed that I was staring at her. The stunning smile of my girlfriend.

    Not too far away, Laura’s younger cousin, Caroline, ( we called her Carrie), was curled up in a ball, using her hat as a pillow. It was a black-and-white snow cap with flaps that go over your ears whenever you wore it. Her body was shaking, not from a physical chill, but an emotional chill that freezes you from the inside out. Somehow, even with her eyes closed in sleep, seemed to be crying, her face wet, glistening from tears of absolute worry and fear.

    “ Look at her. It’s pitiful. My poor, poor baby cousin,” Laura whispered to me, noticing that I was glancing at Carrie now. Though Laura was just a sophomore, like myself, and Caroline was only a freshman, Laura always considered Caroline as her “baby cousin.”

    To be honest, I found Caroline to be more pretty… no, beautiful than Laura. To be even more clear, I loved her. To way she talked, the way she smiled, the way she laughed and walked and anything she did. My affection for the lovely girl started a year ago, and I never told her or anyone else. Seeing the gorgeous, and single, girl never failed to drive me mad. I guess that’s why they call it “madly in love.”

    “ Look, she must be very cold. See, she’s shivering. Go,” said Laura. “Normally I would never do this, but she needs you more than I.”

    “ Huh?” I replied, keeping my voice low.

    “ Go and keep her warm. I’m okay, I’ll be fine. Just go.”
    “ But what if…” I began, but was interrupted by the sound of rapid, raspy breaths that sounded muffled, along with the sound of extremely hushed screams. It was Caroline, face down in her “pillow”. She was suffocating, but asleep, so she didn’t realize the danger she faced. I looked at Laura dismally, kissed her affectionately on the cheek, and ran to assist her troubled cousin. The girl of my dreams. I nearly wanted to slap myself. How could I think of love at a time like now, when we were in danger? Still, my yearn seemed to take over my thoughts as I lifted Carrie’s head from her “pillow” so that she could breathe. She squirmed and fought and cried when she felt my hands grasp her, but I whispered into her ear,

    “ Sh! It’s only me, Jayson. Sh! Everything is gonna be okay.”

    Or, at least, I hoped it would be.

Reviews

[InkSlinger]

You know I enjoyed this.. I wasn't sure what to expect and found myself pleasantly surprised. You have a gift for telling a story, and I know.. you're a writer, but just because one calls them self a write, it does not guarantee them a story teller..
I can't wait to find out what happens next.. Pinch me when you post it.. okay, well maybe not pinch, but at least send me a reading request.. Keep up the good work!

[Trystin S. Bailey]

A great start. "...papers that were claimed 'superb'". What I enjoy most so far is the narrator's voice. It's a little dark, bust mostly honest and intelligent. Clear and well executed.

[jozlyn marie]

you know this book to bad when we where in school i only got to chapter 3 but hey now i get to read it all :D

[SilentSKY]

This is excellent! A very good hook, too! ^_^ And so I begin the next chapter! :D

[Cassandra D.]

Wow, this was pretty enjoyable to read!
I'm on to the next chapter...