16. Announcement.

Jayson:

    I was groggy after my nap. My head was whirling. I felt as though I had just came back from another world. From the nature of my dream, I probably had. I recalled it with perfect clarity:

    I was back in the gym. The zombies were dragging their feet, moaning and groaning. One’s eyes rolled into the back of it’s head and it dropped to the ground. No one seemed to notice. It got back up, trembling slightly, and kept moving as if the previous occurrence had never happened.

    My body felt heavy and weak. Gravity seemed to push down on me with a greater force than that I had ever felt before. I shuffled around, watching what these people… could they even be called people? These, beasts, do what they do.

    One seemed angry at another. One was yelling it’s strange language at the other. The first one had dirty, shaggy blonde hair and braces. The second had short hair that seemed to have a reddish glow and had pitch black eyes. Actually, by the look of it, they all had black eyes. The first growled a furious roar and ripped off the second’s arm. It didn’t fall dead, it didn’t wince in pain, it just stood there. Angry.

    “ Dang, these things are strong,” I mumbled.

    The second screamed a high, squeaky, ear-splitting scream and grabbed the first’s head and tore it off. He decapitated the other! I felt sick to my stomach.

    I walked away from the fight for a change of scenery. I stepped on something. I was sharp and cold. I picked up my foot, slowly, and found a chunk of glass in my foot. I yanked it out, it feeling like only a tiny paper cut, and held it to my face. I could see my reflection in the glass. I had hideous scars and scabs. Beneath the dirt and grim, I could almost tell I was looking at myself.

    Suddenly, it hit me. The bite, whenever I dreamed, I dreamt I was one of them. I could see what they saw, know what they know. I knew:

    1. That they were in the gym. Close, maybe too close, to the nurses office.

    2. They were strong. ( I shivered ) I knew that, definitely.

    3. They could be killed, but it’s hard.

    4. They have a very, very high tolerance to pain.
    
    This was going to come in handy. I was sure of it.

    I needed to tell the others. About what I had just learned about myself. About how whenever I dreamed, I was, somehow, able to see, hear, and feel what they felt.

    “ Yo, Vince!” I said.

    Vincent walked over to me, William by his side. William hadn’t talked much since his sister’s suicide. He had gotten pale and had a distant look in his eyes. I could tell he missed his sister.

    “ Gather everyone together, will ya? I have an announcement to make.”

    Vincent nodded rushed off, leaving William with me.

    “ Look, dude, I’m really sorry ‘bout your sister. I can’t believe she did what she did. I know that-”

    “ Nah, man, it’s okay. Better her dead than to live with the guilt,” he interrupted. Before I could ask what he meant, he walked away.

                                                     *        *        *

    I had just told them. They all knew now. They had listened silently, taking in every word. Wide-eyed and shocked, they didn’t move or squirm. No one doubted what I said, knowing now that anything could happen. I was to report everything I dreamt to Seth, who would write in all down in a notebook that he kept plans in. Construction of weapons was happening slowly, yet surely. We were surviving.

    “ For the good of the pack,” I whispered before laying down to sleep. This time with no one to hold.


Caroline:

    Tonight he was going to tell me why Harriet did what she did. I could have it all explained. My heart pounded loud and fast at the idea of knowing the thoughts of someone who had committed suicide, but I was excited.

    Nathan stood up and carefully left the room, not making a single sound. I watched his figure, hidden by the night, cross the room gracefully, open the door, and leave.

    One.

    Was I sure I wanted to do this? Was this really a good idea?

    Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.
    Yes, yes I had to know. Also, by the glint in his eyes, there seemed to be more that he wanted to say. Other than Harriet’s death.

    Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve.

    What was it? How much longer of this waiting could I take? Maybe I could just leave now… no. Nathan said to count to twenty, and that was what I was going to do.

    Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen.

    Almost there.

    Eighteen.

    Time to know, and to know soon. The truth. What no one else knew.

    Nineteen.

    No one, except for the dead.

    Twenty.

Author's Note

If you wanna see a pic of a D.O.T.D character, just ask me(: