Chapter 3 - Awake

I groggily open my eyes as a putrid smell fills my nostrils.

“Elle! You’re awake!”

I blink a few times before the blurred shape in front of me becomes clear. It’s Daren, and he’s grinning. I haven’t seen his lips curve upward for even a moment in weeks.

“D-Daren?” I manage choke out.

My throat feels like it’s laced in sandpaper.

“Yes Elle, I’m here.” He softly speaks, grabbing my hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“What,” I hack, “What is that smell?”

He bellows out a hearty laugh.

“Maddy is cooking!” He chortles.

I stare blankly at him for a few seconds before he whispers, “The Serum worked, Elle.”

Before I even have time to process what he is saying, Maddy dances into the room with a plate of brownish colored mush. 

“Dinner’s ready!” She sings.

I can't stop the urge to painfully bounce to my feet and lock my arms around her tiny form. Her messy black curls are practically suffocating me as I begin to sob into her shoulder.

“Oh Maddy,” I sniffle, “I never thought I’d hear your voice again.”

She hugs me back tightly for a moment and then releases me.

“Hey now! Sit your butt back down!

You’ve gotta eat something. You took quite a beating out there.” She smiles, putting the source of the terrible smell in front of my face. It’s just like Maddy to take on the mother role. She’s always been the one to be the voice of reason when Daren and I argue about raids or rations. She’s the one who bothers with things like dusting the cabin, planting a garden, and keeping our spirits up with goofy games and entertainment. I smile as these thoughts cross my mind.  

“What is that?” I laugh.

“I’m not really sure. All the stuff in your backpack was waterlogged, and the labels on the cans are indecipherable. I think it’s some kind of poultry.” She shrugs.

I eye it suspiciously.

“C’mon now, you need the protein.” She urges, wiggling a fork at me.

“Alright,” I sigh, grabbing the fork and plate as I sit back down on the bed I woke on. I hesitantly take the first bite; Maddy’s grinning face watching me intently.

I hold back the urge to gag, and force a smile.

“Tastes like chicken.” I croak.

I can see Daren holding back another chuckle as he watches me struggle to finish the plate. I know Maddy isn’t going to let me talk again until I finish all the mush.

Right after I take the last bite, Maddy smiles, nods, and scoops up the dishes before whirling out of the room humming and unfamiliar tune.

I stare after her in bewilderment for a moment, then turn my attention to Daren. He’s still beaming at the doorway where Maddy disappeared. He’s practically glowing. The hardened man that he became after the accident has completely vanished; a goofy young guy who’s insanely in love is the replacement. I take in his relaxed and happy energy for a few moments before he turns to me.

“What did I miss?!” I ask with wide eyes. “She was practically dead yesterday!”

“Yesterday? Elle, you’ve been out cold for damn near seventy-two hours.” Daren replies, raising an eyebrow.

“Three days?” I ask, confused.

“Yeah, you had me worried sick! I thought I’d lost you both for a few hours there.” He replies.

"What the heck happened?!" I demand.

“When I caught you in the doorway I took you right to the bed. I made sure you were breathing, and then the Serum fell out of your backpack. As soon as I saw it, I heard Maddy start coughing and gagging. I grabbed it and ran to her to find that she was vomiting blood. I immediately started injections of the Serum at all her major arteries, but by the time I got any of it into her she had lost consciousness. Without even thinking, I used the entire bag on her. After all the injections, I checked her pulse and listened for a heartbeat and there was nothing. I lost it. I started doing CPR so hard I’m pretty sure I broke most of her ribs. I did that for probably an hour before I remembered that you were still in the other room. I went to check on you and you weren’t breathing either. I fell to the floor and just stopped functioning. I don’t even know what happened. I was just sitting there, staring at the floor for hours. Not thinking, not blinking, nothing. Then I heard something crash to the floor in Maddy’s room. I bolted in there to see her body violently jerking and seizing. I tried to stop her to no avail. She seized for about 10 minutes before going limp. I checked for a heartbeat again and found it. I curled up next to her and fell asleep. Next thing I knew she was waking me up with her doe eyes and a huge grin.” His eyes light up at that last part.

“Wow.” I say in awe.

“Oh Elle, I’m so sorry about the way I treated you.” He moans, wrapping me up in a huge hug.

“It’s okay, it’s okay!” I reassure him with a pat on the back. “It’s all okay; we’re all okay.” I breathe a sigh of relief as I realize there’s truth in my words.

I feel him nod in my shoulder as he sniffles. He pulls back and wipes his nose.

“I’ll never doubt you again!” he snickers.

“As it should be,” I chuckle.

“Alright, now it’s your turn. What the heck happened to you out there?”

I look down at my bandaged knuckles and mutilated arm and all the memories come flooding back.

       I tell Daren everything. I watch as horror and disgust flash across his face while I talk. By the time I’ve finished my story, it looks as if his face is stuck in a permanent wince.

“I told you to take all the lavender,” He mumbles.

“I had plenty. And there was no way I was leaving you two wide open with all the blood scent around here from Maddy’s bandages.”

“But you were completely defenseless in the forest. If it weren’t for the sun coming out just in time, you’d be leech lunch!”

I roll my eyes just as Maddy walks back in.The look on her face tells me she heard everything. "Hey, remember when we used to watch zombie movies and get annoyed at all the euphemisms the character’s would come up rather than just calling them 'zombies'?” She blurts out.

Daren and I exchange a concerned glance.

“Yes?” We reply simultaneously.

“We’re doing that right now.” She states.

“Doing what, Maddy?” Daren asks, confused.

“Leach, bloodsucker, parasite,…” she rambles, “We’re beating around the bush.”

I laugh, “I guess you’re right!”

Daren folds his arms across his chest. Judging by the look on his face, he’s still not following. Maddy playfully punches his arm with a giggle.

“Why don’t we just call them what they are?” she probes. “Vampires.”

 

Author's Note

This is a short chapter. but Chapter 4 will be longer!