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Authors: Alexia Purdy
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their hisses. Then as the population grew tinier and tinier, they had turned to capturing lost dogs and cats, pets of owners that no longer came home. I heard the dogs barking and the cats screeching back at the monsters. It wasn’t long before those noises were silenced as well and the inhuman snarls faded as the neighborhood died and the lights went out.
I came back into the present as the street, now flying by in front of me as the van cruised down it, turned onto the freeway toward home. It was now about one hour from sunset and all I wanted was to forget the day and hide in my hole in the mountains once again. The sky bled translucent oranges and blues across the horizon as I rolled the window down, letting the air whip my hair around. I still felt suffocated, still felt an overwhelming angst within my chest that did not fade with anything but the air. The rush and noise of it made my mind a bit number, maybe even a bit clearer.
I raced through the abandoned cars and pieces of debris. The tears had dried into dirty streaks down my face and I once more felt the weariness growing in my bones and down my body. I wanted to keep driving, keep on until the road faded away into the endless desert plains and disappear with them. I knew that I couldn’t and I knew that I had to stay here and keep fighting, even for nothing more than for the memory of my mother and my brother. For them, I would not let my spirit wither and fade. I would continue on, regardless.
Chapter Eight
After a shower I sat on the bed, examining the vampire bite on my arm. It was clean and looked like it was starting to heal well. I doubted I would turn into a vampire, I had been bitten many times before without infection, but I might as well lock myself in here if I did. At least I wouldn’t kill anyone trapped in a cement tomb. I doubt I would be able to think enough to get out of here; the ferals didn’t seem to have that kind of higher brain function. Even though they gathered into groups to survive better, they couldn’t even open the heavy doors of most of the casinos. They were a bit zombie-like in that way.
I sighed, rubbing my face after bandaging up the wound to keep it from hitting anything or getting some other infection. My eyes felt dry and stung as I pressed my hand into them. I reached for a bottle of water on the table next to my bed and swallowed down the fresh fluid. It felt good on my scratchy throat. I hoped I wasn’t getting sick. The desert seemed to suck the hydration from my body without any effort like a dehumidifier working to turn me into a stick of jerky.
I laughed at the thought and plopped back onto the pillow of my bed. I reached over to click the overhead light off which left me with only the soft glow of the security camera monitors to see by. I sighed, staring up at the pipes that ran overhead along the cement roof of this small sanctuary. Only the hum of the monitors and the fans that spun overhead filled the space. I hoped that I wouldn’t have any kind of activity to deal with during the night. My body was already relaxing into a paralyzed bliss as the soreness of the day sat in my muscles and bones. I let my eyelids slowly meld together and the darkness float me into a temporary safe harbor.
*****
My eyes fluttered as I woke with a start. Sitting up, I saw that I had been lying in what looked like a hospital bed. The smell of alcohol wipes and bleach assaulted my nostrils as I turned my head, immediately and instinctually scanning the room. I even checked underneath the bed I was lying in, hoping to not find a feral creature lurking there.
Where the hell am I? The lights were on and blared down on me like God’s flashlight, examining me and making my eyelids flutter at the glare. How could there be electricity in this hospital? How the heck did I get here?
I swung my legs over the side, noticing I had hospital socks on and a flimsy white and blue gown that patients usually wore. I pulled at it, feeling
I came back into the present as the street, now flying by in front of me as the van cruised down it, turned onto the freeway toward home. It was now about one hour from sunset and all I wanted was to forget the day and hide in my hole in the mountains once again. The sky bled translucent oranges and blues across the horizon as I rolled the window down, letting the air whip my hair around. I still felt suffocated, still felt an overwhelming angst within my chest that did not fade with anything but the air. The rush and noise of it made my mind a bit number, maybe even a bit clearer.
I raced through the abandoned cars and pieces of debris. The tears had dried into dirty streaks down my face and I once more felt the weariness growing in my bones and down my body. I wanted to keep driving, keep on until the road faded away into the endless desert plains and disappear with them. I knew that I couldn’t and I knew that I had to stay here and keep fighting, even for nothing more than for the memory of my mother and my brother. For them, I would not let my spirit wither and fade. I would continue on, regardless.
Chapter Eight
After a shower I sat on the bed, examining the vampire bite on my arm. It was clean and looked like it was starting to heal well. I doubted I would turn into a vampire, I had been bitten many times before without infection, but I might as well lock myself in here if I did. At least I wouldn’t kill anyone trapped in a cement tomb. I doubt I would be able to think enough to get out of here; the ferals didn’t seem to have that kind of higher brain function. Even though they gathered into groups to survive better, they couldn’t even open the heavy doors of most of the casinos. They were a bit zombie-like in that way.
I sighed, rubbing my face after bandaging up the wound to keep it from hitting anything or getting some other infection. My eyes felt dry and stung as I pressed my hand into them. I reached for a bottle of water on the table next to my bed and swallowed down the fresh fluid. It felt good on my scratchy throat. I hoped I wasn’t getting sick. The desert seemed to suck the hydration from my body without any effort like a dehumidifier working to turn me into a stick of jerky.
I laughed at the thought and plopped back onto the pillow of my bed. I reached over to click the overhead light off which left me with only the soft glow of the security camera monitors to see by. I sighed, staring up at the pipes that ran overhead along the cement roof of this small sanctuary. Only the hum of the monitors and the fans that spun overhead filled the space. I hoped that I wouldn’t have any kind of activity to deal with during the night. My body was already relaxing into a paralyzed bliss as the soreness of the day sat in my muscles and bones. I let my eyelids slowly meld together and the darkness float me into a temporary safe harbor.
*****
My eyes fluttered as I woke with a start. Sitting up, I saw that I had been lying in what looked like a hospital bed. The smell of alcohol wipes and bleach assaulted my nostrils as I turned my head, immediately and instinctually scanning the room. I even checked underneath the bed I was lying in, hoping to not find a feral creature lurking there.
Where the hell am I? The lights were on and blared down on me like God’s flashlight, examining me and making my eyelids flutter at the glare. How could there be electricity in this hospital? How the heck did I get here?
I swung my legs over the side, noticing I had hospital socks on and a flimsy white and blue gown that patients usually wore. I pulled at it, feeling
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