Chapter 6

Riley

My eyes feel stuck shut after a rough night. Sleeping in a closet with another person is the worst, especially when that person is your smelly older brother. I almost open the door before I remember why we are stuck in here. I press closer to him and shut my eyes, pretending everything might still be okay.

Then the truth hits hard. We are trapped. Anxiety floods in fast. I fan my face. My breathing turns quick and shallow. I try to pull away from Finn. The air feels too thin and my chest tightens.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Finn whispers, holding my arms. “We are going to get out. Count to three and breathe. One. Two. Three. Breathe. One. Two. Three…” He keeps counting and I join in soft. One last deep breath comes out steadier than the rest.

“Okay… okay.” I let out another breath. “We have to leave this house. At least until they find a cure.” My voice is almost too quiet to hear. My phone dings. My heart jumps. I curse in my head, hoping Ms. Patricia did not hear it. I press my lips tight so no sound escapes. A drop of sweat slides down my forehead. I hate how much I am sweating right now.

When nothing moves outside the closet I check the screen.

The nearest safe haven is John B Cary Elementary School in the following location. Effective immediately.

Our old elementary school. It is only a short walk. I show the phone to Finn.

“We go there. Food, water, maybe even soldiers,” I whisper.

“Now or never,” Finn says. “They will not let people in forever. Space and supplies will run out.” I nod. He is right. Finn is one of the smartest people I know. I give him a tight hug, then let go. The closet door slides open without a sound. I had to oil the track last week when Mom made us do those extra chores.

“Master bedroom. There is a window.” I start that way, but Finn pulls me toward his room instead.

“What are you doing?” I hiss. He puts a finger to his lips. Ms. Patricia has heard us. She comes down the hall fast, snarling. “Hurry,” I say. She is only a foot away when the door shuts. She throws her weight against it and starts banging hard.

“Why here? Your door never stays closed,” I say, pushing with all my strength.

“I have stuff we can take.” He throws an oversized t-shirt and a pair of Adidas joggers at me. I give him a look. “Look at what you are wearing,” he says. Fluffy pajama pants and a tank top will not work outside, not with the kind of people out there. He opens a desk drawer and starts stuffing food into a plain black backpack: Sour Patch Kids, Mountain Dew cans, open chip bags, Oreos, and a small baggie I cannot see clearly. He keeps adding more. Last he pulls out a BB gun and a pocketknife.

“Why do we need those?” I whisper hard.

“You never know. The BB gun does not have the orange tip. It might scare the wrong people off.” He shrugs and joins me at the door.

“Or it might get us shot!” I hiss and smack his arm. I roll my eyes, pull the big shirt over my head, kick off my shoes, and change pants while he looks away. I slide on his Converse over the socks he gave me and tighten the laces hard so they will not slip off.

“I cannot hold this much longer,” he says, sweat running down his face. I yank the blinds up and shove the narrow window open. My short legs make it hard, but I get one leg through just in time. The door slips. Finn falls face-first onto the carpet. She grabs his ankle and claws at his pant leg. He uses the desk to pull himself up and races for the window. I grab his arms and haul him through. We both tumble onto the ground outside. We scramble up as fast as we can. Ms. Patricia sticks her head and shoulders through the window. We freeze in place.

A young guy, maybe just out of high school, runs up. He waves us closer, grabs the window frame, and shoves down hard on her neck. We stand there staring, sick at the sight.

“You’re killing her! Stop! Murderer!” Finn screams, spit flying. He tries to run at the guy. I use every bit of strength I have to hold him back. The stranger is lean but strong. Finn would not stand a chance.

“Let me go!” Finn says through clenched teeth.

“We’re leaving,” I shout, pulling his hoodie. He stops fighting and lets me lead him toward the school. We reach the field, swing our legs over the chain-link fence, and drop to the other side. More people like Ms. Patricia press against the fence right after we clear it. We run into the building. A few soldiers check our temperature before letting us past. Scared faces look up as we walk in. The fluorescent lights are dim and make the hallway feel tight. An old TV plays in one classroom. A group of people stands around it. An amber-alert tone blares, then a message appears.

“The following message was transmitted at the request of the Virginia National Guard. Civil authorities have issued a warning for the Virginia commonwealth area. At 5:43 am on Sunday, Maya 14th, 2019 the state of Virginia issued a warning of the outbreak of a highly contagious virus. The center of disease control has published guidelines to follow to avoid contact with infected persons and to contain the virus. Symptoms of the virus include fever, nausea, heat flashes, excessive sweating, hallucinations, loss of coordination, confusion, and aggressive behavior. It is strongly advised to avoid any persons who possess any of these symptoms. The Virginia National Guard has formed a safe haven in the Richmond Coliseum, the Richmond Diamond Flying Squirrels Stadium, and in the surrounding areas. All uninfected persons may stay in the following safe locations and in their homes until more information regarding this virus is known. All bitten persons may report to their local hospitals for further care until treatment.”