Sickness In Town p. 5

By: Asa Montreaux

*

If you thought Bernie was quiet most of the night, you were mistaken. That first night, she made so much noise, neither Payton or Neil had any idea what to do. At one point Neil thought to himself that it was a terrible idea bringing her here. He had needed to save her. Why couldn’t he have thought of something better. A few times, he thought, she’s even woken Payton up as he was sleeping. It was not good.

But Payton wasn’t too worried. He didn’t say anything when they switched shifts. It seemed it would be alright in the end. It was just until the cure. Whenever that was. As he was drifting off to sleep he imagined the disease disappearing from the air sound them. But at the same time, it made him think of catching the disease, and he went to sleep with horrific images of himself as a Zombie chasing after terrified civilians. Nothing could be worse than thinking about becoming a Zombie, he thought to himself. All the same, he fell asleep, and dreamt of zombies, and becoming a zombie, and attacking people. 

When he awoke, he wondered if that was some symptom, dressing of becoming a zombie. But it took him one second to know that it was just fear. There was just so much that had changed quickly. Now there was zombies, soon there would be lots, and anyone could become one. It was all a bit much to take.

Payton had woken him up. “Bad news man. Dezzie was drinking man. He got bit, so to speak. One night later, he’s a zombie.”

“No, it can’t be. We lost him.”

“Afraid so,” Payton said. “But if we can help get the cure, then we’ll be able to save him to. Not just Bernie. Now watch her while I go upstairs and shower and change. Then you.”

“Yea, yea. Alright.”

*

After they were ready for the day, Payton took off to first period at school, and Neil stayed behind. Payton would be back and then Neil would go off to class, just as soon as first period ended. Then Payton would go to third period, and Neil fourth period. 

It was just until they found a couple other people to watch Bernie with them. They weren’t going to miss much school. They’d find some more people soon. And they both had missed hardly any school so far that year. Nothing bad was going to happen form them just missing a little school. 

When Payton was gone, Neil sat outside Bernie’s room and listened a little as he was studying some textbooks. She was vaguely like a dog or a cat, at least as a zombie. She made a noise every minute or two, and Neil could swear some of them sounded somewhat pleasurable. It had been almost an hour, and Payton would be home in forty five minutes or so. Neil decided to sit with Bernie some, and see how she was doing. He opened the door to the room, and put his chair beside her. She was sitting on the floor, keeled over as if she were unconscious. He watched as she bobbled her head a bit, and and move her hands in the air, as if she were chasing someone. He couldn’t really sense the old Bernie in there. Maybe just a little. Maybe just the faintest amount.

*